Latest / NFL Power Rankings / #11: Did Steelers get lucky vs. Ravens?

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#11: Did Steelers get lucky vs. Ravens? · NFL Power Rankings

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  Speaker 1: NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in
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  Speaker 1: partnership with iHeartRadio.
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  Speaker 2: Welcome to a brand new edition of NFL Power Rankings.
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  Speaker 2: Mike yam along with the man who legitimately I say
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  Speaker 2: has the hardest job in the building, Eric at Holme.
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  Speaker 2: Checking out this podcast, you can see all of his
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  Speaker 2: rankings one through thirty two on NFL dot com.
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  Speaker 3: Eric.
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  Speaker 2: The reason why I say you have the hardest job.
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  Speaker 2: It's already difficult enough to rank.
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  Speaker 3: The teams one through thirty two.
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  Speaker 2: But the reaction that you get on social media from
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  Speaker 2: fan bases that might be a little upset on where
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  Speaker 2: you slap your team, that's what makes your job really hard.
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  Speaker 2: Is there a reaction of recently last couple weeks of
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  Speaker 2: stand out to you from an angry fan.
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  Speaker 4: Base, Yeah, very enthusiastic Bills fan ripping me for putting
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  Speaker 4: them at number two. Overall, right, the disrespect. Can you
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  Speaker 4: imagine Mike shocking at this point? Again, if you're a
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  Speaker 4: Bills fan, you've seen Josh Allen do some amazing things
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  Speaker 4: this season, but let's have some perspective. Lines are pretty
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  Speaker 4: good too, you know.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I'm glad and that's probably the best place to
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  Speaker 2: start with the number one team as we take you
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  Speaker 2: through the ranks one through eight. Yeah, no change at
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  Speaker 2: the top there. The lines just continue to ball. And yes,
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  Speaker 2: we do have a new number two team. You did
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  Speaker 2: give the Bills plenty of respect. They beat the Chiefs,
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  Speaker 2: so they sit at two. Kansas City suffers their first loss.
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  Speaker 2: They drop a spot to three. The Eagles welcome the
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  Speaker 2: first place in the NFC East, the Vikings at five.
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  Speaker 3: They're an eight win football team.
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  Speaker 2: Massive win by the Steelers, who we will talk about
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  Speaker 2: in just a couple of minutes as they take out
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  Speaker 2: the Ravens who sit seven. The number eight team, the Packers,
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  Speaker 2: a dramatic block field goal walk off win. All right,
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  Speaker 2: let's start with the number two team. It is the
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  Speaker 2: Buffalo Bills. I ask you this sort of with the
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  Speaker 2: smile on my face, knowing some of the social media
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  Speaker 2: reaction that you get. This is a Bills squad that's
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  Speaker 2: beaten the Chiefs last four regular season games. They haven't
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  Speaker 2: beaten them in the postseason last three times. Does the
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  Speaker 2: win from the weekend even matter?
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  Speaker 4: It does, but maybe not in a we've got their
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  Speaker 4: you know their number kind of way. We all, like
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  Speaker 4: you said, Obviously, the postseason record speaks for itself. Buffalo
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  Speaker 4: still got to prove itself once again gets to the postseason,
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  Speaker 4: especially when you know that inevitable that rematch is coming.
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  Speaker 4: But yeah, I mean it's important because it keeps the
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  Speaker 4: door open for the Bills to potentially steal the number
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  Speaker 4: one seed. No, the AFC East is all but wrapped up,
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  Speaker 4: we know that. But it also speaks to the fact
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  Speaker 4: that they won without Dalton king k they won without
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  Speaker 4: Keon Coleman. I mean, you know, they're still kind of
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  Speaker 4: shorthanded on defense, and we're able to play a great game.
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  Speaker 4: The run game wasn't terrific, but when you have Josh
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  Speaker 4: Allen doing things like this, it all tends to work
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  Speaker 4: out pretty well. So big, big day for Buffalo's defense.
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  Speaker 4: A couple of interceptions, also the three three and outs,
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  Speaker 4: and I don't think you could ask for more. But
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  Speaker 4: like you said, until we get to the postseason, until
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  Speaker 4: these two teams face again, that Bills Chiefs things still
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  Speaker 4: has an asterisk by it.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Look, this is a great barometer game for Buffalo, and candidly,
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  Speaker 2: because of some of those injuries, Eric I thought Kansas
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  Speaker 2: City was going to win this football game. I was
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  Speaker 2: all prepared in my mind last week, finishing the show, going, hey,
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  Speaker 2: you know what do we make of this Kansas City squad?
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  Speaker 2: Who you have that number three? They continue to win
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  Speaker 2: somebody's football games. Now they lost this matchup, but I
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  Speaker 2: sit here and go, this might be a good thing
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  Speaker 2: for this squad, and hear me out, Eric, this is
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  Speaker 2: a team trying to win a third consecutive Super Bowl,
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  Speaker 2: and now all of a sudden, you got this undefeated season,
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  Speaker 2: the legacy of this franchise with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, Like,
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  Speaker 2: now you don't have to.
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  Speaker 3: Worry about that. You got the loss out of the way.
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  Speaker 2: Let's just move on and really accomplish the task at hand,
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  Speaker 2: which is to make sure you got a first round
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  Speaker 2: by in the postseason and got an opportunity to hoist
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  Speaker 2: another Lombardi.
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  Speaker 4: Absolutely right. I mean it would be great for a
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  Speaker 4: team like the Chiefs that has accomplished so much over
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  Speaker 4: the last five six years to add another feather in
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  Speaker 4: their capital, that unbeaten season. Sure, it's not in the
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  Speaker 4: cards this year. It's not gonna happen. Now. Their focus,
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  Speaker 4: like you said, is on sealing up that number one seed.
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  Speaker 4: Don't let the Bills get hot, try to have that
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  Speaker 4: rematch if it does happen, occur in Arrowhead Field and
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  Speaker 4: not up at high Mark. So yeah, that's obviously the
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  Speaker 4: focus here. Isaiah Pacheco on track to get back. There's
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  Speaker 4: still finding ways to get DeAndre Hopkins involved in the playoffs,
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  Speaker 4: already involved in the offense rather and you know, I mean, look,
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  Speaker 4: it's another week of rest if they get that buy
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  Speaker 4: for guys like Travis Kelcey who take so much wear
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  Speaker 4: and tear over this course of the season. Patrick Mahomes
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  Speaker 4: two is still playing with the you know, a little
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  Speaker 4: bit banged up with the ankle and everything. So yeah,
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  Speaker 4: the focus hasn't changed. Obviously. This team takes care of
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  Speaker 4: business more often than not. So while Sunday was a setback,
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  Speaker 4: I don't think it was a major one.
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  Speaker 2: All right, So as far as the AFC teams are concerned,
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  Speaker 2: yes it's Buffalo, Yes it's Kansas City. We'll have a
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  Speaker 2: conversation on the Steelers and the Ravens.
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  Speaker 3: I think there's a real.
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  Speaker 2: Conversation by the end of the season to decide which
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  Speaker 2: team we think is truly the best team in that conference.
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  Speaker 2: Because I still think it's up in the air, and
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  Speaker 2: it's maybe not the team that most would point to. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 2: the Philadelphia Eagles quie start here.
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  Speaker 3: Think.
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  Speaker 2: I don't know if at one point this season, Eric,
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  Speaker 2: you might have had them outside of the top ten.
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  Speaker 2: But right now they move up to the number four spot,
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  Speaker 2: as dangerous as they come in the NFL, and to me,
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  Speaker 2: they're peaking. I don't want to say it's the right time,
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  Speaker 2: but clearly the second half of the season.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, at no point really or at not very many
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  Speaker 4: points towards the end of that ten and one streak
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  Speaker 4: they were on last season that I say, Okay, this
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  Speaker 4: is unquestionably one of the best teams in football. Their
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  Speaker 4: records said they were, but the numbers told a different story.
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  Speaker 4: This year, however, I feel like it's a stronger club,
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  Speaker 4: even with a worse record, And they've been, like you said,
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  Speaker 4: sort of growing since the bye week in all three phases. Really,
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  Speaker 4: I think especially defense, you've seen the bigger improvement there. Yeah,
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  Speaker 4: there's still a little bit of a slow starting offense.
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  Speaker 4: We'd like to see a little more first quarter action
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  Speaker 4: there from them, but by the end of the game
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  Speaker 4: they find a way to kind of crank themselves up
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  Speaker 4: to a rolling boil. Saquon Barkley's in the MVP discussion.
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  Speaker 4: Even for a running back, Jalen Hurts has played great football.
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  Speaker 4: They have their stud receivers, back, godders back. You know,
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  Speaker 4: it's all shaping up nicely. And they are dominant in
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  Speaker 4: both lines of scrimmage, which to me says a lot
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  Speaker 4: about a contender. If you're healthy on the offensive and
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  Speaker 4: defensive lines, and you've got difference makers up front, you
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  Speaker 4: have an excellent chance to make some day the postseason.
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  Speaker 2: Look, we're going to talk about the Rams a little
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  Speaker 2: bit later here on Power Rankings. They get that team
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  Speaker 2: Sunday Night Football cross the street from where our studios
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  Speaker 2: are at SOFI Stadium. I can't help but think that
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  Speaker 2: the Rams are going to be haunted by a loss
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  Speaker 2: on Monday Night Football against Miami. The other week, they
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  Speaker 2: responded with a win against the Patriots. But boy, get
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  Speaker 2: this one. Get the SHARPI out and circle it. That
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  Speaker 2: is going to be must see television. It is time, though,
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  Speaker 2: for future champions. Take a look at the.
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  Speaker 3: Odds for the AF seed North.
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  Speaker 2: Hello, the Pittsburgh Steelers still the favorite to win this division.
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  Speaker 2: According to FanDuel the Baltimore Ravens not far behind. I
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  Speaker 2: still can't believe the way Cincinnati lost that game against
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  Speaker 2: the Chargers. What a heartbreaking loss. And then the Cleveland
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  Speaker 2: Browns bringing up the rear. But let's focus in on
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  Speaker 2: the number sixteen. It's the Steelers. Yeah, they're in first
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  Speaker 2: place in this division. I'm going to say it, Eric,
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  Speaker 2: knowing that I might take some heat for it. I
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  Speaker 2: think they got lucky against the Ravens.
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  Speaker 4: They did too right, you would have gave without scoring
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  Speaker 4: a touchdowns and they hate Eric Boswell.
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  Speaker 3: I might have said it first, but he doubled down
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  Speaker 3: on it.
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  Speaker 4: Absolutely. No, I'm with you, right, come after both of us.
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  Speaker 4: I think it's a fact. Look, obviously you can't negate
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  Speaker 4: the fact that Nate Herbert made a great impact defensive
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  Speaker 4: play right away, you know, kind of spurred everybody excitement.
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  Speaker 4: You know, Patrick Queen made the big turnover right before halftime.
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  Speaker 4: Peyton Wilson, same thing. Look, they played Lamar Jackson great, right,
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  Speaker 4: They got just enough big plays from Pickens and Harris
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  Speaker 4: and guys like that, But it wasn't a great game
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  Speaker 4: from Russell Wilson. The offense still had some fits here
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  Speaker 4: and there. You know, the defense still was a two
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  Speaker 4: point conversion away from losing this game, and they had
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  Speaker 4: to have miskicks from Baltimore just to get to that point.
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  Speaker 4: So yeah, in no way, shape or form should the
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  Speaker 4: Steelers be beating their chests and saying we're the clear
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  Speaker 4: you know, kings of the AFC North at this point.
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  Speaker 4: But they have had Baltimore's number in recent matchups. They
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  Speaker 4: seem to kind of get in their heads a little
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  Speaker 4: bit and muddy up the waters when they play them,
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  Speaker 4: So that rematch looms large, just gonna have a big
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  Speaker 4: say on who ends up winning the division. But Steelers
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  Speaker 4: in a really nice place. All of a sudden, they're
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  Speaker 4: in a good spot game and a half up two
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  Speaker 4: in the lost column. Feeling pretty good.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, what's the old adage, better be lucky than good.
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  Speaker 2: By the way, I think the Steelers are a good
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  Speaker 2: football team. All I'm saying is, yes, three turnovers, the
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  Speaker 2: Ravens had the two missfield goals, a miss two point conversion,
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  Speaker 2: and Derek Henry, who never fumbles, fumbles and they lose
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  Speaker 2: by two. That's the argument there. Yeah, that's Steelers once
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  Speaker 2: again rights football. Yeah, yeah, I mean, just it is
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  Speaker 2: what it is the Ravens, though you actually dropped them
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  Speaker 2: three spots. They get the Chargers on Monday, ed football.
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  Speaker 2: Great game that is looming, but based off of the
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  Speaker 2: way that they played against the Steelers, should I be
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  Speaker 2: worried about the squad.
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  Speaker 4: It's like every week we've got sort of a new
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  Speaker 4: area to focus on, right. I know we've talked about
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  Speaker 4: Justin Tucker. He's had struggles throughout the season. That was
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  Speaker 4: an issue Sunday. The defense, which has been a problem
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  Speaker 4: more often than not, actually played pretty darn well, I thought.
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  Speaker 4: So it was a big bounce back game for Zach
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  Speaker 4: Orr's group. You know, did enough on that side of
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  Speaker 4: the ball. But offensively, you know, this was Lamar Jackson's
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  Speaker 4: worst game and over a year probably, and you know
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  Speaker 4: he's still made plays, but it wasn't enough. And they
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  Speaker 4: only seemed to kind of get in his head and
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  Speaker 4: you know, force him to make some uncharacteristic throws not
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  Speaker 4: very accurate. You know, this is this is the problem.
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  Speaker 4: If you are so heavily reliant on what has been
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  Speaker 4: a great offense, no question about it, things like this
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  Speaker 4: happen if you can't you know, you can't have that
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  Speaker 4: great day offensively it requires everything else to be really
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  Speaker 4: buttoned up, and two missfield goals not so buttoned up.
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  Speaker 4: Penalties have been an issue all season long. Mic. You know,
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  Speaker 4: that's one of those things where you say, look, John
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  Speaker 4: Harbaugh is staff are great, but hard not to overlook
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  Speaker 4: the results. The bottom line is they're just making mistakes.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I still can't believe we're talking about a seven
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  Speaker 2: and four football team. If for what it's worth, you know,
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  Speaker 2: all of us are fans, Eric, and sometimes you're watching
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  Speaker 2: the game and you just throw out something you have
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  Speaker 2: no idea if it's fact or not. I had said
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  Speaker 2: this to myself, I'm like, I don't think there's a
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  Speaker 2: team in the NFL that's got more drops on third. Well,
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: here's the beauty of working at NFL Network. You can
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  Speaker 2: just ask your research department. They looked it up for me.
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  Speaker 2: They are tied for the fifth most, only four drops.
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  Speaker 2: But as I was told, hey, sometimes that is a
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  Speaker 2: little bit of an arbitrary stat But the point is
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  Speaker 2: it's still a really high number. Forum it's apparently four
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  Speaker 2: on the season. I feel like it's more than four.
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  Speaker 2: But the point is there's been quite a few of those. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 2: there is a team that we haven't even name checked.
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  Speaker 2: In fact, they're in the next tier of squads that
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  Speaker 2: I think is as dangerous they come in the postseason.
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  Speaker 2: Will tell you who it is, and we'll get Eric's
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  Speaker 2: take on that. That's still to come here on power rankings.
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: Back here on Power rankings. Teams nine through sixteen. Here
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  Speaker 2: we go the Chargers, very very dangerous. That's the squad
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  Speaker 2: that I made reference to before the break. I don't
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  Speaker 2: think anyone wants to take on this team. The Commanders
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: drop two spots following a loss that Houston, Texas get
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: a big Monday Night football win. I think there's questions
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  Speaker 2: and answers right now around that squad. Oh.
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  Speaker 3: I love the.
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  Speaker 2: Arizona story with this Cardinals team who sits twelve bow knicks,
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  Speaker 2: is bawling there at thirteen.
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  Speaker 3: The fourteenth ranked team is the Buccaneers.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: The Seahawks score a big win in the Bay Area
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  Speaker 2: against the Niners. They are the fifteenth ranked team in
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  Speaker 2: San Francisco, sitting at sixteen. This is a Charger squad
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  Speaker 2: abou a twenty one point halftime lead. I felt like
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  Speaker 2: this thing was over. Cincinnati makes the run. They still
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  Speaker 2: figure out a way to get a win. I think
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  Speaker 2: there's something to be said for it. And I know
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  Speaker 2: people are throwing out, hey, not the same old Chargers there,
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  Speaker 2: but I think there's something to it. I don't know
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  Speaker 2: if this squad, after blowing a lead like that in
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  Speaker 2: previous seasons, would have had the mental fortitude to come
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  Speaker 2: back and win.
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  Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I mean, tell me you didn't watch that
• 11:47
  Speaker 4: game and immediately think of the Jackson playoff game, right.
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  Speaker 4: I understand it's a different coaching staff, and that obviously
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: makes a big difference I think. I mean, even if
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  Speaker 4: Jim Harbaugh had that glazed look on his face at
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  Speaker 4: times in the second half, they found a way. They
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  Speaker 4: were tough. I mean, justin Herbert I think was like
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  Speaker 4: five for eighteen at one point in the second half,
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  Speaker 4: missed some big throws, and then found lab McConkey for
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  Speaker 4: the two big plays late. That ultimately was the difference.
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  Speaker 4: I mean, obviously Cincinnati not being able to convert. You know,
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  Speaker 4: this has been a very very good Chargers defense all
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  Speaker 4: season long. They've kept point totals down. They hadn't allowed
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  Speaker 4: more than twenty points in the game all season. They
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  Speaker 4: allowed twenty one in about an eight minute stretch there
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  Speaker 4: in the second half, so there are some questions with
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  Speaker 4: that secondary the pass rush didn't always get home. But still,
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  Speaker 4: as you said, I think there is just a different attitude,
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  Speaker 4: a different belief there now that they aren't the butt
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  Speaker 4: of the joke anymore. They can go out and win
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  Speaker 4: these types of games. So big statement with Ravens next week,
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: Chiefs in a couple of weeks. They've got some tougher
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  Speaker 4: tests up ahead.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll talk Cincinnati coming up in just a bit.
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  Speaker 2: By the way, during the game broadcast, you mentioned some
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: of the numbers for Herbert. I couldn't believe it, and
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: if I'm misquoting him, totally my bad. But I thought
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: Mike Tarico said there was a zero for seven stretch
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: for Justin Herbert, which was the longest incompletion stretch of
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: his career. Just have that resonate in your mind for
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: just a moment. That's how Goodt's been in is pretty
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  Speaker 2: good career. Yeah, terrific. Texans went on Monday night football
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  Speaker 2: lopsided win.
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  Speaker 3: Here.
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  Speaker 2: Is there a team in the AFC playoff picture that
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  Speaker 2: would be scared of them?
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  Speaker 4: Though? Fair question, good question, Yeah, I don't know that
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  Speaker 4: there is. You know, you look at the Chargers if
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  Speaker 4: they end up facing off as a as a five
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  Speaker 4: to four matchup, or the Ravens. I don't think either
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  Speaker 4: one of those teams is going into Houston scared. I mean,
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  Speaker 4: you saw Monday night. Obviously the score indicated a kind
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  Speaker 4: of a lopset of victory, as you said, but you know,
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  Speaker 4: Nico Tuck Collins's touchdown gets pulled off the board on
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  Speaker 4: the first play of the game because of penalty, and
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  Speaker 4: it kind of, you know, emblematic of the entire game.
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  Speaker 4: Right there was some some promising stuff. Collins was back,
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  Speaker 4: Joe Mixon was terrific, Stroud kind of settled down after
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  Speaker 4: the early pick, but also several steps back as well, penalties,
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  Speaker 4: mental airs, things like that. They got a defensive touchdown
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  Speaker 4: that kind of bumped up the score a little bit,
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  Speaker 4: and credit goes to that defense. I mean, Daniel Hunter
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  Speaker 4: was great, you know, I mean the you know, the
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  Speaker 4: strip and score from Derek Barnett outstanding, Derek Stingley and
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  Speaker 4: Age great. But let's also point out the fact that
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  Speaker 4: other mixing, they didn't have a whole lot of consistent
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  Speaker 4: offensive you know, firepower if you will. So I do
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  Speaker 4: have a little bit of worry about them finishing drives
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  Speaker 4: and are they gonna play this well defensively every week?
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  Speaker 4: I'm not so sure. It was a backup quarterback in Dallas,
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  Speaker 4: So still those questions exist. They remain the massive favorite
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  Speaker 4: to win the AFC or South, I should say, and
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  Speaker 4: get that home game. But to your point, I don't
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: know anyone's gonna be going in there really scared about
• 14:33
  Speaker 4: facing them at this point.
• 14:34
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think there's still some more.
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: There are more questions and answers right now around this
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: Houston squad, especially on the offensive side. Still a positive.
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: I'd rather have some of those teaching moments with a win.
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: Nico Collins coming back obviously should be a huge boost.
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: We did see him flash yesterday in that win or
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: Monday night, I should say against the Cowboys. The one
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: team you could make in argument of the question that
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: I had and you and I were talking off air
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: about this is the Broncos squad maybe in that postseason
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: mixed not scaring teams, but the way bo Knicks is playing,
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: Like I get what we're seeing at the top of
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: that quarterback class with Caleb and Jadan Daniels.
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: Bo Nicks, Let's not forget he kind of fell a
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: little bit.
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: He's balling right now and the Broncos are winning some
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: football games.
• 15:15
  Speaker 4: Absolutely, one of the first rookies to complete eighty percent
• 15:17
  Speaker 4: of his passes, throw for more than three hundred yards
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: career high on Sunday, and also have four more touchdowns
• 15:24
  Speaker 4: of a single game. Actually he's the only one to
• 15:26
  Speaker 4: ever do that. But it was a lot of his
• 15:28
  Speaker 4: own defense from Atlanta. He took the reads that were there.
• 15:30
  Speaker 4: Sean Payton's play calling certainly helped bo Nicks out a
• 15:33
  Speaker 4: lot in that game. But you know, when he had
• 15:35
  Speaker 4: the few opportunities to create, he made plays too. So
• 15:38
  Speaker 4: you see him kind of letting that leash out Peyton.
• 15:41
  Speaker 4: You know, they have this interesting relationship, a little of
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: tough love but also an appreciation from Peyton talking about
• 15:46
  Speaker 4: the maturity and the poise that Nicks has shown and
• 15:48
  Speaker 4: the toughness. So he's a running factor. He's thrown the
• 15:51
  Speaker 4: ball accurately, he dissects zones like he's back in college.
• 15:55
  Speaker 4: I was very impressed, and that Denver d holds up too,
• 15:58
  Speaker 4: So they've been great. I'm not saying it's a Super
• 16:01
  Speaker 4: Bowl caliber club, but I do think it is the
• 16:03
  Speaker 4: kind of club that, like you said, that was a
• 16:05
  Speaker 4: Texans Broncos type of matchup in round one. They could
• 16:08
  Speaker 4: go in there and give him a darn good game
• 16:10
  Speaker 4: and possibly come out with a win. So really good progress.
• 16:12
  Speaker 4: From the start of last season until now, Sean Payton
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: has done an excellent job. I think.
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: I don't want to speak for you, I'll just speak
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: for myself.
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: I didn't see this happening Like Bonick's great, he could
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: ball a ton of experience if even if he was
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: playing well. I didn't see a turnaround like this, especially
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: if you look at what this Broncos team looked like
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: on the football field a season ago. There was a
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: lot of questions around this team. So major respect hat
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: tip to Sean Payton and what that organization is doing.
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: Time for power moves. Sitting at number fifteen, it's the
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: Seattle Seahawks eric who move up two spots. They get
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: an Arizona squad. Speaking of things that I didn't see happening,
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: going on the road, beating the San Francisco forty nine
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: ers in the Bay Area. That's a big time win,
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: and all of a sudden, this division looks as wonky
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: as ever.
• 16:59
  Speaker 4: Sure does. One through four I mean it's sort of
• 17:01
  Speaker 4: almost where we thought the the NFC North was a
• 17:04
  Speaker 4: month ago er, but it's not quite as powerful on top.
• 17:07
  Speaker 4: You know, San Francisco's had a disappointing season. Seahawks started
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: three and oh then fell back. But when you see
• 17:12
  Speaker 4: a game like this and the way it played out,
• 17:15
  Speaker 4: you know, San Francisco had every opportunity to win it.
• 17:17
  Speaker 4: The Seahawks dug in found a way great last drive.
• 17:21
  Speaker 4: Gino finishes it off. You know, he's been through so
• 17:24
  Speaker 4: much up there, the ebbs and flows, the ups and downs.
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: Now a coaching changes past season, but you know, really
• 17:29
  Speaker 4: got to admire what he can do at the end
• 17:31
  Speaker 4: of a game after he's taken a lot of hits
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: and had some some disappointments. So again, like you said,
• 17:38
  Speaker 4: we kind of write them off, push them out of
• 17:39
  Speaker 4: the picture a little bit. They find their way to
• 17:42
  Speaker 4: wedge back in. It wasn't pretty on either side of
• 17:44
  Speaker 4: the ball, But you got to give the Seahawks their kudos.
• 17:47
  Speaker 4: They're actually small favorites against the Cardinals, who've been you know,
• 17:50
  Speaker 4: terrific this season, played a tough schedule, but yeah, they
• 17:53
  Speaker 4: got a lot of work to do.
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: Yeah, let's see how that one shakes out.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: I think for both of these teams, because Arizona is
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: one of those squads that I'm sitting here going all right,
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: like I'm believing in it. But to get this one
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: against Seattle really gives them a leg up inside that division.
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: But we're in the second half of the bottom half,
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: I should say the rankings.
• 18:12
  Speaker 3: And Eric, there are two teams that are lurking.
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: Right now that truly believe they have a run in
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: the postseason in them.
• 18:18
  Speaker 3: We'll tell you who those squads are. It's coming up
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: next on Power Rankings.
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: Back here on Power Rankings Team seventeen through twenty four,
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: the Falcons dropped three spots to seventeen thirty eight to six.
• 18:34
  Speaker 3: I won't actually read.
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: What I have in my notes regarding that finish, not
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: necessarily appropriate for this show. And number eighteen that's the
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: Miami Dolphins, still hopes alive for the postseason. They were
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: one of those teams that I was alluding to that
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: feels like, hey, maybe there's a run here. They look
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: like the old Miami Dolphins. Over the weekend, the Rams
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: the road win, They're sitting at five hundred.
• 18:53
  Speaker 3: They move up two spots.
• 18:55
  Speaker 4: The Colts.
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: How about Anthony richardson coming alive against the Jets.
• 18:58
  Speaker 3: There's some news.
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: Surrounding Ganggreen in just a moment. Cincinnati, they drop three spots.
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: They are at four and seven. I'm not totally ready
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: to put a fork in them, Eric, I don't know
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: if you are. The Chicago Bears also dropped three spots.
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: The Saints once again looking like they have some signs
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: of life in that offense. They are twenty three and
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: Joe Douglas, the general manager of the New York Jets,
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: has been fired. So Slagan Joe Douglas is gone, and
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: major questions this offseason about the direction of this organization.
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: Let's focus in on this RAM squad. They move up
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: to two spots. We talked about their opponent against Philadelphia
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: that they have on Sunday Night Football. They've won four
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: out of five here, Eric, to me, they're frigging dangerous.
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: Like this team is legitimate and when they are healthy,
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: as good as any in the NFC.
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: I think we'll look back on that Dolphins loss and
• 19:46
  Speaker 4: say it was a big missed opportunity for me, Because
• 19:48
  Speaker 4: I think you're right. For the most part, they have
• 19:50
  Speaker 4: looked really good, you know, we've seen Nakua come back.
• 19:52
  Speaker 4: You had the diving touchdown last week, and then they
• 19:55
  Speaker 4: pulled Kolbe Parkinsonata mouthballs and Stafford throws them an absolutely
• 19:59
  Speaker 4: beautiful touchdown. It was really about the passing game in
• 20:02
  Speaker 4: this one New England secondary. I had no idea how
• 20:05
  Speaker 4: to handle Kupp and Nakua and all the other weapons.
• 20:08
  Speaker 4: Very impressive. Stafford looked, you know, it was kind of
• 20:10
  Speaker 4: back to his gun slinging ways. Look very comfortable back there.
• 20:13
  Speaker 4: No worry about the pass rush. So those issues have
• 20:15
  Speaker 4: kind of gone by the wayside. You know, this Rams defense,
• 20:18
  Speaker 4: it's it's an emerging group, but still one that it's
• 20:21
  Speaker 4: prone to some setbacks and they let New England kind
• 20:23
  Speaker 4: of hang around. You know, Drake may had the ball
• 20:25
  Speaker 4: with a chance to win it at the end, they
• 20:27
  Speaker 4: get the late pick to hold on. I'm curious they did,
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: you know, kind of pass up the field goal. Are
• 20:31
  Speaker 4: they worried about Cardi the kicker? I don't know, But
• 20:34
  Speaker 4: like you said, dangerous team. On the right day, they
• 20:37
  Speaker 4: can beat almost anybody.
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: Yeah, mothballs, that's still a thing.
• 20:41
  Speaker 4: I see it in the store. I don't know if
• 20:43
  Speaker 4: I ever buy it though, you know, yeah.
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: I haven't bought it. It's like it's always like a
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: Grandma thing in my mind. I just maybe I'm not alone,
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: or maybe I am on that one. The Cincinnati Bengals.
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: You know, I've been high on this team. I've been
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: a supporter of them making the postseason. They lose again,
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: is there an argument?
• 21:01
  Speaker 4: Yeah? I mean, look, I think they're about under ten
• 21:03
  Speaker 4: percent in the you know NFL the next Gen stats
• 21:07
  Speaker 4: playoff percentages. There's just a real tough stretch right here.
• 21:10
  Speaker 4: The best they can finish just ten and seven kind
• 21:12
  Speaker 4: of requires them obviously running the table, but also kind
• 21:15
  Speaker 4: of pulling off some upsets. Two games left against the Steelers.
• 21:18
  Speaker 4: I mean, it's not dead, but certainly on life support
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: right now. You could see how unhappy everybody was in
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: that sideline prior to the comeback, and it didn't end
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: the right way. I mean, they were in great position
• 21:30
  Speaker 4: twelve minutes to go, all the momentum on their side,
• 21:33
  Speaker 4: couldn't pull it off. It just feels like there's always
• 21:35
  Speaker 4: one or two critical mistakes in each of these losses
• 21:38
  Speaker 4: that really fell them at the wrong time. So, you know,
• 21:42
  Speaker 4: even with Josh Norman playing well in the secondary, I
• 21:45
  Speaker 4: think there's some issues back there that they may not
• 21:47
  Speaker 4: be able to clean up this season.
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: There is I'm looking at their schedule right now, there
• 21:51
  Speaker 2: is a chunk of games that are gettable.
• 21:53
  Speaker 3: I'm just throwing that out there.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: They have the buy Steelers is not necessarily one of
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: those teams. Cowboys are free falling, Titans aren't necessarily a
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: good team. Browns, I get it in the division, but
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: not world beaters. And then it's Broncos and Steelers. So
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: I'm not saying it's an impossible schedule. But if we
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: see the defense play like it did in the second
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: half against the Chargers, feel confident about that offense, maybe
• 22:15
  Speaker 2: they can run the table. Still once again, this is
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: going to be an uphill battle for them.
• 22:20
  Speaker 3: Meanwhile, teams twenty five through.
• 22:22
  Speaker 2: Thirty two, as I made reference to the Dallas Cowboys,
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: a little bit of a tough deal, and then no
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: change across the board. You got the Cleveland Browns at
• 22:29
  Speaker 2: twenty six, the New England Patriots at twenty seven, the
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: Carolina Panthers probably still feeling themselves after that win in
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: Munich at twenty eight, the Giants making some news we'll
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: get to in just a moment, and then your bottom
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: three teams, the Titans, the Raiders.
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: And the Jags.
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: My god, that Jaggs roster to sit there at thirty two.
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: I know we talked about it last week. Still shocking
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: to me, but Tommy cutlet's let's go for the g men.
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: Daniel Jones gonna be your third string quarterback. There's some
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: contracts issues there, which is why we're going down that
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: path here. But what does the quarterback change actually mean
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: for New York?
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I guess it'll just sort of give opponents a
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: different look and hopefully energize the team like de Vito
• 23:10
  Speaker 4: did last season for a brief spell. Took too many
• 23:13
  Speaker 4: sacks and went back to the bench eventually, but you know,
• 23:16
  Speaker 4: did light a fire under this team, and they clearly
• 23:18
  Speaker 4: don't think Drew Locke can do it, so they keep
• 23:20
  Speaker 4: talking about football decisions. I understand that applies to Jones.
• 23:24
  Speaker 4: It probably applies to de Vito too, but clearly this
• 23:27
  Speaker 4: is a you know, a coach in the front office
• 23:28
  Speaker 4: that feels like it needs to win games down the
• 23:30
  Speaker 4: stretch to feel comfortable about their situation heading into the offseason.
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: I had posted this on Twitter and Blue Sky. Yes
• 23:37
  Speaker 2: I'm there as well, I can't. And this is before
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: the Joe Douglas firing, Right Football New York is done.
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: I mean we're thinking about the draft. I'm a Giants fan.
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: I've talked about it on the show, Eric, like I'm
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: thinking about what quarterback they're going to be taken in
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: next year's class. Yep, that's the point that we're at.
• 23:52
  Speaker 3: It's where we're at some week of football. Eric, you're
• 23:54
  Speaker 3: the best man.
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: Always appreciate your time and going through teams one through
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: thirty two.
• 24:04
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• 24:07
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• 24:11
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