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00:00We've got the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
00:03Let's just kind of take a second with this game here.
00:06We got a lot of time to expand on it.
00:08The number is currently two and a half.
00:11The oddity of this game.
00:13I know some people took a little bit of issue with the NFL schedule approach
00:16because the notion for some when they saw the schedule was Baltimore wins,
00:21Pittsburgh rests, which would be an advantage for Pittsburgh.
00:24No, because you know, the NFL always tries to line things up.
00:28But there's plenty to argue that Pittsburgh will not rest.
00:32Pittsburgh will come out guns blazing here.
00:35A loss for the Steelers would mean that the Chargers would be a win away from
00:40jumping them for the fifth seed.
00:42Win for the Steelers would seed lock them into the five.
00:46So and of course the difference between the projected situation is the fifth
00:50seed will get you the Texans.
00:52The sixth seed will get you the Baltimore Ravens.
00:55Donnie.
00:56I know you're a proponent of rest.
00:57If you can get it.
00:59How do you feel about Pittsburgh and what their effort level should be
01:02assuming the division isn't on the line when they play tonight?
01:06You have to get the fifth seed.
01:07It's almost automatic.
01:08And also maybe it's a little bit different if Pittsburgh's playing.
01:11Okay football down the stretch played a couple quality teams didn't play all
01:14that.
01:14Well, you can't be on your home football field a week before the playoffs going
01:17in on a skid where you're not playing well, particularly if you lose to the
01:20Bengals and they put a 45 points and you just can't trail them here.
01:23So let's get that one out of the way.
01:24But for me, you have to look down the road so many times for your football
01:28team.
01:28It's why I get mad at Detroit.
01:29Donnie's just a Detroit hitter.
01:30No, Donnie's the only guy that you know, that was backing Detroit the entire
01:33season with tickets behind it who I hope gets to the NFC championship game and
01:37wins it.
01:37But I don't think Detroit did themselves any favors last week on what they can
01:40actually do in the playoffs.
01:42Pittsburgh can do that today Joe.
01:43And some people say what why don't you rest?
01:45You're already in your best chances to be fully healthy.
01:48But when you look at who you're going to play, you don't want to necessarily
01:51avoid teams in NFL because sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.
01:54But if you're telling us that you can play Baltimore on the road next week, or
01:58you could play Houston on the road next week, it's clear cut and simple.
02:01If you are the Pittsburgh Steelers, you got to play in this game because you
02:04need that fifth seed.
02:05And also you control your own seating as Kevin brought up.
02:08We Harbaugh already answered the question.
02:10We'd love the fifth seed.
02:12They lose to Pittsburgh wins today.
02:13They don't get it.
02:14He's resting his players not I'm old school Harbaugh and I want to play my
02:17entire starters all the way through Joe.
02:18So it does matter.
02:19And for me, that's why I think you're going to get the best effort out of the
02:22Steelers, but I have to worry the back of your mind.
02:24Are they going to pull anybody?
02:25Think about where the Steelers have been.
02:27They've lost three straight games to Donnie's point.
02:30They've lost those games by an average margin of defeat of 16.6 points per
02:34game.
02:35So they haven't even really been all that competitive down the stretch.
02:38You lose this game.
02:39You limp into the playoffs losing four straight and on the flip side for
02:43Cincinnati.
02:44They're a hot football team, right?
02:45They've won four straight games by an average margin of victory of 10.2
02:49points per game battle tested on the road.
02:51Five and three straight up.
02:52They've won those five games by an average margin of victory of 8.8 points
02:57per game.
02:57And right now they have the more consistent offense and more consistent
03:00quarterback heading into this ballgame.
03:02What do we talk about Russell Wilson since that 414 yard performance?
03:07He's basically average around a hundred and seventy three passing yards per
03:11game over the last three or four weeks.
03:13You cannot have that going up against Joe Burrow and more importantly cannot
03:18have that going in to any type of playoff situation.
03:21Whether you play CJ Stroud, whether you play Lamar Jackson, it doesn't matter
03:25your offense needs to find continuity heading into this game.
03:29So I think you get Pittsburgh's best effort tonight.
03:31It's it's very tough because I do think rest is paramount and look no doubt
03:37about it.
03:38The number for Pittsburgh will look way different depending on where they go,
03:41right?
03:41You're talking probably over a touchdown at this point with the way the Ravens
03:45are playing.
03:45If that's where you're going with the way the Texans are right now field goal
03:49or less maybe under that field goal for some if you're in on Pittsburgh.
03:54The only thing that maybe I would argue the other side is typically they have
04:00a way to take the Ravens say come on get down here.
04:02This is our level now.
04:03We saw it's very odd because it's way more of a college thing where it's like
04:08listen.
04:08This is a rivalry the old cliche throw the records out.
04:11I don't think there's any equivalent in the NFL to what the Ravens and the
04:15Steelers are like people always try and it's the whole AFC North.
04:19Not really.
04:20I don't know the Steelers play the Bengals.
04:22We get 700 points in one of those games, right?
04:24Like if a game between the Steelers and you know, Ravens ever looks like that.
04:28I think my head would spin if you told me him a man Mike Tom's going to get a
04:32full week of preparation.
04:34He's going to go into Baltimore and I'd certainly be tempted to grab the number
04:38right?
04:38I just it's such an interesting thing because you also have a Charger team
04:44who by no means is a block to win their football game necessarily the Raiders
04:50can't help themselves but win every week now that their seasons officially over
04:54here.
04:55I think it's I think it's an interesting spot as well because whether Pittsburgh
04:59goes for it or not not gonna be favorites.
05:01Yeah, right, right, right because of what Cincinnati needs now and that becomes
05:06very very interesting here when we talk about this side what I would say is
05:10because I do I expect Pittsburgh to give it their all.
05:13The Ravens are eliminated.
05:15I feel as if more bets will come in on Cincinnati.
05:18I think the number on Pittsburgh is good.
05:21I just want it to be great Donnie.
05:23If you can get three three and a half by some chance, that's when I'd be more
05:27interested in betting Pittsburgh.
05:28Also, you have to understand Cincinnati going on the road one of the worst
05:31defenses in the NFL.
05:32We understand that but also we know that Pittsburgh hasn't played that great.
05:35But to Kevin's point, it does make some sense because the general thought is
05:38going to be like, okay now the Steelers don't have anything to play for when I
05:42think their mindset all week already is a foregone conclusion that might be
05:45different show.
05:46You take a look at Cleveland brings their a team and they're just outside of
05:49the playoffs.
05:49This line is six and a half.
05:50Yeah, there's a little bit more ammo and a little bit more deflation.
05:53Once you get to that second game like oh man, that was our real chance to maybe
05:56win this.
05:57I don't think you're looking at this game going.
05:58It's a 20 point line and anything can happen.
06:00Yes, but they know deep down.
06:02They're probably not going to get there.
06:03But for me from Cincinnati to T Higgins coming in this game, probably the last
06:06football game is going to play for the Cincinnati Bengals.
06:08He's already banged up.
06:09Does he want to get hurt even worse?
06:10I'm not saying T Higgins is going to play because he played this entire year
06:13and also Chase Brown.
06:14He's been a very good running back limping might not even play in this ball
06:18game.
06:18That's a key cog here.
06:19So if you're down a couple weapons for Cincinnati with a bad defense on the
06:22road against a team with the Steelers, that's going to be bringing a lot of
06:25heat from that front seven.
06:26This is a good interesting team.