12 PM: Should Will Howard get a chance to start, the Pens need a new plan for the shootout
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What were the highlights of the NFL playoff games this weekend?
Rolling right along on a wintry day in Pittsburgh. Bob Pompeiani here. Joe Starkey will be back tomorrow. Austin Bechtel will be on the air tonight. Sean Myers is in behind the glass taking your calls at 412-928-9370. We've reached the 12 o'clock hour. Fan Twitter is brought to you by South Hills Key and Peters Township. Visit them at southhillskey.net. The text line brought to you by Edgar Snyder and Associates, a personal injury law firm where they always say there's never a fee unless they get money for you. Call that number. Let's chat. There are a lot of great games. Divisional, Sean, I'll say this before we go back to the phone lines. Divisional playoff games, to me, are always the best. Conference championships, yeah, here and there.
Sometimes there are blowouts that you don't expect. But, man, there were some really good games here this weekend. Seattle-San Francisco was not one of them. I was a little surprised by how that got out of hand so quickly, starting with the opening kickoff. But man, when you look at these games, specifically Denver, Buffalo, specifically Rams, Chicago, unbelievable games, some spectacular plays that I think we're always going to remember.
That Caleb Williams touchdown, if they win that game, that's an all-timer. Now, it's still going to be remembered for a while, but the fact that they lose the game kind of takes a little bit of luster off of it. But that was played horribly by the defensive player. But my goodness, that was one of the – and that's the second straight week he's done something like that.
Yeah, I thought that fourth and eighth play that he had the week before, who was it, Loveland? I think it was him, sideline. Whatever it was, I thought that play, it led to their win. I said that was as good a throw because he was in the air. He, like, jumped up, threw the ball on a rifle down to him.
Why do callers want Will Howard as the Steelers' starting QB?
And then yesterday, going backwards – It was a 14 – when you look at a box score, it'll say 14-yard touchdown pass.
It was like 35 yards it felt like, right?
He just kept going backwards. I'm thinking, what's he going to do here? But the arm strength not to be denied. So they're in a pretty good spot. I thought they lost that game because I think Ben Johnson got a little too cute with his fourth-down metrics. And I understand why people are doing it. And the success rate in most cases is okay. But in a playoff game against a team – that, you know, possessions are important. They got inside the red zone, and they passed on field goals multiple times. That could have changed the way that game ended. So instead of needing Caleb Williams to throw a Hail Mary type of touchdown, they may have needed a field goal just to win the game. It would never have gone to overtime.
Do you agree with that, or are you a fourth down guy that goes for it all the time?
No. I, I like points and it's weird because you would think with kickers being better than ever, that it would actually be swinging the other way where you take the points. Cause it feels like if you're within 50, it's almost automatic, right? We obviously, we saw the end of Steelers Ravens, nothing's automatic, but, The kickers are better than ever before. So I would be taking those points, especially early in the game. I also am like an extra point instead of a two-point conversion guy until you have to go for two. So teams that early in the third quarter go for two because of the score, I would much rather take that extra point because you know once you get down to mid to late fourth quarter, sometimes that extra point would have made all the difference in how you approach the final drive of a game.
So having said all that...
And while I disagree with Ben Johnson going for it on fourth down in red zones, I would have taken field goals, which would have made my life a little easier at the end. How about this? They throw the touchdown pass, make it 17-16. They could have gone for two and tried to win the game right then and there.
Could Sean McVay retire if the Rams win the Super Bowl?
That's the same kind of fourth down mentality, right? You have metrics that tell you go for it.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What were the highlights of the NFL playoff games this weekend?
0:08–1:45
2
Why do callers want Will Howard as the Steelers' starting QB?
1:45–3:35
3
Could Sean McVay retire if the Rams win the Super Bowl?
3:35–4:44
4
What is the current state of the Penguins in shootouts?
4:44–5:58
5
What potential names are being discussed for Steelers' offensive coordinator?
5:58–7:03
6
How does the catch rule impact NFL games?
7:03–8:31
7
What are the implications of the Indiana vs. Miami game tonight?
8:31–10:30
8
What are the expectations for the Penguins' upcoming road trip?
10:30–42:49
Speakers
6 identifiedMore from The Pomp And Joe Show
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