The Pomp And Joe Show
12PM - Nick Kostos would trade T.J. Watt, thinks Brian Flores should be next coach; The Bechtold Breakdown - MLB's economic issues, players sadness over Tomlin
16 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What are the highlights of the Texans vs. Patriots game predictions?
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Tickets and details at PittsburghTravelShowcase.com where your vacation is waiting for you. Donnie, I'm having a blank. What did I tease to? We have Nick Costos coming on, but there was another story.
You teased to a clip? What happened? You teased to, like, when did the Mike Tomlin train start to really derail, basically.
Yes, yeah. And it never got real bad, right? It never got to be where they were, you know, going 5 and 11, 6 and 11 every year. But something profound changed where the Steelers went from a powerhouse to a team that nobody really thought could win. They even went from a powerhouse to it was they have a puncher's chance with Ben. And I'll tell you where I think the Tomlin era turned.
I think it was the Super Bowl against Aaron Rodgers when a great defense with the defensive player of the year that year, Troy Polamalu, got shredded in the Super Bowl, started to show signs. They had shown some, but not many, of wear and tear and age and couldn't get it done in the biggest game. The story's always been Rashard Mendenhall from that game.
That defense had a chance to shut things down several different times, and Aaron Rodgers lit them up. And Mike Tomlin's defense, which was really in many ways Bill Cowher's defense, got old. they suddenly got old after that because the next year was Tebow. And people may point to that one, and I'll buy that too. But you know what?
They were banged up for the Tebow game because they were already old and getting injured and on their way out and starting to trickle out. And for me, it feels like maybe with a couple of exceptions, the year they went to the AFC title game against New England ā It feels to me like the Steelers being taken seriously as a legit Super Bowl contender for the most part died that day in Dallas.
That's where I think things changed.
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Chapter 2: Why should Brian Flores be considered for the Steelers' head coach position?
I go a little bit later, and maybe that's just the respect I feel other teams probably had for Roethlisberger's ability, but then also after those teams, the Steelers did work themselves into having One of the best running backs in football. One of the most versatile players in football with Le'Veon Bell. Yeah. And then to me, the single top receiver in all of football with Antonio Brown.
I know people would debate Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins. I'm taking AB over any of them. I'm taking AB over almost every single guy that's ever played the position. That's besides the point. So I feel like I put it at that Jags loss in 2017. Yeah. Where it started to flip.
How about the Shazier injury right before that then?
Which I think, which played a large part because I do think you have a player as dynamic as Shazier was, especially that season. He was without question having a breakout year. I think they end up beating the Patriots. There's no need for the Jesse James play. I think they win that game. They get the No. 1 seed. I think a lot of things are different if that injury never happens.
That's also something kind of tough, that singular event kind of tough to put on Mike. And at the same time, the injury also produced one of his best games. I've always been impressed going back to his team having to deal with watching one of their best players suffer a career-ending injury. And on that same night, they rally from a two-score deficit and win. I think that's a pretty big win.
And then beat the Ravens.
In his career, yes. But that Jags game, I feel, is when it really started to turn because then it was, all right, how many cracks do they really have left with Ben? And then 2018 happened, Bell sat out, AB exploded at the end of the year mentally. That's a good pick. He showed up in a fur coat for that Week 17 game. Yeah, that's a good pick. Didn't care to be there.
And then I think it really, really fell off the moment that Ben called it quits or maybe in his final year or two because then they've never been able to figure out the quarterback position since. They've never had a real threat at that position since.
That's a good pick, too. Fan text line brought to you by Edgar Snyder & Associates, a personal injury law firm where they always say there's never a fee unless we get money for you. What was our bet with Nick Kostos who's coming on next? We hit it, Joe. Yeah, we did. It was Chicago.
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Chapter 3: What economic issues are currently affecting Major League Baseball?
All right, Nick Costos is with us now here on the show. Nick's new show, You Better You Bet, is part of Westwood One Sports, airs weekdays, 9 a.m. to noon Eastern. And Nick would like very much... for everybody to subscribe to the new YouTube page for the show, youtube.com backslash at the Costos, T-H-E-K-O-S-T-O-S, and follow Nick on all social platforms at the Costos.
Nick is also Odyssey Sports betting insider and unfortunately was on the losing end of the bet with Joe and Donnie last week having the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears. Nick, thanks for joining us today on this Friday. Great to be on with you guys. How's it going?
We're even again, Nick, and we're good. We got to pick a game. That's where we start.
How the hell did this happen? I don't know. I'm way too nice a guy.
I'm way too nice. It's a miracle. How were you feeling at halftime last week?
Can I ask a different question?
Yeah.
How were you feeling at half? Not good. I was up 21-3. Not good.
How were you feeling? But I didn't know because sometimes people, even when things are going perfect, they're like, all right, it's going to drop here at some point, and then it's all downhill. It's the quicksand thing. So I didn't know if you were somebody that had that mentality with games.
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Chapter 4: How do players feel about the current state of the Steelers under Mike Tomlin?
Yeah, straight up.
Yeah, man, I love the Drake.
Let's do it.
I'll take the Patriots straight up.
Donnie, we're on. Nice steak lunch waiting for you out there. Another shot for us, Joe.
It's our third steak in two weeks. Just, you know.
Yeah.
This needs to be, you know, because I'm a pretty magnanimous guy. You know, I keep winning bets and I keep winning bets with you guys and I keep giving you another chance and I keep giving you other. I was up like nine games just now and I gave you like a nine to one shot last week and you guys won.
So if I lose this week and the Texans win, like I'm on the hook for a steak lunch here, I don't get a second chance.
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Chapter 5: What significant changes have occurred in the Steelers' coaching staff?
Yeah. Not with a ton of confidence, but I do like Buffalo.
I know. It can never be with a ton of confidence when they're in a big position in a big game. Believe me, I've been living that my entire existence. Well, what about this situation, though, Nick? Were you taken aback by Tomlin? Who is there an odds-on favorite to replace him? What are your thoughts about this whole situation?
I actually think that there, I'll start with the, there's one, like you and the winners and losers, like column, there's one loser and it's Aaron Rogers, because I think this means that he's, he's done in Pittsburgh. Obviously, I guess you can make the case because the Vikings wanted to sign him later, or at least had interest in signing him last year.
And, you know, Vikings head coach, Kevin O'Connell is speaking pretty openly about wanting to bring in competition for JJ McCarthy. Then maybe they bring Rogers in and he competes for the starting job. That would be like the one team, bud. Hmm. I think more than likely now, and I know a lot of people dislike Rodgers personally, and I'm not trying to change anyone's mind.
I just appreciate him as a quarterback. I think he's probably done with the Tomlin news, and you can make the case that if Tomlin came back, Rodgers would have been at 51-49 probably to come back. He's the only loser. I actually feel like everyone else wins as a result of this, and it's rare that happens in sports, right?
I think Mike Tomlin wins because now he gets to go and do TV for a year and decompress. And then the Steelers will own his rights and maybe they end up trading him and get some compensation for him. But he'll be able to pick his next team, to pick his next spot, and probably one with a young established quarterback. And there's the expression, right?
You either die the hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. And Mike Tomlin, right, wrong, or indifferent, and I think it's probably like a combination of both, was kind of becoming the villain. And we can look back, Joe and Donnie, to the game on November 30th against the Bills. It was not that long ago. Buffalo goes into Pittsburgh and steamrolls the Steelers.
The fans are booing Renegade and chanting, fire Tomlin in the fourth quarter. So for Mike Tomlin, you know, I kind of feel like there was no way out of this scenario for Tomlin and the Steelers. I think he wins by getting out of Pittsburgh. That's not an anti-Steelers organization or Pittsburgh thing. I think that he probably needed a reset.
In the same way that the Steelers desperately needed one also. You know, we talk about cycles in life, whether they're cycles of abuse or addiction in life and in your personal life. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been mired in the cycle of nine and eight and of ten and seven for way too long.
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Chapter 6: How does the MLB salary structure impact teams like the Pirates?
Brian Flores. Brian Flores, like I know Brian Flores has like filed lawsuits against the NFL for the way that his interviews were handled a number of years ago. I feel like I will file a lawsuit against the NFL if Brian Flores doesn't get a job with eight openings available. He has to get a job. Mike Tomlin said last year,
that Brian Flores is the best coach in the NFL right now that is not currently a head coach. He's worked in Pittsburgh, obviously, under Mike Tomlin. He is a defensive wizard. Think about this, right? The Minnesota Vikings last year went 9-8. With J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer as their quarterbacks. They went over .500. Like, do you think that's because of the offense?
No, it's because Flores is an unbelievable defensive coordinator. Now, people will like to say, well, you know, he was mean to Tua Tungavailoa in Miami, and he didn't play nice in the sandbox. I'm going to, like, opine for a moment here. This is, like, what's making us a sissy society right now. This is America where everyone gets a pat on the ass and a participation trophy.
That's not how life works. It's not how championships are won. You don't have to be nice to everybody. And ultimately, if you can't handle being coached in a tough way, you're probably not cut out to win at the highest level.
So assuming Flores has learned a little bit from his experience in Miami, can be a little nicer with his assistants, I think it is the slam dunk home run hire of all time for the Steelers to make Brian Flores their next head coach. That's who I would like to see them hire.
Now, Nick, you saying all of that, where do you come down on the idea of if they hire a defensive-minded guy, he better be bringing a young offensive mind with him from Minnesota or somebody that he's worked with over the last few years. But, I mean, you have the O'Connell connection in Minnesota, which is why I ask that. Plus, it's where he's at right now.
So I think this is really interesting. Right. And I'm going to extend this out to the rest of like the hiring cycle in the NFL. Right. Because I think we may see and think about this. Right. Because we're all big football fans where the trend recently for a while now in the NFL, really since McVay, I would say, has been like young offensive mind.
We may have a cycle here, may not definitely, but may where more defensive coaches are hired than offensive coaches. And I think the question needs to be to any of them, right? Let's say it's Chris Shula, the Rams defense. You know Don's grandson, like the Rams defensive coordinator.
Whether it's Brian Flores, whether it's Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, or Niners defensive coordinator Robert Sala. The first question to all of them has to be, who's running your offense? What's the offensive scheme going to be? So like, do I have the answer to that question as to who Flores would bring? Here's what I can say. And this is a knock against him if it's him.
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Chapter 7: What are the implications of the Dodgers' spending on MLB economics?
My guess is that he ends up in Atlanta with the Falcons and working for Matt Ryan. I think that's where I would put the smart money right now, Stefanski in Atlanta with the Falcons.
Nick, what's your viewpoint on the Giants winning the NFC East next year now? I know Joe's going to make that bet. Jackson Dart, baby.
Yeah, I'm very enthused. Can I ask you guys a question, and this will lead into my answer?
Please.
It's a serious question. Which team in the NFC East currently has the best head coach?
I think the Giants just hired him. Yeah.
Well, I would tend to agree. I think Nick Sirianni is, I think, a smart guy who knows how to delegate. I do. I think he gets a lot of unfair criticism. But this year, he deserved it.
He runs a good CEO operation.
Yeah. Except this year, he deserved it because he hired his buddy as the OC. But I'll go with Arbaugh.
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Chapter 8: What are the future prospects for the Steelers after Tomlin's departure?
I just want to make sure I get that right. It's our needs.
The guy are the second.
Yeah, got it. My that's why I asked. I didn't like what he said at the press conference where he's basically like, yeah, like we're going to try and compete. If I'm the Steelers, honestly, and I know this is not the Steeler way, I would tear it down. Not that you're trying to lose, but this is an old roster. You got good young players. They're not that far. I think you got to tear this down.
And by the time you're really going to be ready, and I'm not talking like win the AFC North. I'm not talking nine and eight or 10 and seven. By the time you're ready to go 14 and three, 13 and four, 12 and five, 15 and two, is that gonna line up with TJ Watts still being at his best given that he's gonna be 32 next year? I think you gotta get as much draft capital as possible.
I would trade TJ Watt. We'll see what happens with Cam Hayward and look for a youth movement moving forward and really look to gas this up in 2027. My guess would be, given what Mr. Rooney said, that maybe Malik Willis is the option because I think he'll be maybe the best free agent on the market. I don't like the idea of drafting Ty Simpson in the first round.
I would say that the Steelers would be the favorites for Malik Willis, if I had to guess.
Nick, you're an incredible man. We'll talk next week, I hope.
Of course. I love coming out with you guys. Wishing everyone minimal sweats, winning bets, the absolute very best of luck. May I plug my YouTube page one more time?
Of course.
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