Chapter 1: What playoff history do the Steelers have leading into this game?
Donnie, it's a segment the entire country, perhaps the world and the universe have been waiting for. It's the numbers game playoff version. Hold on, I'm getting my last number entered here. Okay. I'm ready for this, big boy. I don't know if you are, but I know I am. Give me a number, Donnie.
I'll give you a number, Joe. How about the number nine? The Texans have won nine straight games, the best in football.
I got one to counter that, Donnie. Zero. The Texans' number of road playoff wins in their franchise history. They're 0-6.
How about the number 23, Joe, to keep on that theme and the theme of Monday night? Pittsburgh has won 23 straight home games on Monday night football.
How about another one to counter your number, Donnie? One. Domed teams in the past decade in the NFL playoffs, when the temperature is 40 degrees or less... Are 1-14. 1-14.
Did you guys discover, by the way, because we were talking about that stat the other day.
Yeah.
Did you guys find which game it was?
No. Who was it? Let me guess. A domed team that went on the road and won.
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Chapter 2: How do the Texans' recent performances impact their playoff chances?
I mean, it's an underrated job. Limits and I would know. 18, my number. Nico Collins, receptions of 20-plus yards. He has 18 of them this season. And remember, he missed a few games due to injury.
Holy ostrich milk. Three, that's playoff sacks in four games for Alex Highsmith. So Alex Highsmith has more sacks in his playoff career than Hayward and Watt combined. Is that a winner limit?
Do we have a winner?
Do we have a winner?
I think we might have a winner right there, Donnie. I like that one a lot. Top it, Donnie. Highsmith's having a great year. Top it. I will go with the same theme on that, Joe. It's the number three, and it has to do with sacks. Yeah. The Texans have gone three straight games without allowing a sack.
I'll go with another three. I'll raise your three with another three. League MVPs that the Steelers have faced in their last three playoff games at quarterback. Not necessarily that season, but three league MVPs in Allen, Mahomes, and Lamar. CJ Stroud, he's good, but he ain't an MVP.
I got one more for you, Joe, and it has to do with special teams.
Please.
Think back to last season, the Steelers, a team so reliant on field goals, so reliant on three points. Yes. This season, the Texans have made 48 field goals. That is the most in football. My number is 48. Not only is that first, but it is first by a margin of seven. Seattle has 41 way behind them. So there is no team that counts on the three. More than Houston.
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Chapter 3: What key statistics should fans know about the Steelers' offense?
You've got Coach Rogers running the offense. I think our backfield is a lot better than it used to be. Najee Harris-Warren, I think Gainwell and Warren are better than those two.
I'll agree with that part. That's a big upgrade. They're the only two backs on the same team this year to have over 1,000 scrimmage yards. You can't possibly believe the first one you said, though. Coach Rogers. You can't possibly believe that.
You don't believe the checks at the line? What did they do for them in Cleveland?
Well, hold on. It's not only that.
Wait a second.
You want to say Cleveland? Who was wide receiver one in Cleveland? The same guy who was wide receiver one basically against the Ravens. Fine. Who was wide receiver two in Cleveland? Okay, that's fine. You're going to cite the Cleveland game. My point is you're saying... Hold on. Let me talk for a second. Then I'm going to let you rebuttal me. You said this is different.
When this playoff drought started... They had Ben Roethlisberger as their quarterback pre-elbow injury. They lost at home to Blake Bortles and gave up 45 points. You think Aaron Rodgers right now is better than Ben back then? Who was the supporting cast for Ben?
Lathion Bell and Antonio Brown! Okay, okay. What about the offensive line? The offensive line is significantly better than it was when they had Ben at the end of the year.
Yes or no? You're trying to make an argument that Rodgers now is better than Ben back then. Am I hearing this right? I had four key things.
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Chapter 4: What is the significance of Aaron Rodgers' performance in the playoffs?
We just saw Riley Leonard have a career day against that same defense.
He did look good in the first half. I brought that up to Chris.
That is 100% accurate. We saw Alec Pierce just have a career day before getting ejected against that same defense.
I agree with you. You're right. They have been vulnerable. We also saw the Steelers' offense score six points two weeks ago if we want to play that game. I've also seen this defense beat Patrick Mahomes into submission in his own building.
Everybody beat Pat Mahomes this year.
Well, they sacked Josh Allen about 11 times. Now we're slandering Patrick Mahomes here?
No, we ain't slandering Pat Mahomes.
And you said everybody beat him up this year. He sounds like a piñata. Chris, he's not wrong, though. He's not wrong about that.
They finished third in the division.
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Chapter 5: How does the Steelers' defense match up against the Texans' offense?
And the other night I'm watching back the Steelers-Bengals playoff game when you guys started your run in 05, when you went there and beat them and Carson Palmer got hurt and Kimo Van Alhoff and took him out and was sick over it. So it's early in the game, and something's going on with TJ Houshmandzada, and you are right up in his face, screaming at him.
And the referees are separating you, and Phil Simms and Jim Nance are talking about how you're getting into it with Houshmandzada. What was that all about? Do you remember?
I can't remember what it was about, but quick story about that game. So when Carson got injured, and... The stadium went crazy. Their coaches were cursing at our players. And the intensity went up to another level. Yep. And I remember I started crying on the sideline. What? And they were like, B-Mac, what's going on?
And I'm like, I wish Coach LeBeau would call Nickel because I want to get out there and get in a fight. I want to fight somebody right now. Please call. Back then, everything was kind of base formation until third down came and you come in with nickel or dime. And I was a nickel back at that time. I was third corner. I'm like, Coach, please call nickel.
I want to get out there and fight with these guys. And to your point, that's probably what led to that situation with me and TJ. I didn't want to get in there and get in the fight because I saw my guys out there fighting, and I wanted to fight. I wanted to get bloodied up a little bit. I wanted some of that smoke. That's the type of atmosphere it was, and that's what we did. It was personal.
At any point, did you think John Kitna was going to actually cook a little bit? Because he started off red hot.
No. We knew that Cincinnati, and even though they had Carson, without Carson, even with Carson, we knew Cincinnati was Cincinnati.
And then Chris Henry got hurt on that same play, too.
Yeah.
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Chapter 6: What strategies can the Steelers employ to win this game?
They have given up a lot of big plays. They rank 18th in explosive pass defense. This is a chance for Aaron Rodgers to see behind what they're doing when they're sending the heat. You've got to find it. You've got to be able to read it. You've got to see it coming. And I think there's something to what Mike Tomlin said. He said this defense does not try to split the atom.
And what he means by that is they know they're good. They know they're talented. They're going to be straight up like we're blitzing. and you can't stop us, or we're running this and you can't stop us.
And if Aaron Rodgers can see through that and find the weak spots structurally in those defenses and hit those weak spots, and I think Pat Frymouth, you know, I've been saying it for a while, he could be a big factor in the game.
He could be a huge factor in this game because those outside corners are nasty in the Texans, but the nickel corner, some of the safeties, linebackers, I think there's some weak spots to be hit there. And if they can hit on some deep balls in this game, that's the kind of stuff that can soften up that underneath coverage and open up more space for Jalen Warren and for Kenneth Gainwell.
Because also, the Texans, one thing they also do is they miss a lot of tackles. And so if you're able to spread them, they gang tackle a lot when they get a lot, they fly to the ball. And so they have a lot of guys around. But if you're able to hit those deep shots, it's going to force some of those guys to back off a little bit and not be as aggressive as attacking underneath.
And I think that's going to be a big key for this game. That's why it's huge. They're getting DK Metcalf back. It's going to be huge that they can hit Pat Friermuth. Aaron Rodgers, he's got to see through it. He's got to be accurate. He's got to hit those shots.
When the Steelers get them, they've got to take advantage of them because if they do, that's the balance that can throw off this defense.
We're going tit for tat and stat for stat here, Chris, because yesterday I uncovered that the Texans are 13th worst in the NFL in giving up reception yards to running backs, which is an area where the Steelers obviously have thrived with Kenneth Gamewell. In particular, Chris Carter joining us here on the Fan Morning Show.
If you were D'Amico Ryans, would you have Derek Stingley follow DK Metcalf? Is that something that they typically do, or are they a left-right kind of unit? And then, I'll do a two-parter here, does JPJ chase around their number one wide receiver, Nico Collins?
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Chapter 7: What are the fans' sentiments about Mike Tomlin's coaching?
And so I think that's where – that's a big place where the Texans, they've won a lot of games because their pass rush can get home and disrupt what an offense can do. This has got to be a game where T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig, Alex Highsmith, Cam Hayward, Keanu Benton, Derek Harmon, those guys, Patrick Queen too because he's a good blitzer. This is a group that – this is a week.
Disrupt that young quarterback. Get him to panic in the cold and in a tight game.
Chris, you know I'm a big fan of yours personally and professionally. I'm happy to hear that you and others are pushing to keep the paper of record alive in this town. I can't wait to talk to you next week. Hopefully we're previewing another game, man. We always appreciate the time. Thanks for having me, Adam. You're the man. Chris Carter of the Locked On Steelers podcast.
You know what that signifies, our friend and yours. Ray Fittipaldo of the Post-Gazette joins us. On the Sullivan Super Service fan hotline, Pittsburgh's trusted plumbing and HVAC provider for over 50 years. And Ray's also on YouTube. There he is, Donnie. Take a good look. He's looking good.
Fresh haircut, Ray? Fresh haircut. You know it. Got to get ready for Monday night, Donnie.
Well, where are you, Ray? In your man cave there?
I wouldn't call it a man cave. It's like a converted office that was our dining room. But like every other family, who uses a dining room anymore? Not us. We eat at the kitchen table.
We do. You eat at the kitchen table. We have three separate meals for dinner. My wife goes to one room. I go to another. My daughter goes and watches TV.
You guys don't eat dinner together.
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Chapter 8: What predictions are being made for the outcome of the game?
How about you, Donnie? Mine is not, Ray. Sorry. My middle name's actually Joe. Joseph. How about that?
Between the four of us, we have two middle names. That's incringulant. It's a family affair right here. Well, now I forgot what I was going to ask you, Ray. Oh, no chance for Deshaun Elliott, is there?
I mean, not this week, but... I heard from the very beginning that there was a chance if they made a run in the playoffs that he could come back. So we could see maybe next week, maybe the practice window opens and he could be a part of things, but certainly not for Houston on Monday night.
What has the vibe been like for this guy individually, but also others in that locker room with DK Metcalf coming back?
Yeah, they're excited. People in that locker room like DK. He's a hard worker. He's a good teammate. I think everyone remembers what happened in that first Ravens game, the way he stepped in there for Skoranek when Skoranek was injured. He's a team player, and I think everyone in that room knows he
Made a mistake, but they kind of wanted to pick him up, and I think they're all glad that he got the second chance. So I think he's very motivated, and I think the Steelers were very motivated to do that for him on Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.
Have you talked to TJ yet this week, and how did he come out of that game? How's he feeling physically going into this one? Do we know?
I have not talked to TJ this week. He is speaking today, I believe, or maybe tomorrow because of the Monday night game. You know, Joe, but after the game, he said he felt good. I think you saw he played the majority of the snaps. I want to say 84%, 86% of the snaps. There were only 51 snaps in that football game, but I kind of had the feeling.
I think I told you guys last week, do not be surprised. If it's a close game, then he's out there, and he was. So I think Austin, Terrell Austin said yesterday he expects him to be even better, you know, just having gone through one game.
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