Chapter 1: 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 ā 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.
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Chapter 2: Why are fans calling for Will Howard as the starting QB?
And then yesterday, going backwards ā It was a 14 ā 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 ā
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 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, because it feels like if you're within 50, it's almost automatic, right? 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. That's the same kind of fourth down mentality, right?
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Chapter 3: What are the implications of Sean McVay potentially retiring?
I mean, I understand both sides of that argument. If you had a play that you thought was good, that you could win it right there so that Matt Stafford doesn't have a chance, that Puka Nakua doesn't have a chance to beat you.
And there's an argument that the Rams are reeling quite a bit after that crazy conversion, that they would have been maybe a little shell-shocked on that subsequent play.
Maybe.
Maybe. We'll see. I mean, these are the stuff we talk about all the time. One other note before we go back to the Lions. Not only Joe Starkey's miserable day will continue. Not only did they fire Sean McDermott in Buffalo, they have promoted their general manager, Billy Bean. Or Brandon Bean. I got too many Beans. Maybe they should have brought in Billy Bean. Maybe so.
Brandon Bean goes to president of the organization. So you would think the roster is his problem, not McDermott's. But here we go. Another situation that ends up in a coach firing. Back to the Lions we go. Sean, who we got? We got a lot of people up here, I noticed. Oh, we've got a ton of callers. We're going to go to Harrison City with Dan.
Dan in Harrison City. What's going on today? Hey, Bob.
How are you doing? Good, thanks. All right. I have a great suggestion for quarterback for the Steelers. Now, let's just back up for a minute. They've got a new coach coming in, new staff. You know, a lot of the players may or may not be back with the Steelers. It's kind of a fresh start, right? Am I right? Yes. So... How about this person here? How about Will Howard? Nobody talks about him.
If you drafted him, if he was this pretty great quarterback in college, why not give him a shot? Why would they want to find retreads and people out there that just aren't ā you're not going to get a Lamar Jackson. You're not going to get somebody that's starting for another team. Why don't you ā this is a fresh start. The team's not going to the Super Bowl next year.
Why don't you give this guy a shot? How come that's never dangled?
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Chapter 4: How do playoff strategies affect team performance?
I think that's what they wanted to see this past preseason. He was scheduled to play 85% of the preseason snaps, and they would have gotten a better gauge. They never got that opportunity. But I'm with you from this point of view. He played at a major college. He went through a college football playoff. He won every game. He made critical throws when he had to.
You know, what's the difference between him and a Fernando Mendoza who's all of a sudden jumped up to number one overall pick in the draft potentially? So, yeah, they have him there. And I think the new coach, whoever it would be, would do that. Why wouldn't you do that? You want to give a guy a shot and see what he has.
They drafted him after all, and we've seen quarterbacks come from different places in rounds, whether it's Dak Prescott in the fourth round, Brady in the sixth, Purdy in the seventh. Others have fallen into that category as well. So, yeah, I'm not against that. Okay.
All right.
Thank you. Appreciate it.
All right. We move along. Where to next? I will say I cracked up when he said no one's talking about Will Howard because he seems like the most talked about third string quarterback in the entire NFL.
Without a doubt.
We're going to go to Spencer.
Spencer is on the fan. Hello, Spencer.
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Chapter 5: What are the arguments for and against going for it on fourth down?
Well, Philadelphia's been active to do things. They don't mess around, especially with coaches and GMs. Well, GM, no, they're a GM team. Howie Roseman runs that ship. I don't know about that. I mean, I don't think that would happen. I don't think that's a marriage out there. Sean, what do you think about Jalen Hurst? I mean, he's a winner is what he is, and he makes plays when he has to.
I just don't think Philadelphia wants to get rid of him.
I've heard that there's some frustration potentially with whether it be players or just the organization with Jalen Hurts. But one, I don't see them moving him now whatsoever. They have no backup plan in place. Now, if they were to maybe draft a guy this year and see good things in terms of his development, could that be a year down the road, a discussion? Absolutely.
But I think we're at least a year away from Jalen Hurts being moved. And If he has a good year and the Eagles bounce back, which I certainly would not be surprised if that happens, I don't think he's going anywhere.
Too soon for that to happen, I agree. And the contract's a big one, too. I think the Steelers don't want to get involved in that sort of contract right off the bat. With a new coach, you want to bring in guys that he can work with and develop. Thanks, Spencer, for the call. Appreciate that. Next, Sean. We will head out to Blairsville with Dave. Dave, what's going on? You're on the fan.
Thank you for calling.
Oh, thank you. Just driving in the snow here. Just wanted to congratulate you on the Marconi and what has to be the best sports show I've ever heard.
I'll pass that along to the troops. Thank you.
Thank you. Dan sort of stole my thunder there because I was going to talk about Will Howard, too, and why he seems to be like stale bread. I think he ought to be given a legitimate shot at being our number one quarterback.
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Chapter 6: How does the new coaching staff impact the Steelers' quarterback choices?
So I think the play to be made for them probably here is a veteran to come in. Well, first of all, we haven't talked about this at all, and we should talk about Aaron Rodgers because there's conflicting reports coming out of this that Aaron Rodgers may still want to be back. Maybe not. He hasn't said a word. Players seem to want him back on their exit interviews.
We've gone back and forth about this. Dave, if you saw Aaron Rodgers coming back, would you want him back for one more year?
Depending upon what the other options were.
My personal feeling on that is he won't come back, nor would they want him back. That's just me. Thank you, Dave. Now, having said that, if he should want to, and they don't have much of anyone else in mind, would that be a bad move for the team next year, knowing how the players have responded to him?
I said before, I don't think you want to bring in guys who are near the end of their career. If I'm the Steelers, I'm okay keeping some of the longtime veterans that you have potentially. But as far as bringing in free agents who are in their mid-30s, late-30s, early-40s in that scenario, no, I'd rather look elsewhere.
And if you have a rough season because you're using a young quarterback like a Will Howardā I think that ultimately that's for the better long-term anyway. I wouldn't want another stopgap. And I don't know why Rodgers would necessarily want to be here. Although I do wonder if he's thinking about playing another season... It seemed like for a while there was some smoke around Minnesota.
And there still is. That might be an option. Because they want to bring in another veteran all of a sudden after McCarthy struggled, right? So, I mean, that's something he can consider. But I agree with you, and I've said all along, since the season ended, I don't think he's coming back.
And I also think, you know, if it's a young coach who wants to mold quarterbacks, have an opportunity, maybe expand ā the quarterbacks you already have based on good philosophical play and strategic play, maybe some of these guys respond. Maybe it's Will Howard. And I'm not ruling out Mason Rudolph either.
If he gets a fresh start with somebody who likes what he does and they scheme it up so that he can be successful, I mean, we've seen these stories all throughout the NFL. All right, Sean, who's next? Troy in Mount Washington. Hello, Troy. What's up on Mount Washington?
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Chapter 7: What are the prospects of trading for Jalen Hurts?
That was my read on it. I know it came out there while people were talking about television. I thought, man, he's too young. He's still one of the youngest guys going here. You know, in the game.
That's why I didn't really, I didn't think that it could be a ploy because in my mind, and I think in the mind of the league, he is one of the best coaches in the league. It's not like he had to prop himself up for people to believe that he was. He was already the up and coming and discussed as probably one of the best coaches in the league. Well, why would you want to leave then?
Well, a lot of people kind of, you know, you reach your milestone, you win a Super Bowl, Aaron Donald retires, and you think to yourself, hey, maybe I want to get out of this for a couple years, spend some time with my family. There's a lot of reasons why people would get out, and if they win it this year, I believe Stafford does walk away, and he has a decision.
But in terms of the Steelers, I can't stop thinking about this, Bob. I'm going to say this, and I know it's crazy, but I think this year was the best chance the Steelers had to win a Super Bowl since they last won a Super Bowl. Now, hear me out. A little better scheme... and a number two wide receiver.
If you watch that game between Houston and the Patriots, Drake May has been known to stay in the pocket and take a little too long in any defense that's aggressive and comes in and can get after the ball, he will fumble it. We showed it when we played the Patriots at the Patriots this year. We made them fumble the ball. They lost. They won that game because C.J. Stroud is terrible.
They didn't win that game because they were a great team. So if you beat the Texans, you have definitely a chance to beat the Patriots. And now you get Jared Siddham in the AFC Championship.
Well, okay, now it seems that way. But when you're saying if, I thought the Steelers got physically manhandled by Houston.
See, I disagree.
You don't agree?
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Chapter 8: What does the future hold for Will Howard and the Steelers' QB situation?
I understand the path always changes, and there was no Lamar Jackson, no Joe Burrow.
I know you, Bob. They're a long way off, but I know you. They beat the Texans. When it comes to game picks that week on Friday, you were taking the Steelers to beat the Patriots.
I was. No, I thought the Steelers. No, no. I wouldn't have picked them to pick the Patriots.
I think you're taking the Steelers again.
Again, Jared Stenrich, Troy. I appreciate your thoughts, but honestly, they have a long way to go. And I thought, didn't you think you came away with that Houston game thing? And they, 30-6. may have been misleading because the defense came up with some scores there, and their offense didn't do all that much.
But when it came down to the line of scrimmage, didn't you come away thinking, Sean, like I did, that the Steelers were not by far the better team in that matchup?
Yeah, it sounds like the same thing that we thought after the Baltimore playoff loss a year ago as well. So yeah, I will say... It does feel like a down year for the NFL. That's why Buffalo's struggling with this whole thing. And so a lot of people said, hey, if Josh Allen doesn't win it this year, easiest path that he'll have in the postseason, will he ever?
For a team like Baltimore, if you win that last game, you get in, they have a pretty clear path. But, you know, ultimately it doesn't work out like that. And I would agree that the Steelers weren't all that close, even though it was ā You don't have to go through those perennial powerhouse teams necessarily.
I still don't feel like even if they find a way to win that game that they're winning two more.
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