Steelers vs. Bengals Clash: NFL Playoff Seeding Implications

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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.

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