This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold in Steelers Nation Radio.
And we are back. I am Dale LOLLI he is the Matt Williamson and it is time now for the Fantasy Football Focus where we will put together There are dfs lineup here on DraftKings, and we've been on a little bit of a role here with this.
Yeah, we're back. We're back, We're back. Maybe we're back. This is just Saturday Sunday, right.
This will be Saturday Sunday. You couldn't do Saturday through Monday, so we're going to do the game or the days that you can also involve Steelers in this. So we'll see where we get to here. And let's look at the defenses. Atlanta's defense the most expensive one on the slates, a thirty seven hundred dollars.
Wow, Giants are really that bad? Yeah, they really are.
Then you have the Bills against New England at thirty six hundred, Viking against Seattle at thirty five hundred. We can't use green Bay. Green Bay against New Orleans is the Monday night game? Yeah, that would have been I even know. I'll bet you're there over four grand.
I would think they're near the top. Yeah. Yeah, Lions against Chicago's thirty four hundred, Buccaneers against Dallas thirty four hundred, Ravens against the Steelers thirty three hundred, Bengals against Cleveland thirty three hundred.
Oh, do you use the Bengals.
Seems expensive for a really terrible deedt stand the opponent, but wow.
Cardinals against Carolina thirty two hundred, Eagles against Washington thirty one hundred, the Rams against the Jets three thousand, the Colts against the Titans three thousands.
Not bad.
Dolphins against San Francisco twenty nine hundred, Jaguars against Vegas twenty nine hundred.
We talked about that game. It's gonna be something ugly is going to happen. It's probably gonna favor one of those defenses.
Yeah, I feel better about it for the Vegae on the Vegas with O'Connell starting. If it were if it was Ritter, that would be fire. The Jaguars defense out San Francisco against Miami is twenty eight hundred, the Seahawks against the Vikings twenty eight hundred. Raiders on the other side of that. Jacksonville game is twenty seven hundred.
No Max Crosby though, no, no, they don't make playmakers.
Washington against the Commander or Washington against Philly is twenty seven hundred.
I kind of like the Eagles so far.
The Titans against the Colts is twenty six hundred, not bad. Carolina against Arizona twenty six hundred, Dallas against Tampa Bay twenty six hundred. The Jets against the Rams is twenty five hundred. The Steelers against the Ravens is twenty five hundred. Pretty low for a team that has had success against Lamar. That doesn't make much sense. Giants against I'm not going to go any farther down in that. So the Steelers are like the fifth lowest on this on this thing, then what cowtboy against Tampa Bay is interesting? It's twenty six hundred.
Bear me out on that, all right, please state your case, Micah Parsons, And that's the obvious one. And Baker does turn the ball over. TV's O line is really good, though that does worse playing this week, I think so. I think he was back last week. I can't double check that. I think so.
But they'll still rush Parsons from all over the place. And I love the two PA teams. I don't hate that either.
I really do think the Eagles are the best defense in the league right now, and I don't think Washington's oh line can handle that. And mclaurin's really their only weapon at the moment. Daniels are scary, but he's come back to earth a little bit. I mean, he's not a superstar in terms of yeah, you know, gott to avoid him at all costs. But they were a little pricey too.
They're thirty one hundred. It's not super pricey. I mean, it's honestly, I'd rather do that.
Well, you're gonna put him in and if we need money, come back to the Steelers.
Yeah, we can do that, or we could you know of it to Jaguars or something together. Even the Titans against the Cold.
Yeah, that was one that stood out to or Colts against the Titans.
Yeah, either one of those is fine. Quarterback you went to your quarterback first, or tight end.
Okay, let's go tight end. Brock Bauer sixty five hundred, Trey McBride's sixty two hundred. He's gonna score this week. He's gonna score this way.
They are thirty first against opposing tight ends, and he gets a million targets. Kyler Murray's likes actually tweeted out he's going to score. Basically, he's going to score this fore, George Kittle six thousand. I just don't know. I want to spend sixty two a lot for a tight end, right. Johnny Smith fifty five hundred and jok Who is fifty two hundred. He is questionable. Hawkinson is forty eight hundred. Sam where is that game? By the way, Vikings in Seattle, Okay Laporta is forty seven hundred, Dalton Kinkaid forty six hundred, Kate Aughten forty four hundred, Mark Andrews forty three hundred, Hunter Henry forty one hundred, Kyle Pitts four thousand, Pat Firemouth thirty nine hundred. That might be worth it. They're twenty second against opposing tight ends.
And I imagine this came out they thought Pickens was playing.
He scored in three straight games. Zach Ertz Is thirty eight hundred, Cole Comb met thirty seven hundred, Jake Ferguson thirty six hundred. Tampa base shape for him Tampa Base twenty seventh against opposing tight ends. Noahfense thirty six hundred, Brenton Strange thirty five hundred. They are twenty ninth against opposing tight ends.
While it's on the top of my head, I like Strange, I like friar Mouth, I like McBride and Ferguson.
I'm just looking to see if there's any cheap, cheap ones here.
Strange got a ton of targets that could be just totally chasing points. They don't have a lot of other weapons.
They don't have a lot of other weapons. And again, raiders, and I think O'Connell being back helps that because the raider's gonna score a little bit.
Now the people throw Yeah, yeah, so they're gonna have to I mean strangers round pick. I mean he's not a out of nowhere guy.
Yeah, I just want to see they He remained limited on Thursday. Well, if he's limited limited, he's probably gonna.
Play Strange Strange. Yeah, I didn't know there asnything wrong.
He'll get a shoulder issue, but been limited both days. He's gonna play. Yeah, let's plug it. He's thirty five hundred bucks. He gets eight targets, he gets half what he gets seven or eight of targets. He had thirteen last week. Yeah, he's still worth it. Oh side note, how did we do last night? We did not finish in the money last night. No, we we had a good point total. It was just a matter of figuring out who should be where.
Weird game. I mean, you didn't have any of the running backs. That's what hurt us. If you had Gus Edwards in the lineup. I figured that was gonna.
Even he broke the long run late, but he scored two touchdowns.
He almost had to have him problem.
Yeah at the quarterback position. Yeah, we had like ninety points in that game last night and the winner had like one hundred and four. Just how close around, Just how close it goes in those kind of contests. We were right on the cusp. But I don't know quarterback Josh Allen eighty seven hundred, Lamar Jackson eighty two hundred. I don't like those payups for those two guys. Jalen Hurts is seventy eight hundred. That one, if I were going to pay up for a quarterback, might be where I would go there. Yeah, Joe Burrow is seventy five hundred, Jade and Daniel seventy three hundred, Jared Goff sixty eight hundred, Baker Mayfield.
Sixty semi weather in Chicago.
No, Chicago's actually second against opposing quarterbacks.
Second best. Yeah, I can't understand that.
Mayfield is sixty six hundred. Sam Darnold sixty five hundred, Rock Perdy sixty three hundred, Kyler Murray sixty one hundred, two Attago v Lois six thousand, Matthew Stafford fifty nine hundred, Drake may fifty eight hundred, Russell Wilson fifty seven hundred, Geno Smith fifty seven hundred, Aaron Rodgers hundred. We get back on the Rogers bust again.
They're playing again.
They're playing the Rams at home.
It's not bad.
Their Rams are twenty fifth against opposing tight ends and the Rams can score.
Yeah, Rogers were Stafford, I mean, like classic old guy battle. Yeah, Rogers put a couple of good games together. I think he's trying to show the world has and I mean that's how his whole career has been. When he has something to prove, he's a little better, you know, Like they drafted Jordan Love because he was struggling. Then they drafted Jordan Love and he won two MVPs. Yeah, like they got good quarterback play at him.
Caleb Williams at fifty five hundred, they have to throw.
In that game. That defense is really backed up.
He had like thirty five points in the first matchup on that. I understand it was indoors, but it was actually twenty six point one points on here. But Kirk Cousins while he's not playing Anthony Richardson fifty four hundred, Bryce Young, they're fifty three hundred, Cooper Rush fifty two hundred, Tampa Bays thirty first against other quarterbacks struggling, Uh, Mac Jones fifty two hundred, kind of like Rogers. If we can have a Mac Jones Brenton strange.
Stack, the boll could go wrong there.
Eight O'Connell's fifty one hundred Jacksonville was thirty second against opposing quarterbacks.
If you're just super cheap, we could talk about some of those.
Mason Rudolph five thousand, Drew Locke forty nine hundred.
Wow, I do expect since they're desperate for Richardson to run a lot in that game.
Michael Pennix is forty five hundred dollars.
He gets the Giants, he's probably good.
Dudes, they're twenty third against opposing quarterback. The problem is that are the Giants going to score enough to make them continually? They just going to run the ball.
We haven't gotten to it yet, but I kind of think aug here is somebody to look at. Yeah, I mean I think they're just gonna be John's not going to carry it not eighty yeah, right. I just think that their running backs will be great, and one of them is way cheaper in the other. I'm sure. Yeah.
Who do you like there?
Rogers? I understand paying it for hurts. I don't think that's terrible. He's coming off a good game. They have great weapons. A's gonna run, You're gonna score a touchdown probably probably. Yeah, panics a little bit, But that's dirt cheap. I mean we don't have to I don't think we have to go that cheap. Yeah, I mean we could go DTR for that. Dt R is forty eight hundred dollars. Yeah, he's gonna run too, He's gonna run and there against opposing defense. Yeah, and do Rogers?
Yeah, I mean he is the best. I think that game turns into kind of a shootout.
Yeah right. I think it's just kind of the quarterbacks slinging it against each other, a lot of pride, you know, maybe two Hall of famers, you know, Yeah, all right, there's receivers in that game.
Yeah, they're both gonna to score to keep up. At running back. Saquon is eighty three hundred. I think he blows up.
Actually, U Bijon is eighty one hundred. I think he blows up this week for about three quarters.
Yeah, Derrick Henry is eight thousand, Chase Brown seventy seven hundred, Jamiir Gibbs seventy five hundred. I think he blows up this week too. Devin ah Chan seventy four hundred, Kien Williams seventy two hundred, James Connor seventy one hundred. Against that Carolina defense, he's been really good. There's thirty second against him. Are thirty two, yeah, James Cook seven thousand. They're twenty fifth against opposing running backs. They just put bar more.
On, oh did they?
Yeah. Jonathan Taylor is sixty nine hundred. Chewba Hubbard is sixty eight hundred. Arizona's twenty six against opposing running backs. Grendo's not going to play, Tony Pollard probably not going to play. Bucky Irving is questionable. He's sixty four hundred. Aaron Jones is sixty four hundred. Kenneth Walker has no injury designation. Sixty three hundred.
Kind of cheap for Aaron Jones. We've gone down that road before and he's burned us. I can't go back to Aaron Joe. I've been happy with him as all your guy.
Rico dal Dell sixty three hundred, Brian Robinson is sixty two against they're thirteenth.
I know their works against the pass.
Brian Robinson is sixty two hundred, Brice Hall sixty one hundred.
They seem to like he's playing about fifty percent of the snap fifteen. Think there's a lot of points.
Yeah. Zach charbon Ay six thousand, Like he should not be down in the same area as Brian Robinson. Ye White is twenty two hundred. Remandree Stevenson is thirty uh fifty nine hundred.
He gets a lot of attention, there's a lot of action.
Bills are thirty first against opposing running backs. Travis Atn is fifty eight hundred, Nausey Harris fifty seven hundred, DeAndre Swift fifty six hundred, Jerome Ford fifty six hundred, Tyrone Tracy fifty five hundred. Tyler al Gaire is fifty five hundred. You don't get much of a bargain there.
No, but that neighborhood has some dudes that are should be getting the ball a lot. Tank Bigsby is fifty three h hundred. Aaron Gibson, not Aaron Gibbson. Antonio Antonio Gibson is fifty three hundred. Jalam Warren fifty two hundred, not bad.
Alexander Madison is fifty one hundred. If there's anybody, ty J. Spears at forty nine hundred. I think Pollard is not going to play against the Colts, kind of like it the Culture twenty seventh against opposing running backs. I think you plug that one and.
Now, yeah, yeah, I think that's a good one.
And then that allows you maybe to go for one of those stud studs.
And say, let's go big on one of these top guys. You go like Saquon or Gibbs.
I like Saquon, I like Gibbs, I like Bijon h.
Gibbs is the cheapest. I think Saquon has the highest seal actual.
Like James Connor too, at seventy one hundred dollars.
Can we swing them both? We've been pretty cheap one everything, probably, but we'd have to work in some I wide receivers right right, because we can average right now about sixty six hundred the rested away. Who's your favorite big dog.
Let's put Connor in there now it's seventy one hundred. That's because that's only slightly and if we have enough money left over, we can put maybe a SAQ one or Bijon in the flex spot.
That's fair.
Yeah, Connor's just barely over value here. They may have some receivers we really like here. Jamar Chase is eighty five hundred.
I think he goes insane.
Justin Jefferson is eighty two hundred. Puka Nakua eight thousand, A Monros Saint Brown's seventy nine hundred. AJ Brown seventy eight hundred. He is questionable though. You have Mike Evans at seventy six hundred. I think he goes now.
Yeah, I like that one a lot.
Ceede Lamb seventy five hundred, Terry McLaurin seventy three hundred, Devonte Adams seventy one hundred three. Nice hookup, got the stack there, Tyreek Hill sixty nine hundred. T Higgins is sixty eight hundred. He's questionable, but he's expected to play. Jerry Judy sixty seven hundred. Can't go there. Garrett Wilson sixty six hundred. Boy that flipped from a WEEKA. I know last week Wilson was way more expensive than Adams and didn't.
Who I even prefer I know Adams coming off a heater.
But Cooper Cup sixty five hundred, Drake London sixty four hundred, Brian Thomas sixty three hundred, Jordan Addison sixty two hundred.
It's pretty cheap for Brian Thomas.
Malik Neighbors is sixty one hundred, Jackson Smith and Jigba six thousand.
I like all those guys, Smith and Jagba, Neighbors and Thomas, y'all get a lot of targets.
Zay Flowers is fifty nine hundred, Juwan Jennings fifty nine hundred, Khalil Shakir fifty nine hundred, Jakobe Myers fifty eight hundred, Devonte Smith fifty eight hundred, Calvin Ridley fifty seven hundred, DJ Moore fifty seven hundred, Ridley from Rudolph, DK metcalf Is fifty five hundred. Minnesota is thirty second against opposing wide receiver.
Really, I think I'd prefer Smith Dijigba for the price, but they both make sense.
What's DK Doune of late? I know he's not been and this is why he's cheaper. He hasn't scored a touchdown in the last five weeks.
It's been slow. I didn't knowize it was that long.
But yeah, well they haven't thrown a lot of touchdown passes as a team.
But but Gina's back, I wouldn't mind getting involved with one of those receivers.
Jamis and Williams is fifty five hundred two.
Wow, that's pretty cheap.
That's really cheap for a guy. Keenan. Allen's a guy that the last time out against Detroit, he tore them up. Last time out against Detroit, he had eight for seventy three and two touchdowns.
They seem to be getting him involved more since the coordinator change.
I'm sorry it was five for seventy three. Yeah, it's thirteen targets.
Last week.
I had three for thirty a week before that at San Francisco. They didn't do anything in that. At Detroit it was five for seventy three on eight targets, but he scored twice. Against Minnesota it was nine nine catches on fifteen targets for eighty six yards and a touchdown.
I don't know problem with it.
I just think against Detroit they're gonna have to throw the football fifty three hundred dollars.
Yeah, no, I don't think. I think that Detroit defense is very beatable and they're gonna have to throw the ball. Yeah, yeah, we gonna have to. I thought Caitleb Williams was a consideration too.
You're putting him in, Yeah, let's put him in that and then we can pay up.
Kind of like Evans.
Yeah I do too. Yeah, I think they're trying to get him.
They want to get him that A thousand and he is awesome.
Yeah, what's he got. He's at seven forty nine right now on fifty two catches. He has nine touchdowns. He's been a machine much since he entered the league. I think he's plugged him in. Yeah, I'm fine with it at home. The weather's going to be fine.
I had a really good conversation about him that people don't value him enough, like on the all time receiver list. You know, people think of him as is he a Hall of Famer or not? That dude's a slam dunk hall of Famer. He's closer to like Larry Fitzgerald to me than he is Reggie Wayne. Should he get in or not? That type of guy. I mean, he's had a remarkable career.
So we can then average sixty four point fifty for two spots for our final two spots. If we want to pay up and go get one of those other running backs, or do we want to pay for a wide receiver?
Here? There were some receiver values Smith Didjigba metcalf in that neighborhood that I liked. Is any of those that stood out to you? Or if you want to go get a if you want to go like turn. If we threw Gibbs in.
Like somebody expensive, let's see what the flex options are in that. So Gibbs is seventy five hundred, okay, I know he's That would leave us about fifty three hundred dispensed.
I was curious, like if we put him, is there some guys in that five to fifty three hundred neighborhood.
Let's put it in there that actually leaves us fifty four hundred. So if we had fifty four hundred to spend on a wide receiver, that would get us Marvin Harrison, Darnell Mooney, Deebo Samuel Amari Cooper, Romadunzier, Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, Uh, Elijah Moore.
None of those are terrible.
Where wire Brandon Cooks, Tim Patt, Tim Patrick. Tim Patrick's been on even talking about being on a heater his last He's had thirteen points last week, he had twenty two point three the week before that. He's got fifteen targets the last two games and score three touchdowns. Yeah, like everybody's focusing on everybody else in that offense and he's just like throwing the ball end.
I don't mind any of those. Was there a tight end or a defense that we could pick up an extra couple hundred bucks to go down on.
I remember we had that conversation, Uh, tight end, probably not the defense. Defense.
Yeah, we go cheap. We went.
It's thirty one hundred for the Eagles to go cheaper than.
That, we turn them into the Steelers.
Rams Colts defense against the Titans is one hundred dollars cheaper. The Dolphins against San Francisco is twenty nine hundred. Jaguars against the Raiders is twenty nine hundred. Forty nine. Ers on the other side of that Dolphins game is twenty eight hundred. Seahawks twenty eight hundred. Raiders are twenty seven hundred. Get down to the Steelers, it's twenty five hundred.
That might make our flex a little more appealing. I do like the Eagles set up, though.
That would get us six thousand on that final receiver spot. That would get us Jackson Smith and Jigba ooh, I like that. Flowers or Dwan Jennings.
Jay Sam would be my choice of those guys. I don't see Flowers blowing up in this.
I don't either, Yeah, I don't either, all right, So that gets us Smith and Jigba.
He's been on a heater.
So that gives us Aaron Rodgers at quarterback fifty six hundred, ty j Spears at forty nine hundred at running back, James Connor at seventy one hundred at the other running back spot Keenan Allen at fifty three hundred, Mike Evans at seventy six hundred, and Jackson Smith and Jig Butt six thousand. We have some old receivers and I'm good with that. Yeah, Brenton Strange at tight end at thirty five hundred, Jamiir Gibbs at seventy five hundred in the flex and the Steelers defense, I'm cool with it. Let's just take one last look at the flexer. I didn't look around at what else is there?
See at Gibbs at seventy five hundred, you have CD Lamb at seventy five hundred, A Chan at seventy four hundred, McLaurin seventy three hundred, Karen Williams at seventy two hundred, Devonte Adams at seventy one hundred.
But we could stack that.
And then where do you go with the remaining We'd have another four We could have four hundred. That wouldn't quite get us the ego. So, I know last week was convincing, but are we convinced that Adams is better than Wilson?
So over the last five games, DeVante Adams says twelve eleven and twelve targets. He has forty five point eight, twenty eight point nine, and seventeen point six points. Yes, yeah, he has four touchdowns in the last three games.
I'm cool with it. I mean, I really think Rogers has something in his mind about he's gonna make it think.
Yeah, I think he's feeling like this is this might be my last chance to play with my guy. Yeah, yea, I'm gonna make out. I want to make sure he gets people still know he's good.
Yeah, people still know I'm good. And when they both do whatever they do going forward, I'm a problem with that.
So that gives us the four hundred dollars left, so we could either pay up for one of the other spots, we could pay back up on defense.
Does that get us back to the Eagles.
That does not get us.
Back to the Eagles. That gets us right below the Eagles. We need two hundred dollars to get to the Eagles.
That give us a dollarin in.
Between Jags forty nine Ers? You want to stick with the Steelers? There chance that gets us from Connor to Gibbs. Oh, it definitely could do that. Yeah, does that on the nose?
Actually, I prefer Gibbs without seventy fi.
I like that. That fits him.
Well, Okay, so now you've got Aaron Rodgers, ty J Spears, Jamiir Gibbs, Keenan Allen, Mike Evans, Jackson Smith and Jigba Brenton Strange, DeVante Adams and the Steelers defense.
I look that better than the build. We almost locked up.
Okay, I'm gonna lock it in. There we go, bo, we are locked in again. That's a quarterback, Aaron Rodgers for the second week in a rover riding the old guys this week, Jamiir Gibbs and ty J Spears at running back. Receivers are Keenan Allen sure playing right?
Yeah?
Okay, uh, Keenan Allen, Mike Evans, Jackson Smith and Jigba Brenton Strange and DeVante Adams. Brenton Strange the tight end, Davonte Adams is the receiver, and the Steelers defense against the Ravens.
I'm cool with it.
Even if honestly, even if Pollard plays, Spears is gonna get sty cheap and he's the third down back.
Yeah, he's been catching a lot of balls. Yeah, so that's that. Yeah, I'm cool with it.
I'm going with it. Okay, we're locked in and that's should do it for the Fantasy Football Focus. We're gonna get to another break. And of course you can hear the Drive every Monday through Friday from four to six pm right here on these very airwaves. You can also download the Steelers Mobile app and get it directly on your phone, or you can watch it on YouTube or we're listed on YouTube. You can also leave his comments on there. Just a reminder, we won't have a show on Christmas Day because well the Steemes Steelers will be playing that day, but we'll have a show every other day next week.
We're coming to you on Christmas Eve, folks. Absolutely, yeah, good stuff. Yeah, let's get to a break. He's Matt Williamson. I'm Dale Lollie.
This is the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network.
He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williams on your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and Gold cast in Steelers Nation Radio.
And welcome back.
I am Dale Lolly. He is the Matt Williamson and this is the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network. And Matt, it is time to take a look at this week's game schedule, and of course everything will kick off at one o'clock Saturday. You got these nine to five Texans at the thirteen and one Chiefs. The Chiefs favored by three and a half, the over under forty one and a half. That is the lowest Chiefs line I think in long like outside of the Buffalo game.
Yeah, I think the Texans win. I mean it sounds like Mahomes is going to play at this point, but I still think their protection is going to be a major problem. I also don't trust the Texans O line against Chris Jones and company on a national stage. If the Chiefs win, do you think they start resting people?
I think anybody talked about it when the schedule came out. Yes, yeah, I think anybody who's nick I don't think if if the Chiefs win this game, I don't think Mahomes plays on Christmas stake.
My point is, do you think the Chiefs are pushing all their chips in to win this one kind of to a degree? Well, I say they of course they want to win. I mean everyone w's to win.
They'd still only be two games ahead of Buffalo.
And Buffalo is probably not going to trip up this week. Yeah, but anyway, so maybe they do play them, you know, But I went Houston in the points in this one. I think the past rush is enough. I still have faith in their offense to be not terrible.
Three and a half. It is interesting. It's a good spread. I think I like the Chiefs to win this at home. If this were in Kansas City, if this were in Houston, I would take. I would take the road team or the home team in this one. That's a tough place to play.
Oh, no doubt.
It's a young quarterback. The Chiefs defense can carry them in this one at home.
I think it's a defensive slugfest.
I think it's like twenty to seventeen, Yeah, something like that. I think Houston does cover. I think that hook on there at the end is interesting.
Yeah.
I like the three, but I'll take the Chiefs to win it.
And I'm in the same twenty one twenty seventeen sixteen. Yeah, good game. Yeah.
Moving to the Sunday games because we're gonna skip together. Saturday game, you get the two and twelve Giants at the seven and seven Falcons. Atlanta favored by nine. The over under forty two and a half. I wonder if ever in the history of the game has a quarterback making his first career start seeing his team favored by more than a touchdown, let alone nine points.
Isn't in New York too, No, it's that it's in Atlanta. I'm still laying it. I don't think you need much from him to win that game. Atlanta's defense has made some plays. I just think they're going to run the ball like crazy. I think Pennix is better than Cousins right now. I don't know. I probably shouldn't say that knows, but I mean they've enough weapons that it's a pretty favorable spot to land. No Dexter Lawrence. I think the Giants have no intentions on winning.
Yeah. I think Bejean takes that game over.
Yeah.
I like the Falcons, I do too, Yeah, big Yeah.
I just feel like those last couple of weeks, these Giants lines, they can't make him big enough.
They had like seventeen guys on the injury report yesterday.
Yeah, I mean they made golf reservations a month ago.
You got the Lions at twelve and two, are at the four and ten Bears Detroit favored by six and a half. The over under is forty seven and a half.
That's a sneaky over. That could be a back and forth.
I think that's over all day long. Yeah, I think that's a a Detroit knows now our defense, Like some of the stuff that Campbell is doing tells you he knows his defense and fourth down and some of the Yeah yeah, on side kicking early in the third or fourth quarter.
Get the thirty plus every week. Yeah, and they can. They can.
They're starting capable, and.
Without Montgomery they probably throw more to you know, Like, I think it's I'm considering starting golf over Daniels in our league.
I'm starting Caleb Williams this week over Jordan Love.
Yeah. Yeah, like, I think that's a track meet. What's the number again, forty seven and a half in the number is six and a half. That's enough for me to go with the Lions under seven. If it was seven or more, I think I'm that closer.
Again, It's it's a it's a good line.
It is.
I think I would just if I had to play that game, I would just play the over under.
I would do. I think, unless all of a sudden, you get some awful Chicago weather forecast.
Or something it's supposed to be. Okay, But yeah, the Bears are four and one at home against the spread. As a home underdog, can understand that they play better at home. They're terrible in the road. Yeah, they're awful on the road. They play much better at home. Here you got I still I have the Lions winning that game.
I don't six and a half as pretty good.
Number six and a half. I could see them. You to me a seven I think thirty four thirty or something like that. Yeah, yeah, I could see it being you know, something along those lines. Twenty eight, twenty four. Uh, you get the three and eleven Browns at the six and eight Bengals, Cincinnati favored by seven and a half, the over under forty six and a half.
I'll take the Bengals.
I'll lay the points.
Yeah.
I don't know how that gets to forty six and a half.
Though, I don't know how the Browns get to twenty even guess the terrible defense they have, no running game. I don't know how you get the ball, your playmakers. The joke who played as Tilman play? Does it matter? You know? If it's was Winston, different story. Yeah, I can't get there.
No I can't either.
Bengals still something to play for.
Yeah, I think they I think they blow them up. But I don't think the Browns get out of the teens.
No, I don't either. Thirty to thirteen, something like that, you know.
Yeah, the three and eleven Titans are at the six and eight Colts Indianapolis favored by three and a half, the over under forty two and a half. I like the Colts.
Yeah, I think I'm taking the point.
I don't love the Colts. I would, right, I wouldn't like Oh, I gotta you know.
That was under three. I would not touch it. But I think the Titans d keeps that thing close. I keep coming back to the Colts playing a backup center, right guard, right tackle. That's hard to win that way. Yeah, and your quarterback is not exactly a beacon of accuracy. I don't think there's a ton of points in that game. So I'll take the points.
You were asking earlier this week about you have a Donnie Mitchell right.
Yeah, in Dynasty League. I'm yeah struggling.
I might start him this week because of the long balls. The long balls, and I believe that what's his face? The other long ball guy Pierce. Pierce is in concussion protocol. It's interesting I could see that. I mean, that's definitely their their mode. They're gonna chuck it deep. Yeah yeah, that's a good call. I mean it's a dart throw, yeah yeah, but it could hit big. It's they're at home, I mean, no, no weather throws. The Rams at eight and six are at the Jets four and ten. Well, we just said we think this is gonna be a high scoring game. The Rams favored by three, the over under forty six and a half, So go over.
Yeah, I like the over, and I think the Rams are playing better right Yeah, I'll take them on the road. I think they have a lot more to play for at this point, I thought this would be like a four and a half game. Yeah, that seems a little loaded. I'd like to just get it. Giving the field goal. Yeah, I'll take the Rams to win, but I think they have more to play for. Their offense is pretty darn good right now. That was that was definitely played in the high twenties. I agree, I agree, maybe more.
Get the twelve and two Eagles at the nine and five Commanders Philadelphia favored by three and a half.
The over under forty five and a half. This is my guaranteed lock of the week. Take the Eagles. I think it's a blowout. Now.
The Eagles did get a little beaten up in that game against the Steelers, especially on their offensive line. Yeah, and AJ Brown was I.
Hear Dickerson is probably gonna play. But I don't think that's offishal or anything like that. That's okay, I trust our O line coach, you get it right. I don't think that Washington front is that great. Now.
The Eagles lock up the NFC Title East title with the win, so they've got a little something to play for. They also have an opportunity to get the number one overall seed. Although did you know this? If the Eagles went out and the Vikings went out, the Vikings are the number one seed in the in the NFC.
Really okay, huh? Even well, the Lions have to lose one the Lions, they play the Vikings. Oh okay, okay, I mean the Vikings. I would have beaten the Lions and Vikings had a heck of a year. Yeah, I'm sorry I used to discredit them. I think Saquon goes nuts in this one. I love I love that I like the Eagles D two.
Yeah, I don't think it's particularly close either.
No, I could see a blowout because I mean they could meet each other in the playoffs. I mean, like, I think this is a stomp down the division foe, and don't be nice about it. The Eagles playing really well? Yeah. Uh.
The Cardinals at seven and seven are at the three and eleven Panthers. Obviously, the Cardinals have a lot to play for here. They are favored by five and the over unders forty seven and a half.
I think they'll keep it within five. This could be a sneaky shootout too.
The Panthers are going to be without a Shawn Robinson, who actually leads all defensive linemen in.
Tackles this season, does he really? Yeah, he's got more than Cam.
Somebody argued with me about because they list Ashawn Robinson as a defensive end in their defense.
No, he's not, but yeah that's what they list him.
Ask in Cam Hayward just listed as a defensive tackle. So I wrote that Cam Hayward leads all defensive tackles with his tackle numbers, and SO said, a Shawn Robinson has more, And I said, but he's listed as a defense.
A defensive end, right right, I say he's not because he's bearing twenty pounds and doesn't mean his style of play. I didn't know what they listed him at. He's a player, but that's not gonna change my tune all that much.
They already ranked last, giving up one hundred and seventy three rushing yards per game.
With a Shawn Robbins Agon Robins in the middle, he'll keep it close though. Yeah, I'll take the points at home in Carolina.
Right, it's in Carolina. I'll take the I'll take the Cardinals, Okay, I think they get it to the Fride game. Yeah, the twelve and two Vikings are at the eight and six Seahawks Minnesota favored by three, the over under forty two and a half. Mm hmm, gino's playing but a hobble, Gino?
All right? If it was? How again, they get sacked a hundred times?
Yeah, against that blitz pressure that they're going to bring.
Yeah, I think that's still enough. I think that the Vikes have proven they can win tough games on the road and you can play it any way you want.
How about this, you might take the under in The Seahawks are three and five at home this year.
It's not like it used to be. Yeah, it's funny the podcast I do every day, I often say, oh, Seattle tough place to play, And there's this dude on Twitter who's one hundred percent ride right, And it's been a couple of years like that. It's not as hard as you think. Yeah. Now, I think the Vikings win that one and I'll take the points. No, no, I'll take the Vikes. I'll take the Vikes.
It's only it's only three.
Yeah, I'll take the Vikes in that one. I'm not sure who the better quarterback is.
That would be the one path that I'm still waiting for Darnold to turn into a pumpkin here and have one of those games. I leave cap a game.
Yeah, I think both those defenses are legit.
You get the three and eleven Patriots at the eleven and three Bills, Buffalo favored by fourteen, the over under forty six and a half.
Fourteen. Hmm, I think I'll still take the Bills. I wouldn't touch it. I wouldn't know.
That's a lot of points. I don't expect Josh Allen to have one of these monster games. I don't think they run them.
And I'll ask you they have to, right, And I do believe that the Patriots are going to the Patriots are going to take the air out of the ball. Oh yeah, I considered Remandre for DFS. I thought that it's kind of like this, This is a kind of a sneaky undergame. Because of that, you win twenty three twelve? Yeah, cover, But right, Trubisky's in there in the last two series. Yeah, you know, no, I could definitely.
See that here come the Patriots get a back door and you know it's.
I mean, I wouldn't touch it with my hard earned bucks, but I will not take the Patriots.
Yeah, I can't do that. I think the Bills win that one, yeah, convincingly, but I don't know if.
They can be a victory for the Patriots.
The Patriots have only been a fourteen point underdog one other time in their past thirty seasons. Wow, I bet recently in twenty twenty three against the Bills. They lost that game by six.
That doesn't change my two.
No, Yeah, you get the three and eleven Jaguars at the two and twelve or even Raiders Vegas favored by a point and a half the over under forty and a half.
I'll take points and not watch a snap of it, hopefully kind of hope not.
Yeah, I'll take the Jaguars in that one.
I just think they're home and you're giving me points. Yeah, no, Max Cross whatever.
The Raiders are at home. Oh, it's it's in Vegas. But I mean the Raiders have lost ten straight games, and.
The Raiders are one of the two teams with two losses that don't want to win. Yeah, not that the Jags are super motivated to win, but I think you don't want to get out of that top two in this year's draft. Yeah. Yeah, for a quarterback needy team.
Ugly game, ugly game, you get the six and eight.
Jags win that they may end up with like the thirteenth pick. Yeah, that's that's how bad bad three win teams are. The forty nine ers at six and eight are at the six and eight Dolphins. This is definitely an elimination game. Yeah, Miami favored by one the over under forty four and a half. You know what spread was? I menaged a couple of segments ago. I think Miami wins. Take I'll take the home Yeah, I think they win. I thought that's be higher than one.
I heard it saying earlier this week Deebo Samuel hasn't has been horendous. He hasn't had more than seventy receiving yards in a game this season.
I know something like that. He's not going to be back. Yeah. Yeah, there's a lot of bad vibes.
Yeah, all three people on ESPN here picking the forty nine.
Ers defense playing a little better, But I don't see it. I assume waddles on playing.
You got the eight and six Buccaneers at the six and eight Cowboys, Tampa Bay favored by four and a half, the over under forty eight and a half.
I like Tampa big there. I think they're playing really well.
Cowboys at home have not been good. They lose this game, it will be their seventh loss of the season. In Jerry world.
Wow, doesn't settle well with the the owner.
Now the sunlight won't be an issue. It's an eight to twenty game out there, which means it's.
What six, that's the Sunday nighter. Yeah, okay, I think the Bucks are way better.
Yeah, I think they're playing better right now. The Cowboys secondary little banged up as it has been.
All running on everybody. You know, we thought Evans is gonna have a big game. Yeah, yeah, they'll blitz rush. I mean, Lamb might do fine. But I have no problem taking the Bucks in that one. You like to you over under forty eight and a half. Bucks don't play a lot of defense, Like no, they definitely don't like to run up and down the field. I would go over. I think I would do. Yeah. Yeah, it seems a little low whether it's not a problem obviously.
The big Monday night matchup, this one can't be enough points. The five and nine Saints at the ten and four Packers. Green Bay favor by fourteen, the over fourteen. They're favored by fourteen, and the over under is forty two and a half.
Yeah, it's all you need to You just wonder how's the end of this game?
Go?
Oh my goodness, But it wouldn't shock me if like Packers have a pick six or score other than offense. Fourteen's a lot, but I'll take Green Bay the same. So it's not gonna play.
No. The Saints have been a double digit underdog at home one time in the past nineteen seasons plus minus. They were plus oh No, this is a road game.
I said, I thought it was in Green Bay.
Plus No, I'm saying, yeah, they've been a underdog, double digit underdog one time in the past nineteen seasons. I should say they were minus or plus eleven and a half at Tampa Bay in twenty twenty one. They won the game nine nothing.
Wow. But I don't think i'd touch it fourteens too much. But just because I.
Could see, I don't know how the Saints score, I know, I.
Just wonder how the ID say green Bay takes the air of this could be like thirty one to six. Yeah, I would not have love put the ball in Harm's way in any way, shape or form. I would take the Packers. I mean, we have to pick games, but I don't think i'd touch it at that number.
I think it blow them out at home.
It's gonna be cold, and they're way better. They're way better. It's just a big number.
Those those Saints players are gonna be like, can we get it on the plane at halftime and go back to New Orleans? Yeah, yeah, this is not good.
I hear you. I like the Packers. They're playing for nothing a lot, you know, they just smell the back door cover because Packers just control forty minutes a time of possession and sit on the ball and I.
Just don't I don't know how they score. I don't know how the Saints score. They have no weapons, bad quarterback like o. Line's not great, line's not great. I mean, she just sets up for if anybody scores a light touchdowns because Green Bay's defense forces a fumble or picks one off and runs it back, runs it in for a touchdown possibly. I mean, I just think that's going to be horrendous, horrendous Monday night games.
Oh, I think it's over at halftime, Like, don't even have to bother watching times. Yeah, yeah, twenty four to nothing at the half, and could yeah, could be Green Bays playing well.
Yeah, well you're playing well against garbage, just garbage.
No. I think I think they're a contender. I think Green Bays.
I think they are too.
Yeah.
There are four losses, are too twice to a Detroit, lost of the Eagles, and lost of the Vikings.
Yeah, okay, that's who you're playing the playoffs. Those are the good teams. Yeah yeah, but those are the games this week. Good one, there's some good ones, yeah, yeah, bad ones, yeah, Jags Raiders, some of the standalone games or not so great. Yeah, but tomorrow's will be good. Yeah, absolutely, tomorrows would be a good. Dame.
We're going to talk about one of those games tomorrow when we come back. He is Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly, will give you our pick on the Steelers Ravens games right after this.
He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation.
Radio and welcome back.
I am Dale LOLLI he is being Matt Williamson, and this is the drive on the Steelers Audio Network, and it is time Matt to make our pick. Steelers at Ravens. You get the Steelers at ten and four, the Ravens at nine and five, four thirty on Saturday. The Ravens favored by six and a half. The over under forty five and a half in this game. I find it interesting that the spread is that big, and it has been that big all week long.
Yeah, it hasn't changed.
Right in the series in which the games are almost always I think it's thirty one of the last thirty six have been decided by a touchdown or less and including the last nine.
Yeah, no, it's pretty crazy.
It's the longest streak by two NFL teams with the same head coaches in NFL history. Nine consecutive games decided by seven points or less.
Yeah, it's remarkable. I mean, it's not an accident. That's how these teams play, That's how they prepare for this game. I'm sure it starts in the offseason, you know what I mean, Like, this is how we're gonna have to play Ravens games. You know.
Yeah, I'm gonna leave it off. You got the honors this week. I had it last week.
Do Yeah. I think the Ravens win. I've gone back and forth on score. I don't think it's gonna be tons of points in this game. I have them winning twenty four to sixteen. At one point, my score was twenty four to twenty three. Then one point was twenty four to twenty. I don't feel good about the score, nor do I feel good about the spread. But I do think Baltimore, coming out of a buy and then a semi by, have figured some things out in terms of explosive plays allowed. I think their defense pass defense is real, and I do think that their personnel changes are for the better. They're boring, but they at least aren't gonna screw things up as much. But I see a lot of pass the victory for the Steelers, namely penalties, turnovers, special teams. Those three things are extreme in the Steelers favor, and I think they'll have to be a little thing I wrote up was, you know, just three sentences, what you think how the game's going to go if the Steelers are victorious. I think it's gonna be an a to a plus game by their defense, which I think is very possible. I mean, it's an extremely important game. I love the pride, the coaching, the leadership, Minka on Andrews, all their defensive line mismatches in the Steeler favor. The part of me thinks, too, is Lamar gonna go twelve years without carving up the Steelers once? You know, like he's so good and he's playing at such a high level. And I think both these teams are gonna play with a lot of big personnel and not feature their wide receivers. I think that favors Baltimore more than the Steelers. With Henry and Andrews and likely and go in a little flower.
I think that favors the Steelers because you want to turn this into a rock fight, Yeah, they always is. I think the Steelers are better suited to play in a rock fight.
I don't think they've as many offensive playmakers.
But I think you need fewer offensive playmakers if you're in a rock fight. Yeah, you're gonna turn this into you you want to turn this into a seventeen sixteen slugfest, have a no, I think that's going to go. Our defensive line is better than your offensive line. It is, and so I think the Ravens don't want to do that. I just don't know that they're going to be able to play it like that because of the injuries that they have a wide receiver in the series D in the Steelers defense. I've got the Ravens winning this one twenty four to twenty. I just think that I've covered way too many of these. I've covered every Steelers Ravens game since the inception. Yeah, I've been in every single one of them in the stadium. I've seen these things the way they go, and it's accident. It's not an accident in that building. I will I'll take the I'll take the Ravens in this one, just simply because for some of us the same reason you said, Lamar can't possibly be this bad this long against one of them. And I'm not even saying he plays a great game because if it's twenty four points, he didn't do.
More touchdowns and incompletions or anything crazy anything like that.
He's torn up really bad defenses.
Yes she has. I don't think we've stressed that enough this week. That his big games are against the garbage, which is.
Fine, but when he's played the better teams, the numbers have not been nearly as not just the Steeler extreme. So I think he throws a couple of touchdown passes in this one, and you know they they turn out enough to get a win against a Steelers offense right now, quite frankly, without George Pickens. That scary.
That's a big thing I keep coming back to. Yeah, I might pick Is he worth a touchdown? I don't know, But if Pickens were playing, I might take the Steelers.
Because it also changes how punters defend you everything, right, You've got to keep if Pickens is on the field, Kyle Hamilton has to stay deep over top of him exactly.
There's such a ripple effect even if he doesn't put up a big stat line. Yeah, you know it's it's the same thing Watt does on defense. And you know, all these guys just change what their surroundings, their force multipliers.
Now, you know, if the Steelers are to win this football game, an early turnover go along with it goes a long way because it gets into Lamar's head again, like he let's say he throws an interception in the first quarter, mate, first we've seen him do it on the first series.
I didn't say an early miss Tucker kick, same as a turnover like that type of thing.
Just something that that oh not again, you know, and and that could change things in favor of the series. I don't see either team blowing the other one out though it's way too many points in this in this series, it's is.
Yeah, I don't feel good about my score prediction.
If you're gonna give me almost a touchdown in this particular series, I'm gonna take it every single time. I don't care what the records of the teams are.
It's funny I said this on another podcast. We recorded it Wednesday, and I said, if you're gonna give me six and a half for either one of these teams in twenty twenty seven, twenty twenty eight, I'll take the points. Yeah, but then I picked a score that didn't translate that. I don't feel good about my score, you know.
Yeah, but I understand, yeah, you know, but I've just seen way too many of these. Again, I've seen every one of them, and they always come down to a final possession for the most part. Now, the Ravens have blown the Steelers out a couple of times. The Steelers have blown the Ravens out a couple of times. I don't see that happening.
I don't either. I think it's not the Steelers' Super Bowl, but I think they've been gearing up for this one for a real long time.
And we know the Ravens have like they're I mean they've been, they've been. Lamar's probably answered this, why do the Steelers have your number?
Question?
He's got to be real tired of it. You've got to be real tired of it.
Yeah. Yeah, But I think guys like Queen are super important, you know, Like we do this diamond in the rough with Tim Benz that's going to be queen for me. I mean, I think we've talked a lot about how these teams build for one another, not just because he's a former Raven. The middle of field speed against Lamar and Isaiah likely on crossers and you know, that type of thing I think is going to be really important. And the defense has to be an A to A plus and I think they could pull it off. And I think you need to win the turnover margins. And by that I mean.
When we talked to Missy Matthews, I mean, obviously Mike Tomlin is stressing the penalties in this game because the Ravens are highly penalized.
I can't stress that enough. I mean those three categories penalties, Ravens are worse than the league. Steelers are middle of the road. Turnovers, Steers are best in the league. Ravens are middle of the road special teams. Steelers are best in the league. Ravens or middle of the road or below.
That's going to be the interesting things.
They're all extremes.
An interesting thing about this game is if Harbaugh has an opportunity to say, to kick a to attempt a fifty three yard field goal, I bet he turns it down where to go for it? It's third, it's fourth and four. I think he goes for it.
I think he goes for it. Or if it's deeper in his Andy punts, yeah, you know whatever. I mean, Like, I think he whatever the non field goal fifty to fifty choices I think he takes in this game. It would never be the case before.
This game almost always turns into a field position battle almost.
All Tomlin, if it's fifty to fifty, if we kicked the field goal or not.
I bet he's always be like, Yes, he's gonna be aggressive with Boswell. We're gonna trust his guy. He trusts his guy more than I think Harbaugh at this point, he can't have much trust in Tucker. He can't.
Tucker, to me, is the best kicker that's ever lived. I think Boswell's having the best season any kickers ever ever. I mean, it never really is, especially when you say me about your misses. One was blocked, one was from a million, right right, and there's weather involved, yeah right, Like these are good misses. They're low percentage kicks.
So you know, here's the thing that people need to also remember. Even if the Ravens win this football game, the Steelers are still in first place. They still have the tiebreaker over the Ravens based on common opponents, and right now that common opponent well, other than the division games, the Steelers also beat the Raiders. The Ravens did not.
Imagine losing the division.
Imagine losing the division. And so if the Steelers win their final two games, they win the division regardless of what Baltimore does. If Baltimore doesn't control their own destiny at all, right, right, right.
Be lovely to lock it up in Baltimore, of course, that would be great, But you still have a pretty workable path. Yeah, you know, I don't know what version of the Bengals and Chiefs will see. Who knows.
Said to six weeks ago. I think the Steelers beat the Chiefs on Christmas Day here, short week on the road, on short week on the road on Christmas Day. That's when the Raiders got them. Last year they lost to the Raiders and go home at home. I think last year, Yeah, I just think the Steelers win that game. I think they match up well against Kansas City overall, just because of that outside pass rush against those two, against those offensive tackles.
And I've really thought since the Steelers beat the Bengals last that that was a two win win. Yeah, you know that Week eighteen probably won't matter for the Banks, and they got a lot I mean, Borrow's got a lot of.
I think they lose a Denver next week. I don't think Denver is particularly good, but the defense will cause they're.
Good enough on both sides of the ball. Yeah, the Bengals have still a.
Well, you'll have the the Broncos with basically the bye week many bye should get healthy and.
That'd be helpful. Yeah, young quarterback that might be hitting somewhere of a wall. Yeah, so we'll talk about that stuff next week.
But yeah, we'll have more with that. Well, a couple of days to digest that. Yeah, that's why twos. A couple yeah, to digest while both this victory or lost by the Steelers and the game against the Kansas City Chiefs coming up on Christmas Day. But that is going to do it for our show today and for the week.
Matt, Yeah, good stuff. I'm psyched for this game. Yeah.
It should be a great football game. Regardless of the outcome. These games are always monumental and alone game the whole world will be watching, absolutely so four thirty on Saturday. Can't wait for that one. But for my partner Matt Williamson, we also want to thank Missy Matthews for dropping by as she does every Friday, for CJ Wolfy filling in today on the Justin Miller Hotline and the soundboard, and for Tyler Viittmeyer making sure our video gets out there on YouTube. Check that out. I am Dale, Lolly. We thank you for listening to this edition of the Drive on the Steeler's Audio Network.