00:00The Battle of the Youngs tonight, Joe.
00:01You want to flip the page here?
00:02Thursday Night Football, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
00:04Flacco versus Rodgers.
00:06Line sitting at 5.5 and a total of 44.5.
00:09I want to ask you this question.
00:10The Pittsburgh team last week that we saw going up against Cleveland,
00:13they had a victory there, lower scoring game,
00:15but the field was absolutely terrible.
00:18Now we're not going to have a terrible field in Cincinnati.
00:20Does that play into your mind where maybe we get some scoring into this game?
00:24We'll start here.
00:25How do you feel about the total in this game, Joe?
00:26I need to know if Hendrickson, who last night was still questionable,
00:32is playing in this game here for Cincinnati tonight.
00:35Because I can tell you, having watched that game a week ago with Cincinnati,
00:40the minute that he went down, Donnie,
00:43everything changed for the Bengals on that defensive side of the ball.
00:48And they still, I mean, they fought.
00:50They had an opportunity still in that game there
00:53to make things really, really uncomfortable for the Packers on the road.
00:57But the minute he went down, they kind of let him off the hook.
01:01If he goes tonight, Donnie,
01:03this could very well be one of those rock fights for sure.
01:07But again, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers,
01:10the games they're supposed to win,
01:12they don't always cover, Donnie.
01:14Always.
01:15Yeah, here's the issue I'm having with this game tonight.
01:17Because, of course, we probably think Pittsburgh is the better team,
01:20better record.
01:20Cincinnati really hasn't shown up since the first two games.
01:22Joe Flacco's a quarterback.
01:24The one thing Flacco doesn't do well is move around the pocket.
01:26Pittsburgh's going to be able to get after him.
01:27There's no question about that.
01:29Not a great offensive line.
01:30That should be a big edge for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
01:32But when we flip it over to the other side,
01:34if Hendrickson is down,
01:35you should be able to move the football at ease.
01:37But again, not one player doesn't make a football team
01:39and wreck an offensive game plan if he's not out there.
01:42But I just see the Pittsburgh Steelers,
01:44like DK Metcalf is a really good wide receiver.
01:46But when I think Pittsburgh offense,
01:47I don't think explosive offense anymore.
01:49I think Aaron Rodgers moving the football down the field,
01:52short pass this year,
01:52maybe taking some shots deep to see if you can get a penalty
01:55and or a big play.
01:56So I look at that 44 and a half on a Thursday night, Joe.
01:58I'm thinking under in this game.
02:00And not because we don't have the weapons,
02:02but I just think the style of play tonight on a Thursday night
02:04isn't explosiveness.
02:06Because as I said,
02:07like Flacco doesn't move around well.
02:08They have no running game.
02:09Pittsburgh knows that.
02:10They're going to pin their ears back
02:11and come after that statue in the backfield.
02:13And Aaron Rodgers,
02:14he understands this as well.
02:15This is a football game.
02:16We're just looking to win and get out of here.
02:18We don't need style points
02:18and dropping 45 points in this game.
02:20I lean towards the under in this one.
02:22I do.
02:23The problem that I have here with this total,
02:27Donnie,
02:27is that if you look at Pittsburgh now,
02:29they're scoring mid-20s on a regular basis
02:32with Aaron Rodgers now.
02:34So you've got to ask yourself,
02:35all right,
02:35if they just maintain, right,
02:37we're going to get 24,
02:3827 points from Pittsburgh in this game.
02:41Do we believe Cincinnati can add enough
02:44to get this thing to the over?
02:46Because I believe,
02:47listen,
02:47there's no reason for us to think
02:48Pittsburgh won't get its customary 24 points here.
02:52Donnie,
02:52that's what they've been doing now
02:53consistently with Aaron Rodgers.
02:55Okay.
02:56Is Flacco going to match them?
02:59He's obviously,
03:00if we think he's going to be playing from behind,
03:02we know what the game plan is going to be.
03:03Same thing it was in Green Bay last week.
03:06Get the ball out,
03:07get it in the hands of some of the best weapons
03:09in the NFL,
03:10and let's see what happens from there.
03:12I will say this,
03:13it's the healthiest Steelers defense
03:15has been all year.
03:16All their guys,
03:17Donnie,
03:18in that back,
03:19certainly in that secondary,
03:20seem to be back for this game here tonight.
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