NFL reporter and analyst Steve Wyche joins the hosts to discuss NFL news, team dynamics, Jets' draft decision, playoff scenarios, Kyler Murray trade, and preview the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Patriots and Steelers. They also talk about passing down sports fandom and empowering girls in sports.
The Bengals have a good chance of making the playoffs due to their strong performance and favorable schedule.
The struggling Kansas City Chiefs offense is unlikely to score more than 31 points for the remainder of the season.
Kyler Murray is expected to remain the quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in 2024.
Deep dives
More likely, Bengals make the playoffs
The Bengals making the playoffs is more likely as they continue to compete and have a favorable schedule ahead.
More likely, Chiefs don't score more than 31 points
It is more likely that the struggling Kansas City Chiefs offense does not score more than 31 points for the rest of the season.
More likely, Kyler Murray is the Cardinals quarterback in 2024
It is more likely that Kyler Murray remains the quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in 2024.
More likely, Bills win AFC East
It is more likely that the Buffalo Bills win the AFC East as they are in a better position and have a stronger team overall than their division rivals.
Questioning the Performance of the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing skepticism about their performance. With a backup quarterback, Mitch Trubisky, leading the opposing team, there are doubts about whether the Steelers will play down to their opponent's level. The podcast suggests that the Steelers' defense, led by Coach Tomlin, will be aggressive and dominant, potentially resulting in multiple defensive scores. On the other hand, the Patriots' offense has struggled, with a lack of passing touchdowns and difficulty moving the ball. The overall outlook is that the Steelers are expected to win convincingly, with the prediction of a low-scoring game, Steelers 16, Patriots 11.
Challenges of the New England Patriots' Offense
The podcast highlights the offensive struggles of the New England Patriots. They have been unsuccessful in scoring touchdowns and have had multiple games with low-scoring outputs. The Patriots' inability to move the ball effectively and their high sack count contribute to their offensive woes. In comparison, the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense, specifically the pass rush led by Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt, is expected to dominate the game. The overall assessment is that the Patriots' ineptitude on offense will result in a victory for the Steelers, with the possibility of defensive scores by Pittsburgh.
In a room full of heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Marc Sessler, and Steve Wyche preview the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Steelers and Patriots. Before the preview, the heroes get you caught up on news from around the league including an injury update for Trevor Lawrence (07:05) and the starting QB situation for the Vikings (09:15) and Jets (11:53). The heroes then play a round of "What's More Likely" (18:58), preview the Thursday Night Football game (49:00), and open the ATN Mailbag (53:00).