with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller
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Pitt hosts Notre Dame and the Steelers take on the Bengals in two big matchups on Pittsburgh's North Shore. You'll hear from the Jon Gruden and so much more!
Fair Game with Nick Farabaugh: What does Nick think about the Steelers against the Bengals?
Bryant McFadden joins the show. He and Mullsy He says he needs Pittsburgh to win and says 30-24 Steelers win and the players of the game will be TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig will be the difference makers. Luckily for him, he does not have his nipples on the line.
The Steelers play the Bengals this Sunday. Mullsy is not confident in the Steelers ability to stop Joe Flacco in the year 2025. Something he thought he would never say.
Pitt AD Allen Greene joins the show! Allen talks about the meaning of the attention this game is getting for not only Pitt but the Panther community as a whole. Mullsy gets a couple "that's a very good question"s from Allen. Where does he think the state of college athletics will be in 5 years?
The biggest game Pitt Football has had in a very long time at home is tomorrow against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Mullsy wants to know how Pitt fans are feeling. This is a massive test for a young Mason Heintschel and Pitt. Since Heintschel has taken over for Eli Holstein, they have not played a team like Notre Dame.
Another thing Jon Gruden to The Fan Morning Show today was how much he loves Will Howard. How much are you buying in? Chris thinks it is totally overboard stuff from Gruden and that we can't keep building up these expectations for a guy that barely practiced before the season. Chris went as far to say Howard won't start more than a half season worth of games as long as he's wearing black & gold. Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve was skeptical of Will Howard when he transitioned from Kansas State to Ohio State, and he mostly got proved wrong last season as Howard won the national title. Steve pointed out some issues, but why he was impressed by his work last season. Steve said a lot of people can easily knock Howard, or any OSU QB, for being surrounded by great receivers, but he showed that he can get the ball to playmakers. Steve doesn't think Aaron Rodgers has lost anything physically, but he has his games/moments where he is showing signs of his age. Steve worries about how consistent Mike Tomlin is and why the Steelers should reach their cap on the same thing every year. Donny Football Debrief – So, just how much is Will Howard paying attention to Aaron Rodgers?
Jon Gruden is coming back to town to see Pitt and Notre Dame clash on Saturday – and he thinks Pitt wins the football game. What will it take for Pitt to win this game? Mason Heintschel will need to have a big one, that's for sure. The Irish have been hot as they come into Acrisure Stadium. Heintschel's attitude and mindset is a good one to have because he seems like a pretty unflappable QB. How scary is Notre Dame, a team that has been playing for its season since suffering their second loss? The Panthers haven't lost since making the QB change, but can they keep it going against a top tier program? KDKA TV's Bob Pompeani joined the show. Pomp reacted to Paul Skenes winning the Cy Young and the big story that came from yesterday, centered around Skenes having ‘dreams' of playing for the Yankees. Bob thinks Skenes will play at least 2 more full seasons here and that the Pirates have to go out and do something with a bang. What kind of atmosphere is around this game on Saturday and how can Pitt pull off the win? Pomp said the last thing Pitt wants to do is let Notre Dame out to a hot start with a crowd that will likely have a lot of Irish fans. Pomp's crystal ball on Sunday tells him the Steelers win the game, but a close one. Chris got some thoughts from Bob ahead of the basketball Backyard Brawl tonight at 6. Power Rankings – Biggest Pitt home games since 2000.
Paul Skenes won the 2025 NL Cy Young award by a unanimous decision last night. We listened to Paul's words and read the quotes as we continued to react to the report that came out yesterday regarding his ‘dream' to play for the Yankees. How does that make us feel? Chris thinks Skenes made some odd little missteps in his words that weren't really denying the story. He jumped from the Air Force to LSU after 2 years – what is stopping him this time? Donny believes he views helping the Pirates to the playoffs as a challenge that goes beyond the individual accolades he collects. How do fans feel about the future of Paul Skenes? Pirates insider Jason Mackey from the PG joined the show. Jason thought Paul Skenes struck a lot of the right cords last night in his words to the front office as they dive into the offseason, fresh off winning his first Cy Young award. The guys discussed Skenes not completely bashing the NJ dot com story about him wanting to play for the Yankees and the diplomatic approach he took to the questions. Jason doesn't think Bob Nutting will change his approach with a threat of Skenes wanting to play elsewhere. Jason said Bob, somehow, has faith in Ben Cherington and Travis Williams as we sit in November. Jason predicts Nutting to spend, maybe, $5M more in free agency, but what would that really net them? Jason thinks Skenes will win 2 more Cy Young awards before he leaves Pittsburgh.
Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray wouldn't be surprised if Joe Flacco repeats what he did a few weeks ago against the Steelers. Ray noted that Joey Porter Jr. is the only guy that is in the same position in the secondary compared to the first matchup. Ray said the defensive backfield has to step up here. Ray isn't overly concerned about Aaron Rodgers after one stinker of a game on Sunday Night Football. Ray thinks the Steelers would be OK going with Calvin Anderson because Broderick Jones hasn't been anything special. What is the timeline for Asante Samuel? Ray wanted to temper the expectations for Will Howard, but said it's good that he will get to practice the rest of the way. What kind of diet will Jaylen Warren see on Sunday?
Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve was skeptical of Will Howard when he transitioned from Kansas State to Ohio State, and he mostly got proved wrong last season as Howard won the national title. Steve pointed out some issues, but why he was impressed by his work last season. Steve said a lot of people can easily knock Howard, or any OSU QB, for being surrounded by great receivers, but he showed that he can get the ball to playmakers. Steve doesn't think Aaron Rodgers has lost anything physically, but he has his games/moments where he is showing signs of his age. Steve worries about how consistent Mike Tomlin is and why the Steelers should reach their cap on the same thing every year.
KDKA TV's Bob Pompeani joined the show. Pomp reacted to Paul Skenes winning the Cy Young and the big story that came from yesterday, centered around Skenes having ‘dreams' of playing for the Yankees. Bob thinks Skenes will play at least 2 more full seasons here and that the Pirates have to go out and do something with a bang. What kind of atmosphere is around this game on Saturday and how can Pitt pull off the win? Pomp said the last thing Pitt wants to do is let Notre Dame out to a hot start with a crowd that will likely have a lot of Irish fans. Pomp's crystal ball on Sunday tells him the Steelers win the game, but a close one. Chris got some thoughts from Bob ahead of the basketball Backyard Brawl tonight at 6.
Jon Gruden is coming back to town to see Pitt and Notre Dame clash on Saturday – and he thinks Pitt wins the football game. What will it take for Pitt to win this game? Mason Heintschel will need to have a big one, that's for sure. The Irish have been hot as they come into Acrisure Stadium. Heintschel's attitude and mindset is a good one to have because he seems like a pretty unflappable QB. How scary is Notre Dame, a team that has been playing for its season since suffering their second loss? The Panthers haven't lost since making the QB change, but can they keep it going against a top tier program?
Pirates insider Jason Mackey from the PG joined the show. Jason thought Paul Skenes struck a lot of the right cords last night in his words to the front office as they dive into the offseason, fresh off winning his first Cy Young award. The guys discussed Skenes not completely bashing the NJ dot com story about him wanting to play for the Yankees and the diplomatic approach he took to the questions. Jason doesn't think Bob Nutting will change his approach with a threat of Skenes wanting to play elsewhere. Jason said Bob, somehow, has faith in Ben Cherington and Travis Williams as we sit in November. Jason predicts Nutting to spend, maybe, $5M more in free agency, but what would that really net them? Jason thinks Skenes will win 2 more Cy Young awards before he leaves Pittsburgh.
Paul Skenes won the 2025 NL Cy Young award by a unanimous decision last night. We listened to Paul's words and read the quotes as we continued to react to the report that came out yesterday regarding his ‘dream' to play for the Yankees. How does that make us feel? Chris thinks Skenes made some odd little missteps in his words that weren't really denying the story. He jumped from the Air Force to LSU after 2 years – what is stopping him this time? Donny believes he views helping the Pirates to the playoffs as a challenge that goes beyond the individual accolades he collects.
Paul Skenes is just a few hours away from winning his first Cy Young award. But the big story surrounding him today is from a report that he has ‘dreams' of playing for the Yankees. The story claims that a current teammate has heard Skenes talking about the dream multiple times. The guys speculated who could have leaked this. We also discovered that the man who wrote the article has local ties to Pittsburgh. 93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. With Broderick Jones popping up on the injury report, Jeff said it would be Calvin Anderson filling in on Sunday if Jones can't play. Jeff believes Isaac Seumalo will be back. Will Pat Freiermuth have another big game against the Bengals? Jeff isn't sure what will get Jonnu Smith going and where he fits in this offense right now. Jeff still doesn't understand how this defense let Joe Flacco do what he did a few weeks ago. When will we see Asante Samuel on the field? Jeff doesn't think it's a slam dunk for Marquez Valdes-Scantling to get a helmet because Scotty Miller is back at practice. Judge Donny – Who has the QB advantage on Sunday?
Rodgers Rebuttals – What did Aaron Rodgers say to the media earlier today? ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi wondered how much it will take for Asante Samuel Jr. to get back to game speed, but thinks he's a very talented player. Aditi saw the Bengals in her last 2 games and said she is struggling to remember worse defensive performances than what they are doing. She said they can't cover, they can't tackle – they really can't do anything. And Joe Flacco is doing well in the absence of Joe Burrow. She said Burrow coming back isn't what the Bengals need because they need someone who can play defense. Aditi thinks most teams in the league would be interested in Mike Tomlin being their coach, but those conversations are always non-starters. Can the Steelers offense fix itself with Aaron Rodgers? The guys asked Aditi about the trade deadline and how close they were to a WR deal. Donny Football Debrief – The newest Steeler, Asante Samuel Jr. may have an awkward first encounter with Aaron Rodgers, thanks to his dad.
It doesn't sound like Pat Narduzzi is taking this matchup against Notre Dame very seriously, saying he doesn't care if they lose the game by 100 points, as long as they win the final 2 (against Georgia Tech and Miami). Why does it feel like the fans care more than the head coach? Is Narduzzi just doing a bit here in his downplay of the Fighting Irish? The guys wondered how Pitt's season could be rattled if they do get killed by Notre Dame on Saturday. Poni is worried about Desmond Reid being held out if Pat doesn't see it as a big game. How are Pitt fans feeling going into the Notre Dame game? Is this the biggest game Pat Narduzzi has coached in Pittsburgh? Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike puts a low percentage on a Mike Tomlin trade because it would require Tomlin's want to do it, but also because the Steelers take such pride in only have 3 coaches in 50+ years. Mike said there will always be a team out there that is interested in having what the Steelers always have – being in playoff contention every year. Mike expects Tomlin to always have options, but doesn't think it would be half of the league bowing down to have his services. Are the Giants an attractive job with Jaxson Dart at QB? Mike doesn't sense any appetite in the Steelers to make a change. Jakobi Meyers is the only WR Mike heard the Steelers were in on at the deadline. Mike was confused by Tomlin saying it wasn't an ‘off night' for Aaron Rodgers, but not being concerned about his long-term performance. The guys caught Mike by surprise when they brought up the New York Post story regarding his wife and how the Steelers' wives/girlfriends have no proof of her existence. Mike said Asante Samuel Jr. was in-demand around the league and credited the Steelers for making a low-risk move.
The Steelers activated Will Howard today. Is there any shot he becomes a good QB in the NFL? Or should we just look at the draft stock and give him no chance? It's easy to point to the Steelers as the blame here more than anything, but the guys discussed what he could look like if given an opportunity, referencing his numbers and what he had to work with at Ohio State. The Fan vs The Fans. Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. TK said Erik Christensen had some of the best hands in hockey that he's ever seen – relating to the Penguins' struggles in shootouts. Tyler said the Penguins are starting to win him over, but the last 2 games have been very tough ones to lose. The guys discussed the difficulty between winning Stanley Cups back-to-back versus winning Cups a few years apart. Is Erik Karlsson a ‘born loser,' like Poni says? Would you take him over Kris Letang?
93.7 The Fan Sports Director Jeff Hathhorn joined the show. With Broderick Jones popping up on the injury report, Jeff said it would be Calvin Anderson filling in on Sunday if Jones can't play. Jeff believes Isaac Seumalo will be back. Will Pat Freiermuth have another big game against the Bengals? Jeff isn't sure what will get Jonnu Smith going and where he fits in this offense right now. Jeff still doesn't understand how this defense let Joe Flacco do what he did a few weeks ago. When will we see Asante Samuel on the field? Jeff doesn't think it's a slam dunk for Marquez Valdes-Scantling to get a helmet because Scotty Miller is back at practice.
Paul Skenes is just a few hours away from winning his first Cy Young award. But the big story surrounding him today is from a report that he has ‘dreams' of playing for the Yankees. The story claims that a current teammate has heard Skenes talking about the dream multiple times. The guys speculated who could have leaked this. We also discovered that the man who wrote the article has local ties to Pittsburgh.
ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi wondered how much it will take for Asante Samuel Jr. to get back to game speed, but thinks he's a very talented player. Aditi saw the Bengals in her last 2 games and said she is struggling to remember worse defensive performances than what they are doing. She said they can't cover, they can't tackle – they really can't do anything. And Joe Flacco is doing well in the absence of Joe Burrow. She said Burrow coming back isn't what the Bengals need because they need someone who can play defense. Aditi thinks most teams in the league would be interested in Mike Tomlin being their coach, but those conversations are always non-starters. Can the Steelers offense fix itself with Aaron Rodgers? The guys asked Aditi about the trade deadline and how close they were to a WR deal.
Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk joined the show. Mike puts a low percentage on a Mike Tomlin trade because it would require Tomlin's want to do it, but also because the Steelers take such pride in only have 3 coaches in 50+ years. Mike said there will always be a team out there that is interested in having what the Steelers always have – being in playoff contention every year. Mike expects Tomlin to always have options, but doesn't think it would be half of the league bowing down to have his services. Are the Giants an attractive job with Jaxson Dart at QB? Mike doesn't sense any appetite in the Steelers to make a change. Jakobi Meyers is the only WR Mike heard the Steelers were in on at the deadline. Mike was confused by Tomlin saying it wasn't an ‘off night' for Aaron Rodgers, but not being concerned about his long-term performance. The guys caught Mike by surprise when they brought up the New York Post story regarding his wife and how the Steelers' wives/girlfriends have no proof of her existence. Mike said Asante Samuel Jr. was in-demand around the league and credited the Steelers for making a low-risk move.
It doesn't sound like Pat Narduzzi is taking this matchup against Notre Dame very seriously, saying he doesn't care if they lose the game by 100 points, as long as they win the final 2 (against Georgia Tech and Miami). Why does it feel like the fans care more than the head coach? Is Narduzzi just doing a bit here in his downplay of the Fighting Irish? The guys wondered how Pitt's season could be rattled if they do get killed by Notre Dame on Saturday. Poni is worried about Desmond Reid being held out if Pat doesn't see it as a big game.
Former Penguin Tyler Kennedy joined the show. TK said Erik Christensen had some of the best hands in hockey that he's ever seen – relating to the Penguins' struggles in shootouts. Tyler said the Penguins are starting to win him over, but the last 2 games have been very tough ones to lose. The guys discussed the difficulty between winning Stanley Cups back-to-back versus winning Cups a few years apart. Is Erik Karlsson a ‘born loser,' like Poni says? Would you take him over Kris Letang?
The Steelers activated Will Howard today. Is there any shot he becomes a good QB in the NFL? Or should we just look at the draft stock and give him no chance? It's easy to point to the Steelers as the blame here more than anything, but the guys discussed what he could look like if given an opportunity, referencing his numbers and what he had to work with at Ohio State.
From '1st & Pod' (subscribe here): Patrick Peterson and Andrew Fillipponi talk about the disappointing day the Steelers had in Los Angeles against the Chargers. Are they losing their grip on the AFC North? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why does it feel like the Draft being in Pittsburgh will be used in any conversation about the Steelers? Some insiders are saying you can't trade Mike Tomlin because they won't want to go into the event, in Pittsburgh, with a new coach. Tomlin Takes – What else did Mike Tomlin say to the media earlier today? Name Game.
The national media is beginning to really turn the corner on Mike Tomlin. Even Rich Eisen questioned if it's time for the Steelers to part ways with the longtime coach after the season if it ends in familiar fashion. Should we feel spoiled for all of the Tomlin years? The voices that rarely come out to defend MT every season aren't doing the same thing this year. Will Art Rooney ever force Mike to make different hires? BREAKING: Asante Samuel Jr. is signing with the Steelers a day before he was supposed to visit them. What does this mean about the Steelers defensive backfield? Do you like this move? Donny Football Debrief – Travis Hunter is out for the season. Should he just focus on one side of the ball?
Mike Tomlin isn't worried about Aaron Rodgers after the other night. Poni thinks it was a bad enough game to scare him about the season's future with him at QB. At what point are we ready for Mason Rudolph? There should be bounce back games against the Bengals and Bears, given their defenses. Even if the Steelers go to Rudolph and he bails them out again, it still makes Tomlin look bad. What would the threshold have to be for you to bench Rodgers? Callers shared feeling on Aaron Rodgers after 10 weeks. Tomlin Tidbit – When will we see Marquez Valdes-Scantling?
Happy Veteran's Day to all of our vets. Another Tomlin Tuesday was highlighted by media in New York naming Mike Tomlin as a real candidate as the Giants next head coach. We have had this conversation in the past, but is there any real inkling of this? The Mara family and the Rooney family are very close, so there is at least that dot to connect. Tomlin would have a potential franchise QB waiting for him if he made that move. The guys wondered how Tomlin would acclimate to the New York media, especially if things didn't go well. If Jaxson Dart is the real deal, would that have Mike more inclined to change? There was a discussion that the Giants may have told their reporters to push this narrative a little bit. Would listeners be willing to part with Mike Tomlin if it meant big draft capital back from NYG? Tomlin-ism of the Week – Will Mike Tomlin be afraid of Joe Flacco again this Sunday?
Why does it feel like the Draft being in Pittsburgh will be used in any conversation about the Steelers? Some insiders are saying you can't trade Mike Tomlin because they won't want to go into the event, in Pittsburgh, with a new coach.
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