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Mike Tomlin reveals why he left the Steelers. Mike McCarthy speaks again. Steelers getting set for showdown in Cincy. Jason Mackey, Bob Pompeani, Steve Palazzolo & Ray Fittipaldo join the show!

It’s been a minute since a regular season Steelers-Bengals game in Cincy had this much at stake. We have to go back about a decade to find games where both teams were in the playoffs or battling for the division lead. We heard more from Mike Tomlin and why he ultimately decided to step down as Steelers head coach. The guys think Tomlin was subtly making it known that he left Mike McCarthy a good football team. Steelers reporter Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray told us why the Steelers weren’t interested in Josh Downs at the price he went for. Ray thinks the team will feel comfortable if Michael Pittman Jr. is healthy, but he questioned if Pittman has been healthy since he got to Pittsburgh. Ray doesn’t get the sense that we see Max Hurleman on Sunday night, but it’s odd that he has gotten praise from the coach and QB in back-to-back days. Ray would be surprised if they brought up anyone as they stand on their 4-game winning streak. Ray thinks the idle approach at the deadline could come back to bite them if the Steelers lose DK Metcalf or Germie Bernard at some point. How close is Pittman to coming back? Ray told us Roman Wilson will ‘probably’ play next week in Philly. Ray classified Brandon Aiyuk as a ‘low-risk move’ if the Steelers were to kick the tires on him, assuming the 49ers cut him loose. Ray reacted to some of the comments we heard from Mike Tomlin when he sat down with Cam Heyward on his podcast.

Now that Mike Tomlin has a cushy TV job, he is starting to spill the beans a little bit on his career. He was on the ‘Not Just Football’ podcast hosted by Cam Heyward this time around, where he told the story about when it finally hit him that he was done in Pittsburgh. Tomlin claimed to be self-aware enough to leave at the right time, but his actions didn’t back up his answer since he coached in Pittsburgh for nearly 2 decades – not retiring at the apex of his career like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, who he compared himself to in the answer. Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve pointed out that the Steelers are one of the few teams in football that have significantly more success in the run game versus the pass game, which is why they should have added another target at the trade deadline. He thinks Josh Downs was the ideal player that could have fit right in here. Steve is worried about the mental state of Brandon Aiyuk because he’s one of the only players ever to have a big contract dispute followed by a bigger dispute after he actually got the money. Steve explained how the Steelers can finally get DK Metcalf going a little bit after just one score in the first half of the season. Steve does not think Aaron Rodgers is playing good football, but added that Bo Nix is the worst QB leading a team in the AFC with at least 6 wins. Steve is having a hard time with the pass game, but does think the Steelers have aspects of their game that are more legit than the recent past. Steve thinks the Bengals are weak in the middle of their defense, but it’s a better unit overall. Steve sees a weakness on the left side of the Cincy offensive line, which could be a lane for the Steelers to attack Burrow on Sunday. Donny Football Debrief – ESPN has released its mid-season awards. Do any Steelers have accolades in their future?

McCarthy’s Morsels – What did Mike McCarthy say to the media today? KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Pomp had some issues getting the call through, but we got him. Why is there a ton of love for Max Hurleman all of the sudden coming from Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers? Bob doesn’t understand why Eli Heidenreich has been solely viewed as RB instead of WR, when he excelled as a receiver in college. Bob thinks we will see Roman Wilson by next Sunday, but isn’t sure about Michael Pittman Jr. Bob believes the Bengals have the advantage if this game becomes a shootout. Bob would not give Brandon Aiyuk a very serious look due to his mental & physical hurdles. Bob would have been more proactive at the trade deadline as we saw the Chiefs come away with Josh Downs. Bob remembered Dan Hicks, who passed away this week at the age of 64 – known for great national work with NBC on football, golf and the Olympics. Did Bob ever get a big national shot? Bob sees a Bengals’ victory on Sunday night, but hopes the Steelers keep it close. Power Rankings – Top 5 AFC teams.

Here we go again. The Brandon Aiyuk to the Steelers rumors are starting up again. A few insiders suggested the team should sign him to the practice squad, but what about the 53-man roster? If the Steelers are interested in the player, which other teams would be? And would the Steelers present the best situation? The guys are for it and think he could be akin to the Asante Samuel Jr. signing from last year. Donny says no thanks – citing the fact that Aiyuk has played 7 games in the last 3 years. Longtime NBC broadcaster, Dan Hicks, passed away at the age of 64. Crowley has never seen Rocky? Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason explained what happens at owners and GM meetings in baseball. Jason would be ‘stunned’ if Brandon Lowe actually accepted the Pirates qualifying offer. Jason doesn’t give the team a great chance of bringing Lowe back, but he does expect them to make a true effort for him. Jason believes pitching depth is the biggest current need with 3B being the next clear void. How much traction will there be behind a salary cap & floor? Jason feels like both sides are pretty far apart when it comes to making the CBA happen in 2027 – in fact, he doesn’t think the sides are remotely close. He thinks there are 2 routes the league can go and one of them is just blowing things up and really changing the game. Jason doesn’t expect Gregory Soto to be back and doesn’t think he’d be much of a loss. Is there a big-name player that could be on the Pirates radar? Jason thinks we still have some time before we find out about Lowe.

Steelers reporter Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray told us why the Steelers weren’t interested in Josh Downs at the price he went for. Ray thinks the team will feel comfortable if Michael Pittman Jr. is healthy, but he questioned if Pittman has been healthy since he got to Pittsburgh. Ray doesn’t get the sense that we see Max Hurleman on Sunday night, but it’s odd that he has gotten praise from the coach and QB in back-to-back days. Ray would be surprised if they brought up anyone as they stand on their 4-game winning streak. Ray thinks the idle approach at the deadline could come back to bite them if the Steelers lose DK Metcalf or Germie Bernard at some point. How close is Pittman to coming back? Ray told us Roman Wilson will ‘probably’ play next week in Philly. Ray classified Brandon Aiyuk as a ‘low-risk move’ if the Steelers were to kick the tires on him, assuming the 49ers cut him loose. Ray reacted to some of the comments we heard from Mike Tomlin when he sat down with Cam Heyward on his podcast.

Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve pointed out that the Steelers are one of the few teams in football that have significantly more success in the run game versus the pass game, which is why they should have added another target at the trade deadline. He thinks Josh Downs was the ideal player that could have fit right in here. Steve is worried about the mental state of Brandon Aiyuk because he’s one of the only players ever to have a big contract dispute followed by a bigger dispute after he actually got the money. Steve explained how the Steelers can finally get DK Metcalf going a little bit after just one score in the first half of the season. Steve does not think Aaron Rodgers is playing good football, but added that Bo Nix is the worst QB leading a team in the AFC with at least 6 wins. Steve is having a hard time with the pass game, but does think the Steelers have aspects of their game that are more legit than the recent past. Steve thinks the Bengals are weak in the middle of their defense, but it’s a better unit overall. Steve sees a weakness on the left side of the Cincy offensive line, which could be a lane for the Steelers to attack Burrow on Sunday.

Now that Mike Tomlin has a cushy TV job, he is starting to spill the beans a little bit on his career. He was on the ‘Not Just Football’ podcast hosted by Cam Heyward this time around, where he told the story about when it finally hit him that he was done in Pittsburgh. Tomlin claimed to be self-aware enough to leave at the right time, but his actions didn’t back up his answer since he coached in Pittsburgh for nearly 2 decades – not retiring at the apex of his career like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, who he compared himself to in the answer.

KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani joined the show. Pomp had some issues getting the call through, but we got him. Why is there a ton of love for Max Hurleman all of the sudden coming from Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers? Bob doesn’t understand why Eli Heidenreich has been solely viewed as RB instead of WR, when he excelled as a receiver in college. Bob thinks we will see Roman Wilson by next Sunday, but isn’t sure about Michael Pittman Jr. Bob believes the Bengals have the advantage if this game becomes a shootout. Bob would not give Brandon Aiyuk a very serious look due to his mental & physical hurdles. Bob would have been more proactive at the trade deadline as we saw the Chiefs come away with Josh Downs. Bob remembered Dan Hicks, who passed away this week at the age of 64 – known for great national work with NBC on football, golf and the Olympics. Did Bob ever get a big national shot? Bob sees a Bengals’ victory on Sunday night, but hopes the Steelers keep it close.

PM Team NFL Picks Week 10

Pirates insider Jason Mackey joined the show. Jason explained what happens at owners and GM meetings in baseball. Jason would be ‘stunned’ if Brandon Lowe actually accepted the Pirates qualifying offer. Jason doesn’t give the team a great chance of bringing Lowe back, but he does expect them to make a true effort for him. Jason believes pitching depth is the biggest current need with 3B being the next clear void. How much traction will there be behind a salary cap & floor? Jason feels like both sides are pretty far apart when it comes to making the CBA happen in 2027 – in fact, he doesn’t think the sides are remotely close. He thinks there are 2 routes the league can go and one of them is just blowing things up and really changing the game. Jason doesn’t expect Gregory Soto to be back and doesn’t think he’d be much of a loss. Is there a big-name player that could be on the Pirates radar? Jason thinks we still have some time before we find out about Lowe.

Here we go again. The Brandon Aiyuk to the Steelers rumors are starting up again. A few insiders suggested the team should sign him to the practice squad, but what about the 53-man roster? If the Steelers are interested in the player, which other teams would be? And would the Steelers present the best situation? The guys are for it and think he could be akin to the Asante Samuel Jr. signing from last year. Donny says no thanks – citing the fact that Aiyuk has played 7 games in the last 3 years.

NFL Trade Deadline fallout. Mike McCarthy speaks again ahead of matchup in Cincy. Are Steelers a 'pretender' according to CBS Sports? Tyler Kennedy, Mike Florio, Aditi Kinkhabwala & Jeff Hathhorn join the show!

Did the Steelers lose at the deadline? And who else could be out there after the fact? Apparently, the Brandon Aiyuk idea isn’t a total lost cause. How good will Josh Downs be with the Chiefs? The Hawk Report w/ Jeff Hathhorn – The Steelers need to get healthy at receiver, but doesn’t think they could be done looking around at the position. Jeff wouldn’t have been worried about a pair of Day 3 picks if it meant the Steelers could acquire Josh Downs. When will Michael Pittman Jr. be back? Jeff thinks there is potential that Pittman is back for the Black Friday game against the Broncos, but that is a total speculation. Jeff believes there is a chance we see Derrick Harmon Sunday night against the Bengals as the Steelers opened up his 21-day IR window. Jeff confirmed that there was some talk today about Mike Tomlin since the players will see him Sunday night. Judge Donny – Is a 24-team playoff good or bad for college football?

McCarthy’s Morsels – What did Mike McCarthy say to the media today? ALL ACCESS w/ Aditi – Aditi reacted to Mike McCarthy talking about the person he hired to his staff that is there to solely look into challenges. She said there are teams that have hired former officials to take that job and up to a few years ago, the Steelers did not have someone in that position. Aditi doesn’t think the price for Josh Downs was ‘astronomical’ like the Steelers claimed. Aditi told us DK Metcalf reacts better to ‘tough, hard’ coaching and likes to be challenged a little bit. Should Aaron Rodgers be giving Metcalf the business a little bit more? Aditi said we will see some teams flourish after making moves at the trade deadline, but we will see a few not change much at all. Aditi does believe there are some teams that will do right by certain players when they try to pick where their destination is in a trade, like we heard about Downs yesterday and Jakobi Meyers last year. Should the Steelers bring Brandon Aiyuk in for a workout if the 49ers let him go? Aditi was a little hesitant on giving Tyreek Hill a chance. Would David Tepper give Mike Tomlin $30M/year to coach the Panthers? Aditi pointed us in the direction of a funny Zac Taylor answer today about how the Bengals-Eagles trade fell apart. Donny Football Debrief – Legendary Steelers figure, Dick Hoak, has passed away at 86.