Scoop City: Inside The NFL

Episode: Will Lamar Jackson & the Ravens end Steelers’ playoff hopes?
Date: December 4, 2025
Host(s): James Palmer (The Athletic), with guests Mike DeFebo (Steelers), Dan Weiderer (Bears), Jesse Newell (Chiefs), Jake Seeley (Fantasy)
Theme: An in-depth preview of critical Week 14 NFL matchups, with a particular focus on the Ravens-Steelers showdown and its playoff implications. The episode also explores the state of the Bears and Chiefs, plus fantasy football advice and strategic offensive insights.

Episode Overview

The Scoop City podcast's Thursday "Road Trip" episode delivers inside access and analysis on three of the week's biggest matchups:

• Ravens vs. Steelers: Will the Steelers' season be derailed by Lamar Jackson and a revived Baltimore rushing attack?
• Bears vs. Packers: Exploring how Chicago's new culture under Ben Johnson has them atop the NFC and dissecting their heavyweight clash with Green Bay.
• Chiefs vs. Texans: With Kansas City on playoff life support, can Mahomes and Andy Reid keep hope alive?

Along the way, the hosts deep-dive on coaching stability in Pittsburgh, the Bears' new winning DNA, what’s gone wrong (and right) for the Chiefs, and deliver actionable fantasy advice for a pivotal week.

Steelers vs. Ravens: Can Tomlin Survive? Will Baltimore Run Wild?

The Tomlin Tenure Pressure Cooker

• Mike Tomlin's Job Security: Despite the Steelers’ legendary stability, this year’s public “approval rating” of Tomlin is at rock bottom. Fans are restless, especially if the nine-season playoff win drought continues.
  • [04:32] Mike DeFebo:

    “They've had just three head coaches since 1969. There have been more popes over that span than Steelers head coaches...But the public sentiment has never been worse here.”

  • Ownership, historically averse to change, must balance tradition with mounting frustration.

Steelers’ Offensive Woes

• Passing Game Problems: The Steelers are 0 for their last 10 on passes over 20 yards.
  • Issues: Rodgers' deep ball is off, receivers not getting separation, offensive line inconsistency, and schematic challenges (e.g., too-high safety looks).
  • [07:06] Mike DeFebo:

    “If the Steelers aren't getting the ball out of Aaron Rodgers’ hands quickly… there’s not much going on offensively.”

• Aaron Rodgers’ Future: Once a bright spot, Rodgers has regressed—possibly due to mounting injuries and offensive stagnation. Whether he returns depends on both organizational desire and Rodgers’ own will.
  • [08:56] Mike DeFebo:

    “All it took for Aaron Rodgers to start going downhill was us having the conversation about could he come back next year...What happens at the end of the year, I think, is going to shape a lot of things on both sides, both the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers.”

Ravens’ Offensive Shift: Is Lamar Still the X-Factor?

• The Steelers, long known for containing Lamar Jackson, have been gashed by Baltimore's run game of late, especially after the arrival of Derrick Henry.
  • [11:23] Mike DeFebo:

    “The Steelers, until a couple games ago, were maybe the best team at defending Lamar Jackson...What changed things was Derrick Henry coming in.”

• Pittsburgh's run defense—already exposed by the Bills—faces a similar test against a Ravens team with evolving concepts and a less electric Lamar.
  • [11:23] Mike DeFebo:

    “So on a short week, the Steelers are going to have to turn around and be a much better product against an offense that uses similar concepts.”

Key Segment

• [03:11–14:15]: Steelers’ state of mind, Tomlin’s future, Rodgers’ status, and how they’ll approach Lamar and Derrick Henry.

Bears vs. Packers: Chicago’s Stunning 2025 Turnaround

New Culture and Resilience Under Ben Johnson

• Winning Mindset: Ben Johnson's intensity and the veteran leadership of captains Joe Tunney, Kevin Byard, and Grady Jarrett have fueled Chicago's nine wins out of their last ten games.
  • [15:08] Dan Weiderer:

    “They just find ways to find ways… Ben is at the forefront of that.”

• Offensive Line Stability: Joe Tunney’s dependability anchors a unit that's withstood injuries—Chicago leads the NFL in rushing despite a revolving door at left tackle.
  • [16:37] Dan Weiderer:

    “He has as many missed games in his career as he has Super Bowl rings… The dependability aspect of things is terrific.”

Caleb Williams—Rookie Growth & Play Calling Evolution

• Ball Security and Clutch Play: Williams is completing only 58% of passes, but rarely turns it over and excels in late-game situations.
  • [18:23] Dan Weiderer:

    “I think two of the things that Caleb has done most impressively is…protect the football...and he’s very, very good in the late stages of games.”

• Developing Pocket Poise: The staff’s focus is on marrying pocket discipline with Caleb’s playmaker instincts.
  • [20:14] Dan Weiderer:

    “One of the big jumps in Caleb's development is learning to stay inside of a noisy pocket one tick longer.”

Defensive Turnovers & The Micah Parsons Challenge

• Chicago leads the NFL in turnover differential (+17), with DB Nishan Wright breaking out and Byard still elite.
  • [22:29] Dan Weiderer:

    “They have also emphasized this from the day that they got on the practice field...it becomes a way of life.”

• Preparing for Micah Parsons: Parallels drawn to when Khalil Mack arrived in Chicago.
  • [24:29] Dan Weiderer:

    “Everything starts there...you’ve got to devote a ton of attention to Micah Parsons...but also realize, oh, Rashan Gary is across the way…”

Prediction

• [26:04] Dan Weiderer shoulders the pressure and picks the Bears to win at Lambeau, breaking his recent trend of picking against them.

Key Segment

• [15:08–26:58]: Ben Johnson’s leadership, O-line resilience, Caleb Williams’ coming-of-age, Bears’ defensive habits, and how they’ll handle Parsons in this rivalry showdown.

Chiefs vs. Texans: Must-Win for Mahomes

Kansas City's Perplexing Year

• Despite strong advanced metrics offensively (e.g., yards/drive, success rate), the Chiefs are only 6–6 and need to win out for a chance at the playoffs.
  • [27:54] Jesse Newell:

    “Statistically…this team is probably better than it was a year ago, but the results have not followed suit.”

• Andy Reid’s response has been to reinforce trust in process, not blow it up.
  • [27:54] Jesse Newell:

    “This doesn't need to be a throw out the baby with the bathwater situation. They just need to come through in those clutch moments.”

Defensive and Late-Game Execution Issues

• Defensive blitzes and timely stops aren’t happening as in past years; randomness and bad luck in close games may also be catching up.
  • [29:39] Jesse Newell:

    “The Chiefs, blitz wise, have not done what they've done in years past...You pop open the hood...but they just do need a bigger sample and they need to let this thing play out.”

Facing Houston: Scheme vs. Talent

• Offensive line is battered at the wrong time. The challenge against Will Anderson and Daniil Hunter looms, but faith remains in Andy Reid and Matt Nagy to scheme solutions.
  • [32:38] Jesse Newell:

    “If you’re looking for confidence here, I think you scheme it up.”

• Locker Room Vibe: Team chemistry is solid; external doubt is mounting, but the internal messaging is resolute.
  • [34:49] Jesse Newell:

    “The receivers all love each other ... The chemistry doesn’t really line up with the results right now.”

Key Segment

• [27:00–36:13]: Why KC still believes, their offensive and defensive woes, how they'll try to survive Houston’s pass rush, and what the locker room feels like under playoff pressure.

Fantasy Focus with Jake Seeley

Players to Target and Strategic Adjustments

• Top available WRs: Adonai Mitchell (Jets: high volume, now the top target while Wilson is out), Devon Vail (Saints: slides into No. 2 role with big play upside).
  • [43:48] Jake Seeley
• Chargers’ WR Mess: With Herbert banged up and the offense in flux, Lad McConkey is the only confident WR start.
  • [45:48] Jake Seeley:

    “It’s just Lad McConkey, and don’t worry about the rest.”

• RB/WR Injuries and Comebacks: Bucky Irving is back and a strong RB play. Chris Godwin, finally healthy, is a bankable WR2. [47:49–49:00]

"Best NFL Players to Hang With" List — For Fun

• Not ranked, but names include Cam Scadaboo, TJ Watt, George Kittle, Miles Garrett, A.J. Brown, Keenan Allen, and a pitch for Von Miller.
  • [41:30–43:01]: “When Keenan’s not at the facility, he is checked out.” — James Palmer

Strategic Football Insight: Under Center Play Action Still Works

James Palmer’s “Extra Point” Rant

• The play action pass and under-center bootleg remain two of the NFL’s most effective plays—especially with young QBs like Caleb Williams.
  • [52:43] James Palmer:

    “Play action when you’re under center…the play takes longer, you hold the defense longer. Out of shotgun, everything happens faster.”

• Cites the Bears, Rams, Lions, Patriots, Jaguars, Seahawks, and Chargers as teams leveraging under-center play to excellent results.
• Cautions that the shotgun play action (and RPO game) only works as well as the threat of the QB run—Philly’s Hurts and Baltimore’s Lamar are less effective when not running, making their offenses easier to defend.

Notable Quotes

• [04:32] Mike DeFebo:

  “There have been more popes over that span than Steelers head coaches.”

• [18:23] Dan Weiderer:

  “We’ve won nine out of ten…uneven development of the quarterback married up with the results they’ve gotten.”

• [27:54] Jesse Newell:

  “You got to do it. And at some point the Chiefs have to prove they can come through in these clutch moments.”

• [42:02] James Palmer (on JJ Watt):

  “He is a huge office fan. You could quote episodes all day with JJ…”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Steelers’ Drama & Ravens Preview: 03:11–14:15
• Bears Culture Makeover & Rivalry Breakdown: 15:08–26:58
• Chiefs Playoff Desperation & Locker Room Pulse: 27:00–36:13
• Fantasy Mailbag & “Best NFL Players to Hang With”: 39:22–47:49
• Play-Action and Offensive Philosophy Rant: 52:43–57:04

Takeaways:

• The Steelers are at a franchise crossroads, needing a playoff surge or facing major offseason questions about Rodgers and Tomlin.
• The Bears’ transformation is rooted in coaching, culture, a creative run game, and a rookie QB evolving weekly.
• The Chiefs are better than their record but running out of time—small execution gaps and a battered line could end their streak of playoff dominance.
• Under-center play action remains a cheat code for offensive success (especially with young or limited QBs).
• Fantasy management this week means focusing on opportunity (Mitchell, Vail, McConkey) and not name value alone.
• Not all locker room chemistry translates immediately into wins—but sometimes it’s what keeps hope alive in a tough season.

For passionate fans, this episode delivers both comprehensive game previews and the underappreciated locker room dynamics, along with sharp fantasy insight and a dose of football nerdery.