WEBVTT - HR 2 - Phil Bourque Talking Penguins 0:00:01.150 --> 0:00:03.640 I've given you my big-picture take on what happened Sunday 0:00:03.680 --> 0:00:07.260 at Akershire Stadium, why I'm so high on that Browns win. 0:00:07.300 --> 0:00:10.120 It wasn't just getting revenge on Cleveland for what happened 0:00:10.140 --> 0:00:13.160 in Cleveland a month earlier. It wasn't just the Jared 0:00:13.200 --> 0:00:16.930 Verst situation. It wasn't just the fact that they won 0:00:16.950 --> 0:00:19.690 27-6 and have won four in a row and managed 0:00:19.730 --> 0:00:22.770 to avoid a pitfall for an entire month, which pretty 0:00:22.810 --> 0:00:25.369 much never happened in the Mike Tomlin era. All those 0:00:25.430 --> 0:00:27.280 things were really good, and if you want to talk 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:32.080 about them, you can at 833-412-7000. 99 39 but it 0:00:32.120 --> 0:00:35.379 was also the manner in which the Steelers won they 0:00:35.400 --> 0:00:38.159 won being the kind of team that they are built 0:00:38.229 --> 0:00:41.650 to be right now and they won being the kind 0:00:41.670 --> 0:00:44.110 of team they've tried to be for so many years 0:00:44.670 --> 0:00:47.890 It's been forever since the Steelers were really about running 0:00:47.909 --> 0:00:51.070 the football, stopping the run, and getting after the quarterback. 0:00:51.510 --> 0:00:55.010 They fancied themselves as such for the past month. That's 0:00:55.030 --> 0:00:57.770 been exactly what they've been, and it's turned their season 0:00:57.810 --> 0:01:00.630 around to the point now that they're in solid playoff 0:01:00.670 --> 0:01:03.330 position and may be looking at an 11 or 12 0:01:03.330 --> 0:01:06.830 win season and a two or three seed in the AFC. 0:01:07.270 --> 0:01:09.690 I can't believe I'm saying all that out loud, but 0:01:09.709 --> 0:01:13.720 it is all possible, and it's all good. However, there 0:01:13.780 --> 0:01:16.319 were a few things from the game yesterday against the 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:19.959 Browns that did drive me a little bonkers. Yeah, some 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:22.080 of it was the officiating, and we can talk about 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:23.140 that some more if you like. 0:01:23.620 --> 0:01:24.890 But let me give you three. 0:01:24.750 --> 0:01:29.009 Things that I think need to be talked about coming 0:01:29.050 --> 0:01:32.310 out of that game against Cleveland that were areas of concern, 0:01:32.870 --> 0:01:36.699 emphasis for improvement, or just generally things that got under 0:01:36.740 --> 0:01:37.960 your skin watching the game. 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:39.140 Number one. 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:42.580 I agree with all the fans who booed the offense 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:45.280 off the field when it flubbed that goal line sequence 0:01:45.300 --> 0:01:47.910 in the second quarter. You were right to do so. 0:01:48.390 --> 0:01:50.190 If I was allowed to do it in the press box, 0:01:50.610 --> 0:01:53.690 I would have done the same thing. Rodgers threw an 0:01:53.770 --> 0:01:58.770 ill-fated fade pass to DK Metcalf for an incompletion on 0:01:58.810 --> 0:02:02.350 first down. He threw another incompletion on second down, and 0:02:02.410 --> 0:02:04.470 Jalen Warren got stuffed on third down. 0:02:04.950 --> 0:02:06.280 The Steelers had to settle for a. 0:02:06.300 --> 0:02:08.519 Field goal to make it 10-0 to end a drive 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:12.720 that consumed 86 yards over 7 minutes and 13 plays. 0:02:13.630 --> 0:02:17.709 They deserved more than that. They cut themselves off you-know-where. 0:02:18.700 --> 0:02:19.959 And they deserve more than that. 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:23.250 They did it to themselves, the offense did. And by 0:02:23.290 --> 0:02:26.929 the offense, I mean the collective offense. McCarthy, Rogers, whoever's 0:02:26.990 --> 0:02:29.330 in charge, they want to share blame. They want to 0:02:29.389 --> 0:02:30.250 share credit. 0:02:30.290 --> 0:02:30.769 Go ahead. 0:02:30.830 --> 0:02:33.820 Well, this is blame here on this one. The Steelers 0:02:33.860 --> 0:02:36.970 were running it down Cleveland's throat. No need to throw 0:02:37.030 --> 0:02:40.630 on first and second down. They did it anyway. Bad choice. 0:02:40.970 --> 0:02:44.560 I hated that sequence. Pittsburgh also stalled out in the 0:02:44.580 --> 0:02:47.380 red zone on its next possession and relied on another 0:02:47.460 --> 0:02:50.820 Boswell field goal from 37 yards. That kept the Browns 0:02:50.840 --> 0:02:53.850 to the 10 points instead of it being 17-3 with 0:02:53.889 --> 0:02:56.870 just over three minutes left in the half. Number two, 0:02:57.210 --> 0:02:59.630 I thought the defense got a little too soft too 0:02:59.710 --> 0:03:03.930 soon at one point. I hated the defensive sequence immediately 0:03:04.210 --> 0:03:07.709 after that second Boswell field goal, the one that started 0:03:07.730 --> 0:03:11.010 with 319 left in the first half. The defense had 0:03:11.060 --> 0:03:14.420 a chance to get off the field on Cleveland's 32 0:03:14.419 --> 0:03:18.200 at the two-minute warning, but Watson completed a 24-yard attempt 0:03:18.220 --> 0:03:22.210 to Casey Concepcion on a third and three. Watson moved 0:03:22.250 --> 0:03:25.030 the Browns to the Pittsburgh 32. Then he got sacked 0:03:25.090 --> 0:03:28.090 by Watt for an eight-yard loss. But the Steelers let 0:03:28.389 --> 0:03:31.149 that Harold Fannin tight end, who occasionally seems to drive 0:03:31.169 --> 0:03:33.950 them crazy, he got nine yards on the next snap, 0:03:34.500 --> 0:03:36.760 and they kicked a field goal from 49 yards out, 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:40.100 and that pulled Cleveland within 13-6. I don't have a 0:03:40.140 --> 0:03:43.000 lot of bad things to say about the defense after yesterday. 0:03:43.500 --> 0:03:46.920 That sequence made me a little bonkers. And the third 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:50.690 thing is, I talked about this with Matt Williamson. I'm 0:03:50.780 --> 0:03:52.920 sure some Steelers fans are going to disagree with this. 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:55.850 The Pat Bush touchdown worked at the end of the 0:03:55.870 --> 0:03:58.950 first half, but just because they scored doesn't make it 0:03:58.990 --> 0:04:03.630 the right move. You know, sometimes that happens. Something can 0:04:03.690 --> 0:04:05.870 work out. It doesn't mean it was smart to do. 0:04:06.470 --> 0:04:08.650 That was too heavy of a bet to make with 0:04:08.690 --> 0:04:11.230 no timeouts remaining and only five seconds of the clock. 0:04:11.630 --> 0:04:13.790 Just kick the field goal there and make it a 0:04:13.830 --> 0:04:17.730 two-score game. Not only do the Steelers gamble those three 0:04:17.850 --> 0:04:20.930 surefire points, but the Browns would have gone in the 0:04:20.970 --> 0:04:24.089 locker room with a ton of momentum, and had they 0:04:24.170 --> 0:04:27.230 stuffed that play, who knows how things go from there. 0:04:27.290 --> 0:04:30.550 The risk-reward for that decision just was not worth it. 0:04:31.070 --> 0:04:33.300 No one's talking about it because it worked out and 0:04:33.320 --> 0:04:36.920 it seems so simple, but, If you don't even walk 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:40.900 away with three there after having allowed yourself to only 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.279 settle for three the last two times in the red zone, 0:04:43.720 --> 0:04:45.880 I think we're all pulling our hair out at halftime 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:49.400 and that third quarter has a very different tone. 0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:51.159 So if you agree with. 0:04:51.100 --> 0:04:53.020 Any of those points to complain or you think that 0:04:53.080 --> 0:04:58.290 I missed some, let me hear it at 833-412-9939. There 0:04:58.310 --> 0:05:01.370 are a couple other big picture things that are talking 0:05:01.430 --> 0:05:03.590 points coming out of that game. Like, I know some 0:05:03.630 --> 0:05:06.909 people are upset about how Fannin went off. People worried 0:05:06.950 --> 0:05:09.750 about covering the tight end. I don't think it's that 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:13.140 big of a deal. You can't take away everything. They 0:05:13.180 --> 0:05:17.380 were much better against Judkins this time around. They were 0:05:17.420 --> 0:05:21.020 much better against the rookie wide receivers. They attacked the 0:05:21.060 --> 0:05:24.200 line of scrimmage and got after Watson better. The pass 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:28.229 rush was significantly better. You can't stop everything all the time. 0:05:28.670 --> 0:05:30.730 It felt to me that like at times last year, 0:05:31.760 --> 0:05:34.779 The Browns are really reliant on Fannin. He's a good 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:36.940 tight end. He's not going to make me forget about 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:40.490 Travis Kelsey. So if they've got to start with him 0:05:40.550 --> 0:05:43.529 as the best option, and he gets you for 154, 0:05:43.529 --> 0:05:44.430 you can live with that. 0:05:45.230 --> 0:05:46.109 He had a good game. 0:05:46.230 --> 0:05:48.730 I don't see it as a chronic problem that's going 0:05:48.750 --> 0:05:51.849 to kill the Steelers down the line. The other thing 0:05:51.890 --> 0:05:53.990 that was brought up, and this is a much bigger question, 0:05:54.029 --> 0:05:57.109 and this is something that does concern me, is the 0:05:57.170 --> 0:06:00.730 wide receiver stuff. The DK Metcalf dropped the bobble that 0:06:00.750 --> 0:06:01.870 turned into an interception. 0:06:02.330 --> 0:06:03.420 That was maddening. 0:06:03.880 --> 0:06:07.960 And of course, the lack of wide receiver production is 0:06:08.020 --> 0:06:11.000 something that isn't just a one-off against Cleveland. This has 0:06:11.020 --> 0:06:13.650 been a problem for a while now. The passing game 0:06:13.690 --> 0:06:17.480 doesn't look particularly dynamic. Their chunk plays seem to be 0:06:17.620 --> 0:06:20.400 all about what Jalen Warren gets or what Rico Dowdle 0:06:20.430 --> 0:06:23.890 gets or what Darnell Washington gets because people get so 0:06:23.950 --> 0:06:26.210 enamored of just looking at how big he is, they 0:06:26.230 --> 0:06:29.510 forget to actually cover him, and you get what you 0:06:29.529 --> 0:06:32.570 get yesterday. You know, Washington had a great day. Friermuth 0:06:32.589 --> 0:06:35.030 made some big plays. And, of course, the running backs 0:06:35.070 --> 0:06:37.750 were there to swing for the fences. You can't count 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:40.700 on huge chunk plays from the running backs all the 0:06:40.740 --> 0:06:42.740 time in every game. 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:43.280 It's just. 0:06:44.690 --> 0:06:46.969 Not something you can rely on, even though Warren seems 0:06:47.010 --> 0:06:50.210 to keep making it happen and good for him. Now, 0:06:50.230 --> 0:06:52.250 I asked this question online because I put out a 0:06:52.290 --> 0:06:55.210 poll earlier to start the show and we've gotten some 0:06:55.230 --> 0:06:56.950 response on it. Let me load it back up here 0:06:56.970 --> 0:06:59.330 and give you an update on where it stands. I asked, 0:06:59.390 --> 0:07:02.419 the Steelers have nine games left after their bye. How 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:05.640 many will they win? 46% of you, so almost half 0:07:05.660 --> 0:07:08.700 of you said they'll win five. 32% of you said 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:09.580 they'll win six. 0:07:10.100 --> 0:07:11.000 I think it's five. 0:07:11.320 --> 0:07:13.140 I get why some of you might say six at 0:07:13.180 --> 0:07:16.060 this point, because the back half of the schedule has 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:19.630 gotten soft. And then it's equal balance when it comes 0:07:19.670 --> 0:07:24.630 to those who are on the lunatic fringe, optimist, lunatic fringe, pessimist. 0:07:24.990 --> 0:07:26.630 Those of you saying that they're going to win at 0:07:26.710 --> 0:07:27.930 least seven games. 0:07:27.930 --> 0:07:31.730 11%, those of you saying that they're going to only 0:07:31.790 --> 0:07:34.430 win four games or fewer, 10%. 0:07:34.430 --> 0:07:37.130 It's funny how that works out, that there's just as many. 0:07:37.190 --> 0:07:39.510 There's 10% of people in each way saying it's going 0:07:39.530 --> 0:07:41.790 to be really, really bad from this point on, or 0:07:41.810 --> 0:07:44.130 it's going to be even better than what we just saw. 0:07:44.410 --> 0:07:47.230 I can't imagine it being much better than what we 0:07:47.270 --> 0:07:50.120 just saw. They needed to get to six. They got 0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:52.520 to six. I don't necessarily feel like this is a 0:07:52.560 --> 0:07:55.280 team on the ascent of I feel like this is 0:07:55.340 --> 0:07:58.260 a team where it's supposed to be. We all said 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:01.190 at the bye, they better have five or six wins. 0:08:01.550 --> 0:08:04.190 They got their six wins. They won these four games 0:08:04.210 --> 0:08:06.310 in a row that they had to win after the 0:08:06.470 --> 0:08:09.300 drop of a game in Cleveland, which has just become 0:08:09.320 --> 0:08:11.020 an annual horror show for them. 0:08:11.560 --> 0:08:14.260 So, like, I look at what they did as a 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:15.520 positive correction. 0:08:15.540 --> 0:08:17.810 I don't see it as portending like they're going to 0:08:17.850 --> 0:08:20.590 keep winning and go on a 9-10-11 game win streak 0:08:20.910 --> 0:08:22.070 going up towards Christmas. 0:08:22.590 --> 0:08:23.130 What do you think? 0:08:23.170 --> 0:08:23.410 Again, 833-412-9939. 0:08:23.410 --> 0:08:24.670 And I followed up that question by also asking. 0:08:29.430 --> 0:08:33.070 If you're somebody who thinks, if you're in that minuscule percentage, 0:08:33.490 --> 0:08:35.370 if you're someone who thinks that they're going to only 0:08:35.450 --> 0:08:37.880 win maximum four games and they're going to be a 0:08:37.890 --> 0:08:39.959 10-win team again at the end of the year, what 0:08:40.020 --> 0:08:41.440 is concerning you the most? 0:08:42.059 --> 0:08:43.599 Is it the lack of wide receivers? 0:08:44.260 --> 0:08:46.300 Do you think that the second half schedule is actually 0:08:46.380 --> 0:08:49.359 harder than it appears right now on paper? Is it 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:53.040 the past reliance in the red zone that's driving everybody crazy? 0:08:53.500 --> 0:08:55.660 Is it that this team is going to age poorly 0:08:55.820 --> 0:09:00.290 into December? Are you mad that they didn't play Renegade? Like, 0:09:01.150 --> 0:09:04.530 if you are of the mind that you want to 0:09:04.590 --> 0:09:09.200 have some unfettered, unrestricted optimism, but something's holding you back, 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:11.780 what is it? Is it something I just mentioned, or 0:09:11.940 --> 0:09:14.140 did I miss it? So I'll get to some of 0:09:14.179 --> 0:09:17.750 the responses here. This guy actually says he's glad the 0:09:17.770 --> 0:09:19.179 Steelers went for it at the end of the half. 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:22.320 Tomlin never would have gone for it. Rather see them 0:09:22.380 --> 0:09:26.160 take a risk, unlike for the last 20 years. Generally speaking, 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:28.660 I agree with that sentiment. I just felt like that 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:31.620 one was too much, given the circumstances. And the fact 0:09:31.660 --> 0:09:34.069 that the defense was playing well enough that you could 0:09:34.150 --> 0:09:36.870 trust them if you just got three, that things weren't 0:09:36.890 --> 0:09:40.270 going to go haywire. This guy, Yinzergear, says if they 0:09:40.330 --> 0:09:43.469 stop throwing exclusively and lean on the run game inside 0:09:43.510 --> 0:09:46.760 the 10, I can see it. If they keep throwing, 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:49.240 I'll take the under. Yeah, I'm not thrilled with their 0:09:49.280 --> 0:09:52.679 goal line performance either. I don't like what their approach 0:09:52.700 --> 0:09:55.470 is in the red zone. I'm counter to the notion 0:09:55.530 --> 0:09:57.890 of run, run, run all the way down the field 0:09:58.170 --> 0:10:00.100 and then let Rogers try to throw in the end 0:10:00.140 --> 0:10:04.140 zone to get his or try to force DK Metcalf 0:10:04.179 --> 0:10:06.850 into having some sort of imprint or impact on the 0:10:06.890 --> 0:10:08.850 game by way of trying to get him a six 0:10:08.870 --> 0:10:12.170 yard touchdown. Like he should be impacting the game more 0:10:12.490 --> 0:10:15.590 by catching balls 41 yards down the field. Like the 0:10:15.690 --> 0:10:19.429 one that was well-crafted for him yesterday that he dropped 0:10:19.470 --> 0:10:22.970 and bobbled into an interception. This guy, Ed, says it's 0:10:23.010 --> 0:10:28.690 the receiver's 100%. The defense went into a positive step yesterday. 0:10:28.710 --> 0:10:29.990 And I don't think it was just yesterday. 0:10:30.030 --> 0:10:35.000 I think the defense started with that game against Indy 0:10:35.620 --> 0:10:37.800 when they mimicked what they did the year before and 0:10:37.820 --> 0:10:39.960 they took one of the best running backs in the 0:10:40.020 --> 0:10:43.490 league and shut him down in Jonathan Taylor. So I 0:10:43.500 --> 0:10:46.550 think it started there, and then the pass rush came 0:10:46.610 --> 0:10:50.450 back a little bit against Tampa. It was hard to 0:10:50.610 --> 0:10:53.550 generate a pass rush while shutting down the run against 0:10:53.929 --> 0:10:56.490 New Orleans, but they did it enough to hold them 0:10:56.530 --> 0:11:00.700 to 10 points. And then yesterday, they crushed Deshaun Watson, 0:11:00.740 --> 0:11:02.420 and it looked like that game a couple years ago 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:06.170 where they had seven sacks and they could have had 17. 0:11:06.170 --> 0:11:09.020 This guy, Rich, apparently thinks that the second half of 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:10.960 the schedule is going to be more difficult than I'm 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:13.740 giving it credit for. He says there will be losses 0:11:13.780 --> 0:11:17.480 to the Bengals, Denver, Jacksonville, and at the Ravens. 0:11:18.020 --> 0:11:21.220 I could see it. Sure, they could lose all those games. 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:23.950 If there's one, though, that I swing out of that 0:11:24.620 --> 0:11:26.829 to say that they only have three losses on the 0:11:26.890 --> 0:11:30.610 back half, it's the Broncos game. I know the Broncos 0:11:30.650 --> 0:11:32.690 are winning enough as it is right now. They're leading 0:11:32.730 --> 0:11:36.970 their division. Jacksonville is playing pretty well. In the South, 0:11:36.990 --> 0:11:38.080 I think it's going to be a tough game to 0:11:38.100 --> 0:11:41.500 win on the road on Monday Night Football. Regardless of 0:11:41.540 --> 0:11:44.059 the situation, you know, they lost to DTR and the 0:11:44.100 --> 0:11:46.080 Browns for crying out loud. They could lose at the 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:49.520 Ravens just because it's Baltimore and you can still split there. 0:11:50.100 --> 0:11:52.160 And this Bengals return game is going to be tough, 0:11:52.640 --> 0:11:54.710 just like it was a tough return game for Cleveland 0:11:54.730 --> 0:11:57.630 to try to win here. The Denver game, they really 0:11:57.670 --> 0:12:00.790 should win. And I know Denver's a good team. I 0:12:00.809 --> 0:12:03.710 know you're worried about the coaching matchup with Peyton, but 0:12:03.750 --> 0:12:04.830 it's going to be a short week. 0:12:05.330 --> 0:12:08.359 A road game for the Broncos. It's Black Friday. 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:12.020 Do you really want to spend Thursday Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:14.219 and then have to play a game on Black Friday 0:12:14.380 --> 0:12:18.580 in Pittsburgh? That feels like a way to soften up 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:20.809 the Broncos. If you get that game one o'clock on 0:12:20.850 --> 0:12:24.490 a Sunday or 425 on a Sunday or a Sunday 0:12:24.530 --> 0:12:27.309 night or something like that. Yeah, I could see that 0:12:27.350 --> 0:12:28.610 being a really tricky putt. 0:12:30.110 --> 0:12:31.050 Them coming here. 0:12:31.500 --> 0:12:35.260 On a Friday after not getting to spend Thanksgiving with 0:12:35.280 --> 0:12:38.050 your family or in the cozy confines of your home, 0:12:38.809 --> 0:12:39.850 that strikes me as an. 0:12:41.630 --> 0:12:42.650 Advantage for the Steelers. 0:12:43.450 --> 0:12:45.130 So if I'm going to pick one game out of 0:12:45.170 --> 0:12:47.950 those four and say they really should win it, even 0:12:48.030 --> 0:12:51.500 though we're looking at the road Ravens game with potentially 0:12:51.580 --> 0:12:54.100 no Lamar Jackson, I'm still going to say it's that 0:12:54.140 --> 0:12:57.160 Bronco game. Again, you can call 833-412-9939 or tweet me 0:12:57.179 --> 0:13:04.160 like all of them did. At Tim Benz, PGH. Still 0:13:04.179 --> 0:13:05.760 to come here in the 4 o'clock hour, we talk 0:13:05.780 --> 0:13:08.120 Penguins hockey with Phil Bork. And before the top of 0:13:08.160 --> 0:13:13.030 the hour, you think Jaquan Brisker and Jalen Warren are 0:13:13.070 --> 0:13:14.910 giving it to Jared Verse here. You should hear what 0:13:14.929 --> 0:13:17.250 he's getting at home back in Cleveland. We'll have some 0:13:17.270 --> 0:13:18.750 of those clips for you before the top of the 0:13:18.750 --> 0:13:19.489 5 o'clock hour. 0:13:19.490 --> 0:13:22.800 105.9 The X. iHeartRadio Alter Ego 2027. 0:13:22.780 --> 0:13:25.120 Presented by Capital One. 0:13:25.179 --> 0:13:26.590 The lineup is huge. 0:13:26.929 --> 0:13:27.910 The question is. 0:13:27.910 --> 0:13:30.350 Wanna go for a ride? 0:13:30.570 --> 0:13:34.050 You can win an exclusive VIP experience for two in. 0:13:34.390 --> 0:13:35.920 Los Angeles to see. 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:36.720 The Offspring. 0:13:36.740 --> 0:13:41.219 La, la, la, la, la, la. 0:13:41.220 --> 0:13:42.020 Hey, hey, do that pretty thing. 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:42.360 Evanescence. 0:13:42.400 --> 0:13:42.960 Second Avenue. 0:13:43.059 --> 0:13:45.679 The X at 105.9. 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:52.240 4 o'clock hour, the Mark Madden Show with Phil Bork. 0:13:52.020 --> 0:13:52.870 Coming up shortly. 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:55.730 We're going to talk to Borky about Penguins hockey. Everybody 0:13:55.990 --> 0:13:58.809 is a Twitter about the Steelers situation going into the 0:13:58.870 --> 0:14:01.930 bye and we'd love to see the same level of 0:14:01.990 --> 0:14:05.630 excitement over some Penguins wins too. Hopefully they get back 0:14:05.670 --> 0:14:07.390 to that. Thought they were on the way there with 0:14:07.410 --> 0:14:10.100 that Utah game. Yeah, what a gut punch that was. 0:14:10.140 --> 0:14:13.140 We'll talk to Borky about that and the Halloween game 0:14:13.160 --> 0:14:16.959 against Montreal and much, much more surrounding. 0:14:16.640 --> 0:14:18.420 The world of hockey. My God, you see that goal 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:23.350 that McDavid scored. Oh, that was filthy. Man, that speed. 0:14:23.390 --> 0:14:25.650 It's like he skates on rails, and he's just moving 0:14:25.670 --> 0:14:29.170 at a different speed than everybody else. Jeff is calling 0:14:29.220 --> 0:14:31.700 from Virginia to talk about Stiller optimism. 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:33.500 Hi, Jeff. You're on 105.9 The X. 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:35.980 Hey, Tim. How you doing? 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:36.440 I'm good. 0:14:38.380 --> 0:14:38.840 All right. 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:40.820 Yeah, I think the big thing with the optimism of 0:14:40.860 --> 0:14:43.280 the football team, and I'll tell you what, just moving forward, 0:14:43.620 --> 0:14:44.840 when they're going to have to go to a young 0:14:44.880 --> 0:14:48.100 quarterback is the offensive line. They have really, I think 0:14:48.160 --> 0:14:50.300 from the first two weeks when they were really struggling, 0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:54.390 they have really made some tremendous strides. With that in 0:14:54.750 --> 0:14:56.530 defensive line as well, I mean, if you can run 0:14:56.550 --> 0:14:59.530 the football and stop the run like they are, you're 0:15:00.090 --> 0:15:02.250 going to keep yourself afloat. One thing I'd like to 0:15:02.270 --> 0:15:05.650 see moving forward, though, and they did this a couple 0:15:05.670 --> 0:15:07.720 of times yesterday, they need to start using play action 0:15:07.740 --> 0:15:09.640 a lot more. If you're going to be able to 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:12.020 run the football like that, you've got to really take 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:14.320 advantage with some play action shots. You hit Friar Muth 0:15:14.340 --> 0:15:16.580 a wide open down the seam. I should have had 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:19.060 a huge play with DK. That's the recipe for success. 0:15:19.160 --> 0:15:19.800 Yeah. You know what? 0:15:19.820 --> 0:15:21.180 And that's, that's a good point. 0:15:21.420 --> 0:15:25.220 That's something I talked about a lot going into the 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:29.350 saints game that the Steelers, despite the fact that their 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:34.510 run game was starting to blossom and nobody except, I 0:15:34.530 --> 0:15:37.450 think it was two teams that had play action run 0:15:37.510 --> 0:15:42.330 against them more than new Orleans. The Steelers were a 0:15:42.370 --> 0:15:45.070 team that was third from the bottom and, when it 0:15:45.110 --> 0:15:47.230 came to trying play action passes. 0:15:47.370 --> 0:15:49.590 And I don't know why that is. I don't know 0:15:49.610 --> 0:15:51.380 what the numbers have been the last two weeks. 0:15:51.580 --> 0:15:54.940 I know they tried it once or twice against the Saints, 0:15:55.540 --> 0:15:56.540 but I'm with you. 0:15:56.700 --> 0:15:58.760 That should be more of a part of their game. 0:15:59.360 --> 0:16:02.120 And if they're having trouble beating man coverage, maybe it 0:16:02.180 --> 0:16:07.180 makes people wait, think, stop for a second, and just 0:16:07.540 --> 0:16:10.230 create some confusion in the secondary game. 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:12.940 For the opposing team. I'm with you. I'd like to 0:16:12.980 --> 0:16:13.840 see more play action. 0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:16.720 I've said that for years, but I think because the 0:16:16.780 --> 0:16:18.880 run game is as effective as it is, you've got 0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:21.170 that element to it baked in, so use it. 0:16:21.180 --> 0:16:21.860 You're right on that. 0:16:23.860 --> 0:16:27.260 Yeah, I just think the– I know McCarthy has background 0:16:27.300 --> 0:16:30.320 in West Coast offense, but that is just not with 0:16:30.340 --> 0:16:33.180 the receivers that they have. I mean, DK already is 0:16:33.340 --> 0:16:36.070 a train wreck to begin with. you have got to 0:16:36.110 --> 0:16:38.550 start trying to exploit him down the field because him 0:16:38.590 --> 0:16:41.650 running slants and all this underneath stuff is just not 0:16:41.780 --> 0:16:43.560 a part of his game. I'm not even really sure 0:16:43.580 --> 0:16:44.180 what his part is. 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:46.600 Well, and the frustrating thing is, and thanks for the call, Jeff, 0:16:46.660 --> 0:16:51.440 because the frustrating thing is, for how many years do 0:16:51.460 --> 0:16:53.420 we sit around and say, oh, the Steelers can find 0:16:53.440 --> 0:16:55.640 a wide receiver anywhere. The Steelers can find a wide 0:16:55.660 --> 0:16:57.760 receiver anywhere. Look at where they got Heinz Ward. Look 0:16:57.780 --> 0:16:59.630 at where they got Antonio Brown. You know, they got 0:16:59.710 --> 0:17:01.790 Cedric Wilson off the scrap heap to help him win 0:17:01.830 --> 0:17:04.150 a Super Bowl. They got this guy from this random spot, 0:17:04.210 --> 0:17:06.469 that guy from that random spot. You know, they got 0:17:06.510 --> 0:17:09.850 Martavis in the fourth round. They got Juju whenever it was. 0:17:09.890 --> 0:17:12.190 They used the second round, but it was however many 0:17:12.230 --> 0:17:14.930 wide receivers were taken before him. And He was supposed 0:17:14.950 --> 0:17:16.450 to be their third guy, and he got elevated to 0:17:16.490 --> 0:17:18.929 their one, basically, by the end of that season. 0:17:18.950 --> 0:17:20.630 Antonio flipped out about it. 0:17:21.990 --> 0:17:24.170 Every time he turned around, there was another narrative about 0:17:24.210 --> 0:17:27.810 how the Steelers were beating the system with their wide receivers. Actually, 0:17:27.830 --> 0:17:30.970 it was right around then when they overvalued Juju and 0:17:31.010 --> 0:17:34.220 what he was capable of being. that you know it 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:37.320 felt like things started to take a turn chase claypool 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:39.340 oh they didn't have a first round and they found 0:17:39.380 --> 0:17:41.780 claypool in the second round he scored eight touchdowns in 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:43.960 the first nine weeks everybody thought they had their next 0:17:44.020 --> 0:17:47.290 great guy and he fell off a cliff so it's 0:17:47.350 --> 0:17:51.910 frustrating that you know i talked about reputation before that 0:17:52.369 --> 0:17:55.290 the reputation the steelers has always been they run the 0:17:55.330 --> 0:17:57.400 ball to stop the run they get after the quarterback 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:01.909 and a lot over these last five, six years as 0:18:01.950 --> 0:18:04.169 part of the playoff drought, the playoff wind drought that 0:18:04.190 --> 0:18:07.000 they're on right now. We keep saying that, and it 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:09.460 hasn't been as true nearly as often as we say it. 0:18:10.300 --> 0:18:12.880 And that's what makes these last four wins feel so good, 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:15.960 is that they're winning the way we remember the Steelers winning, 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:17.939 and they're winning in a manner that they have to 0:18:17.980 --> 0:18:20.940 win for the team in the way that it's assembled. Sure, 0:18:20.980 --> 0:18:23.570 like to that last guy's point, I'd love for them 0:18:23.619 --> 0:18:26.550 to be a little bit more space-age on offense. I'd 0:18:26.590 --> 0:18:28.830 love for them to be a little bit more dynamic 0:18:28.869 --> 0:18:31.330 on offense and not have to rely on Jalen Warren 0:18:32.010 --> 0:18:35.310 deking and juking and running around guys and spinning people 0:18:35.350 --> 0:18:37.290 like a top 30 yards down the field, because it's 0:18:37.330 --> 0:18:39.690 not going to happen against better teams and better defenses. 0:18:40.450 --> 0:18:46.120 You've got to find some more organic passing game designs, 0:18:46.980 --> 0:18:50.320 receivers getting open, and the quarterback finding them down the 0:18:50.380 --> 0:18:52.940 field to get your big chunk plays. It can't always 0:18:53.020 --> 0:18:57.260 be about hoping that your running back stays healthy for 0:18:57.260 --> 0:18:59.859 17 weeks and can pop off 51 yarders or 8 0:18:59.859 --> 0:19:02.100 yarders like he was doing a couple weeks ago against 0:19:02.140 --> 0:19:05.470