1 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: Hard Badge Show brought to you by d for Lumber 2 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: Dynasty partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tim Benson from Mark Today, 3 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: Mark under the Weather, hopefully back tomorrow. 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 2: I know Mark is going to London. 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: Paul will be in on Thursday before the Steelers game 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: against the Cincinnati Bengals. I'll be in on Friday wrapping 7 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: up the Bengal game. If Mark's out tomorrow, I'll try 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: to navigate things until Tommy Radio and I go on 9 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 1: the air on Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine seventy at six 10 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: o'clock for our usual show at Park's Social countdown to 11 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: kick off. But yesterday, Mike Tomlin told media members that 12 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: he was annoyed by some of our questions during his 13 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: weekly press conference. 14 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 2: And my response to that is, ah, why should this 15 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 2: week be any different? 16 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 3: Now? 17 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if any of my questions in particular 18 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: contributed to Tomlin's level of agitation. If so, certainly it 19 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: would not be the first time. Now that said, Tomlin 20 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: didn't seem to be put off when I asked him 21 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: about the state of the Steelers passing game, And like 22 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: I told you, that's what twenty fifth in the NFL 23 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: right now? And overall the offense and the running game 24 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,479 Speaker 1: are twenty ninth. But he didn't seem put off when 25 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: I asked him about the state of the passing game 26 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: and whether it's meeting his level of expectation. When the 27 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: franchise decided to sign Aaron Rodgers this summer, In fact, he. 28 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 2: Was downright philosophical about it. Take a listen. 29 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 4: I certainly had an overall vision of what it could 30 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 4: look like when it wasn't so detailed that I can 31 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 4: compare to our present state. I think sometimes when you're 32 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 4: inflexible from a planning perspective in that way, you're not 33 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 4: adaptable enough to be what you need to be. A 34 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 4: lot of ideas, certainly that we had about what it 35 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 4: would look like, have been firms, but you really don't 36 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 4: know what you got until you get it now. 37 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 2: Toma said. 38 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: Part of his analysis has been learning more about Rogers 39 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: individually and what he is going to look like throughout 40 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: the entirety of this season, being around him day. 41 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 4: To day and that component of it, his experience, what's 42 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 4: natural and fluid for him, the relationships that he's able 43 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 4: to develop with others. All of that's a component of 44 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 4: the equation that could alter the vision component, and so 45 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 4: I'm never too married to a vision. It's certainly moving 46 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 4: into general direction that I anticipated at doing, but it's 47 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 4: also reasonable to expect that to continue as we push forward. 48 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 2: Now. 49 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: When Tomlin mentioned adaptability and flexibility there, I followed up 50 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: by asking what that meant in terms of where the 51 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: ball should go. If DK Metcalf is covered and Calvin 52 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: Austin is still unavailable because of injury, Calvin does come back, 53 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: how would you like to see the ball distributed when 54 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: it's not going to DK two ovid people. Oh, okay, 55 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: maybe that was one of the questions that annoyed him then. 56 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: Not to be fair, I think a lot of us 57 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: in the Pittsburgh media are annoyed that we keep having 58 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: asked about the lack. 59 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: Of a number two wide receiver as well. I mean, like, 60 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 2: when you play sixty minutes of football against the last 61 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 2: place Cleveland Browns and wide receivers not named DK Metcalf 62 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 2: total one catch for twelve yards. 63 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: Thanks for that, Roman Wilson. It seems to be a 64 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: legitimate question, though, doesn't it. The Steelers don't seem to 65 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: think so. Tomlin, Rogers, omar Con, Arthur Smith, and pretty 66 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: much any player who has offered up a comment since 67 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: Mini Camp, they've insisted. 68 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 2: That the Steelers current wide receiver depth is just fine. 69 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: Well, maybe it is unless Metcalf gets hurt like George 70 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: Pickens did last year. Maybe it is until they start 71 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: playing tea teams that are above five hundred again, as 72 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: they will starting after Thursday's game against the Bengals, Because 73 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: if Austin isn't one hundred percent by the time the 74 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: Steelers played Green Bay, Indie and the Chargers with a 75 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: combined record of twelve four and one, by the way, 76 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: the Steelers are going to need to score a little 77 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: bit against those teams, and Metcalf can't be rogers only 78 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: receiving threat down the field outside the numbers. Now, to 79 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: the point of the original question, when the Steelers pursued 80 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: Rogers in the first place, they couldn't have possibly done 81 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: so with the intent of Rogers averaging an NFL low 82 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: five point four intended air yards five weeks of the 83 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: season per row isn't now is that because of a 84 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: lack of options when Metcalf is covered, or because the 85 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: coaches don't trust the pass protection, or because they've deployed 86 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: Darnell Washington and Spencer Anderson and Jumbo look so often. 87 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's probably all that again. 88 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:03,600 Speaker 1: Though, the conversation about bolstering receiving options isn't always reduced 89 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: to critical commentary about Austin's ability to be a true 90 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: number two or Wilson's continued ability to emerge. At what 91 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 1: are we looking at now five games into a second season. 92 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: We're still waiting for me to do much of anything 93 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: or any sort of thought about Scotty Miller or Ben's scronic? 94 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 2: Can they be anything more than good special teamers? Like, 95 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 2: we don't always have to be negative about it. 96 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: We don't always have to look at it from the 97 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: framework of Austin isn't this Roman, Wilson isn't that Scotty 98 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: Miller and ben'skronic can only be this? We don't have 99 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: to be negative about it. Have the conversation a different 100 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: way if you want, have the conversation like this, like 101 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: how much better the offense can potentially be if they 102 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 1: have a compliment to Dkay and what if they have 103 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: at least somebody to fall back on if DK has 104 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: ever heard the conversation should be more about who the 105 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: Steelers can add from the outside, now that they're four 106 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: to one and the rest of this division appears crippled. 107 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: So step, but his throat eye levels should be changing 108 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: hoarding picks in hopes of landing a quarterback in an 109 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 1: increasingly less attractive draft class, by the way, for a 110 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: franchise that now could be drafting later than expected, by 111 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: the way, that should be less of a priority. If 112 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: asking about these topics is annoying to Tomlin, well then 113 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 1: I apologize. 114 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 2: But I'd also imagine that trying. 115 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: To win by throwing the ball four point sorry five 116 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: point four yards at a time through the air, that 117 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 1: should be pretty annoying too. I'm sure it's annoying to Rogers, 118 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: even though he's not saying it out loud. I'm sure 119 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:42,239 Speaker 1: it's annoying to some of the fans from the stands 120 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 1: who are saying, boy, it's hard to keep doing things 121 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: right eleven times in a row on scoring drives, which 122 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: they didn't do in the first half against Cleveland. 123 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 2: That's why they kept stalling out. There is a need there. 124 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 2: For as much as they. 125 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: Want to deny that there is a need personnel wives 126 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: at wide receiver, and as much so they tried to 127 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: sell us that that need didn't exist, it still does exist. 128 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 1: And to tie this all together to the point that 129 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: we started out beginning the whole show about the Pro 130 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: Football Talk saying that the fifth best team in the league, well, 131 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: the fifth best team in the league should have a 132 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: second wide receiver that's better than Calvin Austin, even when 133 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: Austin is healthy, because then Austin could be a really 134 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: good third wide receiver in theory, or at the very least, 135 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: if you can't do better than Austin, find somebody who's 136 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: a better number three then, because obviously it still can't 137 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: be Roman Wilson a third of the way into his 138 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: second season eight three, three four one two ninety nine, 139 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: thirty nine. 140 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 2: Or we can just. 141 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: Talk big pictures still about where the Steelers really are. 142 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: Like my eyes popped and I said, my god, are 143 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: the Steelers really the fifth best. 144 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 2: Team in football? 145 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: When I read that Pro Football Talk story today, I said, 146 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: they're not the fifth best team in football? Until my 147 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: eyes kept going up and I said, the Colts are 148 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: the second best team in football. 149 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 2: Like, you know, I tend to. 150 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: Have a critical view of the Steelers because well that's 151 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: my job. A but B I'm constantly told all the 152 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: time by the national media that we're too hard on 153 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: the Steelers around here in Pittsburgh, that we pick on 154 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: the Steelers too much, that our expectations are too high. Well, 155 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: you're the ones that are putting them fifth in the 156 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: NFL right now, at least one national media outlet is. 157 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: And you can kind of say they're fifth based on 158 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: projections because the AFC North is so bad that it's 159 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: gonna be hard for them to lose. Okay, that'll listen to. 160 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: But I don't know, man, I get it. Therefore, and one, 161 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: I don't know if I would have moved them five 162 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 1: spots up because they lost to the brown or they 163 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: beat the Browns. 164 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 2: If you lose the Browns, where would you put them 165 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 2: twenty fifth? 166 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: I mean, you beat the Browns, you go up five 167 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: spots and like you're better than the Eagles, You're better 168 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 1: than the Bills, You're better than the Chiefs. No, you 169 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: just have a better record. It kind of goes to 170 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: the Colts thing too. Are the Colts really the second 171 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: best team in football? Or do they just have a 172 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: good record? 173 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 2: Because I think the Steelers are more in the latter 174 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 2: pool than the former pool, Like they belong with Casey 175 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 2: Philly and Buffalo, who might have warts, but obviously everybody 176 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 2: has warts. 177 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: Like maybe that's where the expectations are too high. Yeah, 178 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: Buffalo can't stop the run. We sure saw that last 179 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: night against a really good running back. Philly's offense is 180 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: really flawed. Just look at the overall stats. They're below 181 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: the Steelers in a lot of places. Put those teams 182 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:36,559 Speaker 1: in a neutral field against the Steelers who you're picking 183 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: fro case sce into that nex too, Denny Collin from 184 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: Rhde Island. 185 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 2: You're on one oh five nine the X. 186 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 3: Oh hey, Jim Wow, I can't disagree at all. In fact, 187 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 3: everything he said is true. I want to look at 188 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 3: it from a different angle, and I want to see 189 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 3: what you think. I remember back in the seventies when 190 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,560 Speaker 3: the Steelers won their first two in a row, and 191 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 3: they started that the third season after that, hoping to be. 192 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,719 Speaker 5: You know, three time champs, and they could have been, 193 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 5: but they started one and four and then they rather 194 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 5: this is when they played ten fourteen games. 195 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, you're looking at it from the other end of 196 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: the spectrum because they were one and four and then 197 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: and they had injuries and then the defense really came 198 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: together and they were, you know, the best hit defense 199 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: in the history of football for the rest of the season. 200 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 5: Right, Not only yeah, not only that. 201 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 3: I think they pitched fight shutouts. 202 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 2: Or something like that. And then Franco and Rocky got 203 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 2: hurt in the playoffs. 204 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: So, like where you're going with it, Denny, is, there's 205 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,199 Speaker 1: no way that Steelers team was as bad as it's 206 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: one and four record, to the same extent that there's 207 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: really no suggestion that the Steelers are a top five 208 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: teams just because they started four and one this year. 209 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 5: Right, absolutely, And but you know, I guess my point is. 210 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 3: That everybody's getting better. 211 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 5: It's not still there. 212 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 2: I can't can't say that, But I get your point. 213 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: Thanks to the call for eight three three four ninety 214 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 1: nine thirty nine, that was an accident, I get it. 215 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 2: But it just can't go all the air. 216 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: Uh. 217 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 2: You don't have to go back to. 218 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: Nineteen seventy six, though, you can just go back to 219 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: twenty twenty, like we had this conversation. We had this 220 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: exact conversation throughout most of twenty twenty when the Steelers 221 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: got off to that eleven and oh star and I 222 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: know it was COVID and everything was wonky that year 223 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: with the NFL. 224 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 2: But you know one thing that wasn't was we knew 225 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 2: the Chiefs. 226 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: Were really good, and we knew that Patrick Mahomes was 227 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: who Patrick Mahomes was going to be and who he 228 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: had been. 229 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 6: So like. 230 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: When we were doing that week by week analysis of 231 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: how real is this Steelers undefeated start, and we were 232 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: constantly comping to the Chiefs, so I believe we're ten 233 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: and one when they were eleven and one, all things 234 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,079 Speaker 1: being equal, we knew that they weren't. That the Chiefs 235 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: were going to be a team that if the Steelers 236 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 1: played them in the plaoffs, was probably gonna beat their 237 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 1: tails off. Well, reality sunk in and the Steelers fell 238 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: off a cliff and they kind of ended up being 239 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,079 Speaker 1: where they should have been more at that point as 240 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: a team that was vulnerable enough to lose at home 241 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: to the Cleveland Browns with the special teams coach and 242 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: the sideline running the show that day, Like that's who that. 243 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 2: Steeler team really was in the end. 244 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: Now, I'm not saying that it's gonna go that far 245 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: down like it did last year, even which is another 246 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: good example. 247 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 2: You don't even have to go back to twenty twenty. 248 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: You can go back to last year when they lost 249 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: five in a row after starting ten and three. It 250 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 1: doesn't have to be that bad. But the difference is 251 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: now with the division being as boiled as it is already, 252 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 1: that the Steelers, should they beat Cincinnati on Thursday, have 253 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: five wins, and it's tough for me to navigate through 254 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: the rest of the schedule without seeing them get. 255 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 2: At least five more. 256 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: That would put them in a position where they're probably 257 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: gonna win this It should not take eleven wins to 258 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: win the North. It just shouldn't. So then you're in 259 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: a top four spot. Then you've got a home playoff game, 260 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 1: and this time, at least there'll be human beings in 261 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: the building and it'll actually sound like a real place, 262 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: and maybe the Browns won't come in and beat your 263 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: ass and get up like twenty eight to nothing in 264 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: the first ten minutes eight three, three, four, one, two, 265 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: nine thirty nine. When we come back, I'm gonna get 266 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 1: a little bit. 267 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 2: More into this conversation. 268 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: That we were having before about James Franklin, and I'll 269 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: get back into some of the commentary because I do 270 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: think there's a parallel track to some of the Steelers 271 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 1: talk that we've had in recent years. 272 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:42,719 Speaker 2: One of five nine The X. 273 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 7: The Spirits Summer News to join us for the Xxers 274 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 7: Halloweek Cruse on Thursday, October thirtieth. The crew says, sail 275 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 7: at eight pm, which lie He's it from the Klinton. 276 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 7: It's playing all your nineties favorite ten dollars and fifty 277 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,359 Speaker 7: nine cents from every ticket sold goes to the Mariellamuth 278 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 7: Foundation or your cue for this twenty one or older 279 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 7: event and dressing your Halloween best to score prizes all night. 280 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 7: Fo Tickets are on sale now at Gateway clipper dot com. 281 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 7: The X is Halloway on the Gateway Clipper, sponsored by 282 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 7: Disaster Restoration Services. We'll see you one October thirty Hit 283 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 7: Bunny dives super genius Mark Madden. 284 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 3: He don't do nothing but win. He just goes how 285 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 3: to win prize. 286 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 7: Just horrible, fus terrible The X at one oh five nine. 287 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: Tim Benzen from Mark Mark Sick hopefully back tomorrow. If 288 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: he's not back tomorrow, then either myself or Tommy or 289 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: somebody will be here tomorrow. And I will definitely be 290 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 1: in on Friday when Mark's in England wrapping up the 291 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: Bengals game. But I've been doing this now, and a 292 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: lot of it in concert with Mark, our same place 293 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: with Mark, various stations at various times in our careers. 294 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: But we've all overlapped most of my time here, which 295 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: now goes back twenty four years, all right, And my 296 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 1: first year here in. 297 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 2: Pittsburgh was two thousand and one. 298 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: I got here right before Penn State went on its 299 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: run to the Sweet sixteen, So you know, it was 300 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: a couple months after Mario came back. It was before 301 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: the stadium's opened. The Penguins were about to go on 302 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: the run to the Eastern Conference Finals. There's all sorts 303 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: of controversy about like what was gonna happen with Cordell 304 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: and what the Steelers are going to do. 305 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 2: So things are off to a pretty good start. 306 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: I was doing the show after Mark on twelve to 307 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 1: fifty back in the day, and you know, I was like, 308 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: all right, well, now Penn State's making this run in 309 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: March madness, that that should get some people talking. 310 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 2: Those are gonna be some pretty good shows. 311 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: And I just remember going on in like crickets, I 312 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: couldn't get anybody to talk about it, and I'm like, 313 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: I have no affiliation to Penn State whatsoever, none, but 314 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: I was pumped up about it, you know, the year 315 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: the Crispin's gone to the Sweet sixteen. And I also remember, like, 316 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: for instance, when they got the Orange Bowl that one year. 317 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: Is that with Michael Robinson maybe and nothing like, you know, 318 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: just it's a weird fan base in the talk radio 319 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: columnist circuit in this part of the state to get 320 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: much of a reaction out of the only times that 321 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: I really remember getting tons of Penn State feedback as 322 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: to what was going on with any part of the 323 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:39,359 Speaker 1: athletic department was of course the Sandusky Paterno stuff. And ironically, 324 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: anytime you talk Penn State Pitt, that's when Penn State 325 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: fans will call the show to tell you how little 326 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: they care about Pitt, which is of course revealing how 327 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: much they actually do care about Pitt, whether or not 328 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 1: they want to admit it or not, whether or not 329 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: it bothers them or not somewhere deep in their souls, 330 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: especially in this part of the state, if you're a 331 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: Penn State fan, Pit bothers you to some degree or another, 332 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: even if you think they're just an annoyance. 333 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 2: It bothers you. 334 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 1: You don't call or send an email or send a 335 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:08,679 Speaker 1: tweet to somebody in the sports media like me to 336 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 1: tell me how. 337 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 2: Little you care, unless you care a little bit. 338 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: But anyway, this Franklin thing has moved the needle like 339 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: pretty much nothing I've seen since the Sandusky stuff. And 340 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: for at least now it's football reasons, and there still 341 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: might be some fallout from what happened way back then 342 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:30,719 Speaker 1: to this. 343 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 2: You know just how burned the whole fan base was, and. 344 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: To get it all the way back to at least 345 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: being on the cusp of winning a championship and then 346 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: just having that coach gets you so close but always 347 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 1: feeling so far because he was never going to win 348 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: the big one. And that's why so many people are 349 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: board with the firing, because, like I said before, if 350 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: you never ever win the games that you're fifty to 351 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 1: fifty to win, you can never allow yourself to lose 352 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 1: the game that you should win one hundred percent of 353 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 1: the time. And they did it two weeks in a row. 354 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: It was untenable. They couldn't keep them. I stand by that, 355 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 1: and I'm reading a lot of national outlets and even 356 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: some blogs that have some Penn State ties. And I 357 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 1: can't tell if some of these blogs are, you know, 358 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: from State College, or if they're from Philadelphia, if they're 359 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 1: from the Pittsburgh region or what. But I've heard some 360 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: people saying in the Penn States and I'll turn this 361 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:24,439 Speaker 1: over to Penn State fans eight three three four one 362 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 1: two ninety nine thirty nine, if you feel like there's 363 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: a disconnect between how the national media is interpreting the 364 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: Franklin decision and how you the Penn State fan base 365 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,919 Speaker 1: feels about it, because there is a sense that I 366 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: get that it is similar to how a lot of 367 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: people in Pittsburgh interpret national media reaction to how we 368 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 1: talk about Tomlin with the Steelers. I think that's apparent 369 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: to you eight three three four one two ninety nine 370 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: thirty nine, because I'm constantly told that those of us 371 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh are too hard on Tomlin that were spoiled, 372 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: that we should have more appreciation for what he's done. 373 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: And I've heard some Penn State fans complain that they're 374 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,879 Speaker 1: getting some of that from the national medium and national 375 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 1: media outlets and people on social media that is that 376 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 1: knows no borders that you know you Penn State fans 377 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,360 Speaker 1: should understand that you have it better, and why you're 378 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:21,479 Speaker 1: reacting this way to a coach that just had your 379 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 1: team at number two in the country, and like just 380 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: the lack of understanding the disconnect that exists between how 381 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: a team is covered nationally and how a team is 382 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: covered and perceived within its own fan base. I think 383 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: it's really a kin Now, maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm 384 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: misinterpreting this, but that's the sense that I've gotten, and 385 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:46,400 Speaker 1: I actually side with the Penn State fans that are 386 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: on board with the move to fire Franklin. I understand 387 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 1: where you're coming from, Like there's a point that it 388 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 1: gets to where that point never changes, and there was 389 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 1: a sense out there that was really tangible from Penn 390 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 1: State fans that this was just never gonna change and 391 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: we're stuck. 392 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,440 Speaker 2: Not that we're stuck, but now we're regressing. 393 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: And if you're gonna lose recruits based on recruits seeing 394 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 1: what's happening and saying it's stuck, the emergency break is 395 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: on the program it's not gonna move forward, then I'd 396 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: rather have the uncertainty of a coaching vacancy and then 397 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,120 Speaker 1: maybe you hire a coach that I like, and I'll 398 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,679 Speaker 1: stay and I'll come and play anyway because I like 399 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,719 Speaker 1: the campus, I like the program and all that other stuff. 400 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: But if this is as good as gonna get and 401 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 1: now it's gonna go backwards, then I don't want to 402 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:38,159 Speaker 1: be a part of it. 403 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,880 Speaker 2: Again. Eight three three, four thirty nine. 404 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 1: But I've gotten that sense that the mood and the 405 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: tone is very similar between how Penn State fans perceive 406 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: their program is viewed outside of the fan base itself 407 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: to how they view it within the walls of their 408 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: own community. And I think there's some merit to those 409 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: people who believe that they're being misinterpreted outside of their region, 410 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: because I think it's it's very similar to why people 411 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh push back where they're told that they're spoiled 412 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: and they should understand better where the rest of the 413 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: world is coming from when we talk about Tomlin, because 414 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: Tomlin's kind of been in the same way, never had 415 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: a losing season, just hasn't won the playoffs in eight years. 416 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 1: And we'll take calls on you can tweet me as well. 417 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 1: At Tim Ben's PGH. We do have Mike de Fabel 418 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:34,959 Speaker 1: coming up next on The Athletic. We'll talk to him 419 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: when we come back. One O five to nine The X. 420 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 7: It's the Footy Show weekday mornings at six. 421 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:42,119 Speaker 8: Listen to the AX at home, at work, anytime on 422 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 8: the iHeartRadio app one oh five nine The X. 423 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 2: If you can't get enough, if you're Pittsburgh's over. 424 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 7: By hitting Dusted Road, Domican Dream, so be it baby 425 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 7: The X at one O five nine. 426 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:55,879 Speaker 2: Just tuning in. 427 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: Talking a lot about the Steelers and the Penn State 428 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,120 Speaker 1: situation will give you the odds on who's going to 429 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: take over for James Franklin in Happy Valley and where 430 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:05,640 Speaker 1: he might wind up. In just a little bit, we'll 431 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: get back into our Franklin conversation, but now let's return 432 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:11,160 Speaker 1: to Steelers conversation with Mike de Fabo covers the Steelers 433 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: for The Athletic. Mike the Coordinator spoke today. Did anybody 434 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: ask Arthur Smith about his impending departure to go take 435 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: over to become the head coach of the Tennessee Titans. 436 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 6: No one asked him that last year. Last asked him 437 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 6: about UNC though, and it was interesting his comments at 438 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 6: those times. I remember him saying there was a time 439 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 6: in his life where he would walk to North Carolina 440 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,360 Speaker 6: just to take that head coaching job. So while college 441 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 6: wasn't the right move for him, I think very much 442 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:41,399 Speaker 6: he does desire at some point in his life to 443 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 6: return to being a head coach, and so whether that's 444 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 6: in Tennessee or somewhere else, I think that he would 445 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:50,959 Speaker 6: jump at an opportunity. And so if he's a candidate 446 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 6: there in Tennessee Titans decides that he's their guy, it 447 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 6: would not surprise me if he decided to move on. 448 00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 2: Oh, I think he'd love that job. 449 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: I think he'd go in a hard You've got a 450 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: number one quarterback there. I don't know why Tennessee would 451 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:08,959 Speaker 1: entrust him with some of the passing game lines on 452 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,680 Speaker 1: his resume over the years exactly, but if it were 453 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 1: to come to pass, I think he'd leave in a heartbeat. 454 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 1: I think it might be regardless of which head coaching 455 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:18,640 Speaker 1: job opens up. But it is interesting to me, Mike 456 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:22,440 Speaker 1: that he does keep getting looks or at least talked about, 457 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,959 Speaker 1: in head coaching circles after going seven to ten all 458 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 1: three years with the Falcons, and he got two interviews 459 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: this offseason, it didn't seem to curtail him from getting 460 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: the Steelers job as an offensive coordinator. 461 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 2: Either he's his. 462 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: Own best agent or he's got a real good one 463 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,360 Speaker 1: to get people continuing to talk about him despite not 464 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: having a ton of really good offensive results. 465 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 6: Yeah, I agree with you that his style of offense 466 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 6: wouldn't fit everywhere. But you know, to Arthur Smith's credit, 467 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:52,640 Speaker 6: I think the best thing you can say about him 468 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 6: is he's worked with three very different quarterbacks. I mean, 469 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 6: Russell Wilson was moonball or nothing, and then he gets 470 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 6: you know, justin fields who I mean, his athleticism is 471 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 6: so elite and that's his best quality. And versus Russ 472 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:11,160 Speaker 6: where he was like, you know, a statue back there 473 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:13,159 Speaker 6: and could barely move at this stage of his career. 474 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 6: And now this year with Aaron Rodgers, he's finding ways 475 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 6: to work around Rogers' limitation. And so he went from 476 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 6: this offense that was all relying on the big play, 477 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 6: the moon ball, now it's the complete opposite, the short 478 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:29,479 Speaker 6: foot passing. So as much as I think everyone kind 479 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 6: of gives Arthur Smith a hard time, I'll stick up 480 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:35,439 Speaker 6: up for him just for a second and acknowledge the 481 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 6: fact that he's taken three dramatically different quarterbacks and all 482 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 6: three of them have had success, and I think played 483 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 6: up to or higher than expectations, especially given what we've 484 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,680 Speaker 6: seen from Russ and Denver and now in New York, 485 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 6: or what we saw from Aaron Rodgers in New York, 486 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 6: or what we're now seeing from Justin Fields with the Jets. 487 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 1: To that point, do you think maybe they try to 488 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: take a few more deep shots now that they saw 489 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: the offensive line hold up against the Browns and Aaron 490 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 1: Rodgers not getting squashed, do you think that gives them 491 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 1: the confidence to do so. 492 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 3: Yeah. 493 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,399 Speaker 6: I looked at the last game as a really a 494 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 6: big step forward because we've seen here in Pittsburgh what 495 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,479 Speaker 6: a short, quick passing game when you only have that, 496 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 6: what it means later in the year. And obviously I'm 497 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 6: alluding to the eleven zho start with Ben Roethlisberger, and 498 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 6: then once teams realized that was the only trick that 499 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 6: aging Ben Roethlisberger had, then they started shutting it down 500 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 6: and then the whole thing fell apart. So you know, 501 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 6: Rogers has throughout the season his excuse or his explanation 502 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 6: for why they haven't thrown the ball deep is because 503 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 6: he said they've been seeing a lot of too high 504 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 6: fafeties and this was the game against the Browns proved 505 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 6: that that was the case. They were a heavy single 506 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 6: high team and Aaron Rodgers did prove it. He was 507 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 6: able to air the ball out take his yeap shots 508 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:02,639 Speaker 6: to DK Metcalf and it was kind of funny. I 509 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 6: asked him. I'm like, okay, so what do you do 510 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:06,239 Speaker 6: when you see single high to try it and take 511 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 6: advantage of it? And he said, throw the ball at 512 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 6: DK and when you've got a guy did It's that 513 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 6: kind of a physical specimen that can win in such 514 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 6: a variety of ways, including downfield. You know, it really 515 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:20,919 Speaker 6: opens things up for the offense. And so like to me, 516 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 6: what the what the offense was able to do against 517 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 6: a very good Browns defense. I think that really caught 518 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 6: my attention and I gave me a little bit of 519 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 6: optimism that maybe this could be the year the Steelers 520 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 6: make a little bit of noise. In December and January. 521 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 1: Mike de Fable brought to us by Armstrong the Internet. 522 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 1: You can count on people trust Armstrong one wire dot 523 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 1: com to that point than Mike uh pro Football Talk 524 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: had the Steelers rated in their you know, most recent 525 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:54,439 Speaker 1: power rankings or whatever they call them, number five in 526 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: the NFL. That still seems high to me, how about you? 527 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 6: Yeah, I think it's a little bit high. But the 528 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 6: one thing that's I guess making it hard for me 529 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,400 Speaker 6: to figure out where the Steelers stand is no one 530 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:09,919 Speaker 6: really looks great within the AFC. 531 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 1: No one looks good in the NFL. So I mean, 532 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: like from that standpoint, I get it. I think when 533 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 1: you do stuff like this, and I drew the analogy 534 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: to it's kind of like college basketball polls at Thanksgiving 535 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: or it's college football poles on Labor Day, it's perspective 536 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:29,359 Speaker 1: based on early results week one, week two kind of 537 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:33,159 Speaker 1: results and where teams have shown their most wards. And 538 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:34,919 Speaker 1: that's hurt the rest of the league more than it 539 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 1: has the Steelers. But like, I don't know, I don't 540 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: know how to see the Steelers as number five. 541 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:40,120 Speaker 2: In the NFL. 542 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:41,400 Speaker 1: Then again, I don't know how to see. 543 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 2: The Colts is number two. 544 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: Like the Colts really can't be the second best team 545 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: in football, can they? 546 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 5: Yeah? 547 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 2: I don't know. 548 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,120 Speaker 6: I mean I believe in Shane Steichen. I've seen him 549 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,679 Speaker 6: out scheme out smart Trol Austin and Mike Tomlin numerous times, 550 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 6: including with Joe Clackett last year, and so I always 551 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:01,679 Speaker 6: had faith in him, and he's really proving that it 552 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 6: was the quarterback that was holding him back. With a 553 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,920 Speaker 6: guy like Daniel Jones that I think it's kind of mad, 554 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 6: kind of average. But when you have an elite play 555 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 6: caller like that and Shane Stike and he's able to 556 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:15,560 Speaker 6: work around it, I guess to your point, Tim, I 557 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 6: think you could look at the Steelers in two dramatically 558 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 6: different ways. You could say their wins have come. You 559 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 6: could be the pessimists the ins there and say, well, 560 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 6: you know, they beat the winless Jets, and what are 561 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:30,880 Speaker 6: the Jets right now? Then the Patriots gave the game 562 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 6: away with five turnovers. Then they beat Carson Wentz and 563 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 6: the Carson Wentz led Vikings with a backup quarterback and 564 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 6: a quarterback who's going to throw the ball to you 565 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 6: all the time and get sacked and try to extend 566 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 6: to play, and then they beat the brown who is 567 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 6: the Browns. Or you could look at it on the 568 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 6: flip side and be an optimist and say Week one, 569 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,719 Speaker 6: crazy things happened and Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes 570 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 6: and they beat the Jets. Then this defense took the 571 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 6: ball away five times from a team that's now a 572 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 6: top its division and the Patriots and beat back and 573 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 6: beat that team on the road. Then you could say 574 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 6: they played against the Vikings and Brian Flores and one 575 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 6: of the best defensive minds in the game, and Artur 576 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 6: Smith basically outstemed him with some of the extra linement 577 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 6: stuff that he did to put the Steelers in good position, 578 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 6: and then they beat one of the NFL's top defenses 579 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 6: in the offenseive's best game. So it's just a matter 580 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 6: of perspective and how you want to see things. The 581 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 6: truth probably lies right there in the middle. With this team, 582 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:28,840 Speaker 6: I think that there's still a playoff team, just as 583 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 6: I thought they were to start the season, and you know, 584 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 6: given what's going on around them, I think they have 585 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 6: a realistic shot to win the division. Whether they're the 586 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 6: top the stiff best team and they have in the NFL, 587 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 6: I don't know. I think they're probably somewhere within that 588 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 6: five to ten range. 589 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: Mike yesterday during the press conference, Mike Tomlin said that 590 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 1: some of us in the media were annoying him yesterday 591 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,240 Speaker 1: with our questions, who do you think annoyed him the 592 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: most and with what question? 593 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 6: I think that's just all of us at all times. Unfortunately, 594 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 6: that is part of our job. Unfortunately, we're not supposed 595 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 6: to be his friend. We're supposed to ask the questions 596 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 6: that need to be asked. Let me think he didn't 597 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 6: particularly like the question about Caleb Johnson and the kick returns. 598 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 6: That seemed to irritate him a bit. Will Graves, who's 599 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 6: a great guy, kind of began a question by consinuating 600 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 6: that they had players in the past that didn't care 601 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 6: about winning, that cared more about their individual results. That 602 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 6: seemed to tick Tom went off pretty good. And then 603 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 6: Brian Backo my buddy who I'm actually going to drive 604 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 6: to Cincinnati. He needled him a little bit about his 605 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 6: own sex record within divisional games on Thursday night football 606 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 6: on the road. So I think those would be some 607 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 6: of the leading candidates in the clubhouse. But I don't worry. 608 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 6: By the end of the season, we'll all annoy him 609 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 6: in some form or fashion. 610 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: Do you think I annoyed him when I asked him 611 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 1: where the ball should go if DK is covered? 612 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 6: That was kind of funny. His answer was like to 613 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:00,120 Speaker 6: the open guy. 614 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: But I think it's a very legitimate question because you know, 615 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 1: when especially you can take the group of tight ends 616 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 1: and say, okay, those four guys added up to one 617 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 1: hundred and three yards. 618 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 2: That's good. 619 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: Yes, But then the wide receivers not named Metcalf had 620 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 1: one catch for twelve yards that was Roman Wilson once 621 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 1: at the end of the game. 622 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 6: Yeah, that's I think a byproduct to a degree of 623 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 6: how this offense has been built in what they have 624 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 6: at the wide receiver position. I mean, I think a 625 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 6: lot of people were hoping that this was going to 626 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:33,320 Speaker 6: be the Roman Wilson game with Calvin Austin out, but 627 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 6: as you saw, it was not a one for one 628 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 6: Calvin's down to Romans up situation. Scotty Miller still got 629 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 6: a ton of run, Vince Goronic got a ton of run. 630 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 6: Pat Freidmuth actually got think twenty one snaps after playing 631 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 6: just fifteen in Dublin. And so I think that when 632 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 6: you have a guy like the good thing about this 633 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 6: offense is they have a very legitimate number one wide 634 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 6: receiver who can beat you in so many different ways. 635 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 6: And I think it's fair that that's it's just their strategy. 636 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 6: Like DK is going to be the number one. He's 637 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 6: going to be the first read in a lot of 638 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 6: situation and if he's covered, you just find the other guy. 639 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 6: And I think I'm okay with that just because of 640 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 6: the fact that DK is such a beast and he 641 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 6: can like I'm like I said earlier, with the passes downfield. 642 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,040 Speaker 6: If he can beat you on screens, he can beat 643 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:22,720 Speaker 6: you on slants, he can beat you on quick out. 644 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 6: Then you try to go to single high and he 645 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:26,719 Speaker 6: can burn you deep. I mean, that is a hell 646 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 6: of a weapon to have when the Steelers aburn. 647 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: How much do you think mikeel again Mike to favor 648 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: with us, How much do you think of what Mike 649 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 1: Tomlin had to say about Andrew Berry and the Cleveland 650 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 1: Brown's decision to trade Joe Flacco? Was that truly rooted 651 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 1: in I can't believe a division rival swapped a quarterback. 652 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 1: And how much of it is he's really concerned about 653 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: Joe Flacco Because there are some of the national media 654 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 1: they're suggesting, boy, Mike Tomlin's really afraid of Joe Flacco. 655 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 2: Why is he that afraid of Joe Flacco. 656 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 6: Well, you only have to look back a year to 657 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 6: have your answer that question. I think. I mean last 658 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 6: year when Flacco came in for Anthony Richardson, he diced 659 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 6: up the defense and put up two touchdowns and ended 660 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 6: up upsetting the Steelers in a game that no one, 661 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:18,160 Speaker 6: I think or very few people thought that the Colts 662 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:22,560 Speaker 6: would win. So when I know that Joe Flacca was 663 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 6: not successful with the Browns, but what quarterback has been 664 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 6: successful with the Browns? He now steps onto a team 665 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 6: that has Jamar Chase T. Higgins, a ton of talented 666 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 6: tight ends. You know, I think that very much he 667 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 6: could be at least a productive passer, and I think 668 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 6: it's qualm or at least the way that I look 669 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 6: at it, the Browns are a dumpster fire and they 670 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 6: have no plan at quarterback and no clear vision. And 671 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 6: now their neptitude is one thing, but when their ineptitude 672 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 6: now leaks into the rest of the division and you're 673 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 6: basically just giving the other team a quarterback that knows 674 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 6: how to beat the Steelers defense knows Tarroll Austin and 675 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:09,439 Speaker 6: Mike Tomlins skiing very well. I could see his frustrations. 676 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 6: I really, I really can. I can see perfectly why 677 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 6: the Sincentti Bengals wanted to make that trade. I don't 678 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 6: really think that getting a fifth round pick for a 679 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,959 Speaker 6: sixth is a great return for the Browns, and maybe 680 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 6: they'll end up drafting another mid round quarterback with that 681 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 6: pick that but then who knows where that guy fits 682 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:28,839 Speaker 6: into their depth chart. 683 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 2: Who's driving you r back? Though I always drive, it's 684 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 2: just like a for you or what. 685 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 6: I'm the one that rents the car. Actually, Brian just 686 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 6: sticks with me to give me a little bit of company, 687 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:47,840 Speaker 6: which I appreciate because he was my buddy back in 688 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 6: my old post because that day when I covered the Pens. 689 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:54,319 Speaker 6: And he's a guy my age who you know, likes 690 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 6: to go out on the road before games and stuff 691 00:34:56,680 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 6: like that. So he's a pretty good road trip companion. 692 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,200 Speaker 6: Good choice of music and good with the directions, which 693 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:05,640 Speaker 6: are two of the biggest keys when you're in that 694 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:06,920 Speaker 6: shotgun roll. 695 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 1: Well, Cincinnati is pretty easy. You just got to go 696 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 1: seventy seventy one. You'll see it eventually. You don't need 697 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: backo for that, do you. 698 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 6: Well? Somehow we always also end up at like the 699 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:19,239 Speaker 6: sketchiest gas stations and Brian's always buying his kid some 700 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 6: like weird drinket toy, so. 701 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 2: From a gas station, from a gas. 702 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 6: Station, that's how he tells his kid that he loves 703 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 6: and when he's on the road, it's by bringing him 704 00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 6: back some weird, weird toy from a gas station. So 705 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 6: we'll have to definitely make our annual or I guess 706 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 6: like eight times a year trip to a random ass loud. 707 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 1: You can find sketchy outside of Cincinnati pretty easy. 708 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:41,040 Speaker 2: That's not going to be hard to do. 709 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 1: If you want to find sketchy that you're not gonna 710 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 1: have to roll the dice and come up with something. 711 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:45,720 Speaker 2: It'll just hitch in the face. 712 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 6: Yeah, that's very true. 713 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:52,360 Speaker 2: All Right, Mike, appreciate it. We'll talk soon. Enjoy the trip, right, 714 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:52,839 Speaker 2: sounds good. 715 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:53,799 Speaker 6: Thank you so much for having me. 716 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 1: All Right, Mike de Fable here from the athletics when 717 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,280 Speaker 1: we come back. Yeah, I committed a talk show sin before. 718 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:01,960 Speaker 1: You're not supposed to like roll out a brand new topic. 719 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:03,279 Speaker 1: Then I have a guest after it. But I just 720 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:05,239 Speaker 1: I kind of got rolling on the James Franklin things, 721 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,399 Speaker 1: so I know there are people call him. We had 722 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 1: Mike lined up to talk Steelers. If you want to 723 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 1: get back into the James Franklin conversation, we can uh 724 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 1: eight three three four one two ninety nine thirty nine 725 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 1: might get to some tweets on it. 726 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 2: I will reset that for you. 727 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,759 Speaker 1: Also, before we get too far along into the five 728 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,879 Speaker 1: o'clock hour, I will give you the odds on who's 729 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: going to replace Franklin at Penn State, the odds that 730 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: where Franklin's gonna go. 731 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:30,040 Speaker 2: And if you missed it when I was talking with 732 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:30,759 Speaker 2: tom I've got. 733 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 1: An alternative view on why Mike Tomlin might have been 734 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,840 Speaker 1: as ticked off with Barry in Cleveland as he was, 735 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: and it wasn't just. 736 00:36:40,239 --> 00:36:42,520 Speaker 2: About the Flacco thing. One oh five nine The X 737 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:45,040 Speaker 2: every weekday. 738 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:48,439 Speaker 7: At ten am is Travis starting your workday commercial freight 739 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:49,880 Speaker 7: On one o five nine, We're. 740 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,480 Speaker 6: Adding another show to the Ex's concert calendar. 741 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:56,239 Speaker 9: We Kick Murphies for the people in the Saint Tap 742 00:36:56,280 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 9: Flix Day twenty twenty six two's Frock Kick Murphy's Don't 743 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:04,120 Speaker 9: tell Us. 744 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 8: February twelfth, Stage May with the abro. Like said Haywire, Tessa. 745 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 2: Gets this Friday Today dass dot com. 746 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 8: Tell us trough Kick Murphy's brought to you by Tolo, West, 747 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:21,959 Speaker 8: North Shore and Iron City. 748 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,000 Speaker 2: This hour the Mark Madden Shows brought to you by 749 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:28,280 Speaker 2: bud Light Proudly Now you do good. Mace is always 750 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:29,839 Speaker 2: a component of any nice date. 751 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:31,399 Speaker 3: Thank you for making my day. 752 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 2: Yeah, what you said? 753 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:34,800 Speaker 7: The X at one oh five nine. 754 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 1: Brought to us by People's Natural People's Natural Gas Peoples 755 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 1: an essential utilities company, Safe Reliable natural Gas Energy, People's 756 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:53,399 Speaker 1: Hyphengas dot Com. Here are your odds for who will 757 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: take over as Penn State's coach Matt Rule. According to 758 00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:00,520 Speaker 1: covers dot com plus two hundred, he's the favorite, followed 759 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:04,800 Speaker 1: by Syracuse Fran Brown and Boston College's Bill O'Brien, former 760 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:07,120 Speaker 1: Penn State coach plus five hundred each. They can do 761 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:10,359 Speaker 1: better than both those guys, Oh, miss coach Lane Kiff 762 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 1: and next that's a bigger fish for sure, plus eight hundred. 763 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:16,840 Speaker 1: Kurt Signetti of Indiana, frequently mentioned, is a fan favorite. 764 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,600 Speaker 1: He has longer odds at plus twelve hundred, probably because 765 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:23,359 Speaker 1: most folks are assuming Indiana's gonna throw huge money at 766 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:28,160 Speaker 1: him to stay. Bet Online has Arkansas as the favorite 767 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:34,560 Speaker 1: to hire Franklin at plus three hundred. Vanderbilt Virginia Tech Nebraska, UCLA, 768 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:37,800 Speaker 1: and Florida are all on the board as well. I 769 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:41,400 Speaker 1: would have to throw North Carolina in there too, just 770 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,200 Speaker 1: in case they get rid of Bill Belichick. Please please, 771 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:47,839 Speaker 1: please somewhere for Franklin in the ACC so I can 772 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 1: have Franklin versus Nardozzi in my life. I need that 773 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:56,160 Speaker 1: eight three, three, four one two ninety nine thirty nine. 774 00:38:57,600 --> 00:39:00,400 Speaker 1: Before we got to RB with Mike de Fable. Like 775 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,320 Speaker 1: I said, we were getting a bunch of calls in 776 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:07,640 Speaker 1: and I kind of had to jam myself up against 777 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:11,360 Speaker 1: the clock that was ill prepared by me. But I 778 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 1: do like the conversation we were having because it's not 779 00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:16,600 Speaker 1: often I get to have a lot of conversations with 780 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:19,839 Speaker 1: Penn State fans, because I don't think they're just inspired 781 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 1: to call a lot kind of feeling like, you know, 782 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 1: they're not in their own land, so to speak, to 783 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 1: a degree when it comes to Penn State topics of 784 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:32,239 Speaker 1: conversation in the Pittsburgh sports realm, because pitt is the 785 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:34,520 Speaker 1: local college, even though there's a lot of Penn State 786 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:39,480 Speaker 1: fans here, and as it relates to how your decision 787 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:43,759 Speaker 1: of your school to fire your coach was interpreted by 788 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:47,520 Speaker 1: those outside of State College. I wonder if you feel 789 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:49,399 Speaker 1: like a lot of Steelers fans, or if there's penn 790 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:52,319 Speaker 1: State fans who are also Steelers fans, do you feel 791 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:54,560 Speaker 1: the same way, because it used to drive me crazy. 792 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:57,399 Speaker 1: It's not so much prominent this year, but it has 793 00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:00,920 Speaker 1: been in recent years where we're scolded, finger wagged at 794 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,759 Speaker 1: the rich eisends of the world, the Mike Greenbergs of 795 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:07,960 Speaker 1: the world, telling us in Pittsburgh that we're wrong to 796 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:10,680 Speaker 1: have higher expectations for what the Steelers should be than 797 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,840 Speaker 1: just never having a losing season. I think it's akin 798 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:15,960 Speaker 1: to what has happened here because I'm not sure if 799 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:20,240 Speaker 1: people outside of Pennsylvania understand the stagnation that has felt 800 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:23,560 Speaker 1: and the regression that has been felt this year based 801 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:26,279 Speaker 1: on how things have gone under Franklin. I understand why 802 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:29,560 Speaker 1: people wanted him gone despite what the numbers might suggest otherwise, 803 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:33,840 Speaker 1: and what some of the scolding blogs and columns have 804 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:37,960 Speaker 1: come from outside of Pennsylvania to say, well, this is 805 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:40,800 Speaker 1: just an indication of how sullied of a product college 806 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:42,880 Speaker 1: football is, and there's just so much money involved. 807 00:40:42,920 --> 00:40:44,880 Speaker 2: This is bad for college football. Now. 808 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:47,000 Speaker 1: It's bad as four and twenty one against the entire 809 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:51,000 Speaker 1: top ten. That's what's bad. Let's go to Jerry's on 810 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,880 Speaker 1: sixty five. Jerry, you're on one of five nine the X. 811 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:59,400 Speaker 10: Hey, Hi, Tim, he'll fall as well. Getting back to 812 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:04,520 Speaker 10: Tomlin and being annoyed with Cleveland. What's Cleveland's are what's 813 00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:07,399 Speaker 10: Cincinnati and Cleveland? So was dude chuck with Pomblin before 814 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:09,800 Speaker 10: they make any type of trades to make sure that 815 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:13,400 Speaker 10: he doesn't get mad. I mean, it seems like the 816 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:17,600 Speaker 10: trade might have benefited both teams. Cincinnati gets the quarterback. 817 00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:19,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was. 818 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:21,719 Speaker 2: It was an odd hill to die on, wasn't it was? 819 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:24,279 Speaker 2: It was an odd fight to pick. 820 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:26,880 Speaker 1: And can I give you a theory, Jerry, as to 821 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,600 Speaker 1: why I think he's as rubbed raw by this as 822 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:33,279 Speaker 1: he is. I don't think it's just about the Flacco thing. 823 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:37,560 Speaker 1: I think he looks at Cleveland says, you're the jack 824 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:42,520 Speaker 1: wagons that signed to Shaan Watson to that paradigm shifting 825 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:46,160 Speaker 1: quarterback deal. You're the jack wagons that gave all that 826 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 1: money to Miles Garrett and now we've got to lock 827 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:50,799 Speaker 1: up TJ for all this money that's gonna be huge 828 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:51,480 Speaker 1: on the back end. 829 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 2: I think he was ticked at Barry and Cleveland before this, 830 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:57,439 Speaker 2: and this is just what pushed him over the edge. 831 00:41:57,520 --> 00:41:58,280 Speaker 2: What do you think. 832 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:03,319 Speaker 10: I would agree with that? And I will even throw in, uh, 833 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:07,040 Speaker 10: we lost to you in the playoffs, So maybe there's 834 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:08,200 Speaker 10: a little bit of uh. 835 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:11,840 Speaker 3: Unwarthed in inks from that. 836 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:15,160 Speaker 2: I mean, it could be for the organization at large. 837 00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:18,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, maybe, but hey, there's a long list of teams 838 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:20,399 Speaker 1: lately that have beaten Tomlin in the playoffs, that's for sure. 839 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:24,960 Speaker 2: Back in thirty seconds, one, five, nine the X. Now 840 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:25,920 Speaker 2: it's your chance to wait