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Speaker 1: Your tune's about drive on your twenty four to seven

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Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: What's going on Steelers Nation Radio? It is the Drive

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Speaker 2: here on s n R West. Shooler and Matt Williamson

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Speaker 2: with you on your twenty four to seven Home of

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Speaker 2: the Black and the Gold. As we get closer and closer, Matt,

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Speaker 2: We've got real football here tonight. Yeah, baby, man, I'm excited.

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Speaker 2: I'm very excited for for everything that that we got,

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Speaker 2: I guess coming down the pipeline here very quickly.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely. I mean we got games. We got a

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Speaker 3: game to night game from Brazil tomorrow all day Sunday,

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Speaker 3: and the slate is really good, by the way, just

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Speaker 3: across the league, Yes it is, and then a Monday

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Speaker 3: nighter and that Sunday nighter is Bill's Ravens. I mean, like,

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Speaker 3: how fun is that? I mean, we're just gonna get

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Speaker 3: great football. Let alone, we're gonna see the Steelers in action.

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Speaker 3: I think it's kind of funny. Wes, like a lot

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Speaker 3: of our listeners, I mean we've seen it a lot.

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Speaker 3: Have not seen Aaron Rodgers in a Steeler uniform or

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Speaker 3: DK metcalf.

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Speaker 2: It's a great point, you know.

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Speaker 3: I mean, like some of these big name dudes, including

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Speaker 3: the starting quarterback, they've never seen him throw football as

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Speaker 3: a Steeler. We have, but others are probably on the

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Speaker 3: other seat.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, that's a great point. Unless you made the trek

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Speaker 2: the on hillside, unless you unless you made the pilgrimage

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Speaker 2: to the hillside. Yeah, I would. I would venture to

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Speaker 2: say that it is going to be the first time

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Speaker 2: you've seen Aaron Rodgers dk metcalf in stadium. Been very

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Speaker 2: minimal looks at guys like Jalen Ramsey as well too,

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Speaker 2: that everybody is excited about. So yeah, it's gonna start

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Speaker 2: happening very quick here tonight, obviously with the opening of

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Speaker 2: the NFL season. By the way, I went back and

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Speaker 2: looked that up for you. We were talking yesterday about

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Speaker 2: how hard it is for road teams to win that.

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Speaker 3: I think it's only been one.

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Speaker 2: Since two thousand and four, so they started it was

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Speaker 2: when it started. Since that time period, there's been five

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Speaker 2: w by the the kind of a little hastily done

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Speaker 2: research that I did this morning, but I could I

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Speaker 2: could find five in.

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Speaker 3: There where the road team won, where the road.

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Speaker 2: Team won, and then there were a couple of years

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Speaker 2: where like one where one year when the Ravens won

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Speaker 2: the Super Bowl, when they won the Hardball Bowl, they

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Speaker 2: weren't able to host a home game that weekend because

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Speaker 2: some conflict with the Baltimore Orioles. And then one of

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Speaker 2: the years I think it was that the Chiefs or

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Speaker 2: the Patriots won it was the NFL one hundred, and

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Speaker 2: maybe the year the the Broncos won it against the

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Speaker 2: Panthers was the NFL one hundred celebration and they had

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Speaker 2: the Bears and the Packers kick off the season that

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Speaker 2: year for the NFL one hundred. But obviously we will

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Speaker 2: have success, not a great success rate, and as we

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Speaker 2: talked about yesterday, Dallas probably not loving uh loving their

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Speaker 2: chances in the in the absence of Michael Parsons certainly,

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Speaker 2: But we will get to UH two more from that

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Speaker 2: more looking ahead to Friday's game, I'm sure tomorrow as

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Speaker 2: well too. We got the UH the Chargers and the

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Speaker 2: Chiefs tomorrow night, which will be two back to back

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Speaker 2: fun division games. Here. Yeah, to get us started, but

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Speaker 2: I wanted to start with the practice report here today,

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Speaker 2: Matt injury updates the latest kind of moving and shaking

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Speaker 2: in terms of player availability for the Steelers. Derek Harmon

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Speaker 2: has not yet practiced this week d NP Wednesday, d

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Speaker 2: MP Thursday. I don't think that's surprised for anybody, pretty

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Speaker 2: I mean, Mike Tomlin has has said as much. Nick

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Speaker 2: Herbig has been limited the last two days, so limited Wednesday,

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Speaker 2: limited again today on Thursday.

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Speaker 3: I didn't love Mike Tomlin's tone when he mentioned it.

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Speaker 3: I'm like, that doesn't sound wonderful.

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Speaker 2: It doesn't sound it doesn't sound wonderful. And you know,

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Speaker 2: limited limited today is you know, full participant today would

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Speaker 2: have been great to see, but he was limited. And

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Speaker 2: then Cam Hayward was listed as non injury related resting

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Speaker 2: veteran today as a did not practice on Thursday. Okay,

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Speaker 2: I continue to think that we're going to see him Sunday,

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Speaker 2: but I also continue to know that that question is

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Speaker 2: not going to go away until we get there.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly, And now I will tell people last year

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Speaker 3: Tomlin used to joke, you know that Cam's taking up

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Speaker 3: swimming because he's always like in the pool during practice.

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Speaker 3: I like him having a an off day is not

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Speaker 3: uncommon at all. And that's all I can say about it.

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Speaker 3: I mean, I don't know what his reasoning is for

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Speaker 3: not being out there. If there's any more to it.

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Speaker 3: I bet there's not, because this is a usual Thursday

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Speaker 3: thing for him throughout the year.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a that's actually a very good point that

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Speaker 2: you bring up there.

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Speaker 3: And they've had some practices behind us, you know what

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Speaker 3: I mean?

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Speaker 2: Correct? Correct?

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Speaker 3: They maybe did a lot. I don't know for.

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Speaker 2: The Jets side of things here, Matt Elijah Vera Tucker

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Speaker 2: been ruled out season done. It's a bummer for him.

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Speaker 2: That's a tough one for him, tough one for them, certainly,

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Speaker 2: not how they wanted to start the year, losing one

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Speaker 2: of their more experienced, one of their better offensive linemen.

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Speaker 2: Chuokes a Corps for formerly of this parish, and he's

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Speaker 2: got a hand injury and he's one of the guys

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Speaker 2: who's been in line potentially, uh to get some of

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Speaker 2: that replacement to maybe even fill in for Elijah Vera Tucker.

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Speaker 2: They've got a couple people, according to the you know,

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Speaker 2: the Jets reporters and things like that, that have been.

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Speaker 3: That I'm not sure who that the options would be. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: Tipman the center could also play guard.

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Speaker 2: That was one of the other guys that they mentioned

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Speaker 2: Chukes did not practice on Wednesday with a hand injury,

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Speaker 2: but was limited today, so I guess we'll see what

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Speaker 2: his status is tomorrow. But still limited on a Thursday

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Speaker 2: is not the greatest for his availability either. Sauce Gardner

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Speaker 2: was limited on Wednesday, he was a full practice participant

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Speaker 2: today for the Jets, and Tyrod Taylor was limited on Wednesday.

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Speaker 2: He was a full participant for New York today as well.

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Speaker 3: Thy Rod's a number two. But it doesn't sound like

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Speaker 3: we have to worry about either one of those guys

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Speaker 3: at all, in Sauce, and yes, they should be fine.

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Speaker 2: I think I think you are correct in there. So

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Speaker 2: there's your practice report. I don't think there's any surprises

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Speaker 2: on there for the Steelers. Still a pretty short list,

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Speaker 2: a light list for Pittsburgh. You will absolutely take that

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Speaker 2: all day and hopefully that'll be the same. That'll be

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Speaker 2: the same next week when we're getting ready for the

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Speaker 2: home opener against Seattle.

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Speaker 3: I would imagine there's local reporters or people are practice

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Speaker 3: making a big deal about Cam not being out there,

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Speaker 3: but I would not look too far into that.

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Speaker 2: Guys, Like I said, I'm assuming that he is going

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Speaker 2: to play Sunday, and until we get the answer to that,

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Speaker 2: I don't think that there's a ton of speculation needed

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Speaker 2: around it at this point, Matt. Can we get into

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Speaker 2: some preview stuff here that sounds Steelers specific, Jets specific.

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Speaker 2: I want to get into a lot of your stats

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Speaker 2: as we roll along today, but I wanted to just

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Speaker 2: start with some bigger picture questions for you.

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Speaker 3: All right, are you ready for this, man?

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Speaker 2: This season goes well for the Pittsburgh Steelers, if.

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Speaker 3: Like, what would you deem a success? Is that what

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Speaker 3: we're going to say?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good point. Maybe we should preface that

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Speaker 2: as well too. My kind of success this season goes well.

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Speaker 2: If I would say going well, I would see going

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Speaker 2: exactly right, exactly right, And I think that that would

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Speaker 2: kind of the parameters of that could be another double

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Speaker 2: digit win season and back in the playoffs.

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Speaker 3: To me, if the season would be a success, if

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Speaker 3: they want a playoff.

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Speaker 2: Game, this season goes well, if.

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Speaker 3: I mean, that's that's more like the result. If we

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Speaker 3: talk about like the season goes well, if I would

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Speaker 3: say things like Roderick Jones earns a fifty year option,

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Speaker 3: you know, things like that running game, some things come

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Speaker 3: to mind running game can't be I just posted this.

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Speaker 3: They were thirtieth in success rate, which is how often

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Speaker 3: you have a successful run. We've talked about yards per carry.

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Speaker 3: That's got to be middle of the road, you know,

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Speaker 3: things like that. Big plays on defense continue, but it

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Speaker 3: doesn't fall apart late late in the year and the

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Speaker 3: sack numbers go up beginning of games. Have to be better,

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Speaker 3: I mean, have to have to have to. Oh yeah,

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Speaker 3: now they've gotten over some of that. I mean they've

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Speaker 3: had winning records despite being the worst first quarter team

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Speaker 3: in the league last year. I don't know how to

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Speaker 3: look at the quarterback position, you know, Like I guess

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Speaker 3: i'd say something like Rogers doesn't look washed, you know

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Speaker 3: what I mean, Like, I don't expect him to be

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Speaker 3: an MVP. Sure, yeah, I mean that's crazy, But I

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Speaker 3: expect him to stand in there and take hits and

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Speaker 3: orchestrate the offense and be smart with the football and

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Speaker 3: be efficient and throw more touchdowns than we're used to

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Speaker 3: seeing around here. I mean, to me, that's what he's

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Speaker 3: brought in to, do. You know.

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Speaker 2: I really like your Broder Jones answer there. If the

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Speaker 2: Steelers pick up Roger Jones fifth year option, I think

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Speaker 2: that's a that's a great one.

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Speaker 3: It's a big one.

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Speaker 2: That makes a ton of sense. That means he protected

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Speaker 2: Aaron Rodgers. That means the offensive line took a step

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Speaker 2: forward together. That means the run game is probably where

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Speaker 2: we need it to be. Probably right, That's a great one.

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Speaker 3: The thing about that too, and you and I have

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Speaker 3: talked about this a little, and maybe I'm totally wrong,

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Speaker 3: but I think next year's first round pick is and

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Speaker 3: more is pigeonholed for a quarterback. Totally. Now, the draft

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Speaker 3: could tell you that's not a good move. All these

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Speaker 3: guys were all excited about could stink or they could

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Speaker 3: all go in the top three picks and the Steelers

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Speaker 3: pick twenty or whatever. And hey, I don't know where

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Speaker 3: the Steelers are going to pick, but I expect that

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Speaker 3: pick and maybe a future first and maybe more is

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Speaker 3: dedicated to a quarterback. And deep down, I think that's

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Speaker 3: their plan. That's how they've built this. The problem is,

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Speaker 3: if you need a left tackle, that almost has to

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Speaker 3: be a first round pick, correct, You know what I mean? Like,

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Speaker 3: I can't just be.

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Speaker 2: It's kind of in that same quarterback vein of yeah

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Speaker 2: to go, you need to go shopping at the high

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Speaker 2: end stores to find that guy.

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Speaker 3: If it was any other position, like, well take on

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Speaker 3: the second round or day two, they are all they

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Speaker 3: got all these picks. I'm like, yeah, I don't want

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Speaker 3: to throw a third and fourth round pick at it

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Speaker 3: and hope one of them sticks or what. I really

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Speaker 3: don't want to be And I think it's a good

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Speaker 3: move for the Titans because as us the first overall

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Speaker 3: pick on a quarterback, I do not want to be

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Speaker 3: the team that gives the equivalent of Dan Moore twenty

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Speaker 3: two million on the open market just so I have

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Speaker 3: a guy, you know what I mean, Like, that's the

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Speaker 3: worst aisle ever to shop it.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely So that's.

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Speaker 3: Why the Brodger Jones stuff is so important for these

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Speaker 3: next seventeen games as well as really big picture of

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Speaker 3: the organization.

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Speaker 2: It's it's there's a real trickle down effect there. There's

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Speaker 2: a real ripple effect there, however you want to put it.

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Speaker 2: And I think that that's brilliantly said by you, because

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Speaker 2: it does feel like that first round draft pick is

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Speaker 2: earmarked for a quarterback. Yeah, we know how touted this

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Speaker 2: QB class has been by people who who live in

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Speaker 2: that you know that environment and make make their living

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Speaker 2: scouting and around this.

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Speaker 3: Usually in September. I mean, like, there's a lot of

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Speaker 3: guys that are pretty enticing.

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Speaker 2: I think a lot of people in the in the

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Speaker 2: Steelers media realm have been doing that, paying more attention

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Speaker 2: to college football and particularly the quarterbacks than they would

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Speaker 2: especially this early, uh, in in the in the in

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Speaker 2: the season, in the fall. That is very well said,

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Speaker 2: because you know, you do not want to need a

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Speaker 2: left tackle as well with your court and then it

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Speaker 2: becomes a conversation of how do we get both? Do

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Speaker 2: we go free agency shopping? It could potentially change your

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Speaker 2: plans at quarterback.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that's and I forget how it a brilliant I mean,

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Speaker 3: don't give roder Sjones a fifth year option just so

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Speaker 3: you don't have to fight that the lemma, even though

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Speaker 3: he's only sure seventy five percent earned it, you know

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Speaker 3: what I mean. I want it to be like, oh,

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Speaker 3: he's earned a fifth year option. That's an easy one,

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Speaker 3: stamp it done, Yes, exactly, go a long way towards

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Speaker 3: the health of the organization and probably had a decent

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Speaker 3: year this year too.

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Speaker 2: If they're offense, if they're willing to guarantee his money

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Speaker 2: for two years after this. Yeah, I think that means

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Speaker 2: that he had a very, say a lot, very strong year.

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Speaker 2: And I think that's I think that's a great one

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Speaker 2: by you. And I think one of my kind of

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Speaker 2: this season goes well if was if that rushing yards

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Speaker 2: per attempt number's big goes from the bottom of the

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Speaker 2: barrel to sixteenth, fourteenth, you know.

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Speaker 3: I would take that all day long for fourteenth or sixteenth.

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Speaker 2: Right anywhere in the twelve to sixteen range. I think

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Speaker 2: we're cooking. I think we're in good shape. I think

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Speaker 2: that that means a lot for the offense, for Aaron Rodgers,

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Speaker 2: for the pass game as well too, and for a

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Speaker 2: defense that would suddenly be on the field a few

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Speaker 2: less plays a game, get to rest on the sideline

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Speaker 2: a little bit more.

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Speaker 3: Is such a ripple effect.

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Speaker 2: And I think it would make life obviously much easier

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Speaker 2: on the quarterback.

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Speaker 3: Yep. And this offense, Arthur Smith's scheme is reliant on

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Speaker 3: the running game being good first. And then you know,

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Speaker 3: not all of them in the league, now, are you know.

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Speaker 3: I mean they're all built differently. But if the running

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Speaker 3: game is not adequate, I mean I it doesn't have

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Speaker 3: to be the best. It makes everything else that comes

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Speaker 3: off it less, you know.

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Speaker 2: Potent totally. That makes a ton of sense, makes a

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Speaker 2: ton of sense. From the defensive side of the football, Matt.

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Speaker 3: The expectations are super high, but super high. But they

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Speaker 3: don't have to be top three in defense for it

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Speaker 3: to be a successful year on that side of the

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Speaker 3: ball either, you know, But I think they can be.

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Speaker 2: I don't think they have to be, but I think

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Speaker 2: you better be top five at least.

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Speaker 3: Top ten for sure. For sure. You spend a lot

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Speaker 3: of money there, and you gotta good players.

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Speaker 2: To me, this season goes well from a defensive perspective

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Speaker 2: if you remain in the top three or four in

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Speaker 2: turnovers forced and you climb back into the top five

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Speaker 2: and sacks there were sixteenth second in turnovers, keep that up.

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Speaker 2: Staying in that area sixteen.

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Speaker 3: Other big play stuff is great except for the sacks.

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Speaker 2: Sixteenth in the league in sacks, dead average right in

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Speaker 2: the middle. Get up into the top five, and that

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Speaker 2: is going to make a world of difference.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, as long as the run defense isn't

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Speaker 3: horrific in the process, those two things would go a

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Speaker 3: real long way because I'm to the point now. I

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Speaker 3: know it's not much, but they've been the top, the

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Speaker 3: very top of the league at batting down passes now

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Speaker 3: two years in a row, you know, maybe even further back.

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Speaker 3: I didn't even used to look. I mean, it's not

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Speaker 3: an easy stat to find. That's not an accident. No,

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Speaker 3: it's not there at the top of the league. And

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Speaker 3: they were doing a lot of that in training camp too,

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Speaker 3: by the way, and Black is great at it too,

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Speaker 3: he's the new guy. You know, they're always the top

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Speaker 3: of league since TJ has been around. In forced fumbles like,

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Speaker 3: those things will probably hold up. I mean most teams

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Speaker 3: it's fluky, like why they forced ten fumbles this year,

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Speaker 3: they probably won't next year. This team's really good at it,

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Speaker 3: or they batted down a lot of passes, they probably

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Speaker 3: won't next year. I'm to the point where those things

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Speaker 3: are going to be a constant, and I tend to

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Speaker 3: think the takeaways shouldn't be deficient. I mean, I don't

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Speaker 3: know if they'll be second in the league in takeaways,

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Speaker 3: but that's a hard thing to maintain year to year.

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Speaker 3: But I like their chances as much or more as

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Speaker 3: any other defense out there to take the ball away

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Speaker 3: because of the force fumbles, because the pressure they create

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Speaker 3: batting passes, ball coming out quick. The players they have,

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Speaker 3: you know, I.

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Speaker 2: Think they're in line to take the ball away potentially

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Speaker 2: even more this year. Maybe throw Ramsey in the mix,

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Speaker 2: You throw a sleigh into the mix. Yeah, those guys

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Speaker 2: each give you two interceptions, and again you.

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Speaker 3: Can get their hands on the ball in any way,

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Speaker 3: shape or form.

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Speaker 2: You know, forty sacks last year, if that gets closer

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Speaker 2: to fifty.

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Speaker 3: You know, which isn't that much, which we're not asking

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Speaker 3: for crazy extra sack every other game.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, put you puts you forty eight. Uh,

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Speaker 2: you know, in in that in that kind of range,

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Speaker 2: forty nine, you get there eight or nine extra sacks.

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Speaker 2: That's gonna be another fumbler too.

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Speaker 3: You know.

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Speaker 2: TJ is gonna punch one of those out when he

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Speaker 2: gets his hands on Joe Burrow an extra time.

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Speaker 3: Absolutely, And so I don't want to hurt anyone, but

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Speaker 3: maybe a quarterback doesn't finish the game or is less

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Speaker 3: likely to stand in there for the next play. The

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Speaker 3: things that don't show up on the statch.

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Speaker 2: Maybe they got to bring an extra protector in right,

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Speaker 2: and then all of a.

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Speaker 3: Sudden concept instead of three or three.

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Speaker 2: Exactly right, you know, right, exactly right. And so those

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Speaker 2: were kind of, uh some things that were at the

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Speaker 2: forefront of my mind. I think we're on the same

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Speaker 2: page there for a lot of those. I like you

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Speaker 2: bringing up Roderick Jones. I think that is that's a

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Speaker 2: sneaky good one. That's a sneaky good one for how

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Speaker 2: well this season goes from an offensive perspective, if they

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Speaker 2: are if they're picking up Roderick Jones' contract extension ahead

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Speaker 2: of next season.

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Speaker 3: Another one that might seem small is and I'm getting

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Speaker 3: to the point here with Boswell and Danny Smith that I

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Speaker 3: bet they'll be in the top half of the league.

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Speaker 3: And special teams, I mean, special teams really varies year

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Speaker 3: to year. I mean that's just a fact. But if

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Speaker 3: you've got a top five kicker, this special teams coach

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Speaker 3: sure schemes things up for blocking kicks and punts. And

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Speaker 3: the Steelers do spend I think as much time or

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Speaker 3: more than any in practice on special teams and roster construction.

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Speaker 3: You know, I mean not just Killer Brew but four

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Speaker 3: or five core teamers. I mean not every team does that.

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Speaker 3: So you should be at least in the top half

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Speaker 3: of the league again across the board.

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Speaker 2: Special teams, and that's a good place to be.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, Yah.

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Speaker 2: It's one of those things that nobody talks about until

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Speaker 2: it ends up costing you a game.

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Speaker 3: They're not going to beat people thirty to three, folks.

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Speaker 3: I mean, I think we know that over the years.

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Speaker 3: You know that all these like fine margins and things

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Speaker 3: are where they've been winning. How does this team always

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Speaker 3: have a winning record. Well, they don't miss field goals,

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Speaker 3: they don't turn the ball over, you know. I mean,

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Speaker 3: it's little things, and that's big things.

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Speaker 2: That to me is the exciting part about the offense.

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Speaker 2: If they if they can just take a step forward,

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Speaker 2: they don't even have to be elite, they don't even

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Speaker 2: have to be great, if they can just be good

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Speaker 2: as an offense. If they can just I know, we'll

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Speaker 2: talk about this an hour two when I want to

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Speaker 2: dive deep into some Matt stats. But I've read your stats,

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Speaker 2: I've heard you talk about it, we talked about it

383
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Speaker 2: at training camp. An average of almost nearly four points

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Speaker 2: a game. They were down at the end of every

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Speaker 2: first quarter. It's three point nine points over the season.

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Speaker 2: They were down at the essentially four points at the

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Speaker 2: end of the first quarter. If you stabilize that, you

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Speaker 2: know what I mean, if your offense starts better the

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Speaker 2: average be average on average, B zero on average.

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Speaker 3: Sometimes sometimes you lose.

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Speaker 2: Exactly exactly right. Like that to me is where you

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Speaker 2: could start to really get excited if we see that

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Speaker 2: from the offense start to develop throughout the season. The

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Speaker 2: defense is what we think it is, and you can

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Speaker 2: really start to get excited.

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Speaker 3: To the defense left the most points in the league

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Speaker 3: in the first quarter. Can't happen.

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Speaker 2: Can't happen?

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Speaker 3: Right, It can't happen. And there's there's one thing I

400
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Speaker 3: will say is I was curious how often did the

401
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Speaker 3: stealer kick off first? Like is it one more possession?

402
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Speaker 3: But it's not. It wasn't seventeen games.

403
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Speaker 2: That they were kicking off first every single time.

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Speaker 3: I mean maybe it's eleven verse six or something, but

405
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Speaker 3: other teams did too. You shouldn't be last. I don't

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Speaker 3: want to hear it, no matter what you know.

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Speaker 2: And that's what so many of those underlying statistics with

408
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Speaker 2: the run game, with the offense, with with first quarter

409
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Speaker 2: point differential point to a team that would have a

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Speaker 2: losing record and be picking in the top twelve.

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Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Speaker 2: Where the Steelers have found a way despite that to

413
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Speaker 2: continue to go to the playoffs, continue to win double

414
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Speaker 2: digit games, just get that back to league average, and

415
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Speaker 2: keep doing Keep having special teams be the net success

416
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Speaker 2: that it's been, Keep having defense be the net success

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Speaker 2: that it's been. And and that's where I think you

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Speaker 2: start to get excited.

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Speaker 3: And here's one I think will happen. First off, I

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Speaker 3: think they'll have more sacks. Okay, we've talked about that.

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Speaker 3: I expect them, and I'll be disappointed if they don't

422
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Speaker 3: generate more sacks or higher in the sack pecking order

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Speaker 3: in the league. But it's been a while, so I'll

424
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Speaker 3: go quick. When you look at who wins and loses

425
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Speaker 3: in the NFL, the most predictive stat is turnover to turnovers.

426
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Speaker 3: Everyone the planet knows that this is The next two

427
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Speaker 3: are sacked differential and big play differential, you know, and

428
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Speaker 3: they're sacked the big play differentials. Actually it was quite good,

429
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Speaker 3: very good. Nobody threw deep against them. They didn't allow

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Speaker 3: a lot of big plays and they created a lot

431
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Speaker 3: of big plays. So they're plus and the explosive world.

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Speaker 3: But they're like at the bottom of the league in

433
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Speaker 3: sack differential it's nine nine, right, So they were average

434
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Speaker 3: at producing them, and I expect them to have more.

435
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Speaker 3: But I know, I know, Aaron Rogers.

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Speaker 2: This is one of the things you've been preaching since June.

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00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,800
Speaker 3: Right. I mean, it might come out too quick, maybe

438
00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:46,879
Speaker 3: that might be the complaint, but it's not gonna be

439
00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,320
Speaker 3: Rogers is sitting there patting the ball taking sacks left

440
00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,800
Speaker 3: and right. That ain't gonna happen, and Fields does, and

441
00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:53,720
Speaker 3: Wilson does, and they have their whole careers.

442
00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:56,240
Speaker 2: It's a great, great way for you to kind of

443
00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,679
Speaker 2: to wrap this up. That's another one of those This

444
00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,720
Speaker 2: season goes well if they get that sack differential number

445
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,080
Speaker 2: back in the back in the in the positive.

446
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:05,639
Speaker 3: Because I do believe we get a d pass rushing

447
00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,880
Speaker 3: team in the league, and some of the other metrics

448
00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,879
Speaker 3: show that hurries and hits and all those type of things.

449
00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:12,920
Speaker 3: If you're the best pass rushing team in the league,

450
00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:14,000
Speaker 3: you should not have a negative factor.

451
00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,640
Speaker 2: No, you should absolutely absolutely no, let's get that back

452
00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,240
Speaker 2: in the black and uh and and have that be

453
00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:23,159
Speaker 2: a positive for this team certainly. Uh there's some the

454
00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,480
Speaker 2: season goes well if unfortunately, Matt, when we return, we

455
00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,080
Speaker 2: have to do the other side of this equation now

456
00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:31,879
Speaker 2: as well too, the season disappoints. If we'll discuss that

457
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:34,520
Speaker 2: when we return on the other side, Well, Shuler, Matt Williamson,

458
00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,280
Speaker 2: it's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers

459
00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:53,000
Speaker 2: Audio Network, your teams.

460
00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:55,119
Speaker 1: About drive on your twenty four to seven home of

461
00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,600
Speaker 1: the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

462
00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:18,639
Speaker 2: Driving along here on an NFL game day, Matt Williamson,

463
00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,320
Speaker 2: you got to love it as we are, Uh, we are, Yes,

464
00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,560
Speaker 2: we are getting closer and closer to the real thing.

465
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,480
Speaker 2: You got Eagles and Cowboys tonight. We'll give some thoughts

466
00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:31,119
Speaker 2: on that before we get out of here today and

467
00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:36,120
Speaker 2: then obviously tomorrow Friday night lights down in Brazil with

468
00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:40,280
Speaker 2: with another juicy Division matchup between the Chiefs and the Chargers.

469
00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:45,760
Speaker 2: There certainly are including Steelers jets of course, which in

470
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,000
Speaker 2: the second hour, I want to get into some specific

471
00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:53,760
Speaker 2: some Matt's stats, uh glorious uh information and number pools

472
00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:55,280
Speaker 2: and nuggets and all that great stuff.

473
00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:57,639
Speaker 3: Word document.

474
00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:00,359
Speaker 2: It's like your h it's like your dissertation in there,

475
00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:06,600
Speaker 2: Matt almost he's writing his thesis here, folks, uh, Matt,

476
00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:11,200
Speaker 2: let's now kind of turn where we started around here.

477
00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:16,960
Speaker 2: The season disappoints for the Steelers. If I would.

478
00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,840
Speaker 3: Say, we can't ignore that the age of some of

479
00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:27,400
Speaker 3: these starters and mother nature, you know, father Tom is undefeated.

480
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:33,800
Speaker 3: You know, if it's probably safe to say one or

481
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:39,520
Speaker 3: two of the older generation on this team will take

482
00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,400
Speaker 3: a notice, we'll step back this year. But if it's

483
00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,960
Speaker 3: more than that, if it's like man, see, the nice

484
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,879
Speaker 3: thing about what Omar has done though, is none of

485
00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,840
Speaker 3: those dudes are in the long term plans. Like, it

486
00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:56,640
Speaker 3: doesn't destroy your future seasons. If Gray, Rogers even cam

487
00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,399
Speaker 3: are turning the bad players all of a sudden, they

488
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:01,359
Speaker 3: all want to or there. You know, it's not like

489
00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:04,959
Speaker 3: when two it hung it up or Shazier got injured.

490
00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,200
Speaker 3: You know, I mean, like those were devastating, right, So

491
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,640
Speaker 3: despite being old, they're Reynolds, you know they're not You're

492
00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:13,600
Speaker 3: not married to these guys. You don't have a lot

493
00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:17,040
Speaker 3: of future money involved. So it doesn't destroy you, but

494
00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:19,440
Speaker 3: it would destroy the season. Yeah, I mean in terms

495
00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:21,480
Speaker 3: of me, you're counting on a lot of older dudes.

496
00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,440
Speaker 3: Like if slave falls off a Cliff you know, turns

497
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,359
Speaker 3: into Patrick Peterson's year here, it's like, oh no, you know,

498
00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:31,560
Speaker 3: I thought he might be a step worse, but not unplayable.

499
00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:35,320
Speaker 2: No, right, exactly right, exactly right, And I think listen first.

500
00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:36,480
Speaker 3: See them all. I'm just trying to think of some

501
00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,840
Speaker 3: of the guys that are ten years what guys are

502
00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,159
Speaker 3: like ten year vets or more? Yeah, I mean right right,

503
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,639
Speaker 3: rights one you are invested in was an All Pro

504
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:44,239
Speaker 3: last year.

505
00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:47,680
Speaker 2: You know, like, what if he's just good instead of great?

506
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:51,560
Speaker 3: Collectively, if all those guys go backwards.

507
00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:54,520
Speaker 2: You I think mad that you can It's it's the

508
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,800
Speaker 2: National Football League, right almost for every team. If you

509
00:24:57,840 --> 00:24:59,880
Speaker 2: were going to make a list of how could things

510
00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:02,920
Speaker 2: go souths injuries or number one would be an injury.

511
00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:05,360
Speaker 3: I mean it's it's Josh Allen gets hurt. Well, yeah,

512
00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:06,200
Speaker 3: it's gonna hurt.

513
00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:08,640
Speaker 2: Not a matter of if, it's a matter of when

514
00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:10,840
Speaker 2: guys get banged up. In the National Football League, we

515
00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:12,679
Speaker 2: know that it's one of the oldest strategies, but it

516
00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:15,760
Speaker 2: is that way because it's true. But I think especially

517
00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,040
Speaker 2: true for this team a little bit because there's just

518
00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:22,080
Speaker 2: there's so many veterans, particularly on defense, at at key positions.

519
00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,080
Speaker 3: Now, I do think they were smart, and I think

520
00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:28,760
Speaker 3: they have better defensive depth across the board, maybe not safety,

521
00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,359
Speaker 3: but every other position. Yeah, I can live with cool hulkum,

522
00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,639
Speaker 3: you know I can. You know, we're gonna see some

523
00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,640
Speaker 3: of the D line depth being tested now herbig would

524
00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,600
Speaker 3: start for a lot of teams. You got four corners

525
00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:40,200
Speaker 3: that I can live with.

526
00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:41,920
Speaker 2: I was gonna say, I think Brandon Eckles would have

527
00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:43,320
Speaker 2: a bigger role with a lot of teams.

528
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:46,280
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, no question, you would be fourth. You know,

529
00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,080
Speaker 3: they've gotten to Pierre a lot quicker in the past,

530
00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,560
Speaker 3: or guys like that, or and the other thing with injuries.

531
00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:55,800
Speaker 3: Cluster injuries can destroy you. What was that two years

532
00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:56,440
Speaker 3: ago when like.

533
00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,600
Speaker 2: Every and every safety we're out and you're just like

534
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,920
Speaker 2: calling people off, signing guys off the street, literally.

535
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,720
Speaker 3: Michael Walker, anyone like that. I mean, that can destroy

536
00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:08,800
Speaker 3: any season. But I would say, oh, line is the

537
00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:12,399
Speaker 3: one that if you get cluster injuries, I don't know

538
00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:13,359
Speaker 3: you could overcome it.

539
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,880
Speaker 2: You know, it's a very good point because while.

540
00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:18,480
Speaker 3: Start playing a lot of the sharpings of the world,

541
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,280
Speaker 3: one or two sharpings of the world's okay, but five

542
00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:22,240
Speaker 3: of them or four of them.

543
00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,400
Speaker 2: It's a it's an interesting juxtaposition with that group where

544
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,760
Speaker 2: last year there was a lot of questions about the

545
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:31,119
Speaker 2: starting five, but we felt good that you've got eight

546
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,720
Speaker 2: guys who can who can play on Sundays.

547
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:35,359
Speaker 3: And a lot of them are young that hadn't gotten

548
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:35,879
Speaker 3: in yet the.

549
00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:39,520
Speaker 2: Reform, right, and then the other kind now though it's

550
00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,199
Speaker 2: it's kind of shoe on the other foot, whereas you

551
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,919
Speaker 2: feel pretty confident in the starting five, especially like we

552
00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,600
Speaker 2: talked about if Roger Jones can you know, continue to

553
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,760
Speaker 2: look the part like he has as of late.

554
00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:53,840
Speaker 3: But even he's your weakest link, I mean, and he's

555
00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:55,879
Speaker 3: still okay starter.

556
00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,880
Speaker 2: As your weakest link, he's a B level player, right yeah,

557
00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:00,879
Speaker 2: I mean this level player.

558
00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:02,399
Speaker 3: That wouldn't be unacceptable, you know.

559
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,160
Speaker 2: But if you start having like you did last year,

560
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,919
Speaker 2: you lose Herbig, You lose Daniels, you know, you lose

561
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:13,280
Speaker 2: Troy Foutanu, like three of those guys, and then all

562
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:14,880
Speaker 2: of a sudden you're kind of looking around like, man,

563
00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:16,520
Speaker 2: we thought we had some real depth year and now

564
00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,960
Speaker 2: we're a little light in the wallet. You can't have

565
00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:19,680
Speaker 2: that happen this.

566
00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:24,280
Speaker 3: Year, No, And I think there's two different ways of

567
00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,160
Speaker 3: look at this, and we did this last segment too,

568
00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:29,760
Speaker 3: is what could derail the season in your win loss

569
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:33,160
Speaker 3: record this year? What could really set the franchise back?

570
00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:34,880
Speaker 3: And a lot of times they are gonna be the same.

571
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,240
Speaker 3: You know, Roger Jones is terrible. Well that's a double whammy. Yes, yes,

572
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:42,439
Speaker 3: But I do think there's some really promising guys that

573
00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:45,679
Speaker 3: Omar has drafted. You know, we're to start with that

574
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:50,240
Speaker 3: line of demarcation of new GM the Bentons. It looks

575
00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:55,240
Speaker 3: like Black is one of those guys. McCormick porter that

576
00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:57,959
Speaker 3: maybe they're not Hall of famers, but they look like

577
00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:03,960
Speaker 3: long term starters, second contract guys. What if they don't

578
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,199
Speaker 3: progress the way you want to, you know, like that

579
00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,960
Speaker 3: would be bad, you know what I mean, Like is

580
00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,880
Speaker 3: going to be a star, agreed, But like even if

581
00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,320
Speaker 3: like the guys that I'm just looking at, like I

582
00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:17,159
Speaker 3: think he's going to be a real solid starter, Like

583
00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,399
Speaker 3: McCormick's like the poster boy for what I'm talking about,

584
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:23,119
Speaker 3: Like if he goes backwards and be like, oh, you

585
00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,479
Speaker 3: know as a young player.

586
00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:27,760
Speaker 2: You know, that's a great point too, And because again

587
00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,119
Speaker 2: I mean that's the biggest people talk about the sophomore slump.

588
00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:33,439
Speaker 2: They talk about that first a second year step for

589
00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:36,359
Speaker 2: a reason. Yeah, and we have seen a lot of

590
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,719
Speaker 2: guys that have had very good rookie seasons and then

591
00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:41,840
Speaker 2: it never quite clicked the way you thought it was

592
00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:44,480
Speaker 2: going to. I think with a lot of the conversation

593
00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:47,840
Speaker 2: around Roger Jones, you're right, I expect Mason McCormick to

594
00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,000
Speaker 2: be a good player. But if he doesn't grow like

595
00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,160
Speaker 2: we expect, if he, you know, even maybe takes it backward,

596
00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:57,200
Speaker 2: takes a step back at that, that would be had

597
00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:58,760
Speaker 2: a guard for eight years, certainly.

598
00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:00,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, another he just popped up.

599
00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:05,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think this season disappoints if the offense doesn't

600
00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:07,680
Speaker 2: take a noticeable step forward, because if the offense doesn't

601
00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:11,040
Speaker 2: take a noticeable poor for five years, if they don't

602
00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,000
Speaker 2: take a noticeable step forward, and again we could all

603
00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,320
Speaker 2: debate what that means, but in clear cut, this offense

604
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,360
Speaker 2: is better than it's been for a while. It's it's

605
00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:22,320
Speaker 2: it's it's going to be more of the same. It's

606
00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,400
Speaker 2: going to be another nine or ten wins season where

607
00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:26,320
Speaker 2: maybe you get into the playoffs, but then you and

608
00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,320
Speaker 2: everything's hard. Yeah, you got to you gotta win low

609
00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:31,680
Speaker 2: scoring games and really tight games, and you only have

610
00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:33,240
Speaker 2: one way to win. And then you got to go

611
00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:35,880
Speaker 2: on the road in the opening week of the playoffs

612
00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:36,960
Speaker 2: and be overmatched.

613
00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:41,000
Speaker 3: So of all the things like we requested last segment,

614
00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,440
Speaker 3: the one I'm least confident about, though, is the running

615
00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:47,960
Speaker 3: game getting to mediocre, you know, in the yards for

616
00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:52,120
Speaker 3: carry stuff. Like I'm not saying we've seen it's been.

617
00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,160
Speaker 3: This looks bad, but we've seen nothing since last year

618
00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,920
Speaker 3: for me to say, oh, that's fixed. I mean, I

619
00:29:57,920 --> 00:29:58,959
Speaker 3: haven't seen it yet, you know what I mean.

620
00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:01,000
Speaker 2: Very little of it in training camp, very little of

621
00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:01,600
Speaker 2: it in the preseason.

622
00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:04,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I mean, and it looks like it's gonna

623
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:08,600
Speaker 3: be the same scheme, the lines basically the same, although

624
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,720
Speaker 3: Foulton's an upgrade in my opinion, I think what you

625
00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,200
Speaker 3: played with in a big way. The ball carriers are similar.

626
00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,880
Speaker 3: You know. I do think Rogers always getting them in

627
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:21,840
Speaker 3: the right play helps, but that's three times a game

628
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:23,400
Speaker 3: or something like that. I mean, are they going to

629
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:28,080
Speaker 3: be able to consistently I mentioned success rate, consistently have

630
00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:33,280
Speaker 3: successful runs, which success rate is on first down if

631
00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:35,360
Speaker 3: you get four yards or more four more that's a

632
00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:36,480
Speaker 3: successful play.

633
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:40,200
Speaker 2: Craig Wolf, four more on first down, then we're winning back.

634
00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,480
Speaker 2: We used to talk about that all the time. If

635
00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,840
Speaker 2: we get four yards on first down, we're ahead of schedule.

636
00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:47,360
Speaker 3: Well, the analytic Geeks wants have stolen it from Wolf.

637
00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:49,960
Speaker 3: And then on second down, you have to get half

638
00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,440
Speaker 3: the down and distance. If it's second and eighth, if

639
00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:56,120
Speaker 3: you get four, that's a successful play. Third down, you

640
00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:59,360
Speaker 3: gotta convert. If it's third and three, hunt and thirty,

641
00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:04,680
Speaker 3: it's not play. If right, that guy speaks for itself.

642
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,479
Speaker 3: So if they can get that success rate up and

643
00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:11,680
Speaker 3: that yards per carry up, I'm just not certain that

644
00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:14,280
Speaker 3: it's a slam dunk. Like I trust the sacks to

645
00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:17,200
Speaker 3: come up in the sack differential to go be much better,

646
00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:19,240
Speaker 3: much more than I trust a running game and be like,

647
00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:19,920
Speaker 3: oh it's fixed.

648
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:25,600
Speaker 2: I completely agree. And I that's another one, like, I

649
00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:30,080
Speaker 2: think a this season disappoints if failure to establish the

650
00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:34,440
Speaker 2: run game. Yeah, yeah, because I am fully convinced and

651
00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,280
Speaker 2: I think you are too, that Aaron Rodgers is going

652
00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:37,440
Speaker 2: to be an upgrade at quarterback.

653
00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:39,720
Speaker 3: I'm shocked if he isn't.

654
00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:41,560
Speaker 2: How big of an upgrade. Again, we'll wait and see.

655
00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, he might be like, yeah, that was a little better,

656
00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:43,920
Speaker 3: or be like, oh.

657
00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:46,920
Speaker 2: Jeez, exactly right. But even if it's an old g's

658
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,960
Speaker 2: I mean, even if you clearly level up at quarterback, yeah,

659
00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:52,480
Speaker 2: you still need a run game for that guy to

660
00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:52,960
Speaker 2: lean on.

661
00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:55,760
Speaker 3: You do. He can't be He's got a sling in

662
00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:56,680
Speaker 3: forty five times a game.

663
00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:58,920
Speaker 2: They led, They led the league in pass attempts last

664
00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,200
Speaker 2: year with the Jets, you know, like over five hundred

665
00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:03,080
Speaker 2: and had a bad year and had a bad and

666
00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:04,120
Speaker 2: had a bad year.

667
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:05,640
Speaker 3: And he was throwing to Wilson and Adams who are

668
00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:07,480
Speaker 3: better than Metcalf and the other guys.

669
00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:10,880
Speaker 2: Exactly right, exactly right, And so I want to be

670
00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:12,959
Speaker 2: able to lean on that run game and then let

671
00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,600
Speaker 2: Rogers do Rogers things in the moment when it requires.

672
00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:18,040
Speaker 3: The end of career Manning.

673
00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:20,240
Speaker 2: I was just gonna say end of career Peyton Manning.

674
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:21,560
Speaker 2: But I don't even think it doesn't even have to

675
00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:23,920
Speaker 2: be that ugly, because that was end of the career

676
00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:26,760
Speaker 2: Peyton Manning was was miserable, But it was that same

677
00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:29,640
Speaker 2: kind of concept that Broncos had a very solid run game,

678
00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:32,959
Speaker 2: they had a great defense, and Manning made just enough plays.

679
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,040
Speaker 2: Aaron Rodgers can make more plays than that. Your defense

680
00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:39,280
Speaker 2: doesn't have to be that elite. Your run game doesn't

681
00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,280
Speaker 2: have to be that good as Denvers was, but you

682
00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:42,760
Speaker 2: need to at least be in the stratusphere.

683
00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:44,640
Speaker 3: It needs to be the baseline. It needs to be

684
00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,560
Speaker 3: the raise the floor too. Yes, you're too young, but

685
00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:50,840
Speaker 3: end of career Lway is really the best example.

686
00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:53,080
Speaker 2: Well that was my that was my team growing up. Okay,

687
00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:55,960
Speaker 2: I got John Elway and Terrell Davis jerseys in my

688
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,960
Speaker 2: closet still, they're in the attic in boxes somewhere. So,

689
00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:01,120
Speaker 2: I mean, I was like nine and ten years old,

690
00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:01,360
Speaker 2: but I.

691
00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:03,080
Speaker 1: Was.

692
00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:04,760
Speaker 2: I loved those Broncos teams.

693
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:06,840
Speaker 3: I mean, like, he took four of the Broncos I

694
00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:10,680
Speaker 3: think it was forty four to the Super Bowl and

695
00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,360
Speaker 3: people would be like, oh many, he can't win the

696
00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:15,120
Speaker 3: big one. I'm like, well, who's he have a round them?

697
00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:17,160
Speaker 3: And they're like, wow, the three Amigos, Like who the

698
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:19,400
Speaker 3: three Amigos? I don't know. I guess they're good, but

699
00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:21,280
Speaker 3: I never heard of them. They're not Randy Moss, you

700
00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:23,800
Speaker 3: know right. I mean, so he he was let them

701
00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:24,600
Speaker 3: further than he.

702
00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:26,440
Speaker 2: Was like Lebron with the Cavs for a lot of

703
00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:27,920
Speaker 2: those years, just dragging them to.

704
00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,320
Speaker 3: The championship, them those further as they could possibly go,

705
00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:31,880
Speaker 3: and then they get beat bad in the Super Bowl

706
00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:35,320
Speaker 3: or whatever, and then I can still make the five

707
00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,800
Speaker 3: to ten throws, which I still think Rogers can. But

708
00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:40,959
Speaker 3: the driving force is the run game and the defense.

709
00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,840
Speaker 2: You know, those those Lway teams. Terrell Davis was maybe

710
00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:45,320
Speaker 2: the best running back in the NFL. They had a

711
00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,800
Speaker 2: great offensive line, They had guys like McCaffrey and Rod

712
00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:51,400
Speaker 2: Smith that could still make the plays sharp, you know

713
00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:54,120
Speaker 2: what I mean. Like they surrounded him with with real

714
00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,200
Speaker 2: talent on that offense and a real run game to

715
00:33:56,320 --> 00:33:56,640
Speaker 2: lean on.

716
00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:58,800
Speaker 3: And a couple times a game he'd rip one be like,

717
00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:00,920
Speaker 3: oh I remember John at right in.

718
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,400
Speaker 2: The Super Bowl against the Falcons, He'd find Rod Smith

719
00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:06,680
Speaker 2: for like a seventy yard touchdown to really break that game.

720
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,839
Speaker 2: See I was only like nine, but I was. I

721
00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:12,080
Speaker 2: was locked in, baby. I think that that that makes

722
00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:16,239
Speaker 2: a ton of sense. Is this too extreme? This last

723
00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:18,640
Speaker 2: one I've got for you is the season disappoints if

724
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,120
Speaker 2: the defense isn't one of the best in the National

725
00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:22,960
Speaker 2: Football League?

726
00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:26,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, I mean I think that.

727
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:28,759
Speaker 2: I'm not saying they have to be clearly number one

728
00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:30,520
Speaker 2: or even clearly number two, but you got to be

729
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:31,120
Speaker 2: top five.

730
00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:35,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would even say top eight. Yeah, I mean yeah,

731
00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:37,799
Speaker 3: I mean, if you're the seventh best defense in the league,

732
00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:41,440
Speaker 3: I'd have a hard time saying, boy, that's really terrible,

733
00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:42,040
Speaker 3: you know what I mean.

734
00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:45,560
Speaker 2: There's some good defense other guys make money too.

735
00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,719
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I lean that way. It needs to

736
00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:50,279
Speaker 3: be one of the best. You know, let's just put

737
00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:55,000
Speaker 3: it that one. Yeah, because I can't paint the picture

738
00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:59,840
Speaker 3: where they're the fifteenth best defense and somehow they they

739
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:04,719
Speaker 3: eleven games. There's no way that would happen. I mean, like,

740
00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:06,840
Speaker 3: because the offense can't. They wouldn't be like, oh, and

741
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:08,279
Speaker 3: this is one of the best offense in the league.

742
00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:11,040
Speaker 3: Like I can't. You can't tell me that that's the

743
00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:14,040
Speaker 3: path though eleven wins, you know, the defense isn't really

744
00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:15,040
Speaker 3: really good. I am.

745
00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:17,480
Speaker 2: I am on the same page with you on that one.

746
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:21,160
Speaker 3: I go one for you. Hit me the season is

747
00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:27,080
Speaker 3: a disappointment or unsuccessful. If they go ten and seven,

748
00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:28,799
Speaker 3: I don't know how to get there. I don't care

749
00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:31,920
Speaker 3: who they win and lost too they don't fall apart

750
00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:33,840
Speaker 3: at the end. It's not like the end of the

751
00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:37,160
Speaker 3: season's worse than the beginning. It's a consistent year where

752
00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:40,680
Speaker 3: you win to you lose one, you lose another one,

753
00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:42,680
Speaker 3: you win three. You know, like it's you know, it's

754
00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:43,440
Speaker 3: not like these Pats.

755
00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:46,239
Speaker 2: You don't go from ten to three to losing four

756
00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:48,560
Speaker 2: straight and then and then the fifth playoff game.

757
00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:51,600
Speaker 3: Like last year, I actually broke it down. Semi side

758
00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:56,160
Speaker 3: note here, there were really three Steeler seasons. There was

759
00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,280
Speaker 3: the Fields year Fields yep, there was the good Russ

760
00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:02,040
Speaker 3: and the bad Rush totally and it's not all un

761
00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:05,680
Speaker 3: ross all Fields or whatever, but those games there was

762
00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:08,960
Speaker 3: lines where this is when it all fell apart. This

763
00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,160
Speaker 3: is when life was good. This is when life was

764
00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:11,719
Speaker 3: really good.

765
00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:13,959
Speaker 2: In the middle life was really good there, and uh

766
00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:17,680
Speaker 2: in Washington or Maryland, the Commanders.

767
00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:19,680
Speaker 3: Play forty some up against the Bengals or whatever, like

768
00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,279
Speaker 3: times were really good. You forget those. But anyway, I

769
00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:23,799
Speaker 3: don't know how you get to ten and seven, but

770
00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:28,040
Speaker 3: it's not a lopsided early middle whatever. And then you

771
00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,200
Speaker 3: go to Buffalo and you lose by thirty in the playoffs.

772
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:35,320
Speaker 3: Is that an unsuccessful year? Yes? We've seen that story

773
00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:35,800
Speaker 3: a lot.

774
00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:37,240
Speaker 2: I think if I think.

775
00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:39,160
Speaker 3: You're driven close in the playoff game, I.

776
00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,279
Speaker 2: Think, no matter what the regular season record is, even

777
00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:44,560
Speaker 2: if the Steelers were to improve and twelve games, yeah,

778
00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:46,640
Speaker 2: if they go to the first round of the playoffs

779
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:48,359
Speaker 2: and are non competitive.

780
00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:50,120
Speaker 3: Again, yeah, if this is over at halftime.

781
00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:52,200
Speaker 2: It's d Day for Steelers Nation, right.

782
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:54,920
Speaker 3: I mean that they could handle another year like that.

783
00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:56,520
Speaker 2: I don't think it's one thing to go to Baltimore,

784
00:36:56,600 --> 00:36:58,560
Speaker 2: go to Buffalo and you lose by four points and

785
00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:01,120
Speaker 2: I'm back and forth game, But it's another to lose

786
00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:06,600
Speaker 2: by multiple scores and never really be it. Yes, absolutely, Matt,

787
00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:11,759
Speaker 2: good stuff. I enjoyed that. I've got a couple predictions.

788
00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:13,160
Speaker 2: I guess if you will that I want to run

789
00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:15,000
Speaker 2: past you to close down the end of the first hour.

790
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:17,840
Speaker 2: Do that when we return on the other side, Matt Williamson,

791
00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:20,200
Speaker 2: It is the Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio on

792
00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:32,560
Speaker 2: the Steelers Audio Network, your tuns.

793
00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:34,640
Speaker 1: About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of

794
00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:49,760
Speaker 1: the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

795
00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:56,400
Speaker 2: Down the home stretch here of the first hour of

796
00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:00,160
Speaker 2: the Drive on a Thursday, the Thursday that NFL football

797
00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:05,160
Speaker 2: is finally back and Matt, I've got some I don't

798
00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:07,359
Speaker 2: know if calling them season predictions is the right way

799
00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:09,239
Speaker 2: to put it, but a couple of things here that

800
00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:12,640
Speaker 2: I want to get your thoughts on, and then one

801
00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,480
Speaker 2: over and under. Okay, bring it on. Let's start here,

802
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,680
Speaker 2: because I think I know the answer and you just

803
00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:20,479
Speaker 2: kind of touched on it when we were talking about

804
00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:23,239
Speaker 2: the offensive line. But one of my predictions for twenty

805
00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:25,480
Speaker 2: twenty five for the Steelers is that by the end

806
00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:27,879
Speaker 2: of this year, we're all calling Zach Frasier and Troy

807
00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:29,480
Speaker 2: faltonus stars.

808
00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:34,640
Speaker 3: True. If it's a true false test, I'm definitely a yes,

809
00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:40,359
Speaker 3: no false, Yeah, I really think so. And durability is

810
00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:42,720
Speaker 3: really the only thing that would scare me. But that's

811
00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,239
Speaker 3: true for all everybody. I mean, that's that's not fair.

812
00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:47,640
Speaker 3: I mean, we just haven't seen a year of Troy already.

813
00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:48,880
Speaker 2: Sure, sure I would.

814
00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:52,480
Speaker 3: It would break my heart if his first two years

815
00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,080
Speaker 3: got derailed by injuries. It's such a horrible way and

816
00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:57,440
Speaker 3: few people return from that, so knock on wood. But

817
00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:01,680
Speaker 3: I mean, I think those two will be I would

818
00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:05,240
Speaker 3: even say, and stars qualifies two of the best players

819
00:39:05,239 --> 00:39:07,399
Speaker 3: at their respective position. That's a good way to put

820
00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:08,440
Speaker 3: right tackle in center.

821
00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:12,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, like perennial Pro bowlers and a couple couple all protest.

822
00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:14,560
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, like, oh, you're not shocked that he got

823
00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:15,640
Speaker 3: a Pro Bowl vote?

824
00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:19,799
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, number two. So that's a good that's a

825
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:21,560
Speaker 2: that's a positive one.

826
00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:23,800
Speaker 3: All right. That's a nice position to be in. I

827
00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:26,120
Speaker 3: mean if those I mean absolutely have you the Castro

828
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,480
Speaker 3: and Pouncy for ten years. That are two of the

829
00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:30,440
Speaker 3: best at their respective position on the line.

830
00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,160
Speaker 2: And imagine if the Casher would have been a tackle.

831
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:36,240
Speaker 3: That's like, that's that's a You're in a real good spot.

832
00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:38,239
Speaker 2: It's great to have an elite guard. It's even better

833
00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:40,680
Speaker 2: to have an elite tackle. Yeah, and yeah, I think

834
00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:43,080
Speaker 2: that is something that when we're talking about the nest,

835
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:45,560
Speaker 2: when we're talking about the next era, all these things.

836
00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:47,359
Speaker 2: At the end of this season, I think that's going

837
00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:50,160
Speaker 2: to be the building blocks that were very excited encouraged by.

838
00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:52,200
Speaker 3: It kind of reminds me about it was a little

839
00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,439
Speaker 3: while back, but the Jets coincidentally use the first round

840
00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:57,759
Speaker 3: pick on the brickishaw Ferguson. He's like the seventh or

841
00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,440
Speaker 3: eighth pick and really good left tack prospect, and then

842
00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:03,640
Speaker 3: later in the first round they to first they take

843
00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:06,400
Speaker 3: Nick Mangle, Nick Mangles, both of them are just fixtures

844
00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:08,800
Speaker 3: at left tackle and center for twelve years.

845
00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:11,080
Speaker 2: Like, oh, babe, and this isn't saying much, but that

846
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:13,480
Speaker 2: was also the best era of Jets football since.

847
00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:15,840
Speaker 3: Joe Namath, Joy time they ever been really competitive.

848
00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:18,439
Speaker 2: Back to back AFC Championship game, I mean, right right, yeah,

849
00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:22,279
Speaker 2: that's the best football they've played since Broadway Joe, And

850
00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:23,680
Speaker 2: I think you're right. I think you can draw a

851
00:40:23,719 --> 00:40:26,399
Speaker 2: direct correlation there to how they nailed both of those

852
00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:27,360
Speaker 2: guys in that draft.

853
00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:28,960
Speaker 3: Uh.

854
00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:31,839
Speaker 2: Second one, let's go to a I guess a nod

855
00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:34,839
Speaker 2: as encouraging one here. I think the lack of wide

856
00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:38,240
Speaker 2: receiver depth is going to bite again at some point. True,

857
00:40:39,239 --> 00:40:44,960
Speaker 2: I'm worried about it, true, and I think even.

858
00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:46,680
Speaker 3: Deaf they don't. But I still think they could add

859
00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:49,120
Speaker 3: something today, you know what I mean, or or week

860
00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:52,120
Speaker 3: three or four, right right, yeah, I mean not like

861
00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:54,560
Speaker 3: Gabe Davis that went to the Bills, like that's not

862
00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:58,120
Speaker 3: a huge needle mover, or Amari Cooper who retired again.

863
00:40:58,160 --> 00:40:59,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, how crazy was that? You know?

864
00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:00,000
Speaker 3: Right right right?

865
00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:03,960
Speaker 2: Just signed with Buffalo like last week. Sorry, it's part

866
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:04,399
Speaker 2: of me. Sorry.

867
00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:07,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, He's like, and he's hung out there forever, which

868
00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:09,200
Speaker 3: is probably why you hung out there forever. People thought

869
00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:11,279
Speaker 3: maybe it's the injury. He's probably like, I don't know

870
00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:12,920
Speaker 3: if I'm a player or not. Okay, I'm in.

871
00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:16,239
Speaker 2: That strikes me as the classic, like if you're thinking

872
00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:18,399
Speaker 2: about retirement, I probably already.

873
00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:21,439
Speaker 3: Are, right. But no, if they if they keep this

874
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:24,080
Speaker 3: group of receivers, there will be a stretch this year.

875
00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:25,840
Speaker 3: I think it bites them.

876
00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:29,600
Speaker 2: I yes, yeah, subject to change. Everything is is new

877
00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:32,680
Speaker 2: information you know, arises, or they go out and make

878
00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:34,560
Speaker 2: a trade or something like that. But I think right now,

879
00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:36,120
Speaker 2: I think at some point we're going to be talking

880
00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:38,319
Speaker 2: about how that's that's costing them.

881
00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:41,000
Speaker 3: I think there's a chance on Monday we're talking about it.

882
00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:44,920
Speaker 3: We're like, man Sauce won that, Matt that battle and

883
00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:47,560
Speaker 3: who else. It doesn't mean they would even lose that game.

884
00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:53,800
Speaker 3: But if you're playing Denver with you know, certain or

885
00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:57,680
Speaker 3: Houston with Stingley and they're better teams than the Jets,

886
00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:01,480
Speaker 3: you might be like, man, a one receiver lost his

887
00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:04,719
Speaker 3: one on one more often than usual because he's playing

888
00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:07,959
Speaker 3: a stud and no one else could capitalize, like.

889
00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:10,319
Speaker 2: In our run game. Where is our run game where

890
00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:13,160
Speaker 2: we needed to be when that situation happens arises?

891
00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:17,359
Speaker 3: Yeah, can you beat good teams if DK is not winning.

892
00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:19,360
Speaker 2: A lot, or god forbid, he misses a couple of

893
00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:22,200
Speaker 2: games injury like we saw with George Pickens last year.

894
00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:25,680
Speaker 2: More positive one here again, back to the back to

895
00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:28,120
Speaker 2: the good. I think the Steelers are going to be

896
00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:32,120
Speaker 2: a top three defense in sacks and turnovers forced. Second

897
00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:36,839
Speaker 2: in turnovers force last year, sixteenth in sacks, but eight

898
00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:39,400
Speaker 2: more sacks would have put them like fourth in the

899
00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:44,320
Speaker 2: in the NFL, top three in turnovers forced and in sacks.

900
00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:46,359
Speaker 3: If I had to pick one of the two, I'd

901
00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:48,840
Speaker 3: take sacks, just because turnovers are a little more it.

902
00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:50,920
Speaker 2: Can be unpredictab, a little more unpredictable.

903
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,799
Speaker 3: Tip balls overthrows. You know what quarterbacks? Did you play?

904
00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:55,240
Speaker 2: Football is not a perfect circle.

905
00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:58,240
Speaker 3: It bounces funny, and the ball maybe force the fumble

906
00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:00,600
Speaker 3: and the other team falls on at nine times like

907
00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,000
Speaker 3: you know that that could happen. If you're right, and

908
00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:06,360
Speaker 3: I'm not saying you're wrong, the top three is lofty

909
00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:06,799
Speaker 3: a lot.

910
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:08,480
Speaker 2: If you're right, I should have made it a top five,

911
00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:09,919
Speaker 2: but if you're.

912
00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:12,440
Speaker 3: Right, even if it is top five, they could win

913
00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:14,720
Speaker 3: a lot of games. I mean, that's a great place

914
00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:16,960
Speaker 3: to start, absolutely, you know, right, right, And that's not

915
00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:17,600
Speaker 3: crazy to.

916
00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:20,400
Speaker 2: Ask, No, it is not. And that's another one of

917
00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:22,040
Speaker 2: those when you look at so many of the Steelers

918
00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:24,839
Speaker 2: underlying offensive statistics and how they've been able to win

919
00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:28,640
Speaker 2: games despite that. Pointing to that turnover ratio, as you mentioned,

920
00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:32,279
Speaker 2: the biggest indicator of wins and losses. Just keeping that

921
00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:34,880
Speaker 2: is a very nice baseline to start working with.

922
00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:36,440
Speaker 3: They don't have it in front of me. Maybe you

923
00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:39,719
Speaker 3: do have Matt's stats, but it's in that first group.

924
00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:41,720
Speaker 2: You're talking about their record. When they don't throw an interception,

925
00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:45,200
Speaker 2: it's nuts. I will get to that in the next hour. Okay, yeah,

926
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:47,600
Speaker 2: seventeen and one, I think in their last eighteen games

927
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:49,640
Speaker 2: and they don't throw an interception. And guess what Aaron

928
00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:50,400
Speaker 2: Rodgers doesn't do.

929
00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:52,880
Speaker 3: I'd say the next line there is and Aaron Rodgers

930
00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:55,440
Speaker 3: is the least interception prone guy, like in history.

931
00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:58,160
Speaker 2: We're on the same page. We're gonna get there real soon,

932
00:43:58,200 --> 00:43:59,759
Speaker 2: in fact, when we return on the other side, but

933
00:43:59,760 --> 00:44:02,640
Speaker 2: before we go to break so This one isn't necessarily

934
00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:04,920
Speaker 2: a true or false or a yes or no. This

935
00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:11,160
Speaker 2: is maybe more of an over under. Okay, Mason Rudolph

936
00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:17,520
Speaker 2: over under one and a half starts or I should

937
00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:20,880
Speaker 2: say one and a half in game legitimate.

938
00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:23,200
Speaker 3: Appearances, Yeah, not just comes into niels that for something.

939
00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:24,960
Speaker 2: Or it's not the final week of the season and

940
00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:26,719
Speaker 2: the Steelers have already locked up a playoff spot and

941
00:44:26,719 --> 00:44:28,200
Speaker 2: so they decide to arrest Aaron Rodgers.

942
00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:31,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, or Rogers hits his hand on the helmet, comes

943
00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:33,800
Speaker 3: out for one play and then he's fine. That doesn't

944
00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:36,320
Speaker 3: count meaningful snaps.

945
00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:38,560
Speaker 2: Like at least a quarter or a half, you know, yeah.

946
00:44:39,239 --> 00:44:42,480
Speaker 3: Over And I don't think Rogers gets binged. I just

947
00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:47,839
Speaker 3: think most teams I would bet the backup sees two

948
00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:48,560
Speaker 3: games or more.

949
00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:50,279
Speaker 2: Correct. It's just it's the nature of the.

950
00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:52,400
Speaker 3: Beastature the beast, and the age is a factor.

951
00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:55,520
Speaker 2: The age is absolutely a factor. Yeah, And I think

952
00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:59,960
Speaker 2: if there was a scenario where Aaron Rodgers was questioned,

953
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,000
Speaker 2: they would be They would be confident saying, hey, Aaron,

954
00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:05,520
Speaker 2: take an extra week wherever we can win this game

955
00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:07,440
Speaker 2: with Mason. We can, we can, we can keep we

956
00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:09,600
Speaker 2: could keep the boat afloat with with Mason.

957
00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:11,400
Speaker 3: It's a great point. I mean, if you're seven and

958
00:45:11,480 --> 00:45:15,120
Speaker 3: three seasons going pretty well, but you got a lot aheady,

959
00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:19,920
Speaker 3: let's give you two weeks here, you know, yes, and

960
00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:23,160
Speaker 3: we'll roll the dice with Rudolph. Yeah, I could see that.

961
00:45:23,480 --> 00:45:25,080
Speaker 3: I bet that. I actually bet that pops up.

962
00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:25,960
Speaker 2: I think so too.

963
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:26,600
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.

964
00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:27,920
Speaker 2: And then the last one I had on here that

965
00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:29,640
Speaker 2: I had to strike from the list because I put

966
00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:32,720
Speaker 2: this together a few weeks ago was the Kenny Pickett

967
00:45:32,719 --> 00:45:34,520
Speaker 2: will start a game for the Browns against the Steelers,

968
00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:36,040
Speaker 2: but unfortunately that ship has sailed.

969
00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:41,759
Speaker 3: No. I bet three or four Browns start games this here.

970
00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:44,080
Speaker 2: I bet you the two games against Cleveland. They're starting

971
00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:45,800
Speaker 2: different quarterbacks in both of those games.

972
00:45:45,880 --> 00:45:48,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I don't think I bet Flacco is already benched.

973
00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:50,200
Speaker 3: By the time the Steelers playing.

974
00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:52,000
Speaker 2: In Week six, they could be zero to five.

975
00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:54,760
Speaker 3: I think they'll be going five. I mean, I can't

976
00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:56,880
Speaker 3: talk of enough about the Browns for six games.

977
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,360
Speaker 2: Their schedule is brutal, right, brutal.

978
00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:01,799
Speaker 3: And we saw last year I hate the word like

979
00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:04,400
Speaker 3: give up or you know, cash it in. But they

980
00:46:04,440 --> 00:46:06,879
Speaker 3: could they did last year, and they could be their

981
00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:08,799
Speaker 3: season could be shot a month in.

982
00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:12,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, no doubt, the you know Matt one hour in

983
00:46:12,760 --> 00:46:14,600
Speaker 2: the books, our number two. What do you say we

984
00:46:14,760 --> 00:46:17,440
Speaker 2: dive into these Matt's stats, all right and get into

985
00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:20,640
Speaker 2: some of the juicy numbers behind Steelers jets. Here in

986
00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:22,920
Speaker 2: our number two. We'll do all that and more when

987
00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:24,520
Speaker 2: we return. Got a couple of tweets rolling in as

988
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:27,160
Speaker 2: well too, if you guys want to get involved. At

989
00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:32,640
Speaker 2: Williamson NFL at Wesley Yuler is where you can find us. Questions, comments, concerns, reactions,

990
00:46:32,680 --> 00:46:35,120
Speaker 2: all that good stuff. Halfway home, it's the Drive on

991
00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:37,840
Speaker 2: Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network