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Speaker 1: Your tunes 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: It wouldn't be a Thursday show here on the Drive

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Speaker 2: without catching up with the Dean of Doom, the lord

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Speaker 2: of living in his fears, of course, Steeler's historian, the

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Speaker 2: Great Bob Labriola Labs. Thank you for taking the time

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Speaker 2: as always, And before we look ahead to Cincinnati, want

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Speaker 2: to look back to la in the Steelers' loss out

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Speaker 2: there at Sofi Stadium and just kind of I don't know,

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Speaker 2: thirty thousand foot view here, your concern level with the

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Speaker 2: offense and in particular with the quarterback. Who, hey, he's

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Speaker 2: set a very high bar throughout his career, but that

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Speaker 2: might have been one of the lesser performances that well,

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Speaker 2: that we've seen from the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's it's easy to be, uh, the

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Speaker 3: Dean of Doom in Steelers Nation the week after a

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Speaker 3: game like the Chargers last Sunday night. You know, specifically

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Speaker 3: you asked about Aaron Rodgers. Uh, you know, he pretty

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Speaker 3: much admitted that he didn't play well. And I really

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Speaker 3: think that when you're a team that is married to

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Speaker 3: that kind of a quarterback. You know a guy who

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Speaker 3: is a established superstar, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers.

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Speaker 3: I mean when you're when you're a team Eli Manning,

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Speaker 3: when you're a team Peyton Manning, when you're a team

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Speaker 3: uh in the NFL, you know the current NFL and

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Speaker 3: your quarterback is that guy, you're pretty much tied to

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Speaker 3: him in terms of if he doesn't play well, Uh,

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Speaker 3: you have virtually no chance to win. You just you

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Speaker 3: just don't you know, we we have seen Ben. You know,

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Speaker 3: when Ben was great, you were never out of it.

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Speaker 3: But when Ben was bad, as some of those games

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Speaker 3: where he would have a lot of turnovers early, you really,

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Speaker 3: you know, you get behind to a point where maybe

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Speaker 3: he brings you back a little bit, but you really

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Speaker 3: don't have a chance to win. It's you. The guy

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Speaker 3: who has his hands on the ball every snap, has

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Speaker 3: so much control over a game. And when he is

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Speaker 3: that person is an established guy who has a reputation,

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Speaker 3: who has built up a lot of I don't know,

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Speaker 3: respect and a resume, and you're just dependent on him.

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Speaker 3: I mean, when you're going through your weekly regular season schedule,

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Speaker 3: your plan is built around him, and how he can

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Speaker 3: help you win, and if he is uncharacteristically bad, then

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Speaker 3: you're you're done. So Aaron Rodgers did not play well

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Speaker 3: on Sunday, he knows he did not play well on Sunday.

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Speaker 3: And as I mentioned, so you and the Chargers are

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Speaker 3: not a bad team, so you really that pretty much

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Speaker 3: blows up the whole plan. But I don't think he's

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Speaker 3: done by any means. I certainly, you know, I get

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Speaker 3: a lot of I get a lot of emails. I'm

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Speaker 3: not on the let's see what Will Award can do bandwagon.

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Speaker 3: I'll tell you that, or you know, let's are we

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Speaker 3: gonna go to Mason Rudolph like we did a few

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Speaker 3: years ago in December, because you know, he is such

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Speaker 3: a great stretch run and what was that twenty twenty three?

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Speaker 3: So yeah, I'm not I'm not anywhere near that level

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Speaker 3: of lunacy yet I don't and I don't think I

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Speaker 3: ever will get there. So I have every confidence that

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Speaker 3: he's gonna play better, because like I said, I don't

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Speaker 3: think he's done. And hey, the Bengals defense didn't have it.

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Speaker 3: They giving up over i don't know, seventy eighty points

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Speaker 3: or something in the last five quarters. You know, the

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Speaker 3: last game they gave up I don't know, almost fifty,

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Speaker 3: and then the fourth quarter of the game before that

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Speaker 3: they gave up twenty three or something. I saw that

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Speaker 3: or heard that somewhere. Yeah, I'm not real good. Yeah yeah, yeah, Okay,

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Speaker 3: so you know there's that to look forward to as well.

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Speaker 4: So I'm with you. I'm not.

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Speaker 3: Well.

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Speaker 4: I'm not ready to go to Howard or Rudolph or

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Speaker 4: anything crazy like that. And I don't think Rogers all

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Speaker 4: of a sudden turned into a bad player over the

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Speaker 4: course of a week or two. But you also listed

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Speaker 4: five or six exceptional quarterbacks, the Mannings, Rivers, Ben et cetera,

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Speaker 4: and all those guys when they hit about this age,

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Speaker 4: you know, thirty eight, thirty nine into your forties, even

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Speaker 4: the rigors of the season treat your body a little differently,

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Speaker 4: you know. I mean, I think when because West asked

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Speaker 4: me this in the first segment, and I said, I'm aware,

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Speaker 4: Slash concerned, Slash worried, and I wouldn't be if you

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Speaker 4: had a bad game when he was thirty three.

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Speaker 3: You know.

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Speaker 4: It's just age is unbeaten, you know.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, And I think that I'm not arguing with that

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Speaker 3: and I think that that's a factor. But I think

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Speaker 3: that's something that you can manage. Yeah, yeah, yeah, either

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Speaker 3: with I'll with game plans or what's in the game

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Speaker 3: plans or whatever. I mean. But still, you know what

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Speaker 3: Aaron Rodgers gives this team from the neck up. You

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Speaker 3: have to have you have to.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, you have to, and that's going anywhere.

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Speaker 3: Well, right, I mean, so that's why I'm saying, you've

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Speaker 3: got to that. The rest of it has to be

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Speaker 3: figured out and you do the best you can. And

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Speaker 3: I don't know what the answers are. I really don't.

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Speaker 3: I'm not I'm not smart enough or well versed enough

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Speaker 3: in the intricacies of the sport at the NFL level

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Speaker 3: or any of that stuff. But to me, that's one

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Speaker 3: of those that's a job that has to be figured

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Speaker 3: out and I'm just gonna that it's not my job.

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Speaker 4: One thing I think that would definitely help, though, is

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Speaker 4: getting back to running the ball a higher percentage of

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Speaker 4: the time. I mean, that's one of my qualms. I mean,

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Speaker 4: time of possession is a real problem. I thought they

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Speaker 4: were running the ball really well going into halftime of

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Speaker 4: the Green Bay game and just kind of gotten away

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Speaker 4: from it too much.

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Speaker 3: Well, I mean, I don't. I don't know if I

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Speaker 3: would say gotten away from it too much. I I

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Speaker 3: just wonder, at what point this season has the running

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Speaker 3: game ever been anything where you could have confidence in

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Speaker 3: it in terms of it carrying the weight I have

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Speaker 3: I have. I've watched every play of every game and

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Speaker 3: I've never been there yet.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, there's like, oh, it's looking better.

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Speaker 3: It was.

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Speaker 2: It was pretty good the last time they saw the

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Speaker 2: Bengals right seven yards I believe it was.

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Speaker 3: But I'm with you, it wasn't the best running game

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Speaker 3: on the field. Okay, Yeah, that's that's what I mean.

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Speaker 3: When is when is the Steelers running game? And that

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Speaker 3: would maybe it was not a factor of the running

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Speaker 3: game itself. But what I'm saying is because of that,

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Speaker 3: even when it's played well, it wasn't the best one

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Speaker 3: on the field. At what point have you I I

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Speaker 3: have not had this the kind of confidence that, Okay,

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Speaker 3: we're gonna run the ball. They know we're going to

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Speaker 3: run the ball, but we're gonna do it anyway and

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Speaker 3: it's gonna work because it either's either a penalty or

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Speaker 3: there has been you know, a negative play you know

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Speaker 3: should go for it more on fourth and short. I

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Speaker 3: don't know what do you have confidence in calling? I'd

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Speaker 3: like to hear that answer, because I don't know what

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Speaker 3: that answer is. I don't think you have a running

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Speaker 3: play or a running back or you know that you

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Speaker 3: can say, Okay, you know, third and three, this is

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Speaker 3: what we're doing. We're getting the ball to this guy.

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Speaker 3: And I don't mean that in any disrespect to Jalen

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Speaker 3: Warren or I just think I'm just I'm talking about

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Speaker 3: the hole. And it's not just the back, it's the

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Speaker 3: back and everybody else that has to you know, is

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Speaker 3: the backside block going to be made by whoever that is,

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Speaker 3: or is that guy going to crash down and catch

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Speaker 3: him from behind because there's not enough push on the

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Speaker 3: front side of the play, you know, to get him

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Speaker 3: out of the backfield quick. You know, these are the

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Speaker 3: things that I don't know. I mean, when I'm watching

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Speaker 3: the games and it's third and short or fourth and

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Speaker 3: short and the Steelers are going for it, I, first

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Speaker 3: of all, I don't know. I have no idea what

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Speaker 3: they're going to try and do, because uh that's and

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Speaker 3: that's because of part two, which is what can you

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Speaker 3: count on consistently.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, We've seen so many times in our life where

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Speaker 4: they can control the flow of the game through their

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Speaker 4: running game and everyone knows Jerome's getting the ball. By

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Speaker 4: no means have we seen that this year.

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Speaker 3: No, And we haven't seen that in a long time. Probably,

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Speaker 3: so maybe the last time was when Le'Veon Yeah, you know,

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Speaker 3: you could, you pretty much knew, Okay, we're gonna you know,

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Speaker 3: whatever they call it, the four minute drill or whatever

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Speaker 3: it is in the fourth quarter. Yeah, we're doing that,

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Speaker 3: and he's getting the ball. Maybe mix in a pass

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Speaker 3: or two, but that's only to you know, keep the

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Speaker 3: defense a little bit off balance. You're primarily running the

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Speaker 3: football with this. I you know, as I said, it

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Speaker 3: hasn't it hasn't. And I think that that's a kind

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Speaker 3: of a rare thing anyway in the NFL. How many

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Speaker 3: teams can do that.

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Speaker 4: It's not like everyone can do this, right, Yeah.

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Speaker 3: Right, Jonathan Taylor. You know, say Kwon Barkley and.

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Speaker 4: That even comes and goes a little too, you know.

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Speaker 3: Yes, yes, but you know, generally speaking, you have a

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Speaker 3: level of confidence in those guys because they have been there,

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Speaker 3: done that resume that you know, cannot be ignored.

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Speaker 4: I've been given this more thought and sorry to dominate

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Speaker 4: all the questions.

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Speaker 3: But.

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Speaker 4: The the lack of development from the Caleb Johnson situation,

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Speaker 4: I think has a bigger ripple effect than people want

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Speaker 4: to give it credit for. Like, I feel like this team.

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Speaker 4: I love Warren, I love Warren, I respect Gainwell, but

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Speaker 4: they need a big back.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't.

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Speaker 4: I think everyone, Look, everything would fall into place in

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Speaker 4: the backfield with a big back. He doesn't have to

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Speaker 4: be Jerome, but I mean a hammer nause type, you know.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, Okay, so let me you know, let's okay, let's

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Speaker 3: talk about it. What are you saying that Caleb Johnson

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Speaker 3: should be used more?

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Speaker 4: I don't know. I mean, I think they had a

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Speaker 4: very distinct plan in place that they're gonna have an

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Speaker 4: early down back. They're gonna have Warren do what he

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Speaker 4: did last year and more, and then Gainwell is going

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Speaker 4: to be the afterthought, you know, satellite player. And I

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Speaker 4: don't know why Johnson's not out there. I know he

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Speaker 4: hasn't been super effective, but I also know he hasn't

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Speaker 4: gotten a whole lot of time. I'm not saying they

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Speaker 4: should have traded for one. I hope it's not an

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Speaker 4: offseason need. But I think you're feeling the effect of

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Speaker 4: not having a punisher because I think everyone else's role

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Speaker 4: would fall perfectly into place then, which I think was

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Speaker 4: their plan.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't I don't disagree with that. But I

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Speaker 3: also don't think that Caleb Johnson deserves more time.

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Speaker 4: No, I'm not saying that either. I just think it's

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Speaker 4: just because he's he's the height and weight you're looking for,

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Speaker 4: and just because he uh, you know, was that in

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Speaker 4: Iowa at Iowa?

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Speaker 3: You know, his tough running against defenses stacked in the

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Speaker 3: box eight or nine guys or whatever it was, his

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Speaker 3: yardage after contact, all those pretty statistics that the analytics

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Speaker 3: people like to talk about, and hey, they have they

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Speaker 3: have some merit. But when he's he has been in

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Speaker 3: the NFL so far, I haven't seen anything from him

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Speaker 3: that's saying we got to get this guy more time.

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Speaker 3: Right And I'll tell you something else. When you put

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Speaker 3: Caleb Johnson in the game right now, I don't want

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Speaker 3: him blocking for Aaron Rodgers. He's not blocking for Aaron Rodgers.

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Speaker 3: And what's he doing in the game if we're not

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Speaker 3: running the ball. And I don't think opponents needed a

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Speaker 3: whole lot of time to figure that out themselves.

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Speaker 4: I just think there's a voy in the backfield right now.

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Speaker 3: Yes, yes, you know, I don't know that. I don't

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Speaker 3: know you that you could have seen Caleb Johnson's weaknesses.

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Speaker 3: You could have kind of felt them because of the

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Speaker 3: kind of offense. You know, he's one of those big

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Speaker 3: ten guys like Ron Day or some of those other guys,

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Speaker 3: big guys, powerful guys. All they did was carry the ball.

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Speaker 3: Then they get into a version of the sport where

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Speaker 3: they need to do more than just be a hammerhead

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Speaker 3: in the middle of the line of scrimmage, and some

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Speaker 3: need time to figure it out and some never do. So. Yeah, so,

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Speaker 3: I mean, but you're you're right about him again. I

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Speaker 3: guess we're gonna find out what he's made of mentally,

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Speaker 3: his his off season, and then the way he comes

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Speaker 3: back in twenty twenty six is going to define not

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Speaker 3: only his career but also the course maybe of this

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Speaker 3: team's running game moving forward.

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Speaker 4: I hope another third round pick on a two hundred

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Speaker 4: and thirty pound guy you know right right.

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Speaker 3: And you just don't find them. I mean, they're not

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Speaker 3: just out there. So because you know, Trey Sermon and

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Speaker 3: Lou Nichols and you know, you can go through a

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Speaker 3: lot of that kind of stuff. Shamplin or whatever his

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Speaker 3: name was, and cam Ward and cam what was it was?

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Speaker 4: Enough said, Yeah, so anyway, the opponent says thank you

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Speaker 4: when you put them on the field. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, So.

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Speaker 2: I did not think we would get a Ron Dane

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Speaker 2: reference from Labs on the show today, but but I

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Speaker 2: absolutely love it.

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Speaker 4: Had a TJ. Duckett of the mix from Mission stay right,

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Speaker 4: come in here, and.

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Speaker 3: You know, whenever speaking of you know, Michigan State running backs,

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Speaker 3: whenever he might mention Lorenzo White, I always point to

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Speaker 3: that eighty nine playoff game against the Oilers down in

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Speaker 3: the Dome when low White got stripped by Woodson in

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Speaker 3: overtime and that turned into the Gary Anderson's fifty yard

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Speaker 3: field goal in that leaving the Oilers with the pain

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Speaker 3: in the House of Pain.

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Speaker 2: But anyway, yeah, central central thesis about to do a show.

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Speaker 2: Never never trust a Spartan. That's what I'm That's what

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Speaker 2: I'm getting out of this conversation. And Labs, you know what,

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Speaker 2: just kind of sticking with the trenches. Here it comes again, right,

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Speaker 2: I thought Matt laid this out very well. You know

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Speaker 2: when we came in here on a few hours of

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Speaker 2: sleep the Friday after the Steelers had lost in Cincinnati,

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Speaker 2: and he said, yeah, you know, jamar Cha sixteen receptions,

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Speaker 2: one hundred and sixty one yards. That was that was

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Speaker 2: the storyline. But you know, sometimes you can play great

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Speaker 2: defense on Steph Curry and he's still going to score

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Speaker 2: fifty points. What you couldn't let happen with somebody else

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Speaker 2: on the Golden State Warriors takeover as well too, and

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Speaker 2: Chase Brown eleven carries one hundred and eight yards on

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Speaker 2: just eleven carries in that Thursday night at pay Corpse

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Speaker 2: Stadium Labs. They got to make this offense one dimensional.

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Speaker 4: That was the sin to me. It was allowing that

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Speaker 4: terrible run game to be highly effective.

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Speaker 3: Right And when you know, because you're going in I

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Speaker 3: think you're going into that game, it's a short week,

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Speaker 3: you're looking at that running game and thinking, you know,

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Speaker 3: we should be able to deal with this just kind

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Speaker 3: of because they're not very good at it. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 3: once you don't, then that that unlocked the key for

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Speaker 3: the Bengals offense. If a defense like the Steelers the

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Speaker 3: way it was built and the way it needs to

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Speaker 3: play to be effective. If they can't stop the run,

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Speaker 3: then they can't unleash their pressure packages. And if they

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Speaker 3: can't do that, you got a forty year old veteran

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Speaker 3: quarterback back there with the best wide receivers in the NFL.

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Speaker 3: You can't cover those guys if you can't pressure the quarterback.

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Speaker 3: That's seven on seven at training camp, chasing Jamar Chase

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Speaker 3: around Chuck Nolefield one on one or whatever. I mean,

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Speaker 3: that's that's good. That's just not gonna work. You might

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Speaker 3: and you might even have two good plays out of three,

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Speaker 3: but that third one is a fifty eight yard passed

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Speaker 3: on the sideline. I mean, they're just too good. If

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Speaker 3: if you don't, you know, cut off the snake at

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Speaker 3: the head, so to speak. You got to get the

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Speaker 3: quarterback as uh, you know Al Davis said, you know,

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Speaker 3: the quarterback must go down. So yeah, if what was

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Speaker 3: Chase Bromo was the average in like nine point nine

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Speaker 3: yards on first downs or something.

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Speaker 4: I think it was averaging like two point six when

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Speaker 4: he came into the game. You know, in general, something

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Speaker 4: like that.

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Speaker 3: The average I think overall in the game eleven, but

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Speaker 3: on first downs, it was nine point nine, which is

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Speaker 3: not going to cut it. Yeah, so that cannot happen again.

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Speaker 4: No, So along those lines, lab, I find it really

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Speaker 4: interesting that and maybe telling in not necessarily a great

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Speaker 4: way that the secondary that the Steelers have now safeties

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Speaker 4: and corners is so much different than the one they

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Speaker 4: finished last season with, and it's markedly different than the

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Speaker 4: one they played the Bengals against two or three weeks ago.

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Speaker 4: Do you have any faith in the changes?

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Speaker 3: Well, I think some of them, you know, I think

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Speaker 3: I hope one of the things that what was learned

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Speaker 3: in that game against the Bengals was that, you know,

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Speaker 3: being complicated sometimes works against you. I mean multiple and

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Speaker 3: you know, all of that stuff. Gotta have enough on

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Speaker 3: your defensive menu when you're playing receivers like that. And

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Speaker 3: because I will agree that you can't put somebody on

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Speaker 3: Jamar Chase and somebody on t Higgins and think that

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Speaker 3: they're just going to cover them. I mean, I don't care,

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Speaker 3: you know, right, I mean Rod Woodson in his prime

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Speaker 3: and the way the rules are, you know, put Dion

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Speaker 3: Sanders on one and Woodson on the other, and if

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Speaker 3: you're given the quarterback time, he's gonna he's gonna complete

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Speaker 3: some passes. So I think that putting Ramsey, you know

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Speaker 3: now that you when Ramsey had to be anchored in

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Speaker 3: a position and free safety is a good one for him.

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Speaker 3: You discouraged a lot of the you know, trying to

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Speaker 3: play with all your toys.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, you know what I mean.

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Speaker 3: You had because you had Ramsey, you could use as

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Speaker 3: a multiple board chess piece. You had sleigh, you had echos,

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Speaker 3: you had Joey Porter Junior. You know, you're thinking, boy,

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Speaker 3: we've got a lot of people here that we can

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Speaker 3: do a lot of different things with. And too often

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Speaker 3: I thought guys ended up looking at each other kind

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Speaker 3: of shrugging their shoulders, and you know one of the

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Speaker 3: things about shoulders.

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Speaker 2: Looking at each other.

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Speaker 3: But but but you know, like on offense, if you're

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Speaker 3: an offensive player, you break the huddle. Okay, you know

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Speaker 3: the play unless there's an audible pretty much on defense,

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Speaker 3: whatever is called in could change based on how the

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Speaker 3: personnel and the offensive huddle lines up. Okay, then if

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Speaker 3: there's motion, it can change again. And how far does

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Speaker 3: the motion go? Does it past the center? Because that

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Speaker 3: changes coverages in some circumstances, And so all of this stuff.

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Speaker 4: And the change and moves it back and right.

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Speaker 3: Yes, yes, so I mean you're the potential to me

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Speaker 3: for miscommunication on defense is exponentially higher because of the

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Speaker 3: nature of the position and how it how that unit

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Speaker 3: has to react. And then when you also add a

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Speaker 3: lot of extra stuff. I don't know, I just uh

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Speaker 3: playing they're just thinking too much. So I think that

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Speaker 3: has helped a little bit. And the interest and dedication

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Speaker 3: to stopping the run as a primary. You know, the

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Speaker 3: Chargers ran the ball a little bit, but I thought

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Speaker 3: that that kind of was a factor of being able

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Speaker 3: to continue to go back to the roulette wheel and

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Speaker 3: spin it again.

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Speaker 4: What they did to Taylor and Jacobs the two weeks

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Speaker 4: before that is not easy to pull off.

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Speaker 3: Right, That's what I mean. Yeah, So you play run

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Speaker 3: defense like that, at least you have a chance to

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Speaker 3: get after the passer, and if the coverage is simple enough,

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Speaker 3: maybe you can rely on some ability to make the

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Speaker 3: quarterback just holl the ball a little longer because not

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Speaker 3: blown coverages or mistakes. Maybe that half a second gets

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Speaker 3: t J. Watt there or Herbie there, yeah, half.

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Speaker 2: Camp right, or Keanu Benton who's come on strong apartment, Yeah,

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Speaker 2: half a second extra one more. Joe Flacco tapping the

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Speaker 2: football and thinking about it means there's a whole bunch

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Speaker 2: for this defensive front. Absolutely, the great Bob Labriola kind

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Speaker 2: enough to give us some of his time here on

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Speaker 2: a Thursday, the Dean of Doom, the lord of living

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Speaker 2: in his fears labs. Thank you for the time, and

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Speaker 2: we'll see you on Sunday.

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Speaker 3: Okay, follows, have a good one you as well.

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Speaker 2: There he goes, Bob Labriola, good stuff, man of Steelers

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Speaker 2: dot Com. Great stuff as always. It's funny. I mean

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Speaker 2: we ask like four or five questions and we do

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Speaker 2: twenty five minutes with last. He's a good interview, that guy.

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Speaker 2: I tell you. That's the way you like it as

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Speaker 2: a radio host, not the other way around. Matt latest

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Speaker 2: Thursday injury reports for both teams coming across the timeline here.

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Speaker 2: We'll get into that and some more of Matt's stats

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Speaker 2: as we roll along here in our number two. It

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Speaker 2: is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers

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Speaker 2: Audio Network.

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Speaker 1: Your tunes 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: Driving along here on a Thursday. As we continue to

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Speaker 2: get ready for all things Steelers Bengals this Sunday at

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Speaker 2: Atrasure Stadium, and of course a big part of that

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Speaker 2: the injury report. Of course, on Thursday is the day

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Speaker 2: that we really like to comb over this thing.

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Speaker 1: Matt.

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Speaker 4: I didn't think I've seen any of the Bengals yet.

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Speaker 4: That's my fault.

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Speaker 2: But I was gonna say, there's came out late yesterday.

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Speaker 2: But we have both teams here today and again Thursday

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Speaker 2: obviously an important day in this conversation, so let's get

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Speaker 2: into it. Scotty Miller with that finger, has been a

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Speaker 2: full participant all week, so you would think that bodes

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Speaker 2: well for his status to get back into the mix

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Speaker 2: on Sunday.

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Speaker 4: A note on that, and it's public knowledge. But when

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Speaker 4: I mentioned I was down in the facility today, you

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Speaker 4: learn stuff when you're down there. I guess Calvin Austin

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Speaker 4: is now listed on the depth chart. They made a

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Speaker 4: change as the number one punt returner. Okay, so I

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Speaker 4: wonder if William's days of getting a helmet. I like

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Speaker 4: him as a punt returner, but that's where all he does.

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Speaker 4: If Miller's back, if Austin's now the number one punt

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Speaker 4: returner makes sense, and you need I'd rather have somebody

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Speaker 4: run down on kickoffs that Williams can't do, you know

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Speaker 4: what I mean?

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Speaker 2: Yes, actual, and Calvin Austin has been good in that regard.

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Speaker 4: As well to Yeah, he's no slouch obviously.

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Speaker 2: Darius Slay has not practiced yet this week, still in

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Speaker 2: concussion protocol. I would say he is extremely doubtful for

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Speaker 2: Sunday's game.

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Speaker 4: They all used to be a master a concussion protocol

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Speaker 4: because there's such so many steps you have to take. Yes,

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Speaker 4: And I don't know that on a Thursday he's mathematically

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Speaker 4: eliminated yet if he hasn't taken a step, but I

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Speaker 4: think he might he is. Yeah, I think he probably is.

434
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,400
Speaker 4: I think he had to do something so he could

435
00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:40,400
Speaker 4: do something tomorrow and then he can do that start

436
00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:41,440
Speaker 4: the process.

437
00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,040
Speaker 2: About twenty four hours from now when the Friday reports

438
00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:46,640
Speaker 2: come out. I would be pretty I would be very

439
00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:48,560
Speaker 2: surprised if he wasn't just rolled.

440
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:50,560
Speaker 4: Out at that point, right And frankly, if he hasn't

441
00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:54,239
Speaker 4: done anything tomorrow, he will be he correct, impossible.

442
00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:58,720
Speaker 2: Correct, Corey Trice Junior Matt still has not practiced this

443
00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,680
Speaker 2: week with that hamstring issue that popped up last week,

444
00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,479
Speaker 2: and he's now starting to get towards the tail end. Say,

445
00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:06,800
Speaker 2: how long has the window been, that twenty one day window.

446
00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:08,359
Speaker 4: We may not see him this year.

447
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:12,080
Speaker 2: I mean he's probably If he's not back early next week,

448
00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:14,640
Speaker 2: I would imagine that's probably it for his twenty twenty

449
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:18,200
Speaker 2: five season and maybe for his Pittsburgh Steelers career.

450
00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:19,320
Speaker 4: Who knows.

451
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,920
Speaker 2: Yea, yeah, I know it would ye speculation there.

452
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,600
Speaker 4: The seasons seems very much in jeopardy. Yes, yes, let's

453
00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:27,680
Speaker 4: leave it there for now.

454
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,720
Speaker 2: But yeah, good news for Jabrow Peppers dealing with that

455
00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:34,480
Speaker 2: quad injury. That guy same, Yeah, it's been a full

456
00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,879
Speaker 2: participant Wednesday and Thursday. That obviously bodes very well for

457
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,120
Speaker 2: his status. Maybe he won't even have an injury designation

458
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:41,439
Speaker 2: by the time we get to the weekend.

459
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:43,840
Speaker 4: Now, I think we know the starters at this point

460
00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,879
Speaker 4: where Predugger, I thought Peppers might be a starter, or

461
00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:49,879
Speaker 4: maybe Peppers and Douger would battle it out, but I

462
00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:52,639
Speaker 4: think Dougger's probably while he pipped them to some degree.

463
00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:52,960
Speaker 3: Yeah.

464
00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,520
Speaker 2: Now, speaking of which, glad you mentioned that name on

465
00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,840
Speaker 2: the show. Tomorrow Kyle Dugger will join us here on

466
00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:00,840
Speaker 2: the Blitz. So we will get to talk to one

467
00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:01,880
Speaker 2: of the Steelers.

468
00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,239
Speaker 4: It's the first time you've ever done that, first time

469
00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:04,840
Speaker 4: I've ever done it.

470
00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:09,080
Speaker 2: Oh man, I got too comfortable. I'm getting too comfortable

471
00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:12,879
Speaker 2: around you. Man on the Drive, okay, not on the Blitz.

472
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:14,840
Speaker 2: That's tom Off for a Man and CHRISA. Danski now

473
00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:16,920
Speaker 2: at noon. Make sure you're checking those guys out. Dang,

474
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:18,879
Speaker 2: I really made it this deep into the season without

475
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:19,439
Speaker 2: doing it.

476
00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:21,760
Speaker 4: It's crossed my mind a few times. I'm like, I've

477
00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,119
Speaker 4: been on several podcasts where we've changed the title of

478
00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:26,160
Speaker 4: them and things like that, and my co host has

479
00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,280
Speaker 4: a brutal time to it. Oh yeah, and he still

480
00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:29,880
Speaker 4: sometimes be like locked on Niners.

481
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,960
Speaker 2: You know, I'm like nope, Like you know, this is

482
00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:34,800
Speaker 2: someone who does a bunch of different shows as well too,

483
00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,120
Speaker 2: Like you know, I do the WVU show twice a week,

484
00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:39,720
Speaker 2: and for those who haven't picked up, like I usually

485
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:43,199
Speaker 2: do a similar sign off here on the Drive, yes,

486
00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,040
Speaker 2: where I'm like, take care, we'll talk to you tomorrow.

487
00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:47,920
Speaker 2: I'm doing my WBU show that we do twice a week,

488
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:49,560
Speaker 2: and I'm like, take care, I'll talk to you tomorrow.

489
00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:51,159
Speaker 2: And we go to the break and the guys are like,

490
00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:52,800
Speaker 2: what are you talking about? Talk to you tomorrow, like

491
00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,200
Speaker 2: we don't have or four days, and I'm like, dang it, man,

492
00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,200
Speaker 2: I've done a good job of keeping the signals from

493
00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:00,680
Speaker 2: getting crossed, but it got me there.

494
00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:01,199
Speaker 3: Uh.

495
00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:03,080
Speaker 2: Jabil Peppers full participant all week.

496
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:04,959
Speaker 4: I would love to see him go past Clark and

497
00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,359
Speaker 4: just be the pure three just because I think he's talented.

498
00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:09,359
Speaker 2: And he's got special teams value as well.

499
00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:09,520
Speaker 4: Too.

500
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,160
Speaker 2: Good news for Cole Holcomb Matt back to practice today

501
00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:15,560
Speaker 2: for the first time since dealing with that illness these

502
00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:16,399
Speaker 2: last couple of weeks.

503
00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,919
Speaker 4: Boy, I mean, must have been quite the illness. But okay, good.

504
00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:25,280
Speaker 4: I'm not saying Harrison's worthless or he should just go away,

505
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,280
Speaker 4: but I think you'll see less and less. I mean

506
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:30,760
Speaker 4: that might have been a one off, Jonathan Taylor.

507
00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:33,680
Speaker 2: I think Cole Hulkom is the clear cut number three linebacker.

508
00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,200
Speaker 4: Yeah, and if either one, if Wilson or Queen were

509
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,680
Speaker 4: to get hurt, Hulkom totals that spot totally.

510
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,720
Speaker 2: Let's see here. Alex high Smith pectoral has still not

511
00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,520
Speaker 2: practiced this week, and guys.

512
00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,080
Speaker 4: Like that, I don't worry about till Friday unless it's

513
00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:53,280
Speaker 4: something that's looming that's obviously huge. Maybe it's bigger than

514
00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:55,840
Speaker 4: maybe I'm brushing off, not giving enough credit, but I

515
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,080
Speaker 4: think he's earned the right to not agreed.

516
00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,560
Speaker 2: Good news on the same Malu front, he has practiced

517
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:06,120
Speaker 2: limited capacity, but he practiced both Wednesday and today Thursday.

518
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:06,840
Speaker 4: That's good news.

519
00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,000
Speaker 2: I think that's him trending in the right direction.

520
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,120
Speaker 4: Yeah for Sunday, And that's a guy that usually gets

521
00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:13,440
Speaker 4: a veterans day off, so yes, you know they just

522
00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:14,120
Speaker 4: even do that.

523
00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,880
Speaker 2: Better news for Broderick Jones. Remember we kind of yesterday

524
00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,000
Speaker 2: he popped up with a growing practice and we were like, Okay,

525
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,960
Speaker 2: hopefully that's just it's that time of year, day off,

526
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,960
Speaker 2: it's Wednesday. He was limited today, so moving in the

527
00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,240
Speaker 2: right propression, moving in the right yesterday, did not practice

528
00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:34,080
Speaker 2: it all yesterday, was limited today, So good in that regard.

529
00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:35,640
Speaker 2: And then three guys just.

530
00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:40,440
Speaker 4: Assumed Calvin Anderson as his direct backup. Yes, I mean,

531
00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,160
Speaker 4: I'm so glad we don't have to know that off

532
00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,600
Speaker 4: of our head. I mean, Pete's played some left tackle too,

533
00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:47,960
Speaker 4: but I would assume they just put Calvin and think.

534
00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:51,680
Speaker 2: So yeah, hopefully hopefully him and FELTONU just stay healthy

535
00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:53,600
Speaker 2: the rest of the way, and you need it for

536
00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:57,160
Speaker 2: evaluation reasons as well too. And then three guys who

537
00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:01,680
Speaker 2: got VET days yesterday, John Smith, TJ. Watt, Cam Hayward

538
00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:05,240
Speaker 2: all return to practice today, So good in that regard. Honestly,

539
00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:07,440
Speaker 2: I think the only one there that really I think

540
00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:11,640
Speaker 2: we assumed that Darius Slay was likely to miss this week.

541
00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,360
Speaker 2: I think we assumed that Isaac Samalu was likely to

542
00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,520
Speaker 2: get back this week. I think the only one to

543
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:19,160
Speaker 2: keep an eye on for tomorrow really is Alex Highsmith.

544
00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,400
Speaker 4: Yes, a thousand agree with what you said.

545
00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:27,280
Speaker 2: Let's take a look here at the Cincinnati Bungles injury report.

546
00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,040
Speaker 2: If I can get this to why is this? Why

547
00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:31,920
Speaker 2: do they put this in such small font? What are

548
00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:33,040
Speaker 2: you doing here, Cincinnati?

549
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:34,280
Speaker 1: Good? Look?

550
00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:38,640
Speaker 2: What is this an injury report for ants? Joe Burrow's

551
00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:40,720
Speaker 2: been limited all week. He's not going to be activated.

552
00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:41,680
Speaker 2: We're not going to no.

553
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:43,760
Speaker 4: I think he even said he's shooting for like Thanksgiving it.

554
00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:44,760
Speaker 2: Shooting for Thanksgiving us.

555
00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:45,040
Speaker 3: Yeah.

556
00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:49,440
Speaker 2: Jermaine Burton, wide receiver, has an illness, has not practiced

557
00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:50,160
Speaker 2: yet this week.

558
00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:52,760
Speaker 4: He's down the depth joke, down the depth chart. Disappointing,

559
00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:53,960
Speaker 4: but yeah.

560
00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:55,640
Speaker 2: Interesting one. And I'm sure that this is just a

561
00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:57,960
Speaker 2: you know, his age and everything like that and his

562
00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:01,120
Speaker 2: veteran status. But Joe Flacco with a right shoulder injury,

563
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,800
Speaker 2: did not practice yesterday, was limited today on Thursday.

564
00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,400
Speaker 4: I wish I knew where I heard this earlier in

565
00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,480
Speaker 4: the week, But it might be a little more than.

566
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:16,160
Speaker 2: That you think. So, I mean, somebody like that he

567
00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:18,240
Speaker 2: was a little sore, will give him a day or

568
00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:19,120
Speaker 2: two rest.

569
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:21,560
Speaker 4: Right, But you don't like you're starting quarterback hitting at yeah.

570
00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:24,400
Speaker 2: Especially right show, especially throwing as well too.

571
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:26,280
Speaker 4: And I'm not saying there's any more to that, but

572
00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:28,680
Speaker 4: you want you need him practice.

573
00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:30,480
Speaker 2: And you need him practicing for the rest of the

574
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:31,400
Speaker 2: good for everybody else.

575
00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,040
Speaker 4: Yeah, get stuff done.

576
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,720
Speaker 2: Trey Hendrickson, another d n P another did not practice

577
00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:39,720
Speaker 2: today with the hip injury. So he hasn't practiced yet

578
00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,120
Speaker 2: this week. I'd be shocked if we saw him on Sunday.

579
00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:46,200
Speaker 2: BJ Hill was limited in practice today.

580
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:50,160
Speaker 4: Yeah. Not a great player, but he is important to them. Yeah. Yeah.

581
00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:51,480
Speaker 3: Uh.

582
00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:54,520
Speaker 2: Lucas Patrick the guard has not practiced yet this week

583
00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:59,120
Speaker 2: with a calf injury. He's a backup yep. J Ryan

584
00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:01,440
Speaker 2: backup running back has not practiced yet this week with

585
00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:03,840
Speaker 2: an ankle I think for a while, I think he's

586
00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:05,120
Speaker 2: out for a while as well too.

587
00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,400
Speaker 4: I thought he might even die are And then.

588
00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,640
Speaker 2: The first round pick, the rookie Shimer Stewart defensive end

589
00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:13,400
Speaker 2: edge rusher, has not practiced yet this week either with

590
00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:14,400
Speaker 2: a knee injury.

591
00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:16,960
Speaker 4: It's amazing how little they've gotten out of their incredible

592
00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,160
Speaker 4: high draft picks on defense. I don't know if you

593
00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,680
Speaker 4: caught in him Matt stats or whatever, but the number

594
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,400
Speaker 4: of guys they've drafted in like the top one hundred

595
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:27,760
Speaker 4: or I forget what it was like. Maybe it was

596
00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:30,000
Speaker 4: even the top fifty in just the last couple of

597
00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:33,040
Speaker 4: drafts and DJ turners like the one playing well. I mean,

598
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:34,480
Speaker 4: they've invested in defense.

599
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:35,600
Speaker 2: Like crazy and it hasn't paid off.

600
00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:37,200
Speaker 4: No, and they're the worst defense in the league.

601
00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:42,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's cool. It's not for a lack of trying,

602
00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:43,240
Speaker 2: Matt right, whatever, lame.

603
00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:45,640
Speaker 4: The coordinator goes to the Colts and wins every game.

604
00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:48,000
Speaker 2: That's maybe the most ironic part of it is the

605
00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:49,600
Speaker 2: coordinator goes to the Colts and all of a sudden,

606
00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:50,760
Speaker 2: their defense looks great.

607
00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:52,400
Speaker 4: Steps up in a big way, right.

608
00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,320
Speaker 2: They're one of they're one of the better teams in

609
00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:56,240
Speaker 2: the National Football League and have a real shot to

610
00:32:56,280 --> 00:32:57,280
Speaker 2: go on a run this year.

611
00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:01,360
Speaker 4: So oh no, injury wise, feel pretty good, not too shabby.

612
00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:03,440
Speaker 2: Keep an eye on Alex high Smith. But other than that,

613
00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:04,120
Speaker 2: I think.

614
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:07,000
Speaker 4: And frankly, if he missed, you could, I mean, Herbie's great.

615
00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:09,120
Speaker 2: It's not the end of the world. You want him

616
00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:15,080
Speaker 2: out there, certainly, yes, yeah, no doubt, no doubt him much.

617
00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:18,800
Speaker 2: AFC North note for you before we go to break.

618
00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:23,440
Speaker 2: Matt Lamar Jackson missed yesterday's practice with a knee injury.

619
00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,520
Speaker 2: He was a full participant at today's practice.

620
00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,440
Speaker 4: So didn't run a ton against Minnesota. He's not quite

621
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:32,120
Speaker 4: playing his same style, but he's back and the Ravens

622
00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:33,760
Speaker 4: are scary.

623
00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:38,120
Speaker 2: Unfortunately they are uh and we will have plenty of

624
00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:41,440
Speaker 2: time to discuss that as we roll along. One more

625
00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:43,719
Speaker 2: segment to go on the other side. Will put some

626
00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:46,880
Speaker 2: final kind of crossing, some t's dotting, some eyes of

627
00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:51,080
Speaker 2: Matt's stats. We will also just give some quick thoughts

628
00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:54,800
Speaker 2: on tonight's Thursday night football game Patriots and Jets. Is

629
00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,160
Speaker 2: it going to be a blowout or on the short week.

630
00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:59,000
Speaker 2: Could the Jets who have hey don't look now, but

631
00:33:59,040 --> 00:33:59,880
Speaker 2: have won two games.

632
00:33:59,680 --> 00:33:59,959
Speaker 1: In a row.

633
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,880
Speaker 4: Oh wow, I guess they have, even though they traded

634
00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:05,960
Speaker 4: Sauce and Quinnen And you know, right, Garrett Wilson just

635
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,080
Speaker 4: went an ir like ten minutes ago to by the way,

636
00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:10,120
Speaker 4: you know, hey, they don't make a players left, but.

637
00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:12,440
Speaker 2: They won to Breeze Hall fifty carries tonight.

638
00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:13,080
Speaker 4: Wow.

639
00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:15,600
Speaker 2: Hey, you win two in a row, you know what

640
00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:18,279
Speaker 2: happens if you win three in a row. They call

641
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:21,400
Speaker 2: that a winning street. It has happened before.

642
00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,399
Speaker 4: Wow, wouldn't that be Jets like to very much sell

643
00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:26,560
Speaker 4: everything and then lose the first overall pick and the

644
00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:28,880
Speaker 4: end up six. It would be very right.

645
00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:31,799
Speaker 2: Didn't that happen to them a few years ago? And

646
00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,600
Speaker 2: like maybe the Sam Donald Baker Mayfield year where they were.

647
00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:36,840
Speaker 4: Supposed to the last one.

648
00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:39,560
Speaker 2: Like an overtime a meaningless and they ended up getting

649
00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:41,839
Speaker 2: picked two instead of pick one. Yeah, would have probably

650
00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:45,560
Speaker 2: still taken Sam Donald anyways. But it's funny how for

651
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,040
Speaker 2: some franchises that stuff just seems to happen.

652
00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:48,479
Speaker 4: Right.

653
00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:50,719
Speaker 2: We will wrap this thing up when we return on

654
00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:53,440
Speaker 2: the other side. Some Thursday night football thoughts, some final

655
00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:56,080
Speaker 2: Matt stats nuggets, all of that and more as we

656
00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:59,239
Speaker 2: close down shop. It is the drive on Steelers Nation Radio.

657
00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,800
Speaker 2: The dry I've seven Home of the Black and Cult.

658
00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,759
Speaker 1: You were two weeks about drive on your twenty four

659
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:35,640
Speaker 1: to seven Home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

660
00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,680
Speaker 2: Down the home stretch here on a Thursday. I do

661
00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:35,200
Speaker 2: want to get Matt's more concrete thoughts on tonight's Thursday

662
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:40,520
Speaker 2: night football matchup, an AFC East clash between the Jets

663
00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:41,879
Speaker 2: and the Patriots.

664
00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,520
Speaker 4: At New England. I believe so, I think so.

665
00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:47,840
Speaker 2: Oh yes, at New England where the Patriots are a

666
00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:51,239
Speaker 2: thirteen and a half point favorite. Big number. We'll get

667
00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:53,080
Speaker 2: to that in just a second. Two tweets that I

668
00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:55,080
Speaker 2: wanted to run past you here, Matt, as we start

669
00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:58,360
Speaker 2: to close this thing down. The first one from Brad says,

670
00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:01,160
Speaker 2: why all doom and gloom stealer because the team is

671
00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:03,319
Speaker 2: thrown up on themselves a couple of times? Who in

672
00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:06,239
Speaker 2: the AFC hasn't Who in this conference would you be

673
00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:09,520
Speaker 2: afraid of? Right now? The Colts already beat the Patriots,

674
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:13,319
Speaker 2: already beat the Bolts. Okay, that one was a little

675
00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:16,640
Speaker 2: bit different, and sure, concerned about the Chiefs, but they

676
00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,480
Speaker 2: have problems too. The Broncos have a strong defense, but

677
00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:22,400
Speaker 2: their offense isn't nearly as good as some of the

678
00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:25,360
Speaker 2: others that we've seen. The Ravens, their win against the

679
00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:29,000
Speaker 2: Vikings was weak. The problems are fixable, and there has

680
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:30,320
Speaker 2: been improvement in the trenches.

681
00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:33,040
Speaker 4: Hey, I like some Uh that's a great tweet.

682
00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:35,879
Speaker 2: Some optimism from Brad there, right, and he's I think

683
00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,120
Speaker 2: the AFC is way more wide open than the NFC.

684
00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:41,520
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm way weaker in terms of strong teams. I mean,

685
00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:43,480
Speaker 4: Bill Holt, right.

686
00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:46,480
Speaker 2: The Broncos have their issues, The Patriots have their issues.

687
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:50,160
Speaker 4: The Chiefs are the sleeping Giant, but they've been sleepy.

688
00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:52,840
Speaker 4: I don't love they love that wins, you know what

689
00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:55,080
Speaker 4: I mean. Denver his offense is kind of a mess.

690
00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:58,960
Speaker 2: They're ripping giant. But it's like many though, Yeah, take

691
00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:00,919
Speaker 2: it too much Tiland on p m over there. Yeah,

692
00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,560
Speaker 2: in the city. It's a fair point.

693
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:06,359
Speaker 4: It's a fair point. I mean, the Steelers problems aren't.

694
00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:08,360
Speaker 2: If you're in much different if you're in the NFC.

695
00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:10,959
Speaker 2: You're looking at and you're going, man, the Rams are tough.

696
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:11,359
Speaker 1: Man.

697
00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:15,479
Speaker 2: Seattle is tough. Yeah, man, the Eagles are doing Eagles things. Yeah,

698
00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:19,000
Speaker 2: Detroit Detroit, right or even like Green Bay and Tampa.

699
00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,240
Speaker 4: I think Philly plays Detroit, and I know the Rams

700
00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:24,960
Speaker 4: play Seattle, so like big Dogs. I know the Rams

701
00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:26,520
Speaker 4: play Seattle. Yeah, big dogs?

702
00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:29,239
Speaker 2: Is that this weekend? I think Ram Seattle this weekend? Maybe? Yeah,

703
00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:30,880
Speaker 2: there is so, Yeah, the Big Dogs are going to

704
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:31,640
Speaker 2: clash out there.

705
00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:34,960
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think that's playoff like football where AFC

706
00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:37,440
Speaker 4: is not the same right now, like even like he

707
00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:39,840
Speaker 4: didn't bring up Jacksonville, which I wouldn't have either, but

708
00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:41,560
Speaker 4: they're kind of falling apart, you know.

709
00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:44,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good point.

710
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:47,439
Speaker 4: Actually they used starting to rebound, but they're in such

711
00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:47,759
Speaker 4: a hole.

712
00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:50,080
Speaker 2: Speaking of which CJ. Stroud ruled out for the second

713
00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:52,960
Speaker 2: second straight week. See if they can work some more,

714
00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:56,839
Speaker 2: some more mills magic down there in Houston last week

715
00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:59,920
Speaker 2: to get to b Wigs tweets us and says Gundy

716
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:01,799
Speaker 2: head to the Steelers make the playoffs. I mean, we

717
00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:03,640
Speaker 2: could put the gun away. We can just we can

718
00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:07,759
Speaker 2: just ask the question. I'm still leaning towards yes, But

719
00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:10,879
Speaker 2: check back after you ask me Sunday at about four

720
00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:12,400
Speaker 2: thirty and I'll really let you know.

721
00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:17,200
Speaker 4: Yeah, Monday Sunday at four thirty would be a lot

722
00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:20,120
Speaker 4: more concrete. And it might even could be that if

723
00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:22,279
Speaker 4: they lost, I might be like, no, they win. I

724
00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:26,440
Speaker 4: might just feel like, yes, I think so. But seven

725
00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:30,080
Speaker 4: teams are going, and I think it'll be the Bills.

726
00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:33,920
Speaker 2: The Patriots, no doubt, the Colts, no doubt.

727
00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:37,320
Speaker 4: Chargers are basically in now. Denver's basically in. Now.

728
00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:38,080
Speaker 2: That's five.

729
00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:41,200
Speaker 4: I'm definitely think I don't think the Chiefs are going missuppose.

730
00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:43,160
Speaker 2: It would be six.

731
00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:44,000
Speaker 4: That's six.

732
00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:47,080
Speaker 2: That leaves Steelers of Baltimore. Yeah, one seat left on

733
00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:47,799
Speaker 2: the Titanic.

734
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,279
Speaker 4: I miscounted. I was thinking they both would be in

735
00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:50,839
Speaker 4: the top ten.

736
00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:53,680
Speaker 2: Again, though, as much as I is there any of

737
00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,400
Speaker 2: those I'm putting, I'm putting the Chiefs on the grease board.

738
00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:57,720
Speaker 2: But they're also only.

739
00:38:57,560 --> 00:38:59,840
Speaker 4: Five and four, right, I just can't imagine.

740
00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:03,200
Speaker 2: I can't. I can't either. But like what if I

741
00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:05,840
Speaker 2: hate being this guy, but like what if Mahomes missed

742
00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:06,960
Speaker 2: two games with an injury?

743
00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:07,920
Speaker 3: You know?

744
00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:09,759
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, yeah, I mean some of these teams are

745
00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,920
Speaker 4: going to have that stuff. Yeah, I mean, like I assume.

746
00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:15,440
Speaker 2: But they also have no wiggle room the rest of

747
00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:17,400
Speaker 2: the way, and they play in a really tough division.

748
00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:19,239
Speaker 4: The Chiefs don't have it or Bills don't have as

749
00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:20,480
Speaker 4: much wiggle room as you think either.

750
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,479
Speaker 2: Bills don't have as much wiggle room either.

751
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:26,200
Speaker 4: The Chargers winning is that last week was huge for them,

752
00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:29,000
Speaker 4: big time. Now I heard this, Yeah you know Aaron

753
00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:31,520
Speaker 4: Shott says he used to be football outsiders. Yeah yeah,

754
00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:34,640
Speaker 4: I was listening to this podcast today and he's very technical,

755
00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:38,320
Speaker 4: and he said the biggest game to date in terms

756
00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:43,920
Speaker 4: of playoff or chances of going to the playoffs are Chargers Jags.

757
00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:47,400
Speaker 4: This week makes sense if the Charger, if the Jags.

758
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:47,959
Speaker 2: Lose, they're done.

759
00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:50,640
Speaker 4: They're at like seven percent. Yeah, you know, but if

760
00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:52,560
Speaker 4: the Chargers lose, all of a sudden, it starts.

761
00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:55,000
Speaker 2: To get maybe the window a little bit. And again

762
00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:56,680
Speaker 2: they're in that tough division too. They still got to

763
00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:57,920
Speaker 2: play the Broncos and the Chiefs.

764
00:39:57,920 --> 00:39:59,719
Speaker 4: So we would like to see the Jags beat the

765
00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:03,919
Speaker 4: charge yes, because they go from like a right now,

766
00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:06,719
Speaker 4: I think they're like a fifty percent chance. And I

767
00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:08,959
Speaker 4: don't love the percentage stuff because who knows what's gonna happen.

768
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:10,560
Speaker 4: I mean, you're pretending to have a crystal ball, but

769
00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:12,520
Speaker 4: they go to like eighty five with a win and

770
00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:15,839
Speaker 4: a lot AFC win three. Yeah, because they heard an

771
00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:18,560
Speaker 4: opponent for a wild card spot AFC win a double

772
00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:20,719
Speaker 4: tap yeah yeah, yeah yeah, But that's their biggest one

773
00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:21,120
Speaker 4: to date.

774
00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:23,799
Speaker 2: That makes a lot of sense and they certainly want

775
00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:25,919
Speaker 2: to keep an eye on. We will talk about those

776
00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:29,279
Speaker 2: plenty on tomorrow's program, as well as being joined by

777
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,520
Speaker 2: Kyle Duggar if you miss that as well too. Matt

778
00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:36,920
Speaker 2: eight to fifteen Tonight Jets in Foxborough a two and

779
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:41,200
Speaker 2: seventeen against an eight and two team. The spread reflects

780
00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:43,680
Speaker 2: that New England nearly a two touchdown favorite thirteen and

781
00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:47,120
Speaker 2: a half points. But you know what, it's a Thursday night,

782
00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:49,880
Speaker 2: it's a divisional matchup. I would weird things happen.

783
00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:50,720
Speaker 4: It would.

784
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:52,840
Speaker 2: You'd have more of a pension for the strange in

785
00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:55,600
Speaker 2: this one. Pension for the strange that sounds like a

786
00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:58,799
Speaker 2: hipster album if it was at MetLife as opposed to

787
00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:02,880
Speaker 2: Jill at Stadium. But any chance you think the Jets

788
00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:05,080
Speaker 2: could give the Patriots and issues this evening, I.

789
00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:07,440
Speaker 4: Would probably take the points, though, I mean that's a

790
00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:08,680
Speaker 4: lot of points for Thursday night.

791
00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:11,440
Speaker 2: Games a short week for a commany.

792
00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:13,520
Speaker 4: They don't Garrett Wilson and no sauce. They don't have

793
00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:17,799
Speaker 4: winning right. And I'll be honest, I it took me

794
00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:20,719
Speaker 4: a long time, but I am now on the Patriots bandwagon.

795
00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:22,680
Speaker 4: I think they're legit, legit.

796
00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,480
Speaker 2: I don't think they're a super Bowl contender, but I

797
00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:28,040
Speaker 2: think they're a legit, no doubt playoff team.

798
00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:28,359
Speaker 3: Yeah.

799
00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:30,800
Speaker 4: A couple of weeks ago, I thought they're gonna fall off.

800
00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:32,920
Speaker 4: Tampa will beat them and put them back in their

801
00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:36,080
Speaker 4: place a little bit. But they're really well coached and

802
00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:37,479
Speaker 4: they're strong on both sides of the ball.

803
00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:40,400
Speaker 2: That they are, and I tell you what, man, they

804
00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:42,120
Speaker 2: can move to nine and two tonight.

805
00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:42,880
Speaker 4: Yeah.

806
00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:43,480
Speaker 2: Good lord.

807
00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:46,319
Speaker 4: I'm sure some people have him isolated on Drake May

808
00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:48,960
Speaker 4: except for the Steeler game that that you as big

809
00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:51,799
Speaker 4: nerds as I am or whatever, But dude, watch him.

810
00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:55,200
Speaker 4: He's really really good tonight. I think the next great one.

811
00:41:55,239 --> 00:41:57,960
Speaker 2: I think right now he is the Vegas front runner

812
00:41:58,000 --> 00:41:58,480
Speaker 2: for MVP.

813
00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:01,719
Speaker 4: I know he's like I would vote for Stafford, but

814
00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:03,160
Speaker 4: in Vegas right now he is.

815
00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:05,200
Speaker 2: Stafford's up there. Goth I think is up there as

816
00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:08,480
Speaker 2: well too. But yeah, I think as of this morning,

817
00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:11,960
Speaker 2: Drake may was the slight betting favorite for MVP, and

818
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:13,839
Speaker 2: if he goes out there and lights up the Jets tonight,

819
00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:17,120
Speaker 2: that'll certainly be the case Friday morning, Matt and I'll

820
00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:20,359
Speaker 2: be back tomorrow full gamble of Friday shows to get

821
00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:25,680
Speaker 2: you ready for Steelers Bengals five Star Friday Douggart double

822
00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:26,880
Speaker 2: guest Friday tomorrow.

823
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:27,320
Speaker 4: Baby.

824
00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:30,160
Speaker 2: As the road starts to narrow, then there's a lot

825
00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:32,839
Speaker 2: of important games around the league, certainly, and there's a

826
00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:35,680
Speaker 2: big one at Acroture Stadium on Sunday. We'll get into

827
00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:38,440
Speaker 2: all of that when we return tomorrow. Thanks to the

828
00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,439
Speaker 2: Dina Doom, the Lord of living in his fears, Bob

829
00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:44,320
Speaker 2: Labriola for joining us today, for our resident video producer

830
00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:48,880
Speaker 2: slash statistician slash mister do it All, Tyler V mister

831
00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:51,160
Speaker 2: TV for making sure we look nice and handsome, and

832
00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:54,360
Speaker 2: HD on the YouTube for Matt Williams and I'm Wes Shuler.

833
00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:56,799
Speaker 2: Take care everybody, we'll talk to you tomorrow. You know

834
00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:58,120
Speaker 2: where to find us. It's on your twenty four to

835
00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:00,879
Speaker 2: seven home of the Black and Gold Delers Nation Radio

836
00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:02,440
Speaker 2: on the Steelers' audio network