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Speaker 1: At least, he's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt

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Speaker 1: Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the

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Speaker 1: Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: And welcome to the Drive. I am Dale LOLLI he

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Speaker 2: is the Matt Williamson. And uh, well it's a Tuesday.

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Speaker 2: That's a Wednesday here in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Yep, just

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Speaker 2: another one of the Like every week this entire month

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Speaker 2: has been like that.

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Speaker 3: It's been at least that, I mean, going back to Thanksgiving.

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Speaker 3: I think it's just I don't know, there's never been

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Speaker 3: like a normal week, a normal and I've come to notice.

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Speaker 3: I mean, like when I got hired by pitt and

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Speaker 3: was a full time employee, I was shocked how much

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Speaker 3: creature have it. Players are and coaches and everything is

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Speaker 3: so exact.

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Speaker 2: Everything's regimented.

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Speaker 3: Yep. And frankly I've become the same way. I mean,

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Speaker 3: like such a dork. I build a spreadsheet before the

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Speaker 3: seatop right there, and like every week at Tuesday at

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Speaker 3: three o'clock, I know where're gonna be. Or Thursday at

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Speaker 3: four thirty, like you always know where you're gonna be.

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Speaker 3: And these last couple of weeks have messed with my brain.

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Speaker 2: Its like I was at the Steelers facility today, I'm like,

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Speaker 2: what day is today? Like a normal week, Today's New

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Speaker 2: Year's Eve, I didn't even know, Like Happy New Year's Eve. Everybody,

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Speaker 2: hope everybody stays safe, and the Joey Day's right around

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Speaker 2: the corner. Yeah, it's like, you know, every every week

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Speaker 2: this thus far has been a challenge in this you know,

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Speaker 2: in this fashion, just from the fact that your your schedules.

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Speaker 3: All. Yeah, Christmas was the craziest, but i mean, yeah,

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Speaker 3: three and eleven days plus that, plus all the games

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Speaker 3: every night too. I don't know which one is Monday FOOTBA,

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Speaker 3: which on Thursday football, Wednesday night football.

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Speaker 2: You know, I was actually looking forward to having a

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Speaker 2: Sunday game. I'm thinking when.

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Speaker 3: When before chances are, before the.

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Speaker 2: Colts lost, I'm like, Okay, they're going to be four

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Speaker 2: teams playing for for one playoff spot in the a

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Speaker 2: f C. You know, maybe they'll Saturday. Yeah, maybe they'll

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Speaker 2: put all those games at well, they'll put them at

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Speaker 2: four o'clock because you get some West Coast teams in

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Speaker 2: there mixed in. I'm like, that'll be perfect four o'clock.

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Speaker 2: Pay a lot of attention to them, and then the

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Speaker 2: Colts lose.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, thanks, which means you're doing pregame during the Ravens game,

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Speaker 3: and then you're up late. And then Sunday's nice, but

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Speaker 3: you're gonna get up late because you're up to four

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Speaker 3: in the morning.

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Speaker 2: And you know what's gonna happen, Okay, one way or

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Speaker 2: the other, whether the Steelers play Houston or whether the

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Speaker 2: Steelers play Baltimore. If it's Baltimore, I guarantee you right now,

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Speaker 2: that game will be Saturday night.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I would think because they're both Saturday games. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 3: I would think that. If it's Houston, it will be.

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Speaker 2: Saturday afternoon, it'll be the four thirty game or four

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Speaker 2: o'clock game, whatever that is.

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Speaker 3: Which is fine by me because that gives a Steelers

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Speaker 3: seven days. It'd be nice to pick up eight for

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Speaker 3: the playoffs.

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Speaker 2: It's just another condensed week of practice, weird.

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Speaker 3: Way of practice Wednesdays or Thursday.

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Speaker 2: Because they won't they won't do anything Sunday, of course,

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Speaker 2: right right, is.

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Speaker 3: It safe to say? I mean, playing on Sunday night

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Speaker 3: the last game of the regular season isn't great. But

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Speaker 3: I understand what the especially for the road team, especially

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Speaker 3: for the road team. Yeah, so that.

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Speaker 2: Team is gonna them there, they'll end up playing the late.

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Speaker 3: That's what I was going to ask you. I mean,

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Speaker 3: because both those teams are going to playoffs. It's just

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Speaker 3: a matter of who's the number one. But they're not

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Speaker 3: gonna make either one. They're not gonna make that team

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Speaker 3: that travels play on Saturday. That's what I was gonna

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Speaker 3: ask right, right, Okay, because I forgot that one of

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Speaker 3: them gets to buy, so the loser will play on Sunday. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 3: that makes sense, which is better? I mean, if you

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Speaker 3: make them play on Saturday, that's.

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Speaker 2: Not completely on Friday, right, Yeah.

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Speaker 3: And I would think Ravens and Steelers, no matter who

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Speaker 3: they play, are likely to be on Saturdays. They're both

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Speaker 3: playoff teams.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and Houston always gets the early slot on Saturday

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Speaker 2: if you look back through you look back through their

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Speaker 2: playoff history because it's Houston and nobody.

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Speaker 3: Just because they're not a big draw. Yeah okay, okay,

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Speaker 3: I mean that the Steelers would be in that situation, right,

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Speaker 3: but that's usually where Houston lands. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Plus they're a west coast you know, or western part

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Speaker 2: you know, west of the Mississippi. Anyways, we have a

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Speaker 2: Steelers injury report. Oh okay, it looks pretty good. Actually,

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Speaker 2: Justin Fields a full participant today with that abdominal injury issue.

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Speaker 2: Russell Wilson got the day off the rest he was limited.

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Speaker 2: The Steelers made three roster moves today.

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Speaker 3: No really have moms on top anders though.

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Speaker 2: Roman Wilson, Cole Holcome, Logan Lee all had their practice

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Speaker 2: windows opened today.

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Speaker 3: Oh wow, okay, guys we haven't heard from for a while. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: So, Roman Wilson was a full participant in practice today.

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Speaker 2: Cole Holcombe and Logan Lee were both limited. And you

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Speaker 2: do that now because you get to act. You get

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Speaker 2: to start that window or open that window before the

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Speaker 2: playoffs start. And therefore, if something happens, let's say you

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Speaker 2: lose somebody this weekend, well okay, let's say you lose

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Speaker 2: an inside linebacker for me, right right, right, right, all right,

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Speaker 2: we're just going to activate Cole Hulk.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. So a couple questions on that. Well, first off,

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Speaker 3: i feel like I've disrespected Logan Lee because we've talked

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Speaker 3: about this draft class. I'm like, well, even a third

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Speaker 3: round pickers.

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Speaker 2: I've gotten forty five questions about when's room and Wilson

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Speaker 2: coming back. I've got no questions about when Logan Lea's are, right.

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Speaker 3: I kind of you. I'm sorry I forgot you with that,

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Speaker 3: you know what I mean. But great. I mean he's

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Speaker 3: added to the group as well. So it's every team

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Speaker 3: going to do this with their guys that are playoff teams.

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Speaker 3: I think they're smart. I mean, if you guys to lose, yeah,

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Speaker 3: because you if the window opens for twenty one days

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Speaker 3: and shuts, what'd you lose? Yeah?

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Speaker 2: Right, right, right right, Yeah, you get the opportunity at

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Speaker 2: least see these guys practice in case you might.

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Speaker 3: Need them, and many of the teams will get eliminated

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Speaker 3: next twenty one days. Yeah, you know that. If you

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Speaker 3: open the window, why why not even if they I

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Speaker 3: mean unless there's like no physical chance that they can

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Speaker 3: do it, like Aiden Hutchinson's window will open, guys like that,

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Speaker 3: because the.

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Speaker 2: Other thing that then happens is once these other teams

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Speaker 2: are done playing the teams that don't make the playoffs,

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Speaker 2: they start signing guys, yeah, to futures contracts, and they

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Speaker 2: can sign guys off of anybody's roster ups, you know,

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Speaker 2: practice squad or anything like that. So you've got three

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Speaker 2: extra basically three extra practice squad spots here that you

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Speaker 2: just created by activating those three guys.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that makes sense. And hey, you kind of like

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Speaker 3: we were talking before we hit record here, you know

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Speaker 3: that the bowl games are in full swing. There's one

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Speaker 3: going on as we speak, I think, and you know,

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Speaker 3: like back in my pit days, that was valuable extra

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Speaker 3: practice time. Like maybe nobody cared about the Blue Bonnet

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Speaker 3: Bowl or the weed Eater Bowl, but we're like, we

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Speaker 3: got an extra whole month of practice. You know, all

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Speaker 3: my young our young guys are going to play like crazy.

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Speaker 3: You know, we didn't play Larry's last year like crazy

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Speaker 3: in that month, but we played all the new guys

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Speaker 3: that were incoming. You know, they were fitting on the

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Speaker 3: bench all week for a year.

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Speaker 2: And I had somebody ask on the message board as

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Speaker 2: well today, well, why is it that Ricky Pearsoll can

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Speaker 2: go out there and have a big game on Monday

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Speaker 2: night and the Steelers can't see him to get Roman

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Speaker 2: Wilson activated at all? I'm like, well, first, and Ricky

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Speaker 2: Pearsall went through way worse than Roman Wilson did, so well.

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Speaker 2: Pearsall was activated earlier in the season. Oh, he's been

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Speaker 2: practicing with He's been practicing all season long.

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Speaker 3: And before last night, everyone's like, why did they get

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Speaker 3: more of the first round pick? He looks like a bust? Yeah,

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Speaker 3: I mean that's a what I was. That was the

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Speaker 3: Pearsall narrative until twenty four hours ago. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: He had one other game this season where he flashed.

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Speaker 2: I think he had like four catches for like fifty

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Speaker 2: six yards. Yeah, and then last Yeah, make an impact

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Speaker 2: so far and he was a first round pick.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. He's also drafted well ahead with Wilson.

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Speaker 2: Right, whereas Roman Wilson missed all a training camp, came

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Speaker 2: back for like three weeks, finally got his first playing time,

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Speaker 2: was active for a game for the first time, and

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Speaker 2: then got hurt again.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. The Niners also didn't trade for wide receivers the

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Speaker 3: trade deadline. I mean there's only so many.

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Speaker 2: Spots, right, that's the other third.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and none of them play special teams, right, you know,

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Speaker 3: scouring it is gonna run down like punts.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you need those guys. We're scronic.

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Speaker 3: I called him, I call him everything under the book.

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Speaker 3: I do both.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I get that some names that's like a Bill

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Speaker 2: cowerism thing. You know Mike Thomas Zach was always Jerry Oldslavsky.

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Speaker 3: Uh.

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Speaker 2: He always puted a lot of names close with no cigar. Anyways,

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Speaker 2: getting back to the injury a report, Uh, you mentioned

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Speaker 2: Ben Scronic his he was limited today with that hip issue,

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Speaker 2: but limited as a step in the right direction. Joey

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Speaker 2: Porter Junior a full participant today. That is a step

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Speaker 2: in the right direction. Jayleen Warrem was limited with his

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Speaker 2: rib issue. That's not shouldn't hold him back. And then

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Speaker 2: Isaac Samalu was given the day off to rest.

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Speaker 3: So I assume they won't treat this like a playoff game,

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Speaker 3: but they were. It's all hands on deck. They're playing

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Speaker 3: our guys.

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Speaker 2: Yea dok to Cam Heyward earlier today and he was

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Speaker 2: asked about that, he said, how do you feel about it?

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Speaker 3: What if?

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Speaker 2: What if Baltimore wins earlier in the day and they

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Speaker 2: clinched a division.

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Speaker 3: He's like, I don't think that matters at all.

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Speaker 2: We want to we want to go out and win.

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Speaker 2: We don't want to go into the playoffs on a

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Speaker 2: four game losing. We're gonna try to win this game.

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Speaker 2: And there's a chance you could follow the sixth seed, right,

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Speaker 2: I mean, I think see matters. I don't know that

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Speaker 2: they're necessarily thinking about it that way, but they do

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Speaker 2: want to win the football game. Y. Yeah, as Mike

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Speaker 2: Tomlins said, wash the stink away from the last three games.

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Speaker 3: No, I think there's value in that as well. What

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Speaker 3: I meant by a playoff game is questionable dudes would play,

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Speaker 3: you know. I mean, I don't think there's any of

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Speaker 3: those on this list.

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Speaker 2: They don't really have anybody that's going to be questionable qualified.

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Speaker 2: On the Cincinnati side of things, though, Chase Brown did

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Speaker 2: not practice today.

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Speaker 3: I think his season's over.

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Speaker 2: I don't said yet. Here's the thing, and I could

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Speaker 2: see him wanting to play. He's ten yards short of

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Speaker 2: a thousand for the season. Is really ten yards?

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Speaker 3: That's a bummer.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, but it's a high ankle sprain, like you know,

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Speaker 2: you're running back the high ankle sprain. I just don't

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Speaker 2: know that even if he would happen to play.

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Speaker 3: He would be real and it looks pretty brutal.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Orlando Brown Junior with a fibula injury limited Joe

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Speaker 2: Burrow with right wrist and knee issues that he is

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Speaker 2: six things. Yeah, without a doubt. The right wrist has

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Speaker 2: been the issue all season long or not. Offensive tackle

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Speaker 2: Devin Cochrane did not practice because of personal issues.

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Speaker 3: We held in form yeah, and then true, so he

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Speaker 3: was the starting right tackle. And I'm like, who's Devin Cochrane?

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Speaker 3: I had never heard of the dude and I still

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Speaker 3: don't know him more than that, except for he might

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Speaker 3: be their starting right tackle on Saturday.

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Speaker 2: He can very well could be. We'll get to that

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Speaker 2: here in a minute. T Higgins ankle and knee issues

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Speaker 2: was limited. That's kind of been his situation the last

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Speaker 2: couple of weeks. Sam Hubbard did not practice. He's out.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think he's done.

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Speaker 2: Tanner Hudson, another one of their tight ends, has a

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Speaker 2: knee issue. He was limited. McKinley Jackson, one of their

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Speaker 2: defensive tackles, was a full participant with a wrist Chris

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Speaker 2: Jenkins one of their other defensive tackles. Both those guys, yeah,

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Speaker 2: limited with a knee issue. Charlie Jones, who's our wide

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Speaker 2: receiver slash kick returner, he has a groin he was limited.

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Speaker 2: Amarus Mims with the ankle in hand those are not connected,

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Speaker 2: was limited. And then tight Andrew Sample with a groin

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Speaker 2: issue was did not practice.

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Speaker 3: Okay, So the announcers didn't do a great job on

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Speaker 3: the Mims injury, but he was ruled out pretty quickly

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Speaker 3: after getting hurt. I think it was like twenty snaps

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Speaker 3: into the game. So I thought he'd be done, you know,

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Speaker 3: like it was serious, seriously, not limited. He still got

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Speaker 3: a chance.

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Speaker 2: It was the ankle during the game, I think so, yeah,

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Speaker 2: because big man fall down like tree. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 2: I think he got some friendly fire. There wasn't it.

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Speaker 2: I don't remember Bough fell into his the back of

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Speaker 2: his ankle or something like that for a member correctly.

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Speaker 3: But we'll see.

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Speaker 2: I mean, you know, again with with the Bengals, Yeah,

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Speaker 2: they need to win this game, but they've got a

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Speaker 2: six percent chance. It's not so many things too. Things

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Speaker 2: they need they need to win, and then they need

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Speaker 2: Miami and Denver to lose. It's not a lot, right,

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Speaker 2: but both of those teams are favored.

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Speaker 3: I say both are unlikely, you know. I mean if

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Speaker 3: you just go by Vegas, well they get a good

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Speaker 3: shot in Pittsburgh. Man, I don't think Kansas City is

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Speaker 3: a good shot beating Denver. However, I was talking about

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Speaker 3: this on my podcast today.

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Speaker 2: Like talking about it on this podcast as well.

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Speaker 3: Here we go. You know, like, oh, they're not gonna

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Speaker 3: play anybody, Well, you're still gonna put five offensive linemen

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Speaker 3: on the field, you know, like the Chiefs will probably

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Speaker 3: play Humphrey or one.

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Speaker 2: Of the guards. I bet they don't play Humphrey.

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Speaker 3: It's just it's hard to field an offensive line. I

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Speaker 3: understand what I mean, Like you're gonna have eight of

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Speaker 3: them active on game.

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Speaker 2: Day, but it's probably Smith the right the right guard

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Speaker 2: is the one he's gonna sign for next year.

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Speaker 3: I'm gonna say him too with Toon, he's the one.

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Speaker 3: I think you definitely shut.

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Speaker 2: That, yeah, Tony, and Tony's been playing left tackle.

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Speaker 3: For right right. Obviously, Kelsey's not playing, Chris Jones isn't playing,

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Speaker 3: Mahomes isn't going to be active. But it's not easy

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Speaker 3: to field twenty two starters plus all the other guys

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Speaker 3: are gonna play. This is in college with you know,

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Speaker 3: one hundred guys available. That's the that's the problem, and

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Speaker 3: that's why lines where it gets sticky. Start sitting guys,

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Speaker 3: you know, especially these teams that make these decisions.

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Speaker 2: We're gonna sit. We're gonna sit our key guys. And

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Speaker 2: then you don't sit somebody and he's.

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Speaker 3: Going I thought I was key.

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Speaker 2: I'm not a key guy. I gotta play this seventeenth

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Speaker 2: game and the guy next to me doesn't. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 2: Like what's that? What's that about?

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Speaker 3: Like if the Steelers were to do it, it's not

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Speaker 3: a guarantee Queen and high Smith would get that call,

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Speaker 3: you know. I mean, like they probably would, but you

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Speaker 3: got to put people on the field. Yeah, I mean

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Speaker 3: it's not as easy as you think.

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Speaker 2: We're you know, a Landom Roberts has to play the

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Speaker 2: whole game. He's like, I'm a ten year vet man.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, you want to, and you want me, You

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Speaker 3: need me for the wildcard round as much as anybody, Right,

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Speaker 3: It's it's a stress on somebody else.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. So that's where the Bengals are at in terms

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Speaker 2: of there they are.

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Speaker 3: I mean they're asking a lot.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I just don't expect all the stuff

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Speaker 2: to happen for them, even if they would happen to

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Speaker 2: beat the Steelers. And by the way, that line has

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Speaker 2: now moved a few point. Where's the Steelers?

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Speaker 3: The other thing is that Jets are utter embarrassment too. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: there's that. Yeah, as if you're Kansas City could pull

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Speaker 3: a rap rather had. I don't know if the Jets

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Speaker 3: can do that.

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Speaker 2: Does Aaron Rodgers start this week?

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Speaker 3: I think he came out and said something, but I

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Speaker 3: don't know what.

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Speaker 2: Well he may have said, that doesn't mean it's gonna happen.

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Speaker 3: I don't know what to think of that organization. I mean,

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Speaker 3: do they have any intentions of bringing him back? I

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Speaker 3: don't believe so. But but they don't have a GM

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Speaker 3: or coach. So who's making the decision? Yeah?

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Speaker 2: What he Johnson's grandson.

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Speaker 3: Exactly. That's what makes me think.

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Speaker 2: Who replaced him on? I can't remember who they're back to,

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Speaker 2: Tyrod Taylor? Tyrod Taylor, which is fine, right right right?

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Speaker 2: Why wouldn't you play just play Tyrod Taylor say hey,

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Speaker 2: we're not real interested in winning it. We got a

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Speaker 2: top ten draft pick right now.

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Speaker 3: I mean, then he's shutting down Adams and Hall and

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Speaker 3: I don't know, sloweyah that it's bad. I mean, this

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Speaker 3: administration is not going to be there, so's it's.

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Speaker 2: Gonna be a lot of that, a lot of that. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: questions across the league, and people wonder sometimes why would

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Speaker 2: you shut this guy down? He's he's you. You're you know,

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Speaker 2: contracted to play seventeen games. Here's the thing. If a

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Speaker 2: guy goes out there and plays, and let's say he's

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Speaker 2: a big part of your team, he's a big part

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Speaker 2: of your plans moving forward. Yeah, yeah, but he goes

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Speaker 2: out there in this week seventeen game that is meaningless

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Speaker 2: for you, for your team and tears inn acl Yeah

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Speaker 2: he's not ready for camp or tears an achilles. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: you just lost him for the start of next year.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it really affects the upcoming season. And then all

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Speaker 3: of a sudden, you better go find somebody else. You

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Speaker 3: just created another need. Ye you know. I means if

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Speaker 3: you don't have enough when your team's garbage like the

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Speaker 3: Jets or whatever.

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Speaker 2: I don't know, different when you're a playoff team or

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Speaker 2: you're fighting for a playoff spot than these teams that

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Speaker 2: aren't in it, and you're like, or you know, as

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Speaker 2: we saw last year with Russell Wilson, hey, we don't

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Speaker 2: want to there.

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Speaker 3: There's an injury injury stuff.

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Speaker 2: There's an injury guarantee in there that if he gets hurt,

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Speaker 2: we got to pay him, and we don't want to

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Speaker 2: pay him playing on bring him back yeah, right, that's

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Speaker 2: why Jamis Winston's not playing.

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Speaker 3: Right now, or Daniel Jones isn't a giant or right

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Speaker 3: Car did the same thing with the Raiders. I mean

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Speaker 3: it's usually a quarterback thing. But yeah, Cleveland matter.

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Speaker 2: Cleveland's gonna play uh Dorian Thompson, Robinson and Bailey Zappi

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Speaker 2: this week?

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Speaker 3: Is that their plan?

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Speaker 2: That's their plan?

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Speaker 3: Yeah? No, under their eighteen and a half point dogs,

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Speaker 3: that game's on.

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Speaker 2: They have no interest in playing Jameis Winston again. He's

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Speaker 2: the only way that they would even have a shot. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: they probably still lose in Baltimore, but they would have

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Speaker 2: a shot.

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Speaker 3: He's beating the Ravens, he's beating the Steelers. I mean

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Speaker 3: he's a ball at all. Yeah yeah, yeah. He might

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Speaker 3: throw four touchdowns and not a throw pick that day.

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Speaker 2: He might throw six interceptions. Yeah right, that's the roller coach.

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Speaker 3: That's what I didn't know that Zappi DTR thing until

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Speaker 3: just now. I was thinking DTR is so bad. Maybe

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Speaker 3: they'll play Winston, which gives them at least a puncher's chance, right, they.

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Speaker 2: Have no chance more now they're throwing butterfly kisses at them.

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Speaker 3: I'm not sure Lamar even has to play for them

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Speaker 3: to win. No, he'll probably play some.

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Speaker 2: Oh yeah, they're trying to win him an MVP award. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: they'll let him go out there and throw the ball

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Speaker 2: twenty five times in the first half in sing sit

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Speaker 2: him down.

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Speaker 3: So along those lines I heard on the way here,

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Speaker 3: Schefter said something like he doesn't think Barkley's gonna play. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: Like will Josh Allen play in quest of an m VP.

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Speaker 3: They've said he's gonna play briefly, Okay, I guess that's

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Speaker 3: what I mean.

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Speaker 2: I get that this week, these last couple of weeks

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Speaker 2: should not have affected who you think.

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Speaker 3: The m v P is not. I mean, this week shouldn't.

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Speaker 3: What the Ravens do against that Browns team shouldn't matter. Why.

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Speaker 2: I don't care when iota what's happened to Alsca, What

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Speaker 2: what's your what's your season been to this point? Where

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Speaker 2: have you gotten your team to?

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Speaker 3: Yeah? I don't I mean for those teams. No, I

399
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Speaker 3: don't care one bit. I mean, if Goff and Darnold

400
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Speaker 3: were in the race, they still have a case to

401
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Speaker 3: be made because they have a big game, right, you

402
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Speaker 3: know what I mean? But Jackson or especially Allen. Allen

403
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Speaker 3: is going to be the number two seed no matter what.

404
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Speaker 3: Right his case should be written.

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Speaker 2: I think it is and these last couple of weeks

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Speaker 2: haven't affected that for me.

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Speaker 3: You know, the last couple of weeks have I mean

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Speaker 3: games matter for the bill.

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Speaker 2: Well, they've won that, they've won. My point is they've

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Speaker 2: won the games. The last couple of weeks. His numbers

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Speaker 2: haven't exactly been stellar, but then you look at the

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Speaker 2: game against the Jets and it's played in a downpour.

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Speaker 2: You know, sorry, but it's still find the way to

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Speaker 2: win the game, right.

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Speaker 3: And this year's crazy because you're splitting hairs. I mean,

416
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Speaker 3: the MVP race is harsher than usually.

417
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Speaker 2: I think it's pretty cut and dried. But that's just me.

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Speaker 3: Allen.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I would.

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Speaker 3: I would think that should be a co MVP, to

421
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Speaker 3: be honest with you, that's happened before. But I would

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Speaker 3: vote for Allen if I got one. But I think

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Speaker 3: it's really close.

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Speaker 2: I mean, the people out there arguing for Lamar, well,

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Speaker 2: he's the best player in the league, Okay, I hear

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Speaker 2: that he's the most dynamic player in the league. Should

427
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Speaker 2: we just hand him the MVP award for the next

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Speaker 2: ten seasons in I.

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Speaker 3: Think the best four players in the league are Mahomes,

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Speaker 3: Lamar Allen, and Burrow, including Watt and Garrett and Jefferson

431
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Speaker 3: and Chase and every offensive lineman. I think that we

432
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Speaker 3: happen to have the best four planet people on the

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Speaker 3: planet are all playing quarterback right now.

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Speaker 2: But it also certainly helps in the case of Lamar

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00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:02,400
Speaker 2: jack that he is Derrick Henry. I'm gonna go back

436
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,480
Speaker 2: to the argument I had at mid season, as Derrick

437
00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:08,480
Speaker 2: Henry goes, so go the Ravens, and that has been

438
00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,160
Speaker 2: That's been the case all season long. He opens everything

439
00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:12,560
Speaker 2: up for Lamar Jackson.

440
00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:16,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, but Jackson's been noticeably better well because he's had

441
00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:18,080
Speaker 3: Derrick Henry. That's what I mean. He was an MVP

442
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:20,120
Speaker 3: last year. I mean his case is really strong.

443
00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:22,760
Speaker 2: Last year I thought his case was stronger in fact,

444
00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:27,399
Speaker 2: because because the competition wasn't good and he had a

445
00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,840
Speaker 2: lot less around him. They're running the ghost of you know, JK.

446
00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,960
Speaker 2: Dobbins and Gus Edwards out there running back. This year,

447
00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:35,560
Speaker 2: he's got a dynamic running back.

448
00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:37,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, but he's capitalized on it.

449
00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,639
Speaker 2: Sure. Yeah, But if I look at what Josh Allen

450
00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:43,439
Speaker 2: has it's not nearly as good. It's not as good. No,

451
00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:45,679
Speaker 2: it's not, and yet the team has been better. I

452
00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,600
Speaker 2: understand that they beat Buffalo head to head, but I don't.

453
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:51,400
Speaker 3: Care about wouldn't influence my MVP. No, we're talking about Bies.

454
00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:54,320
Speaker 2: I think he has done more with less. Actually think

455
00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:56,240
Speaker 2: I think Mahomes has done.

456
00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,280
Speaker 3: It's funny to me that he doesn't even get brought up. Yeah,

457
00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:00,680
Speaker 3: I mean.

458
00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,960
Speaker 2: If you're going to talk about Joe Burrow, bring up

459
00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,160
Speaker 2: Joe Burrow in this argument. Burrow's having a great year.

460
00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,159
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, How can you bring up Mahomes for a

461
00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:09,399
Speaker 2: team that's fifteen and one.

462
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,359
Speaker 3: Because the stats aren't as good, which shouldn't matter.

463
00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:13,080
Speaker 2: It didn't matter for Lamar last year.

464
00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, they weren't bad. I mean, Mahomes is like middle

465
00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:17,520
Speaker 3: of the road though in a lot of.

466
00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:20,240
Speaker 2: Category, but they don't Statistically they're nowhere near fifteen and

467
00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:22,440
Speaker 2: one with anybody else's quarterback.

468
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:24,760
Speaker 3: No, I mean, if Goffs are quarterback, they might not

469
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,000
Speaker 3: be five hundred. And I think Goff's really good. Yeah,

470
00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:28,920
Speaker 3: I mean they probably are like five hundred. They're fighting

471
00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:30,840
Speaker 3: first spot with the Chargers or Denver right.

472
00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,320
Speaker 2: Now, right Anyways, let's get to break. He is the

473
00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,119
Speaker 2: Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to the

474
00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,960
Speaker 2: Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network. Matt and I

475
00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:41,600
Speaker 2: will be back with more right after this.

476
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:46,240
Speaker 3: Least.

477
00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,840
Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

478
00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,080
Speaker 1: your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and

479
00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:57,040
Speaker 1: Gold cast in Steelers Nation Radio.

480
00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,520
Speaker 2: Welcome back. I am Dale. He is the Matt Williamson

481
00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,600
Speaker 2: and Matt. I'm looking here at a piece on the

482
00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,480
Speaker 2: ESPN by Ben Sullick, who does good work on there

483
00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:13,400
Speaker 2: for them, and he won. He says the dangerous Wildcard teams.

484
00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,280
Speaker 2: He's picking out the dangerous wildcard teams and why those

485
00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,880
Speaker 2: teams will be dangerous, and these are the most dangerous

486
00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,240
Speaker 2: wild teams. And his first team on there is Green Bay.

487
00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:26,440
Speaker 2: Let's talk about Green Bay for a second.

488
00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:31,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, So I really like their roster construction. I'm a

489
00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:36,840
Speaker 3: love fan. But I think what's shown up is they're

490
00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,800
Speaker 3: five losses, as we all know, are against basically elite.

491
00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:43,040
Speaker 2: Team Detroit twice, Minnesota twice in Philadelphia, right.

492
00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:46,879
Speaker 3: And I think it's safe to say on New Year's

493
00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,560
Speaker 3: Eve they are a step below those teams. Maybe not

494
00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:51,200
Speaker 3: three steps, but there are a step below.

495
00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:52,840
Speaker 2: Those could have beaten Minnesota.

496
00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:57,720
Speaker 3: Oh and good. Yeah. I think what they're missing though,

497
00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:01,640
Speaker 3: is one more star, Like take Love out of the equation.

498
00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:05,200
Speaker 3: Jacobs is a really good back, But who's the guy

499
00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,320
Speaker 3: that you change your game plan for? You know what

500
00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:07,640
Speaker 3: I mean?

501
00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:09,680
Speaker 2: Like the receivers are all good, but they don't have

502
00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:11,280
Speaker 2: a true number one, That's what I mean. They don't

503
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,359
Speaker 2: have a George Pickens Jefferson.

504
00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:16,159
Speaker 3: You know, or like they like or they like ra

505
00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,919
Speaker 3: Shan Gary, but he's not Mike Ah Parsons, right, you

506
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,159
Speaker 3: know what I mean, Like if one of their guys.

507
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:24,240
Speaker 3: They have a lot of good players. McKinney's a good safety,

508
00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:26,760
Speaker 3: but I mean with a safety, I'm not going to

509
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,400
Speaker 3: change my life. Like, who are they gain planning around

510
00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,240
Speaker 3: when you play the Packers of Man, I can't let

511
00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:33,080
Speaker 3: that dude beat me.

512
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,359
Speaker 2: They really have that guy? They don't have anybody like

513
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,159
Speaker 2: even with I mean Love again a good player.

514
00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,840
Speaker 3: Right, excluding it's not a great player, right right right?

515
00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:43,760
Speaker 3: I mean it's not like Jacobs elevating everybody. Right, Jacobs

516
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,320
Speaker 3: is a good player. Yeah, he's the closest This is

517
00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:47,800
Speaker 3: Barkley or Derek.

518
00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:48,400
Speaker 2: Kenn one of those.

519
00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,360
Speaker 3: He might not be a top five back, and he's

520
00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:53,680
Speaker 3: having a great career, a great season. He's close, he's

521
00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:57,359
Speaker 3: the closest thing. But still it's not like what he

522
00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,280
Speaker 3: brings is so special that we can't deal with it,

523
00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:02,480
Speaker 3: you know, especially when he comes to playoff times in

524
00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:03,240
Speaker 3: big dog game.

525
00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:05,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean when it's when it's third and eight,

526
00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:08,359
Speaker 2: who's the ball going to right?

527
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,359
Speaker 3: And more so to me even I mean guess certainly

528
00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:11,880
Speaker 3: that matter.

529
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,080
Speaker 2: Or when it's third eight on you and you're on defense,

530
00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:15,679
Speaker 2: who's making the big play for me?

531
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:17,119
Speaker 3: That's where I was going with it, you know, like

532
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,520
Speaker 3: they want that to be Gary, but that's asking a lot.

533
00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,439
Speaker 3: You know, Gary's a high smith level player, really good player,

534
00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:25,119
Speaker 3: but he's not I have to roll my protections that

535
00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,720
Speaker 3: way all the time. And it's not how they're built,

536
00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:29,719
Speaker 3: I mean, because they don't have ownership and they're a

537
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:34,200
Speaker 3: different organization. But like if Miles Garrett became available, I'll

538
00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:35,480
Speaker 3: give you any of one, you know, like, just give

539
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,720
Speaker 3: me a stud to change the game. They don't have it.

540
00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:40,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, well that's really what they you know, when they

541
00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,640
Speaker 2: made the trade for Reggie White, Oh yeah, way back

542
00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:44,000
Speaker 2: when right right, he was that guy.

543
00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:44,760
Speaker 3: He was that guy.

544
00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,560
Speaker 2: The second team on here for him is the Steelers. Okay,

545
00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:51,919
Speaker 2: and here's what he has to say about them. I

546
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,080
Speaker 2: promised myself around week eleven.

547
00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,119
Speaker 3: Oh, I thought that's what I apologized for interrupt them,

548
00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,240
Speaker 3: but I thought I would saying barn Well did something similar.

549
00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:01,760
Speaker 3: I thought this right up about the Steelers was really good.

550
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,120
Speaker 3: By bets, Ben's really good.

551
00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,280
Speaker 2: I love to Barnwell always misses the mark on the Steelers.

552
00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:08,600
Speaker 3: He does because he does, but he still doesn't.

553
00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,359
Speaker 2: But he's because he's completely tied into the analytics, right,

554
00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,160
Speaker 2: and they a lot of times defy the analytics.

555
00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:15,720
Speaker 3: Yep, now this is a really good right up. I

556
00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:18,520
Speaker 3: thought this right up was barnwells. I got my author's crossed,

557
00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:20,320
Speaker 3: but this is good, he said.

558
00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,840
Speaker 2: I promise myself around a week eleven. Okay, I'm not

559
00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:28,439
Speaker 2: gonna interrupt on after their wins over the Commanders and

560
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:31,400
Speaker 2: Ravens that I would not rule out a heroic Steelers

561
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,760
Speaker 2: postseason run no matter what. Here they are having lost

562
00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,240
Speaker 2: three games in a row, and I'm still here to

563
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,520
Speaker 2: tell you that it's in the cards. I'll acknowledge that

564
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:40,520
Speaker 2: Pittsburgh might still win a division. It might not be

565
00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,880
Speaker 2: a wild card team, but we're still including it here.

566
00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,040
Speaker 2: The past three games against the Steelers have been perhaps

567
00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,919
Speaker 2: the most brutal stretch of any team this regular season.

568
00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:54,200
Speaker 2: At Philadelphia Short Week, at Baltimore Short Week, Kansas City.

569
00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:56,240
Speaker 3: I don't know if you could create one harder. No,

570
00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:57,800
Speaker 3: I mean, it has to be the hardest three game.

571
00:24:57,840 --> 00:24:59,800
Speaker 2: It might be the hardest three games that I've ever

572
00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:00,680
Speaker 2: se in a tech play.

573
00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, right, right right In.

574
00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:05,840
Speaker 2: That span they saw absences from star wide receiver George Pickens,

575
00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,879
Speaker 2: defensive tackle Larry Ogun, Joe Be, cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

576
00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:13,159
Speaker 2: Cornerback Dante Jackson, and safety Deshaun Elliott. Oh and TJ.

577
00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,880
Speaker 2: Watt is clearly hurt, even if he isn't missing time. Yeah, yeah, Now,

578
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,480
Speaker 2: there isn't a fairy godmother to wave a magic wand

579
00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,800
Speaker 2: and make everybody healthy in the postseason, the Steelers are

580
00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:25,680
Speaker 2: going to have to carry some of these nagging injuries

581
00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:28,280
Speaker 2: with them. But I'm confident that Pittsburgh is better, is

582
00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:30,880
Speaker 2: a better team than recent memory is telling us.

583
00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:33,240
Speaker 3: Yep. I agree with that. Yeah, although I'm not surely

584
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,480
Speaker 3: I agree with the nagging injury thing. Yeah, I don't

585
00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:37,480
Speaker 3: know that those are I don't know, but we'll never

586
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:39,920
Speaker 3: know what Watts status is. And everyone in this time

587
00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,159
Speaker 3: of year across the league has something. But yeah, they're

588
00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:45,040
Speaker 3: reasonably healthy, you know, right right.

589
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,879
Speaker 2: The hamstring injury for Pickens was particularly glaring. Here's what

590
00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,320
Speaker 2: quarterback Russell Wilson has looked like in the in this

591
00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,240
Speaker 2: this season, throwing the Pickens relative to any non Pickins

592
00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:56,960
Speaker 2: receiver receiver regardless of position.

593
00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,000
Speaker 3: Cut and paces right in the Mats stats. Boom, there

594
00:25:59,080 --> 00:25:59,320
Speaker 3: you go.

595
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,480
Speaker 2: So Epa per drop back and you can explain this

596
00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:03,480
Speaker 2: better than me.

597
00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,040
Speaker 3: I ignored that on the stat pack because people don't

598
00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,280
Speaker 3: explain it. It's hard to explain. But I think it's

599
00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,639
Speaker 3: the best indicator. But okay, what are the numbers.

600
00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,200
Speaker 2: It's point three four when he throws to Pickens. When

601
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:14,840
Speaker 2: it's not Pickens, it's point two.

602
00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,359
Speaker 3: Which doesn't sound like much. But the way Epa is

603
00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:23,760
Speaker 3: structured is every time I throw him, the ball translates

604
00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,720
Speaker 3: to points on the scoreboard. Right, So over the course

605
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:31,520
Speaker 3: of the year, if it's point one difference between him

606
00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:35,720
Speaker 3: and everybody else, that's gigundis. I mean, it really is.

607
00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,359
Speaker 3: Now one thing about Ben's article that I have a

608
00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,760
Speaker 3: slight little issue with. These numbers are going to be

609
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,159
Speaker 3: lower when you throw to Warren and Nausey and the

610
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,840
Speaker 3: flat you know what I mean. Right, So they're they're great,

611
00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,960
Speaker 3: of course, you know, but the discrepancy between him and

612
00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:54,359
Speaker 3: everybody else is still massive.

613
00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:57,359
Speaker 2: What you're about to show us the success rate on

614
00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,680
Speaker 2: the on the throws to Pickens, it's forty six point

615
00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,600
Speaker 2: two percent, to the others at fifty one point one.

616
00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,159
Speaker 2: So it's it leans the other way because Pickens get

617
00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,880
Speaker 2: so much attention and he's a deeper target.

618
00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:11,679
Speaker 3: And also success rate is a little more. Again, did

619
00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:13,920
Speaker 3: you get a first down? Yeah? Yeah, first and ten?

620
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,359
Speaker 3: Did you get four yards? Right? So that swing the

621
00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:18,439
Speaker 3: Nausey is going to get that a heck of a

622
00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,280
Speaker 3: lot more than the eighteen yard bomb.

623
00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:22,719
Speaker 2: Think about that. The first meeting was Cincinnati, when they

624
00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:23,760
Speaker 2: completed thirteen or.

625
00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,600
Speaker 3: Thirteen passes to the backs, they were all a success, right,

626
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,119
Speaker 3: I mean success rate. Whoever the best deep thread is

627
00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:32,320
Speaker 3: in the NFL isn't going to have as good as

628
00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:35,320
Speaker 3: success rate catching the ball as Christop McCaffery, right, not.

629
00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:39,960
Speaker 2: Even close, you know, first down plus touchdown rate. Pickens

630
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,080
Speaker 2: is at forty two point three percent. The rest of

631
00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,320
Speaker 2: the roster thirty six point four percent.

632
00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:46,400
Speaker 3: Yeah. Think about that. Every time you throw his way,

633
00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:49,400
Speaker 3: not every completion, almost two percent of.

634
00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:51,879
Speaker 2: The time, almost half the time, you either get a

635
00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:52,880
Speaker 2: first down or a touchdown.

636
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:54,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, pretty good.

637
00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:57,920
Speaker 2: Pretty good explosive play rate. This is where it really

638
00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:02,280
Speaker 2: really shows up. Pickens just twenty five percent, so one

639
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:06,520
Speaker 2: out of every four of his catches is an explosive play. Yeah,

640
00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,040
Speaker 2: twenty or more yards down the field. Right for the

641
00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,040
Speaker 2: rest of the roster at sixteen point four.

642
00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:15,160
Speaker 3: Percent, Yeah, that's massive, I mean, especially because the structure

643
00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:18,480
Speaker 3: of this offense. You know, it's a lot of shorter stuff.

644
00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:20,359
Speaker 3: I mean, and Russ has been like this for a

645
00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:22,480
Speaker 3: long time. He's got a chipper and a potter, and

646
00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:23,960
Speaker 3: he's got a driver, you know what I mean. But

647
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:26,680
Speaker 3: you know what I mean. I mean, like, the explosive

648
00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:28,640
Speaker 3: stuff has to be part of this offense, and he's

649
00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:30,000
Speaker 3: where it comes from most of the time.

650
00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,520
Speaker 2: Yards per attempt it's a big one too. Ten point

651
00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:36,320
Speaker 2: three yards per attempt when targeting George Pickens, that's just

652
00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:42,200
Speaker 2: targeting George Pickens attempt eight yards per attempt when targeting anybody.

653
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:43,760
Speaker 3: Else, And of course it's gonna those are gonna be

654
00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,080
Speaker 3: shorter when you dump at the Warren or Nausey. But

655
00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:47,240
Speaker 3: still it's a big discreption.

656
00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:50,160
Speaker 2: And those are just Russell Wilson's numbers. Yes, that's the

657
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,080
Speaker 2: thing that you have to kind of weigh in there

658
00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:53,920
Speaker 2: with this with the Steelers team, because you have to

659
00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:55,960
Speaker 2: remember that the first six games of the season were

660
00:28:56,040 --> 00:29:00,840
Speaker 2: justin fields games. Yeah, and Pickens wasn't really hadn't blown

661
00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:01,840
Speaker 2: up at that point, yep.

662
00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:05,040
Speaker 3: Because if you keep I want to continue this obviously,

663
00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,600
Speaker 3: but like Ben also talks about the Bengals in this category,

664
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,520
Speaker 3: and when he does T Higgins, he does T Higgins

665
00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:15,520
Speaker 3: when he's active versus inactive, not when the ball goes

666
00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:18,040
Speaker 3: to him versus everybody else. And there's a big discrepancy.

667
00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:18,920
Speaker 3: But that's a little different.

668
00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:24,640
Speaker 2: The disparity becomes increasingly worrisome going back to Ben's piece

669
00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:28,640
Speaker 2: here on deep passes, which are not just integrated, which

670
00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:30,600
Speaker 2: are not just integral to Wilson's game, but also an

671
00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,080
Speaker 2: integral part of any playoff push for the Steelers. Pickens

672
00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:37,240
Speaker 2: has caught nine of seventeen downfield targets. That's twenty or

673
00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:40,480
Speaker 2: more air yards from Wilson since he became the starter,

674
00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,440
Speaker 2: which is a catch rate over expectation of plus twenty

675
00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,640
Speaker 2: four point three percent, which is huge, huge.

676
00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:48,920
Speaker 3: I mean, that's it, folks. That's let me just take

677
00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:52,840
Speaker 3: our word. That's a huge discrepancy versus Joe average receiver,

678
00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:53,640
Speaker 3: starting receiver.

679
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,200
Speaker 2: Anyone with eyes can tell you this. But Pickens catches

680
00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:01,400
Speaker 2: downfield passes at a preposterous rate. For the season. On

681
00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:06,520
Speaker 2: downfield part targets, Pickings has five point eight receptions over expectation,

682
00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:08,800
Speaker 2: which leads the league for next Gen stats, one hundred

683
00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:12,040
Speaker 2: and ninety nine receiving yards over expectation, which again leads

684
00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:17,160
Speaker 2: the league, and twenty seven expected points added, which is

685
00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,000
Speaker 2: fourth in the league overall.

686
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:23,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, those are hues, not as easy to go into

687
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,520
Speaker 3: detail exactly what they mean, folks, but they're really really

688
00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:27,680
Speaker 3: indicative of how good a football player you are, and

689
00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:32,000
Speaker 3: basically he's one of the best receivers in the league.

690
00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,040
Speaker 2: Wilson has been better in all facets of quarterbacking, including

691
00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:37,720
Speaker 2: throwing underneath, the quick game, moving in the pocket, and

692
00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:41,480
Speaker 2: scrambling than I expected given his performances in Denver. But

693
00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:44,600
Speaker 2: the reality is Wilson remains the same. He has to

694
00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,160
Speaker 2: connect on the moon balls. Without pickings from week fourteen

695
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:50,640
Speaker 2: to sixteen, the offense was clearly missing the explosive element

696
00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:52,640
Speaker 2: necessary to keep pace with top scoring teams.

697
00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:55,320
Speaker 3: And again, anyone with eyeballs could have seen that, Yeah.

698
00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,440
Speaker 2: With pickings back on the field, that possibility returns to

699
00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:02,960
Speaker 2: the table. You know he talked to in the next

700
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:06,000
Speaker 2: paragraph here is talking about you know, Mike Tomlin's in

701
00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:11,200
Speaker 2: the four losses since their last playoff win for Yeah, yeah, yeah,

702
00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,600
Speaker 2: he says, you know, basically, yeah, they lost forty five

703
00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:18,160
Speaker 2: to forty two to Blake Portal's Jaguars. Everybody will tell

704
00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,680
Speaker 2: you that was a bad loss, but it was also

705
00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:24,360
Speaker 2: a bad matchup for them. Since then, Tomlin has hasn't

706
00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,480
Speaker 2: had so much as much lost postseason games as somehow

707
00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:30,800
Speaker 2: dragged his teams into the postseason. In twenty and twenty

708
00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:33,040
Speaker 2: one and twenty three, the Steelers were quarterback by thirty

709
00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:35,360
Speaker 2: eight year old Ben Roethlisberger, thirty nine year old Ben

710
00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:39,600
Speaker 2: Roethlisberger and Kenny Pickett slash Mason Rudolph. Two of those

711
00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,480
Speaker 2: three offenses were coordinated by Matt Canada. Now, Tomlin did

712
00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:46,680
Speaker 2: make that decision sure, sure, but he also got out

713
00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:48,880
Speaker 2: of that decision last year.

714
00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,240
Speaker 3: And we all know they weren't good offenses and he

715
00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:52,080
Speaker 3: got them to the play.

716
00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, he said, it's a miracle those teams even made

717
00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:58,520
Speaker 2: the playoffs in the first place. According to the numbers,

718
00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,160
Speaker 2: the Pittsburgh offense doesn't look all that much different since

719
00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:05,200
Speaker 2: Wilson took over. Pittsburgh's averaging minus point zero three epa

720
00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,480
Speaker 2: per play on offense with a success rate of forty

721
00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,760
Speaker 2: point seven percent, both of which are below the league average.

722
00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:16,920
Speaker 2: But the explosive pass rate is thirteen point six percent

723
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,720
Speaker 2: higher than anything we've seen in recent seasons. And that's

724
00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:22,440
Speaker 2: what the mid season quarterback change in a stretch of Pickens,

725
00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:27,360
Speaker 2: Pickett's absence, Pickens's absences. So ye, I mean that's factoring

726
00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,320
Speaker 2: in those three games that you didn't have George Pickens

727
00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:29,680
Speaker 2: out there.

728
00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:32,520
Speaker 3: He keeps stressing, like we mentioned, how important the explosive

729
00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,920
Speaker 3: deep stuff is. Yeah, I mean, that's the foundation of

730
00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:38,640
Speaker 3: this offense. It has to be there.

731
00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:43,760
Speaker 2: The ideal runout for the According to Ben Solik, if

732
00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:46,960
Speaker 2: the eighteen point underdog Browns can somehow upset the Ravens

733
00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,520
Speaker 2: in Week eighteen and gift the Steelers AFC North title.

734
00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:51,680
Speaker 2: That would be ideal as so long as Steelers beat

735
00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:54,400
Speaker 2: the Bengals, that would be swell. Short of that, Pittsburgh

736
00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:56,920
Speaker 2: might draw the fifth seed, or the five seed or

737
00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:58,840
Speaker 2: the sixth seed, depending on the result of this game

738
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,880
Speaker 2: against the Bengals. In the Chargers matchup against the Raiders,

739
00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,960
Speaker 2: the five seed is optimal as the four seed four

740
00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:08,280
Speaker 2: seed Texans are as weak of a division winner as

741
00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:11,960
Speaker 2: there is in the field this season. They might be.

742
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,960
Speaker 2: They might end up being I don't know, if you

743
00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:17,800
Speaker 2: want to say the worst team in the playoffs in

744
00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:20,680
Speaker 2: the AFC or NFC, it's possible they might be.

745
00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:23,840
Speaker 3: In that conversation, sure, yeah, things have gone really really

746
00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:25,800
Speaker 3: wrong after that got fixed, the.

747
00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:27,920
Speaker 2: Steelers would love a third crack at the Ravens, who

748
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,520
Speaker 2: they already beat once and hung with much closer than

749
00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:32,640
Speaker 2: the thirty four to seventeen score would indicate in the

750
00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:37,240
Speaker 2: rematch when you didn't have Pickens. Buffalo is the most

751
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,240
Speaker 2: important team for the Steelers to avoid. I don't think

752
00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,120
Speaker 2: they have a shot ab out scoring the Bills.

753
00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:43,120
Speaker 3: That's what he does with every king. Who do you

754
00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,000
Speaker 3: want to avoid most? Who do you what's your best

755
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:46,200
Speaker 3: path all those good things.

756
00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,000
Speaker 2: Not surprisingly, his key player for the Steelers as they

757
00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:53,640
Speaker 2: head into the postseason is George George Pickens. The outside

758
00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:57,840
Speaker 2: cornerbacks of the AFC playoff pitcher are eminently gettable. Chiefs

759
00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,640
Speaker 2: cornerbacks beside Trent McDuffie had struggled all season.

760
00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:02,360
Speaker 3: I thought that was a really good point. There's not

761
00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:03,760
Speaker 3: many good corners in the postseason.

762
00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:04,480
Speaker 2: They really aren't.

763
00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:05,160
Speaker 3: There really aren't.

764
00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:07,880
Speaker 2: And Pickens already put McDuffie on a poster last week.

765
00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,680
Speaker 2: Buffalo's Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford are good players, but

766
00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,480
Speaker 2: neither one is great locking down a man for four quarters.

767
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:17,160
Speaker 2: Nate Wiggins and Brandon Stevens are where you want to

768
00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:20,320
Speaker 2: attack the Ravens. So Pickens has a chance to dominate

769
00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:23,279
Speaker 2: in each and every postseason game the Steelers play.

770
00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:25,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, you're not going to see certain No, I mean,

771
00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:27,239
Speaker 3: like that's not gonna happen. I mean unless it's AFC

772
00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:29,319
Speaker 3: champions and right right, yeah, and be.

773
00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:29,799
Speaker 2: In your place.

774
00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:30,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, let's do it.

775
00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:36,120
Speaker 2: You know, Houston Stingley's Rey's really good, But I'll take

776
00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:37,160
Speaker 2: Pickens in that matchup.

777
00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,359
Speaker 3: I would too, but I mean, now I think about it,

778
00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:42,400
Speaker 3: that's the thing I like least about the Texans matchup

779
00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,400
Speaker 3: is their edge rushers and Stingley. Yeah, you know, but

780
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:46,880
Speaker 3: the offenses they also.

781
00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:48,840
Speaker 2: Have to deal with the Steelers edge rushers.

782
00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:51,880
Speaker 3: Right, and their protection is really really bad, really bad. Yeah uh.

783
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,400
Speaker 2: And then there's his third team on here is Detroit

784
00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:57,640
Speaker 2: slash Minnesota. Whichever team loses that game. I just like

785
00:34:57,680 --> 00:34:58,799
Speaker 2: to be that team, I know.

786
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:00,719
Speaker 3: I mean, you're going to be You're gonna be a

787
00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:03,399
Speaker 3: fifteen win team going on the road in Week one.

788
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:09,120
Speaker 2: It's like the ninety seven in nineteen ninety seven when

789
00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,960
Speaker 2: the Broncos went thirteen and three and didn't win their division,

790
00:35:12,719 --> 00:35:16,600
Speaker 2: came here and beat the Steelers in ninety seven nine.

791
00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,240
Speaker 2: I forget which year it was, Maybe it was ninety seven, whatever,

792
00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:23,960
Speaker 2: the one hear the Broncos were thirteen and three and

793
00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:28,440
Speaker 2: had to travel in the playoffs. Yeah, and people, oh

794
00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:30,160
Speaker 2: you lost to that wild card. Well, they were thirteen

795
00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:31,640
Speaker 2: and three. They went on to win the Super Bowl.

796
00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:34,120
Speaker 2: We're going to a super Bowl talking about this on

797
00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,120
Speaker 2: an earlier show today. The last time a similar meeting

798
00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:40,040
Speaker 2: to Vikings Lions just late in the season occurred was

799
00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:46,120
Speaker 2: nineteen ninety Giants Joe Montana Niners. But they're not in

800
00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,600
Speaker 2: the same division, right, you know, Like they.

801
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:51,400
Speaker 3: Were fighting for the first overall seed and the bye,

802
00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:53,759
Speaker 3: but the loser didn't have to go on the road

803
00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:56,040
Speaker 3: the next week. You didn't lose the division to the team,

804
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,879
Speaker 3: you just lost to This brings me back to last night, though,

805
00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:03,520
Speaker 3: Like Boiler the Lions fun and I'm glad they won

806
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:06,880
Speaker 3: and great and bite knee caps and all that good stuff.

807
00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,359
Speaker 3: I would be so worried if I were them though,

808
00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:12,960
Speaker 3: the aggressive nature with the way they played. I mean,

809
00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:15,480
Speaker 3: I didn't realize even until last night they had the

810
00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:18,480
Speaker 3: earliest bye week in the whole league. They've been running

811
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:22,480
Speaker 3: a marathon at a sprint pace forever, and if they

812
00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:27,560
Speaker 3: lose the Vikings, I could see him going to Tampa

813
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:29,960
Speaker 3: and get right, you know what I mean, Like you

814
00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:32,360
Speaker 3: gotta pace yourself a little bit here, you know. I

815
00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:35,080
Speaker 3: think that they're running the race car in the.

816
00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:37,600
Speaker 2: Red Yeah, yeah, yeah, all season long.

817
00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:38,560
Speaker 3: Absolutely. So.

818
00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:42,160
Speaker 2: He has three predictions down here of playoff predictions. He

819
00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:44,400
Speaker 2: thinks his super Bowl, the Super Bowl would be the

820
00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:46,040
Speaker 2: between the Ravens and Vikings.

821
00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:50,680
Speaker 3: Wow, I'm out there on the Vikes, but I don't.

822
00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:52,879
Speaker 2: Know if the Ravens can get there either. I don't

823
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:56,000
Speaker 2: know if they can go into Kansas City or into

824
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:56,839
Speaker 2: Buffalo and win.

825
00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:00,600
Speaker 3: I think Buffalo is a good matchup for him, Yeah,

826
00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:01,520
Speaker 3: because I don't like their run.

827
00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:02,640
Speaker 2: Their run defense is bad.

828
00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:02,960
Speaker 3: Yeah.

829
00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:07,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, But if it's Buffalo in January or early February

830
00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:09,799
Speaker 2: and it's three feet of snow, we see what that

831
00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:10,239
Speaker 2: looks like.

832
00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:12,960
Speaker 3: I don't think. I mean, I respect the Vikes and

833
00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,160
Speaker 3: if they win, that'd be great. I think I'm taking

834
00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,960
Speaker 3: the Eagles out of the NFC, assuming Hurts is back.

835
00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:20,719
Speaker 2: Well, here's the thing, So his next prediction is Justin

836
00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:24,799
Speaker 2: Herbert will get his first playoff win. So if Justin

837
00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:27,520
Speaker 2: Herbert is to get a playoff win this year, he's

838
00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:28,319
Speaker 2: either going to have to.

839
00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:33,160
Speaker 3: Do it in Houston or in Baltimore. Right, Well, Baltimore

840
00:37:33,239 --> 00:37:37,240
Speaker 3: is not going to go that way, right I would

841
00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:40,759
Speaker 3: probably take the Chargers in Houston, though, Yeah, you know,

842
00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:41,640
Speaker 3: I mean it'd be close.

843
00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:43,080
Speaker 2: I don't think that's gonna happen, but.

844
00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:46,920
Speaker 3: I don't either, but I mean that would be the path. Yeah,

845
00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:49,120
Speaker 3: I'd be shocked the Chargers went to Baltimore and won.

846
00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:53,560
Speaker 3: But the Harbaugh factor, how about this one? The Chiefs

847
00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:57,160
Speaker 3: and Lions, as the top seeds in their respective conferences

848
00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:04,960
Speaker 3: will both be won and done. Mm maybe who are

849
00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:06,680
Speaker 3: the Chiefs most likely to see?

850
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:15,760
Speaker 2: Probablysurgh, Yeah, Houston, Yeah, or if it's the Chargers in Houston.

851
00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:21,719
Speaker 3: And the Lions would probably get the Vikings again. Yeah,

852
00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:24,320
Speaker 3: the Vikings be the five seed going to Tampa or

853
00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:27,719
Speaker 3: Atlanta as a favorite.

854
00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:33,359
Speaker 2: Although if Tampa wins this week and the Rams lose

855
00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:35,320
Speaker 2: and the Rams aren't, the Rams are sitting guys. The

856
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,799
Speaker 2: Rams could fall to the four seed and Tampa could

857
00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:39,040
Speaker 2: move by past them.

858
00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:43,920
Speaker 3: Either way, though, the Vikes, the loser of Lions Vikings

859
00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,680
Speaker 3: is going to be favored in the wildcard round.

860
00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:48,520
Speaker 2: Tampa's already gone to Detroit and beat them earlier, and

861
00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:50,080
Speaker 2: they have the firepower to do it.

862
00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:52,480
Speaker 3: They're a giant killer. Yeah, they have some big wins.

863
00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:57,000
Speaker 3: I think it's more likely the NFC because you might

864
00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:00,440
Speaker 3: get the game this weekend Lions Vikings. Yeah, match in

865
00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:00,879
Speaker 3: two weeks.

866
00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:03,000
Speaker 2: I think the Vikings win that game. I think they're

867
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,879
Speaker 2: gonna win this week, That's what I'm saying. Yeah, Yeah,

868
00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:06,440
Speaker 2: I think They're gonna win that game and be the

869
00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:06,959
Speaker 2: top seed.

870
00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,360
Speaker 3: Right. I don't understand the Lions on a short week

871
00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:15,080
Speaker 3: playing insane like that. It's great, you want I just

872
00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:17,799
Speaker 3: think it's the rooster's coming out of the ends, are

873
00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:18,440
Speaker 3: coming to the roots, or.

874
00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:21,600
Speaker 2: Send a message to the forty nine ers who, by

875
00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:23,600
Speaker 2: the way, don't give me the Kyle Shanahan stuff anymore.

876
00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:25,480
Speaker 2: I don't want to hear anything about Kyle Shanahan being

877
00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:28,240
Speaker 2: a great coach and being included in that upper echelon

878
00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:32,439
Speaker 2: because he's now lost ten games in a season four

879
00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:36,160
Speaker 2: times in eight years. Yeah, half half of his seasons

880
00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:37,719
Speaker 2: have ended with ten losses.

881
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:38,879
Speaker 3: He could use a kicker too.

882
00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:40,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, well he's tried to draft one.

883
00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:45,239
Speaker 3: I know they're goofy about their kickers. Anyways, let's get

884
00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:47,680
Speaker 3: through a break. He is the met was another one.

885
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:49,880
Speaker 3: By the way, he's not a great personnel guy. It

886
00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:51,880
Speaker 3: reminds me to end a career Belichick where he has

887
00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:54,200
Speaker 3: too much power in the room because every year he

888
00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:56,719
Speaker 3: stands on the table for some fourth round running back

889
00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:58,319
Speaker 3: that is out a league in a year, or a

890
00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:02,120
Speaker 3: kicker or a backup to and or I mean something weird.

891
00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:04,520
Speaker 3: I don't like him as a personnel guy.

892
00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:08,759
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, note or perhaps a game day manager.

893
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:10,280
Speaker 3: As well, he's an offensive guru.

894
00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's what he is. Anyways, let's get to a break.

895
00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:16,360
Speaker 2: He is Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. You're listening

896
00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:19,080
Speaker 2: to the Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network, Matt

897
00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:20,799
Speaker 2: and now will be back with more right after this.

898
00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:28,600
Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

899
00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:30,840
Speaker 1: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and

900
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:33,640
Speaker 1: Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

901
00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:41,360
Speaker 2: Welcome back. I'm Dale Lali. He is the Matt Williamson.

902
00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:43,120
Speaker 2: And I had something I wanted to talk about as

903
00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:44,960
Speaker 2: we were going through the Ben Slick article. I want

904
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:46,279
Speaker 2: to dive into it a little bit more.

905
00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, there is some Bengal stuff in there. That's pretty

906
00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:48,719
Speaker 3: good of it.

907
00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:51,359
Speaker 2: And then we started talking about something else off the air,

908
00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:53,120
Speaker 2: and all of a sudden, I was like, I can't

909
00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:54,040
Speaker 2: remember what it was now.

910
00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:56,520
Speaker 3: Sometimes we get sidetracked on between segments. Here, it's a

911
00:40:56,560 --> 00:40:58,960
Speaker 3: nice long break and we start chatting excusually about football,

912
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,520
Speaker 3: but who knows what else we were talking about, Like

913
00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:03,960
Speaker 3: Cam Jordan, Well we were talking about that. Let's let's

914
00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:06,600
Speaker 3: lay Campbell, let's dig into that a little bit. Because

915
00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:09,120
Speaker 3: Ezekiel Elliott's about to get released. That's what's brought the

916
00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:10,040
Speaker 3: conversation around.

917
00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:11,960
Speaker 2: So we've got some of these veteran players, and it

918
00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:13,920
Speaker 2: came up last week or two weeks ago with cambll

919
00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:17,640
Speaker 2: Uh with Kalais Campbell that if the Dolphins had fallen

920
00:41:17,719 --> 00:41:20,080
Speaker 2: out of the playoff race, they were going to release

921
00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:22,600
Speaker 2: him so that he could go back to Baltimore.

922
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:24,560
Speaker 3: And give him him a favor. Yeah, I mean the

923
00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:25,120
Speaker 3: way they.

924
00:41:25,239 --> 00:41:27,799
Speaker 2: Said it, Baltimore tried to trade, tried to acquire him

925
00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:30,960
Speaker 2: at the trade deadline, and the Dolphins said no, they're

926
00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:32,399
Speaker 2: still in the hunt. They were still in the hunt

927
00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:36,319
Speaker 2: at that point, and and so they think they figure, well,

928
00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,360
Speaker 2: we could just you know, release him. He would have

929
00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:40,000
Speaker 2: to go through waivers, but he could go back to

930
00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:43,440
Speaker 2: the Ravens. In that situation. He could, but there's no

931
00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:45,040
Speaker 2: guarantee that's going to happen.

932
00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,439
Speaker 3: Because there's a million teams in between team number one

933
00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:51,160
Speaker 3: in the Ravens that could grab them off waivers, right

934
00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:55,760
Speaker 3: and pay him one paycheck like the Steelers like to steal.

935
00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:57,719
Speaker 2: You actually just have the playoff check.

936
00:41:58,640 --> 00:41:59,960
Speaker 3: I guess you wouldn't even to pay him for week

937
00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:02,200
Speaker 3: team Huh, well you would, yeah.

938
00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:05,440
Speaker 2: Well right, if you sign him going into the playoffs,

939
00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:06,960
Speaker 2: you get a playoff check.

940
00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:09,759
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, Miami needs him this week. He's not the

941
00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:14,360
Speaker 3: best example because he's you know, nobody's gonna claim is

942
00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:16,640
Speaker 3: equal Elliot No, you know, and and the Cowboys are

943
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:18,680
Speaker 3: out of it. I brought up Cam Jordan. I guess

944
00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:21,439
Speaker 3: there was a huge fuss around Cam Jordans. Yet last

945
00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:24,000
Speaker 3: week was the Saints' final home game of the year,

946
00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:26,480
Speaker 3: and they made a big to do as if this

947
00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:28,720
Speaker 3: was going to be his last game, which it could

948
00:42:28,719 --> 00:42:31,560
Speaker 3: be with the state of that team, that they could

949
00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:33,839
Speaker 3: cut him after the season or move on or push

950
00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:35,840
Speaker 3: him into retirement whatever, put him the ring on or.

951
00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:37,000
Speaker 2: He's thirty five years old that.

952
00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:40,200
Speaker 3: Has been Yeah, I think there's a good chance.

953
00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:41,520
Speaker 2: Because he is signed through next year.

954
00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:45,799
Speaker 3: Is yeah, okay, but you had some good points, like

955
00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:51,920
Speaker 3: it's kind of cheating, you know, thirty pool. Yeah, but

956
00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:55,960
Speaker 3: there are some teams in between his desired destination could

957
00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:58,600
Speaker 3: say we're not letting you, let you go to the Ravens.

958
00:42:58,640 --> 00:42:59,799
Speaker 3: Why would the Steelers do that?

959
00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:02,359
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, why would the Chargers do that? Why

960
00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:04,640
Speaker 2: would why would any team that has to potentially play

961
00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:07,640
Speaker 2: the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs. Let

962
00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:10,920
Speaker 2: them get Kalais Campbell going into the playoffs.

963
00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:13,400
Speaker 3: And think of the playoff teams, most could use Kalais

964
00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:16,640
Speaker 3: Campbell on thirty snaps a game or whatever, just block

965
00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:20,560
Speaker 3: punk kicks or whatever. Yeah. I do think it's a trend.

966
00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:23,919
Speaker 3: Like you mentioned in docway got dumped and these teams

967
00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:25,080
Speaker 3: that are out of it. If you're not gonna bring

968
00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:28,640
Speaker 3: him back, fine, But the other point you brought up

969
00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:30,920
Speaker 3: I thought was really good too, is well, now those

970
00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:32,840
Speaker 3: teams aren't gonna get a compick for those guys that

971
00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:37,279
Speaker 3: have expiring contract, right, and the new team could correct. Yeah,

972
00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:39,440
Speaker 3: so if you all costs me's a waiver claim.

973
00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:41,799
Speaker 2: Yeah, if you if you've I think Khalais Campbell was

974
00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:45,440
Speaker 2: signed for just one year because yeah, he's on one

975
00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:46,840
Speaker 2: year deals basically.

976
00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:48,399
Speaker 3: If he's from Miami and wanted to go home and you.

977
00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:52,120
Speaker 2: Know right, yeah, he signed a one year, two million

978
00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:54,719
Speaker 2: dollar contract. But he played well this year.

979
00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:57,400
Speaker 3: Yes, I mean he's still good. Yeah, unlike Zeke. I

980
00:43:57,400 --> 00:43:58,839
Speaker 3: mean he's still good, right, so.

981
00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:01,360
Speaker 2: But he'll be thirty nine next year. But could somebody give.

982
00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:05,920
Speaker 3: Him or one point five or whatever.

983
00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:10,319
Speaker 2: Or two point five or three point five inflation say, well,

984
00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:12,920
Speaker 2: he's showed he still has something left here and that

985
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:14,520
Speaker 2: helps your comp pick formula.

986
00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:17,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, not a great deal, but a great deal. But

987
00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:20,799
Speaker 3: let's say he gets dumped and the Steelers like, we're

988
00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:23,200
Speaker 3: not let him go to Baltimore. We'll just grab him

989
00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:26,319
Speaker 3: and him and his Walter Payton Men of the Year

990
00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:28,719
Speaker 3: friends all get along here for a week or two.

991
00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:31,640
Speaker 3: Cam Hayward says, why don't you run it back? Play

992
00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:34,759
Speaker 3: us and we'll do. Yeah, maybe we'll draft some them,

993
00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:36,960
Speaker 3: Maybe we'll wait a year and we'll just have one

994
00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:40,680
Speaker 3: more great defensive lineman. Or thanks for hanging out and

995
00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:44,000
Speaker 3: being a Steeler when you sign with whoever next year.

996
00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:46,920
Speaker 3: That helps our comp game. Yeah, I mean, what's really

997
00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:50,560
Speaker 3: to lose, except for if your louder Milk or Lowry

998
00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:54,040
Speaker 3: or somebody has to go or you know, I mean,

999
00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:57,200
Speaker 3: but maybe one of those guys as inspiring contract or

1000
00:44:57,200 --> 00:44:59,319
Speaker 3: whatever too and you wrekt go and bring him back. Yeah, I.

1001
00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:03,480
Speaker 2: You look at that. You wait, you know, what's this

1002
00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:06,320
Speaker 2: player going to be worth in our locker room? M M,

1003
00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:08,880
Speaker 2: what's he going? Is he gonna play for us right away?

1004
00:45:09,320 --> 00:45:10,760
Speaker 2: Class Campbell at that position?

1005
00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:12,880
Speaker 3: Probably? Yeah, I'm gonna throw the receiver.

1006
00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:14,840
Speaker 2: And you'll get fifteen twenty snaps out of class Campbell

1007
00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:16,920
Speaker 2: and you know it's not like all year.

1008
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, he's been really good. Yeah, and he's like

1009
00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:21,479
Speaker 3: the highest character guy out there and you know, wants

1010
00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:22,640
Speaker 3: to win and all that stuff too.

1011
00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:25,600
Speaker 2: So there's no guarantee that, you know, if the Dolphins

1012
00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:28,719
Speaker 2: were let's say they lose something and now they haven't

1013
00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:30,200
Speaker 2: done this yet. They talked about it a couple of

1014
00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:30,560
Speaker 2: weeks ago.

1015
00:45:30,560 --> 00:45:32,440
Speaker 3: If they fell out of the playoffs, they're still alive.

1016
00:45:32,880 --> 00:45:35,120
Speaker 2: So I don't know how that works. If if you know,

1017
00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:37,759
Speaker 2: they lose on Sunday and they then cut him, they

1018
00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:39,680
Speaker 2: can't because all season's over. I don't think that.

1019
00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:41,200
Speaker 3: I think contract is expired.

1020
00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:43,280
Speaker 2: I think it's off the table at that point because

1021
00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:44,319
Speaker 2: everybody would just do.

1022
00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:47,440
Speaker 3: That if they were gone. So with him, I assume

1023
00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:49,759
Speaker 3: it's moved because they had to get eliminated a week

1024
00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:52,799
Speaker 3: ago or whatever to make it feasible and they would

1025
00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:56,360
Speaker 3: be doing a solid for their player. I mean, he

1026
00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:58,520
Speaker 3: wants to go get playoff checks and maybe win a

1027
00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:01,000
Speaker 3: super Bowl, et cetera. But I don't know how that

1028
00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:01,879
Speaker 3: could work with him now.

1029
00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:04,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, they need to win, like in Dockway got cut today.

1030
00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:05,279
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1031
00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:08,960
Speaker 2: Now I don't think he is a great player, but

1032
00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:11,919
Speaker 2: certainly there might be a playoff team that Detroit could use.

1033
00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:14,520
Speaker 3: Yeah another pass, right, giving ten snaps a game. It's

1034
00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:17,160
Speaker 3: just an edge dude or whatever. I'm sure somebody considering

1035
00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:20,080
Speaker 3: him at this point. Yeah, yeah, we're similar ones. Yeah,

1036
00:46:20,160 --> 00:46:22,839
Speaker 3: I mean, if Zeke was better, somebody would want him. Yeah,

1037
00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:24,719
Speaker 3: and the Cowboys we're doing him a favor.

1038
00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:26,800
Speaker 2: I mean, let's let's say you're a playoff team and

1039
00:46:26,800 --> 00:46:28,640
Speaker 2: you had a rash of running back injuries.

1040
00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:30,759
Speaker 3: Well, at least he can protect and he knows what

1041
00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:32,839
Speaker 3: he's doing. Yeah, right, all right, he's a veteran. He's

1042
00:46:32,880 --> 00:46:34,920
Speaker 3: not going to embarrass us out better than picking up

1043
00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:37,240
Speaker 3: the guy off the couch. Yeah, at least he's played

1044
00:46:37,239 --> 00:46:39,719
Speaker 3: all season. It's not like he's gonna need to warm

1045
00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:42,560
Speaker 3: up to this. Yeah yeah, yeah. But it's a weird

1046
00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:44,759
Speaker 3: little trend going on in the league that I don't

1047
00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:46,920
Speaker 3: know if they have to like nip it in the

1048
00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:51,680
Speaker 3: bud with the next you know, uh agreement or whatever,

1049
00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:53,960
Speaker 3: or is it just what we're gonna do. You know,

1050
00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:56,000
Speaker 3: you're going to do guys a favor and let them

1051
00:46:56,040 --> 00:46:59,160
Speaker 3: go once you're eliminated, so they can go on another team. Yeah.

1052
00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:00,799
Speaker 2: I don't know. I mean, if I'm the team that's

1053
00:47:00,840 --> 00:47:02,800
Speaker 2: doing that, I'm like, I'm not getting anything out.

1054
00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:04,200
Speaker 3: Of this, like to at least get a six round pick,

1055
00:47:04,239 --> 00:47:06,040
Speaker 3: or I still have to pay the guy. Yeah, you know,

1056
00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:08,520
Speaker 3: unless the deadline came and went like somebody claims him

1057
00:47:08,520 --> 00:47:11,600
Speaker 3: and he's not helping my compact. Yeah. Yeah, I mean

1058
00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:15,320
Speaker 3: you have to. That's a true favor, it really is. Yeah, yeah,

1059
00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:15,880
Speaker 3: so it is.

1060
00:47:16,360 --> 00:47:18,319
Speaker 2: Anyways, that's going to do it for our number one

1061
00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:21,319
Speaker 2: of the Drive here on the Steelers Audio Network. Matt

1062
00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:23,480
Speaker 2: and I will be back with our number two right

1063
00:47:23,520 --> 00:47:23,880
Speaker 2: after this