1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: At least is The Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: Black and Gold cast in Steelers Nation Radio. 4 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 2: And welcome to the Drive. I am Dale Lolly. Matt 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 2: Williamson not here today is taking care of some personal business, 6 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 2: but he will be back tomorrow. So we got the 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 2: jam Peck's Show today for you. And I wanted to 8 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 2: start off with TJ Watt today and Watt spoke to 9 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 2: the media earlier this week, and I just wanted to 10 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 2: say this about Watt. People. I've seen this out there 11 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 2: that Watt had a disappointing season or people thinking that 12 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 2: he didn't do his part this year. Finished with sixty 13 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 2: one tackles, eleven and a half sacks, led to league 14 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: with six forced fumbles, had nineteen tackles for the lost 15 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 2: twenty seven quarterback hits and two fumble recoveries. For most people, 16 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 2: that is are rear year. And I understand what has 17 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 2: raised the bar for on expectations for what we expect 18 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 2: out of him. But understand this. They started counting the 19 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 2: sack as an official statistic in nineteen eighty two. In 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 2: Watt's Wat's eleven and a half sacks this season that 21 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 2: would have led the Steelers in sacks in twenty six 22 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 2: of those seasons since nineteen eighty two, only seven players 23 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 2: in team history have had more sacks in a season 24 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 2: than what what had in twenty twenty four seven. So 25 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 2: a little perspective here, folks. So I wanted to let 26 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 2: you guys know that, and let's play back what TJ 27 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: Watt had to say earlier this week when when he 28 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: spoke to the media, TJ. 29 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 3: What needs to change you guys to worry if you 30 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 3: want to be I don't know. 31 00:01:58,320 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 4: We need to win football game, so in you A 32 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 4: find ways to stop the run and play effective defense and. 33 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 3: Go from there. 34 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 4: But I don't have all the answers as we sit 35 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 4: here right now as to what needs to change. 36 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 2: TEA doesn't feel like Groundhog Bay a little bit for you, specifically, just. 37 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 3: Because it's tough. 38 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 4: We get sit here same times last year, the same 39 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 4: time as I've been in this scrum and same questions, 40 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 4: and I have the same answers. 41 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 5: Uh. 42 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 4: Obviously, I'm very frustrated with how things ended. And that's 43 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 4: not just with the last game. That's with the last 44 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 4: month of football, and it's it's a collection of things, 45 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 4: and it starts with myself and I need to play better. 46 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 4: We need to play better. It's there's not one thing 47 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 4: that needs to be fixed here. There's there's a lot 48 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 4: of things, but it starts internally with myself and need 49 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 4: to play better in bigger moments, and it'll be a 50 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 4: long offseason to have to sit with that. 51 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 6: As a team. 52 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:52,959 Speaker 3: Do you feel like you guys are closer to where 53 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 3: you want to be at this point than you were 54 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 3: a year ago. I don't know. 55 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 4: I mean I I definitely have a lost confidence in 56 00:02:59,000 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 4: this group. 57 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 3: I feel like we have the pieces. 58 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 4: It's what I said a week ago going into the 59 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 4: game doesn't change just because of the loss. I still 60 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 4: have a lot of belief in the people in this 61 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 4: building because I see the work that's behind the scenes, 62 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 4: and we have a lot of capable men here. We 63 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 4: have capable schemes and everything, and it just comes down 64 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 4: to executing on Saturdays and Sundays when we play. And 65 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 4: that's been the part that's been very frustrating, because I 66 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 4: feel like we've put together some good weeks of practice 67 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 4: and preparation and had tough conversations and they haven't translated 68 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 4: into victories and the results that we want, and like 69 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 4: Mike t always says, it's a results based business and 70 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 4: if you're not getting the results, then you're not doing 71 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 4: the right thing and things need to change. 72 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 6: I know you had a strip sack and a fangals 73 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 6: game that got called back to the other than that, 74 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 6: and why do you think you weren't as productive as 75 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 6: the last thirty four games. 76 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 4: I just need to find ways to make more plays. Obviously, 77 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 4: teams are playing certain ways and helps and stuff like 78 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 4: that and getting the ball out quick, and you need 79 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 4: to be more open to moving around more and trying 80 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 4: to affect games as much as possible. You guys know, 81 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 4: I want to affect the game more than anybody, But 82 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 4: I don't want to selfishly take another guys, go to 83 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 4: a different spot and when I feel like I could 84 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 4: have a better rush on the left side, and definitely 85 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 4: feel like schematically, it's been a tough year for how 86 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 4: the offensive scheme things to try to get me out 87 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 4: of the game, and it's gonna be a big breakdown 88 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,799 Speaker 4: for me to try to find ways to make plays. 89 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 4: I'm not making excuse for myself at all. I want 90 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 4: to make plays. I need to find ways to continue 91 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 4: to win off of chips and slides and things of 92 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 4: that nature. And I'm gonna work tirelessly this offseason and 93 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 4: get that sorted out. 94 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 6: You mentioned, you know, potentially moving around more is staying 95 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 6: on the left side to this point as much as 96 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 6: you have been mainly your preference, and are you open 97 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 6: to maybe softening on that? 98 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I move around from time to time, 99 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 4: but yeah, I primarily left. 100 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 3: I prefer the left. 101 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 4: But at this point in my career, I want to 102 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 4: I want to be an impact player. I don't want 103 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 4: to be schemed out of games. I want to be 104 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 4: able to deliver the football and good field positions or 105 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 4: take the football away. 106 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 3: And it wasn't a good enough year for myself when 107 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 3: it comes to. 108 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 2: That, If given the opportunity, do you want to You've 109 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 2: given the opportunity, do you want to extend your contract 110 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 2: here this offseason? 111 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 4: I want to be you guys know that I don't 112 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 4: want to leave this place, especially in this I want 113 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 4: to be part of the solution. I've put so much 114 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 4: into it here. I've seen uh so many guys. I mean, 115 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 4: I want to help Cam Heyward get to where we 116 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 4: need to get. 117 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 3: I want to be a part of the solution. I 118 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 3: don't want to leave this place. 119 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 4: I love the people here and that goes beyond just 120 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 4: the coaches. It's it's it's the fan base, it's the people, 121 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 4: the community, and we owe it to them to get 122 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 4: it right. And I want to be part of the solution, 123 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 4: not not leave here and go somewhere else. That's not 124 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,679 Speaker 4: my intention at all. The last weekend before the season, 125 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 4: you're hopeer think that might get done earlier. 126 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 3: I haven't thought about it yet. 127 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 5: Did you were used to moving around? 128 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 7: You talked about you know, you talked about you guys 129 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 7: did that at times in the middle part of the season. 130 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 7: You guys did do that more like against the Giants. 131 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 7: What kind of push back against it happened? Kind of 132 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 7: growing throughout the season. 133 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 3: Oh, Alex got healthy. 134 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 4: And part of it is Alex is a great rusher 135 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 4: on the right side, and at times he can be 136 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 4: a better rusher than me at the right than I 137 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 4: can be at the right, and I don't want to 138 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 4: take away his natural rushings thing side for me to 139 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 4: go to the right and not be as effective where 140 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 4: I can be on the left and him on the right. 141 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 4: If that makes sense. And it's just things where if 142 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 4: I move around to help move the chip or create 143 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 4: some indecision on where the chip goes, then I have 144 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 4: to be more willing and. 145 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 3: Able to do that, and I will. 146 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,799 Speaker 7: This defense has been together the four pieces for a while. 147 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 7: You've had similar results against high end, elite quarterbacks. Do 148 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 7: you feel like in an offensive league, you know you 149 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 7: guys can still win with your foiler being dedicated. 150 00:06:58,760 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 3: So much to defense. 151 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 5: Yeah. 152 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:03,359 Speaker 4: I mean, I think you saw on the the with 153 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 4: the Texans game, at least for the little bit that 154 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 4: I watched, that the defenses can still win at this level. 155 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 4: And obviously you need to be able to score points, 156 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 4: but it comes down to taking the ball away and 157 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 4: creating turnovers and holding offenses the limited amount of rushing 158 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 4: and helping have a true field position tug of. 159 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 3: War, and we haven't had that. We've allowed these long. 160 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 4: Fourteen play drives continuously throughout uh a game. 161 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 3: UH. And that's unacceptable, spending. 162 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 4: Way too much time on the football field and not 163 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 4: enough time on the bench. And I feel like you 164 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 4: can still win defensively. Obviously, it's always gonna come down 165 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 4: to no team effort, but there's no denying the product 166 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 4: that we put out isn't accessible TJ. 167 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 5: Why does Mike t remain the the guy that seem 168 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 5: like go'll leave this spend. 169 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 4: I mean Hard Knocks doesn't even show I haven't watched it, 170 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 4: but I I know they don't show what this guy 171 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 4: means to this place from a personal level, from a 172 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 4: team level. Uh, we need to perform better. And I'm 173 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 4: not saying we need to play better for him. We 174 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 4: need to play better for it. I need to play 175 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 4: better for everybody. This city deserves it, this this team 176 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 4: deserves it. The guys in this locker room, we deserve it. 177 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 4: We're working hard. We just need to get it right. 178 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 4: And I say that every year. I think it's more 179 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 4: and more frustrating as the years go by, but tough 180 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 4: conversations need to be had. Can't keep doing the same 181 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 4: thing expect different results. And that started with myself. So 182 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 4: going into the off season with a lot of questions, 183 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 4: but I also know there'll be a lot of answers 184 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 4: here in the next couple weeks. 185 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 5: Did you health coupled as it emotionally? 186 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 3: Knowing that these situations can't affect change in the locker 187 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:42,719 Speaker 3: room in this group probably won't look the same, and 188 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 3: sometimes the. 189 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 4: Group never looks the same, and that's a tough, tough 190 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 4: thing about this business. Made a lot of new friends, 191 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 4: a lot of great relationships this year, a lot of 192 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 4: guys that have came in first year Pittsburgh students where 193 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 4: the rookies are free agent ads and put their hand 194 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 4: in the pile and brought a lot to this collective. 195 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 3: But it's never going to be the same. 196 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 4: And that's the tough part about it. 197 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 3: But we have to continue to move on over. 198 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 2: Bit and that's the bottom line. 199 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 3: You know. 200 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 2: I hear a lot of this stuff that was TJ. 201 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 2: Watt earlier this week with the assembled media, including myself there. 202 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 2: And one of the things that I constantly hear about 203 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 2: the steel well, they don't know. They don't do anything different. 204 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 2: Yeah they do. They've done things differently over the last 205 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 2: few years. They've done things again. This was my thirty 206 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 2: third season covering the Steelers this year, and I've done 207 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 2: that from all different angles. And to say that the 208 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 2: Steelers do things now the way that they did things 209 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 2: twenty years ago is not correct at all. They traded 210 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 2: a first round draft pick for a player currently playing 211 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 2: in the league. That was Mika Fitzpatrick in twenty nineteen. 212 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 2: They've made moves in the recent drafts to trade up 213 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 2: and get guys. Now you can say, maybe they didn't 214 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 2: get the right guys and at one hundred percent, you know, 215 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 2: you trade up to get Devin Bush and it didn't 216 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 2: work out. You know, you've made some deals like that. 217 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 2: But that was something that they didn't normally do. TJ. 218 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 2: Watt talking about free agents coming in, that was never 219 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 2: a big thing. You know, it used to be when 220 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 2: when free agency opened and you covered the Steelers, you 221 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 2: didn't need to pay any attention the first couple of 222 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 2: weeks other than watching to see who was leaving. Now 223 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 2: it's changed. They've been proactive in free agency, so things 224 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 2: have changed here. They've been proactive trying to make the 225 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 2: right moves here. Now you again, you can say, did 226 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,439 Speaker 2: they go out and get the right guys? Okay, that's 227 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 2: you can. You can argue that all day long. But 228 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,439 Speaker 2: they've been proactive and making moves to try to better 229 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 2: their position, to try to better their lot. And to me, 230 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 2: the suggestion that they trade TJ. Watt, I mean, come on, people, 231 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 2: what are we talking about here? And you heard TJ. 232 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 2: Wat just you know his answer to that, he wants 233 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 2: to be here. He wants to be part of the solution. 234 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 2: You're talking about a guy, a player who has of 235 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 2: your top five six, your top six SAX seasons in 236 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 2: team history, he has four of them. That's you can't 237 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 2: you can't get rid of that. That guy is the 238 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 2: face of your franchise. When you see there was there 239 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 2: was a a thing that the the NFL put out 240 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 2: prior to the weekends last weekend's AFC Wildcard NFC Wildcard 241 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 2: games of all the different players, the best players on 242 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 2: each of the teams uh going into the playoffs, and 243 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 2: every other player on that graphic that they put out 244 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 2: was a quarterback except for one. DJ Watt was on 245 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:56,720 Speaker 2: that graphic. He's the face of your franchise. You don't 246 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 2: trade the face of your Franchise's don't And I understand 247 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:07,319 Speaker 2: people are. He's frustrated. Everybody who does this is frustrated. 248 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 2: You want better results, you don't want to see the same. 249 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,719 Speaker 2: The results have been the same, but the way that 250 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 2: the path to get there has not. They've tried different 251 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 2: things to get better. But until you as Matt and 252 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 2: I talked about all week long prior to this until 253 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 2: you have the quarterback situation right, and the quarterback situation 254 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:31,439 Speaker 2: and your offense and right and your defense right, you're 255 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 2: gonna be You're gonna be spinning your wheels a little bit. 256 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 2: But you got to try. And it's not like they're 257 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 2: not trying. Again. This was a ten and three team 258 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 2: at one point. And I just think that they wore 259 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 2: down at the end of the season for whatever reason, 260 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 2: whether it was the three games and eleven days against 261 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 2: high level competition, whether it was just hey, that was 262 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 2: what was gonna happen. They were gonna wear down regardless 263 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 2: of who they played or or where they played them. 264 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 2: I don't know, because that's not what happened. I just 265 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 2: know what did happen. I was there, I saw what 266 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 2: was happening, and they wore down. People say that's an excuse. 267 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 2: It's not an excuse if it's based in fact. And 268 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 2: this is based in fact, you know. And so you 269 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 2: don't trade away TJ. Watt, you don't blow things up 270 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 2: and try. Let's just tank and try to and try 271 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 2: to get you know, the best quarterback available. There's no 272 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:29,439 Speaker 2: guarantee if you tank that you're going to get the 273 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 2: number one overall pick. You might not even get the 274 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 2: fifth overall pick or the eighth overall pick by quote 275 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 2: unquote tanking. And then once you do tank and you 276 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 2: get rid of guys like TJ. Watt. Heard it in 277 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 2: past trade trade Cam Heyward away. You want to talk 278 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 2: about losing locker room culture, That's where you lose locker 279 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 2: room culture by trading away foundational players. And so you 280 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 2: can't do that. You have to you have to keep 281 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 2: moving along with what you've got. You just have to 282 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 2: keep building with what you've got. Blowing it up or 283 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 2: trading away TJ. Watt or doing things like that, that's 284 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:12,719 Speaker 2: shortsighted in my opinion. I think again, this is a 285 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 2: guy who wants to be part of the solution. He's 286 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,599 Speaker 2: not part of the problem. He's never been part of 287 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 2: the problem. And so you build around that guy. You 288 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 2: continue to build around that guy, and you try to 289 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 2: get guys like TJ. Watt and Cam Hayward where they 290 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 2: should where they should be at, and that's in the 291 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 2: final eight, that's in the final four, that's in the 292 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 2: super Bowl. We're gonna take a break here on the drive. 293 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 2: I am Dale Lolly. Matt Williamson not here today. He 294 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 2: is off doing some personal stuff, but I'm going to 295 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 2: be joined by Rob King, the Voice of the Steelers 296 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 2: in the next segment. You'll hear that right after this. 297 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson 298 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: on your twenty four to seven home of the Black 299 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: and Gold cast in Steelers Nation. 300 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 2: Rating and welcome back. I'm Dale Lolly and I'm joined 301 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 2: on the Justin Miller Hotline by the voice of the Steelers, 302 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 2: Rob King. How you doing, Kinger, I'm doing well. 303 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 5: How you doing? Dale? 304 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 2: I am hanging in there. You know, the weather has 305 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 2: not been kind to us here in the last couple 306 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 2: of weeks, and well neither was the end of the 307 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 2: season for the Steelers. And you know, I understand a 308 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 2: lot of people's frustrations with all that. And you know, 309 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 2: those of us who are in and around this are, 310 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 2: you know, equally frustrated. But it's part of the process. 311 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 6: It is, you know, and I'm trying to I think 312 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 6: a lot of people are disseminate the information we got 313 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 6: at the end of the season and figure out what happened. 314 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 6: How do you go from ten to three and averaging 315 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 6: you know, under Russell Wilson's first seven games over twenty 316 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 6: eight points per game. I mean, you got to go 317 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 6: back to the Ben Roethlisberger era for that kind of 318 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 6: offensive production. And the defense to its part to what 319 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 6: happened over the last five games. Some of that is 320 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 6: the quality competition, to be sure, but I think a 321 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 6: lot of it was for some reason. This team is 322 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 6: going into a funk, and I'm sure you know they 323 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 6: were self examining and while it was going on, and 324 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 6: they continue to self examine as we speak, but it's 325 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 6: hard for me to figure out. I still scratched my 326 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 6: head a little bit about how those two things could 327 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 6: have happened, because I truly believe it's more of the 328 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 6: ten and three football team than it is the other 329 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 6: way around it. People don't want to hear this after 330 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 6: the team lost in the first round and lost their 331 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 6: last five games, including that playoff game, But I think 332 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 6: it's an improved team over what we've seen over the 333 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 6: last couple of years. I do it just for whatever reason, 334 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 6: it played its worst football at the worst time of 335 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 6: the season. 336 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm with you on that, King, and you know, 337 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 2: I understand the recency bias of what just happened, but 338 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 2: this team did a lot of good stuff over the 339 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 2: course of the season. And to your point, you played 340 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 2: of the team, the final eight teams, the eight teams 341 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:11,120 Speaker 2: that are standing right now, you played them four times 342 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 2: in those five games, and three of those were on 343 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 2: the road. Three of the four games that you played 344 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 2: those four you know, the four games were on the road. 345 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 2: And I don't know that that. People are looking at 346 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 2: that and going, well, yeah, and they said, well, you're 347 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,399 Speaker 2: just making excuses, and I just did a segment. I'm like, 348 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 2: these aren't excuses if they're based in reality. It's not 349 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 2: an excuse. It's you ask for people ask all the time, 350 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 2: well can you analyze this? Can you analyze that? And 351 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 2: then when you do analyze it, well, that's an excuse. No, 352 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,919 Speaker 2: it's not an excuse if it's based in reality. And 353 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 2: that's the reality of the situation. We talked about it 354 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 2: when the schedule came out, that this was going to 355 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 2: be a rough stretch. It turned out to be a 356 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:54,120 Speaker 2: rough stretch. And now we're all ready to blow things 357 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 2: up because it was a rough stretch. 358 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 6: Yeah, I think, and I agree with what you're saying, 359 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 6: and it is a rough stretch. And I thought going 360 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:04,199 Speaker 6: into the rough stretch that they were going to come 361 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 6: out of it better. You know, if that record had 362 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,959 Speaker 6: been one and three or two and two, going in 363 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 6: with a ten and three football team. 364 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 5: You know, I wouldn't have been shocked. 365 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,679 Speaker 6: I was very surprised at ZH to four, and I 366 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 6: think there were moments in each game in which, you know, 367 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 6: the team had a chance to rise up. You know, Cincinnati, 368 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 6: you know what happens if you go down the field 369 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 6: and kick a field goal there at the end of 370 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 6: the game. Do you go into the off season or 371 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 6: into the postseason feeling a lot better about yourself? 372 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, you may have gone to Houston and one you. 373 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 6: Know, right, that's right, that's right, And I think there 374 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,439 Speaker 6: was there. It became it became a bit of an 375 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,199 Speaker 6: avalanche to me. And maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this years, 376 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 6: maybe the. 377 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 5: Team doesn't feel that way. You know. 378 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 6: I went back Dale, you know, you and I were 379 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,719 Speaker 6: talking before the game in Baltimore. I went back and 380 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:58,880 Speaker 6: watched that loss in Baltimore from a couple of weeks 381 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:04,119 Speaker 6: before and thought, man, I mean the Steelers were right there. 382 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 5: They had every opportunity to win that game. 383 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 6: You know, there it's seventeen seventeen, and then uh, Russell 384 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 6: Wilson throws a pick six you know you take, so 385 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 6: you're down seven, you take the ensuing kickoff, you march 386 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,360 Speaker 6: it into Ravens territory and then it's a sack and 387 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 6: a penalty and then you don't score it. It falls apart 388 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 6: and they wound up, you know, getting some momentum moving forward. 389 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 6: But you know, you could say that there are opportunities 390 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 6: in the Philadelphia game, but it just seemed like, for 391 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 6: whatever reason, after watching that game in Baltimore, I thought, 392 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 6: you know what, this is gonna be typical Steelers Ravens. 393 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:41,680 Speaker 5: This is gonna be a three point game. 394 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 6: And I talked to Ravens people who thought the same 395 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 6: thing going to the game. This is gonna be This 396 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 6: is gonna be a three point Steelers raven game. So 397 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 6: I just think that something happened. I don't Maybe you know, 398 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 6: when when things aren't going your way, and again, maybe 399 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 6: this has something to do with it, and maybe it doesn't. 400 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 6: Sometimes you just need something to go your way. You 401 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 6: need a bounce. The Steelers got no bounces. Again, I'm 402 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 6: not making excuses because they also didn't make their own 403 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:12,640 Speaker 6: laws that crazy. I mean, there were times right in Philadelphia. Hey, 404 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 6: you're exhausted. Your defense is exhausted. I get it, But boy, 405 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 6: if you could have stopped one of those third down conversions, 406 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 6: giving your offense one more opportunity to maybe get back 407 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 6: in it, totally excuse this as Hey, this was bad luck, 408 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 6: and this was quality of competition, because I think the 409 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,400 Speaker 6: Steelers are quality football team. 410 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 5: I just think that it's. 411 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 6: A bunch of little things, and one of those little 412 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 6: things is I just think, you know, I was looking 413 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 6: at that that Ravens game again to playoff loss, and thought, okay, 414 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 6: third and three. The defense that appeared to call for 415 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 6: high Smith on the very first series of downs for 416 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,399 Speaker 6: the for the Ravens to crash down and tackle the 417 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 6: dive back. 418 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:57,400 Speaker 5: I think he was stopped. 419 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 6: Justice Hill would have been stopped playside, and I think 420 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 6: that if Lamar had not kept it, that might have 421 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:04,360 Speaker 6: been a three and out. 422 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 5: Maybe that would have given the team a little left. 423 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 6: I don't know, I'm just I'm just saying it felt 424 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 6: like when it started to go downhill, they're just and 425 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 6: that happens the team sometimes. It just they just couldn't 426 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 6: find a way to reverse it. So I do think that, 427 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 6: you know, I look at the overall roster. I think 428 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 6: they've had two very good offseasons in a row. I 429 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 6: think they've had a lot of quality pieces, and I 430 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 6: think that they need. 431 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 5: To continue to do that. 432 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 6: And you know their talk is going to be about 433 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 6: a franchise quarterback. I mean, look who's left in the playoffs. 434 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 6: Just look at the AFC. Just look at the quarterbacks 435 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 6: were left. You're trying to get to that point, and 436 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 6: is that guy in the roster? 437 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 5: It looked like it. It looked like maybe not, you know, 438 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 5: necessarily Russell Wilson in his prime. 439 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 6: But you know that team average twenty eight points a 440 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 6: game in Russell's first seven starts. 441 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 2: And what happened, had wins against had wins against teams 442 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 2: that are still standing in the playoffs. They beat Washington 443 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 2: in Washington, they beat the Ravens. We can't just throw 444 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 2: that all away and say that didn't happen just because 445 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 2: of the way you didn't like the way the season ended. 446 00:22:12,119 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 2: Those things happened. Those are part of the story as well. 447 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 6: Yeah it is, and it's what makes the end of 448 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 6: the season a bit mystifying to me. I don't know 449 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,880 Speaker 6: what happened, I don't know why it happened the way 450 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 6: it did, you know, uh, and there were I think 451 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 6: there were. 452 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 5: Reasons along the way. You had injuries. 453 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 6: But you think about just even Baltimore, Right, you lost 454 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 6: in Baltimore in a game you were right in it. 455 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 6: You never you didn't have George Pickens, you didn't have 456 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:42,479 Speaker 6: Deshaun Elliott, Dante Jackson went out in that game. You 457 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 6: were missing some key players. Well, they were all back 458 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:49,400 Speaker 6: for the playoffs. I did not see what we saw 459 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,639 Speaker 6: Saturday night in Baltimore. You know, maybe I should have 460 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:54,719 Speaker 6: seen it coming. The line was ten. I thought the 461 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,880 Speaker 6: line was absolutely wrong. I guess I should have seen 462 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 6: it coming because that's what happened. But I gotta tell you, Yale, 463 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 6: I just didn't see that coming. 464 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 5: I didn't think it was going to go that way. 465 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 2: No, nor did I. You know, I thought it would 466 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 2: be as as you said, a typical Steelers Ravens games. 467 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 2: I've seen every single one of them in person over 468 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 2: the years, and so that's, you know, that's what I 469 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 2: expected the raven If you watch Hard Knocks, that's what 470 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:21,160 Speaker 2: the Ravens expected. They expected, and you know, you heard 471 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 2: John Harbaugh even you know, hey, this is a good 472 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:24,879 Speaker 2: football team that we're playing here, we got to be 473 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 2: ready to go. This is you know, this is the 474 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,679 Speaker 2: Pittsburgh Steelers, and for whatever reason that didn't play out. 475 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 2: Now you could look at that and say, hey, Lamar 476 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 2: Jackson and and Derrick Henry they were just that much better. 477 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:36,959 Speaker 3: Uh. 478 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:38,920 Speaker 2: They they were on top of their game. They were 479 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 2: ready to go, and and they were the better players. 480 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 2: And I understand that they were on that particular night, 481 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 2: you know, but to your point, you know, things just 482 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 2: didn't go right. You know, if you if you look 483 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 2: at you break down each one of those games down 484 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 2: the stretch. To your point, I mean, if George Pickens 485 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 2: doesn't have the worst game of his career against Cincinnati Bengals, 486 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 2: they win that football game, right, he dropped that thirty 487 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 2: eight yard pass down the sideline that would have put 488 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 2: them at least in field goal range in third quarter. 489 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 2: That's a pass he catches ninety nine times out of 490 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 2: one hundred. The defensive back didn't bring the. 491 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 6: First multi the first multi drop game of his career. Yeah, 492 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 6: I mean, he is a sure handed guy, George Pickens. 493 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:27,680 Speaker 6: You know, I know he's become a bit of a 494 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:30,399 Speaker 6: lightning rod. But we saw in Baltimore that passed down 495 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 6: the sideline. He can do things that other guys just 496 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 6: they can't even dream of doing, you know, I mean 497 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 6: he made that look easy. That played down the sideline 498 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,880 Speaker 6: was he slowed slightly, caught the ball and made two 499 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 6: guys basically collide. I mean, you know, but you're right, 500 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 6: I mean there were moments. There were moments Dale in 501 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 6: every game. And who knows whether if you to stem 502 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,399 Speaker 6: the tide, if you'd have beaten Cincinnati, would you had 503 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 6: a different feeling. 504 00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 5: Going into that game? 505 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,080 Speaker 6: And I have to think that, you know, these are 506 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 6: human beings, and the emotion I think probably played part 507 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 6: of it, that feeling that it's rolling downhill in there 508 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 6: and it's hard to stop that. I don't know, I'm 509 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,159 Speaker 6: just again, I'm surmising maybe the team would scoff at 510 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 6: that analysis, but it felt like that was at least 511 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 6: part of it to me. 512 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:22,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, there was reports out there that there was a 513 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,360 Speaker 2: sense of relief in that locker room they after they 514 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 2: lost that game, and I'm like, I don't know what 515 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:30,400 Speaker 2: locker room that report came out. It wasn't the locker 516 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,119 Speaker 2: room I was in, and it certainly wasn't the you know, 517 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 2: the plane ride home or those guys were not happy 518 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:37,880 Speaker 2: about that. That was a long bus ride back out 519 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 2: to the airport. Nobody in that locker room was happy 520 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 2: with how the the last month of the season went. 521 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,919 Speaker 6: I can't believe anybody would ever say that. I can't 522 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 6: believe any player would say I'm relieved to go home 523 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:56,200 Speaker 6: and exit the playoffs in the first round. 524 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 5: They're just not wired that way. They're not built that way. 525 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,040 Speaker 6: And then you know, the other thing is I made 526 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 6: the comment earlier about the team being closer, and you know, 527 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:09,240 Speaker 6: you look at this offseason, for example, and you add 528 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 6: you know, Peyton Wilson to the lineback and corps, you 529 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 6: add Patrick Queen, you add to Shaun Elliott at the 530 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 6: safety position. I mean, these guys are are guys that 531 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 6: are coming back and joining a team in our bet. 532 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 6: Our buddy Matt Williamson says that the front five for 533 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 6: the Steelers is the best defensive line in football considered. 534 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 2: He's not the only one that says if you look 535 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 2: at Pro Football Focus that they're the number one ranked 536 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:32,879 Speaker 2: front front in the league. 537 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 6: Right, and then look at the linebackers and Patrick Queen 538 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:37,160 Speaker 6: getting more comfortable. 539 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 5: You look at the offensive line. 540 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 6: Look, the offensive line had a lot of injuries, but 541 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 6: you know, hopefully they'll be healthy coming back. At Faltano 542 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 6: Fatana is going to be starting at right tackle. People 543 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 6: can't forget that. And he missed the season, and so look, 544 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 6: and other teams have injuries, and the Bengals were decimated 545 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 6: by injuries. But the Bengals also didn't make the playoffs, 546 00:26:57,240 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 6: so you know, the students had their injuries back. I'm 547 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 6: just looking at next year coming back, and I think there, 548 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,399 Speaker 6: you know, Darnell Washington proved that he can be a 549 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:09,679 Speaker 6: nice complimentary piece and a big blocking piece in that offense. 550 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 6: And Calvin Austin can be a player. You probably need 551 00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:16,440 Speaker 6: to add another receiver. You have all five offensive alignemen 552 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:20,600 Speaker 6: under contract for the for the upcoming season. You would 553 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 6: expect that young group to take a step forward. You 554 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:26,400 Speaker 6: got a couple of decisions to make the quarterback position. 555 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 6: It's a very rich running back draft. Can you add 556 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 6: a player there? So I think this years have filled 557 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 6: a lot of holes in the last couple of years. Now, ultimately, 558 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 6: do you need a young star quarterback to make a 559 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:41,440 Speaker 6: deep run in the playoffs? 560 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 5: Maybe you do. I don't know, but I do know, 561 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 5: and maybe maybe you know. 562 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 6: Year two of a Russell Wilson and that offense is 563 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 6: going to be better, or maybe they really like the 564 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 6: way that that you know, the number two quarterback fields 565 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 6: came along sort of behind the scenes after he got 566 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,119 Speaker 6: six game starting with a four and two record. I 567 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 6: think there's a lot of reasons to be uh, to 568 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,199 Speaker 6: be bullish about this roster and the direction it's heading in. 569 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 5: It's just hard to feel that way. 570 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 6: And if you told me, if you told me at 571 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:16,719 Speaker 6: ten and three, I would have said they're gonna win 572 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,160 Speaker 6: a round to the playoffs, and in that second round 573 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 6: when they face the Mahomes or an Allen as inevitably 574 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 6: gonna happen, it's gonna be a heck of a ball game. 575 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 6: And the fact that they didn't get there, you know, 576 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:31,439 Speaker 6: does that mean we re evaluate our analysis from earlier. 577 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 5: Does it mean we're wrong? 578 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 6: I mean that's what the next few months are gonna 579 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 6: are going to tell us what the team thinks about that. 580 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 6: And it's what makes the off season so fascinating, even 581 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 6: if it gets here too soon. 582 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,440 Speaker 2: It's kind of like, you know that to choose your 583 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 2: path books, you know, maybe you should do one of 584 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 2: those Rob, you could choose your path and and and 585 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 2: go that way. Uh, for those of you that don't know, 586 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,719 Speaker 2: Rob is a published author, get that. 587 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 6: And his path goes through his path goes through the 588 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 6: door in the go. 589 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 2: But the Steelers to me, they chose their path last 590 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,760 Speaker 2: offseason that they were going to take here. And you know, 591 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 2: to your point, short of acquiring a a a young 592 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 2: franchise quarterback, a young proven fan you know a guy, 593 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 2: or getting one in the draft, you know the road 594 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 2: to doing that. I mean, there are only so many 595 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 2: ways to do it, and most of them involve luck 596 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 2: and where you draft at and they're not going to 597 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 2: be high enough to get one of the guys. And 598 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 2: this isn't a great draft for those guys anyways, you know, 599 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 2: So if you do get one, it's going to be 600 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 2: you know, do you take one in the second or 601 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 2: third round and he turns into something that happens. I 602 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 2: understand that Russell Wilson was. It was a third round 603 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:51,040 Speaker 2: draft pick. You know, it happens, but you can't count 604 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 2: on it, you know, you can't. You can't, So you 605 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 2: have to you have to make a decision now, and 606 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,840 Speaker 2: it's probably you know that decision is probably staying on 607 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 2: the same path that you're on now and continuing to 608 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:05,520 Speaker 2: take bites out of the apple and try to get 609 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 2: better and try to make your team better around whatever 610 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 2: player it is you decide to go with. 611 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 5: Yeah, and I think it is bites out of the apple. 612 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 6: You're right, And I do think that, you know, do 613 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 6: you get such a strong identity in a certain way 614 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 6: that you know, like, look, man. 615 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 5: The Ravens. 616 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 6: I know, I know the Ravens can throw the ball, 617 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 6: but the way the random all the other night, that 618 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 6: was unstoppable, right, I. 619 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 5: Mean, can you get to that point? I don't know. 620 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 6: The stewers tried to uh, you know, the yards per 621 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 6: carry wasn't what you'd want it to be, but the 622 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 6: they kept they kept nailing away at it, and they 623 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 6: had a solid running attack. 624 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 5: It is going to be interesting to see where they go. 625 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 6: And to your point, I mean, you know, uh, the 626 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,719 Speaker 6: only you know obviously, I do a lot of baseball 627 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:54,120 Speaker 6: stuff too, and teams draft pitching. The Pirates drafted a 628 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 6: lot of pitching over the years. You've got to have it, 629 00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 6: you know, you're not winning without it. 630 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:01,480 Speaker 2: That's the ball in his hands every play. 631 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean Paul Skins. Look, Paul Skins is pretty obvious. 632 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 6: But you know, you go out and you pay over slot, 633 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 6: and you go out and get above a chandler, you know, 634 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 6: without having to use that very. 635 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 5: Top pick and he pans out and it's great. 636 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 6: Well, there's also for every bubb a Chandler, there's probably 637 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 6: eight or nine guys you drafted didn't pan out right, 638 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 6: who got hurt or never made it above a ball. 639 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:29,480 Speaker 5: And so you know, but in football, yeah. 640 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 2: Mark Pell, that's right, Markpell should say. 641 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, Markepell. 642 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 6: Yeah, So for football you have to be so judicious 643 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 6: for that because you only get seven rounds of picks. 644 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 6: You know, you don't get twenty picks he used to 645 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 6: be forty picks or fifty picks. 646 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:43,760 Speaker 5: In baseball you only get seven rounds. 647 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 6: And so you know, if you use a third rounder 648 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 6: on a guy and he doesn't pan out, and that 649 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:52,680 Speaker 6: third rounder could have been, uh, you know, Mason McCormick 650 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 6: or Peyton Wilson or guy even got later than that 651 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 6: this year, that's that's a tough one to swallow if 652 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 6: you're not right on that, and yet you can't win 653 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 6: without it. 654 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 5: So I mean, you know, think about you know, you 655 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 5: just look at the look. 656 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 6: At the history of Steelers football from from the Chuckle 657 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 6: years on right even with Chuck Nole, it wasn't until 658 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,720 Speaker 6: he put Terry bradsch Off firmly in the driver's seat 659 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 6: that they won their first Super Bowl, and they won 660 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 6: three more Super Bowls, and then he started to fade 661 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:24,800 Speaker 6: and he started to get injuries and they didn't win 662 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 6: any more Super Bowls until they were able to pick 663 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 6: was it twelfth? 664 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 5: They got Ben Robins in a quarterback rich draft? 665 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 2: What's that eleventh? 666 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:33,720 Speaker 5: Eleventh? Yeah, yeah, eleventh. 667 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 6: Uh So you get a rare bad year that coincides 668 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 6: with a quarterback rich draft and you happen to get, 669 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 6: you know, a Hall of Famer eleventh overall. So that's 670 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:49,960 Speaker 6: and then you win, you know, you win a couple 671 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 6: more Super Bowls. That's that's kind of the way the 672 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 6: NFL goes. You have to have much like you have 673 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 6: to have pitching in baseball, you have to have quarterback play. 674 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 6: But you can also you can win in baseball without 675 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 6: having the best pitching staff. You have to be really 676 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 6: good everywhere else, and that pitching better still be pretty good. 677 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 6: And I think the Steers could get pretty good quarterback 678 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 6: play out of what they have and then, like you said, 679 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 6: keep taking whites out of the apple again. I still 680 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 6: really feel like, and this is tough to say, I 681 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 6: understand that tough to hear. I do think they've gotten 682 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 6: closer over the last couple of offseasons just by you know, 683 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,360 Speaker 6: some of the guys that I named some of the draft. 684 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:33,160 Speaker 6: I think they've had two very good drafts, and I 685 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 6: think they've had productive forays into free agency. 686 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 5: And I think they're going to do that again. 687 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:42,040 Speaker 6: They've got a lot of cap space, and you know, 688 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:46,920 Speaker 6: teams don't let franchise quarterbacks out of their building very often. 689 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 6: You're probably not going to get a franchise quarterback in 690 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 6: free agency, so you have to find other ways to 691 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 6: go about it. 692 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and there are other ways to do that. I mean, 693 00:33:56,920 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 2: if you look at Detroit, you look at Philadelphia, don't 694 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 2: think anybody would look at Jared Goff or Jalen Hurts 695 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 2: and say, yeah, they're they're up there with Lamar Jackson 696 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 2: and they're up there with with Josh Allen. Now, some 697 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 2: of the stats may be up there with some of 698 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:14,000 Speaker 2: those guys because they've built the team around those players, 699 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:16,920 Speaker 2: and you know, they're not. They're not, you know, in 700 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:20,440 Speaker 2: the top five or six or seven eight quarterbacks in 701 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 2: the league. But you can win with those guys if 702 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 2: you have a solid roster. 703 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:26,239 Speaker 5: That's right. 704 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,880 Speaker 6: And I and I think, and I think going back 705 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:32,799 Speaker 6: to that ten and three start and going back to 706 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 6: those first seven games with Russell Wilson, you know you could, 707 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:41,799 Speaker 6: I think you'd you'd put him in that same conversation, Hey, 708 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,319 Speaker 6: here's a guy that can He's won, he's won a 709 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:44,919 Speaker 6: Super Bowl. 710 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 5: There's only six guys I think in football they can 711 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:48,359 Speaker 5: say that. 712 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:49,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, one of them was Joe fla. 713 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:52,480 Speaker 6: Starting quarterback, right and one of them, Joe Flacco, is 714 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:53,360 Speaker 6: not starting anymore. 715 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:55,239 Speaker 5: It is a rare feat to be. 716 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,000 Speaker 6: Able to do that and to be able to accomplish that, 717 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:00,120 Speaker 6: and Russell Wilson was able to do that. 718 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 5: And again. 719 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 6: By in no way, shape or form my saying, well, 720 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:07,279 Speaker 6: if the Steelers lost the last four games of the 721 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,759 Speaker 6: playoff game because of Russell Wilson, I'm not saying that. 722 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 6: I'm just saying we saw evidence over seven games that 723 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,200 Speaker 6: the offense could be a lot more than it's been 724 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 6: since Ben Roethlisberger. 725 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 5: Had his elbow surgery. 726 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:21,880 Speaker 6: You know, I mean, it's an offense that was capable 727 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 6: of more, and I think again, they're going to add 728 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:27,760 Speaker 6: more pieces, and then they're going to have to figure 729 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:31,359 Speaker 6: out what happened over those last four weeks, because like 730 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:33,840 Speaker 6: I said before, I didn't see it coming and I 731 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:37,360 Speaker 6: still don't know why it happened. And I think this 732 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,800 Speaker 6: year there's I didn't think that there was really anything 733 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:44,319 Speaker 6: fluky about this year. There's ten and three start, but 734 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:49,040 Speaker 6: I do think that that oh to four finished surprised me, 735 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:51,080 Speaker 6: especially the way it happened. 736 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:53,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm with you. Our guest is Rob King, of 737 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:58,400 Speaker 2: course the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers. King are knowing 738 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:03,080 Speaker 2: that how do you proceed with this team? I'm the 739 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:05,799 Speaker 2: I'm of the thought that if you're gonna add an 740 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:09,759 Speaker 2: explosive playmaker to this offense, I think you go to 741 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 2: the veteran route in that because I don't know that. 742 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:15,920 Speaker 2: I mean for every wide receiver, young wide receiver that 743 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:17,920 Speaker 2: goes out there in their first year and lights it up, 744 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 2: I can name two that that don't. And so this 745 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:25,240 Speaker 2: is a team that needs an immediate jump start here 746 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 2: as another offensive playmaker, I think you go the free 747 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,760 Speaker 2: agent route and get one yeah. 748 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 5: I think it'll be. It'll be very interesting. 749 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,880 Speaker 6: And I'm sure they're doing their you know, draft simulations 750 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 6: and who's going to be there and what positions. I mean, 751 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:43,880 Speaker 6: it's supposed to be a very good cornerback draft, a 752 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:48,479 Speaker 6: very good running back draft. What do you perceive as 753 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 6: your biggest needs? And you know, one of the things 754 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 6: that the series have always done a great job of, 755 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:56,600 Speaker 6: and going back to Kevin Colberg, is at least putting 756 00:36:57,160 --> 00:37:01,400 Speaker 6: you know, plausible solutions in place with the notion that 757 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 6: you can replace those guys if you find. 758 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:06,560 Speaker 2: A better guy in the draft. 759 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:08,120 Speaker 5: Right, yeah, draft him. 760 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:09,520 Speaker 6: And now all of a sudden you got good depth, 761 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 6: right right, taking a position of weakness and made it 762 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:16,359 Speaker 6: a position of strength because you have a plausible starter 763 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:20,919 Speaker 6: behind a high draft pick. So you know, again, it'll 764 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:26,320 Speaker 6: be interesting to see, uh you know, do you uh 765 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:27,280 Speaker 6: do you go all. 766 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:29,719 Speaker 5: In on defense? Do you say, hey, we're pretty close. 767 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:33,239 Speaker 6: To being a dominant defense And you know, again, these 768 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 6: are conversations that, you know, are do they feel limited schematically? 769 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 5: They say, well, you know a lot was made of. 770 00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,520 Speaker 6: Well they didn't blitz very much and they played you know, 771 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,439 Speaker 6: kind of an umbrella type of of you know, keep 772 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:47,160 Speaker 6: it underneath you kind of coverage. 773 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:49,000 Speaker 5: And that's why the sack totals were down. 774 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:51,480 Speaker 6: Well, do you need a player or two to unleash 775 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 6: that defense and and maximize your talent? There is that 776 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:57,720 Speaker 6: the way you're going to go what's available in free agency, 777 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 6: you know, beyond the top perceive too. If they're too pricey, 778 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 6: if they're out of your price range and they move on, 779 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:06,600 Speaker 6: you know, maybe you're gonna need to get that now. 780 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 6: Maybe you pivot and you get a you know, a corner, 781 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:12,960 Speaker 6: or you get a running back or something like that. 782 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 5: So I mean, I think the positions, you know, is 783 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 5: defensive line of luxury right now? 784 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:23,240 Speaker 6: Or do you see a guy and you think, wow, 785 00:38:24,040 --> 00:38:26,560 Speaker 6: this is a can't miss player. Uh, you know, And 786 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:30,759 Speaker 6: I think that's one of the things that traditionally dale 787 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:32,880 Speaker 6: and this is a part of a larger conversation. Perhaps 788 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:37,440 Speaker 6: the teams have always done a great job of finding 789 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:41,319 Speaker 6: great players. So you know, for years, nobody put a 790 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:44,200 Speaker 6: lot of emphasis on the center position. So just really 791 00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:47,200 Speaker 6: you can go out and get pouncy. Everybody wants to tackle. 792 00:38:47,960 --> 00:38:51,719 Speaker 6: So guess what, you draft a castro right, and those 793 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 6: great players will make other players around and better. Great 794 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 6: players everywhere in the roster have a trickle down effect. 795 00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:00,879 Speaker 6: Excuse me, it may not be in the traditional way. Hey, 796 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:04,600 Speaker 6: let's get that left tackle to lock down the outside linebacker. Okay, Well, 797 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:06,560 Speaker 6: what if we get a guard that can decimate the 798 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:09,040 Speaker 6: other team's tackle and we can help that out that 799 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:09,840 Speaker 6: offense tackle. 800 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:12,520 Speaker 5: Excuse me, another way to go about it. 801 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:15,360 Speaker 6: But great players always make a team better, and so 802 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:17,239 Speaker 6: I think that that's something they've always done a great 803 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 6: job at and I think they'll continue to do a 804 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:21,439 Speaker 6: great to do a great job with that. Maybe it's 805 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:23,840 Speaker 6: not quite as traditional as you think. Hey, we're going 806 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:26,080 Speaker 6: to fill a hole in a traditional fashion. Maybe they 807 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:27,520 Speaker 6: go about it in a slightly different way. 808 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:30,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, King here. Well, i've held you long enough here. 809 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:33,200 Speaker 2: I've held you so long you're losing your voice. I 810 00:39:33,239 --> 00:39:34,799 Speaker 2: can't have you do that. I mean, you're the voice 811 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:37,319 Speaker 2: of the Steelers. But I appreciate your time here, and 812 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:41,080 Speaker 2: you'd be safe out there, my friend, and well enjoy 813 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:41,920 Speaker 2: shoveling snow. 814 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:45,319 Speaker 5: Yes, thank you, FDL. I appreciate it. I'm on my way, 815 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:46,919 Speaker 5: my friend. Thanks, we'll talk to you soon. 816 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:48,640 Speaker 2: Our guest has been Rob King, the voice of the 817 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 2: Pittsburgh Steelers. I'm Dale Lolly. No Matt Williamson today, he 818 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,480 Speaker 2: is out and about, but I will be back finish 819 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:57,480 Speaker 2: up hour number one right after this. 820 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 1: At least is the drive with Dale Lolly and Matt 821 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:07,960 Speaker 1: Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the 822 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:11,200 Speaker 1: Black and Gold in Steelers Nation Radio. 823 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 2: And we are back. I'm Dale Lolly. He is well 824 00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:19,560 Speaker 2: not here today. How about that? Matt Williamson not here 825 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:25,640 Speaker 2: today and I'm flying solo here today. So Arthur Smith 826 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 2: in the last two days has completed the interviews for 827 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:32,319 Speaker 2: the head coaching jobs in Chicago and then today also 828 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:36,799 Speaker 2: with the New York Jets. The Steelers offensive coordinator is 829 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:41,680 Speaker 2: again looked upon favorably in the NFL and NFL circles. 830 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:45,839 Speaker 2: So you know, we'll see if how that all shakes out. 831 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:47,680 Speaker 2: But that's that's one of the things that happens here 832 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 2: at the end of seasons, guys. Interview elsewhere, you know, 833 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 2: Mike Tomlan sitting down with Omar Kahn and Art Ernie 834 00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:59,200 Speaker 2: the second this week and they're discussing potential coaching changes 835 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 2: and those kinds of things. But that all takes place, 836 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:04,759 Speaker 2: you know, over the next couple of weeks here, I 837 00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 2: know people were asking, Hey, what are you gonna when 838 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:09,239 Speaker 2: are you gonna start talking about the coaching staff, And 839 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:11,879 Speaker 2: to be quite frank and I thought Matt has made 840 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:17,080 Speaker 2: good points about this over the years. Understanding exactly what 841 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:21,840 Speaker 2: an assistant coach does. Everybody gets to see the tangible 842 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:24,680 Speaker 2: results of the offensive coordinator, of the defensive coordinator, and 843 00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:28,360 Speaker 2: the special teams coordinator, because those are the overall units, 844 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:30,879 Speaker 2: and you can judge j ok based on how those 845 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:36,360 Speaker 2: units do to some degree, how those those coaches are performing. 846 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 2: But in terms of you know, understanding, well, how's the 847 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:43,960 Speaker 2: secondary coach performing, or how is the you know, linebackers 848 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 2: coach performing or the tight ends coach, you'd just be 849 00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,799 Speaker 2: guessing because unless you're in those meetings, unless you're in 850 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:53,760 Speaker 2: the building and understanding and seeing how those guys interact 851 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:56,279 Speaker 2: with their group and develop the game plan and things 852 00:41:56,320 --> 00:42:00,080 Speaker 2: like that, you just don't know. You just don't, So 853 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:03,480 Speaker 2: I I really don't like to appine much on on 854 00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:07,840 Speaker 2: those kind of things. The Steelers also had a director 855 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:12,040 Speaker 2: Player personnel or pro personnel. Sheldon White has interviewed for 856 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 2: the GM job in with the Raiders, I should say 857 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:19,719 Speaker 2: and That would be interesting because you know, if the 858 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,920 Speaker 2: Raiders were to hire Sheldon White, the Steeler would get 859 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:25,880 Speaker 2: a third round compensatory pick back in return for that. 860 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:27,920 Speaker 2: So that's one to keep an eye on here. And 861 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,719 Speaker 2: Sheldon's a good guy does does a good job of 862 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 2: evaluating the professional talent and has been a GM in 863 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:38,160 Speaker 2: a past with the with the Detroit Lions as an interim, 864 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 2: and you know, maybe he gets that opportunity again here 865 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:43,839 Speaker 2: and if he does good for him, it also would 866 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:46,719 Speaker 2: happen to be good for the Steelers. One other thing 867 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:48,399 Speaker 2: that I wanted to touch on here before we get 868 00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:51,759 Speaker 2: done with our number one. I read a headline last 869 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:57,320 Speaker 2: night on ESPN when the Ravens re signed Deontay Johnson 870 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:02,960 Speaker 2: and they're hoping to get a comp pick back for him. 871 00:43:03,239 --> 00:43:06,600 Speaker 2: On what planet would that be? Because for the Ravens 872 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:09,720 Speaker 2: to get a compensatory pick in return for Deontay Johnson 873 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:12,200 Speaker 2: for losing Deontay Johnson at the end of this season, 874 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:16,759 Speaker 2: Deontay Johnson would have to get a pretty sizable free 875 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:20,640 Speaker 2: agent deal. The dude's been on four different teams in 876 00:43:20,680 --> 00:43:23,000 Speaker 2: the last ten months and he's now on his fifth 877 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,640 Speaker 2: team if you want to count the Ravens twice, five 878 00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:28,239 Speaker 2: teams in ten months that he has been a part of. 879 00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:31,759 Speaker 2: I'm here to tell you right now, Deontay Johnson is 880 00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:35,800 Speaker 2: not going to get a deal that's going to warrant 881 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:39,480 Speaker 2: a compensatory pick. That would mean that the Ravens signed 882 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:44,960 Speaker 2: absolutely nobody in the offseason, or Deontay Johnson went out 883 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:47,680 Speaker 2: for his new team, whoever that might be, whatever team 884 00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:51,080 Speaker 2: is desperate enough to sign him, and goes out and 885 00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:54,120 Speaker 2: catches eighty passes for twelve hundred yards or something like that, 886 00:43:54,320 --> 00:43:56,879 Speaker 2: he has a monster year and outplays his contract. That's 887 00:43:56,920 --> 00:43:58,719 Speaker 2: the only way that the Ravens will get any kind 888 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:01,759 Speaker 2: of compensatory pick for Johnson, and that would mean they 889 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:05,160 Speaker 2: didn't sign anybody in free agency, and that's not realistic. 890 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:09,080 Speaker 2: Deontay Johnson's probably looking a get, you know, if he's fortunate, 891 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:12,320 Speaker 2: a four million dollar deal or something in that range, 892 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:16,480 Speaker 2: maybe five tops in free agency next year. And that's 893 00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:20,200 Speaker 2: if he's fortunate. He's been through four different teams in 894 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:23,719 Speaker 2: the last ten months. He quit on the Ravens a 895 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:26,319 Speaker 2: month ago, which is why they released them. They told 896 00:44:26,360 --> 00:44:28,759 Speaker 2: him to stay away from the facility. They were so 897 00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:31,719 Speaker 2: angry with him. They cut him, and that's the only 898 00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:33,560 Speaker 2: reason that they sign him back. They had nothing to 899 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:36,600 Speaker 2: lose by doing that. He's not going to play for them. 900 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:38,959 Speaker 2: He can't play for them by league rules until after 901 00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:41,239 Speaker 2: the He's not even a member of the Ravens right now. 902 00:44:41,880 --> 00:44:43,920 Speaker 2: They picked up the contract and said, Okay, we're going 903 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:46,200 Speaker 2: to pay you and hope we get a compensatory pickback. 904 00:44:46,680 --> 00:44:49,760 Speaker 2: Hope does not mean you're going to get a compensatory pickback. 905 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:53,319 Speaker 2: It just means there's a possibility, but it doesn't mean 906 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:55,640 Speaker 2: that they're going to get one. So people need to 907 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:58,560 Speaker 2: understand that as well. The Ravens are not playing chess 908 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:02,719 Speaker 2: with this. They're hoping and they know the situation. They 909 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:05,040 Speaker 2: dealt with it before. They're the ones that told him 910 00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:07,000 Speaker 2: to stay away from the facility and then cut him 911 00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:10,640 Speaker 2: a week later. You know, so I understand that, Oh, 912 00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:14,280 Speaker 2: look look at what the Ravens did. It probably won't 913 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 2: work out for them. Let's just say that anyways, that's 914 00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:18,480 Speaker 2: going to do it for our number one of the 915 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:21,719 Speaker 2: drive here on the Steelers Audio Network. I'll be back 916 00:45:21,719 --> 00:45:23,400 Speaker 2: with our number two right after this