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Speaker 1: Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven

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

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Speaker 2: What's going on Steelers' Day? Shit, Welcome to the Drive here.

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Speaker 2: It is your favorite Steelers program on a Thursday. Wes

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Speaker 2: Yuler and Matt Williamson with you for the next two hours.

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Speaker 2: As we're having some fun, we're swapping some holiday stories.

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Speaker 2: I need to scoot over a little bit closer to

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Speaker 2: Matt here to make all this framing.

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Speaker 3: All first ever sip out of my mug.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, we got we got our fancy branded bugs here

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Speaker 2: TV coming correct with some other Christmas gifts and things

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Speaker 2: like that.

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Speaker 3: We're feeling like that's awesome. I'm psyched about that.

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Speaker 1: You know.

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Speaker 2: That's seeing Pinocchio where he's like, I'm a real boy,

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Speaker 2: that's all, you know. I'm starting to feel like we're

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Speaker 2: a real show as we rock and roll here at

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Speaker 2: a fun time of the year for everybody, a fun

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Speaker 2: time in the National Football League and just to be

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Speaker 2: a football fan in general. Matt, I know we touched

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Speaker 2: on this a little bit yesterday, but today kicks off

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Speaker 2: really five straight days of importandness awesome football games starts

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Speaker 2: tonight with what could be kind of the de facto

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Speaker 2: number one seed in the NFC play in game. We

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Speaker 2: had a similar thing last year with the Vikings and

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Speaker 2: the Lions towards the end of the season, Seahawks and

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Speaker 2: the Rams. Tonight, one of those teams in all likelihood's

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Speaker 2: gonna have a first round by the other is gonna

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Speaker 2: have to go on the road in the first round

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Speaker 2: of the playoffs. It's a stark difference.

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Speaker 3: At least you get to go visit probably the NFC

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Speaker 3: South winner, which is favorable, but then after that you're

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Speaker 3: on the road that.

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Speaker 2: You know you're not a playoff game at home and

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Speaker 2: all like despite maybe having the second best record in

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Speaker 2: the NFC. That's life in the National Football League. Friday Night,

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Speaker 2: of course, the Sooners roll into a part of me.

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Speaker 2: I think it's the other way around, the Crimson Tide

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Speaker 2: roll into Norman, Oklahoma. We got Bama vers Sooners Friday Night, Saturday,

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Speaker 2: all kinds of college football games, NFL games Saturday Night

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Speaker 2: as well, Sunday, full slate of Big Week sixteen action,

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Speaker 2: and then a pretty big one on Monday Night football.

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Speaker 2: So five straight nights here. I'm looking forward to it.

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Speaker 2: It's gonna be a lot of fun. It's things are

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Speaker 2: picking up and Matt is they like to say, it's

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Speaker 2: the most wonderful time of the year.

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Speaker 3: Sure is it? Sure is ho let's go with that.

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Speaker 2: A very thirty thousand foot question for you here to

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Speaker 2: get us started. Matt. Some of the stuff that we

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Speaker 2: do require some notes, some numbers, some prep, and we'll

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Speaker 2: get into some of that as we roll along here.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, the Lions here too.

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Speaker 2: Do you want to dig into the Lions and Matt's stats?

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Speaker 2: But I just thought a good thirty thousand foot question

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Speaker 2: to get us started. And it's weird because we've talked

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Speaker 2: plenty about Aaron Rodgers almost every single day, almost every

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Speaker 2: single day, Almost every single guest that we have, we

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Speaker 2: ask them about that or her about that.

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Speaker 3: If it's Missy Matthews, I'll probably bring them up the

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Speaker 3: labs and some point.

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Speaker 2: I'm sure we will, but I almost feel like we

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Speaker 2: don't discuss Aaron Rodgers enough, or at least maybe haven't

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Speaker 2: these last Cup weeks. So a real general question for you,

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Speaker 2: but I feel like it's a good one to kind

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Speaker 2: of get started here on this thirsty a little bit.

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Speaker 2: Aaron Rodgers so far this season, has he met your expectations.

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Speaker 2: Has he exceeded your expectations? I don't think he's underwhelmed.

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Speaker 2: I guess that's an option. Yeah, yeah, But to this point,

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Speaker 2: where were what eight and so so fourteen out of

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Speaker 2: seventeen games in the books? Yeah, met expectations, exceeded expectations

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Speaker 2: somewhere in between, still in wait and see mode. How

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Speaker 2: would you answer? What's kind of your first reaction to

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Speaker 2: that question?

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Speaker 3: I like questions like this because I have to go

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Speaker 3: back and remember what I was thinking at the time,

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Speaker 3: because that's where the expectations, right ri ight? You know,

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Speaker 3: So you can't just be like he's MVP. I thought

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Speaker 3: he's going MVP. Yeah, I mean, like, so when the

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Speaker 3: Steelers ended their season a year ago and it was okay,

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Speaker 3: Fields up, Wilson's up, what's the quarterback situation going to be? Like?

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Speaker 3: Rogers was not high on my list basically because of

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Speaker 3: his age and he had just went to the Jets

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Speaker 3: and this was superficial. You know, I had not dug

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Speaker 3: into him a time. I'm like, he brings a lot

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Speaker 3: with right, I mean, is that what this team needs

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Speaker 3: at this point? And I had thought about Shock and

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Speaker 3: mill Row and all in all the draft didn't really

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Speaker 3: work that way, especially after the Metcalf trades, Like, you

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Speaker 3: don't have a second or second pick, you know you can't.

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Speaker 3: I mean you're taking Shuck or Dart instead of Harmon.

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Speaker 3: I was never big on Dart at the time. I

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Speaker 3: thought that was a smidge early, a little rich for shock,

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Speaker 3: and you had to have something in place before the

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Speaker 3: draft to or at least a plan, you know.

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Speaker 2: I mean, you didn't want to put all your eggs

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Speaker 2: in one basket, right.

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Speaker 3: But when Rogers became more and frankly I didn't love

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Speaker 3: Fields or Wilson as the answer either. It wasn't like

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Speaker 3: I stayed on tab buttter. Why wouldn't you bring Backfield?

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Speaker 3: Some people were, why wouldn't you bring back Wilson? Some

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Speaker 3: people were I didn't feel strong about either one of

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Speaker 3: them as boy when they left him, Yeah, I upgrade.

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Speaker 3: They're replaceable players, you know. I mean they did some

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Speaker 3: good things, did some bad things. But frankly, even a

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Speaker 3: little before the Rogers momentum started, there wasn't a lot

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Speaker 3: to pick from, and I started re evaluating. I'm like,

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Speaker 3: that's definitely the best off. I mean, there's clearly is

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Speaker 3: they must have agreed with me. Obviously it got done,

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Speaker 3: and then I really started digging into him. I watched

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Speaker 3: every snap of his Jets tape, and of course, like

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Speaker 3: I do with now, I pay attention to everything, but

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Speaker 3: I didn't focus on it study it. And so the

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Speaker 3: short answer to your question is he's exceeded my expectations

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Speaker 3: because there was a lot of things that concerned me

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Speaker 3: from his Jets tape.

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Speaker 2: It's a good interesting way to put it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean again, I had no connections to him.

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Speaker 3: He's not a steel Well, there's going to be a

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Speaker 3: Steeler who cares. I mean, I'm gonna be as impartial

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Speaker 3: as possible, but he's in a bad organization. Him and

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Speaker 3: Garrett Wilson are both good players, but they're they're oil

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Speaker 3: and water in terms of being in the right place

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Speaker 3: and things like that. There wasn't much else to throw

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Speaker 3: to he early in the season, clearly, especially at his age.

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Speaker 3: His coming off Achilles thing was an issue. You know.

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Speaker 3: So if you're just watching week one, Week two, twenty

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Speaker 3: twenty four Jets tape, not great, it gets better, but

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Speaker 3: their season gets worse. They fire the coach at like

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Speaker 3: week six or something like that. I think there was

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Speaker 3: a coordinator.

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Speaker 2: Change as usual with Adams.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and that got better, you know what I mean. So,

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Speaker 3: I mean there was things you keep watching. You're like, man,

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Speaker 3: I don't think he loves getting hit at this stage

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Speaker 3: of his career. But you know, I always talk about

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Speaker 3: quarterbacks like I'm the defense attorney or the prosecuting attorney,

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Speaker 3: and like, my favorite one ever and I'm dating myself

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Speaker 3: a little was the first five years of like Sam

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Speaker 3: Bradford and frankly I've done it with like Lawrence, Like

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Speaker 3: where if I'm his defense attorney, I'd be like I

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Speaker 3: got a new coach every year, I lead my teams,

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Speaker 3: leads the league in drops. You know. Bradford was like

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Speaker 3: he's always injured. He's on the worst organization in the league.

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Speaker 2: Like kind of like when Baker Mayfield came in. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 2: So there was plenty to like. But there was plenty

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Speaker 2: to like.

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Speaker 3: But if I'm trying to put them in jail, it's like, yeah,

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Speaker 3: but you're the first pick of the draft, so I

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Speaker 3: got to bring these guys. Oh you know, you got

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Speaker 3: to elevate them. I don't care about that. To show

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Speaker 3: me the baby, you know. So back to Rogers, it

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Speaker 3: was like man, I see where he's coming from, of

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Speaker 3: and it's not they didn't give us all. But am

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Speaker 3: I really going to put my body in harm's way

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Speaker 3: for this team that's gone nowhere, that's fired their coach,

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Speaker 3: that has no chance? Am I going to really stand

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Speaker 3: in there four seconds in and take a hit to

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Speaker 3: the chin to really do nothing?

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Speaker 2: You know, like Joey Bosa kid.

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Speaker 3: Right? So that stuff worried me. But it because, frankly,

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Speaker 3: every every quarterback I've really seen thirty eight and above,

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Speaker 3: maybe not Brady, but including Ben like getting hit a

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Speaker 3: lot less than when they were twenty five. I mean

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Speaker 3: absolutely I would too. Yeah, I mean we're all human beings,

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Speaker 3: you know, and that doesn't mean you can't play anymore

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Speaker 3: or you're worthless. But that part concerned me, and I'm like,

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Speaker 3: how well is he going to fit with Arthur Smith's system.

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Speaker 3: He doesn't seem super excited about throwing intermediate or over

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Speaker 3: the middle, and that's a big deal. But he's Aaron Freakin'

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Speaker 3: Rogers and he's going to bring a presence to this

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Speaker 3: team and he can still sling it. So I got

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Speaker 3: more and more excited. And then frankly, the day after

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Speaker 3: he signed we were down at mini campyp or OTA's

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Speaker 3: at that point, I forgive which one, right, So.

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Speaker 2: I think the two weeks of OTAs optional had been

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Speaker 2: in the books, and the mandatory mini camp was about the.

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Speaker 3: Stuff like five minutes before that, which was scripted as

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Speaker 3: could be. I mean, they figured this out months ago,

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Speaker 3: and I couldn't keep my eyes off them, like everyone there,

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Speaker 3: you know.

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Speaker 2: You and I were trying to do a show, like

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Speaker 2: kept getting distracted of like, sorry, what did you just

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Speaker 2: ask Aaron Rodgers walk around.

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Speaker 3: And he wasn't and he was just sitting there and

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Speaker 3: he was he was in sneakers right, and you could

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Speaker 3: tell he was so engaged.

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Speaker 2: And then talked to Mason. He'd talked to Will Howard

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Speaker 2: and talked to Arthur Smith, he had talked to the

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Speaker 2: time to everybody move.

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Speaker 3: It was never a wasted minute. And every time I've

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Speaker 3: been around him since, he is so calculated and wise

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Speaker 3: and smart and prepared and nothing is an accident and

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Speaker 3: there's never a wasted minute of the day.

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Speaker 2: You know, you and I were fascinated just having lunch

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Speaker 2: every day at training camp watching him in the cafeteria

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Speaker 2: because it's like he would walk into the cafeteria, always

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Speaker 2: with his wired headphones, by the way, look, which is

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Speaker 2: still funny because there's such a few people on the

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Speaker 2: planet side one of them wired headphones. Hey, ride the

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Speaker 2: horse that got you there. You don't have to turn

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Speaker 2: your back on the wired headphones at this point. And

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Speaker 2: we'd beat you. And I would be like sitting there

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Speaker 2: and he'd walk in, he'd stop, he'd look around, and

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Speaker 2: he'd like pinpoint, like sit with the DB's today, I'm

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Speaker 2: sit with the offensive lineman today. I'm gonna go sit

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Speaker 2: with the linebackers coaches.

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Speaker 3: Today and go sit in the same corner by himself.

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Speaker 2: And or he'd be somebody.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: But but it was every calculated.

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Speaker 3: It was calculated everything he did and really showed up

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Speaker 3: and and I'm you know, I'm like, Matt, you've done

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Speaker 3: this a long time. He fell for some of this

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Speaker 3: and not that it's an act. With Russell Wilson a

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Speaker 3: year ago, you know, I was all eyes on Russell Wilson,

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Speaker 3: like that's a potentially Hall of Fame quarterback. He's new

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Speaker 3: around here, wonder what everyone's eyes are on him. And

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Speaker 3: I was impressed, you know, with especially through camp, but

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Speaker 3: Rogers was more impressive and he was more impressive on

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Speaker 3: the field, you know, I mean, like, ooh, how about

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Speaker 3: that throw or him running over to Friarmouth and saying,

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Speaker 3: do this a little bit different? You know, two percent different.

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Speaker 3: You can to see how the communication was. So my

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Speaker 3: expectations rose and rose and rose. But the short answer

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Speaker 3: is he still exceeded him. You know, I was like

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Speaker 3: forty two year old with some questionable what's some concerns. Obviously,

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Speaker 3: you don't get a guy for free if there's no concerns,

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Speaker 3: you know, no doubt. And I'm like, history shows he's

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Speaker 3: probably gonna go backwards because a few of us get

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Speaker 3: better after age forty. But he's better this year than

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Speaker 3: he was last year. He's in a better situation, and

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Speaker 3: I think the ripple effect on the tea the teammates

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Speaker 3: is invaluable.

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Speaker 2: You know, I really like how you kind of started

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Speaker 2: all that, because my answer would be I would be

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Speaker 2: somewhere in between met expectations and exceeded expectations. But I

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Speaker 2: think I'm leaning more towards exceeded expectations. Now.

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Speaker 3: The last two weeks of I don't overreact the last

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Speaker 3: two well, the last two weeks.

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Speaker 2: Have definitely helped that, but it's also Matt like.

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Speaker 3: Because two weeks ago I've been like exceeded, but now

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Speaker 3: I'm worried.

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Speaker 2: Yeah right, and I you know, but and as much

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Speaker 2: as I'm with you on that, I also like the

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Speaker 2: games get more and more weighted as the schedule gets

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Speaker 2: deeper and deeper. It's the nineteen eighty four George orwell,

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Speaker 2: all animals are created equal, but some are more equal

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Speaker 2: than others. Like, yeah, all seventeen games are created equal,

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Speaker 2: but some are more equal than others.

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Speaker 3: I would say, boy Jimmy Johnson when he was the

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Speaker 3: head coach of the Cowboys. It's like, well, if Michael

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Speaker 3: Irvin Rammitt walks into the meeting late, I may frown

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Speaker 3: upon it, but if the fifty third guy walks in, I.

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Speaker 2: Go, I'm gonna wear right exactly right. I think the

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Speaker 2: way that he has felt like he's elevated his game

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Speaker 2: these last couple weeks, it felt like he's, like we've

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Speaker 2: talked about, been the high tide that has raised all ships.

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Speaker 2: With that that has me leaning towards more exceeding expectations

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Speaker 2: as of late. But I think what you just highlighted

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Speaker 2: at the beginning there was important I hadn't even really

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Speaker 2: considered it. There was so much concern about I mean, guys,

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Speaker 2: we don't have to kid ourselves. Aaron Rodgers this past

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Speaker 2: year had a documentary released on Netflix called Enigma right right,

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Speaker 2: not entitled Quarterback or Superstar Old Jacket Anima.

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Speaker 3: McAfee all the time, and you know, right right right.

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Speaker 2: I think there was a lot of fair concern. He's

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Speaker 2: a unique cat. He is California as California can be.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I think there was, rightfully so a lot

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Speaker 2: of I don't even know concern, but just thought process of, yes,

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Speaker 2: he's going to elevate your quarterback position. He's going to

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Speaker 2: be better than any buddy that you've had since Ben,

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Speaker 2: since you know, prime pre elbow injury, Ben Roethlisberger.

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Speaker 3: And those are things I said about him before I

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Speaker 3: even watched him play football. Yeah, like, I think this

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Speaker 3: will be their best quarterback since Ben's elbow.

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Speaker 2: But the concern was, is he gonna go on McAfee

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Speaker 2: every week? Is he going to talk about vaccines in

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Speaker 2: ayahuasca and Anthony Fauci and you know all this other

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Speaker 2: controversial topics that he's dove into in the past. Is

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Speaker 2: you know, is is he going to be doing interviews

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Speaker 2: here and there, and the Steelers go on a two

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Speaker 2: or three game winning streak and there's some finger pointing

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Speaker 2: and things like that and things start to go south.

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Speaker 2: He hasn't done It's been the opposite, and he's gonna

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Speaker 2: choir boy.

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Speaker 3: He went and visited the Pyramids instead of going to

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Speaker 3: OTAs with the Jets. I'm like, is he gonna host

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Speaker 3: Jeopardy during training camp or something weird that yeah, that

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Speaker 3: I want to deal with and then talk about it

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Speaker 3: on McAfee.

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Speaker 2: Is he gonna do some goofy during the bye week

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Speaker 2: that has nothing to do with football? All right?

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Speaker 3: All right? And I don't know about you, but I

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Speaker 3: had a bunch of friends, not just like fans or

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Speaker 3: Twitter followers there like, man, I don't stand for anything

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Speaker 3: of this guy. I don't know if I can be

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Speaker 3: a Steeler fan because and my response was, do you

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Speaker 3: think you agree with every political take of every fifty

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Speaker 3: three guys in that locker room? You know what I mean?

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Speaker 2: They look right into the cameras. I say, there's a

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Speaker 2: lot of weirdos.

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Speaker 3: In your favorite player. You did agree with it?

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Speaker 2: All these guys have been the prom king, the prom king,

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Speaker 2: superstar since they were sixteen years old.

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Speaker 3: And they don't know you, and you don't know them,

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Speaker 3: you're not their friends.

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Speaker 2: Totally, right, he is by far the or he is

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Speaker 2: not even close to I guess I should say, the

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Speaker 2: only unique cat in that locker room inside those four walls. Right,

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Speaker 2: But he was also a little more unique than others.

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Speaker 3: And he's been around longer and everybody knows it and

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Speaker 3: people care what you say. So he could be on

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Speaker 3: different media.

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Speaker 2: He's on the big He was regularly on Pat McAfee,

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Speaker 2: the biggest sports show in the world. He was not

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Speaker 2: regularly but often enough on Joe Rogan, the biggest podcast

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Speaker 2: in the world.

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Speaker 3: If Dylan Cook had unique takes on the world, No,

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Speaker 3: but he would care. Yeah, it's it's if your fungus

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Speaker 3: on your shower in the show, you're colorful, if you're

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Speaker 3: winning games, otherwise you're a slot. You know.

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Speaker 2: He hasn't done any of that. He has gone radio

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Speaker 2: silence on everything. He has been just football, like I.

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Speaker 3: Like, I would love to know remember when he came here,

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Speaker 3: when they were both feeling each other out, Like I

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Speaker 3: wonder if the Rooney's Tomlin said we love you, we

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Speaker 3: want you to be your quarterback. But that's not really

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Speaker 3: our thing around here. And he's probably like, I love you,

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Speaker 3: but who am I gonna throw to? Or how am

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Speaker 3: I gonna cut? You know, I got questions for you,

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Speaker 3: a questions for me. We're both interviewing each other, meet

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Speaker 3: in the middle.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, will give you the autonomy that

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Speaker 2: you wanted the line of scrimmage. Yes, but you're not

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Speaker 2: going on McAfee and Joe Rogan and all these different

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Speaker 2: shows every week and talking about all kinds of topics

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Speaker 2: outside of football.

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Speaker 3: Right right, right. We don't have the right to say

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Speaker 3: you can't, but we that's what we do around here.

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Speaker 3: You know I respect that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, I that to me as you kind of

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Speaker 2: lay it out, I think is key he has. You've

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Speaker 2: talked about this with the personality type that you want

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Speaker 2: from your quarterback. You want the guy who is the

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Speaker 2: coolest guy in the room, walks in, everybody loves him,

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Speaker 2: He brings the locker room together. Everybody wants to hang

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Speaker 2: out with that guy. They want to go to his

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Speaker 2: house for dinner type thing. And I think he's been

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Speaker 2: he he hasn't been the enigma, lightning rod that he

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Speaker 2: was at times. At the end of Green Bay and

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Speaker 2: in New York, and even at those times, his teammates

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Speaker 2: were always clear that he was a great None of

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Speaker 2: his teammates have ever said anything bad about him. It's

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Speaker 2: always been, it's always been, this guy is a great leader,

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Speaker 2: is a great teammate, He's awesome in the locker room.

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Speaker 2: But I man, he has he has to. He has

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Speaker 2: used a a Johnny Cash song, and he has walked

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Speaker 2: the line ever since he got here. Yes, I think

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Speaker 2: even even if you were the most optimistic person in

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Speaker 2: that regard, I don't think you could even imagine that

361
00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:54,520
Speaker 2: he has been this business oriented color between the lines.

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Speaker 2: I'm the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and nothing else. And I

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00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,080
Speaker 2: think that's gone a long way. I think Jalen Ram

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00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:01,840
Speaker 2: has bought into that and talked about that.

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Speaker 3: I obviously he demanded respect the second he walked. Before

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Speaker 3: he walked in the door, everyone's waiting for him walking

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Speaker 3: the door. You know.

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Speaker 2: You and I joked about how that first day of

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Speaker 2: mini camp, like that's a lot more difficult to find

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Speaker 2: a parking spot today. It's usually difficult to find a

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Speaker 2: parking spot down there on the South Side, but it

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Speaker 2: was extra I mean, the the attention, the eyeballs, the

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Speaker 2: local and national media and magnet that he is was

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Speaker 2: undeniable amongst his teammates, amongst the fan base. Those first

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Speaker 2: few days of training camp, everyone wants to see Aaron

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Speaker 2: Rodgers man. You're seeing people in jets and packers Aaron

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Speaker 2: Rodgers jerseys that were showing up to Latrobe to get

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Speaker 2: a glimpse of this guy. I think it has gone

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00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:46,439
Speaker 2: about as swimmingly, about as well as possible, and so

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Speaker 2: i'm I'm I'm leaning much more towards exceeded expectations. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: albeit with the caveat of there's still three very crucial

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Speaker 2: games remaining.

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Speaker 3: Of course, and you gotta finish the job. Hopefully there's

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Speaker 3: four and five remaining. That's where I was about to

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Speaker 3: go next. S love it, okay. I mean everyone on

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Speaker 3: the planet h Tolman the Zebeta losing record. But when's

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Speaker 3: you want the last playoff game? I mean I hear

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00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:09,760
Speaker 3: that every day. Everyone in the planets hears it every day.

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Speaker 3: We all know these things, folks. You're not breaking news

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Speaker 3: out here now. I like Rogers chances of beating Alan

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Speaker 3: Lauren Stroud, Nicks, May whoever you're going to face in

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Speaker 3: the AFC wild Card round, assuming they get there, way

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Speaker 3: better than other options, any option they've could have had,

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Speaker 3: including Dart Shock Wilson. In fact, that's goal one, is

395
00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,399
Speaker 3: to win a playoff game and go from there. I

396
00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:39,920
Speaker 3: think he gives you the best chance we.

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Speaker 2: Got like a minute till we got a break. Yeah,

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00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:43,919
Speaker 2: but maybe today or sometime soon we should have the

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00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:47,119
Speaker 2: conversation of I think it's very clear of all the

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00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,679
Speaker 2: teams in the AFC playoff picture right now, if you

401
00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:53,880
Speaker 2: could have one quarterback, it's Josh Allen. Oh, that's non controversial, right,

402
00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:54,600
Speaker 2: like in.

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Speaker 3: The whole league.

404
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Speaker 2: And yes, I mean I think you could maybe make

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00:18:58,359 --> 00:18:59,440
Speaker 2: a like Matt Stafford.

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Speaker 3: He's awesome too, But if I have to win a

407
00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:01,800
Speaker 3: playoff game.

408
00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,680
Speaker 2: I won Allen, especially in the AFC. Yeah yeah, yeah,

409
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Speaker 2: but I think you could start to argue Aaron Rodgers's

410
00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,879
Speaker 2: number two in the AFC playoff picture right now. No Mahomes,

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00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,560
Speaker 2: no Burrow Lamar, no one game for one game, yeah

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00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,800
Speaker 2: yeah yeah, Like Herbert deserves a shout. Absolutely, There's some

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00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,159
Speaker 2: other guys in there. Drake may deserves a shout.

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Speaker 3: But many of them I would put ahead of Rogers

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Speaker 3: on my quarterback tiers. Yes, yeah, but if I have

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Speaker 3: to win a game in Foxborough in January or whatever, you.

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Speaker 2: Know, maybe we'll do that exercise next week.

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Speaker 3: Ben They're done a thing.

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Speaker 2: Power rank your AFC quarterbacks and your NFC quarterbacks currently

420
00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:38,760
Speaker 2: in the playoff picture based off who you would want

421
00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,280
Speaker 2: to lead your team, because it's clearly Josh Allen one.

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00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:42,880
Speaker 2: But then I think you could start to argue Aaron

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00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:43,919
Speaker 2: Rodgers legimately.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I know, if you get up against it. So

425
00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,479
Speaker 3: this is a bigger conversation and it's mostly negative. I

426
00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:54,400
Speaker 3: do have concerns with the style of offense the Steelers run,

427
00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:57,240
Speaker 3: which isn't all him compared to the rest of the

428
00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,080
Speaker 3: league to win a Super Bowl. But that's not if

429
00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,679
Speaker 3: you asked me, did he exceed expectations or not? I

430
00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:04,680
Speaker 3: mean they throw short of that They and I'm not

431
00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,159
Speaker 3: gonna saying him, they throw short of the sticks a lot.

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Speaker 3: They throw those backs a lot.

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Speaker 2: The run game's been very inconsistent.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm talking more of the quarterback, the quarterback cent

435
00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:17,000
Speaker 3: you know what I mean, Like, and he doesn't if

436
00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:19,879
Speaker 3: he's not gonna run, you know, I mean, like, is

437
00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:25,280
Speaker 3: there a ceiling on this style of offense probably probably right, right, right,

438
00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,880
Speaker 3: but I think there's a pretty high floor too, right.

439
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,879
Speaker 3: But Mahomes wasn't available either, you know, it wasn't like Hm,

440
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,879
Speaker 3: should I think Rogers or Josh Allen? You know, yeah,

441
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:35,639
Speaker 3: right right.

442
00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,320
Speaker 2: Let's get to a break here. Let's let's continue this

443
00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:40,480
Speaker 2: conversation a little bit and start to dive into Matt's

444
00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,959
Speaker 2: stats as we talk more about the Detroit Lions as

445
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,960
Speaker 2: we roll along here, We've got plenty to get to today, Matt.

446
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,280
Speaker 2: We've gotten a few tweets in the last week. Can

447
00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,160
Speaker 2: you guys break down the Steelers playoff outlooks and scenario?

448
00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:52,240
Speaker 3: Yeah, we need to do that too.

449
00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,600
Speaker 2: We're gonna do that where we talked to Bob Labriola.

450
00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:56,439
Speaker 2: A whole bunch of fun stuff on deck for you

451
00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:58,960
Speaker 2: today as we're just getting started here on the drive,

452
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,720
Speaker 2: Wells Shooler, Matt will since Steelers Nation Radio on the

453
00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:02,920
Speaker 2: Steelers Audio Network.

454
00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,560
Speaker 1: Your tune's about drive on your twenty four to seven

455
00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:11,320
Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.

456
00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:24,879
Speaker 2: Back on the drive here as we roll along on

457
00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:28,359
Speaker 2: a Thursday with plenty to get to. And it's been

458
00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,520
Speaker 2: a different week right with the one less shows in

459
00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,760
Speaker 2: the Monday night football. Next week's gonna be a little

460
00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,400
Speaker 2: different too. With Christmas. It's it always feels like from

461
00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:39,040
Speaker 2: Thanksgiving through the end of the season, like all bets

462
00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:40,680
Speaker 2: are off, you know, you know, you gotta be light

463
00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:42,680
Speaker 2: on your feet and ready to adjust and move.

464
00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:45,680
Speaker 3: Sometimes your game, especially because Steelers are always in until

465
00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:47,560
Speaker 3: the end gets flexed on you.

466
00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,080
Speaker 2: Or point and especially now the entire week eighteen is

467
00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,600
Speaker 2: kind of flex scheduling where no one knows when they're

468
00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:54,560
Speaker 2: going to be playing.

469
00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,760
Speaker 3: Saturday games, and everything disc gets weird.

470
00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,040
Speaker 2: If you're like the Raiders and the Browns and the Cardinals,

471
00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:00,640
Speaker 2: you know when you're gonna be pl playing, it's gonna

472
00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,000
Speaker 2: be Sunday at one o'clock.

473
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:03,679
Speaker 3: And we covered them, we'd be pretty used to it.

474
00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:07,240
Speaker 2: But if you're anyone who's still in the hunt, could

475
00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:09,400
Speaker 2: be Saturday, could be Sunday, could be during the day,

476
00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:10,520
Speaker 2: could be in the evening.

477
00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:12,399
Speaker 3: And this something the Steelers are very customed to. Like

478
00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,760
Speaker 3: people give them enough credit for that, Like that's the

479
00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,520
Speaker 3: Tomlin experience going through COVID, you know, like changing on

480
00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,919
Speaker 3: the flies rough and they don't always win, but I

481
00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:23,560
Speaker 3: mean it's at least they've done a lot of it

482
00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:24,879
Speaker 3: over the last several years.

483
00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:26,800
Speaker 2: You know this better than me because you were in

484
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,679
Speaker 2: those locker rooms and in those organizations and facilities at

485
00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,600
Speaker 2: a point in your career. But athletes and coaches, man,

486
00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,119
Speaker 2: are such creatures a habit.

487
00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,320
Speaker 3: It's one of the things that shocked me most when

488
00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:40,560
Speaker 3: I really started to get It's unbelievable. I mean, every

489
00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,840
Speaker 3: coaches are maybe worse than athletes, and worse is the

490
00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:46,960
Speaker 3: wrong word, but I mean, you mess with their Tuesday

491
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,320
Speaker 3: at two o'clock schedule, throws them off, and.

492
00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:51,919
Speaker 2: I've become OCD to the max.

493
00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,400
Speaker 3: I become that way my Christmas schedule, mind.

494
00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:58,920
Speaker 2: The schedule for next week. Before we started recording.

495
00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,679
Speaker 3: I always joke I do have a spreadshe home that well,

496
00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,920
Speaker 3: I did. I set up, you know, for every week

497
00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:05,199
Speaker 3: because I know where I'm going to be at two

498
00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,120
Speaker 3: o'clock on Tuesday or all the time. But you got

499
00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:07,920
Speaker 3: to change it a lot.

500
00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:09,600
Speaker 2: I have to do that same thing. Now we've got

501
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:12,120
Speaker 2: a massive family calendar because we as I was joking

502
00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:15,520
Speaker 2: about yesterday, my schedule completely flipped with this new role

503
00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:17,480
Speaker 2: this year. Oh sure, Like I used to be in

504
00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,480
Speaker 2: here from like nine to three every day and that

505
00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:21,679
Speaker 2: was it and very static. And now it's kind of

506
00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:23,440
Speaker 2: all over the place. And I got a four year old,

507
00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:25,399
Speaker 2: the two and a half year old doing dance and

508
00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,399
Speaker 2: soccer and a million different things, and so have to

509
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,159
Speaker 2: stay on it. And those guys are so routine oriented

510
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,760
Speaker 2: in that for everybody, you know, that's the thing. Everyone's

511
00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,280
Speaker 2: got to deal with it, the coaches, but the coaches,

512
00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:42,560
Speaker 2: it's it's it's psychotic. Yes, it's like neurotic and psychotic

513
00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:45,959
Speaker 2: and very pedantic. But those guys have a method and

514
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,159
Speaker 2: to the madness and it's worked for them for for

515
00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:49,800
Speaker 2: a lot of their careers to get to this point.

516
00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,000
Speaker 2: So you can't knock it, Matt. We kind of have

517
00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:53,760
Speaker 2: a method to our madness. But some things have been

518
00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,920
Speaker 2: thrown off this week. One thing that we, as Bill

519
00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:59,480
Speaker 2: Cower would say, we will not be the tiered from

520
00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:03,120
Speaker 2: here on Thursday, is to get into some of Matt's stats.

521
00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,200
Speaker 3: Line seems interesting, It really does. Some statistical stuff really

522
00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:07,920
Speaker 3: stands out there.

523
00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:09,560
Speaker 2: It really does. And the one that I wanted to

524
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,440
Speaker 2: start with you this was something that you retweeted on

525
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,040
Speaker 2: your Twitter account ex Twitter, as Dale would say at

526
00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:21,480
Speaker 2: Williamson NFL teams with the lowest pressure rates allowed this season. Yeah,

527
00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:25,159
Speaker 2: Steelers are number one. Yeah, best only team in the

528
00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:29,000
Speaker 2: NFL below thirty percent. They're at twenty six point five

529
00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,000
Speaker 2: percent of the time. I think there has to be

530
00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:34,800
Speaker 2: a direct correlation between that what we were just talking

531
00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,800
Speaker 2: about with Aaron Rodgers, how no quarterback wants to get hit,

532
00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,080
Speaker 2: but especially quarterbacks that are in their late thirties and

533
00:24:40,119 --> 00:24:42,960
Speaker 2: early forties. And I have to think again, there's a

534
00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,400
Speaker 2: correlation there. There's a parallel with what feels like them

535
00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,320
Speaker 2: doing a good job of keeping Aaron Rodgers upright and

536
00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:52,320
Speaker 2: him looking like he's still got plenty of gas in

537
00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:54,080
Speaker 2: the tank here midway through December.

538
00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:56,679
Speaker 3: So I'm gonna burst that bubble a little bit, okay,

539
00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,960
Speaker 3: you know, because I'm gonna be as objective as humanly possible.

540
00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,280
Speaker 3: The ball out really quick, get the ballut really quick. Yeah,

541
00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:05,600
Speaker 3: So it's easier to not allow a pressure if I

542
00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:09,720
Speaker 3: only have to two point five verse three point five. Absolutely,

543
00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:11,639
Speaker 3: if I got to keep this guy off my quarterback,

544
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:16,280
Speaker 3: it sure helps. So I'm a nerd. One thing I'm

545
00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:20,240
Speaker 3: going to do Williams when the season ends, especially because

546
00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:22,720
Speaker 3: it really applies to Steelers, is I'm going to build

547
00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:28,480
Speaker 3: a spreadsheet of all the pressure rates, percentage blitzed verse.

548
00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:32,640
Speaker 2: Verse time, we'll do we'll do a whole show on that.

549
00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,400
Speaker 3: And we'll look at who really are the best pass

550
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,400
Speaker 3: protecting teams out there, you know, and just you'll let's

551
00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:42,080
Speaker 3: learn the picture a little bit better.

552
00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,480
Speaker 2: It's like the X axis and the Y axis.

553
00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:47,240
Speaker 3: And what I often do is like, these are the

554
00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,240
Speaker 3: eight worst, these are the eight best, these are the

555
00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,919
Speaker 3: ones in the middle, and okay, but yeah they're really

556
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:53,280
Speaker 3: good in this way. They're really good in that way.

557
00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:56,600
Speaker 3: And plus pressure rate. To me, like in Matt's stats,

558
00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,720
Speaker 3: I never put pressure rate. I just don't a thousand

559
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,080
Speaker 3: percent trust it because if you and I are watching

560
00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,159
Speaker 3: a game, like, oh that was pressure, I don't know

561
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:05,560
Speaker 3: if it was pressure. You know, there's a little bit

562
00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:06,520
Speaker 3: of subjectivity to.

563
00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:08,840
Speaker 2: It, or it's made to tackle. Yeah, there's a lot

564
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:10,240
Speaker 2: of subjectivity at times, but.

565
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:14,120
Speaker 3: It's growing in popularity and acceptance. And even if you're

566
00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:16,439
Speaker 3: a percentage off, over the course of your who.

567
00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,840
Speaker 2: Cares, you could get pretty close to either the top.

568
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,080
Speaker 3: You know, the bit bottom or in the middle of whatever.

569
00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,040
Speaker 3: You know. So I think that's important, and I do

570
00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:28,280
Speaker 3: think a lot of our listeners rightfully show don't give

571
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,280
Speaker 3: this pass protection nearly enough credit. I mean that probably

572
00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:34,320
Speaker 3: blows Pep away. You're number one. I don't think they're

573
00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:36,480
Speaker 3: the best pass protecting unit in the league, but I

574
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,560
Speaker 3: think they're definitely in that top.

575
00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:40,159
Speaker 2: Top ten, top twelve.

576
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,760
Speaker 3: You know, I say eight because thirty two there's a order,

577
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,199
Speaker 3: there's sixteen in the middle. Then there's no bodomate. But

578
00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:48,520
Speaker 3: I mean I even found this today. I mean, everyone

579
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,280
Speaker 3: hates pass rush win rate? Why does everyone hate pass

580
00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,400
Speaker 3: rush ring weight? Because Miles Garrett was always better at

581
00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:58,240
Speaker 3: it than TJ Watt, So everyone would be like, what

582
00:26:58,480 --> 00:26:59,959
Speaker 3: has more sacks? I don't want to hear about this

583
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:01,480
Speaker 3: stupid pass rush win rate stuff.

584
00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,600
Speaker 2: Funny how that choos on the other foot, Now from

585
00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,119
Speaker 2: both sides, from the Steelers, all these Browns athletes are

586
00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:08,320
Speaker 2: talking about sack numbers.

587
00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:10,439
Speaker 3: Now, Miles Garrett, I don't want to hear about these

588
00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:11,000
Speaker 3: other guys.

589
00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,399
Speaker 2: About TJ's e p A. Look at how many sacks, Miles.

590
00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:16,720
Speaker 3: That's what I'm saying. Like TJ has a better pass

591
00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:19,639
Speaker 3: rush win rate, then he has sacks. He only has

592
00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:21,960
Speaker 3: six or seven or whatever, but he still wins a

593
00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:23,480
Speaker 3: high percentage of his reps.

594
00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:25,160
Speaker 2: His e p A is still outstanding.

595
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:29,800
Speaker 3: It's third behind Williamson and Garrett Yes amongst all defensive

596
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,959
Speaker 3: players cumulative e p A. And if you don't play though,

597
00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,280
Speaker 3: it goes down. Those are counting stats. So he was

598
00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,320
Speaker 3: actually two and he went to three this week because

599
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:41,840
Speaker 3: he didn't do anything this week. And those guys are good.

600
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:44,520
Speaker 3: But I found this too. I tweeted this out a

601
00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:49,200
Speaker 3: couple hours ago, this if we pass rush win rate

602
00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:52,800
Speaker 3: now that it still helps to get the ball out.

603
00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,479
Speaker 3: But somebody out there, and I don't know who is

604
00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:59,040
Speaker 3: judging who won this rep. You know, Pennay sool versus

605
00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:00,960
Speaker 3: t J. Watt who won that.

606
00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:03,680
Speaker 2: Rep fifty times over? And oh yeah, yea yeah.

607
00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:06,040
Speaker 3: And they're experts in their field or whatever. It doesn't

608
00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:10,120
Speaker 3: mean they're alway right. Yeah, they're close. Their fourth best

609
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:14,760
Speaker 3: in pass rush rush win rate on defense and their

610
00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:18,719
Speaker 3: fourth best in pass rush blocking rate on offense.

611
00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:19,480
Speaker 2: It's a good place to be.

612
00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:23,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, pass rush makes the world go round. And even

613
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,359
Speaker 3: if you get the ball all quick, you can't convince me.

614
00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,200
Speaker 3: And these stats back it up in a big way.

615
00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:30,600
Speaker 3: They're really good at pass rushing. They're really good at

616
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:34,080
Speaker 3: pass blocking. That's good place to start, good place to start,

617
00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:34,800
Speaker 3: good place to start.

618
00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,520
Speaker 2: And man, there's been the investment in that area over

619
00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,680
Speaker 2: the last few years in the draft and free agency.

620
00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,080
Speaker 3: It's the backbone the team is the pass rush and

621
00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:44,960
Speaker 3: has been every step of the way.

622
00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:46,840
Speaker 2: You and I joke about it a lot, but it's

623
00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:48,640
Speaker 2: kind of like a tongue in cheek. It's half joking,

624
00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,480
Speaker 2: half serious. That's you wear the black and gold. That's

625
00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:52,520
Speaker 2: your god given birthright.

626
00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:54,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, Gilden Porter, I mean we go back

627
00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:55,440
Speaker 3: and back back.

628
00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:57,600
Speaker 2: Is to lead is to lead the league or at

629
00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:00,760
Speaker 2: least be top two, three, four five in in sacks.

630
00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,600
Speaker 2: He influence QB hits and heavily influenced the game. And

631
00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:08,400
Speaker 2: how when your opponent, When the opponent offensive coordinator on

632
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,360
Speaker 2: Wednesday is previewing the Steelers defense, that's the number one

633
00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:12,760
Speaker 2: thing on the grease board on thousand.

634
00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,160
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, And like in this game, one of the

635
00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:19,000
Speaker 3: stats I've been there in the general area is the

636
00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:22,680
Speaker 3: Lions defense basically faces the most deep balls in the league.

637
00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,200
Speaker 3: The Steelers face the fewest. Yes, it's because of pass rush,

638
00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:28,560
Speaker 3: and I know Hutchinson and they have a lot of sacks.

639
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,680
Speaker 3: But it's easier to get a sack when people are

640
00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,600
Speaker 3: throwing deep and they're holding the ball along it.

641
00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,800
Speaker 2: For four seconds, right and a half.

642
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,360
Speaker 3: Where people are not holding the ball are going deep.

643
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,640
Speaker 3: Because well, it's also was very successful early in the year,

644
00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,840
Speaker 3: the short short short, and the Steelers adjusted well. But

645
00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,680
Speaker 3: it's been like this for years that they face like

646
00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:48,960
Speaker 3: the lowest average ups of the target over the last

647
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,480
Speaker 3: five years. I promise you in the league, you know,

648
00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:53,440
Speaker 3: if you if you accumulated, because it's a pass rush.

649
00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,480
Speaker 2: It's a heritage thing, man Like, it's part of you know.

650
00:29:57,480 --> 00:29:59,120
Speaker 3: They invested in it, They invested in it, they invested

651
00:29:59,120 --> 00:29:59,200
Speaker 3: in it.

652
00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,440
Speaker 2: It is some thing that they have believed in for decades,

653
00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:09,120
Speaker 2: through different regimes, through same family, but different ownership. And

654
00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:11,760
Speaker 2: it's something like you know, Rob King and I a

655
00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,080
Speaker 2: couple of times a year do those Steelers alumni dinner shows,

656
00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:20,000
Speaker 2: you know, anniversary weekend shows, and that's something like we

657
00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:22,760
Speaker 2: talked to the Lavon Kirklands and the Jason Gilden's and

658
00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:25,280
Speaker 2: the Lamar Woodleys and the Joey Porter and it's something

659
00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:28,800
Speaker 2: that they all talk about and it's it's it's such

660
00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:31,240
Speaker 2: a unique, cool this is like shiny silver object, but

661
00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:35,840
Speaker 2: it's such a unique cool Steelers legacy lineage heritage thing

662
00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:38,640
Speaker 2: for me. That like we talked so much about the

663
00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:42,400
Speaker 2: heritage and the lineage at pass, rusher and center and

664
00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:46,400
Speaker 2: like all these different positions, not quarterback and running back

665
00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:47,800
Speaker 2: where the teams and wide.

666
00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:49,640
Speaker 3: Cleaver left tackle, you know where the.

667
00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:52,400
Speaker 2: Teams had a ton of success. It's like edge rushers

668
00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:54,680
Speaker 2: and centers. That's what we that's what we do here

669
00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:55,160
Speaker 2: in Pittsburgh.

670
00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:58,160
Speaker 3: You probably encountered some of this. I got a ton

671
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:00,000
Speaker 3: of it, But there was that year or two before

672
00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,960
Speaker 3: war Zach Frasier. I don't care what they do. They

673
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,520
Speaker 3: got guess yeah, Like, what do you mean they're not

674
00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:06,400
Speaker 3: the best center in the league.

675
00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:08,160
Speaker 2: Benthler still brings it up.

676
00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:10,320
Speaker 3: I can't sleep, I mean pretty often. Yeah, I can't

677
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:11,800
Speaker 3: sleep at night because I see what my team does,

678
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:13,120
Speaker 3: not have the best center in the league. You know,

679
00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,840
Speaker 3: Like it's been like that my whole life and everybody's

680
00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:17,960
Speaker 3: whole life. Like, what do you mean even average center

681
00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:19,480
Speaker 3: or below average center. We have to have the best

682
00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:21,200
Speaker 3: center in the league. What are you talking about? But

683
00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:22,960
Speaker 3: use the first pick in the draft on the center.

684
00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,680
Speaker 3: I don't care about positional value exactly. I'll wait till

685
00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:26,160
Speaker 3: the second round.

686
00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,040
Speaker 2: Wait on the second round. Give me Tyler learned to bomb,

687
00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:30,960
Speaker 2: and give him to me right now, exactly. And so yeah,

688
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,480
Speaker 2: it is that that part kind of always makes me laugh. Okay,

689
00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:36,280
Speaker 2: let's take another break here, reset yet before we go

690
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:36,600
Speaker 2: for it.

691
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,720
Speaker 3: This is not a knock on Broderck Jones. I heard

692
00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:43,280
Speaker 3: someone say this, and I believe it's true. Last week

693
00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:46,960
Speaker 3: was the best left tackle game of the year. Ooh,

694
00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:48,480
Speaker 3: and we're talking about protection.

695
00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,440
Speaker 2: From your protection standpoint. I thought it was the No,

696
00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:53,120
Speaker 2: I mean, I thought it was all encompassing.

697
00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,120
Speaker 3: I thought it was the best sixty minutes of left

698
00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,080
Speaker 3: tackle game of the year.

699
00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:00,880
Speaker 2: And that's more of a test meant to Dylan Cook.

700
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:02,360
Speaker 2: I assume what you're saying.

701
00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,840
Speaker 3: There, Jones is kind of all over the place. I mean,

702
00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:07,320
Speaker 3: we know that he's not a rock solid, most consistent

703
00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:10,760
Speaker 3: guy in the league. That game was the most consistent,

704
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,640
Speaker 3: good play, icessive, and I was also rewatching it less

705
00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:16,960
Speaker 3: and less impressed with pride the job. Who you're going again?

706
00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:19,040
Speaker 3: Yeah you know, yeah, I mean he was a better

707
00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:22,320
Speaker 3: name than he was product. But it was a really

708
00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:23,160
Speaker 3: good game. By Cook.

709
00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:25,720
Speaker 2: That's encouraging. You're gonna need another one of those on

710
00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:28,320
Speaker 2: Sunday in Detroit for sure, without the yeah yeah, More

711
00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:30,640
Speaker 2: Matt stats as we close down the first hour of

712
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:32,680
Speaker 2: the show. On the other side, it's the Drive on

713
00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:35,240
Speaker 2: Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

714
00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,800
Speaker 1: Your tune's about Drive on your twenty four to seven

715
00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,080
Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.

716
00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:55,680
Speaker 2: Rolling along here with more Matt's stats on the Drive. Matt,

717
00:32:55,920 --> 00:33:00,920
Speaker 2: this one not surprising, but I think I think it's

718
00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,320
Speaker 2: kind of a It can be glass half full or

719
00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:05,880
Speaker 2: glass half empty, depending on how you look at it.

720
00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:12,080
Speaker 2: Because the Steelers just did very well against a talented

721
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:17,440
Speaker 2: Miami rushing attack without t J Watt and losing Nick

722
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:20,920
Speaker 2: Herbing in the process. Right now, we're gonna wait and

723
00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:24,200
Speaker 2: see on Herbig's status. Will hopefully get the injury report

724
00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:28,480
Speaker 2: here in this show. But with Nick Herbig on the

725
00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:32,040
Speaker 2: field this season, Steelers all shock me because because the

726
00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:34,720
Speaker 2: proverbial thought is high Smith and t J you're better

727
00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:39,640
Speaker 2: rush defenders, and Herbig's a specialist pass rusher, six man

728
00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:43,120
Speaker 2: off the bo He's like bringing your power hitter in,

729
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,680
Speaker 2: you know, out of the dugout or your your sharpshooter

730
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:51,120
Speaker 2: off the bench, exactly right, Mariano Rivera right out of

731
00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:53,719
Speaker 2: the bullpen with herbig on the field. This season, Steelers

732
00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,440
Speaker 2: allow four yards per carry to the opposition running back

733
00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:59,880
Speaker 2: when he's off the field four point nine yards, nearly

734
00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,080
Speaker 2: an extra yard per carry, Like, speaks a lot to

735
00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:04,000
Speaker 2: his value this year.

736
00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:07,280
Speaker 3: Yeah, and now I always like to peel these back, like, Okay,

737
00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:10,320
Speaker 3: what are we missing other than just that sentence? Sure,

738
00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:12,960
Speaker 3: you know, like the Cam Hayward stuff last year was

739
00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:15,839
Speaker 3: super alarming, but boy it added up. You know, it's

740
00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,760
Speaker 3: like he's that good because his his splits were even starker.

741
00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:21,880
Speaker 2: But simmon, it's like second best run defense in the

742
00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:24,080
Speaker 2: league when he was out there, second worst when he

743
00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:25,680
Speaker 2: was on the sideline. It was crazy.

744
00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:27,719
Speaker 3: And then I started thinking, I'm like, well, is her

745
00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:31,279
Speaker 3: big out there? Situationally more, is he out there? And

746
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:33,640
Speaker 3: the answer is yes, you know, is he out there

747
00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:37,800
Speaker 3: in third and nine and not third and one? Yes,

748
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:43,359
Speaker 3: But that would actually make it the opposite because it's

749
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,000
Speaker 3: a lot easier to get a six or seven yard

750
00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:47,600
Speaker 3: run on third and nine than it is on the

751
00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,800
Speaker 3: goal line. Sure, you can only get one yard to

752
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:53,160
Speaker 3: gain or whatever, so that would actually work in his favor.

753
00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:55,719
Speaker 3: And I'm like, well, is he just not played enough?

754
00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:59,000
Speaker 3: I'm like, well, I mean high Smith has missed time.

755
00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,680
Speaker 3: He's played entire your games. It's not I mean he's

756
00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,160
Speaker 3: he's been out there quite a bit. Now. I'm not

757
00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:09,239
Speaker 3: saying that he's their best run defender. I still think

758
00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,160
Speaker 3: Watt is clearly that on the edge, and I think

759
00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:13,920
Speaker 3: high Smith's better than Herbig. They're two of the best

760
00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:17,400
Speaker 3: edge steelers in the league. But I think that stat's

761
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:21,160
Speaker 3: pretty telling. I mean, he's he's out there in a

762
00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:25,040
Speaker 3: lot of different situations. The eyeball test says it. And frankly,

763
00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,640
Speaker 3: when these beat reporters interview the defensive coaching staff, they've

764
00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:31,440
Speaker 3: been saying it all year long. We think Nixon much

765
00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:33,440
Speaker 3: improved run defender, and he is.

766
00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:36,600
Speaker 2: And I wonder if there's some he's a great player,

767
00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:42,720
Speaker 2: by the way, is I wonder if there's some lack

768
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:47,359
Speaker 2: of perception meeting reality with opposition offensive coordinators, Like if

769
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:49,760
Speaker 2: they look at it and they say it's it's almost

770
00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,120
Speaker 2: working against them where they're saying, when Herbig's on the field,

771
00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:54,719
Speaker 2: we have to run his direction. Yeah, maybe because they

772
00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:58,399
Speaker 2: haven't caught up with how close to the team right

773
00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:00,480
Speaker 2: in that regard, Like, I bet there's some of that.

774
00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,040
Speaker 2: I would think that there would have to be for it.

775
00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,560
Speaker 2: I mean again, to be nearly a yard difference, like

776
00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:06,640
Speaker 2: that's that's a lot for him.

777
00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,759
Speaker 3: It's not one hundred snaps, it's quite a few. I mean,

778
00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:11,839
Speaker 3: it's a high percentage of being out there for an

779
00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:13,360
Speaker 3: entire season or deep into December.

780
00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,560
Speaker 2: Yes, correct, Another thing that I wanted to discuss with

781
00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,920
Speaker 2: you here. We touched on this a little bit yesterday

782
00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,680
Speaker 2: with Chris Hallick. But eleven personnel usage and how that

783
00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:24,359
Speaker 2: relates to the Lions defense, that's.

784
00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:26,080
Speaker 3: What I'm new to a lot the last twenty four hours.

785
00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:29,280
Speaker 2: Well, then let's get into it. Steelers using eleven personnel

786
00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:32,560
Speaker 2: just thirty five percent of their snaps. Now, that's thirty

787
00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:33,440
Speaker 2: first in the NFL.

788
00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:35,759
Speaker 3: But that's still I loved how Chris said this. Though

789
00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:36,680
Speaker 3: it's still more than.

790
00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,080
Speaker 2: Still a lot, it's still a third of your snaps,

791
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:40,960
Speaker 2: a little more than a third of your season. I

792
00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:46,000
Speaker 2: often use a fullback exactly right, happening six times a game.

793
00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:49,480
Speaker 3: Right, We've never practiced it. It's still the most prominent

794
00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:52,239
Speaker 3: form of personnel grouping in the league, and they use

795
00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:52,800
Speaker 3: it a lot.

796
00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:54,640
Speaker 2: And what's crazy about it is when they are in

797
00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:57,479
Speaker 2: eleven personnel, they averaged six point four yards per play.

798
00:36:57,640 --> 00:36:58,520
Speaker 3: That blew me away.

799
00:36:58,600 --> 00:36:59,560
Speaker 2: It's best in the league.

800
00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:00,640
Speaker 3: In the league.

801
00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:04,440
Speaker 2: So Detroit really likes to operate with four defensive backs

802
00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:06,640
Speaker 2: on the field at a time, right, which would make

803
00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:09,400
Speaker 2: you think that you could take advantage of some eleven personnel?

804
00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:12,440
Speaker 3: Is this so many secondary injuries on top of that,

805
00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:14,120
Speaker 3: they want to play their four to three And it's

806
00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:18,280
Speaker 3: a great point branches out right, Arnold the first round corner,

807
00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,239
Speaker 3: he's out. They're pulling like Arthur Malett's and guys like

808
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:22,359
Speaker 3: that off the street too.

809
00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:25,239
Speaker 2: So so with DK playing the way that he has

810
00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:29,160
Speaker 2: been feeling, fling an mvs feeling like they're settling in. Yes,

811
00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:31,680
Speaker 2: Is is this a week that we could really see

812
00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:34,319
Speaker 2: the Steelers taking Is that kind of the match up?

813
00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:38,680
Speaker 2: Is that the ace up the sleeves of the Steelers

814
00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:40,240
Speaker 2: potentially Sunday at Ford Field.

815
00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:43,319
Speaker 3: I think it's a game specific game planning thing that

816
00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:46,359
Speaker 3: you lean more into this week than ever. I mean,

817
00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:49,200
Speaker 3: what were you said they were thirty eight percent or something.

818
00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:51,120
Speaker 2: Like thirty five point one maybe yes.

819
00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:53,600
Speaker 3: The week you're fifty five, you know what I mean,

820
00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:56,319
Speaker 3: I mean even forty five, right, I was shocked how

821
00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:56,959
Speaker 3: good they are.

822
00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:00,480
Speaker 2: Top five in yards per play out of eleven personal

823
00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:01,880
Speaker 2: national football.

824
00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:03,640
Speaker 3: And again that's not a small sample side. It's still

825
00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:07,160
Speaker 3: almost forty percent of your snaps for entire more.

826
00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:09,000
Speaker 2: Than more than a third of your snaps for the year.

827
00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,040
Speaker 3: And we know they don't have the three best receivers

828
00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:12,719
Speaker 3: in the league that have trot out there. In fact,

829
00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:15,360
Speaker 3: it's been a revolving door of guys not named Metcalf.

830
00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:20,000
Speaker 3: And maybe it's you know, we didn't prepare as much

831
00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:22,440
Speaker 3: for eleven against I don't know. There's probably some underlying things,

832
00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:24,320
Speaker 3: but they're good at it when they are in eleven

833
00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:28,400
Speaker 3: and the Lions don't want you in eleven. And a

834
00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,040
Speaker 3: huge thing I'm gonna say the next two days in

835
00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:33,640
Speaker 3: the Drive is the Lions are the most explosive offensive

836
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,560
Speaker 3: team in the league and they allow the most explosives

837
00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:39,680
Speaker 3: on defense now and it's been getting worse lately. So

838
00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:41,919
Speaker 3: you're not going to be in a thirteen to nine

839
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,440
Speaker 3: sorry rockfight in Detroit on Sunday. This is going to

840
00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:48,120
Speaker 3: be in there a race to thirty five.

841
00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:49,839
Speaker 2: That's how all their games are.

842
00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:51,120
Speaker 3: That's how all their games are.

843
00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:53,680
Speaker 2: They lose a lot of games where they score thirty

844
00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:54,160
Speaker 2: one points.

845
00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:56,640
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, that's that's where they're at as an organization

846
00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,200
Speaker 3: now because they are really beat up on defense playing

847
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:01,640
Speaker 3: on a fast surface. Whether it's not gonna be an issue,

848
00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:04,960
Speaker 3: I think you got to embrace throwing the football more,

849
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,560
Speaker 3: throwing the ball down the field more out of eleven.

850
00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:13,560
Speaker 2: I also wondered too, if there can be some what

851
00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:16,200
Speaker 2: was the the Muhammad Ali the term that he was at,

852
00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:18,640
Speaker 2: like the bait and switch or whatever Muhammad Ali used

853
00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:23,319
Speaker 2: to Robodo. That's it. The secrets out on how much

854
00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:25,759
Speaker 2: the Steelers use Kenneth gain Well in the past game

855
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:28,480
Speaker 2: on for running backs that have at least one hundred

856
00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:31,080
Speaker 2: routes run this year, he leads all in terms of

857
00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:33,359
Speaker 2: targets over twenty eight percent of the time. Yeah, so

858
00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:35,640
Speaker 2: is this maybe a Detroit thinks we're going to throw

859
00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:37,800
Speaker 2: the ball to Kenny g and Jalen Warren a bunch

860
00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,439
Speaker 2: out of the backfield? History shows you well, and let's

861
00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:42,799
Speaker 2: get ready to I'm not saying throw at thirty forty

862
00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:45,759
Speaker 2: fifty yards downfield every single drive but let's hit some

863
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:48,000
Speaker 2: more of those more and then let's hit some more

864
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,239
Speaker 2: of those intermediate routes, which I think we've started to

865
00:39:50,239 --> 00:39:52,200
Speaker 2: see a little bit over the last two weeks as well.

866
00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:55,120
Speaker 3: I think that's the I've never gained plan for an

867
00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:57,279
Speaker 3: NFL opponent, but I think that's something you would have

868
00:39:57,320 --> 00:39:59,880
Speaker 3: to strongly consider all week. Game planning for this team.

869
00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:02,759
Speaker 3: Is they're they're begging you to do this. It's not

870
00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:06,120
Speaker 3: what we do often, but we do it better than

871
00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:09,719
Speaker 3: most people think. Maybe we lean into it, especially with

872
00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:14,839
Speaker 3: the feeling and MVS giving you more stability there. I mean,

873
00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:17,600
Speaker 3: I think they're just more comfortable with the wide receiver room.

874
00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:21,120
Speaker 2: I think Aaron Rodgers is more comfortable and Wilson.

875
00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:24,000
Speaker 3: Maybe it's I'm not putting those guys out there and

876
00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:26,920
Speaker 3: making Darnell and plays may snaps or Friar mooth, but

877
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:30,000
Speaker 3: these guys, Okay, I'm leaning into it. It's going well.

878
00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:32,920
Speaker 3: I do Wednesday show with Tom Offerman and Tim Bens,

879
00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:35,759
Speaker 3: and Tom had a good point. He's like, this is

880
00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:38,680
Speaker 3: nice that we talk about theling and MVS is stabilizing

881
00:40:38,719 --> 00:40:42,080
Speaker 3: forces and running the right routes, and professionals think I

882
00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:45,359
Speaker 3: student started catching some balls. Like that's a good point.

883
00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:47,359
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean what feeling I think has three

884
00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:48,560
Speaker 2: receptions in two games.

885
00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:51,680
Speaker 3: I think they have like five targets with touchdown.

886
00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:53,680
Speaker 2: But that was his only reception of the game.

887
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:55,759
Speaker 3: Right, Like, now they're gonna have to start catching three

888
00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:57,600
Speaker 3: four balls a game too. You can't just be running

889
00:40:57,600 --> 00:40:59,320
Speaker 3: around out there getting cardio.

890
00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:01,920
Speaker 2: One thing that I was talking with Tom about was

891
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:04,920
Speaker 2: he was like, do you think Kenneth Gainwell is like

892
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,000
Speaker 2: do you just kind of give him the reins is

893
00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:08,400
Speaker 2: RB one right now.

894
00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:11,640
Speaker 3: Let's not forget Warren was questionable with an illness for

895
00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:12,080
Speaker 3: the last.

896
00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:12,399
Speaker 2: Year that too.

897
00:41:12,440 --> 00:41:12,640
Speaker 3: Yeah.

898
00:41:12,719 --> 00:41:15,319
Speaker 2: Yeah, But my answer was, listen, if you want to

899
00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:16,520
Speaker 2: get where you want to go, if you want to

900
00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:20,440
Speaker 2: win this division, like you said, not just play three

901
00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:23,440
Speaker 2: or four more games, but hopefully four or five ye

902
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:25,960
Speaker 2: more games, Jalen Warren is gonna have to be a

903
00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:29,600
Speaker 2: massive part of that equation. You you knock on game, well,

904
00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:32,200
Speaker 2: no it's not, and it's been it's been outstanding what

905
00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:34,479
Speaker 2: Gainwell has been able to do. But if you're going

906
00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:37,200
Speaker 2: to win the division and then win a home playoff game,

907
00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:39,759
Speaker 2: and let us all really start dreaming and believing and

908
00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:41,960
Speaker 2: go to places that we haven't been in eight years.

909
00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:42,680
Speaker 2: Like everyone like that.

910
00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:43,200
Speaker 3: That's the goal.

911
00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:46,840
Speaker 2: If we were listing key players on offense for that

912
00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:50,400
Speaker 2: to happen, Aaron Rodgers won, duh. DK Metcalf two duh.

913
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:52,479
Speaker 2: But then it's probably Jalen Warren three.

914
00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:54,680
Speaker 3: Just body of work, reliabilities.

915
00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:58,000
Speaker 2: So I would I want to keep Kenneth Gainwell involved,

916
00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:00,400
Speaker 2: but I want Jay. I need Jalen Warre to be

917
00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:01,719
Speaker 2: a big part of that equation as well.

918
00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:05,399
Speaker 3: Yeah, I like, like sixty forty sixty five to thirty five,

919
00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:10,080
Speaker 3: where I thought game ball was a ten percent. Now

920
00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:11,920
Speaker 3: the fact that he's a thirty.

921
00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:13,359
Speaker 2: To forty percent testament to him.

922
00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:13,640
Speaker 1: Cool.

923
00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:14,959
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's better than I thought.

924
00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:16,319
Speaker 2: Huge testament to him.

925
00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:18,799
Speaker 3: I don't want him as a sixty percenter. I'm one

926
00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:21,440
Speaker 3: game's different. I mean one game in Dublin, great.

927
00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:23,600
Speaker 2: Fine, one game when Jalen has the flu fine, right,

928
00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:26,040
Speaker 2: right right? But yeah, that to me is if you

929
00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:29,279
Speaker 2: can keep Kenny g doing the things that he's doing,

930
00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:33,040
Speaker 2: but get Jalen Warren back to form, that's when you

931
00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:34,520
Speaker 2: really start to that's when you.

932
00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:36,080
Speaker 3: Really start maybe take it up a notch.

933
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:38,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, I get talking about the ceiling of the offense.

934
00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:42,440
Speaker 2: That would raise, that would raise the ceiling of the offense. Matt.

935
00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:44,799
Speaker 2: The Steelers have only lost one hundred and sixty five

936
00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,920
Speaker 2: yards on offense from sacks. That's eighth fewest in the

937
00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,040
Speaker 2: National Football League. Just to kind of get back to

938
00:42:50,239 --> 00:42:51,759
Speaker 2: now again, part of that's because they're getting rid of

939
00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,480
Speaker 2: the ball quickly, right, But that's still that's still an

940
00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:55,960
Speaker 2: that's still an impressive number.

941
00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:58,000
Speaker 3: This is something I've just become attuned to in the

942
00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:01,279
Speaker 3: last month of my career, is not all sacks are

943
00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:04,759
Speaker 3: created equal. Like if you watch Tua, he's running backwards

944
00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:07,040
Speaker 3: and it's an eighteen yard sack. That's a heck of

945
00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:10,359
Speaker 3: a lot different than Rogers or Brady. You lose five,

946
00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:13,239
Speaker 3: here comes a free blitzer. I'm dead. I'm just gonna

947
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:15,680
Speaker 3: go down, not take the hit three yards behind the

948
00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:19,000
Speaker 3: line of scrimmage. Okay, it went from second to seven

949
00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:21,719
Speaker 3: to third and ten. I can live to fight another day.

950
00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:24,800
Speaker 3: It's not third and a million, you know, right, So

951
00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:27,800
Speaker 3: that's obviously a culmination of you're not taking a lot,

952
00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:31,440
Speaker 3: but they don't. Rogers doesn't take bad sacks. Everybody takes sacks,

953
00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:33,960
Speaker 3: but he doesn't take bad sacks. Yes, and I think

954
00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:35,200
Speaker 3: that's really important.

955
00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:36,920
Speaker 2: And we've talked about sacks are as much of a

956
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:41,640
Speaker 2: quarterback stat, yes, as they are an offensive line stat,

957
00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:43,959
Speaker 2: and I think in the majority that's been a huge

958
00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:45,680
Speaker 2: benefit for them. There's a couple of times that I

959
00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:48,080
Speaker 2: think you could kind of pinpoint. I joked about that

960
00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:50,960
Speaker 2: huge hit that he took from Joey Bosa earlier, like

961
00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:53,360
Speaker 2: that was one of those felt like he held it

962
00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:54,879
Speaker 2: a little bit too long, trying to make.

963
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,319
Speaker 3: A games there where I thought he was off off

964
00:43:57,719 --> 00:44:00,160
Speaker 3: his radar was a little off in that department, right.

965
00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:02,319
Speaker 2: The Wi Fi wasn't as strong a right to be,

966
00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:05,160
Speaker 2: But that signal has gotten back on track these last

967
00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:05,600
Speaker 2: two weeks.

968
00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:10,600
Speaker 3: Direct TV has snow all over it and right satellite.

969
00:44:10,560 --> 00:44:12,920
Speaker 2: When it rained, I still direct TV. When it rains,

970
00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:15,480
Speaker 2: the TV goes out. When it snows, the TV goes out.

971
00:44:16,239 --> 00:44:19,839
Speaker 2: When the dog sneezes, the direct TV goes out. I

972
00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:22,040
Speaker 2: actually like that though, because direct TV you can like

973
00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:24,719
Speaker 2: log in from anywhere and watch, And yeah, it's kind

974
00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:26,920
Speaker 2: of nice in that I don't have direct TV, but

975
00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:28,600
Speaker 2: I have a buddy with direct TV who I have

976
00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:31,399
Speaker 2: his log in on my cell phone for for such

977
00:44:31,440 --> 00:44:34,000
Speaker 2: case emergencies. That was my what I thought was going

978
00:44:34,080 --> 00:44:36,680
Speaker 2: to be my go to plan to watch football. In

979
00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:40,120
Speaker 2: double word, nothing works. Direct TV blocked. I mean I

980
00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:42,439
Speaker 2: knew like the ESPN apps and the Fox Sports apps

981
00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:44,640
Speaker 2: would be blocked, and I figured direct TV that'll work.

982
00:44:44,680 --> 00:44:45,560
Speaker 3: Nope, not at all.

983
00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:48,319
Speaker 2: Nothing. Everything I tried was the best laid plans of

984
00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:52,520
Speaker 2: mice and men, and how maybe the only last thing

985
00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:54,800
Speaker 2: and the food poisoning I got Friday morning was that

986
00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:56,520
Speaker 2: was that was only like a two or three hour

987
00:44:56,640 --> 00:44:59,080
Speaker 2: snaff foo. Fortunately it didn't linger as long as it

988
00:44:59,120 --> 00:45:00,800
Speaker 2: could have, so I was fortun it in that regard.

989
00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:03,719
Speaker 2: Hour in the books another hour ago. Let's tee up

990
00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:06,120
Speaker 2: our number two with Bob Labriola on the other side,

991
00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:08,520
Speaker 2: West Scheeler, Matt Williamson. It is the Drive on Steelers

992
00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:10,680
Speaker 2: Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.