1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Your tuned about drive on your twenty four to seven 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio, New Year, 3 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,479 Speaker 1: same intro music. When you hear that bounce, you know 4 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: it's time to talk to the Queen of the Sideline. 5 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: Steelers Sideline reporter Missy Matthews, joining us as she's kind 6 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: enough to do every Friday here on this program to 7 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: preview a big one. Missy. The Steelers and the Ravens 8 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: have obviously played a lot of meaningful, impactful, huge, you know, 9 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: Eyes of the Nation type games, AFC Championship playoff games, 10 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: and this one not quite that, but pretty close. Week eighteen, 11 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: two Dogs, one bone, two trains, one track. Is this perhaps, 12 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: you know, the most consequential regular seas in Steelers Ravens 13 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: game that you can remember, Missy. 14 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 2: I mean, it's starting to have that feel to it, 15 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 2: I think because of what it means to both teams. 16 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 2: You know, what the Ravens were thought of during the preseason, 17 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 2: what their season was like, the Steelers going all in 18 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 2: on Aaron Rodgers, changing over their roster. It it does 19 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 2: feel like that it's not an AFC championship type feel. Obviously, 20 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 2: that one is a lot more at stake but it 21 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 2: does feel like, you know, the fact that it's more 22 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 2: common for these two teams to play three times a 23 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 2: year instead of to be a do or die week 24 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 2: eighteen is pretty crazy and I think just speaks to 25 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 2: the rivalry and how similar the teams are as well. 26 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 3: So it's Friday, it's a new year. Are you over 27 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 3: the Browns debacle or and excited about this one? Or 28 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 3: is it still lingering with you. 29 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 2: Lingering a little little? I feel like it's hard not 30 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 2: to get over it because you know, you think Sunday 31 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 2: night football are one o'clock football, big difference personally, professionally, 32 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 2: all of the above. And you know, I think the 33 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,119 Speaker 2: big thing too is if they would have been playing 34 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 2: at one o'clock on Sunday and had already clinched the 35 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: North in Cleveland, then you know that guys would have 36 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: got rest, and I think that that's pretty huge, especially. 37 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 4: Right and it's not like, oh it's you know, you'd 38 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 4: lose momentum. No, you have a lot of guys that 39 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 4: just need rest, and I think that would have been clutched. 40 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 4: But it didn't happen, and unfortunately, it's all hands on deck. 41 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 4: Whoever's healthy is going to have to, you know, put 42 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 4: their best foot forward. 43 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: And go out there. 44 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: And and two of those guys for me, Missy, you know, 45 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,519 Speaker 1: Matt and I touched on this. I can't remember it 46 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: was yesterday or early in the week, whenever it was. 47 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: But you know, from a Steeler standpoint, you've got some 48 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: guys like Aaron Rodgers. You got some guys like Cam Hayward, 49 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: a little bit longer in the tooth, certainly closer to 50 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: you know, the eighteenth green in the clubhouse than they 51 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: are the front nine you know, of their careers. To 52 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: use a golf analogy there, this feels like a moment 53 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: in time where this is why you brought in Aaron Rodgers, 54 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: This is why you have a veteran like Cam Hayward 55 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: to get you over the line in games like this. 56 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I definitely think that Aaron Rodgers factor is real. 57 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: We've seen him pull this team, not just the offense, 58 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 2: you know, out of things throughout the season that you 59 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 2: were like, all right, this is why they coveted him 60 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 2: so much. And I think that's maybe why the Cleveland 61 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 2: game was so surprising of how it went down and 62 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 2: not being able to score a touchdown, might even be 63 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 2: able to score defensive touchdown, which at that point felt 64 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 2: more likely. I just think that he does have that 65 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 2: mentality of Okay, yep, that game happened, it's over. We 66 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: need to have a good week of prep and head 67 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 2: into this game. And that's something that you know, instead 68 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 2: of maybe some guys being down in the dumps about 69 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: it and still mad, can turn the page quickly and 70 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 2: help make whatever is wrong better. So hopefully that is 71 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 2: you know, it's obviously his mentality. He's pretty much said 72 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 2: that multiple times right after the game even before. So 73 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 2: if guys can follow that, that is hopefully a game 74 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 2: plan that worked because he typically is a rebounder when 75 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 2: he has a stinky game, or however he put it 76 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 2: earlier this week. 77 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 3: So Missy Patrick Queen won the Chief Award. And I'm 78 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 3: curious your interactions with him, how you see him on 79 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 3: the sidelines, I mean, how you see him with the media, etc. Etc. 80 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 3: Tell us a little bit about PQ, not on the 81 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 3: field necessarily. 82 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 2: Well, you know, he's a big fisher, loves to fish. 83 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 2: I know, whenever he came in the first time, when 84 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 2: they signed him in free agency, all he could talk 85 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 2: about was the new boat he was going to buy. 86 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 2: His dad though, and you know, he even has like 87 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 2: a small I don't want to say it's like a 88 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 2: bait shut along the line. I'm not very you know, 89 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 2: high up on my lingo of fisherman stuff in his 90 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 2: local town because he said there wasn't places close by 91 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 2: and he just wanted to make sure that there was 92 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 2: stuff for people who you know, had the same interest 93 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 2: as him. And I'm not saying I'm always right, but 94 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 2: I feel like a lot of times you can really 95 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 2: read a player when they sign in free agency or 96 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 2: after the draft of like who they are as a person. 97 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 2: And he was definitely one of those guys where he 98 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 2: walked in the room and when he walked out where 99 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 2: I'll like, he's awesome, Like we're gonna love him. And 100 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 2: I totally get why he won the Chief Award. I 101 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 2: mean it's you know, the ups and downs of the 102 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,280 Speaker 2: season and he is one that we'll talk all the time, 103 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 2: and he's even you know, one of those guys some 104 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 2: people and I respect it as well, will say okay, 105 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 2: I already talked you know peek. He was like whatever, yeah, 106 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 2: come on, like I'll take a shower after this one, 107 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 2: and then he'll come back out and he'll talk to 108 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 2: other people. So he definitely has that medius sabbiness and 109 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:04,679 Speaker 2: it's not fake, it's just genuine like, Hey, you guys 110 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 2: have a job, we have a job. We were good 111 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: at our job or we were bad at our job, 112 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 2: and I'm willing to talk about it with you. 113 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,239 Speaker 3: And he's his exuberance is on the sidelines as well, right. 114 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. He definitely 115 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 2: if he has a thought, he's sharing it. He definitely 116 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 2: brings that high energy everything that you would kind of 117 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 2: want in your defensive quarterback. In terms of communication, I 118 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 2: feel like maybe at sometimes you Know or Cam or 119 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 2: somebody is telling him to tune it down a little bit, 120 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 2: but good communicator, really just all around great guy too, 121 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 2: no doubt. 122 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 1: And I Matt and I discussed it a little bit yesterday, 123 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,280 Speaker 1: but I think there is something to be said for 124 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 1: you know, that guy that stands up and faces the 125 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: music when times are good, when times are bad, you know, 126 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: doesn't try and and shy away from it, but instead 127 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: leans into it. He deserves a lot of credit for that, 128 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 1: and he's certainly going to be a big part of 129 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: the equation on Sunday Night against his former team Uh, 130 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 1: Missy and slowing down. Well, I almost said former teammate, 131 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: but I guess him and Derek Henry never played together 132 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: in Baltimore. But we all saw what King Henry was 133 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: able to do up at Lambeau Field, the hallowed historic 134 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: grounds of Lambeau and Green Bay on Saturday night, Missy 135 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:23,559 Speaker 1: thirty six, Yeah, thirty six carries for a career high 136 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: and one of the better games of his career, which 137 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: is saying something for how many amazing performances he's had. 138 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: Matt pointed this out. He actually turns thirty two on Sunday. 139 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: It's his birthday. 140 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 3: I don't like that one bit. Oh God, I as. 141 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 2: We're not getting birthday. 142 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: No, that's exactly right. He's not getting Okmon Bakery. He'll 143 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: be lucky if we get him like a tasty cake 144 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: from from Sheets or Get Go or something. But is 145 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: it you know? But Matt and I talked about this 146 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: a little bit to start. I know it can be 147 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: simple because there's so many X factors key players in 148 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: this game. But to me, I think we'll be able 149 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: to draw there'll be a real correlation Monday morning of 150 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: what Derrick Henry's statline looks like and what the outcome 151 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: of this game ends up being. 152 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I do think so, and I feel like, obviously 153 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 2: that's how the Steelers have had success against him, even 154 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 2: when he was with the Titans. If he has under 155 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 2: one hundred yards rushing, they're five and oh. If he 156 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 2: has over one hundred, as we know, maybe over two 157 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 2: hundred getting close to that, they're oz and two and 158 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 2: their offense. Clearly it does not matter who the quarterback 159 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 2: can run through him. And you know, even though OC 160 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 2: was joking this week how at one point Derrick Henry 161 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 2: was like, guys, like, I'm tired. Can I get a breather? 162 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 2: And they're like, no, get back out there, like we 163 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 2: need to run more clock and he just he has 164 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 2: that endurance to do those types of things. So I definitely, 165 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 2: for sure, I don't think it's a secret the Steelers 166 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 2: are going to want to stop the run first and 167 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 2: foremost in order to you know, Tesla Mar everyone's talking 168 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 2: about he's the healthiest he's been in you know, X 169 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 2: amount of mine and this and that, and he's practiced 170 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 2: every day this week. He still has to go out 171 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 2: there and perform, and obviously, if you can stop Derek Henry, 172 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 2: you can you can force Lamar into bad decisions hopefully. 173 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 3: So the other side of the ball wasn't real hard 174 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 3: to figure out schematically why the Steelers struggled and the 175 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 3: Metcalf absence was felt a great deal. And now Washington's 176 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 3: not going to be around for this game. Metcalf's not returning. 177 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:30,359 Speaker 3: Would you expect more targets to go to Friarmouth, Gainwell 178 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 3: some of those type of. 179 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 2: Guys, I would hope. So obviously, you know Gainwell gets 180 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 2: his targets, whether it's carries or whatnot. I do hope 181 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 2: that Pat friar Mouth is more involved in the game 182 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 2: plan and somebody that they can utilize as a zone killer, 183 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 2: as coach Tomlin always calls him, and just the things 184 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 2: he's able to do. He's reliable, he can stretch the 185 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 2: field a little bit. Obviously, you can have him in 186 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 2: there kind of in the Darnell Washington sense of he 187 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 2: can help you in your run game with He's not 188 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 2: Darnell by any means, but he still has that capability. 189 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 2: It's something that you know was kind of a knock 190 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 2: on him when he came out of the draft, but 191 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 2: it is something he has really worked on since coming 192 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 2: here to Pittsburgh, So I think using him a lot 193 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 2: more would be helpful for a number of reasons. And 194 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 2: you know you obviously know DK won't be there. You 195 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:25,719 Speaker 2: hope maybe Calvin Austin can can go, but obviously no 196 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: Darnell Washington, which really stinks. 197 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 3: Uh. 198 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 1: Plenty to contemplate here as always, from our friend the 199 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: great Queen of the Sideline, Missy Matthews. Hear her on 200 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: the call Sunday Night with Rob King and Max Starks 201 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,439 Speaker 1: on the Steelers Audio Network DVE your Steeler's flagship, all 202 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 1: those great places, Missy. Thank you for the time as always, 203 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: take care and we'll talk to you this weekend. 204 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 2: Eric, guys, sounds good. Thanks for having me.