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Speaker 1: This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson

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Speaker 1: on you home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the Drive. I'm Daley Matt Williamson. It is

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Speaker 1: a Monday in Pittsburgh. The Steelers losing on Sunday to

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Speaker 1: the Cincinnati Bengals um a game that honestly to me,

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Speaker 1: was closer than final score. Uh. Offensively, I mean the

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Speaker 1: Bengals only ran thirty six offensive place. It's quite the

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Speaker 1: number of play differential blows me away. I mean, it's

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Speaker 1: almost hard to do, and it's not usually if you

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Speaker 1: see something like that. The team that ran more plays

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Speaker 1: turned the ball over four or five times more than

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Speaker 1: the opposite you know, they've did long drives, turn it

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Speaker 1: over in the red zone, things like that. I mean,

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Speaker 1: Steels ran what seventy seven something like that, seventy seven

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Speaker 1: plays to forty two plays. Was yeah, I mean so

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Speaker 1: in a way. I mean it was a terrible showing

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Speaker 1: I thought by the Steelers top to bottom. But looking

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Speaker 1: at the defense, it's a little hard to evaluate the

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Speaker 1: defensive performance in such a small number of plays. It's

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Speaker 1: not hard to evaluate the offensive performance, which was not

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Speaker 1: good at all. To say, the least. But that's one

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Speaker 1: of the stranger stats I've seen in a game that

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Speaker 1: had those type of results. Yeah, you got the Bengals

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Speaker 1: had two sixty eight total yards. The Steelers had three two.

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Speaker 1: But again, when you run thirty five more plays, you

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Speaker 1: probably should have more than you know, three, Like, oh,

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Speaker 1: the average per play. Kevin Colbert always has a stat

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Speaker 1: and he always it's the first thing he looks at

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Speaker 1: after a game. What did you average per play? Yea,

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Speaker 1: I think that's one of the most telling stats in

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Speaker 1: the league. And the Bengals average six point four yards

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Speaker 1: per play, the Steelers average four point four. Six point

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Speaker 1: four is outstanding. They hit a couple of long past

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Speaker 1: plays that were you can't give up. The Steelers battled

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Speaker 1: back in the first half of that game. They finally

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Speaker 1: get the tying touchdown with just over a minute left

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Speaker 1: and I think it was a minute left, Yeah, and

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Speaker 1: then they give up a touchdown drive in seven seconds. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: I mean, that was obviously the biggest play of the game.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I'm not tak anyway from since they were

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Speaker 1: the better team in this day without question in my mind,

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Speaker 1: and that was really the only thing I was highly

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Speaker 1: critical of the defense for you know, I mean, considering

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Speaker 1: what they were playing with and whatnot, that's the only

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Speaker 1: thing you can't do in that situation. And that's exactly

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Speaker 1: what happened. Even if you give up a field goal there, right,

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Speaker 1: you can't let you can't get beat over your head. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you know, and that's exactly what happened. You're one on

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Speaker 1: one against the guy who's done that every game. He's

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Speaker 1: in a pro a rookie, but he's the most dangerous

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Speaker 1: guy in the field. Higgins isn't even active. That's the

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Speaker 1: only thing that can't happen. You know, Mixing can run

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Speaker 1: for twenty eight yards up the middle or whatever, but

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Speaker 1: you can't let that happen. And that's exactly what they did.

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Speaker 1: And you know, it was sort of an aggressive defensive

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Speaker 1: call to they left them single with a single high

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Speaker 1: safety and it's a hard play for makeup. I'm not

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Speaker 1: blaming him at all. Yeah, but that was to me,

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Speaker 1: that that just that was just a killer because it

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Speaker 1: had taken the Steelers had an eight minute drive to

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Speaker 1: go down to score and it was an eight six

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Speaker 1: yard touchdown drive and things were tough for them to

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Speaker 1: begin with. Uh, you know, offensively, they have been all season.

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Speaker 1: So you work, and you work, and you work. You

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Speaker 1: get down and and as soon as the Steelers get

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Speaker 1: get down to the they get at nausea Harris eighteen

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Speaker 1: yard catch down to the four and they call time

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Speaker 1: out and people are killing Mike don Why do they

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Speaker 1: call time out there? That left the Bengals too much

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Speaker 1: time after the fact, of course, when they can get

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Speaker 1: it's an easy thing to do on Monday. You just

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Speaker 1: went eighty six yards or eighty two yards at that

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Speaker 1: point using the hurry up, you probably didn't have the

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Speaker 1: personnel on the field that you wanted to have in

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Speaker 1: the on the field in that situation, call time out.

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Speaker 1: Get your guys. Okay, we're now down here. We gotta score.

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Speaker 1: And there's no guarantee that Friar Muth gets into the

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Speaker 1: end zone on that little inside pitch four yards and

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Speaker 1: you're going to make it down to the one or

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Speaker 1: if he gets in, great, But you can't say, well,

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Speaker 1: we're gonna run the clock down the twenty seven seconds

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Speaker 1: here and then call time out and then we're gonna

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Speaker 1: run three plays the score, you know, because because if

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Speaker 1: you don't score there, that drive was just wasted. I

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Speaker 1: mean you're gonna no matter what. But yeah, I mean

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Speaker 1: it is some hindsight for sure that you know that Again,

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Speaker 1: of all the things that went wrong in that game,

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Speaker 1: that's far far from you know, the leader in the

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Speaker 1: club defense is allowed to not give up a touchdown

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Speaker 1: in that situation in twenty seven seconds. Again, that was

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Speaker 1: the play that I blame the defense for the most

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Speaker 1: been slash coaching. Was the bomb over the top, not

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Speaker 1: the uh you know, the use of the clock before that. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I've heard about that one a lot. I mean, there's

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Speaker 1: way way bigger fish to fry than that in terms

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Speaker 1: of getting this team better, you know. And so I

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Speaker 1: don't have a qualm with that. I think you even

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Speaker 1: said we were texting or whatever and you said something

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Speaker 1: like taking and you can get for this offense be

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Speaker 1: four officer touchdowns in three games. Like if you want

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Speaker 1: to make sure you get the ball in the end

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Speaker 1: zone in that situation, get get the right play called

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Speaker 1: on the other side of the coin, they get down

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Speaker 1: to the its fourth down, fourth and go from the

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Speaker 1: eleven late in the game, three minutes left, and you

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Speaker 1: don't take the shot into the end zone. Now they

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Speaker 1: had guys running into the end zone clip every they

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Speaker 1: you guys in the end zone. But to me, you know,

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Speaker 1: you come out of that time out and and the

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Speaker 1: first thing Roethlisberger does a stands up and throws it

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Speaker 1: out to the flat like not even allowing the guys

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Speaker 1: who are going into the end zone to drag people

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Speaker 1: with them. That was my qualms with it. If it

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Speaker 1: was late in the down and that's last resort and

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Speaker 1: you're under pressure and nothing was open and your protections

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Speaker 1: breaking down, dump it to what I think is the

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Speaker 1: best offensive player already and see if he can get

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Speaker 1: make magic happen. But they did it immediately, I mean

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Speaker 1: probably under two seconds snap. I mean that was where

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Speaker 1: he went with the football immediately. It's terrible play. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it just is. It's a terrible decision. I think it's

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Speaker 1: on the quarterback more than anybody else. Yeah, And I

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Speaker 1: asked Mike Tomlin about it after the game, and he said,

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Speaker 1: you know, at that point, they had fired all their bullets.

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Speaker 1: They you know, they'd used a bunch of a bunch

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Speaker 1: of this. I think he was falling on his sword

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Speaker 1: a little bit there on that one. I want to

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Speaker 1: talk about that for a second though. I do think

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Speaker 1: you've talked about this a lot. We've talked about over

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Speaker 1: the years that if you're close to a team, you

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Speaker 1: realize how little prep there really is in between games

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Speaker 1: and when you run and when you when you run

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Speaker 1: seventy seven plays, your bullets are pretty empty, you know.

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Speaker 1: I mean like you don't have anything new to rap.

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Speaker 1: And it wasn't like they had a go to play. Well,

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Speaker 1: we're running power and it's killing them. We're gonna go

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Speaker 1: back to the Well, that's just one factor in the

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Speaker 1: game again, way down the ladder of issues, and it

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Speaker 1: has nothing to do with that final play, but I

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Speaker 1: do think it is relevant. And there were some other

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Speaker 1: moments in that game that I looked at and said, man,

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Speaker 1: that again, if they get to Chris Boswell misses a

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Speaker 1: field goal, it's never happened characteristic. If he makes that

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Speaker 1: field goal and cuts it cuts at that point, Uh,

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Speaker 1: he missed the field goal with um well, there was

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Speaker 1: there were still over four minutes left in the third

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Speaker 1: quarter that would have made it. That would cut it

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Speaker 1: down to again. Um that brings it within two scores

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Speaker 1: the next the next trip, then for the Steelers, they

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Speaker 1: forced it three and out. They get the ball back

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Speaker 1: with two twelve left in the third quarter and they

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Speaker 1: drive to the another again another long drive here, eight

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Speaker 1: team plays eighty eight yards. They kick a twenty six

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Speaker 1: yard field goal. In that situation, if it's instead of seven, yeah,

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Speaker 1: you're probably going for it. And there too, at that point,

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Speaker 1: you're still trying to get to a two point to

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Speaker 1: score games as opposed to kicking the field goal. And

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Speaker 1: the field goal in that situation was was the was

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Speaker 1: the right move to make because you gotta at least

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Speaker 1: make sure you cut it to a two score game.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean again, those are small things. I mean,

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Speaker 1: execution and penalties and injuries are the big culprits here.

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Speaker 1: One thing I think that we do well as a

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Speaker 1: show compared to a lot of Steeler stuff out there,

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Speaker 1: is at least recognized the opponent that I think the

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Speaker 1: Cincinnati Bengals are an improving football team. I mean, they

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Speaker 1: absolutely are, um and so I'm not taking any away

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Speaker 1: from them. But they didn't play a great game, you know.

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Speaker 1: I Mean Burrow wasn't asked to do much. I mean,

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Speaker 1: what do you throws seventeen passes or whatever, and thought

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Speaker 1: he was very impressive of doing so. But the Steels

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Speaker 1: made too easy on him to the you know, it's

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Speaker 1: just too hard right now for this team to score,

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Speaker 1: unbelievably hard, you know. And again I look at Um

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Speaker 1: there was a play I think then right after that

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Speaker 1: Um that Minca Fitzpatrick got his hands on the ball

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Speaker 1: and couldn't come up with it. If he if he

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Speaker 1: gets that ball, there'd been a heck of play. But

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Speaker 1: it's been a heck of a play. But that's what

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Speaker 1: you need your you know, if somebody's gonna come up

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Speaker 1: with with the football in those situations, they would have

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Speaker 1: had the ball around the forty there. Now you got

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Speaker 1: a ball game. See. I wrote this after the Raiders game.

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Speaker 1: That's the way that they're built right now, right now

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Speaker 1: is if the defense doesn't not only slow the opponent

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Speaker 1: heavily but take make several big plays, they're not going

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Speaker 1: to be in the game. You know. And we saw

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Speaker 1: the sack streak and the you know, they didn't force

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Speaker 1: Cincinnati to play outside there comfort zone, and therefore the

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Speaker 1: defense really wasn't capable of making explosive plays or takeaways

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Speaker 1: or do a ton. So it's a really rough formula

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Speaker 1: in today's NFL to play the way the style that

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Speaker 1: they have to play to win even on their best day.

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Speaker 1: Like I was asked the other day, like if I'm

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Speaker 1: building a team and I got a million shares to

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Speaker 1: use on every position, my first purchase as a quarterback.

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Speaker 1: My second purchase is an offensive line. Steelers are shortened

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Speaker 1: those areas. And my third part purchase is a defensive

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Speaker 1: line where I firmly believe they have six difference makers

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Speaker 1: on the team and played with two of them, you know,

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Speaker 1: I mean it makes a difference. So it doesn't leave

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Speaker 1: you much. The Steelers scoring drive yesterday because of penalties,

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Speaker 1: we're ninety six yards. Fifteen plays for ninety six yards.

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Speaker 1: It doesn't mean they start on the four you mean

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Speaker 1: like they go backwards bards. They had an eight team

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Speaker 1: play nine five yard fuel will drive. Well, this is

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Speaker 1: why they plays. I mean they were convered, Like they

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Speaker 1: converted almost fifty their third downs in the game. But

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Speaker 1: they were all all too often in third and you know,

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Speaker 1: long because plays. Yeah, because because they were you know

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Speaker 1: the penalties. Um, you know, No, I did a study.

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Speaker 1: I look back and it was Click Blakeman's crew doing

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Speaker 1: that game. Click Blakeman's crew had called eight holding penalties

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Speaker 1: in the first two games, they called seven more yesterday,

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Speaker 1: you know, going into that game, like the Bengals hadn't

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Speaker 1: had a holding penalty called on them in their first

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Speaker 1: two games. They had three yesterday, I said they had

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Speaker 1: ten penalties themselves. I mean, it wasn't like this was

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Speaker 1: the penalties were a lopsided situation. I just I don't

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Speaker 1: want to see holding penalties called, or penalties called in

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Speaker 1: general on every play. I think he called what they're

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Speaker 1: to be called, like there was some like Clay Pool

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Speaker 1: got called twice for blocking down the field on it.

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Speaker 1: Like there were calls in that game I thought were

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Speaker 1: and that happens in every game. True. I'm looking for

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Speaker 1: where I found this. I need a minute. I'll find

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Speaker 1: it at some point. But just but it just it

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Speaker 1: just ruined the flow of the game for both sides.

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Speaker 1: Really it did. And frankly, if I were the Bengals,

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Speaker 1: you know they're holding calls weren't because T. J. Watt

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Speaker 1: was whipping them left and right either, you know. I

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Speaker 1: mean I thought there was a couple of plays, including

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Speaker 1: the long touchdown where Cam Hayward drew a penalty that

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Speaker 1: wasn't called, you know, I means, yeah, I mean that's

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Speaker 1: that's not happened all last season. Happened all that season.

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Speaker 1: So I mean, I get those things. And and Ingram

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Speaker 1: got a lot of attention, Cam got a lot of attention.

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Speaker 1: And it's just a fragile foundation that they're built on

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Speaker 1: right now, you know. And since he didn't have to

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Speaker 1: do a lot to win, and they handled it, you know, well,

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Speaker 1: I mean so, I don't know, it was a frustrating

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Speaker 1: game to watch. The execution was really bad. What I'm

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Speaker 1: looking for and I don't have it here, but I mean,

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Speaker 1: here we go. The Steelers committed four offensive and several

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Speaker 1: of them are self induced, you know, like they called

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Speaker 1: chookes for the legal formation, but he had that's not right,

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Speaker 1: that's not his fault that that. You know, either the

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Speaker 1: play was drawn up wrong or Ebron, who was coming

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Speaker 1: across formation didn't come didn't cover the right right, So

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Speaker 1: they blamed chokes. But you know, he didn't do a

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Speaker 1: thing wrong on that. But they committed four offensive penalties

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Speaker 1: on their first eight plays from scrimmage. I mean, it

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Speaker 1: canceled out reception after that, it canceled out a ten

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Speaker 1: yard run by Naja Harris, right, it canceled out a

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Speaker 1: twelve yard catch and run by Naja Harris, Like those

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Speaker 1: are two good, you know, nice first down plays. They

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Speaker 1: got canceled out because the penalties. I will say, a

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Speaker 1: couple of Harris's big gains he had several that came

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Speaker 1: back either as a runner or receiver, might not have

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Speaker 1: happened if the hole doesn't happen either. I mean, there's

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Speaker 1: there's a catch wing two to that too, But his name,

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Speaker 1: his number would have been even better, and the positives were.

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Speaker 1: I was very happy that they featured him so much,

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Speaker 1: you know, especially there was maybe even too much better,

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Speaker 1: too much, you know, but him and friar Muth and

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Speaker 1: Laypool looked like they're the ones that they kind of trust,

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Speaker 1: you know, And I think that's the right move now

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Speaker 1: and going forward. So I think that's kind of promising.

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Speaker 1: But man, I mean the holes that they dig themselves

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Speaker 1: in the beginning of games is mind boggling. I mean,

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Speaker 1: it's the ineptitude right off the bat and then you

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Speaker 1: can't establish the run and get things moving because you're losing.

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Speaker 1: And you know, man, I mean those penalties over the

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Speaker 1: course of what two or three drives and the one

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Speaker 1: lends with an interception like it's it's brutal. Yeah, it

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Speaker 1: is brutal. Is the perfect way to describe this offensive performance. Again,

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Speaker 1: four touchdowns in three games, right, is not going to

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Speaker 1: get it done. I don't care how good the defenses. No,

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Speaker 1: I mean it could be, but the defense was fully healthy.

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Speaker 1: That's still not enough. I mean, because eventu do you

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Speaker 1: see it? See it a little time. I mean, watch

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Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers go down the field with thirty seconds left

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Speaker 1: or whatever. These these offenses figure out the defense is

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Speaker 1: late in the games. I mean, they know the answers

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Speaker 1: to the test after a while, and it's just a

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Speaker 1: hard formula that they're playing right now. And quarterbacks not

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Speaker 1: elevating anybody. The offensive lines problematic to say the least,

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Speaker 1: and even the skill guys are making mental errors and drops,

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Speaker 1: and you know, it's rough. I mean, it really is.

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Speaker 1: To your point about the Bengals on their last I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna I'm not gonna count the two kneel downs at

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Speaker 1: the end of on their last four possessions, ran twelve

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Speaker 1: plays for thirty five yards. Mhm. Yeah, they it was

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Speaker 1: three and ounce all every time. Yeah, they didn't have

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Speaker 1: to do anything, and it's like, okay, we'll find it

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Speaker 1: back to you and the Steelers are going you know again,

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Speaker 1: it's it's a seven play thirty seven yard drive for

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Speaker 1: a missfield goal. It's an eight team play, nine five

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Speaker 1: yard drive for fuel goal. Right, if you're gonna take

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Speaker 1: eighteen plays for three points, and that's one of your

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Speaker 1: highlights of the offense. I mean, you know, every every

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Speaker 1: defense illegal. If you're gonna say, well, we'll give you

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Speaker 1: eighteen plays if you can execute those to get three fine,

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Speaker 1: best of luck at twelve place seventy three yard drive

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Speaker 1: to turn it over on down. So, I mean, he's

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Speaker 1: just the right, right, that's where all the players are

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Speaker 1: going on the super long drive and that's why they

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Speaker 1: have three yards of play two yards of play. You know,

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Speaker 1: the Bengals didn't have a drive. It was more than

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Speaker 1: they had a ten play seventy yard field goal drive

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Speaker 1: that actually went fifty fifty five yards because they had

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Speaker 1: a minus fifteen and penalties. I mean, it was just

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Speaker 1: I don't know. I I know good officiating when I

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Speaker 1: see it. I know when they try to take over

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Speaker 1: a game like that. Yeah, there's gotta be a happy medium,

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Speaker 1: and I'm not. It's just it's not the reason esthetically,

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Speaker 1: no I'm not blaming the Aesthetically, you're gonna sit there

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Speaker 1: and have to watch that game. Should they shouldn't affect

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Speaker 1: the game to that level. Yeah. I mean, if I'm

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Speaker 1: a a kid that's getting into the NFL, or you

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Speaker 1: know some fan that's in l a Or or Milwaukee

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Speaker 1: or Dallas, and that's the game on and I'm watching

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Speaker 1: it go and this is the pace is bad and slow.

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Speaker 1: And again for two teams that have been called for

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Speaker 1: one holding penalty in their first two in the first

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Speaker 1: two games combined, all of a sudden, now they're holding

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Speaker 1: like crazy. So either and they weren't being called before,

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Speaker 1: which is possible, sure, sure were You just were calling

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Speaker 1: everything And I don't know if that's good. And I

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Speaker 1: know neither one of those offensive lines is elite or

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Speaker 1: great or anything far from it. But there also wasn't

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Speaker 1: a wealth of wonderful pass rushers in that game either,

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Speaker 1: you know, I mean, Cam's great, but other than that,

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Speaker 1: I mean, Ingram and say have some dudes that are

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Speaker 1: better than people think. But it wasn't like they were

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Speaker 1: just constantly whipping offensive line and time and time again.

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Speaker 1: I know the offensive line for the Steelers gets a

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Speaker 1: lot of blame, and it deserves a lot of blame.

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Speaker 1: I mean, it's a problem area and it probably won't

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Speaker 1: get fixed this year, you know. I mean to be honest,

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Speaker 1: they might jel a little and get at her, but

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Speaker 1: it's not to get fixed. I still think it might

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Speaker 1: get too much blame, though, you know, there's more problems

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Speaker 1: than just that. Yeah, I mean, they're although I think

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Speaker 1: some of the problems stem off of that. There's a

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Speaker 1: lot of chicken and egg going on with the defense.

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Speaker 1: Does it be or the offense? Is it they don't

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Speaker 1: throw deep because it's not protection or is there not

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Speaker 1: you know, protect don't they? Are they leaving plays on

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Speaker 1: the field? You know, like there's there's no simple remedy.

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Speaker 1: And Mike Webster's all walking to the door anytime soon either.

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Speaker 1: And I know people want to like harp on. Every

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Speaker 1: one of the starters had a penaltying. Yeah, they were

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Speaker 1: throwing a lot of flags, and but it wasn't like

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Speaker 1: one guy is just awful either, you know. And it's

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Speaker 1: not like five guys are awful, but they're not collectively

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Speaker 1: good enough. And I thought at least, you know too,

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Speaker 1: if you look at the sacks yesterday, at least two

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Speaker 1: of them were coverage sacks. They max protected on the

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Speaker 1: one they had. They had essentially nine guys in blocking.

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Speaker 1: Actually it was ten guys, you know, nine guys in blocking,

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Speaker 1: and they sent two receivers they said he brought out

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Speaker 1: on the route. They sent Claypool. I don't on the room.

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Speaker 1: And then Harris and friar Muth both leaked out after

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Speaker 1: the Bengals are rushing five in Roethlisberger didn't get I

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Speaker 1: mean coverage actually on the quarterback. He's not trusting what

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Speaker 1: he sees right now at all, because I think he's

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Speaker 1: looking at the rush and he doesn't move well at all,

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Speaker 1: you know, I mean he really doesn't in terms. There's

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Speaker 1: things are crumbling around him, and he looks like he

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Speaker 1: can try to make as we watched justin field. Speaking

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Speaker 1: of that, Yeah, it looks like Ben remembers when he

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Speaker 1: could make a play if I spin out of here

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Speaker 1: and I break this tackle. But then that is that's

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Speaker 1: not happening anymore. You're not. You can't put the Superman

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Speaker 1: cape on and get rid of the football. That play

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Speaker 1: that I'm talking about when friar Muth and Harris both

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Speaker 1: break the line, Okay, maybe the stuff down the field

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Speaker 1: is open. The Bengals, we had six guys back in

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Speaker 1: coverage with two receivers. But when those two received, when

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Speaker 1: when Friar Muth and Harris leak out one to the right,

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Speaker 1: one to the left, they're open there. If you get

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Speaker 1: them the foot least stump into them and get you'll

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Speaker 1: get four or five yards there, maybe more if they

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Speaker 1: break a tackle. Like the whole theory of you know,

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Speaker 1: you don't get broke, you'll never go broke. Taking a profit,

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Speaker 1: I mean any profit this offense can get. They need

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Speaker 1: to take a sack is what you don't want to do.

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Speaker 1: You can't take the negative plays, and there's way too

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Speaker 1: many of them. Um, it's frustrating. I mean it really is.

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Speaker 1: I would I mean, this is the only team out

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Speaker 1: there in this situation. I would be curious what the

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Speaker 1: perception of the team would be if they were a

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Speaker 1: little healthier. I mean, Rayby McLoud played snaps on offense

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Speaker 1: way too many, you know, like he's a five snap

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Speaker 1: a game guy. Not even that, you're right, you know,

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Speaker 1: I mean Benny Snell had to play a bunch of

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Speaker 1: you know, more than a handful of snaps in the

399
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Speaker 1: game because Harris was you know, he touched, but he

400
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Speaker 1: had played nineteen pass attempts throwing history and fourteen carries

401
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Speaker 1: and played a ton of snaps in the day and

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Speaker 1: took up a lot of punishment, even the ones that

403
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Speaker 1: don't show up on the statue. Did he gets dragged

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00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:02,720
Speaker 1: down by three guys or smacked by three guys and

405
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Speaker 1: up flag bring it back? Yeah? Yeah, And so it's problematic.

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Speaker 1: I mean, like Claypool is really impressive to me, but

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Speaker 1: he's still inconsistent, you know. I mean, there there's two

408
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Speaker 1: or three plays or did he run the right route

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Speaker 1: or you know, I mean it does something that makes

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Speaker 1: you scratch your head. I mean it's frustrating. I mean,

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Speaker 1: and I'm sure we'll get asked all week. You know,

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Speaker 1: what can they do better? I don't have tactical things

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Speaker 1: off the top of my head. Boy, this will be better.

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Speaker 1: It seems like they're doing less emotion and less mc

415
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Speaker 1: canada's stuff in general. Is there a disconnect between quarterback

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Speaker 1: and coach or they scrapping some of the stuff they practiced.

417
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Speaker 1: Are they just searching for anything that's That's what it

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Speaker 1: feels like. They're just throwing a bunch of stuff against

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Speaker 1: the fans. See what sticks and nothing sticking? Yeah. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know I liked what they did utilizing some of

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Speaker 1: the different pieces. You saw three tight ends that you saw.

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Speaker 1: You know, you saw a wad on the field. It

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Speaker 1: doesn't have to be I think like seven snaps, which

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Speaker 1: is which is fine, which is what we said on

425
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Speaker 1: last week. Get him out there a little bit, find

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Speaker 1: some find some bread and butter plays. I I would

427
00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:15,960
Speaker 1: almost at this point go back to what they did

428
00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:20,000
Speaker 1: with Roethlisberger when he was a rookie and just say, Okay,

429
00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,800
Speaker 1: you're gonna make We're gonna make this a one or two.

430
00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:25,600
Speaker 1: You know, read this, read that, get the ball out

431
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,000
Speaker 1: to something you know. To you, We're gonna give you

432
00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:29,840
Speaker 1: two checkdowns on every plane. You know one read too,

433
00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,520
Speaker 1: reads check it down. This feels like, you know, you're

434
00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,760
Speaker 1: taking your car keys away from someone's been driving their

435
00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:39,840
Speaker 1: whole life and can't drive a car anymore. But part

436
00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:42,919
Speaker 1: of me wonders, does he have too much freedom? Just

437
00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:46,160
Speaker 1: in terms of all the r p o s they call,

438
00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:50,040
Speaker 1: I mean, they're just these quick hitters, boom, they come

439
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,840
Speaker 1: to tackle them immediately, you know, like those plays can't

440
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,439
Speaker 1: be your foundation. I mean the r pos. It always

441
00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,520
Speaker 1: comes out and under two seconds boom, it's a two

442
00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,200
Speaker 1: yard game tackled. Everyone in the world sees it coming.

443
00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:05,240
Speaker 1: Do they need to be out of the equation? I

444
00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:07,440
Speaker 1: don't know. I mean, but they have a lot of

445
00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:10,320
Speaker 1: work to do. And then all the execution stuff is

446
00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,200
Speaker 1: bad too, I mean, and again not using the middle

447
00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,120
Speaker 1: of the field, not using the middle field at all.

448
00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,280
Speaker 1: And then when they did try a couple of times yesterday,

449
00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,760
Speaker 1: you know, Ebron drops a pass over the middle were

450
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,000
Speaker 1: you know, there were too many drop pass inconsistencies are terrible.

451
00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:27,879
Speaker 1: The drop passes are terrible. The throws are as a whole,

452
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,480
Speaker 1: making the receivers work too hard to catch the ball.

453
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,840
Speaker 1: Rarely they hit them and stride. You know. I'm sure

454
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,320
Speaker 1: you've been asked a million times two about Ben's arm.

455
00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,080
Speaker 1: Sometimes I look at his arm and be like, boy,

456
00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,800
Speaker 1: that's bad, and then sometimes he makes it another throw.

457
00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,040
Speaker 1: It's it's an inconsistent arm at this point. And I

458
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,120
Speaker 1: still don't think he controls the deep balls very well.

459
00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,840
Speaker 1: Like but like you see stuff like to throw down

460
00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,600
Speaker 1: the sideline that James Washington, there was a good throw.

461
00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,760
Speaker 1: I mean that that's a you know, Washington didn't run

462
00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,000
Speaker 1: under it. But it was a good throw. It had

463
00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:00,719
Speaker 1: you know, zip on it. It was, you know, not

464
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:02,800
Speaker 1: one of these ones that he loughs right. It was

465
00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,879
Speaker 1: the fine trajectory. Now there's several of them every game

466
00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:10,360
Speaker 1: that are both you know, that are either man that's

467
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,360
Speaker 1: that's that throw looks like he does have an arm anymore,

468
00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,800
Speaker 1: or he still has an arm, you know, But it's

469
00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,440
Speaker 1: not all the time. It's not none of the time,

470
00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:20,960
Speaker 1: you know, just in terms of arms strength. I think

471
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,240
Speaker 1: some of that is because of the lack of trust

472
00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:26,160
Speaker 1: in the offensive line. I think there's a lot of that. Yeah,

473
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,840
Speaker 1: Like he's because I see him make the throws in

474
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,600
Speaker 1: practice and it's like, okay that you know again when

475
00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:33,800
Speaker 1: people people are coming at me. Well you said his

476
00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,320
Speaker 1: arm looked fine, Well what did when he knows he's

477
00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:38,960
Speaker 1: not gonna get hit and make it out? Yeah, they're

478
00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:40,919
Speaker 1: doing you know, it's not that's not even just seven

479
00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,320
Speaker 1: on seven stuff, but when they're doing eleven on eleven stuff.

480
00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,639
Speaker 1: He's throwing the football and he looks fine because he

481
00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,960
Speaker 1: knows he's not gonna get hit. I think he trusts it.

482
00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:51,639
Speaker 1: When you know, when when he trust the system, I

483
00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:53,720
Speaker 1: don't know if he trusts the line. I think I

484
00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:55,720
Speaker 1: think we do know if he does both those things.

485
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,320
Speaker 1: I think the answer is no. And there's no reason

486
00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:00,600
Speaker 1: to gain confidence in either of those things either at

487
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,240
Speaker 1: the point. You know, and it's a team game, and

488
00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:05,320
Speaker 1: I'm not saying they're being selfish or anything like that,

489
00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,960
Speaker 1: but if you don't trust your teammates, everyone feels it.

490
00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:12,040
Speaker 1: And I thought there was a stretch Harris didn't trust

491
00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,200
Speaker 1: the blocking. We talked about that last week, and I

492
00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,800
Speaker 1: think that's gotten a little better through one game. I

493
00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:20,040
Speaker 1: don't think Cincinnati's defense is decent, but it seems like

494
00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,480
Speaker 1: every Monday, it's only been two of them, we're talking about, Wow,

495
00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,920
Speaker 1: that defense is better than I thought. At some point

496
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,560
Speaker 1: it has to be Wow. That offense really stinks, really

497
00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:32,040
Speaker 1: stinks right now. It really states it really stinks right now.

498
00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:36,399
Speaker 1: There's again nowhere to go but up. Yeah. Um, I mean,

499
00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,280
Speaker 1: it's a long season. They've only played three games. The

500
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,600
Speaker 1: funny thing is is, you know, I noted this lesson,

501
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,840
Speaker 1: did the final word lesson on Channel eleven, and they said,

502
00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,320
Speaker 1: you know, the Kansas City Chiefs are one and two

503
00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:49,600
Speaker 1: right now, they're in the last place right in the

504
00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,040
Speaker 1: a f C West is anybody in Kansas City stay

505
00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,679
Speaker 1: up seasons over. Our defense can't stop anybody their defense,

506
00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:57,800
Speaker 1: and they can't as bad as the Seals offense, right,

507
00:25:57,880 --> 00:25:59,320
Speaker 1: I mean, it really is. It's the worst in the

508
00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:02,160
Speaker 1: league right now. And they got big problems too. But

509
00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:04,600
Speaker 1: I don't think people in Pittsburgh are like, boy, the

510
00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:06,960
Speaker 1: Chiefs think, you know, right, that's the that's the you know,

511
00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:10,439
Speaker 1: the Seahawks are one and two and in the last place,

512
00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,040
Speaker 1: and anybody in Seattle, this thing is, this is over.

513
00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,960
Speaker 1: It's over. No, it isn't. It absolutely isn't. I mean,

514
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,639
Speaker 1: even like the Chiefs. If I said, Dale, you can

515
00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,399
Speaker 1: have the Chiefs or the other three teams in that

516
00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:24,280
Speaker 1: division to win the division. Who you're picking. I'm taking

517
00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:27,119
Speaker 1: the Chiefs. I'm taking the Chiefs and the Yeah, and

518
00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:29,840
Speaker 1: they just lost the division game. Now the Steelers aren't

519
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,520
Speaker 1: the Chiefs. I mean they have something. Now we're not

520
00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:36,119
Speaker 1: saying that. No, I mean, nobody will ever tune it again.

521
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,520
Speaker 1: I mean, and Mahomes and Ben couldn't be any further

522
00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:42,000
Speaker 1: apart at this stage of their lives. But we should

523
00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,360
Speaker 1: know that it is a long season. It can improve

524
00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:49,320
Speaker 1: the defense probably will get healthier, you know, I mean,

525
00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:53,800
Speaker 1: especially the defensive front um. I think the offensive line

526
00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:55,960
Speaker 1: is a chance to get a little better. You're also

527
00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,480
Speaker 1: seeing a lot of running games around the league take

528
00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,679
Speaker 1: a little time, which I think as a trend in

529
00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,400
Speaker 1: the league too, because new offensive line takes it takes

530
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,400
Speaker 1: a little time to gel and it's hard to practice

531
00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:11,720
Speaker 1: true running games stuff early in the season in preseason.

532
00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:15,840
Speaker 1: But by no means though I think oh, a fix

533
00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,600
Speaker 1: is right around the corner for this offense, I don't

534
00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:20,560
Speaker 1: think it is, and I think it could be amongst

535
00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:22,359
Speaker 1: the worst in the league, to be frank, from start

536
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,040
Speaker 1: to finish. I think that's very possible. It's possible. I

537
00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:29,120
Speaker 1: think if they can find some footing in the run game.

538
00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,000
Speaker 1: I saw some signs of it, just some footing, like

539
00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:34,200
Speaker 1: you said, I mean there again, there was some plays

540
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:35,920
Speaker 1: there that got called. But it was the sweep to

541
00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:37,760
Speaker 1: sweep to the that they ran to the right in

542
00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:39,959
Speaker 1: the first quarter got called back because of a holding penalty.

543
00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,400
Speaker 1: Run up the middle. Ten yard run up the middle

544
00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,119
Speaker 1: called back because of like these are. If the holding

545
00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:48,600
Speaker 1: penalties aren't called or or don't happen, I don't know

546
00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:50,919
Speaker 1: if if they were maybe your four yards instead of twelve,

547
00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,000
Speaker 1: but it wasn't like minus four, right, Yeah, I mean

548
00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:57,080
Speaker 1: so if you can consistently start to do that now,

549
00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:58,720
Speaker 1: you're now you're starting to gain a little you know,

550
00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:00,720
Speaker 1: at least you're giving the other team, Hey, we gotta

551
00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:05,440
Speaker 1: respect this running game a little bit here. Yes, they're

552
00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,159
Speaker 1: they're too easy to play against right now. I do

553
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,560
Speaker 1: think that they quickly realized that Harris is I think

554
00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:14,040
Speaker 1: their best offensive player. I mean, well, the offense still

555
00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:17,600
Speaker 1: has to flow through him, and I I like the

556
00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:20,800
Speaker 1: fact that you start doing some things with him, splitting

557
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,359
Speaker 1: him out wide and throwing him the football in those situations,

558
00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:25,359
Speaker 1: not just using him as a dump off option, although

559
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:29,040
Speaker 1: that happened way too much yesterday. And they're almost got

560
00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:32,439
Speaker 1: him broken in half, because man, he's gonna take, you know,

561
00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:36,520
Speaker 1: by by past twelve to nager Harris the twelve dump off.

562
00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:39,280
Speaker 1: The Bengals are just sitting on there and they're just

563
00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,840
Speaker 1: coming up and and five guys are smacking him. Yeah,

564
00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:45,440
Speaker 1: he worries me about what the punishments he's taking because

565
00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,600
Speaker 1: he's never gonna back down from it, especially as a rookie,

566
00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:49,160
Speaker 1: and he isn't gonna try to save his bodies and

567
00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:51,960
Speaker 1: impress his teammates. But I did like that he was

568
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,440
Speaker 1: detached and running real routes and you definitely see that.

569
00:28:55,960 --> 00:29:00,080
Speaker 1: I think Friar Moose certainly encouraging. To be honest, he

570
00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,760
Speaker 1: dropped one yesterday too. Yeah, I mean drops were Yeah,

571
00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:06,480
Speaker 1: we're contagious, contagious, and it might be time for him

572
00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:09,120
Speaker 1: to clearly put Ebron as the two, if that hasn't

573
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:15,240
Speaker 1: happened already. Um, the receivers are good, but when you

574
00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:18,280
Speaker 1: don't have ju Ju and Deante, I mean it gets

575
00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:21,840
Speaker 1: pretty rough. And Claypool is a good player and certainly

576
00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,600
Speaker 1: flashes superstar potential, but I mean there's a point to

577
00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,720
Speaker 1: where how much could he do? And again he's inconsistent.

578
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,680
Speaker 1: You can't have Ray Ray mcclouden those guys out there.

579
00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,239
Speaker 1: But you know, injuries happen, and injuries and execution are

580
00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:39,760
Speaker 1: adding up at the same time as it's hard to overcome. Yeah,

581
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,120
Speaker 1: it's it's not pretty. I mean, no one's in a sugarcoat,

582
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:46,520
Speaker 1: no for sure, Um, but uh yeah, I mean I

583
00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:48,320
Speaker 1: don't know what else to say about it. It's just

584
00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:51,920
Speaker 1: they're one and two. Um, they're going to the Green Bay.

585
00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:54,520
Speaker 1: That won't be an easy one either. They're starting to click,

586
00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:56,800
Speaker 1: but the Packers do have some issues of their own

587
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:02,000
Speaker 1: defensive line. Uh, Aaron Rodgers can still overcome that kind

588
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,320
Speaker 1: of stuff. Yeah, he's He's tremendous. But you know, you'd

589
00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:07,200
Speaker 1: like to see the Steelers go into that game with

590
00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:11,200
Speaker 1: their full complimented defensive players, at least as many as

591
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:13,760
Speaker 1: they can get back on the football field. Yeah, I mean,

592
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,520
Speaker 1: do you have any vibes on that? And I would

593
00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:20,200
Speaker 1: think that, you know, teach pick Watts probably to play, right. Yeah,

594
00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:22,360
Speaker 1: I mean Watson like kind of in the same situation

595
00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:27,920
Speaker 1: where where Hayden was last week. He practiced at least

596
00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:30,160
Speaker 1: on a limited basis over the course of the week

597
00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,160
Speaker 1: and then you know they shut him down on on

598
00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:37,880
Speaker 1: Sunday or actually they made the call on Saturday. He

599
00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:39,959
Speaker 1: didn't see him do anything last week. He was he

600
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,080
Speaker 1: was an active all week long. I mean, even like

601
00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,400
Speaker 1: Friday when we did our last show, we didn't think

602
00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:46,720
Speaker 1: Hi Smith is gonna play at that point, we thought

603
00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:50,160
Speaker 1: Watt had a good chance. Um, I don't. I'm not

604
00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:52,520
Speaker 1: saying Bushes banged up, but I expected more out of

605
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:54,479
Speaker 1: him and Showbert a game like this. I mean, they

606
00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,800
Speaker 1: didn't really impact the game negative or positive, to be

607
00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:02,320
Speaker 1: honest with you, but the are two quality linebackers. I'd

608
00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:04,680
Speaker 1: expect more from them, especially in a game against the

609
00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,160
Speaker 1: guy like Aaron Jones. No, yeah, I mean I was

610
00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:08,959
Speaker 1: even talking about this game. Although again they didn't run

611
00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,600
Speaker 1: that may snaps plays? How many? You know, what are

612
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:13,400
Speaker 1: you gonna do in most of the throws with the

613
00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,360
Speaker 1: wide receivers? We could do negative all day long, but

614
00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:18,200
Speaker 1: there's three defenders. I just wanted to kind of call

615
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,560
Speaker 1: out again. They didn't play tons of snaps. Well, Warmly did.

616
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,360
Speaker 1: Warmly played a lot of snaps. But Warmly, Bugs and

617
00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,920
Speaker 1: Millette all made me go, these guys are getting better

618
00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:32,360
Speaker 1: and there's something pieces. I mean, they're not a Luulu

619
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:34,840
Speaker 1: and they're not to it and they never ever will be.

620
00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:40,200
Speaker 1: But if Warmly and Bugs were, you know, next to

621
00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:45,440
Speaker 1: Cam and Ingram and Wat, you right, all right? They

622
00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:47,720
Speaker 1: held up pretty well. You know, those guys are NFL

623
00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,600
Speaker 1: players to me, and Milette maybe made a cause of,

624
00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:55,800
Speaker 1: you know, a case for maybe I should be the slot,

625
00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:57,440
Speaker 1: you know. I mean again, I think he played a

626
00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,160
Speaker 1: dozen plays, I mean, but that was a third of

627
00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:01,120
Speaker 1: the snaps almost you know, I mean, at least he

628
00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:04,560
Speaker 1: did some good things. Yeah. Absolutely, but he is Matt Williamson.

629
00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:07,000
Speaker 1: I'm Dale Lolly. You're listening to the drive here on

630
00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:09,080
Speaker 1: Steelers Nation Radio. We're gonna take a break. We'll be

631
00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,360
Speaker 1: right back with the second segment right after this