Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Drive. I'm gay Lallie. He is
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Speaker 1: time for the Fantasy Football Focus here to kick off
Speaker 1: our number two this week and Mat we're starting to
Speaker 1: get the news here about who's in and who is
Speaker 1: out this week. Kyron Williams will not play.
Speaker 2: I think there's no chance, right yeah, Like that game
Speaker 2: is going to be Carson Wentz versus Sam Darnold. Yeah,
Speaker 2: which is kind of fun in its own right. Their pedigree, dudes,
Speaker 2: it's better than Jeff Triscoll. You know who's starting for
Speaker 2: the Brown.
Speaker 1: Or Tyler Huntley? Right right? Yeah? Bye, I got a
Speaker 1: pro bowler, Tyler Huntley. Bowl will be announced tonight, by
Speaker 1: the way, it really yeah. Uh, Darnell Mooney mispractice on Wednesday.
Speaker 1: He's dealing with a concussion. For the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 2: It seems like they're playing hard though. Yeah, I mean
Speaker 2: they're not just throwing it in.
Speaker 1: I would guess he probably right.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 1: Cooper Cup will not playing Week eighteen against the.
Speaker 2: Shut everybody down, I mean Donald's not gonna play.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 1: Keenan Allen with the heel, did not practice on Wednesday.
Speaker 1: They've just shut him down.
Speaker 2: I wonder if his last game, Yeah, it could be.
Speaker 2: I mean, new coach, massive cap hit. I don't know.
Speaker 1: He'd be a guy that can still he can still
Speaker 1: go help a team.
Speaker 2: I'm not saying he should be a Steeler, but you
Speaker 2: throw him at the slot here with Theonta George, I
Speaker 2: mean every team show.
Speaker 1: I mean there'll be a market for Keenan Allen eight
Speaker 1: year Yeah.
Speaker 2: I mean his game doesn't fall off a cliff.
Speaker 1: He's got the old man basketball game, big time left
Speaker 1: handed spin.
Speaker 2: Move, oh yeah, throwing the Chiefs. Oh, there's a lot
Speaker 2: of spots he could be helpful.
Speaker 1: Zay Jones with the knee and hamstring limited Wednesday's practice
Speaker 1: for Jacksonville.
Speaker 2: I don't know did he play last week? I didn't
Speaker 2: pay attention. I know he's been I don't believe that
Speaker 2: he did, Okay, I mean they need all systems go
Speaker 2: of course. Yeah, he was ruled out Sunday.
Speaker 1: Okay, Devonte Smith did not practice on Wednesday. He's dealing
Speaker 1: with an ankle.
Speaker 2: They can still win the division, right, Yeah, they.
Speaker 1: Would need to win and Dallas would need to lose.
Speaker 2: But Dallas is playing Washington.
Speaker 1: They're playing the Giants. Yeah right, I know.
Speaker 2: But I'm just saying, if you're Philly, would you risk
Speaker 2: one of your best players.
Speaker 1: Washington beat the Cowboys last year.
Speaker 2: Last year, Okay, I think Washington's cashed it in though,
Speaker 2: And I don't know. I guess you played. I guess
Speaker 2: you play this one like Europe.
Speaker 1: One more game for Ron Rivera. I go out there
Speaker 1: and win one for the.
Speaker 2: I'm looking at more of an Eagles perspective, though. Do
Speaker 2: you treat this like a playoff game if you're the
Speaker 2: Eagles or do you kind of I.
Speaker 1: Think you try to win it. I mean, I think
Speaker 1: if you're healthy, you play. Okay, Josh Jacobs will push
Speaker 1: to play in Week eight team for the Raiders. I
Speaker 1: think he just wants to. I mean, this might be a.
Speaker 2: Very competitive damn back nausey, you know. I mean, those
Speaker 2: guys don't go down without a fight.
Speaker 1: And they're playing the Broncos and it's a I mean again,
Speaker 1: one of those rivalry games. That's why the NFL sets
Speaker 1: it up.
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, like both those teams are going to play
Speaker 2: the guy. Yeah, I mean Peyton's trying to build a culture.
Speaker 2: Raiders coaches trying to do the same. Slash keep his job.
Speaker 2: Could that be Jacob's last game?
Speaker 1: Does the winner of that game finished with a five
Speaker 1: hundred above five hundred? Are they both eight and eight?
Speaker 2: I don't know that off top of my head. I
Speaker 2: mean they're the two three in that division.
Speaker 1: I know they're second and third. I don't know if
Speaker 1: that changes with the outcome of this game or not,
Speaker 1: because that would means something. Yeah, that means a little
Speaker 1: something to those days.
Speaker 2: First, you know, if your Peyton, my first year didn't
Speaker 2: go great, but we ended up with the winning record.
Speaker 1: Okay, So if if Denver wins, Denver finishes at eight
Speaker 1: or nine and eight, so they would have a winning record.
Speaker 1: If the Raiders win, they finished tied, and I believe
Speaker 1: the Raiders would finish ahead of the Broncos in the
Speaker 1: division standing, so they would be second at eight and nine.
Speaker 2: So they they have seven wins right now.
Speaker 1: The Raider, Yeah, there's seven to nine. They can't get
Speaker 1: over five hundred. Yeah, gotcha, but they would finish second
Speaker 1: in the division.
Speaker 2: But I think both teams are playing hard. Yeah, to
Speaker 2: a point. I don't if Jacobs is back next year.
Speaker 1: Though, No, I don't think he is.
Speaker 2: I don't think he is.
Speaker 1: I don't think he is. Uh. Noah Brown with a
Speaker 1: back injury, did not practice on Wednesday for the Texans.
Speaker 2: That's significantce big, no tact el. I mean, it's that
Speaker 2: is a playoff game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Elijah Mitchell did not practice on Wednesday for the
Speaker 1: forty nine Ers.
Speaker 2: Jeffrey won't play.
Speaker 1: He's dealing with an illness. If neither one of those
Speaker 1: guys go, then you it's Mason Jordan Mason, Jordan Mason.
Speaker 2: Like, if you're still doing DFS, if you care, I mean,
Speaker 2: I'm sure Trent Williams won't be blocking for you, but
Speaker 2: Aaron Donald won't be on the other side, right, Yeah,
Speaker 2: Like sometimes it turns into like preseason at DFS. I mean,
Speaker 2: this is a fantasy segment. If ever there's a bunch
Speaker 2: of backups out there, and he was playing a run
Speaker 2: the bar. Yeah, one guy getting the ball again.
Speaker 1: The Rams could have this, and Rams and forty nine ers,
Speaker 1: they could really have that. We just we just want
Speaker 1: to Hey, we're both gonna run the ball forty times
Speaker 1: in this game and get the heck out of here.
Speaker 2: Oh. I bet mcveay and Shanahan shake and be like,
Speaker 2: I'm not gonna even throw challenge flags. You know, let's
Speaker 2: just get out of here. Maybe we'll see in the playoffs.
Speaker 2: Best of luck, you know, pads On, you know.
Speaker 1: Devin a chan H, that guy I toe and ribs
Speaker 1: was limited on Wednesday.
Speaker 2: So that's so in the fancy world though, I'm very
Speaker 2: interested in that. Yeah, that's a big game. And he
Speaker 2: got a lot of touches without moster and did some.
Speaker 1: He actually did some damage, like he was running well.
Speaker 1: They just got so far behind that, you know, like
Speaker 1: every time they gave the ball to a chin, He's
Speaker 1: ripping off twenty yard runs against the against the Ravens.
Speaker 2: Under reported thing as I threw this on Twitter. Ravens
Speaker 2: run defense over the last month and a half or
Speaker 2: so been good. It has not been good, and they
Speaker 2: struggled with him.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Raheem Moster did not practice on Wednesday, and he's.
Speaker 2: Dealing Just interesting from an NFL perspective. Yeah, you'd love
Speaker 2: to have all your waddle and Mostard And I mean
Speaker 2: this is close to a playoff game for them. I
Speaker 2: mean they're in. How do you handle that if you're
Speaker 2: the head coach of the Dolphins, Like you'd really like
Speaker 2: to win, but not in the case of boy, I'm
Speaker 2: gonna limp into Week one of the pre the postseason.
Speaker 1: I think for them, the home field is big. That
Speaker 1: second seed is huge because that gets them two home games.
Speaker 1: And then again Forallas they would be they're seven and
Speaker 1: one right now at home. For them to win and
Speaker 1: be the two seed, they'd be eight and one at home.
Speaker 2: Maybe it means more to them, And that lumped Allison
Speaker 2: with that too, Like, I don't want to be the
Speaker 2: wild card and even go to the Tampa or whatever,
Speaker 2: even though you're favored.
Speaker 1: We're good at home. Yeah, we know what this is
Speaker 1: like at home. We know the weather is going to
Speaker 1: be great in Miami. We're gonna be able to throw
Speaker 1: the ball. Yeah, Yeah, we don't want to have to
Speaker 1: go to Kansas City or Buffalo City, Yeah, Baltimore.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's until we have to if it happened or yeah.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 1: Zach Moss was a full participant in Wednesday's practice for
Speaker 1: the Colts.
Speaker 2: Taylor's been the belcow them out. Maybe him in you know,
Speaker 2: it's a super important game.
Speaker 1: Jamar Chase with the shoulder, was limited in practice on
Speaker 1: Wednesday for the Bengals. I think he plays.
Speaker 2: I think he does too.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: I'm sure we'll talk about the Browns a little. They're
Speaker 2: resting everybody as they should. I mean, they're I mean,
Speaker 2: they're gonna play Driscoll. They are going to go on
Speaker 2: the road next week, so regardless, no matter what. So
Speaker 2: I'm sure they're gonna take the quick road trip to
Speaker 2: since he high tail get a shower, high tail it
Speaker 2: out of there and are already thinking about the wild
Speaker 2: card game. But since he seems to be taking the
Speaker 2: different approach, you know.
Speaker 1: They Yeah, I think they want to win this and
Speaker 1: they could finish the entire division would then finish above
Speaker 1: five hundred. The other reason, I think, since he wants
Speaker 1: to win this. They're winless in the division this year. No, really,
Speaker 1: you can't get shut out in your own division. Like,
Speaker 1: I don't know if Higgins will play, but you know,
Speaker 1: Browning's got a lot to prove. And you know, I mean,
Speaker 1: I bet you play Hendrickson and you're not going to
Speaker 1: just shut everybody down. Yeah, Hendrickson wants to play because
Speaker 1: he wants to get the sack sack title. Yeah title.
Speaker 1: I think Chase just wants to set the tone. Yeah,
Speaker 1: you know, no Higgins, so I don't think he plays.
Speaker 1: He's gonna be a free agent.
Speaker 2: I'm sure he doesn't want to. I must say he
Speaker 2: doesn't want to, but there's not a lot to gain
Speaker 2: by it.
Speaker 1: Alvin Kamara did not practice something for the Saints, big,
Speaker 1: big one because they need to win.
Speaker 2: They need to win, and he's super important and he's
Speaker 2: fighting something pretty serious.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's an ankle issue for Alvin Kamara. So that's
Speaker 1: worth keeping an eye on.
Speaker 2: I think there's a real good chance he doesn't play.
Speaker 1: He can't do you then pivot to Jamal Williams. He
Speaker 1: had nineteen carries for fifty eight yards and four catches
Speaker 1: for thirteen yards.
Speaker 2: Are they playing Atlanta?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 2: I couldn't remember which division game.
Speaker 1: And that again another big rivalry game. Those two they
Speaker 1: don't like each other at all.
Speaker 2: I mean people up here don't might say that the
Speaker 2: North don't understand that. That is, those two cities have
Speaker 2: a rivalry.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, of course we'll be Sam Darnold
Speaker 1: will start for the forty nine ers.
Speaker 2: Atlanta's not eliminated either, right.
Speaker 1: I think they they need a lot of a lot,
Speaker 1: a lot of hell.
Speaker 2: I don't think they can win the division they would
Speaker 2: have they would get into.
Speaker 1: They would need like Seattle and Green Bay and a
Speaker 1: bunch of those teams to lose. Packers wide receiver for
Speaker 1: his job though, Yeah right, yeah, if they lose, I
Speaker 1: think they that would finish off the season with four
Speaker 1: out of five I lost.
Speaker 2: I think he's gone no matter what. But that would
Speaker 2: seal it.
Speaker 1: Probably Jayden reed with a rib injury, practiced on Wednesday.
Speaker 2: That's important.
Speaker 1: He's been kind of all nicked up too.
Speaker 2: Yes, smaller collar guy, rookie year playing seventeen eighteen games.
Speaker 1: You know, little guys take take big hits now if.
Speaker 2: It's on there. But it sounds like Watson might actually play.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, he practiced today with that hamstring injury. He
Speaker 1: hasn't practiced in forever forever. Really frustrated, like his entire career.
Speaker 2: Oh, I know, he just might be one of those
Speaker 2: tightly wound track guys.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I don't know if you were watching the broadcast when
Speaker 2: they played the Vikings, but I guess Lafloor went out
Speaker 2: of his way to tell the commentators one of our
Speaker 2: biggest goals this offseason is to figure out Watson's hamstrings.
Speaker 2: I mean, it's just something, are right.
Speaker 1: Nick Mullins will get the start in Week eighteen against
Speaker 1: the Lions for the Vikings, so they're back to Mullins.
Speaker 3: Now.
Speaker 1: It's like they don't have a quarterback. A quarterback.
Speaker 2: I just feel like they're just rolling the dice and
Speaker 2: whoever pops up, that's who we're going with. Because he
Speaker 2: knows deep down none of them can get it done.
Speaker 2: They can't need a million things that happen to get into.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the Cowboys play Deuce Vaughan on injured reserve. Okay,
Speaker 1: the other guy was hurt. No, they're running backs. That's
Speaker 1: one of their issues this year. It is because they
Speaker 1: can they don't have a bellcow running back.
Speaker 2: I think they're one team that could draft a back high. Yeah,
Speaker 2: you know, like it doesn't look like there's a first
Speaker 2: round back in this draft. But they could be a
Speaker 2: day to, you know, go get somebody decent, type of
Speaker 2: type of team. Maybe Josh Shacobs ends up or something
Speaker 2: like that.
Speaker 1: They really need one. They do. It's not Pollard, No, no,
Speaker 1: he's not in their run down guy. Uh. Sam Howe
Speaker 1: will get to start Sunday against the Cowboys for Washington.
Speaker 2: I mean, what's interesting about them is it's a two
Speaker 2: horse race between them and New England for the second pick, right,
Speaker 2: And I think if they both lose, Washington gets it,
Speaker 2: which which probably as a quarterback, and how would be
Speaker 2: the backup and that adds up. But I think this
Speaker 2: set's one.
Speaker 1: And then Brissette would be on the open market again.
Speaker 2: And I'd be very interested if I were a lot
Speaker 2: of teams.
Speaker 1: And Yeah, Giants running back Sakuon Barkley reiterated his desire
Speaker 1: to return to the Giants next seat next season, but
Speaker 1: keep his options open.
Speaker 2: That all seems to be real because like the way
Speaker 2: his contract stuff played out, he could have been a
Speaker 2: bigger problem for them.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I know he's from Jersey. I mean I kind of
Speaker 2: believe him. I don't often believe players when they say
Speaker 2: things like that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, will Levis said he's hopeful to play on Sunday
Speaker 1: against the Jaguars. I don't know if that happens, though.
Speaker 2: I'm not sure what you have to gain. I mean,
Speaker 2: Tannehill has been named the starter. Is that true?
Speaker 1: I thought Tannehill was getting the starting ret and.
Speaker 2: I kind of assumed that. But you could have Willis
Speaker 2: as the two or I would think if Levis is playing, though,
Speaker 2: he would start. Yeah, I think I just sit them.
Speaker 1: I think I would too. I think I think you've
Speaker 1: seen enough and this is and this is probably Tannehill's
Speaker 1: last game as a a Titan. I think I just
Speaker 1: let him go out there and right off into the sunset.
Speaker 2: A win with Henry and the new era is coming.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, we don't want to get the kid beaten
Speaker 1: up going into the off season behind this offensive behind
Speaker 1: That would be my thinking with this, like, yeah, let's
Speaker 1: just put the two veterans out there and let them
Speaker 1: go out and and we saw enough of Levis this
Speaker 1: year that if we're good with him going into the
Speaker 1: off season as our starter. We just don't want them
Speaker 1: to have to get a surgery.
Speaker 2: What this is a little off topic, but I just
Speaker 2: mentioned that two three drafts spot. If you're in New England,
Speaker 2: let's say and May and Williams are gone, they go
Speaker 2: first two picks. I would consider something along the lines
Speaker 2: of like signing Brissett or Tannehill, draft Marvin Harrison junior
Speaker 2: three and then try to get back in the first
Speaker 2: round for like Pennix or somebody like that, you know,
Speaker 2: as opposed to have to take a quarterback of three
Speaker 2: even if there isn't one there. You know, like New
Speaker 2: England's not great. If they Tannehel this year, they'd have
Speaker 2: won two more games.
Speaker 1: Who's there? You know? Who's the GM, who's the Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's it's what you don't know.
Speaker 2: I bet it's not the people there now.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm with you. Josh Allen with the neck injury,
Speaker 1: insists that he's he's good to go. Yeah, said he
Speaker 1: is good to go. So he took a big hit
Speaker 1: with the with the uh two of both aren't Yeah.
Speaker 1: The Bills were trying to run out the clock and
Speaker 1: they had him running the ball against the Patriots and
Speaker 1: he took a big hit. Does he not run as
Speaker 1: much in this game because of that neck issue? I
Speaker 1: don't think it matters.
Speaker 2: I think you can second guess him running at the
Speaker 2: end of that game. But I think this is a
Speaker 2: playoff game for them. He's going to run every time
Speaker 2: if he has to. It's just the nature who he is,
Speaker 2: and that's scary. Yeah, I mean it's scary.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 1: Mike McDaniel said, Jaylen Waddle with the ankle injury, has
Speaker 1: a chance to play on Sunday.
Speaker 2: That sounds like gamesmanship to me. See, I don't know.
Speaker 2: I mean they had a.
Speaker 1: Walk through on Wednesday and Wattle participated in it.
Speaker 2: Okay, okay, so that would be massive. Yeah, I mean
Speaker 2: they're a lot different with the two of them.
Speaker 1: I mean I could see them running him out there
Speaker 1: as a decoy.
Speaker 2: That's what say.
Speaker 1: I even said decoy there.
Speaker 2: I mean like he might dress, maybe he's gets shot
Speaker 2: or whatever and is phenomenal.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Amari Cooper did not practice on Wednesday for the Browns.
Speaker 1: They're not going to play him.
Speaker 2: I'm also not gonna play Miles Garrett, which influences the
Speaker 2: Defensive Player of the Year conversation. I would think. I
Speaker 2: don't think Nick Bosa is going to you know.
Speaker 1: Like Zach Wilson remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and
Speaker 1: will be inactive in Week eighteen against the Patriots for
Speaker 1: the Jets.
Speaker 2: I think that rivals Steelers Patriots.
Speaker 1: For lowest over under the year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was like twenty eight or twenty nine.
Speaker 1: That's actually it's just lower. The Steelers were not that
Speaker 1: the Steelers, I know, they're like a point or two away.
Speaker 1: The Steelers were thirty or thirty. Okay, that would be
Speaker 1: the lowest.
Speaker 2: I get it. I don't see a lot of poids,
Speaker 2: but I think Patriots Steelers would go over either.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Baker Mayfield did not practice on Wednesday. He's got
Speaker 1: a rib issue.
Speaker 2: I mean, that's game changing, seismic situation there. Yeah, it
Speaker 2: would be trash guy. Assume they win, they're in. Yeah,
Speaker 2: I assume he'll do everything.
Speaker 1: I mean, I would think that. I would think he plays.
Speaker 1: I've seen him play through some stuff that he probably.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and he's free agent at the end of the year,
Speaker 2: and you guys get his team in and competitiveness is
Speaker 2: not an issue with him.
Speaker 1: But but I've also seen him play badly when he's
Speaker 1: banged dump.
Speaker 2: Or then halfway through the first quarter you get the
Speaker 2: helmet in the ribs and here comes Trask.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Cole Komet did not practice on Wednesday with a
Speaker 1: knee issue.
Speaker 2: Kind of like mooney, do you rush those guys back?
Speaker 2: I mean, like, yeah, you want to establish something.
Speaker 1: But it's a knee issue for him. The Giants are
Speaker 1: going to start Tyrod Taylor on.
Speaker 2: That right man. Yeah, I mean the whole the veto
Speaker 2: things will laugh about that. In two years.
Speaker 1: Trevor Lawrence with the shoulder injury injury was limited today.
Speaker 2: That's I guess what.
Speaker 1: He is limited all last week too, and then they
Speaker 1: shut him down. I know there's no guarantees.
Speaker 2: No guarantee you I assume that's the designation would get
Speaker 2: today though he's on the field. But what do you do?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Right, you know, do you know if it's a throw
Speaker 2: and shoulder or not?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 1: I have no it is. Yeah. The Jaguars also opened
Speaker 1: the twenty one day practice window for Christian Kirk. That
Speaker 1: was a core muscle injury for him.
Speaker 2: That's a playoff thing. He's not gonna play this week,
Speaker 2: but if they could have him in the playoffs, Yeah,
Speaker 2: it doesn't hurt to open the window.
Speaker 1: No, I mean, you gotta if you're gonna have him
Speaker 1: for the playoffs, you want to do you gotta get
Speaker 1: him he basically ramped up for the first week, and
Speaker 1: then you have them available the second week. They got
Speaker 1: to win this week to make that happen, they could
Speaker 1: use them. That looks like it's pretty much it.
Speaker 2: And then there's just a bunch of teams. They're just
Speaker 2: gonna sit people and sit people. Yeah, I mean that's yeah,
Speaker 2: the nature of the beast.
Speaker 1: Yeah, just what's gonna happen?
Speaker 2: Of course, like the Lions of anything to play form.
Speaker 2: Can they get the two three? I think he's such
Speaker 2: a weird coach. That's why I wonder if he's just gonna.
Speaker 1: I think they want to win. I think they want
Speaker 1: to They got the they're playing the Vikingskings.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know. I mean it's for fantasy stuff.
Speaker 2: Some of these teams like Jamir Gibbs might play a
Speaker 2: half and then if you're having your DFS lineup, yeah,
Speaker 2: you know, it burns you.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So when we do DFS, I would almost like to
Speaker 2: pick from like.
Speaker 1: The teams that needed teams, Yeah, the teams that really
Speaker 1: need it. Yeah, we're going to be playing for something.
Speaker 1: That's who you want to stick with.
Speaker 2: So Tom Pelsaro put this out on Monday. There's twenty
Speaker 2: teams that can win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1: Still, it's crazy.
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm not saying that they have a legit chance,
Speaker 2: but mathematically there's twenty teams right now that can win
Speaker 2: the super Bowl. It's like, and that's the most has
Speaker 2: ever been going into the final.
Speaker 1: What's the league one of this? Paul Dagliaboo's looking at
Speaker 1: this and wherever he's at right now and smiling loving it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but that's the most ever going into the final
Speaker 2: game this season.
Speaker 1: Ye still eligible. He is Matt Williamson. I am Dale, Lolly.
Speaker 1: You're listening to the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 1: We're gonna take a break. We'll be back with more
Speaker 1: right after. This Cat's regular season challenge each week answers
Speaker 1: Steelers trivia and make game day picks for a chance
Speaker 1: to win signed helmets, jerseys, footballs, or even a trip
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Speaker 1: this week's prize. He is the Matt Williamson. I am Dale, Lolly.
Speaker 1: You're listening to the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio,
Speaker 1: and Matt looking here. In an article on cbssports Dot
Speaker 1: com It's written by Tyler Sullivan. He looks at fifteen
Speaker 1: top head coaching candidates world more time, less than a
Speaker 1: week away from Black Black Monday, Black Monday.
Speaker 2: Not to mention there could be I mean like Belichick'
Speaker 2: son cound get fired on Black Monday. But there could
Speaker 2: also be some movement with some other guys. Well, I
Speaker 2: know Schefter and some of those guys. I think there
Speaker 2: could be eight new head coaches. It's quarter league.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well it depends on how you look at some
Speaker 1: of this too, like teams with new head coaches, but
Speaker 1: guys who have been coaches somewhere else right.
Speaker 2: Right right, or even like the Raiders might keep their
Speaker 2: interim guys, you know, right.
Speaker 1: So here here are the fifteen guys he looks at
Speaker 1: as potential name on there. The number one guys, Bill Belichick.
Speaker 2: Ah, it's a little presumptuous, but sure. I mean if
Speaker 2: he wants to coach somewhere, he will.
Speaker 1: I mean they've had three the three of the last
Speaker 1: four seasons for them have been losing seasons. This is
Speaker 1: the whole thing with the Mike Tomlin situation a few
Speaker 1: weeks ago. Belichick's now had three losing season seasons yeah,
Speaker 1: and this one is by far the worst. Like they've
Speaker 1: got twelve losses for the first time. Yeah, they really are. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's it's right they've bottomed out.
Speaker 2: If I had to put a chip down, I would
Speaker 2: say he's not the Patriots head coach next year, but
Speaker 2: he is someone else's.
Speaker 1: There'll be somebody's coach. He should be first on how
Speaker 1: that works out. Yeah, well, you know, either it's a trade.
Speaker 1: I don't think they want to fire Bill Belichick.
Speaker 2: I don't think those words will ever happen. No, but
Speaker 2: he'll either step down or mutual or trade or something
Speaker 2: will be worked out.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I can see him end up in Washington, Carolina. I mean,
Speaker 2: imagine working with Tapper.
Speaker 1: Oh, he didn't help himself this passion.
Speaker 2: No, No, he got fined by the way.
Speaker 1: He got fined three hundred grand. Yeah. I thought it'd
Speaker 1: be more.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we thought inflation would be more than fifty grand
Speaker 2: from flipping somebody off, but the same neighborhood.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think, really I've said this since the
Speaker 1: offseason last year. We were at the owners meetings. I
Speaker 1: brought this up. I think the way this goes down
Speaker 1: is that they you know, Robert Kraft goes in and says, Bill,
Speaker 1: we love you as a head coach, we don't like
Speaker 1: you as a GM. You can't do that anymore.
Speaker 2: We're going to bring some higher a GM and Bill's
Speaker 2: going to say, all right, thanks, I'm leaving.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I think that's exactly.
Speaker 1: Yeah, So we'll see if that is exactly what happens.
Speaker 1: Number two on this list is Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
Speaker 1: Ben Johnson.
Speaker 2: I think he's going to get a job.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I mean he's a great coordinator. Is he a great
Speaker 2: head coach? They're on the same thing.
Speaker 1: He's thirty seven years old and nobody had heard of
Speaker 1: him four years.
Speaker 2: Ago, exactly exactly. But I love what he does with
Speaker 2: that team.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Number three is a guy who's coached in the
Speaker 1: NFL before. His current position is the head coach in
Speaker 1: the University of Michigan. Is him Harbaugh? I wouldn't touch
Speaker 1: him with a ten foot poll.
Speaker 2: Well, I have mixed feelings. I think he's a winner.
Speaker 2: I think he's a lunatic.
Speaker 1: That's the part that I would I wouldn't touch. So
Speaker 1: you're going to deal with some crazy there if you
Speaker 1: going to bring all kinds of crazy. But John john
Speaker 1: is the same one.
Speaker 2: Oh, no doubt about it. Yeah, I mean I know
Speaker 2: several people that have met him, have been around him,
Speaker 2: and he's just hard to be around, you know, and
Speaker 2: he wears out as welcome to some degree, but he
Speaker 2: wins and he's unbelievably intense. So he hired It's last
Speaker 2: name is need Donne. I think is an agent, Tom
Speaker 2: Brady's agent. He has a lot of head coaches in
Speaker 2: the NFL. Most people think he's going to move the league.
Speaker 2: And there's been a lot of Raiders talk. There's been
Speaker 2: a lot of Chargers talk. Maybe goes back to the Bears.
Speaker 2: I think he's done at Michigan.
Speaker 1: I don't think the Bears move on.
Speaker 2: I don't think they change.
Speaker 1: I don't think they change.
Speaker 2: He just used to be a Bear, and yeah, you
Speaker 2: know that's why that names I think floating around.
Speaker 1: Number four on this list, and I hit maybe his
Speaker 1: star is following a little bit here. Philadelphia Eagles offensive
Speaker 1: coordinator Brian Johnson.
Speaker 2: I don't think he remember.
Speaker 1: He's a first year guy. I don't think he's head coach.
Speaker 2: No, I don't know why his name's on there, to
Speaker 2: be honest, the offense got worse. Yeah, I mean it
Speaker 2: was really good.
Speaker 1: If we were talking a month ago, people say, oh, yeah, I.
Speaker 2: Mean Eagles get hired, I get in the park, but.
Speaker 1: Not that one.
Speaker 2: No.
Speaker 1: No, there's a few names on here I do not
Speaker 1: agree with.
Speaker 2: That's that Raven's defensive coordinator should be and that's that's.
Speaker 1: First on that list. Number five Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator
Speaker 1: Dan Quinn. He would be a retread as a head coach.
Speaker 2: Done a lot of good things with that defense, and
Speaker 2: what I give him credit for is he's one of
Speaker 2: those Pete Carroll Legion to Boom disciples, but decided playing
Speaker 2: cover three in Russian four is what the league's all about.
Speaker 2: I'm going to change or a lot of those guys haven't. Yeah,
Speaker 2: Micah Partson's helps, it doesn't hurt.
Speaker 1: Number six on this list, and I don't agree with
Speaker 1: this one either. Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator lou Onnararumo. What
Speaker 1: in the hell has he done this year that says, oh,
Speaker 1: that guy needs to be my head coach.
Speaker 2: I think they're one of the worst defenses in the league,
Speaker 2: absolute city players, right, and he did some tremendous things,
Speaker 2: especially against.
Speaker 1: Twenty one to twenty two right, Right, that's you know.
Speaker 2: I heard he's not actually the best interview either, you know.
Speaker 1: I mean this is a guy who's been around for
Speaker 1: a long time and he's been a good defensive coordinator.
Speaker 1: I'm not taking that this year is not the year
Speaker 1: for that though.
Speaker 2: No, his stock definitely went down, Yeah, I mean dramatically absolutely.
Speaker 1: Now the next guy on here is somebody that I
Speaker 1: would be interested in, and that is Houston Texans offensive
Speaker 1: coordinator Bobby Slowick. He's a Pittsburgh guy.
Speaker 3: Oh is he?
Speaker 1: Yeah, thirty six years old. It comes off of that
Speaker 1: Shanahan coaching tree.
Speaker 2: Yep.
Speaker 1: He's done good stuff with with Stroud this year. My
Speaker 1: question is he's only been a coordinator for a year.
Speaker 2: So he also worked a pro football focus for a while.
Speaker 2: Like he's done some things, some weird different coaching paths.
Speaker 2: You know, I think he's a year away.
Speaker 1: I think I think I would wait and see it too.
Speaker 1: Another year. Can you do this is a second time?
Speaker 2: You know how this works too? Like he'll probably interview
Speaker 2: with three teams, learn how to interview. Yeah, have another
Speaker 2: good year with a good young quarterback, and then he's
Speaker 2: at the top of this list next year. Yeah, I
Speaker 2: assuming all goes well.
Speaker 1: Number eight on here is Patriots inside linebackers coach Jared Mayo.
Speaker 2: He could get bumped.
Speaker 3: He could.
Speaker 2: I know that people would talk very highly of him.
Speaker 1: Yeah, if he doesn't get the head coaching job with
Speaker 1: the Patriots one thing that I guess he could go
Speaker 1: somewhere else.
Speaker 2: I guess he could, but he seems like he'd have
Speaker 2: more stock in the Patriot world. Yeah. I do think
Speaker 2: owners now are gonna be a little hesitant take defensive guys,
Speaker 2: young defensive guys. They want to hire offensive dudes.
Speaker 1: I mean, if you're gonna seems to be the quickest way,
Speaker 1: although I mean it works in Houston.
Speaker 2: Oh, I know, I know.
Speaker 1: It's all about finding the right guy. I don't care
Speaker 1: if he's an offensive defensive I don't care if he's
Speaker 1: a special teams guy. John Harbor was a special teams coach.
Speaker 1: I'm he the right man to lead your franchise.
Speaker 2: But the logic is, okay, well that Ryan's then hires
Speaker 2: Slowik and then he's gone in a year, you know,
Speaker 2: But that doesn't mean it's not the right thing for
Speaker 2: the organization. I mean, and I've heard coordinating offensive coordinators.
Speaker 1: I've heard a lot of that, you know, and I
Speaker 1: get it.
Speaker 2: I might break a tie that way, but probably not.
Speaker 1: I want I want to I want the dynamic guy
Speaker 1: who commands the room.
Speaker 2: No, I think people look for the wrong thing.
Speaker 1: Because the problem with hiring a lot of these offensive guys,
Speaker 1: the thing that got them the job in the first
Speaker 1: place is them calling plays. Oftentimes those guys continue to
Speaker 1: call plays and it hurts them as a head coach.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it's hard to do all that.
Speaker 1: He can't do it all right.
Speaker 2: Like the Lions offense coordinator. We talked about tremendous work
Speaker 2: as an offensive coordinator, designer of offense, getting the ball
Speaker 2: in the hands of the right people, play calling innovations.
Speaker 2: But if he does that for Carolina next year means
Speaker 2: he's not doing something else, you know that a head
Speaker 2: coach needs to do. Maybe he's the best head coach
Speaker 2: in the history of the world. I don't know, but
Speaker 2: he might his head on offensive coordinator.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you better have a patient owner. Number nine on
Speaker 1: this list Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Speaker 2: I think that's very I think he should get a job.
Speaker 1: I mean, he did a lot with the little this year.
Speaker 1: He did a lot with the little I don't say
Speaker 1: that just because I know him, having you know, been
Speaker 1: around him last year when you know, when he spent
Speaker 1: the time in Pittsburgh. But he is a guy who
Speaker 1: carries himself like a head coach. Yeah. Yeah, and he
Speaker 1: was and he was and he understands it. I think
Speaker 1: he probably learned some things. I don't think that that
Speaker 1: Dolphins situation that he was hired into was a great one.
Speaker 2: No, No, And I hope he's not blackballed by the
Speaker 2: openers or any of that nonsense.
Speaker 1: And he won with the Dolphins in a situation where
Speaker 1: they were trying to lose.
Speaker 2: No, I think he's in one of the best thirty two.
Speaker 1: Yeah, number ten, And we're going to go back down
Speaker 1: this road again, Eric b Enemy.
Speaker 2: He's talked about a guy stock dropping from a year ago.
Speaker 2: What's it on himself? Why would I say that was successful?
Speaker 1: I continue to hear people talk about the enemy, like
Speaker 1: he actually drew up the offense in Kansas City, right.
Speaker 2: Right, right?
Speaker 1: At what point did he do that?
Speaker 2: He didn't? He didn't.
Speaker 1: He he led this, He led the offensive staff there.
Speaker 1: Andy Reid called the place.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So I mean this quarterback took an immense amount
Speaker 2: of sacks, and that was partially on him. You know,
Speaker 2: if the Steelers move on from their offensive coordinator and
Speaker 2: he's out there and they interview him, I'd say, great,
Speaker 2: that's fine. But if I'm you're going to replace Bill
Speaker 2: Belichick in New Orton, I don't know that he's the
Speaker 2: guy that can do it. Don't feel any better about
Speaker 2: it now, did he.
Speaker 1: I mean, he's had you know, twenty interviews over the
Speaker 1: last four years. Maybe he's he might be one of
Speaker 1: the best coordinators in the league. Maybe, I don't know.
Speaker 2: This year didn't show it.
Speaker 1: It didn't know, it didn't know. He was hamstrung a
Speaker 1: little bit by the quarterback situation, there's no doubt about that.
Speaker 1: But some of that was also partially on him for
Speaker 1: treating Sam Howe. I mean, didn't like he had Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, Yeah, he didn't overcome it.
Speaker 1: No, he didn't, right, Yeah. Number eleven Raven's defensive coordinator
Speaker 1: Mike McDonald.
Speaker 2: I think he should be like fourth or fifth, yeah,
Speaker 2: I mean, but.
Speaker 1: He could fall into that situation though. Again, he's a
Speaker 1: thirty six year old guy.
Speaker 2: Who reminds me of the Lion's offense.
Speaker 1: One year is his second year as a coordinator.
Speaker 2: No, he would He bounced back and forth between the
Speaker 2: hardbar brothers.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, so I mean he's done good. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah. He reminds me of the Lions OC.
Speaker 1: Number twelve on here Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
Speaker 2: Do you just keep hearing rumblings?
Speaker 1: I know he wasn't happy with the GM for trading
Speaker 1: away AJJ. Brown, but it's not the same GM anymore.
Speaker 2: I don't think he had any idle notes. Did he
Speaker 2: have any say in hiring the new GM.
Speaker 1: I don't think that he did.
Speaker 2: I bet not. Yeah, And is it just him and
Speaker 2: ownership of kind of run its course? Maybe?
Speaker 1: Maybe? I think he's a good head coach.
Speaker 2: He could be my guy, yeah anytime. I mean, Craft
Speaker 2: should look at him if they're thinking about doing Yeah, you.
Speaker 1: Just swap coaches.
Speaker 2: Here you go.
Speaker 1: At number thirteen. Boy, I don't know how this guy
Speaker 1: gets a job after this season. Their defense wasn't the problem.
Speaker 1: But yeah, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator here Evarro.
Speaker 2: He was a super hot name.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and didn't help himself at all this year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's a wrong job. It's an unwinnable situation.
Speaker 2: Tepper went and got an all star coaching staff and
Speaker 2: paid them whatever they wanted and fired half of them.
Speaker 2: And now, yeah, I mean it's a toxic environment. So
Speaker 2: who knows. He may not even be mean back. I
Speaker 2: mean he might be someone else's defensive courter.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they didn't make him the head coach there
Speaker 1: to even take an look right.
Speaker 2: Or right at the interim. Yeah, there was an opportunity there.
Speaker 1: Number fourteen Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith.
Speaker 2: I've heard that name thrown around as maybe the Steelers
Speaker 2: next guy. I know nothing about him except.
Speaker 1: For that, well, he's the offensive coordinator. He couldn't be
Speaker 1: the Steelers next guy because they're not going to move
Speaker 1: on from him.
Speaker 2: I think there was some stippy. I thought he was
Speaker 2: a quarterback coach.
Speaker 1: They list him here as the offensive coordinator.
Speaker 2: Because he's not the play caller.
Speaker 1: That's fine, But he's got the title of offensive coordinator.
Speaker 1: That would be a sideways. Yeah.
Speaker 2: I thought there was some NFL rule about if you're
Speaker 2: not the play caller, you can become the play caller
Speaker 2: and still be Maybe maybe, but I'm not there's something
Speaker 2: foggy about it.
Speaker 1: I don't see that happening. Here's the thing, and I
Speaker 1: talked about this a couple of weeks ago when you
Speaker 1: watched what the Ravens did to the forty nine Ers.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I don't know that. I'm interested in somebody
Speaker 1: to coordinate the Steelers offense from the Kyle Shanahan coaching
Speaker 1: tree because I don't know that it consistently beats what Baltimore's.
Speaker 2: Got, and Baltimore's built for that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that. That would be my main concern here
Speaker 1: is can we now if it's somebody from the Rams
Speaker 1: coaching tree. I thought that they played the Ravens very well.
Speaker 1: I would look at something like that. I would look,
Speaker 1: you know, maybe that Houston coaching staff and say, okay,
Speaker 1: let's let's go that direction.
Speaker 2: But it hasn't happened with Tua and Party this year.
Speaker 2: But historically, all the Kyle Shanahan guys get their quarterbacks killed, killed, killed.
Speaker 2: They don't keep extra guys in protection. They think a
Speaker 2: lot of hits. I understand it, But I don't think
Speaker 2: the Rooney is won a finesse offense here.
Speaker 1: No, that's the other thing. That's that's a very finesse offices.
Speaker 2: I don't think that's the stuff, and so is really
Speaker 2: so is San Francisco's to a large Yeah, without question.
Speaker 2: I mean there's not Drowne Betts on that team. No
Speaker 2: Lodge year, you know.
Speaker 1: Yeah. And the final one, uh Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator
Speaker 1: Shane Waldron.
Speaker 2: Okay, I mean I've heard good things. I think they
Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't have a lot to comment
Speaker 2: on that. I mean they're their skill guys are really good.
Speaker 2: I think their line is really bad. So it's kind
Speaker 2: of hard to say what his value is.
Speaker 1: He comes from the McVeagh coaching trees, so again, that
Speaker 1: will be the one that I would look at.
Speaker 2: I think he's coach of the year.
Speaker 1: I would look at somebody somebody who's worked with McVeigh
Speaker 1: to me, is much more preferable to think they go
Speaker 1: in to Shanahan.
Speaker 2: Right. They're they're more physical, they're more ground first. You know,
Speaker 2: they've been a little friendly er to quarterback. I don't
Speaker 2: know if i'd say that, but interesting, Yeah, I mean, uh,
Speaker 2: I hear what you're saying. I don't know a ton
Speaker 2: about him. I mean I would be shocked if he's
Speaker 2: a head coach.
Speaker 1: I mean he'll probably get an interview or two here
Speaker 1: or there. Yeah, because they do have a good offense.
Speaker 2: I mean I can't see Carol like stepping down this
Speaker 2: year at his age. Maybe he does and they handed
Speaker 2: to him, but it could happen. That could happen.
Speaker 1: He still was energetic as is he's always been. I'm
Speaker 1: watching him in the warm ups last week and he's
Speaker 1: out there pumping fists, running around like the But some
Speaker 1: day it's gonna happen at some point. Yeah, I think
Speaker 1: Belichick's actually older than him. I think I pretty sure,
Speaker 1: like six months or something like that. It's close.
Speaker 2: But Carol's much older than people realize. But yeah, I
Speaker 2: mean just by much older than the acts. Yeah, like
Speaker 2: he's deep into a seven. Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 1: I mean like the energizer Bunny though. Uh yeah, I don't.
Speaker 1: I don't know who I would add to that. Beyond
Speaker 1: that list, I think there's probably some guys out there.
Speaker 2: There's some It's always a hard conversation really comment on
Speaker 2: assistant coaches. I mean, you don't you don't really know
Speaker 2: what they do in the scenes during the week, all
Speaker 2: that kind of stuff too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, you know, does Jim Schwartz get an
Speaker 1: interview this year from.
Speaker 2: What he's bad. Yeah, yeah, I mean I could see
Speaker 2: that maybe someone in that building. Yeah, I think Schwartz
Speaker 2: could be in the in the mix.
Speaker 1: I mean, he's done good things with that defense this year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not a bad call at all. Trying to
Speaker 2: just scan in the league what teams would be who
Speaker 2: you want to pillage from, I don't know. I mean
Speaker 2: I'm not I'm not having an easy time finding.
Speaker 1: No, it's not like it's not like, well again, there's
Speaker 1: no dominant teams. Yeah.
Speaker 2: San Francisco has been so pillaged lately too. They don't
Speaker 2: all their guys are new. I don't think Baltimore is.
Speaker 2: I don't think Monkin's ready to be a head coach
Speaker 2: after that year coordinating, you know, being at Georgia the
Speaker 2: year before that. I'm just thinking the best.
Speaker 1: I can't think, I mean, other than Harbaugh, there's no
Speaker 1: college coach is ready to, Oh, let's go get this
Speaker 1: guy and yeah, see what he can doing back. Yeah,
Speaker 1: you're right, right, not that I would know of.
Speaker 2: So that's one of the problems with coaching changes is Okay,
Speaker 2: we're firing our guy, but that doesn't mean, like last offseason,
Speaker 2: I was harp on this there were sixteen offensive play
Speaker 2: callers changed, and the whole world want of Matt Canaday
Speaker 2: one of them. Well, it doesn't mean there's seventeen good
Speaker 2: candidates right there. I mean all the there's three big
Speaker 2: fish in the in the whole pond. You know. It
Speaker 2: doesn't mean that a lot of guys get bumped just
Speaker 2: because there's somebody different. That's not necessarily the right move.
Speaker 1: Yeah, No, are you're right? You know, change for just
Speaker 1: for the sake of change is not right.
Speaker 2: I just want someone different. I mean rarely as it
Speaker 2: get to that point. Yeah, and you better go get a.
Speaker 1: Good This is like a marriage. You're not just you know,
Speaker 1: you gotta think about it. Right. So anyways, we're going
Speaker 1: to get to another break. He is the Matt Williamson.
Speaker 1: I am Dale Lelly. You're listening to the drive here
Speaker 1: on Steelers Nation Radio. When we come back, we'll hear
Speaker 1: from Steelers defensive coordinator Tara Austin. See what he has
Speaker 1: to say about this upcoming game against the Baltimore Ravens,
Speaker 1: where quite frankly, he might know more about the Ravens
Speaker 1: in some cases than he does his own defense. No,
Speaker 1: I'm sure there's so many new guys in there. I
Speaker 1: asked that question exactly.
Speaker 2: It's like this thing.
Speaker 1: So we'll hear that when we return on the Drive
Speaker 1: right after this. Welcome back to the Drive. I am
Speaker 1: Dale Lalli. He is the Matt Williamson and Matt. With
Speaker 1: the Ravens having so many question marks this week with
Speaker 1: their offense, I thought it would be interesting to hear
Speaker 1: from the Steelers defensive coordinator Tarot Austin. Oh, yeah, today,
Speaker 1: just to see how they're approaching this thing defensively.
Speaker 2: M I mean, they know Lamar is not playing, but.
Speaker 1: Still at the time he did this interview, okay, so
Speaker 1: that wasn't announced until later in the afternoon. Now they
Speaker 1: know that.
Speaker 2: Now they know that, but I'm sure that he's not
Speaker 2: shocked by it either, yea, whether he reveal that or not.
Speaker 2: But even with Monkin, there are a unique offense with
Speaker 2: some unique challenges.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so let's hear what Tarrell Austin had to say
Speaker 1: today when he spoke with the media. Tarall, how do
Speaker 1: you how do you prep this week not knowing exactly
Speaker 1: who's going to be in.
Speaker 3: There for them?
Speaker 4: I think we, you know, we prep for the system,
Speaker 4: and we prep thinking they're going to play their guys.
Speaker 4: I mean that's how you have to do. You have
Speaker 4: to approach everything, uh, and then we go from there.
Speaker 4: Is that what they did last year when when they
Speaker 4: did play Huntly? Was it exactly the same or did
Speaker 4: they cater some things to him?
Speaker 3: I think they run their offense. It's different.
Speaker 4: They have, you know, the new coordinator this year, but
Speaker 4: at the time, they run the stuff that they practiced
Speaker 4: and some of the things you've seen, and so we're
Speaker 4: we'll anticipate the same. I think that's the offense they've
Speaker 4: been running all year, and I don't think they would
Speaker 4: change it for familiarity with.
Speaker 3: These guys.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, we have a lot of familiarity. Yeah, with
Speaker 4: Huntley himself. Yeah, we've been in the stadium with him,
Speaker 4: so we know he's a quality player.
Speaker 3: Obviously, you know what kind of season Lamar's having.
Speaker 4: So no matter who's behind center for them, we're gonna
Speaker 4: have our workoutff ars.
Speaker 1: Speaking of familiarity, do you now have a more so
Speaker 1: with your guys?
Speaker 3: I mean you've you've got some guys were getting there
Speaker 3: a lot of moving pieces. We're getting there.
Speaker 4: So, uh, you know the biggest thing I like about
Speaker 4: our guys is you know, we have some guys doing
Speaker 4: some uh some new things, some new guys in there,
Speaker 4: and they're they're just working their tail off to try
Speaker 4: to get better and help us win a game.
Speaker 3: And then we've been doing that and so uh we'll
Speaker 3: just continue to try to get better.
Speaker 4: I got f you know, we kind of you're You're right,
Speaker 4: we have a little bit uh better idea of of
Speaker 4: who they are and what they can do, and and
Speaker 4: so we try to tailor.
Speaker 3: Some things to that as well what other use in
Speaker 3: uh say and likely uh or enforce the season getting
Speaker 3: better and better.
Speaker 4: You're talking about two young guys, a second year guy
Speaker 4: and a and a rookie that just uh really are
Speaker 4: coming into their own and and really making some splash plays,
Speaker 4: explosive plays.
Speaker 3: And uh there that's a it's gonna be a challenge
Speaker 3: for us. Is that Ben's talking over me? Is that?
Speaker 3: Who doesn't how do you know I'm not I'm not
Speaker 3: gonna say anything. I'm staying out of this this.
Speaker 4: Why can you or do you call the game differently
Speaker 4: when the offense is uh scoring points of the create.
Speaker 3: A little more room for care if you.
Speaker 4: Won't when the offensive played, No, I think you know
Speaker 4: we we call the game. I I try to call
Speaker 4: the game the the the same way as always, which
Speaker 4: is to try to not let these guys score.
Speaker 3: So obviously, I I.
Speaker 4: It's you know, uh, when our offense is formed when
Speaker 4: we're not playing as.
Speaker 3: Well or doing some things as well, that really helps it.
Speaker 3: That really helps. But uh, as far as.
Speaker 4: How I call the game, I'm gonna I'm gonna call
Speaker 4: it the way I the way I see it, the
Speaker 4: way I think it's best for us to try to
Speaker 4: to succeed. Tara, what is pet tea forts your group
Speaker 4: not just on the field, but more specifically maybe in
Speaker 4: the room. Well, I think uh uh uh veteran leadership. Uh,
Speaker 4: things that that only time give you. And he's seen
Speaker 4: a lot of things that that some guys maybe haven't seen.
Speaker 3: And he's experienced a.
Speaker 4: Lot of situations some guys haven't had.
Speaker 3: And I think that's important. Uh. He he gives that
Speaker 3: to the room. Uh. He does some other things.
Speaker 4: In terms of meeting to run have some meetings on
Speaker 4: his own where he has guys in there and they're
Speaker 4: they're working together through things as players only And that's good.
Speaker 3: I mean, you you have to have that type of leadership.
Speaker 3: Joe was like that.
Speaker 4: When when you have that type in there, Uh, no
Speaker 4: matter what happens with your group, no matter who's there
Speaker 4: or not.
Speaker 3: There, Uh, it it keeps him together.
Speaker 4: You're pretty deliberate in how you brought along Joey this
Speaker 4: summer and even the first month of the season.
Speaker 3: Holler, can you handle himself? Since he's been a show to.
Speaker 1: This historic Uh.
Speaker 4: I think he's he's done well and the the the
Speaker 4: good thing is, uh, he's done well, but he's got
Speaker 4: so much.
Speaker 3: Room for improvement. He could be so much.
Speaker 4: Of a better player, and he's got a lot of
Speaker 4: things that you know was obviously we want him to
Speaker 4: continue to improve this year.
Speaker 3: But as we've worked into the off season, Uh, he.
Speaker 4: He's got a lot of room to jump and improve
Speaker 4: and and you've got to push him that way.
Speaker 3: So it's it's been good and uh we were deliberate
Speaker 3: and I think it it worked out well for him.
Speaker 3: What are those areas that you uh think he could improve?
Speaker 3: Just like every player.
Speaker 4: I I don't wanna get in specifics right now.
Speaker 3: That'll that'll be stuff for the off season. Can you
Speaker 3: can that be a hard way? You used to where
Speaker 3: a T shirt did said I wasn't hired for like disposition.
Speaker 3: James Harrison didn't need a T shirt? Yeah yeah to
Speaker 3: TJ sed did you have that kind of ad you
Speaker 3: on JP right now?
Speaker 2: What's but he but he SE's he's seems to be
Speaker 2: a fun guy too as And but what's he like
Speaker 2: in a in that regard as a leader?
Speaker 3: And what's he like a coach?
Speaker 4: Oh, he's outstanding obviously. You know he's a great player.
Speaker 4: He wants to be great, He want.
Speaker 3: To be coached. Uh, he does.
Speaker 4: He he can be a little bit surly, and that's fine.
Speaker 4: I mean where we know that you need that edge,
Speaker 4: uh if you wanna compete at a high level in
Speaker 4: this business.
Speaker 3: Uh. But he's he's good to be around.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 4: And and and we all, like we all do, we
Speaker 4: all have our days where we're not real pleasant to
Speaker 4: be around. But he's he moves on to the next day.
Speaker 4: He helps his other teammates.
Speaker 3: Uh. You know what's really neat is when you see
Speaker 3: him sitting in the back. He sits next to Alex.
Speaker 3: He helps all the guys in there. They all talk
Speaker 3: about different things in what they see. He and Larry
Speaker 3: because they work on the same side a lot. They
Speaker 3: always talk about things.
Speaker 4: So it's, uh, he he's a he's an outstanding, you know,
Speaker 4: outstanding player layer we all know that. But he's also
Speaker 4: I think he's a really good teammate.
Speaker 3: Does Joey agree that he has areas he's with him? Well,
Speaker 3: you gotta ask Joey that. But when it got when
Speaker 3: it got a young guy who's he's talented, he's got
Speaker 3: confidence in himself, and he has success or he can
Speaker 3: if he as a coach, do you have to kind
Speaker 3: of almost like let him enjoy.
Speaker 1: The s the successes that he has, but also try
Speaker 1: to like, you know, work, Yeah.
Speaker 3: I mean that's product, that's our job.
Speaker 4: I mean the bottom line is he's gonna have some
Speaker 4: but he knows and we know there's lots of things on.
Speaker 3: Tape that that can be a lot better.
Speaker 4: And uh and I think if you're not always improving
Speaker 4: in this league, you're gonna you're gonna fall back and
Speaker 4: people are gonna catch.
Speaker 3: Up to you and pass it.
Speaker 4: So he better work and he better do those things
Speaker 4: to to get better and not feel like he's he's
Speaker 4: made it, because if you feel like you've made it
Speaker 4: this league.
Speaker 3: That's when you get swallowed up, Carol. Carol, he asked
Speaker 3: to cover these top guys, right, he does? Has he
Speaker 3: ever asked so far? And you said, no, I don't
Speaker 3: think so. I don't think.
Speaker 1: So what does that allow you defensively, you guys to do?
Speaker 1: I mean, obviously when he goes side to side, everybody
Speaker 1: else's jobs change as well. Is there does that limit
Speaker 1: what you can do with the other guys or does
Speaker 1: that make it easier on the other guys.
Speaker 4: No, it doesn't limit because I think we have a
Speaker 4: pretty smart group and so when you get put in
Speaker 4: different positions, they're able to handle that. And I think
Speaker 4: really what it does is it allows us to get
Speaker 4: best matchups across the board, and uh hopefully helps us.
Speaker 3: And so that's that's really why we do it.
Speaker 4: And it hasn't it hasn't hurt us where uh, you know,
Speaker 4: we're just terrible. I mean, we we haven't done you know,
Speaker 4: it's not We've blown some things and we've had some
Speaker 4: some some deep passes on us and which we all
Speaker 4: wanna get better at. But I think overall, in the
Speaker 4: big scheme of things, uh, the guys are playing well
Speaker 4: together and we just you know, some some things that
Speaker 4: we have to get better, but tho those come with
Speaker 4: more practice.
Speaker 3: And what ways have you seen Betton growing as well?
Speaker 3: In as reviere?
Speaker 4: Oh, he's he's really just you just see him understanding
Speaker 4: the game a little more.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 3: He's big, he's strong.
Speaker 4: Uh And I think really the big thing for him is, uh,
Speaker 4: he's gotten better because as the season has gone on,
Speaker 4: he starts to understand blocking schemes.
Speaker 3: A little better.
Speaker 4: And when guys that are really talented kind of understand
Speaker 4: what's coming at you, Uh, then they have an opportunity
Speaker 4: uh to defeat it.
Speaker 3: And and he's starting to get to that. Well, if
Speaker 3: that was crossing farm teams won this year. Do you
Speaker 3: guys know, I love him.
Speaker 4: Let's draft a few more cause they're they're they've all
Speaker 4: been pretty good.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 4: You know, obviously we know about TJ and her Big
Speaker 4: is doing well and Milk is a guy that you know,
Speaker 4: kind of under the radar. But I'll tell you what,
Speaker 4: Milk's really developed into a valuable back up for us.
Speaker 4: A plays give us some solid minutes in there. And
Speaker 4: so the Wisconsin farm Tum's doing great.
Speaker 3: What Michael Tollman was asked about, Uh, why the Speris
Speaker 3: have had a.
Speaker 1: Little more success than others against Jackson with his responsibles
Speaker 1: to supposed to be respect him and what regard What
Speaker 1: ways can you show respect towards Lamar.
Speaker 3: That his game to do theirs?
Speaker 4: Well, I think we we show respect for the simple
Speaker 4: fact that he's uh, you know, he's a multi dimensional talent.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 4: He can run, he can throw, uh, he can make
Speaker 4: plays out of nothing, he can stay within the script,
Speaker 4: so he can do it.
Speaker 3: Also, we respect that part.
Speaker 4: Of him, and so consequently, when we put game plans together,
Speaker 4: they've got to be really complex complete, uh to take
Speaker 4: care of all those things. If you just try to
Speaker 4: treat him as a one dimensional guy that he.
Speaker 3: Can only do this or only do that, that's when you
Speaker 3: run into trouble. Has Todd Mondkin's office sort of showed
Speaker 3: that same respect to him in in sort of ways,
Speaker 3: I think. So.
Speaker 4: I think he's really taken to this new oper and
Speaker 4: and the and the freedom it gives him. Uh in
Speaker 4: terms of throwing the ball uh down the field, it
Speaker 4: wasn't it's not as run heavy as it has been,
Speaker 4: but he still gets his runs and he still does
Speaker 4: the things uh that he's really good at as well.
Speaker 4: So he you know you kind of all of a sudden,
Speaker 4: it's not just hey, it's run, it's it's past, it's run,
Speaker 4: it's everything. And uh and and you can see from
Speaker 4: our first game to this game. Uh, I think the
Speaker 4: amount of growth in the offense they both have. You
Speaker 4: can see they're kind of familiar with each other, the
Speaker 4: OC and the and the QB and they're on the
Speaker 4: same page.
Speaker 3: And uh it it shows. I mean, obviously he was
Speaker 3: spectacular last week. You just apply that to who's ever
Speaker 3: played at this boy.
Speaker 4: At this point you have to, because I think that's
Speaker 4: that is the offense. That is the way they want
Speaker 4: to run their offense. And it's been successful for him.
Speaker 4: And I think, hurry, if if he plays, if he
Speaker 4: happens to be the guy iner center, I think he's
Speaker 4: completely capable.
Speaker 3: Of running it.
Speaker 1: How do you approach a galley Alex, he's getting a
Speaker 1: ton of pressure, but maybe not finishing on sacks and
Speaker 1: embracing that messaging to him, all of that regalts kind
Speaker 1: of SPUs.
Speaker 3: Okay, I think Alex is a pro.
Speaker 4: He understands sometimes that the sacks are there sometimes or not.
Speaker 3: We know how valuable he is. Uh.
Speaker 4: I mean, the guy can get sacks, but he's gotten
Speaker 4: interceptions for us, He's done multiple things for us, and
Speaker 4: and and his value. He knows his value and and uh,
Speaker 4: he is not underrated in our room. And and and
Speaker 4: I think he's got enough character and and and and
Speaker 4: hard to stick with it and understand that. Hey, sometimes
Speaker 4: they just go, you know, they come in bunches, and
Speaker 4: and and didn't get him as much as he would
Speaker 4: have liked.
Speaker 3: But he's really done a good job.
Speaker 1: If Altamore turn Huntly and Russ Jackson, how much different
Speaker 1: do they do with Huntley of their.
Speaker 3: Prepared to Jackson?
Speaker 2: Or how do you prepare for that good.
Speaker 4: At I I don't think they'll do anything different. I
Speaker 4: think they run their offense. I think company's very capable
Speaker 4: of running the offense, uh the way the way it is.
Speaker 4: I mean, obviously you know Lamar's dynamic uh oh and
Speaker 4: and and does all those things at a extremely high level.
Speaker 4: And Huntley will do him at a at a really
Speaker 4: good level as well. And so I don't think there'll
Speaker 4: be any any change out there.
Speaker 3: Anybody ask you about four are you good? Yes? You
Speaker 3: wanna come in here and do with you?
Speaker 1: I just make shirt and he.
Speaker 3: Guy brought up a few times, so it was Brooke.
Speaker 3: I don't know, all right, thanks everybody.
Speaker 1: That was Steeler's defensive coordinator Terrell Austin earlier today with
Speaker 1: the media, heard me asking several of those questions there,
Speaker 1: just kind of interested in how they were going to
Speaker 1: approach this game. And again they've played Huntley, this will
Speaker 1: be the fourth time he started against them.
Speaker 2: Wow, it's amazing.
Speaker 1: They've played Lamar six times.
Speaker 2: They played Lamar great and it's this is so much familiarity,
Speaker 2: you know, I mean, no matter who the quarterback is.
Speaker 2: I know one thing that we're going to talk about
Speaker 2: on a video tomorrow is hitting the quarterback always seems
Speaker 2: a premium with the Steeler defense when they play the Ravens,
Speaker 2: you know, just getting as many big bodies hitting in
Speaker 2: Lamar or Huntley as possible, and I think that's a
Speaker 2: big key to the game. So I'm sure they'll have
Speaker 2: some backup linemen in there too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I would think so. So Yeah, good
Speaker 1: stuff from him, and well, good stuff from you today, Matt.
Speaker 1: But that's glad to do it for our show. We
Speaker 1: would like to thank our guest Bob Labriola for stopping
Speaker 1: by that was good. And for my partner Matt Williamson,
Speaker 1: for Justin Miller here keeping us on the air. I
Speaker 1: am dale Llly. We thank you for listening to this
Speaker 1: edition of the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio