1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio. 3 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: Good afternoon, Steelers Nation. It's the Drive on the Steelers 4 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 2: Audio Network. West Shuoler and Matt Williamson with you here 5 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 2: for the next two hours on a Thursday. What's up, Matthew? 6 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 2: How we doing good? 7 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 3: Man? How are you? 8 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 2: Can't complain? Getting close to the weekend? 9 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 4: Big? 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, big weekend, big Thursday night game today. 11 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 3: It's beautiful day out there. 12 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 2: I was just about to say, it's been a beautiful 13 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 2: week of weather here. Yeah, the kind of exact fall 14 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 2: weather that you would hope for. Sunny but not too hot. 15 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 2: It's been beautiful. So yeah, life is good. Cannot complain, man, 16 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 2: And we've got a fun show planned today. We'll have 17 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: Bob Labriola coming up about twenty minutes from Nice. 18 00:00:57,880 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 3: Nice. 19 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 2: Of course, we will talk a little bit about that 20 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 2: big Thursday night football game tonight at lambeau Field. The 21 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 2: three Commanders and the Packers and two good teams, two 22 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 2: good quarterbacks, would be a fun Thursday night one this evening. 23 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 2: But as we will do all season on Thursdays, Matt, 24 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 2: what do you say we dive into a little Matt's 25 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 2: stats here to get us going, okay, I know that 26 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 2: there is a lot that we're gonna be looking for 27 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: improvement upon from week one to week two. Oh quite 28 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 2: a bit real quick before we get into this. As 29 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 2: someone who you know, you worked for pitt you worked 30 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 2: for Akron, you worked for the Browns, and I know 31 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 2: you weren't a coach, you were in the scouting department. 32 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 2: But you're all, you know, part of that same sphere, 33 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 2: that same ecosystem together. I think a lot of times 34 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 2: you hear the old cliche, the old adage you improve 35 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 2: the most as a team from week one to week two? 36 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 2: Do you really put stock into that? How true is 37 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 2: All cliches have some truth to them, obviously, but how 38 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 2: real is that in the modern age, the modern game. 39 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 5: Well, the thing is, people don't think about this as much. 40 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 5: I mean, and it's very true in Pittsburgh you only 41 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 5: think about the Steelers. Well, if it is true, your 42 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 5: opponent did too, you know. So if you're playing fifty 43 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 5: percent of your opponent in week one and both of 44 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,519 Speaker 5: you go to eighty five and week two, I know 45 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 5: they're different teams. 46 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 3: Well, the level play just went up. 47 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 5: It doesn't mean you all of a sudden, you've got 48 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 5: this great advantage over everybody else. But I do think 49 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 5: there's two aspects worth really digging into from week one 50 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 5: to week two, and some of this carries over into 51 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 5: later weeks as well. It's not just like boom, it's done. 52 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 5: The stamina thing is massive to me. I mean, playing 53 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 5: that many snaps often in the hottest weather you're going 54 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 5: to but even then it's just the snap count. I mean, 55 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 5: sham Hayward's the best example. I mean, I know he's 56 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 5: a freak and he's Wolverine and he can do whatever, 57 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 5: But what has he done that it was even comparable 58 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 5: to what he did against the Jets, you know, And 59 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 5: he's not alone by any means. I'm just picking him 60 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 5: out because he probably did the least, not because the 61 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 5: content stuff because he's older. I mean, of any stealer 62 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 5: since the day they were eliminated. And I'm not talking 63 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 5: about the weights and work ethic and any of that, 64 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 5: just about real football snaps. You know, nobody did sixty 65 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 5: in a row, you know, before Sunday. 66 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 3: I mean, the old lineman. 67 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 5: Don't get the shift out, the quarterbacks don't get the 68 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 5: shift out, so there has to be a stamina thing. 69 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 5: Your technique fails, your brain starts to not work as 70 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 5: sharp because your body's failing and you just haven't done it. 71 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 5: I mean, twelve snaps or eight snaps against Carolina's fourth 72 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 5: stringers is not the same for Jalen Ramsey and Slay 73 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 5: and those guys. As Let's tackle justin fields a thousand times. 74 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 5: So I think that's a thousand percent reel And even 75 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 5: this week, people will still feel fatigued more than they 76 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 5: do and we gag, of course, blah blah blah blah blah. 77 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 5: Now I also think, and this was true for the 78 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 5: Steelers much more so than the Jets. You don't have 79 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 5: any tape on these coaches. You know, like, Okay, they're 80 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 5: all coming from Detroit. They'll probably do Detroit things. That's 81 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 5: a start. Or you watched all the players. You have 82 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 5: a scouting report on Sauce Gardner and Quinn Williams, but 83 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 5: you don't know how they're going to be deployed. You 84 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 5: have a hunch, you know, maybe, I mean, if I 85 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 5: were them the way that they matching what I know 86 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 5: about Sauce versus what I know about the Lions, he'll 87 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 5: probably follow your number one receiver. But what if he doesn't, 88 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 5: you know what I mean, Like, you don't know that 89 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 5: for a fact by any means, So you're just kind 90 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 5: of hypothesizing, and preseason is not going to give you 91 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 5: that answer either. So I think that's a big thing 92 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 5: is at least you get the Bills play the Jets 93 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 5: this week. They at least have one game of Jets 94 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 5: tape to go off of, which is way more valuable 95 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 5: than all the other stuff, you know, and on all 96 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 5: the Steelers had was all the other stuff. Now they're 97 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 5: not alone for having to prepare for a team that 98 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 5: has all new people. There's tons of turnover in this league. 99 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 5: It's not an excuse, but I think it's a lot 100 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 5: harder that I don't exactly know how they're gonna play, 101 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 5: but I'm gonna guess in a pretty strong manner, you know. 102 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 2: And I think that's something you hear every head coach, 103 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 2: certainly Mike Tomlin, all other thirty one head coaches across 104 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 2: the league going into Week one, they all say it's 105 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 2: more about what we do like this. 106 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, there is a stuff. 107 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 2: That you have familiary with some of the personnel, you 108 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 2: have familiarity with some of the coaching staff. But you 109 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 2: don't have any data points from this season. All of 110 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 2: that is in the past, and obviously things change. They evolve, 111 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 2: Coaches change and evolve, players change and evolve, the roster turnover, 112 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 2: the staff turnover. From week one to week two. You 113 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 2: hear every coach talk about that week one it's about us, 114 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 2: Like it's about I'm not looking at my neighbors yard, 115 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. I'm looking at my own 116 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: landscaping and what I need to do with the mulch 117 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 2: and the bushes and cutting the grass. I'm looking at 118 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 2: my own house here. How when does that really start 119 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 2: to flip that you start to feel like we have 120 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 2: enough to really specifically game plan this opponent with tendencies 121 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 2: and knowing what they're going to do. 122 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 5: I would say, if you had a coach here, they 123 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 5: would say four games, I start to feel comfortable. 124 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 2: October. 125 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean so a lot of people do say 126 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 5: September is an extension of the preseason, and I think 127 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 5: for those reasons, yes, but the game's count saying you know, 128 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 5: like I hate that point, like, oh, well, you know, 129 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 5: get hot down the stretch or all that. I mean, yeah, 130 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 5: I guess you'd rather play better, but win to win, right, Like. 131 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,160 Speaker 2: We all didn't just belittle the Bengals for how slow 132 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 2: they've started. Yeah right, the last handful of years. 133 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 5: It's just just a math equation. At the end of 134 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 5: the year, who is the most wins and most tiebreakers 135 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 5: goes to the playoffs. It doesn't matter that well, that 136 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 5: doesn't mean as much in week one. 137 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 2: Well, tie breakers don't count from September, right, and yes 138 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 2: they do. 139 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 3: Like it bothered me. 140 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 5: It's kind of a side note that that Brazil game 141 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 5: was a home game for the Chargers, and why single 142 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 5: that one out and not the upcoming Ireland game for 143 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 5: the Steelers is it was a division game. So you 144 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 5: play a division game, there's only you only get three 145 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 5: of those home games as opposed to eight or nine 146 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 5: other home games. I understand that every team has to 147 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 5: give up a home game. Some team has to give 148 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 5: up a home game when you play overseats. That's part 149 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 5: of the deal now, but it shouldn't be division game. 150 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,239 Speaker 5: They because they do count more. And for the Chargers 151 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 5: they won, good for them, that ends well, but for them, 152 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 5: yeah right, but now they got to go to Kansas City. 153 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 5: You know, in the rematch, no one ever kme to City, 154 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 5: never went to La. 155 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 3: You know what I mean? 156 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 2: Yes, and the atmosphere will be much different at Arrowhead Stadium. 157 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 2: Yeah right, it was Friday night, right, certainly. 158 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 5: So a couple other notes is now, it's certainly true 159 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 5: that most teams are going to be healthier in week 160 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 5: one than they are in week two, let alone week seven, 161 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 5: week eight, week ten. You know, so every team is 162 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 5: digging down their depth chart. 163 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 3: More and more. I mean, you're going to lose people 164 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 3: for the year. 165 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 5: Unfortunately, it's a brutal sport that chances are you're less 166 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 5: healthy going forward. I mean, probably not more healthy, you 167 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 5: know what I mean. So I think that's noteworthy now. Also, 168 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 5: I'm just throwing the Jets out there because they're recent. 169 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 5: Did they show everything? 170 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 3: You know? Like, are the Bills going to play it? 171 00:07:57,920 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 6: Like? 172 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 5: Okay, I know a lot of what they do. They Boy, 173 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 5: they did a really good job of massaging Fields and 174 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 5: I don't mean that in a bad way, setting him. 175 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 3: Up for success totally. 176 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 5: Are they gonna do the exact same thing against us? 177 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 5: Or do they still have like eight more tricks in 178 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 5: the bag? You know, who knows? 179 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 2: You would think that all these teams have more tricks 180 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 2: in the bag, more that they didn't get to. You 181 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 2: and I both know it's and real quick. 182 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 5: The Jets found out more about themselves in that game 183 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 5: too than anybody else, you. 184 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 2: Know what I mean, new coach, new quarterback. 185 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 3: I thought he could handle that, but he really couldn't. 186 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 3: Or you know, yeah, man going out well autambo I 187 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:32,959 Speaker 3: can leave alone against really good pass rushers, you know. 188 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 2: Rookie tackle. Yeah, yeah, Yeah, there was a lot that 189 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 2: the Jets certainly learned about themselves on Sunday with with 190 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 2: all that turnover and all that youth that they have 191 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 2: injected into the organization and the roster. Yeah, that makes 192 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 2: a ton of sense. That's just something that you know, 193 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 2: I kind of always what exactly like, there's no perfect process. Yeah, 194 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 2: there's no exact blueprint in all of that. 195 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 5: And if every team does get better from week one 196 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 5: to two, do you get ten percent better? Do you 197 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 5: get three percent better? Do you get fifty percent better? 198 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 5: You know, like maybe Seattle got fifty percent better than 199 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 5: the Steelers got three percent better from one to two. 200 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 3: We'll see, you know what I mean. 201 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 2: You know, if you're a team like the Niners, who 202 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 2: had a ton of injuries, right now. I don't know 203 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 2: how you can argue, oh, yeah, we're going to get 204 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 2: better week two when we lost George k Yeah, we 205 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 2: lost Kittle and brock Purty you know for a length 206 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 2: of period here. So yeah, there's nuance in that, but 207 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 2: it is also, again obviously something that coaches highlight, people discuss. 208 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 2: There has to be some truth in that. We start 209 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 2: to get a baseline of learning about ourselves. We at 210 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 2: least have some data points now of our opponent. And 211 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 2: now we head into week two. And with that, Matt. 212 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 5: One word note, I think the Steelers are better equipped 213 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 5: to handle the riggers, all those things we just mentioned 214 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 5: of week one, better than most teams because of experience. 215 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 5: I mean, Tomlin does this every year. Where Okay, I 216 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 5: know week one is different than week ten. You know 217 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 5: where the jet staff or you know, I think I 218 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 5: know it's different, but I haven't been down that road. 219 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 5: You know, Seattle a year ago was a rookie staff. 220 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,719 Speaker 5: It's not Verbel or Carol that's done this a lot 221 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 5: of years, assist in a new home. I understand week 222 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 5: one as a head coach, I understand that we're game 223 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 5: planning for stuff that doesn't exist, you know, and I'm 224 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 5: gonna have to adjust on the fly more than most 225 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 5: weeks mostly. And then the other thing is Rogers because 226 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 5: if you rewatch, I urge people, even even on the 227 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 5: TV copy, just rewatch Steelers Jets, especially on second and 228 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 5: third downs. He checked out of a ton of Arthur 229 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 5: Smith plays, you know. And that doesn't mean Arthur, I 230 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 5: don't think you know what you're doing. It's I come 231 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 5: to the line of scrimmage and they're gonna show me this. 232 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:45,199 Speaker 5: I'm not gonna hesitate to go the best play. 233 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 2: If you've give me red paint, yeah, right, right right, 234 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 2: If you're gonna, I'm gonna paint the barn green, right. 235 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 3: I think it's a big reason Rodgers is here is 236 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 3: to check into the right. 237 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 2: Plays, absolutely, And it's one of the things that you 238 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 2: know where. 239 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 3: Cam Ward isn't. He's like, come a line and snap 240 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 3: the ball and this was a play call and Russell wasn't. 241 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 2: That's a guy with Hall of Fame credentials. And yeah, 242 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 2: that for Aaron Rodgers, that's one of the things that 243 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 2: he's done best. We we obviously all know the highlight 244 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 2: tape from his career, the arm shrank, the arm accuracy, 245 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 2: the for a long time of his career. The mobility 246 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 2: and the athleticism that he. 247 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 3: Had overall playmaking. 248 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, all those things, rightfully, so a big part of 249 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 2: the reason why he's going to walk into the Hall 250 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 2: of Fame when he retires, but also because of what 251 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,079 Speaker 2: he can do above the shoulders, what he can do 252 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 2: from the neck up. Peyton Manning got a ton of 253 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,840 Speaker 2: credit for that, rightfully. So I don't know if Aaron 254 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 2: Rodgers gets the credit that he deserves in that regard, 255 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 2: but it was a good It was a good start, 256 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 2: certainly for at least Steelers fan seeing that this past Sunday. 257 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 5: Now, I don't know if Rogers career is better than 258 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 5: Peyton's whatever. We can fight about that, and it doesn't 259 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 5: real even matter, to be honest with you. 260 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 2: But they're both all times. 261 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:56,359 Speaker 5: General opinion of them in their prime was Manning's unbelievable 262 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 5: from the neck up. They both are, but ros highlight 263 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 5: tape was more Wow Mahomes before Mahomes that people said 264 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 5: they would cite that first, and as opposed to man 265 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:12,200 Speaker 5: he's a computer above the neck, and he's a computer 266 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 5: above the neck. You know, he knows football as well 267 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 5: as I forget he was even listening to if somebody 268 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 5: really respected saying, I would rather have Aaron Rodgers call 269 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 5: a game than fifteen of the offensive coordinators out there, you. 270 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 3: Know what I mean. It's not a bad point, right, 271 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 3: all right, especially knock on the fifteen quirls. 272 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 5: I mean one might be Arthur Smith. I mean, I mean, 273 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 5: like he's really really good at it. 274 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 2: He's spent two decades under center and has about as 275 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,959 Speaker 2: much experience in that regard as you could possibly imagine. 276 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 2: And I'm sure you know too, there were a lot 277 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 2: of people in Indianapolis, a lot of people in Denver 278 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 2: saying that same thing about Peyton Manning. Right, this guy's 279 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 2: this guy's sitting in film rooms with him. Like, this 280 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:49,119 Speaker 2: guy's smarter. 281 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 3: Than most in the building, right. 282 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 2: Most of the offensive mines across the league and in 283 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 2: this building. And that's a that's a good resource to have. 284 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,839 Speaker 5: Man, It's unbelievable, right, But I also want people to realize, 285 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 5: at least through one game, Rogers has shown to be 286 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 5: very adaptable, you know, like he's taken more shotgun snaps. 287 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 5: The play action stuff was the highest and like eight 288 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 5: years of his career, I mean, the usage of play 289 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 5: action Okay, I realize I'm willing to change. Did a 290 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 5: lot of bootlegging and rolling out, you know, despite his age. 291 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 3: I mean that's an Arthur Smith thing too. 292 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 5: So at least through one game, I feel like Smith 293 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 5: and Rogers really had a good thing going. 294 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 2: And I think if that's the starting point and they're 295 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 2: only going to improve, they're only going to gel and 296 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 2: mesh more from here, that's something to be excited about. 297 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, Matt A but I think that's a huge 298 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 5: Week one advantage. Where I mentioned cam Ward, it's not 299 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,199 Speaker 5: his fault, his first overall pick he's ever played before. 300 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 5: He's got to go to mau Hi against an awful 301 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 5: defense to play against. You can't expect much, you know, 302 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 5: or Katleb Williams on that night against you know, a 303 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:54,599 Speaker 5: madman in Flores. 304 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:57,199 Speaker 2: You know, plenty more to get to to dive into 305 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,679 Speaker 2: in that regard, plenty more specific of Matt stats and 306 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 2: numbers here that we have to discuss with the Steelers 307 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 2: offense and the Steelers defense. But we will do that 308 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,079 Speaker 2: at the bottom of the hour, because coming up next 309 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 2: we've got Steelers historian Bob Labriola gonna ask him his 310 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 2: thoughts from that win at MetLife, looking ahead to the 311 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 2: home opener against Seattle. All of that with Labs when 312 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 2: we return on the other side, West Yeuler, Matt Williamson, 313 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 2: It's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers 314 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 2: Audio Network, your tunes. 315 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: About drive on your twenty four to seven home of 316 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio. 317 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 2: Back on the Drive on a Thursday. Here as we 318 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 2: go to the phone lines, and Matt, we're excited at 319 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 2: this time throughout the season to welcome Steelers historian, all 320 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 2: around great guy, mister Bob Labriola. Of course, all the 321 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 2: listeners here on the Steelers Audio Network, No Labs Labs, 322 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 2: thank you for taking the time to do this. We 323 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 2: really appreciate it. I know plenty that we want to 324 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 2: jump into here with you. Let's start with Aaron Rodgers. 325 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 2: I think we all knew to start. I think let's 326 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 2: not bury the lead on this one. I think we 327 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 2: all knew. Listen, the accolades, the credentials, the resume speaks 328 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 2: for itself. This is one of the greatest to ever 329 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 2: do it. I think we all knew he would have 330 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 2: a big impact on this offense. I think we all 331 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 2: knew he'd have some of those games where it looks 332 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 2: like he's turning back the clock. I don't know if 333 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 2: we all expected it to happen week one, though, that 334 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 2: was impressive for a first of seventeen games, hopefully for 335 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 2: Aaron Rodgers and the Black and Gold. 336 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean Aaron Rodgers. I you know, he was 337 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 6: everything I believe was reasonable to hope for in his 338 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 6: first game with the Deers, really because he didn't play 339 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 6: at all in the preseason, you know, his first real 340 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 6: action of really any kind outside of maybe the joint 341 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 6: practice with Tampa Bay on the Thursday before that preseason game. 342 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 6: And you know, there's just so many different ways I 343 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 6: think that you can look at that his performance and 344 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 6: marvel at it. I mean you can. We can look 345 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 6: at the numbers, you know, seventy three percent completions, four touchdowns, 346 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 6: no interceptions. You know, it's the twenty eighth time that 347 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 6: Rogers in the NFL has had a game with you know, 348 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 6: four or more touchdowns and no interceptions. But then there 349 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 6: were just so many other, you know, big time NFL 350 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 6: quarterback things that the guy did for the Steelers. Perfect 351 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 6: in the red zone, which means not having to settle 352 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 6: for any field goals. I really like the fact that 353 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 6: the jetstroke took the opening kickoff, drove down, kicked the 354 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 6: field goal, Rogers brought the offense right back, scored a touchdown, 355 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,919 Speaker 6: which you know, regular followers of the Pittsburgh Steelers know 356 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 6: is not something that has happened a lot lately. They 357 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 6: scored a touchdown at the end of the first half, 358 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 6: then they came back in the second half, scored a touchdown, 359 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:26,239 Speaker 6: then scored a touchdown at the well they scored at 360 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 6: the end of the game in the last two minute drill. 361 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 6: You know, there were just a lot of things I 362 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 6: thought that a lot to like about the way Aaron 363 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,919 Speaker 6: Rodgers played, and I don't you know, to me, it 364 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 6: was a no brainer to pick him as the Player 365 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 6: of the Week. And I really I don't have anything 366 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:54,880 Speaker 6: that I could criticize about the way he played on 367 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 6: the field, the way he handled the quarterback quote unquote 368 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 6: duties for that team, for that offense. I think he 369 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 6: gave you know, the Steelers a little bit of I 370 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 6: don't know, a badass on offense for the first time 371 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 6: in a while. And you know, I, as I said, 372 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 6: I could not find a thing for me personally to 373 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 6: criticize about his first game. 374 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 5: Yeah, Labs, I couldn't agree more. And you touched on this, 375 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 5: but even if he just wins from the neck up, 376 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 5: and we talked about that in the first segment a lot, 377 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 5: if he just comes to the line of scrimmage consistently gets 378 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 5: him in the right play in and out of the 379 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 5: huddle and frankly, really cuts down on the negative plays 380 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:42,440 Speaker 5: that the offense has. 381 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 3: Overall. 382 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 5: You mentioned no interceptions efficient in the red zone that 383 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 5: in itself could pay off huge. 384 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 4: Yeah. 385 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 6: And you know, one of the things I think was 386 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,120 Speaker 6: a little bit under the radar in terms of that 387 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,640 Speaker 6: last possession, you know that ended with Boswell's sixty yard 388 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 6: field goal. You know, I think as you got to 389 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 6: the two minute warning, uh, the strategy in my mind anyway, 390 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 6: you wanted to naturally score to win the game, but 391 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 6: you also wanted to run the clock and leave his 392 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 6: little time left for the Jets as possible. And so 393 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 6: you know that the past to John new Smith, you know, 394 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 6: didn't gain any yards on second down, but it was completed, 395 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 6: the clock ran, and then on third down. I really 396 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 6: liked him taking a shot down the field because I 397 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 6: kind of thought watching the game it's gonna be another 398 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:40,879 Speaker 6: possession kind of play, you know, just keep the clock running, Uh, 399 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 6: you know that kind of thing, and Rogers goes deep 400 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 6: and I don't know that the Jets were ready for that. 401 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 6: Certainly the officials weren't because they missed the passing affairs 402 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 6: call on Calvin Austin, which it was a passing a 403 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 6: ferarance call. It was passing afference, and you know that 404 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 6: kind of above the next thing, having the guts to 405 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 6: attack down the field when maybe the other team's thinking 406 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 6: that you're not going to do that, and putting the 407 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 6: ball where it needed to be and they should have 408 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,160 Speaker 6: gotten the pass interference, and then I think the whole 409 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,199 Speaker 6: end of the game is a lot more comfortable. So, 410 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 6: you know, those are also the kinds of things I think, Matt, 411 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,120 Speaker 6: that's another example. Yeah, you know you mentioned. 412 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:24,440 Speaker 4: Above the neck. 413 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 6: In my view of the game, that wasn't above the 414 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 6: neck play by the quarterback. 415 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 2: It certainly was. In sticking with that Labs, I thought 416 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 2: one of the one of the more encouraging developments Sunday 417 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:39,360 Speaker 2: at MetLife Stadium was the performance that we saw from 418 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 2: Calvin Austin the third as well, too, after not seeing 419 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 2: much of him at training camp or throughout the preseason. 420 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 2: Obviously four reception, seventy yards, the touchdown. I tell you 421 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 2: what he performs like that, And I don't think we're 422 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 2: going to be talking about the number two wide receiver 423 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 2: conversation much anymore. 424 00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 6: Well, and you know, and no disrespect Alvin Austin, because 425 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 6: you're absolutely right, he was very productive. Uh. And I 426 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 6: think that the guy is so far having a you know, 427 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 6: a nice you know start to his season. But I 428 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 6: think that's an Aaron Rodgers thing too. I don't know 429 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 6: that you know, the concept of a number two wide receiver. 430 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 6: I don't know that that's I won't say it's necessary, 431 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:27,199 Speaker 6: but but maybe that's the is the word that I 432 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 6: want when you have a guy like Aaron Rodgers who 433 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 6: can get the ball to the open people. Uh, you know, 434 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 6: he can, he can take advantage of areas of the 435 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:42,879 Speaker 6: field and players that other quarterbacks cannot or will not. Uh. 436 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 6: And so you know, the whole concept of the Steelers 437 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 6: need a you know, a second wide receiver, a number 438 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 6: two wide receiver. 439 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:51,479 Speaker 3: Uh. 440 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 6: My contention would be they just need to keep Aaron 441 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 6: Rodgers healthy. And I think a lot of that other 442 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:57,680 Speaker 6: stuff will take care of itself. 443 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 5: So Labs, we've talked a lot about Rodgers. He's their 444 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,959 Speaker 5: highest profile edition of the offseason. Obviously he's an all 445 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:08,160 Speaker 5: time great, but DK Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey aren't too 446 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 5: far behind in terms of, you know, brand name dudes 447 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 5: coming to Pittsburgh. What do you think of them in 448 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 5: your first live action? 449 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:18,960 Speaker 6: Well, I mean they were both They were both very 450 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 6: good as well. I mean Ramsey, he you know, his attitude, 451 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:31,880 Speaker 6: his demeanor, I guess the physical and the scouts term, 452 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 6: isn't it demeanor? Yeah, I really like what he brought 453 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:39,760 Speaker 6: brought to the defense. Uh. He's a no nonsense guy. Uh, 454 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:43,439 Speaker 6: he is not afraid to let the opposed opponents know 455 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 6: you know what he plans on doing and then going 456 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:52,439 Speaker 6: and doing it. He was physical, he was aggressive. You 457 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 6: know that play he made at the end, it was 458 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,640 Speaker 6: you know another you know I talk about big time 459 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 6: quarterback play. You know that was big time to defensive 460 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,919 Speaker 6: back play right there. It was perfect. I mean you 461 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:08,399 Speaker 6: could take that hit and put it on video and 462 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 6: use it as a teaching tool. Keep your head out 463 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 6: of it. You know, he didn't rough him. You know, 464 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 6: the whole the timing thing, everything it was. It was perfect. 465 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 6: And that's really kind of the thing about defensive play. 466 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,360 Speaker 6: In a lot of instances, you only have to make 467 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:28,359 Speaker 6: one to get off the field. And if it's on 468 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 6: fourth down and whatever, and the other team goes for 469 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 6: it and you make the play, well, then that play 470 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 6: that you made right there is far more significant than 471 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:41,879 Speaker 6: maybe the six or seven plays that preceded it. To 472 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 6: get the offense in that position in the first place. 473 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 6: That's good enough defense. And so you know, I thought, 474 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 6: you know, Ramsey was everything, everything you wanted and needed. 475 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:58,200 Speaker 6: DK Metcalf, he is, he is a he's a pro, 476 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:05,400 Speaker 6: he cares. Uh, he is you know, a legitimate, uh 477 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 6: number one wide receiver. You know a lot of a 478 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,479 Speaker 6: lot of people like to talk about George Pickens as 479 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 6: a number one wide receiver. Uh, that's a whole those 480 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 6: that's a whole different league. DK Metcalf in terms of 481 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 6: that kind of designation, how he approaches his business, how 482 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 6: he prepares, how he's accountable to his quarterback and his teammates. 483 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 6: And you know, again, I keep going back to this. 484 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 6: This is another Aaron Rodgers above the neck. Whenever Sauce 485 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 6: Gardner was not on dk Metcalf Rogers went right. 486 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,120 Speaker 3: To him every time, every time. 487 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,959 Speaker 6: And that's that's again, you know, just as I said, 488 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:48,680 Speaker 6: you know, Calvin Austin uh becomes a number two wide 489 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 6: receiver because of the way you know, Aaron Rodgers utilizes him. 490 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 6: You know, that's the same thing with a defensive strategy 491 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 6: can be sabotaged by an above the neck quarterback who 492 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,159 Speaker 6: sees it, who realizes it, and knows exactly what he 493 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 6: needs to do to take advantage of it. And again, 494 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 6: I mean that was that was I'm not going to 495 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:18,239 Speaker 6: say championship caliber offense because it's way too early to 496 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 6: start throwing on phrases like that. But you know, I 497 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 6: haven't seen the Steelers offense play that well in all 498 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:31,359 Speaker 6: of the various you know, facets of offense than I 499 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 6: did against the Jets Labs. 500 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:36,680 Speaker 2: I think we will all agree that if they do 501 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 2: want to, you know, fully become a championship offense, the 502 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:43,600 Speaker 2: rushing attack, the run game is obviously going to have 503 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 2: to improve. Starts with the offensive line. Starts with the 504 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 2: running backs. You know, twenty carries for just fifty three 505 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 2: yards this past Sunday. How do they get that moving 506 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 2: in the right direction at the home opener against another 507 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:57,120 Speaker 2: stingy defense in Seattle. 508 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 6: Well, I mean, you know, the game is always the 509 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 6: I won't say the last thing, but it's it's not 510 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 6: the first thing to come together, you know, for an offense. Uh, 511 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 6: you know, especially you know, the Steelers will do a 512 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 6: have a physical training camp for sure. They have tackle football, 513 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 6: uh and just about every padded practice and so there's 514 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 6: you know, there's a lot of those kinds of things 515 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 6: that they work on. However, I don't know if they 516 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 6: had their starting five offensive line did they take any 517 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:43,639 Speaker 6: snaps together season? I don't think because okay, so you 518 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 6: know again I'm yes, you're right about that. Yes, you 519 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 6: need the running game to be better, and uh, the 520 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 6: offensive line needs to be better. And you know I've 521 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:56,880 Speaker 6: been I've been banging this drum for years now. Uh, 522 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,160 Speaker 6: get the running back to the line of scrimmage clean, 523 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:03,239 Speaker 6: Let's see what he can do after that. You know, 524 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 6: it just it makes me crazy when a running back 525 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 6: has to break two or three tackles to get back 526 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:11,159 Speaker 6: to the line of scrimmage, you know, to get a 527 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 6: one yard game. That's not that's not good enough. But again, 528 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 6: I don't think it's time to say that they can't 529 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 6: or they won't. Let's let's let's see how it. Let's 530 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,960 Speaker 6: see how it works out here. And I'll tell you 531 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 6: this too. A couple more games like this from Rogers 532 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:36,680 Speaker 6: and the opposing defense, they're going to come into games 533 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 6: against the Steelers with a whole different perspective. I mean, 534 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 6: I do love that you're going to be seeing a 535 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 6: lot of loaded boxes. If he's thrown four touchdown passes 536 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 6: and no interceptions, completing seventy three percent, you just you 537 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 6: just can't do that. You'll die. You'll die the death 538 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 6: the other way. So, uh you know again, I'm just 539 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 6: it was one game, and while I acknowledge that it 540 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,199 Speaker 6: wasn't good enough in that one game, I don't know 541 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,439 Speaker 6: that it's that it's not going to be where that 542 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 6: it can't become good enough. 543 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:13,919 Speaker 5: I like to you pointed out that you could do 544 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 5: whatever you want in the preseason and in practice and 545 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 5: OTAs or whatever, but it's not the same as playing 546 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 5: sixty seventy snaps together of NFL Week one football and 547 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 5: across the league physicality things run the ball, yes, tackling 548 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 5: stuff in the run is not going to be up 549 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 5: the par You know, we had a good segment week 550 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 5: or in just a minute ago talking about how Week 551 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 5: one presents different challenges. 552 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 4: That being said, you know, yeah, and there's no such thing, 553 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 4: you know, as a finished product now right, Let's not 554 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 4: forget the. 555 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 6: Super Bowl favorite, one of the Super Bowl favorites from 556 00:28:55,160 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 6: the AFC blue their seventeenth double digit lead under John Harbor. Yeah, 557 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 6: I mean, so, you know, Steelers fans sometimes they they 558 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 6: boggle my mind. I mean I'm getting letters and stuff 559 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 6: from people saying, you know, the Ravens can't be stopped, well, 560 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 6: they can stop. 561 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 3: Themselves, labs. 562 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,080 Speaker 5: I've been saying this for a while. The Ravens situations 563 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 5: almost just like the Steelers with like one more playoff 564 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 5: win per year, you know, I mean like they're hitting 565 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:30,719 Speaker 5: their head onto stealing too. The Steelers haven't be able 566 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 5: to win a playoff game. The Ravens over this Lamar 567 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 5: era are a notch ahead of that. They win more 568 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 5: p you know, regular season games and win a playoff game. 569 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 5: The Ravens fans are fed up too, you know, like 570 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 5: this isn't unique, right. 571 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 4: You know, so I. 572 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 6: It just again, there there just doesn't seem to be 573 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 6: a lot of enjoyment Uh, in terms of watching the games, 574 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 6: seeing how things develop. Uh, you know, it just seems 575 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 6: to be such a quick desire to cut people, fire people, 576 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 6: move on from you know, Okay, you know, flip the tackles, uh, 577 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,280 Speaker 6: move the tight end to tackle. Uh, you know whatever, 578 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 6: a bench, Keanu Benton, play Ya Black all the time. Whatever, 579 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 6: you know, just pick the pick the more ridiculous thing. 580 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 6: Another one was you're not moving TJ. Water around like 581 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 6: they said they were gonna. Well, you know last week 582 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 6: herbig was out. Jack Sawyer's a rookie. Uh yeah, so 583 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 6: I mean Highsmith's coming off that groin injury that was 584 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 6: bothering him for you know, a good bit of the preseason. 585 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 6: And so what you want to move Water all around it, 586 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:53,080 Speaker 6: you know, in the first game of the the regular season. 587 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 6: And if you don't, that means that you've given up 588 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 6: on that whole concept. 589 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean the book's not written, right, yeah. 590 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 6: Right, it's not even researched yet. 591 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 5: Right, right, But where I was going though, with the 592 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 5: physicality and not practicing, that's a wonderful it's not even excuse, 593 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:15,840 Speaker 5: it's just truth. But the Steel's run defence has to 594 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 5: get better. 595 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 6: Oh absolutely, yeah, absolutely, and guys, you know, I thought, 596 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 6: and again I'm watching it on TV, it seemed to 597 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 6: me like guys were getting handled at the line of scrimmage. 598 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 6: And I don't know if that's if they're in the 599 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:38,520 Speaker 6: right gap, but getting handled physically or you know, however 600 00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 6: that works. And then I also have a feeling that 601 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 6: once that starts happening, then guys start trying to do 602 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 6: more than they should or than the than their assignment 603 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,640 Speaker 6: would dictate, in order to make a play to help 604 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 6: stop the bleeding. And then that just makes it worse. 605 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:04,720 Speaker 6: Then then you just you lose your I won't say 606 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 6: discipline so much, but the integrity of the scheme. You 607 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 6: have guys jumping gaps or you know, those kinds of things, 608 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 6: trying to make a play and it's just, uh, you know, 609 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 6: then it just snowballs the wrong way. So you know, 610 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 6: again it was bad. 611 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 4: It needs to be better, but it feels better with 612 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 4: a web. Yeah, yes, and uh, you know again, dark 613 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 4: Derek Harmon wasn't there, you know, cam Heyward is is 614 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 4: has to is going to be easing into this, regardless 615 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 4: of the contract situation or any of that. He wasn't 616 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 4: gonna have played very much he wasn't gonna have played 617 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 4: in the preseason anyway. I thought Mike Tomlin was, you know, 618 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 4: extremely honest and accurate when he said, uh, my job 619 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 4: is to get Cam out of the trope, right, Yes. 620 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 6: Because any news anything, I remember Dan Rooney always used 621 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:10,360 Speaker 6: to say this. Anything anytime you're mentioning your best players 622 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:15,520 Speaker 6: in training camp for the preseason, it's something bad. Somebody 623 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 6: got hurt, got hurt. I mean, I was at that game, 624 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 6: uh that I think was a Sunday afternoon preseason game 625 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 6: and it was against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers and uh, 626 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:32,400 Speaker 6: young David di Castro. I don't know if he missed 627 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,120 Speaker 6: a block or whatever he hit Pouncy in the knee. 628 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 6: Done for the season, Jordie Nelson, Packers receiver, Aaron Rodgers 629 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 6: favorite receiver. Maybe uh injured a knee or an achilles 630 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 6: or something bad. Lost for the season. Uh So here, yeah, 631 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 6: here we are. We're talking about Marquise Pounce, your number 632 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:57,160 Speaker 6: one pick at guard and the and the Packers best 633 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 6: receiver in the preseason. And it's all bad. 634 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 3: It's all bad. 635 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 6: It's all bad. 636 00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 3: And they got Cam out at Latrobe. 637 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:09,520 Speaker 6: Yes, they got Cam out of Latrobe. So you know 638 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:14,960 Speaker 6: it's time for again, Uh, start start working, working on it, 639 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:19,959 Speaker 6: working towards playing better. I think that the inside linebackers, 640 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 6: I think will they're better than what they showed. I 641 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 6: think that's in my opinion. Uh, and I think Patrick 642 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,960 Speaker 6: Queen's assessment not only was it right on. I can't 643 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,319 Speaker 6: say the words that he used, I think we've all 644 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 6: seen them, and but I like the fact that he 645 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 6: said it. A guy like that, I like the fact 646 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 6: that he said what he said because you know, he 647 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 6: is a defensive leader, There's no question about it. And 648 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:53,839 Speaker 6: you know, when your top guys are challenging their own teammates, 649 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 6: I think that's a good thing. 650 00:34:55,960 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 3: They're not short on guys speaking up. No, and I 651 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:01,800 Speaker 3: think everybody they brought in. 652 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 6: Speech up and the people who are doing it are 653 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,320 Speaker 6: the right people right right right in my opinion, Uh, 654 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:13,760 Speaker 6: you know you have you know the people who are talking, 655 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:18,359 Speaker 6: they're they're they're the ones that I think you want 656 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 6: to be talking. 657 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 2: I would agree Bob Labriola is one of those people 658 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:24,960 Speaker 2: that we want to be talking. Kind enough to join 659 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:27,720 Speaker 2: us here on this Thursday, as he'll do throughout the season. 660 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,880 Speaker 2: Steelers A story in Bob Labriola Labs. Thanks for the time, 661 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 2: and we'll be listening for you on the pregame show 662 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,040 Speaker 2: of course, eleven o'clock on the Steelers Audio Network on 663 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,040 Speaker 2: w DVE with Mike Pursuda and Jerry Dulac. Labs. We 664 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 2: will see you on Sunday. 665 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,200 Speaker 6: Yeah, and Wes, just a little personal note from me 666 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:49,120 Speaker 6: to you good luck on Saturday, because. 667 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 3: I'm gonna need it's gonna be well. 668 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 6: And I don't know whether you're gonna need it or not, 669 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:58,760 Speaker 6: but I think there's a lot of quote unquote friends 670 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:01,360 Speaker 6: of yours. There are we laying in the weeds for you. 671 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:03,560 Speaker 6: If things don't go your way. 672 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 2: You and you and Mark Cabali and Brian Baco will 673 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,760 Speaker 2: be waiting in the press box like WWE wrestlers about 674 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:12,440 Speaker 2: to jump somebody backstage. 675 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:14,640 Speaker 3: I know it. Not looking forward to. 676 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:20,000 Speaker 4: As I've told you many times, Wes, I I will 677 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:22,400 Speaker 4: take advantage of whichever side loses. 678 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:25,280 Speaker 2: That's a good place, a good place to be people. 679 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 6: Yes, that's that's the best part about not really caring. 680 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:30,960 Speaker 2: That's a good part about playing both sides, as I 681 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:32,200 Speaker 2: always come out on top. 682 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:32,840 Speaker 3: Labs. 683 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:34,800 Speaker 2: Thanks for the time, partner, and I'll see you with 684 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 2: a frown on my face. Sunday. 685 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:39,920 Speaker 3: All right, take care, guys, Steelers a story in. 686 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,440 Speaker 2: Bob Labriola kind enough to give us his time here 687 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 2: on a Thursday. It's a little bit more cheerful Labs 688 00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:47,839 Speaker 2: here on this Thursday, I tell you, well, it's coming 689 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:48,239 Speaker 2: off of win. 690 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 5: You know, we didn't play any of his doom and 691 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,320 Speaker 5: gloom music that we did last year. I kind of 692 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:55,319 Speaker 5: kept that quiet on purpose because we used to play 693 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,840 Speaker 5: like the Emperor's theme song or Vader or Jaws. 694 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:03,680 Speaker 3: But hey, he's cheery, he is. 695 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 2: His steelers are one and on and he downplays it. 696 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:11,799 Speaker 2: But his pit panthers, I think are about to beat 697 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 2: the snot out of my mountaineers on Saturday. And yeah, 698 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 2: him and Kabali and Bacco and everybody else they'll be 699 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 2: having some fail Yeah again, Well, Kabali and Labs like 700 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:25,320 Speaker 2: to say that they're not pit guys. They just like 701 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 2: to give me grief, you know. Notre Dame fans don't 702 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:31,160 Speaker 2: give me grief. True Virginia Tech fans don't give me grief. 703 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:34,919 Speaker 2: I'm onto those two. I'm onto those two. We're gonna 704 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:38,280 Speaker 2: take a break here, Matt. On the other side, some tweets, 705 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:40,320 Speaker 2: some injury report stuff to get into. I wanted to 706 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 2: make sure to mention that Matt and I are gonna, 707 00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:44,440 Speaker 2: you know, try and do this kind of Twitter Thursday 708 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:47,800 Speaker 2: type thing if I will so throughout the show. We 709 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 2: will get to your tweets at some point, probably an 710 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:52,320 Speaker 2: hour number two. If you want to get involved, you 711 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:56,000 Speaker 2: can find Matt at Williamson NFL. I'm at Wesley Yuler. 712 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:58,919 Speaker 2: We will get to those as we roll along. Plenty 713 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,120 Speaker 2: to get to It's the dry on Steelers Nation Radio 714 00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:17,799 Speaker 2: on the Steelers Audio Network, your tunes. 715 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,000 Speaker 1: About drive on your twenty four to seven home of 716 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:22,480 Speaker 1: the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio. 717 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 2: Back on the Drive here closing down our number one 718 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:45,879 Speaker 2: of the show. We got a couple of tweets rolling in. Reminder, yeah, 719 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:47,560 Speaker 2: get those in. We will get to those in our 720 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:53,440 Speaker 2: number two at Williamson NFL at Wesley Yuler. Questions, comments, concerns, reactions, 721 00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:55,600 Speaker 2: anything and everything in between. You know where to get 722 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 2: at us if you want to get involved. 723 00:38:58,840 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 3: Matt. 724 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,000 Speaker 2: One of the things lab was mentioned there that I 725 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,640 Speaker 2: kind of wanted to follow up on and use one 726 00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 2: of your statistics as well too, to kind of bring 727 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:10,200 Speaker 2: this all full circle of the up. Well, we'll jump 728 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 2: into this stats packet more. An hour number two, absolutely 729 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:16,719 Speaker 2: Labs was talking about the struggles of the run game, 730 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:18,719 Speaker 2: you know how it needs to be better, but not 731 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:22,160 Speaker 2: panicking yet obviously in a lot of the lot of 732 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:24,840 Speaker 2: the accurate reasons why that's the case. One of the 733 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:26,399 Speaker 2: things he mentioned was, you know, I'd like to see 734 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 2: these running backs get going and have some space before 735 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 2: they got contacted. 736 00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:30,879 Speaker 6: Yeah. Right. 737 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:35,200 Speaker 2: Last week against the Jets, Pittsburgh's ball carriers averaged a 738 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:40,600 Speaker 2: negative point three yards before their first contact compared to 739 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:43,400 Speaker 2: especially when you consider it when you juxtapose it with 740 00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:47,640 Speaker 2: what the Jets did in that department holes point six 741 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:51,160 Speaker 2: for New York. So that difference is nearly nearly a 742 00:39:51,239 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 2: two yard difference between when the Steelers running backs are 743 00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:57,040 Speaker 2: first facing contact and when the Jets running backs are 744 00:39:57,080 --> 00:39:57,680 Speaker 2: first getting touch. 745 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:01,759 Speaker 5: There's things about Aie Harris's game I liked and I 746 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:04,239 Speaker 5: didn't like, but I always envisioned him when I see 747 00:40:04,239 --> 00:40:07,319 Speaker 5: these stats, like just in a barroom fight to get 748 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:09,360 Speaker 5: to the line of scrimmage, you know he'd use his 749 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 5: arms a lot, and you do a lot of upper 750 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:14,400 Speaker 5: body stuff fighting off three hundred and twenty pound defensive 751 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:16,320 Speaker 5: tackles just to get to the line of scrimmage. And 752 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:20,120 Speaker 5: that's not gonna cut it, you know, And especially like 753 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:24,800 Speaker 5: from that Jets perspective, Breast Hall Fields, they're such distance, 754 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 5: long speed accelerators. You give them a runway, you get 755 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:35,239 Speaker 5: chunk games. And yeah, exactly exactly, you know. So I'm 756 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:38,719 Speaker 5: not saying the Steelers don't have explosive backs, but they 757 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:41,759 Speaker 5: don't run like they don't. Those steelerbacks aren't gonna win 758 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:43,920 Speaker 5: races against Hall and Fields, you know what I mean. 759 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:46,959 Speaker 5: And you got to do a better job opening holes 760 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 5: they weren't there. 761 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:52,239 Speaker 2: No, they weren't. The pass protection was not up to snuff. No, 762 00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 2: the run game, uh, moving bodies at the line of 763 00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:59,440 Speaker 2: scrimmage was not up to snuff. And I think when 764 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:02,040 Speaker 2: you see that, I mean, again, a one point nine 765 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:04,920 Speaker 2: yard aggregate difference from when the Steelers running backs were 766 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:09,680 Speaker 2: facing first contact to when the Jets were That's that's 767 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:11,400 Speaker 2: not great. That's not where you want to be. And 768 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:12,640 Speaker 2: that's one of the things that right. 769 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:15,240 Speaker 3: Shock no one listening that those numbers backed up exactly 770 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:15,719 Speaker 3: what you saw. 771 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:17,680 Speaker 2: I don't think that that will come as as a 772 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 2: huge surprise to everybody. The Jets had six explosive runs. 773 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:23,799 Speaker 2: That's ten or more yards in the run game zero 774 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:26,680 Speaker 2: for Pittsburgh. Jayln Warren did have a nine yard carry, 775 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:29,360 Speaker 2: so right on the right on the edge of having 776 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:31,799 Speaker 2: one there. But that's part of that as well too, 777 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:33,800 Speaker 2: Like you mentioned with Justin Fields and Bressee Hall, Like 778 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:35,719 Speaker 2: when those guys can get going, when they can build 779 00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:40,160 Speaker 2: up momentum, when they can make one move and and all. Yeah, 780 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:42,520 Speaker 2: some green grass like that, that makes all the difference 781 00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:44,839 Speaker 2: in the world. And that's going to be another tall 782 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:47,040 Speaker 2: task against this this talented Seattle front. 783 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:47,439 Speaker 4: Yeah. 784 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:50,640 Speaker 5: Now, kind of the good news is Seattle's offense has 785 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:53,800 Speaker 5: had the same problem you know there. I think Charbonnay 786 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:57,239 Speaker 5: and Walker basically split carries last year, and they're both 787 00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,040 Speaker 5: good players. I don't blame neither one of them for this. 788 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:02,080 Speaker 5: Their longest run I think was eight yards between the 789 00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:02,520 Speaker 5: two of them. 790 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:04,520 Speaker 3: I mean, so they got. 791 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:07,640 Speaker 2: Out out rushed pretty significantly by Sandario as well too. 792 00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:10,279 Speaker 5: I mean time possession twenty two minutes for Seattle. So 793 00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:15,160 Speaker 5: Seattle's having more struggles than the Jets did in round 794 00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:18,759 Speaker 5: week one. But if we're sitting here Monday, going boy, 795 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:22,719 Speaker 5: Walker and Sharbonay average time average first contacts two yards 796 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:25,240 Speaker 5: down field might be an US problem, not a U problem, 797 00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:25,719 Speaker 5: you know what I mean. 798 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:30,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, And so that is and and again I think 799 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:33,320 Speaker 2: everybody understands this, like it's not like we're mashing a 800 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:35,040 Speaker 2: panic button or anything in this regard. 801 00:42:35,960 --> 00:42:38,799 Speaker 5: But all though I did love Labs, is out observation 802 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:42,680 Speaker 5: that the physical natures of the of the game aren't 803 00:42:42,719 --> 00:42:44,360 Speaker 5: going to be as sharp. And in week one I 804 00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:45,960 Speaker 5: kind of wish we'd brought I would have brought that 805 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:46,760 Speaker 5: up in the first second. 806 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:49,560 Speaker 2: They take a little bit longer to warm up to. 807 00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:51,799 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, running game, run defense tack. 808 00:42:52,239 --> 00:42:54,360 Speaker 2: You know, sure, another one of those old time No 809 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 2: it's not. But another one of those old cliches for 810 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:58,839 Speaker 2: a reason is like fatigue makes cowards of us. All right, 811 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 2: when you're beat down, when you're worn out, you're not 812 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:04,520 Speaker 2: as sharp mentally, you're not as gung ho to stick 813 00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:07,120 Speaker 2: your face in the fan. Absolutely, you know, and and 814 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:09,800 Speaker 2: and and and really kind of assert your will and 815 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:11,759 Speaker 2: and and everything that you have to do to be 816 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:14,319 Speaker 2: successful in the run game and in the trenches at 817 00:43:14,360 --> 00:43:16,560 Speaker 2: the line of scrimmage. In the National Football League. 818 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:19,719 Speaker 3: It's too oft forgotten that these are human beings. They're 819 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:23,160 Speaker 3: not They're not robots yet, They're not cyborgs, dominoes or 820 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:24,680 Speaker 3: you know, checkers on the board. 821 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 2: You know, I I would really like to start. And 822 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:29,800 Speaker 2: I'm not saying that it has to It doesn't have 823 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:32,200 Speaker 2: to be a Mona Lisa on Sunday against Seattle either. 824 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:34,480 Speaker 2: It doesn't have to be a masterpiece. But I want 825 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:36,800 Speaker 2: to see clear cut improvement, and then I want to 826 00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:38,120 Speaker 2: see it again in New England, and then I want 827 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:40,239 Speaker 2: to see it again in Ireland. You know, that kind 828 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:42,359 Speaker 2: of hole, like what you talked about at the at 829 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:43,959 Speaker 2: the start of the show, at the top of the hour, 830 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:49,400 Speaker 2: that whole you know, first four games or so September 831 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:52,399 Speaker 2: is about us and just getting better. And yeah we're 832 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 2: game planning for our opponent, absolutely, but it's more about 833 00:43:55,080 --> 00:44:00,080 Speaker 2: our own landscaping than our neighbors landscaping. That's again that 834 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:02,440 Speaker 2: it does not have to be by leaps and bounds. 835 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:04,880 Speaker 2: But I hope we see improvement in that regard. 836 00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:07,880 Speaker 5: On Sunday, I assume we're talking about both run defense 837 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:08,840 Speaker 5: and run offense. 838 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:11,880 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, yeah, they run both are I think we 839 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:12,600 Speaker 3: were focusing more on. 840 00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:17,240 Speaker 2: Offense, Yeah, particularly the the negative point three yards before contact. 841 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:17,719 Speaker 3: Great point. 842 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:19,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, and then I don't want to see a number 843 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:22,040 Speaker 2: for Seattle that looks like the one point six yards 844 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:23,880 Speaker 2: before contact like it was for the Jet. 845 00:44:23,719 --> 00:44:25,239 Speaker 5: Because at least we have the other data point of 846 00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:28,480 Speaker 5: Seattle struggling in the same regard as the Steelers offense 847 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,320 Speaker 5: all of a sudden. If the Steeler deeds just allowing 848 00:44:31,880 --> 00:44:34,680 Speaker 5: big holes over and over and over, you don't really 849 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:35,200 Speaker 5: examine what. 850 00:44:35,200 --> 00:44:37,800 Speaker 3: You're doing here. Yes, and there's some reason behind it. 851 00:44:37,840 --> 00:44:38,960 Speaker 5: I know we don't have a ton of time, but 852 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:42,400 Speaker 5: I mean I think, as Labs mentioned, I thought defensive 853 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:45,800 Speaker 5: linemen are getting moved way too much into the laps 854 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:48,480 Speaker 5: of those linebackers, not letting them do what they can do. 855 00:44:48,800 --> 00:44:50,800 Speaker 2: There was a lot of effects, a lot of criticism 856 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:53,719 Speaker 2: of Patrick Queen and Peyton Wilson's performance. 857 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:54,520 Speaker 3: And I'm not they weren't great. 858 00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:55,880 Speaker 2: I'm not here to say they were great, but they 859 00:44:55,960 --> 00:44:58,479 Speaker 2: had they had a lot of bodies in their lap. 860 00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:01,320 Speaker 5: It's right after the s outerer milker coming at you 861 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:03,960 Speaker 5: as well as blockers. You know, that's it's a lot 862 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:04,680 Speaker 5: of room to operate. 863 00:45:04,840 --> 00:45:08,760 Speaker 2: That's that's a that's that's the linebacker equivalent of getting 864 00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:11,040 Speaker 2: contacted behind the line like a running back. 865 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:13,040 Speaker 3: That's an exact It's a great parallel. 866 00:45:13,320 --> 00:45:15,200 Speaker 2: I'm going to be interested. That's one of those things 867 00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:17,400 Speaker 2: now that I want to keep an eye on this number. 868 00:45:17,640 --> 00:45:20,799 Speaker 2: How the Steelers Steelers ball carriers the space that they 869 00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:24,040 Speaker 2: have before they get contacted and the opposition ball carrier 870 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:26,880 Speaker 2: the space that they're allowing before contact. It's one of 871 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:28,800 Speaker 2: the things I love about the stats packet that you 872 00:45:29,280 --> 00:45:32,319 Speaker 2: put together every single week is you kind of keep 873 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:35,800 Speaker 2: the same conversation points. Yeah, what the kind of possession 874 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:37,680 Speaker 2: looks like, what the average arge per play look like. 875 00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:40,719 Speaker 2: All so this is maybe why, and this may be why, 876 00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:43,920 Speaker 2: So make no mistake about it. This is something we 877 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:46,719 Speaker 2: will keep track of as we roll along throughout. 878 00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:50,720 Speaker 3: This services now. And you know, I don't calculate this stuff. 879 00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:54,000 Speaker 3: I just find right. Ten years ago, you couldn't find 880 00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:54,600 Speaker 3: those things. 881 00:45:54,640 --> 00:45:56,719 Speaker 2: No, absolutely not. And now it's like there are a 882 00:45:56,880 --> 00:45:59,960 Speaker 2: treasure trove of places to to go and find good information. 883 00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:02,080 Speaker 3: And it's from NFL dot Com. I mean, it's not 884 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:03,760 Speaker 3: some dude in his basement. 885 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:08,520 Speaker 2: You're like, yeah, okay, I maybe trust this person's work, 886 00:46:08,560 --> 00:46:09,520 Speaker 2: but what if they made a mistake. 887 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:12,439 Speaker 5: If they didn't, didn't make it us to prove a point. 888 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:15,040 Speaker 5: This is taken it from the NFL Next Gen people. 889 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:17,040 Speaker 2: And a lot of this stats and a lot of 890 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:20,440 Speaker 2: this information. You gotta have expensive subscriptions to access some 891 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:27,399 Speaker 2: yeah as well too, or share a log in. Nudge, nudge, 892 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:30,120 Speaker 2: wink wink. One hour in the books, another hour to go. 893 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:32,480 Speaker 2: We will get to your tweets in our number two. 894 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:34,880 Speaker 2: We will get to the latest on the injury front 895 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:38,279 Speaker 2: for both of these teams and our number two uh 896 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:41,319 Speaker 2: and of course continue to comb over to peruse through 897 00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:44,560 Speaker 2: all of Matt's stats all that more when we return 898 00:46:44,600 --> 00:46:47,200 Speaker 2: West Shooler Matt Williamson. It's the Drive on Steelers Nation 899 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:49,280 Speaker 2: Radio on the Steelers Audio Network