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Speaker 1: Welcome to the drive. I'm Dale Lallie. He is the

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Speaker 1: Matt Williamson, and we are here on a Thursday, Yes,

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Speaker 1: game day two days away. Now Thursday, that's a Friday,

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Speaker 1: which means you get a bonus day tomorrow because Friday

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Speaker 1: is Saturday, Saturday Sunday, if you could follow that logic.

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Speaker 2: And so we got a game tonight that matters, one

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Speaker 2: day off and then Boom Steelers, and then a game

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Speaker 2: after that, and then we got the holidays and two

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Speaker 2: more days of football. So it's glorious.

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Speaker 1: It is glorious. And we have some we have some

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Speaker 1: ideas about who's in and who's out. We know who's

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Speaker 1: out in terms of.

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Speaker 2: Jamar Chase, and you know, a couple of things became

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Speaker 2: official today.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so you've got no Kenny Pickett declared out even

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Speaker 1: though he was limited participant in practice all week long.

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Speaker 1: That's a good sign. He's trying to in the right direction,

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Speaker 1: but they just didn't want to put him out there

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Speaker 1: this week.

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Speaker 2: Do you think there's a real good chance he's a

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Speaker 2: starter in Seattle no matter what. Yeah? Yeah, I mean,

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Speaker 2: no matter how Mason plays, no matter who wins lose,

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Speaker 2: you know whatever. Yeah, I would imagine this.

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Speaker 1: Is this is one of those. This could be like

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Speaker 1: Charlie Batch going down and winning in Baltimore the one

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Speaker 1: year and Roethlisberger coming back to the next hold the place. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: giving him a big hug, that kind of stuff. If

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Speaker 1: that way, it goes that way. Trenton Thompson out with

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Speaker 1: that neck issue. Elijah Riley is questionable.

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Speaker 2: Okay, and that's I guess that's promising considering where he's

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Speaker 2: been the last few weeks.

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Speaker 1: Yes, practiced in full each of the last two days,

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Speaker 1: and they did make a roster move today releasing Anthony McFarlane,

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Speaker 1: presumably to make room for another safety.

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Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, yea.

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Speaker 1: I would assume that would be Eliza Riley or Eric

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Speaker 1: Row or both. Well, they can they can activate Riley

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Speaker 1: and then make Row a game day call up.

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Speaker 2: Right, Okay, I know what you're saying.

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Speaker 1: Add him to the fifty five mam ros for one

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Speaker 1: of those two call ups.

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Speaker 2: Let's spend a SECONDO McFarland though, I mean like he

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Speaker 2: always kind of I don't say he's a square peg

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Speaker 2: in a round hole, but he's been hard to use.

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Speaker 2: He flashes. There was times I was very optimistic about

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Speaker 2: him but he's not their top kickoff returner, and kickoff

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Speaker 2: returners don't have much value, and he doesn't run down

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Speaker 2: on teams, so I don't.

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Speaker 1: Know he would go to Danny Smith. And you say,

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Speaker 1: which one would you rather have? Anthony McFarlane or Godwin Iguabeke,

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Speaker 1: who actually last week did give them a bit of

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Speaker 1: a little boost, a little booster. If you remember, there

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Speaker 1: was the fifteen yard penalty on the first Colts touchdown

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Speaker 1: because they had the horse collar tackle. Okay, and so

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Speaker 1: the culture kicking off from the fifty and they tried

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Speaker 1: to pop it up right right, okay, now in that

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Speaker 1: situation and goes he takes it out to the thirty.

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Speaker 2: Five and McFarlane has gotten chances they that.

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Speaker 1: They swiped it.

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Speaker 2: They did it.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so you can't fair catch it at that point.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I already hit the ground and yeah, right, But

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Speaker 2: Farland's got some opportunities at running back and flashed here

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Speaker 2: and there. But you know he never was great in

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Speaker 2: protection and oh well, yeah, I mean you only get

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Speaker 2: some opportunities.

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Speaker 1: And then of course Mika Fitzpatrick out this week. That

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Speaker 1: is it for the Steelers. But obviously, yeah, a couple

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Speaker 1: of safeties there that are are.

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Speaker 2: Out on they look at Roe as a safety.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, rose of safety on Cincinnati side. Well, Jamar Chase

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Speaker 1: has been declared out, So no Joe Burrow, no Jamar Chase.

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Speaker 1: If we were doing Bengals Nation Radio right now, we

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Speaker 1: might be well swilling our pants a little bit over

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Speaker 1: in fact way, Yes, I know that, I know he's

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Speaker 1: played well, but now we're taking Jamar Chase out of

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Speaker 1: the equation as well here.

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Speaker 2: I mean quarterbacks aside Hendrickson's the only ones even close

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Speaker 2: to me in terms.

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Speaker 1: Of Yeah, and you just lost bj Hill too, by

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Speaker 1: the way, their DJ red I say they're all high

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Speaker 1: on the wad of non quarterbacks.

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Speaker 2: You would not want to lose Chase being number one.

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Speaker 2: We can talk about their defense, but their defensive numbers

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Speaker 2: are horrendous, especially against the run, well against everything. But

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Speaker 2: you know, reader being out of this big I love

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Speaker 2: Jamar Chase, and they've changed how they've played so they

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Speaker 2: don't look as reliant on him. But they've also been

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Speaker 2: able to change how they play because of the threat

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Speaker 2: that he.

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Speaker 1: Right, because how he forces defenses to play.

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Speaker 2: You's scary guy. Yeah, and Andy was good in the

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Speaker 2: short passing game and the after the catch stuff, and

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Speaker 2: that's not as much higgins game.

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Speaker 1: You know, Reiver, Yeah, he's down the field, whereas they

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Speaker 1: could throw a quick swing pass to chase emotion and

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Speaker 1: let him go break a tackle and take it thirty yards.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, if someone's playing off coverage, they throw to him

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Speaker 2: and he gets seven or eight.

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Speaker 3: You know.

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Speaker 2: So that's not as much as Higgins's game, or Boyds

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Speaker 2: for that matter, at this stage.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's you know, big, I don't know that

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Speaker 1: balances everything out, obviously. I mean there are are issues here,

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Speaker 1: but you take their best run stopping defensive lineman out

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Speaker 1: of the equation, you take their best offensive threat out

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Speaker 1: of the equation, and you take their quarterback out of

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Speaker 1: the equation.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, no, they're decimated right now.

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Speaker 1: This is to me, this game and I know we've

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Speaker 1: said I said this last week too. This game is

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Speaker 1: a complete toss up. Doesn't mean that it can't go

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Speaker 1: sideways one way or the other, because game scripts say

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Speaker 1: every you know, if the Steelers and Colts played twenty

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Speaker 1: times last week, it might be ten ten.

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Speaker 2: Maybe I mean the second half because you don't want to.

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Speaker 1: But if you don't know that, make if fits Patrick again,

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Speaker 1: if you if you're computer simulating these things.

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Speaker 2: Oh and just make if it's Patrick can hurt.

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Speaker 1: I mean you're up thirteen nothing, and you know, I

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Speaker 1: just that's just the way football is today. But it

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Speaker 1: is there's so much parody in the league that, yeah,

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Speaker 1: this this team wins on this week in this game,

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Speaker 1: but they might not beat them again the next You

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Speaker 1: just don't.

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Speaker 2: Know, norue and you would think they were dead and

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Speaker 2: this is going to be their best effort and all

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Speaker 2: those type of things that they can control. No reason

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Speaker 2: it shouldn't be, considering where the season is at this

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Speaker 2: point in the divisional game and all those things. I

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Speaker 2: definitely think it's big. The chase is not in the equation.

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Speaker 2: We didn't think he would be Monday Tuesday.

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Speaker 1: But they were holding out hope.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I mean, now it's official, no, but

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Speaker 2: they're doing good things them in the Bengals, and even

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Speaker 2: if he just could squash their playoff hopes would be

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Speaker 2: kind of satisfying, you know.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, I mean, if the Steelers are able to

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Speaker 1: find a way to get a win in this game,

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Speaker 1: they bump back ahead of Cincinnati in the standings.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that was aware of because of all the

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Speaker 2: tie breakers.

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Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, I mean they would be the third place

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Speaker 1: team in the AFC North. Cincinnati would fall to the

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Speaker 1: fourth because Cincinnati would be winless in the division.

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Speaker 2: Windless in the division.

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Speaker 1: But we talked about that all offseason. What's everybody's record

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Speaker 1: when you know at the end of this in the

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Speaker 1: AFC North, Well, last year they were all three and three.

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Speaker 2: Now it's I don't know everyone's I did it a

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Speaker 2: while back, but I mean, I know that they are

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Speaker 2: winless in Cincinnati.

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Speaker 1: He doesn't win this one, they're they're they're over. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: they're zero and five and they still get a game

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Speaker 1: with Cleveland and to be played.

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Speaker 2: But I should know this. If the Steelers win or lose,

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Speaker 2: they're not officially eliminated.

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Speaker 1: Right, It would depend on anythink everything else at that point.

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Speaker 2: But I mean, they're not done done, okay, and I

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Speaker 2: don't think Cincinnati is either, But it'd be this one's

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Speaker 2: even more of a loserly ten match than last.

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Speaker 1: Week, since I think Cincinnati would be in serious life

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Speaker 1: support because of.

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Speaker 2: Their coreaker Yeah yeah, yeah yeah.

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Speaker 1: And a loss here would would put the Steelers tiebreakers

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Speaker 1: into some The Steelers would still in a head to

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Speaker 1: head as crazy as it sounds. In a head to

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Speaker 1: head situation with Cincinnati win the tiebreaker based on division record.

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Speaker 2: Oh okay, because if it's those two fighting for one

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Speaker 2: wild Guards, yeah, that's the conference.

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Speaker 1: Because they would have they would have split, so you

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Speaker 1: can't you can't break the tie there. So then you

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Speaker 1: go to division record with two division foes.

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Speaker 2: You know, as the.

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Speaker 1: Best Cincinnati can do right now is two and four

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Speaker 1: in a division.

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Speaker 2: Okay, the Steelers would at least be three and three, gotcha, gotcha? Okay, Yeah,

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Speaker 2: so that's favorable. I mean, all games equals to count

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Speaker 2: the same. Basically, you know, the ones and the wins

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Speaker 2: at the beginning, they're important.

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Speaker 1: That being said, I mean, the way this sole thing

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Speaker 1: is shaking out, ten and seven is probably going to

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Speaker 1: be the cutoff.

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Speaker 2: I would think, so I think you need to get

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Speaker 2: to ten.

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Speaker 1: But we say that, and you know who knows the

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Speaker 1: league this year? I mean, I can't say this enough.

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Speaker 1: It's so unpredictable it is.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, Dallas, Philly, some of these teams that

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Speaker 2: we looked at as a top five type of team.

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Speaker 2: If we were doing their radio right now, be a

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Speaker 2: rough week. I mean Phillies, they don't.

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Speaker 1: Philly isn't one in a month?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, they're that fan base is losing their mind,

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Speaker 2: you know. I mean, they've been super Bowl team the

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Speaker 2: last couple of years. One loss a month ago, one

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Speaker 2: lost a month ago, and now the sky's falling, right,

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Speaker 2: So I'm with you that Other than the Niners, I

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Speaker 2: don't think there's a great team. I do think the

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Speaker 2: Ravens are in really good situation. Obviously with the leagues

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Speaker 2: of them about crazy.

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Speaker 1: So there's a story yesterday out about the Ravens crying

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Speaker 1: that they are we can't you know, they're using they're

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Speaker 1: kind of trying to use it as a rallying cry, yeah,

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Speaker 1: or something, that they're underdogs this week in San Francisco.

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Speaker 1: The game, we're in Baltimore, and I still be a dog.

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Speaker 1: They would still be a dog, but I could understand then,

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Speaker 1: Look at we're being disrespected here. You're going to San Francisco.

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Speaker 1: Of course you're going to be an underdog. I don't

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Speaker 1: care what your record is. Right now. San Francisco was

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Speaker 1: an under was a favored by more than three points

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Speaker 1: in Philadelphia, Yeah.

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Speaker 2: And people were startled at that, and then they wiped

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Speaker 2: the floor with them yeah. I did hear Lamar say

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Speaker 2: something along the lines of, no, I hope we're an

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Speaker 2: underdog every game and from now until February. You know, which,

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Speaker 2: his record is a dog is really really good. I mean, so,

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Speaker 2: I was listening to betting podcast this morning and they

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Speaker 2: were talking about him. Him as a dog is a

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Speaker 2: good bet over his career, especially against team because he's

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Speaker 2: eighteen and.

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Speaker 1: One against Yeah, well, I think that goes to eighteen

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Speaker 1: and two this week.

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Speaker 2: But I do think I would pick the Niners against

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Speaker 2: anybody right now.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean I just think, you know, if

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Speaker 1: you look over the last decade and you measure the

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Speaker 1: best teams in each of those seasons, and it may

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Speaker 1: be four or five that you look at. The only

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Speaker 1: team in the league right now that I see that

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Speaker 1: stands up with those teams is San Francisco.

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Speaker 2: I agree, I agree. I mean, I do think Baltimore

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Speaker 2: is clearly number two right now, but maybe most years

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Speaker 2: they would be four or five, you know, like, are

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Speaker 2: they as good as since he last year or the

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Speaker 2: Bills last year. I don't think the Eagles last year,

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Speaker 2: let alone the Chiefs, you know, I mean, there was

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Speaker 2: five six teams that were oh that kind of looks

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Speaker 2: like a Super Bowl team. Yeah, you know what I mean.

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Speaker 2: But I think the Ravens have a cause or a case.

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Speaker 1: Well, they get a chance to make their case Monday night,

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Speaker 1: and I don't think it's going to work out very like.

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Speaker 1: If they get smoked in this game, then what do

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Speaker 1: you do?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, they're still in great shape to win

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Speaker 2: the AFC and.

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Speaker 1: That's all still them, you know, then they come back

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Speaker 1: and play Miami. Yeah, you know, but I don't think

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Speaker 1: the end of the season goes great for Baltimore. But

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Speaker 1: I do think they're a good team.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I don't think I think they'll lose at

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Speaker 2: least one, maybe two of their remaining three.

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Speaker 1: Well, if they win, if they would win this week,

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Speaker 1: well then they're in great shape. Steeler fans, believe it

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Speaker 1: or not, win you want the Ravens to win this game,

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Speaker 1: especially if the Steelers win Saturday, because if the Ravens,

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Speaker 1: if the Ravens win that game, I'm not saying they

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Speaker 1: can kick it in the cruise control, but they'll have

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Speaker 1: They'll be coming in to play Miami the following week,

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Speaker 1: and if they win that, they've they've locked it up.

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Speaker 2: If they win that one. I'm sure they would rest

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Speaker 2: people in week eighteen.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, with two wins in a row, then it's locked.

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Speaker 1: But even if they lose this week but then win next.

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Speaker 2: Week, Oh, the Miami can lose a Dallas easily this week. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: I mean, who knows. The pretty interesting.

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Speaker 1: The only other thing with the situation is the Cleveland

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Speaker 1: has now flipped. Cleveland was an underdog going to Houston

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Speaker 1: this week, now their favorite because Stroud's not going to play.

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Speaker 2: Which okay, I mean I still think that's a coin

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Speaker 2: flip game.

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Speaker 1: I do too. I I tend to believe like Houston's

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Speaker 1: playing with house money because they won the game last week.

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Speaker 1: If they had lost that game last week and then

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Speaker 1: lost again this week, they're done. They would be done.

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Speaker 2: They would be done. But I don't like how Jacksonville's playing.

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Speaker 2: I kind of keep looking at Indy thinking they might

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Speaker 2: take that division. I mean, now Taylor's back, Pittman got

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Speaker 2: cleared today. I don't like how Jacksonville's playing, and I

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Speaker 2: don't like where Houston's at. I mean, somebody has to

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Speaker 2: win that division. I don't think Indies roads all that hard.

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Speaker 1: It's not it's not I think finished. They do those

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Speaker 1: two finish up the season by playing each other in Indianapolis?

285
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Speaker 2: In Indianapolis, Yeah, I don't know what their tie breakers

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Speaker 2: are against Jacksonville and Houston.

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Speaker 1: Well, Indianapolis already beat Houston earlier this year.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so, but they do play again, as you mentioned.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, so, I mean it's all right there again,

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Speaker 1: anybody that tells you one you know that this is

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Speaker 1: going to happen, that's gonna happen, That's gonna happen. I mean,

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Speaker 1: obviously we're all just guessing here. Of course, I don't

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Speaker 1: know anymore. I can't tell you, you know, one hundred

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Speaker 1: this is going to happen. Who wins Dallas, Miami and Tony.

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Speaker 2: I was about to just bring that game up. You

296
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Speaker 2: could tell me either team blows the other one out

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Speaker 2: and I would believe you. Yeah, like Miami's entire starting

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Speaker 2: offensive line didn't practice yesterday. And I don't know what

299
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Speaker 2: Tyreek situation is. But Dallas on the road, right, Dallas

300
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Speaker 2: on the road, and they have their issues, I mean,

301
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Speaker 2: and they both beat up on bad teams badly. You know,

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Speaker 2: if one of those teams is a bad team that

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Speaker 2: particularly night, that game could be thirty to.

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Speaker 1: Seven, I think, more more so than any year I

305
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Speaker 1: can remember. Attrition is such a part of this.

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Speaker 2: Season so rough. Yes, and this is what everybody you.

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Speaker 1: Know was concerned about when they went to the seventeen

308
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Speaker 1: game schedule. You know, what's this going to look like?

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Speaker 1: And I'm like, well, it's one extra game, and you're

310
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Speaker 1: not you know, he canceled one of the preseasons games.

311
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Speaker 1: But you see it across the league. Teams are just

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Speaker 1: being you know, really just crushed by some injuries, especially

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Speaker 1: if you have injuries all one spot.

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Speaker 2: That's what I say. Of course, quarterback injuries are a

315
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Speaker 2: huge problem, but there has been some backups that are

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Speaker 2: getting teams by much like Cincinnati right now, or I

317
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Speaker 2: mean short stints where these guys have held down the fork. Okay,

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Speaker 2: I didn't really see that coming with some you know,

319
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Speaker 2: as much as it has for the season. But you

320
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Speaker 2: mentioned Miami, like that's worse than losing all your linebackers

321
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Speaker 2: and safeties. I mean, if you get a whole new

322
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Speaker 2: O line.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you can't put an offensive line out there that

324
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Speaker 1: affects everything, right.

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Speaker 2: I mean they did much rather have you know, bigger

326
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Speaker 2: name dudes hurt a different spot. Except for they lost

327
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Speaker 2: you Phillips too. They've been hit pretty hard too. Yeah,

328
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Speaker 2: so it's it's just to me. You know, the Steelers.

329
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Speaker 1: We talked about it all off season, how the Steelers

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Speaker 1: had done a good job of building up the roster

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Speaker 1: and filling in the backups. And they did.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, I do think cut day way back when

333
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Speaker 2: they were cutting better players than they usually are. Yeah,

334
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Speaker 2: you know what I mean.

335
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Speaker 1: The problem for them this season has been the injuries

336
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Speaker 1: have hit him at well two positions now right now.

337
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Speaker 1: But so you go, I mean you're three deep at

338
00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:16,880
Speaker 1: safety or three deep at linebacker. Okay, we can withstand

339
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Speaker 1: an injury.

340
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Speaker 3: Yeah.

341
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Speaker 1: What you can't withstand are multiple injuries that are you know,

342
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Speaker 1: just crushing it.

343
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Speaker 3: Yeah.

344
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Speaker 2: I mean, I know it's not like off season rebuild

345
00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,400
Speaker 2: talk or you know, work on your roster. But frankly,

346
00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:30,920
Speaker 2: I wouldn't have any problem if they decided to have

347
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Speaker 2: the exact same linebacker plan as they did last year.

348
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Speaker 2: I mean, if Alexander wants to come back, Holkme's under

349
00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,560
Speaker 2: contract and Roberts and Roberts on the contract too, that

350
00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:42,880
Speaker 2: was a successful plan. They just got hit hard at

351
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Speaker 2: the wrong time. Like, I'm fine with it. And really

352
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Speaker 2: kind of freaky stuff. Yeah.

353
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Speaker 1: I mean the Hulkum injury, that's that's friendly fire. You know,

354
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Speaker 1: it's just he had his leg falling into what are

355
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Speaker 1: you gonna do?

356
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Speaker 2: Yeah?

357
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Speaker 3: Yeah.

358
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Speaker 2: And now even like the Keanu.

359
00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:04,760
Speaker 1: Neil injury, if Kean O'Neil doesn't decide if he got

360
00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,880
Speaker 1: hurt returning an interception, if he doesn't decide to bring

361
00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,240
Speaker 1: that out and just downs it, he doesn't get hurt.

362
00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:16,160
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, there's so much wealth. If you know,

363
00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:18,160
Speaker 1: it's like it's like reading a book, one of those

364
00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,120
Speaker 1: old books where Okay, turn to this page and if

365
00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:22,800
Speaker 1: you want to see the the you know, the lion

366
00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,120
Speaker 1: come out of the cave, turn the page seventeen. Choose

367
00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,120
Speaker 1: you the whole seasons, choose your whole adventure.

368
00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:33,160
Speaker 2: Where you're turning now, I will say, if the offense

369
00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,760
Speaker 2: can get more first downs and win time of possession,

370
00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,320
Speaker 2: your defense is out there less and it's not a

371
00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,320
Speaker 2: young defense, and you know your chance of injuries go down.

372
00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:46,080
Speaker 2: You know, there's more to blame here than just they

373
00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:46,720
Speaker 2: got unlucky.

374
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Speaker 3: Yeah.

375
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,280
Speaker 2: I mean, no one's saying that every team's got stuff.

376
00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:51,640
Speaker 1: But the quarterback getting hurt at the same time that

377
00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:53,760
Speaker 1: you had those other injuries. It's just kind of stacked

378
00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:55,640
Speaker 1: up to the point where, no, it's.

379
00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:57,600
Speaker 2: Hard to overcome right now. Yeah, and a couple of

380
00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,760
Speaker 2: them are goofy too, like okay, Casey gets ejected and

381
00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:06,240
Speaker 2: then the very next play right or even the picket

382
00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,920
Speaker 2: injury and then hulk them like two plays later Robert

383
00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:12,560
Speaker 2: two green duck guys though, Yeah, like this is the

384
00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,080
Speaker 2: dude that's in charge of all my offenses, charge all

385
00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:18,280
Speaker 2: my defense. I lost those two like not like week

386
00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,320
Speaker 2: ten and then week fourteen. Yeah, like five minutes of

387
00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:23,440
Speaker 2: real time between each other on your watch.

388
00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:25,919
Speaker 1: You know, Like it's really like some of the worst

389
00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,200
Speaker 1: case scenario stuff like things you can't you can't plan

390
00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:30,240
Speaker 1: for that kind of stuff.

391
00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:32,560
Speaker 2: No, people don't think about that in the coaching world.

392
00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:35,200
Speaker 2: Is how do you all the stuff you don't plan

393
00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:37,720
Speaker 2: for is gonna pop up over the course of seven.

394
00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,040
Speaker 1: You think about it with the game a couple of

395
00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,159
Speaker 1: weeks ago where they lose high Smith and what the

396
00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:46,439
Speaker 1: one day Golden is banged up, the one day that

397
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,520
Speaker 1: they didn't have Golden active, because you know they need

398
00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:54,080
Speaker 1: if you told Mike Tomlin thirty minutes earlier or an

399
00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,400
Speaker 1: hour earlier when he had to declare the inactives. Hey,

400
00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:01,080
Speaker 1: you're gonna lose both starting outside linebackers in this game. Yeah,

401
00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:03,800
Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure. He keeps golding up and says, Okay,

402
00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,119
Speaker 1: we of course we'll scrimp a little bit on special

403
00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:08,080
Speaker 1: teams here. We'll make it work. But we gotta have

404
00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:09,080
Speaker 1: but he couldn't.

405
00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:11,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, at that point, you're set. You Goton always deserves

406
00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:12,800
Speaker 2: a helmet. He's a good enough play.

407
00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:16,480
Speaker 1: He's been active for every other single game this season

408
00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:19,439
Speaker 1: except for that one, and that happened to be the

409
00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,639
Speaker 1: game where the outside linebackers got nicked up.

410
00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:23,760
Speaker 2: I mean one, not a seventy chance or whatever, you know,

411
00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,359
Speaker 2: And every team has to deal with this stuff to

412
00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,199
Speaker 2: some degree. But man, it's it's a challenge, that's all

413
00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,880
Speaker 2: I'm gonna say. I mean, just when when things are

414
00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:35,520
Speaker 2: dealt in such an extreme way and the league is crazy,

415
00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,000
Speaker 2: and I do think injuries are a problem in this

416
00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:39,600
Speaker 2: league that I don't know that you can ever fix.

417
00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:43,280
Speaker 2: But man, it's a lot to overcome, it really is.

418
00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:45,040
Speaker 2: And guys off the street and have the teacher the

419
00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:45,959
Speaker 2: defense or offense.

420
00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:48,600
Speaker 1: It's not an excuse because every team goes through it,

421
00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,160
Speaker 1: and when we say these things that we're not making it.

422
00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:54,960
Speaker 1: When I say something out like that, I'm not making

423
00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,800
Speaker 1: an excuse, but I am giving a reason. There's a difference.

424
00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,440
Speaker 2: I mean, that's what they're dealing with within causal effect. Yeah,

425
00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:03,520
Speaker 2: I mean, and they're building like wow. I mean, I

426
00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:05,560
Speaker 2: bet in those coaches meetings, I'm sure they all kind

427
00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,400
Speaker 2: of look at each other and be like, man, didn't

428
00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:08,000
Speaker 2: see that coming?

429
00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:08,360
Speaker 3: All right?

430
00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:08,800
Speaker 2: Where we do?

431
00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:08,959
Speaker 3: Now?

432
00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:11,040
Speaker 1: I mean, I can tell you for a fact, I'm

433
00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:14,879
Speaker 1: standing watching practice this week with other with other media members,

434
00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,880
Speaker 1: and we're trying to figure out who's who out there

435
00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,640
Speaker 1: on defense, Like who's who's that guy? Who's five out there?

436
00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:25,439
Speaker 1: What's like who's sixteen? Who are these guys? Who are

437
00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,960
Speaker 1: we're in week fifteen or sixteen of the season. I

438
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,120
Speaker 1: don't know who those guys are.

439
00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:31,760
Speaker 2: And you've done you've seen a lot of dealer practices.

440
00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:33,240
Speaker 1: I've seen them all everyone this year.

441
00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,399
Speaker 2: No, I mean in your life, in my life. Yeah,

442
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,040
Speaker 2: I mean, I bet that's been the case for two

443
00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,680
Speaker 2: percent of them. Where Yeah, there's a handful of guys

444
00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:41,520
Speaker 2: I don't even know who they are.

445
00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,200
Speaker 1: It's never happened like it never should happen in week

446
00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,159
Speaker 1: this far into a season, like I get a differency

447
00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,560
Speaker 1: the off season, I'll take a you know, we're getting

448
00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:51,760
Speaker 1: together for the first time, mini camp or whatever. I've

449
00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:53,760
Speaker 1: got my I've got my roster out there. Okay, who

450
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,000
Speaker 1: are these new guys? Figure this out games? You know,

451
00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,240
Speaker 1: not in the middle of a damn season, because you.

452
00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,199
Speaker 2: Know the practice squad guys by then too. You know,

453
00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,640
Speaker 2: like you said, that's the beauty of these big practice squads.

454
00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:04,720
Speaker 2: You would think, you know that. To me, that's one

455
00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:06,280
Speaker 2: of the best things that happened to COVID with these

456
00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,080
Speaker 2: big practice squads was Okay, we can at least bring

457
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,440
Speaker 2: in a familiar face that's been here for the last.

458
00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,040
Speaker 1: Ten Some of these guys have been here for like

459
00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,200
Speaker 1: two weeks, and they're gonna be like, and you're out there,

460
00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:16,520
Speaker 1: ericro is gonna play.

461
00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:18,520
Speaker 2: Like, Yeah, kick him out to the field and go

462
00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:20,679
Speaker 2: go have at it. Stop the Bengals. I mean that's

463
00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:21,240
Speaker 2: where they're at.

464
00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,239
Speaker 1: Yeah. Anyways, we're gonna get to a break. He is

465
00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,760
Speaker 1: Matt Williamson. I am Dale, Lollie. You're listening to the

466
00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,040
Speaker 1: drive here on Steelers Nation Radio. Come back, We'll be

467
00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,120
Speaker 1: joined by the Lord of living in his fears Bob

468
00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:44,159
Speaker 1: Labriola right after this, welcome back. I am Dale LOLLI.

469
00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:48,199
Speaker 1: He is the Matt Williamson, and we are pleased to

470
00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,600
Speaker 1: be joined now by the Lord of living in his fears,

471
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:56,920
Speaker 1: who has seen those fears well come to life. Bob Labriola,

472
00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:01,160
Speaker 1: Editor of Steelers Digest, Steelers dot Com and my storian, Bob,

473
00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,040
Speaker 1: how how you doing? Are you holding up?

474
00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,639
Speaker 3: I'm doing fine, you know, I I uh, you know,

475
00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,320
Speaker 3: checking off who's naughty and nice on my Sandle list

476
00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:11,840
Speaker 3: from all.

477
00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:17,280
Speaker 1: Of this, Bob, You've been doing this a long time

478
00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:21,600
Speaker 1: as if. I I'm just you know, the negativity that's

479
00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,879
Speaker 1: surrounding this team right now. Is this something that that

480
00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:29,240
Speaker 1: I guess maybe teams have to go through every once

481
00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:34,639
Speaker 1: in a while to maybe heighten the appreciation of the

482
00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:36,520
Speaker 1: good times. I mean, I think back to like ninety

483
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,440
Speaker 1: eight and ninety nine. If you look over that period,

484
00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,880
Speaker 1: the Steelers had a one and eleven stretch.

485
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,280
Speaker 3: Don't forget two thousand oh and four.

486
00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,159
Speaker 1: Own yeah, oh and four to start that season, but

487
00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,120
Speaker 1: there was a one and eleven stretch in there. Maybe

488
00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:52,840
Speaker 1: it was maybe actually it was the end of the

489
00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,120
Speaker 1: ninety nine season to the start losing those first four

490
00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,920
Speaker 1: games of two thousands, so you went one and eleven

491
00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:03,440
Speaker 1: over a stretch, and yet that team rebounded to finish

492
00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:05,800
Speaker 1: nine and seven in two thousand and kind of set

493
00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:07,840
Speaker 1: the stage for what happened in two thousand and one.

494
00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:09,200
Speaker 1: And then thereafter that.

495
00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:11,880
Speaker 2: Glad there wasn't Twitter at that Oh, social media.

496
00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:12,240
Speaker 1: Have been around.

497
00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,000
Speaker 3: My god. I was just going to say, that's that's

498
00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,800
Speaker 3: the difference there, there's there was no social media. Yea. Yeah,

499
00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,240
Speaker 3: and not every not everyone with opposable thumbs and a

500
00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:27,639
Speaker 3: cell phone can be heard. But you know, there's a

501
00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:32,240
Speaker 3: lot of things. Again, I just think that a lot

502
00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:38,119
Speaker 3: of airs different portions of each of the tenures of

503
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:43,359
Speaker 3: the three coaches Chuck Noel, Bill Kauer, Mike Tomlin have

504
00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:47,320
Speaker 3: been have been had gone through dry stretches.

505
00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:48,199
Speaker 1: Uh.

506
00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:53,440
Speaker 3: You know my very first year Steelers digest, the Steelers

507
00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,920
Speaker 3: were two inten at Thanksgiving two and ten. Would that

508
00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:01,600
Speaker 3: have been nineteen eighty nineteen eighty eight, Yeah, and they

509
00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:05,480
Speaker 3: won their first game Thanksgiving and they won their first game,

510
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,720
Speaker 3: so you know, and and let's not forget and I'm

511
00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:14,639
Speaker 3: not I'm not doing this to you know, run down anybody,

512
00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,560
Speaker 3: because we're just speaking historical facts here.

513
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:19,320
Speaker 2: Okay.

514
00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:24,280
Speaker 3: You mentioned ninety eight, ninety nine, two thousand, Okay, then

515
00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:29,399
Speaker 3: two thousand and one was you lost the AMC Championship

516
00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:33,400
Speaker 3: game home at home as a double digit favorite. Then

517
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,680
Speaker 3: the two thousand and two started the Tommy Maddicks mistake.

518
00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:42,240
Speaker 3: Two thousand and three, that was a disaster. So there

519
00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,560
Speaker 3: were you know, a lot of there was a lot

520
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:49,760
Speaker 3: of negativity, you know, surrounding Bill Kauer at that time

521
00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:54,919
Speaker 3: for just a month, you know, right, Dan Ronie was

522
00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,400
Speaker 3: I remember Dan Roneie responded to that by giving him

523
00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:03,760
Speaker 3: a content extension. And I remember being on a radio

524
00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:10,919
Speaker 3: show it was nine to seventy. I don't if it

525
00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:13,359
Speaker 3: was you know what it was called at that time

526
00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:17,800
Speaker 3: or whatever, and whoever, the host was like a rock

527
00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,320
Speaker 3: O something or you know, and he's trying to get

528
00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:24,040
Speaker 3: me to say to rip Dan Rooney forgiving Bill Kauer

529
00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:32,000
Speaker 3: a contract extension. So you know, again there's this has

530
00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:36,919
Speaker 3: gone in cycles, and I just think that now, Uh,

531
00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:42,280
Speaker 3: it's it's so much more because, as I said, and

532
00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:49,640
Speaker 3: not only is there social media, but players on social media, yeah,

533
00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:55,880
Speaker 3: you know, either posting their own things, commenting on other things,

534
00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:01,600
Speaker 3: liking things. You know, it's it's just again, everything is amplified.

535
00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:06,040
Speaker 3: And so you know, I hate to sound like to

536
00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:09,640
Speaker 3: get off my lawn guy, but you know I kind

537
00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:15,560
Speaker 3: of liked it better before the noise. The noises can

538
00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:20,960
Speaker 3: be deafening. And there's a there's a in my opinion,

539
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:25,159
Speaker 3: a segment of fans, you know, who believe that, you know,

540
00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:30,000
Speaker 3: they are entitled to certain performance or results. Every so

541
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,760
Speaker 3: often they believe that, you know, it should be a

542
00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:38,240
Speaker 3: democracy that if they want to see Mason Rudolph or

543
00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,920
Speaker 3: they don't want to see Mick Trubisky, well take them

544
00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:47,119
Speaker 3: out of the game, substitute, do something different. And you

545
00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:52,160
Speaker 3: know this, this is this is the current mindset right now.

546
00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,400
Speaker 3: And I think a lot of what we're seeing now

547
00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,720
Speaker 3: is as a result of a lot of this immaturity

548
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:03,320
Speaker 3: of players, entitlment, fans, social media just kind of pouring

549
00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:07,080
Speaker 3: gasoline over it all. And you know, welcome to the

550
00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:08,360
Speaker 3: twenty twenty three NFL.

551
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,720
Speaker 1: And I think people need to remember. So the Steelers

552
00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,280
Speaker 1: have made the AFC Championship in ninety seven, they lose

553
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:18,280
Speaker 1: at home to Denver. That ninety eight team was supposed

554
00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:19,879
Speaker 1: to be better than it was, and that team started

555
00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,199
Speaker 1: six and three and then they and then they you know,

556
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:27,120
Speaker 1: fell off. But that ninety eight draft produced Alan Fanica,

557
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,400
Speaker 1: It gave you Hines Ward, It gave you to Shay Townsend,

558
00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:34,200
Speaker 1: chris Fulmatumalafi. These are guys that played a key role

559
00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,439
Speaker 1: in some of those early two thousands teams. The next season,

560
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:40,520
Speaker 1: now you whiffed on the first round guy with Troy

561
00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,639
Speaker 1: Edwards and then Scott Shields in the second round, but

562
00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,159
Speaker 1: the third round you got Joey Porter. Then in the

563
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,680
Speaker 1: fourth round you got Aaron Smith, Like these are these

564
00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,760
Speaker 1: are foundational players. I think we already have.

565
00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,520
Speaker 2: Three starters in the draft. Yeah, you're doing well.

566
00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:59,480
Speaker 1: And I think you're already seeing in this draft with

567
00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:03,280
Speaker 1: this rook class some foundational type guys.

568
00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:08,680
Speaker 3: It certainly looks that way. I mean, you know, let's

569
00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:14,800
Speaker 3: hoping for the best, you know, because just to go

570
00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:16,720
Speaker 3: back to what you were saying, a lot of those

571
00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:20,880
Speaker 3: names that you were mentioning were not viewed as foundational

572
00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:24,720
Speaker 3: players as quickly as we're talking about some of.

573
00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:29,840
Speaker 2: These rookies, right yeah, yeah, right, So.

574
00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:35,399
Speaker 3: You know, and again there there all all of the

575
00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:42,080
Speaker 3: coaches have had bad staffs, made bad hires. You know,

576
00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:46,760
Speaker 3: all of the coaches have gone through bad stretches. There

577
00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,800
Speaker 3: have been misses on draft picks, you know, all kinds

578
00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:54,159
Speaker 3: of stuff. I mean, it's really, it's nothing. This is

579
00:27:54,240 --> 00:28:00,360
Speaker 3: not new. What's happening now, It has happened before. And

580
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:02,919
Speaker 3: you know you want to go really as you know,

581
00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,359
Speaker 3: when I do the podcast with Tom Offerman, I always

582
00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:08,160
Speaker 3: call this going into the way back machine. You really

583
00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,120
Speaker 3: want to go to the wayback machine. The nineteen seventy

584
00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:20,040
Speaker 3: seven season, the problems there with guys leading camp and

585
00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,879
Speaker 3: then these are these are real players, These are guys

586
00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,160
Speaker 3: whose pictures are up on the walls up mc rooney

587
00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:32,800
Speaker 3: Sports Complex. You know, Guys arguing about contracts, Guys leaving

588
00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,960
Speaker 3: training camp and unhappy with how they're being used or

589
00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,280
Speaker 3: or whatever. And there were there were a lot, a lot,

590
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:44,240
Speaker 3: a lot of issues throughout that season, and you know,

591
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,800
Speaker 3: Chuck Noll responded to that by uh as the way

592
00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:51,120
Speaker 3: Dan Reney put it, getting out the big boom. And

593
00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:56,080
Speaker 3: you know, there was a lot of guys who were

594
00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,200
Speaker 3: who were integral parish portions of those first two Super

595
00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,240
Speaker 3: Bowls who were not around in nineteen seventy eight, earning

596
00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:06,560
Speaker 3: homes Glenn Edwards, just to name a couple, and those

597
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:11,840
Speaker 3: were those were significant parts of that early steel curtain defense,

598
00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,880
Speaker 3: and you know, it just got to a point where

599
00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:20,120
Speaker 3: they became not worth the problems that they were causing,

600
00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:25,800
Speaker 3: you know. So we'll see how this all shakes out

601
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,200
Speaker 3: at the end of the season. I don't know how

602
00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:31,680
Speaker 3: when the season is, you know, you know, whether it

603
00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:36,480
Speaker 3: ends with a playoff appearance or not. That seems unlikely now,

604
00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:40,760
Speaker 3: but you know, never say never. You know, we'll see

605
00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:43,880
Speaker 3: how it ends up. And then the off season is

606
00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,880
Speaker 3: going to be important and we'll see how that works

607
00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:51,880
Speaker 3: out as well. So, yeah, this is this is it's

608
00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:58,520
Speaker 3: it's painful. It's trying to go through this right now.

609
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,960
Speaker 3: And I'm not predicting that you know, there's a pot

610
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,520
Speaker 3: of gold at the end of the where there's you know,

611
00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:13,600
Speaker 3: a silver lining within every cloud or anything. But again,

612
00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,680
Speaker 3: all I'm saying is, as you mentioned, you've been doing

613
00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:20,640
Speaker 3: this for a long time. I've seen this before, and

614
00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,280
Speaker 3: this franchise has been able to come out of it.

615
00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,640
Speaker 3: I'm hoping and for the best that you know that

616
00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:27,600
Speaker 3: will continue.

617
00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:29,600
Speaker 2: And you don't even have to go to the wayback machine.

618
00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:31,760
Speaker 2: You could just go to two you know, other cities

619
00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,040
Speaker 2: right now, like go to New England, where the most

620
00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:38,720
Speaker 2: successful coach of the Super Bowl era is going through

621
00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,960
Speaker 2: really tough times. Or go to Philadelphia where a month

622
00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,600
Speaker 2: ago that was a one lost team that is Super

623
00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,080
Speaker 2: Bowl contender year after year after year, and now they've

624
00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:49,680
Speaker 2: lost a few in a row, and Eagles fans are

625
00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:53,480
Speaker 2: losing their mind, you know. So this happens everywhere.

626
00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:58,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you know, the Miami Dolphins put up seventy

627
00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:04,240
Speaker 3: points and now there can they hold on to win

628
00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,600
Speaker 3: the AFC East. I've been reading it. You know, Tua

629
00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:11,520
Speaker 3: Tua is on such a roller coaster or seesaw or

630
00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:15,760
Speaker 3: whatever ride you want to refer to that goes up

631
00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,560
Speaker 3: and down, up and down, up and down. This season,

632
00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,160
Speaker 3: it's it's I mean, at one point he was MVP

633
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:28,040
Speaker 3: in the on the short list for that. Now you know,

634
00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:31,880
Speaker 3: I don't know what he is in terms of the

635
00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:32,760
Speaker 3: perception of him.

636
00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,040
Speaker 2: Never left. The Bills and Bengals are dead, myself included,

637
00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:38,200
Speaker 2: you know, months ago, and now they're roaring back, and

638
00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:40,040
Speaker 2: I mean it's just the lead for longers, you know.

639
00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:45,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, right, and when I believe this, we talked about

640
00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,160
Speaker 3: it a couple of weeks ago. Just whatever you think

641
00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:55,000
Speaker 3: something is a certainty or decided in the NFL. Or okay,

642
00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:58,360
Speaker 3: now it's time to label this as that it's not

643
00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,440
Speaker 3: be over under on the Steelers New England game. Oh look,

644
00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:08,200
Speaker 3: lowis over under posted and how many hundreds of thousands

645
00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:11,800
Speaker 3: of years it was over in the first half, So

646
00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,520
Speaker 3: you know it's I don't know, as I said, it's

647
00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:17,600
Speaker 3: the NFL just when you think it is, it's not.

648
00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,160
Speaker 1: Bob. But do you think you know we're going to

649
00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:24,600
Speaker 1: see Mason route off this this weekend after two weeks

650
00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:27,200
Speaker 1: of Mitch Trubisky. Was it simply a matter of Mike

651
00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,280
Speaker 1: Tomlin look at this, looking at this and going we

652
00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,400
Speaker 1: can't have the turnovers out there style?

653
00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:36,000
Speaker 3: Well, yeah, I think it was that. Plus you know

654
00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:39,840
Speaker 3: we heard Mike tom And say this a lot starting

655
00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:44,560
Speaker 3: in training camp. Uh, make the routine plays routinely, And

656
00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:48,800
Speaker 3: there were, in my opinion, two glaring examples of Bitch

657
00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:52,520
Speaker 3: Trubisky failing to do that against the Colts. The one

658
00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:57,360
Speaker 3: was it was late in the first half, just on

659
00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:02,680
Speaker 3: the the second half or the end of the second quarter,

660
00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,800
Speaker 3: side of the two minute warning. Third and three Pat

661
00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:10,640
Speaker 3: Frinmouth is wide open over the middle, pitching catch. He

662
00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,080
Speaker 3: was not under pressure. It was a ten yard throw.

663
00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:16,080
Speaker 3: Throw it to him, hit him in the numbers. Then

664
00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,320
Speaker 3: you probably get out of that half with a thirteen

665
00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:23,120
Speaker 3: to seven league. But he missed him. I mean, you know,

666
00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:24,360
Speaker 3: he missed him wide.

667
00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:26,280
Speaker 1: I think it was badly.

668
00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:31,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, badly. Right, So then you punt and they score.

669
00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:34,320
Speaker 3: So now instead of having a thirteen to seven lead

670
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,080
Speaker 3: at halftime where you can go in and then try

671
00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:39,000
Speaker 3: and figure out what you're going to do with safety,

672
00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:44,360
Speaker 3: because you know, the a few plays before that you

673
00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:48,000
Speaker 3: lost your starting safeties on back to back place and

674
00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:51,600
Speaker 3: you know there's not a whole lot of you know

675
00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:55,400
Speaker 3: that that's another, in my opinion, misconception that well they

676
00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:58,920
Speaker 3: should have been ready for that.

677
00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:04,480
Speaker 2: You can kind of for that, but.

678
00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:09,360
Speaker 3: You know that's a that's a significant personnel swing, you

679
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,279
Speaker 3: know for a defense. And then it's not even so

680
00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,160
Speaker 3: much who you put there, but how does it impact

681
00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:16,920
Speaker 3: everything else?

682
00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,160
Speaker 2: You know, how you're attacked and all the above, you know.

683
00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:24,640
Speaker 3: Right, right, So okay, so then that happened. Then the

684
00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:29,000
Speaker 3: other one was right before? Did he should he attempted

685
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,759
Speaker 3: the fifty seven yard field goal or not? Now in

686
00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:36,080
Speaker 3: my opinion, that the play right before the fourth down

687
00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:39,320
Speaker 3: instead of going deep down the sideline, he had a

688
00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:43,000
Speaker 3: check down there, throw it gainst seven yards and it's

689
00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:46,680
Speaker 3: a fifty yard field going it's probably not even a decision.

690
00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:49,800
Speaker 3: Or you can't try it, or throw.

691
00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:51,799
Speaker 1: A pass that's at least in bounds and give your

692
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:53,840
Speaker 1: receiver a chance to make a play on the ball

693
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,760
Speaker 1: or get a pass interference. You can't throw that ball

694
00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:58,560
Speaker 1: ten yards out of bounds.

695
00:34:58,760 --> 00:34:59,920
Speaker 2: You gotta understand the situation.

696
00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:05,680
Speaker 3: There's no wolved and he's again Mitch Trubisky is not,

697
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:11,000
Speaker 3: you know, a rookie. He's not old, but he's he's

698
00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,560
Speaker 3: been around enough to know better than that kind of stuff.

699
00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:19,440
Speaker 3: So yeah, I again that the turnovers because Mitch Trubisky

700
00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:22,960
Speaker 3: has appeared in twelve games for the Steelers. During his

701
00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:26,359
Speaker 3: time for the Steelers, he's done ten interceptions and lost

702
00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:28,920
Speaker 3: the fumble. That's almost a turnover agame.

703
00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:33,160
Speaker 4: You know that he's directly responsible for you know, I

704
00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:38,200
Speaker 4: mean that he's directly responsible, correct, So yeah, I think

705
00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:40,400
Speaker 4: it was a combination of the turnovers and.

706
00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:45,000
Speaker 3: Not making the routine plays routinely, and you don't have

707
00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:52,640
Speaker 3: enough offense currently to absorb that kind of negativity. You know,

708
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,800
Speaker 3: when you had the first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback

709
00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:59,520
Speaker 3: there a few years ago. You know, he might do

710
00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:04,120
Speaker 3: something then foolish with the ball or miss a throw

711
00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:07,120
Speaker 3: or whatever, but then he could you know, come back

712
00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:11,120
Speaker 3: and do something spectacular to and erase that mistake. This

713
00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:15,799
Speaker 3: offense doesn't have that. These quarterbacks are that aren't there

714
00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:18,400
Speaker 3: yet and they probably never will be, which is okay

715
00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:22,920
Speaker 3: because you know, it's not your birth rate to have

716
00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:29,800
Speaker 3: these Hall of Fame courts. So you know, again, I

717
00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:36,839
Speaker 3: think it was necessary at the time. And as I've

718
00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:40,000
Speaker 3: said about just about every kind of these every one

719
00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:43,920
Speaker 3: of these kinds of moves that a coach makes, it's

720
00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:46,960
Speaker 3: every bit as much as a part of a guy

721
00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:51,040
Speaker 3: losing the job as a guy getting the job. And

722
00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:52,680
Speaker 3: Mitch Trubisky lost the job.

723
00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:56,480
Speaker 2: So Labs, I've always looked at Rudolph basically as a

724
00:36:56,640 --> 00:36:59,040
Speaker 2: solid two, I mean, not a three, and not as

725
00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:02,279
Speaker 2: a backup. A solid two in this league. What do

726
00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:04,080
Speaker 2: you expect from him? And you know, where do you

727
00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:04,680
Speaker 2: think he's at?

728
00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:13,279
Speaker 3: I don't know from him right, you know, because again

729
00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:19,719
Speaker 3: you can you can go back and describe Mason Rudolph

730
00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:22,719
Speaker 3: by the events of his career, Okay, and I'm just

731
00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,200
Speaker 3: going to give you some of those. Lost his job

732
00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:29,800
Speaker 3: to Duck Codges. Now I get that. You know it

733
00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:33,920
Speaker 3: was the Earl Thomas's cheap shot that can custom originally

734
00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,879
Speaker 3: that you know, caused that change in twenty nineteen after

735
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:42,200
Speaker 3: Ben was hurt. But you know, there were there were

736
00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:46,960
Speaker 3: concerns or you know whatever, opinions about Mason Rudolph if

737
00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,440
Speaker 3: he was squeezing the ball too much, was afraid to

738
00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:52,279
Speaker 3: pull the trigger, and let's put Duck Codges in because

739
00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:56,080
Speaker 3: the offense looks so much better with him. I remember

740
00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:58,879
Speaker 3: that that. That is a true and there are people

741
00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:02,240
Speaker 3: in the media that at some point I may remind

742
00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:07,560
Speaker 3: them if they were on that train. Okay, okay. So

743
00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:11,120
Speaker 3: then the other one, the other Mason thing was, uh,

744
00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:16,440
Speaker 3: couldn't beat the O N eight Lions at home. So

745
00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:22,120
Speaker 3: you know, that's part of his past, that's part of

746
00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:25,400
Speaker 3: his history, that's on his resume. I don't so I

747
00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,360
Speaker 3: don't know what to expect from Mason Rudolph at this

748
00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:32,600
Speaker 3: at this point, you know, what I do know is

749
00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:37,560
Speaker 3: that you excuse me, Matt. You described him as a

750
00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:43,360
Speaker 3: solid too. The league doesn't see him as that. So

751
00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:46,160
Speaker 3: uh and and I don't you know again, I'm just

752
00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:49,840
Speaker 3: going buy, uh, you know, a duying merchandise once told me,

753
00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:53,480
Speaker 3: you know, they people voted the cash register. You know,

754
00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:55,719
Speaker 3: you know you think you have a good thing to

755
00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:58,160
Speaker 3: sell here, Well, people will tell you by voting at

756
00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,520
Speaker 3: the cash registry they're even gonna buy. They're either going

757
00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:02,840
Speaker 3: to spend their money on it or they're not. And

758
00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:05,800
Speaker 3: I think that you can also look at that in

759
00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:10,239
Speaker 3: that way free agent players. You can think you have

760
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:13,160
Speaker 3: a market or what your market is, or what your

761
00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:15,680
Speaker 3: value is or all that stuff, but until somebody wants

762
00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:19,600
Speaker 3: to write a check, that's that's just in your head.

763
00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:26,680
Speaker 3: And so there was Mason Rudolph had no nibbles. You know,

764
00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:30,520
Speaker 3: he came back to the Steelers, I believe because he

765
00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:33,840
Speaker 3: really didn't have anything else that certainly nothing else that

766
00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:37,879
Speaker 3: he liked. And it was I think he was also

767
00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:41,920
Speaker 3: helped by the new emergency quarterback rule. You know, you

768
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:46,759
Speaker 3: could keep a guy and have him available on a

769
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:50,840
Speaker 3: game day without him necessarily taking up you know, a

770
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,440
Speaker 3: roster spot, so to speak, a game day roster spot.

771
00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:59,200
Speaker 3: So you know, so I don't know what to expect

772
00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:02,080
Speaker 3: from Mason Rudolf, you know, is he going to and

773
00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:04,240
Speaker 3: these are some of the things that I'm thinking about,

774
00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:06,440
Speaker 3: are concerned about. Is he going to look at this

775
00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:09,960
Speaker 3: as Hey, I got to do something spectacular here to

776
00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:12,239
Speaker 3: break out of the mold that I'm in or the

777
00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:14,840
Speaker 3: rut that I'm in in terms of how I'm perceived.

778
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:21,719
Speaker 3: So then, yeah, I don't think. I don't think you

779
00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:26,320
Speaker 3: want that. No, So, and I'm not saying that's what

780
00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:28,840
Speaker 3: he's gonna do. We're gonna have to see how this

781
00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:33,160
Speaker 3: unfolds Saturday against the Bengals, and then you know, maybe

782
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:35,520
Speaker 3: the week after that. I know it, but picket steal

783
00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:37,759
Speaker 3: is going to be and you know that kind of thing.

784
00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:42,000
Speaker 3: So I don't know what to expect. But I do

785
00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:44,879
Speaker 3: believe that any kind of perception of Mason Rudolph as

786
00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:49,160
Speaker 3: a solid number two or a solid backup quarterback in

787
00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:52,920
Speaker 3: this league is not going out by how teams have

788
00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:55,640
Speaker 3: reacted to him when he was on the open market.

789
00:40:57,200 --> 00:41:00,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, our guest has been Bob Labriola, editor Steelers didgest

790
00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:03,200
Speaker 1: to Steelers dot Com. I guess we'll find those things out.

791
00:41:03,239 --> 00:41:06,120
Speaker 1: I will say that, Uh, you know, Mason did talk

792
00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:08,200
Speaker 1: this week. He said the right thing. He said, I'm

793
00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:09,560
Speaker 1: not going to go out there and try to play

794
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:13,440
Speaker 1: hero ball, and so I think that, you know, he

795
00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:15,320
Speaker 1: has it in his mind. He doesn't want, you know,

796
00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:19,120
Speaker 1: want to do that. At the same time, we're all, hum, yeah,

797
00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:21,560
Speaker 1: we're all human here for this. You take some of

798
00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:23,440
Speaker 1: that out of his hands as well by just running

799
00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:23,920
Speaker 1: the football.

800
00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:28,000
Speaker 3: Well yeah, I you know, when when I try and

801
00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:33,160
Speaker 3: figuring out what the Steelers path to winning Saturday's game is,

802
00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,560
Speaker 3: I think it needs to be pretty much what they

803
00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:40,279
Speaker 3: did in the previous meeting against the Bengals. Know, they

804
00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:44,200
Speaker 3: ran twenty some more offensive plays and at a fourteen

805
00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:48,800
Speaker 3: minute advantage in time of possession. You know, Naujen Harris

806
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:52,759
Speaker 3: and Jalen Warren averaged five point three a carry and

807
00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:56,000
Speaker 3: they only scored sixteen points. I get that, But they

808
00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:59,040
Speaker 3: also set Jake Browning that was his first game a

809
00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:01,920
Speaker 3: bunch of times. And that's kind of what I'm looking

810
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,520
Speaker 3: for in terms of, you know, if you want me

811
00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:09,480
Speaker 3: to predict or you know, describe how I think the

812
00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:12,560
Speaker 3: game needs to unfold for the Steelers to win on Saturday,

813
00:42:13,120 --> 00:42:15,799
Speaker 3: because I don't think you can line up and think

814
00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:18,840
Speaker 3: you're going to cover with the secondary in the in

815
00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:22,200
Speaker 3: the you know condition that it's in. You know, like

816
00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:26,080
Speaker 3: you said, Dale, who's number five? You know, you know

817
00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:29,839
Speaker 3: who's that guy? And so you know, I think you're

818
00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:35,480
Speaker 3: gonna have to look look at your strength on the defense,

819
00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:39,560
Speaker 3: which is your edge guys, and have them, you know,

820
00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:42,160
Speaker 3: have a big game. You got to shut down Joe

821
00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:45,120
Speaker 3: Mixon in terms of him being able to run the ball,

822
00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:50,000
Speaker 3: and uh, your your offense needs to run the ball,

823
00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:53,680
Speaker 3: control of the clock. I'm not saying shorten the game necessarily,

824
00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:56,520
Speaker 3: but you know, keep your defense off the field and

825
00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:59,360
Speaker 3: their offense off the field as much as possible, and

826
00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:02,560
Speaker 3: you know, maybe it works out for you. Yeah.

827
00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:06,280
Speaker 1: Absolutely, He is Bob Labriola, editor of Steelers Digestics Steelers

828
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:08,879
Speaker 1: dot Com. That's Matt well Williamson. I'm Dale, Lollie. You're

829
00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:11,600
Speaker 1: listening to the Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio. Bob

830
00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:14,520
Speaker 1: will see you on Saturday and we'll see how this

831
00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:15,400
Speaker 1: whole thing unfolds.

832
00:43:16,239 --> 00:43:19,239
Speaker 3: Yes, it's gonna be interesting. I really think it will be.

833
00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:21,840
Speaker 1: I do too. We're gonna be back right after this

834
00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:29,920
Speaker 1: with the Drive. Steeler fans, you can gear up with

835
00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:32,640
Speaker 1: the latest Sideline apparel, hats or jerseys of your favorite players,

836
00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:36,480
Speaker 1: Authentic memorabilia, custom items, and exclusives you can only find

837
00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:38,560
Speaker 1: directly from the team at one of the official Steelers

838
00:43:38,640 --> 00:43:41,719
Speaker 1: pro shops. They're located at a Creature Stadium, Grove City

839
00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:45,200
Speaker 1: Premium Outlets, or Tanger Outlets, or you can visit online

840
00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:48,719
Speaker 1: at shop dot Steelers dot com. He is Matt Williamson.

841
00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:51,640
Speaker 1: I am Dale Lollie, and this is the Drive on

842
00:43:51,719 --> 00:43:54,280
Speaker 1: Steelers Nation Radio, and I just want to remind everybody

843
00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:58,360
Speaker 1: what some of the stats were in that first Steeves

844
00:43:58,840 --> 00:43:59,799
Speaker 1: Bengals game just.

845
00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:01,879
Speaker 2: Few weeks ago, some overwhelming ones.

846
00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:06,879
Speaker 1: So the Steelers out gained the Bengals in that game.

847
00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:10,440
Speaker 2: We'd agree that was the best played game by the Steelers.

848
00:44:10,520 --> 00:44:11,239
Speaker 2: Yeah do you think.

849
00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:11,560
Speaker 3: Yeah?

850
00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:13,560
Speaker 1: It was four twenty one to two twenty two, so

851
00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:15,880
Speaker 1: they had two hundred yards more of offense. Remember at

852
00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:18,720
Speaker 1: that point they had out gained an opponent this season.

853
00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:21,840
Speaker 1: Oh that was the huge yeah story right right, And

854
00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:24,800
Speaker 1: they've done it since then in lost games.

855
00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:25,839
Speaker 2: They won this one.

856
00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:29,239
Speaker 1: They had a fumble, they lost it. They had so

857
00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:31,480
Speaker 1: they had one turnover. The Bengals had one turnover. So

858
00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:33,760
Speaker 1: it wasn't like they won that game because of the turnover.

859
00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:35,279
Speaker 2: Now the Bengals have a great turnover ration.

860
00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:38,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, net passing yards was two sixty eight to one

861
00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:42,200
Speaker 1: ninety seven. The Steelers out rushed them one fifty three

862
00:44:42,280 --> 00:44:43,160
Speaker 1: to twenty five.

863
00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:45,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, Nausea had ninety nine that game. If you you

864
00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:47,239
Speaker 2: remember one short that.

865
00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:50,600
Speaker 1: Time of possession was Steelers thirty seven seventeen to twenty

866
00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:52,279
Speaker 1: two forty three for Cincinnati.

867
00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:55,839
Speaker 2: It was a lot like last year post By. Yeah,

868
00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:58,400
Speaker 2: like big numbers in time of possession, a lot of running.

869
00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:01,400
Speaker 1: Nausei Harris was fifteen carries for ninety nine yards in

870
00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:05,480
Speaker 1: a touchdown. Jalen Morerim was thirteen for forty nine. They

871
00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:08,080
Speaker 1: also got nine catches for one hundred and twenty yards

872
00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:13,359
Speaker 1: on eleven targets from Pat Faarmu. Just Pickens had three

873
00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:17,600
Speaker 1: for fifty eight. You had Deontay Johnson four for fifty.

874
00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:21,239
Speaker 1: They just they dominated that game. Yeah, that game wasn't

875
00:45:21,239 --> 00:45:23,520
Speaker 1: as close as the sixteen to ten score would suggest.

876
00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:23,880
Speaker 3: No.

877
00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:26,640
Speaker 1: No, the Bengals kicked a field goal with just over

878
00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:29,319
Speaker 1: two minutes left before that it was sixteen seven. They

879
00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:30,400
Speaker 1: were easily in control.

880
00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:32,040
Speaker 2: How many rush yards of mix and have I know

881
00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:32,919
Speaker 2: it was very low.

882
00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:35,600
Speaker 1: Well, they had had. They had eleven for twenty five

883
00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:39,080
Speaker 1: as a team. Yeah, and he had eight for sixteen.

884
00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:39,359
Speaker 3: Yeah.

885
00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:41,480
Speaker 2: Okay, and say it wasn't I think they had a quarterbacks.

886
00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:44,319
Speaker 1: Browning had three carries for nine yards. They didn't even

887
00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:45,319
Speaker 1: try anybody else.

888
00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:48,359
Speaker 2: No, No, and that was with Chase Higgins didn't play

889
00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:50,960
Speaker 2: in that game, right, but Reader was there. Of course,

890
00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:54,120
Speaker 2: it was Browning's first game, and as a good coaching

891
00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:57,000
Speaker 2: staff was will. They've adjusted some since then as well.

892
00:45:57,120 --> 00:46:00,239
Speaker 2: But I mean that wasn't Week one either, This was

893
00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:01,080
Speaker 2: pretty recent history.

894
00:46:01,080 --> 00:46:03,040
Speaker 1: They did use all the tight ends in that game.

895
00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:04,120
Speaker 2: The Bengals.

896
00:46:04,239 --> 00:46:07,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, because you had Tanner Hudson caught, he cut

897
00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:11,560
Speaker 1: five targets, he caught four balls for eighteen yards, drew

898
00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:14,720
Speaker 1: sample one catch, he had one target, one for eleven

899
00:46:14,800 --> 00:46:17,960
Speaker 1: and he caught a touchdown. Then he had IRV Smith Junior.

900
00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:20,360
Speaker 1: He had two targets, he cut two passes for eight yards,

901
00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:24,080
Speaker 1: and Mitchell Wilcox had one target, one catch for one yard.

902
00:46:24,440 --> 00:46:27,719
Speaker 1: So they were trying to incorporate those guys, but the

903
00:46:27,760 --> 00:46:30,719
Speaker 1: Steelers stopped at what they didn't do much of. They

904
00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:32,319
Speaker 1: threw the ball twice to Mix and that was their

905
00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:35,120
Speaker 1: only two passes to the running back. That's changed dramatically,

906
00:46:35,560 --> 00:46:37,360
Speaker 1: And I just wonder how much of that was because

907
00:46:37,480 --> 00:46:40,279
Speaker 1: late in that game, on their final field goal drive,

908
00:46:40,360 --> 00:46:43,200
Speaker 1: they threw a screen past to Mixing and he went

909
00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:44,719
Speaker 1: thirty nine yards with it.

910
00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:47,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, you were talking about that off the air.

911
00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:48,960
Speaker 1: You know that they've done that ever since.

912
00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:51,440
Speaker 2: Maybe that's when the light went off for their coaching staff.

913
00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:54,759
Speaker 2: That Oh, that worked out well with this quarterback and that, Yeah,

914
00:46:54,920 --> 00:46:55,560
Speaker 2: running back.

915
00:46:55,440 --> 00:46:57,880
Speaker 1: If you're going to place off coverage on these receivers,

916
00:46:57,920 --> 00:46:59,520
Speaker 1: you're going to try to you know, try to you know,

917
00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:03,080
Speaker 1: play off off of us because you fear chase his speed.

918
00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:05,239
Speaker 1: We're gonna dump the ball off here and let our

919
00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:08,440
Speaker 1: running basket, you know, seven eight, nine, ten yards and

920
00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:09,560
Speaker 1: just trying to move the chains.

921
00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:12,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, and like coming out of school, Mixing was considered.

922
00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:15,320
Speaker 2: He fell for obvious reasons in the draft. Ye, But

923
00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:18,720
Speaker 2: I mean an immense, immense talent, a really good receiver

924
00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:21,040
Speaker 2: for a bigger back. There were some like lev Bell

925
00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:26,400
Speaker 2: comparisons for him, size, speed, body control, tackle breaker, receiving skills,

926
00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:28,880
Speaker 2: but this is not really Burrow's game. I mean, Burrow's

927
00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:30,640
Speaker 2: kind of a big, a big game hunter and he

928
00:47:30,680 --> 00:47:34,360
Speaker 2: had Chasing Boyd and Higgins and yeah, he's gonna go

929
00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:37,120
Speaker 2: drive the ball down the field and makes all the

930
00:47:37,160 --> 00:47:39,040
Speaker 2: sense in the world to tap that resource. And then

931
00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:42,680
Speaker 2: he mixing Chase Brown who catches the ball well too. Yeah,

932
00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:43,840
Speaker 2: you know, and they're easy throats.

933
00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:46,080
Speaker 1: I think he had he has nine catches this year.

934
00:47:46,080 --> 00:47:50,000
Speaker 1: It's on nine targets Brown, yeah, because everything's behind the

935
00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:51,640
Speaker 1: line of scrimmage. And then you let him try to

936
00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:53,800
Speaker 1: break a tackle or make somebody miss and go this

937
00:47:53,880 --> 00:47:54,000
Speaker 1: is a.

938
00:47:54,040 --> 00:47:56,880
Speaker 2: Quick swing yeah, hands yeah, absolutely so.

939
00:47:57,200 --> 00:47:59,040
Speaker 1: I mean again, the Steelers are going to have to

940
00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:02,440
Speaker 1: tackle to catch. Not having Chase in there, to me

941
00:48:02,560 --> 00:48:04,359
Speaker 1: is huge. He had four catches for eighty one yards

942
00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:08,280
Speaker 1: in that game with Porter on two of those tip passes.

943
00:48:08,440 --> 00:48:08,680
Speaker 2: H Yeah.

944
00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:11,640
Speaker 1: But even on catching those tip passes, he went thirty

945
00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:15,200
Speaker 1: one yards on one of those tip passes because he's

946
00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:15,520
Speaker 1: just that.

947
00:48:15,640 --> 00:48:18,719
Speaker 2: Explosive great player. Yeah, yeah, exactly. No, Chase is their

948
00:48:18,760 --> 00:48:21,480
Speaker 2: best football player. I mean burrow side take that away

949
00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:22,000
Speaker 2: from anybody.

950
00:48:22,080 --> 00:48:24,239
Speaker 1: It hurts you, yeah, so I I you know, if

951
00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:26,600
Speaker 1: the Steelers can do something similar to that, maybe not

952
00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:29,000
Speaker 1: replicated completely, I mean pick it through for two hundred

953
00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:30,080
Speaker 1: and seventy eight yards in that game.

954
00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:32,080
Speaker 2: I mean, only Friar Muth will have as big a

955
00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:34,120
Speaker 2: day or the Steelers are going to thirty seven minutes

956
00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:37,560
Speaker 2: time possession. But if you can have a similar script,

957
00:48:38,080 --> 00:48:38,600
Speaker 2: you got a shot.

958
00:48:38,640 --> 00:48:39,319
Speaker 3: You got shot.

959
00:48:39,440 --> 00:48:41,799
Speaker 1: Yeah, even if the tight ends are in those guys,

960
00:48:41,880 --> 00:48:44,000
Speaker 1: because none of those tight ends if you look at it.

961
00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:47,040
Speaker 1: I mean again, Tanner Hudson had four catches for eighteen yards.

962
00:48:49,160 --> 00:48:50,960
Speaker 1: Not going to beat you, though, That's not going to

963
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,799
Speaker 1: beat yeah, right, Sample had one catch for eleven yards,

964
00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:58,040
Speaker 1: Er Smith two for eighth, Mitchell Mitchell Wilcox one for one.

965
00:48:58,280 --> 00:49:02,120
Speaker 1: If you can keep those guys, you know, if it's

966
00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:05,040
Speaker 1: everything's a six yard catch for those guys, yeah, that

967
00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:08,240
Speaker 1: eventually you're gonna get a Say, they did sack Browning

968
00:49:08,280 --> 00:49:09,239
Speaker 1: four times in that game.

969
00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:12,800
Speaker 2: I think the majority of the biggest key to the

970
00:49:12,840 --> 00:49:14,480
Speaker 2: whole game, and you just mentioned it with Bob though,

971
00:49:14,560 --> 00:49:15,880
Speaker 2: is the Steelers need to run the football.

972
00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:17,440
Speaker 1: They need to They need to run the football and

973
00:49:17,520 --> 00:49:20,200
Speaker 1: make make the Bengals play from behind, make him start

974
00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:22,239
Speaker 1: opening up the offense a little bit more, and at.

975
00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:24,920
Speaker 2: Least on paper, that sets up well for them. I mean,

976
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:28,560
Speaker 2: the Bengals run defense statistically is very poor.

977
00:49:28,480 --> 00:49:30,959
Speaker 1: And your offense, your offense is actually at this point

978
00:49:31,080 --> 00:49:33,680
Speaker 1: maybe the stronger unit on your team, as bad as

979
00:49:33,719 --> 00:49:38,200
Speaker 1: that sounds, because it's it's the least impaired one.

980
00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:42,680
Speaker 2: For this matchup, for this Saturday, and on the what

981
00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:46,920
Speaker 2: the twenty third of December of twenty twenty three. I

982
00:49:47,040 --> 00:49:50,320
Speaker 2: have more faith in the offense than the defense, to

983
00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:52,320
Speaker 2: be honest with you, like the times, I think the

984
00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:54,160
Speaker 2: defense is gonna have to hold on for dear life

985
00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:57,279
Speaker 2: because there's gonna be matchups you don't like the just

986
00:49:57,360 --> 00:50:01,040
Speaker 2: bound to happen. Where the offense, if Rudolph controls of

987
00:50:01,080 --> 00:50:05,319
Speaker 2: football and plays, you know, manages the game. People think

988
00:50:05,360 --> 00:50:07,719
Speaker 2: that is a bad thing. But all the examples that

989
00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:11,719
Speaker 2: Bob just mentioned, you know where there isn't a fifty

990
00:50:11,760 --> 00:50:14,440
Speaker 2: seven yard field goal issue. If you just are smarter on.

991
00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:16,600
Speaker 1: The down before you know, that's managing the game.

992
00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:18,800
Speaker 2: That's managing the game. I mean, that's Brady, it's Montana,

993
00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:21,320
Speaker 2: that's I mean, that's great players managing the game. That

994
00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:23,399
Speaker 2: if you do that better and you make a few

995
00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:26,080
Speaker 2: throws that are there, I think the offense will be

996
00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:28,800
Speaker 2: I have more faith in the offense and where the

997
00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:30,960
Speaker 2: defense could be the defense could just be overwhelmed in

998
00:50:30,960 --> 00:50:33,080
Speaker 2: the back seven and our guys aren't goes your guy

999
00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:34,719
Speaker 2: type of situation that could happen, you know.

1000
00:50:34,800 --> 00:50:35,000
Speaker 3: Yeah.

1001
00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:38,279
Speaker 1: Anyways, he is Matt Williamson. I am Dale. Lalla, you're

1002
00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:41,000
Speaker 1: listening to the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio. That's

1003
00:50:41,080 --> 00:50:43,359
Speaker 1: going to do it for our number one. We want

1004
00:50:43,360 --> 00:50:45,879
Speaker 1: to thank our guest Bob Lavriola for stopping by. We'll

1005
00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:47,960
Speaker 1: be back with our number two right after this