1
00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:04,080
Speaker 1: Least.

2
00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,720
Speaker 2: He's The Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

3
00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:09,880
Speaker 2: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and

4
00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,680
Speaker 2: Gold SNR Steelers Nation Radio.

5
00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:17,920
Speaker 1: Welcome to the Drive. I'm Dale Lollie, he is Matt

6
00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:23,000
Speaker 1: Williamson and Matt. It is the Friday after preseason is

7
00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,960
Speaker 1: finally over and we get the last preseason game is

8
00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:33,239
Speaker 1: in the book, The hay is in the barn. Was

9
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:35,640
Speaker 1: it a perfect preseason for the Steelers because the record

10
00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,600
Speaker 1: says so, but there was a lot of other good

11
00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:39,560
Speaker 1: things to take away from this.

12
00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,879
Speaker 3: It's it's hard to find negatives. I mean, it really is.

13
00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:50,720
Speaker 3: To me. The most negative thing I can say, and

14
00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:52,279
Speaker 3: I just want to get out of the way is

15
00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:58,560
Speaker 3: Tampa in Atlanta fielded teams that were embarrassing, but they

16
00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:04,000
Speaker 3: got slaughtered by the steel and between slaughtered what we

17
00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,759
Speaker 3: all think is one of the best teams in the league.

18
00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,760
Speaker 3: I mean, like, nothing's perfect, but it's starring close.

19
00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,360
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, you know, I asked Patrick Peterson about

20
00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,080
Speaker 1: that last night. He said, look, you don't want to

21
00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,319
Speaker 1: get beat like that. Play your guys, you know.

22
00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:23,959
Speaker 3: So right, what do you want to do? You know?

23
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,720
Speaker 1: I kept watching the rewatched the game. When I get

24
00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,440
Speaker 1: back to my hotel room here in Atlanta, and you know,

25
00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,640
Speaker 1: the the Atlanta broadcasters must have mentioned, I don't know

26
00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:35,600
Speaker 1: a dozen times in the first half, well they're doing

27
00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:41,480
Speaker 1: this against the the the the Falcons twos and threes. Well,

28
00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,200
Speaker 1: here's the thing. The Steelers starters were only in there

29
00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,600
Speaker 1: for fourteen nothing.

30
00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:48,080
Speaker 3: It wasn't like they played gold game.

31
00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,960
Speaker 1: And then their twos and threes came in and by

32
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,160
Speaker 1: the time it was twenty four and nothing, the Steelers

33
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,320
Speaker 1: had out gained them two hundred. I got to find

34
00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,320
Speaker 1: the stat it was two hundred.

35
00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,920
Speaker 3: And I had the halftime status.

36
00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,919
Speaker 1: It was two hundred and twenty yards to eight. It

37
00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:10,880
Speaker 1: was twenty four nothing, there.

38
00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:15,840
Speaker 3: Was twenty four. I mean, it's insane. You know. It

39
00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,080
Speaker 3: was both sides of the ball. It was special teams,

40
00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:23,960
Speaker 3: it's Pikett looking great, it's you know, just dominance on defense,

41
00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,519
Speaker 3: running the ball, well, throwing the ball. Well. I almost

42
00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,600
Speaker 3: don't want to spend a ton of time talking about

43
00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,720
Speaker 3: the game because it was just such a slaughter. I mean,

44
00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:37,880
Speaker 3: it's like it looked like Alabama play in Alabama State.

45
00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,480
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you don't often see that in the NFL,

46
00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,799
Speaker 1: even when it's ones against twos or you know, even

47
00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:46,880
Speaker 1: in ones against threes, you don't. I mean, it's just

48
00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,800
Speaker 1: those guys are getting paid two and they just looked

49
00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,239
Speaker 1: like they were completely overmatched.

50
00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,760
Speaker 3: And I need to throw this out there because I

51
00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:03,280
Speaker 3: don't understand even a little why Arthur Smith would not

52
00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,440
Speaker 3: play his guys. It's not like they sat Mahomes and Kelsey,

53
00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:13,200
Speaker 3: you know, like seventeen days until the next one. I mean, hey,

54
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:15,440
Speaker 3: do whatever you want. That's not the team we're covering.

55
00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,080
Speaker 3: But wow, like, why do you think that Desmond Ritter

56
00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,160
Speaker 3: doesn't need to play? I mean, I just don't understand

57
00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,440
Speaker 3: it at all. And they played garbage and got slaughtered.

58
00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,160
Speaker 3: That's good for the team. That's the best thing for

59
00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,760
Speaker 3: your football team is to go get embarrassed by a

60
00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,160
Speaker 3: good team. I mean, they can't go into the locker

61
00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,880
Speaker 3: room being happy about where they're at right now.

62
00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,840
Speaker 1: No, And I think it speaks plenty about the depth

63
00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,920
Speaker 1: that the Steelers have that that just continued. It didn't

64
00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,040
Speaker 1: matter who was out there. They could have scored more points.

65
00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,280
Speaker 1: They ran the ball a lot in the second half.

66
00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,840
Speaker 1: They didn't let they really didn't let Mason Rudolph throw

67
00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:54,680
Speaker 1: the football yeah.

68
00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,200
Speaker 3: I mean I got the feeling, and hey, me doing

69
00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:57,640
Speaker 3: the post game show, I wanted to get out of

70
00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,240
Speaker 3: there too. I was quite happy that they of that

71
00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,880
Speaker 3: approach of let's shorten this game, let's get out of here.

72
00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,800
Speaker 3: We've accomplished all we need to accomplish. But it could

73
00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,320
Speaker 3: have been way worse. I mean even in the second half.

74
00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:14,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, the crazy thing was Arthur Smith doesn't start, doesn't

75
00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,080
Speaker 1: put his starters out there, and then in the final

76
00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,320
Speaker 1: two minutes is calling time outs down twenty four to nothing.

77
00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:22,320
Speaker 3: Right, because we're here to win.

78
00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:22,719
Speaker 1: Guys.

79
00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:25,800
Speaker 3: That's what I don't understand.

80
00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,159
Speaker 1: After you you just got to see those guys play

81
00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:34,000
Speaker 1: the entire game. Yes, it's not like you needed a

82
00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:35,920
Speaker 1: couple more plays to get a look at somebody.

83
00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,680
Speaker 3: I mean it was what it was was mind boggling.

84
00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,280
Speaker 1: You know, I get and there are people out there

85
00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,720
Speaker 1: who gnash your teeth. I can't believe Mike Tomlin played

86
00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:50,840
Speaker 1: this guy or played that guy. You know, he always

87
00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:52,760
Speaker 1: talks about he's not living in his fears. Well he

88
00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,000
Speaker 1: certainly wasn't living in his fears last night. TJ. Watt

89
00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,560
Speaker 1: was out there, make I Fitzpatrick was out there, and

90
00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,080
Speaker 1: I didn't have a problem with Mike Tomlin and all

91
00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,040
Speaker 1: playing those guys in the secondary a little bit longer. No,

92
00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,720
Speaker 1: I agree, there's a lot of new faces on that secondary.

93
00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:10,960
Speaker 1: It was a road game. Obviously, they didn't get a

94
00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,440
Speaker 1: chance to do that in Tampa, you know, because Miga

95
00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,760
Speaker 1: Fitzpatrick was still coming back from being away from the team,

96
00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,000
Speaker 1: so he let those guys, you know, stay out there

97
00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,599
Speaker 1: for twenty five snaps or whatever it was, you know,

98
00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:25,760
Speaker 1: to work on their communication.

99
00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,960
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, and he's talked about that, you know, O

100
00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,680
Speaker 3: line communication, defense communication. It seemed like a big thing

101
00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,080
Speaker 3: when people were talking about a Land and Roberts how

102
00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,320
Speaker 3: well he communicates. Minca talked about that on the sidelines.

103
00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:46,120
Speaker 3: So it's clearly something the coaching staff, especially on defense,

104
00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,239
Speaker 3: is stressing because they got a lot of new bodies

105
00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,680
Speaker 3: and it's not the returning linebackers, and you know, I mean,

106
00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,600
Speaker 3: Mink is obviously going to coordinate this the secondary, but

107
00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,160
Speaker 3: there's still a lot of new faces there and some

108
00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,440
Speaker 3: young guys. So it makes all sense in the world.

109
00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:06,360
Speaker 3: And I guess it could have ended in disaster. Somebody

110
00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,599
Speaker 3: could have got hurt, but they weren't out there that long.

111
00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,120
Speaker 3: I do think there's something to building momentum and squashing

112
00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,440
Speaker 3: a bad team in their building and then having seventeen

113
00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:21,159
Speaker 3: days to prepare for the Niners. It went really what obviously?

114
00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, so you get through the preseason three

115
00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:30,240
Speaker 1: and zero, Kenny Pickett in this preseason thirteen to fifteen

116
00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,720
Speaker 1: for one hundred and ninety nine yards. That's a one

117
00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,600
Speaker 1: fifty eight point three passer rating, which is as high

118
00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,080
Speaker 1: as you can get in the NFL. And more importantly,

119
00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:45,440
Speaker 1: thirteen point two yards per past attempt attempt. He was

120
00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,000
Speaker 1: at six point two yards per past attempt all of

121
00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:52,400
Speaker 1: last season. They were attacking down the field throughout this preseason,

122
00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:55,400
Speaker 1: and it was all over the field. Like the two

123
00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,440
Speaker 1: passes he completed the long passes he completed in this

124
00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,839
Speaker 1: game were both down the side headlines. They weren't in

125
00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:03,479
Speaker 1: the middle of the field. So I mean they're just

126
00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,080
Speaker 1: show showing that he can attack at all levels.

127
00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, And what I'm really getting away from Kenny, Well,

128
00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,200
Speaker 3: there's a lot, but I mean it's accuracy and all

129
00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,320
Speaker 3: these things are tremendous. But Tim Bens and I had

130
00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:18,400
Speaker 3: a good conversation in the pregame show. You know, like

131
00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:20,720
Speaker 3: he asked me something along the lines of where do

132
00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:24,800
Speaker 3: you see Kenny right now mentally and processing things? And

133
00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:29,240
Speaker 3: basically my short answer was way way, way above the

134
00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:33,560
Speaker 3: curve and much different than last year. And you know,

135
00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:37,360
Speaker 3: we haven't talked about this. I saw it just yesterday,

136
00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,960
Speaker 3: but there there was a really good stat about Pickett's

137
00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,960
Speaker 3: rookie year. So he held the ball on average about

138
00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:48,000
Speaker 3: three seconds, which is high. I mean, it's not Lamar

139
00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:52,960
Speaker 3: hurts Field high, but it's probably the eighth highest longest

140
00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,800
Speaker 3: time to hold the football. So most plays are designed

141
00:07:57,840 --> 00:07:59,760
Speaker 3: to get it out of your hands basically in like

142
00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,640
Speaker 3: two and a half seconds or less. You know, I mean, boom,

143
00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:04,480
Speaker 3: hit this route, hit this route, get it out of

144
00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,160
Speaker 3: your hands. Don't have toy one to protect super long. So,

145
00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,200
Speaker 3: in a nutshell, when he got the ball out of

146
00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,000
Speaker 3: his hands last year in two and a half seconds

147
00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,360
Speaker 3: or less, he was a top five quarterback. It was

148
00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,720
Speaker 3: like him and Mahomes and all the names you would think.

149
00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,280
Speaker 3: When he got it out of his hands longer than

150
00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:26,120
Speaker 3: two and a half seconds, he was a bottom eight quarterback.

151
00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:31,440
Speaker 3: And what that tells me is the play designs were

152
00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,240
Speaker 3: probably better than they were given credit for. And he

153
00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,120
Speaker 3: is a good improv guy, but when he plays within

154
00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,040
Speaker 3: the rhythm and structure of the offense, he's lethal. And

155
00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,760
Speaker 3: now he's doing it almost every snap, you know what

156
00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,040
Speaker 3: I mean, Like this isn't here Boom throw it to

157
00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,880
Speaker 3: Deontay or the other thing we were talking about too,

158
00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,040
Speaker 3: is a big things defenses did the Steelers last year

159
00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,400
Speaker 3: was we know they ran into eight man boxes a lot,

160
00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,240
Speaker 3: but a lot of times they started with two high

161
00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,520
Speaker 3: safeties and at a snap they would bring a safety

162
00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,760
Speaker 3: into the box, creating an eight man box. And because

163
00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,840
Speaker 3: Kenny was so young, like all quarterbacks that are rookies,

164
00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:15,000
Speaker 3: he wouldn't check out of the bad play, and they

165
00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,440
Speaker 3: still had success running into eight man boxes. But now,

166
00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,120
Speaker 3: even just six months later, he's checking out of that

167
00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,719
Speaker 3: and killing them with Briar muth over the middle where

168
00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:28,800
Speaker 3: Deontay down the sideline. Like his understanding of what the

169
00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,440
Speaker 3: teams against him are trying to do, I think is

170
00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:33,600
Speaker 3: exponentially better.

171
00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,520
Speaker 1: Yeah. In fact, I brought that up the nausea Harris

172
00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:43,800
Speaker 1: last night, and it just his eyes lit up. I said,

173
00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:45,640
Speaker 1: you guys ran into you know the stat you guys

174
00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:49,439
Speaker 1: ran into the eight man boxes so often last year. Yeah,

175
00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,280
Speaker 1: I said, your offense being able to hit some of

176
00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,160
Speaker 1: these big plays down the sidelines and over the middle

177
00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,360
Speaker 1: that shoot back to safeties off right, he goes absolutely,

178
00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,400
Speaker 1: you know, he's like, you know, I can't wait to

179
00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,480
Speaker 1: see what this offense looks like, you know, running in

180
00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:09,120
Speaker 1: the seven man boxes basically, you know, with with those

181
00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:13,839
Speaker 1: two running backs, the receivers that they have, it should

182
00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:15,600
Speaker 1: be a very very good offense.

183
00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:20,960
Speaker 3: Absolutely, And the league wide trend, and it wasn't as

184
00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,199
Speaker 3: much of a trend against Steelers because they'd a rookie

185
00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:27,760
Speaker 3: quarter and frankly get a year. Their offense struggled, But

186
00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,960
Speaker 3: the league wide trend is we would rather you ran

187
00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,079
Speaker 3: into seven man boxes than hit us with bombs over

188
00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:38,280
Speaker 3: the top. So and Kenny at this point sure seems

189
00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,920
Speaker 3: very content to say, okay, you know, in a brady

190
00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,200
Speaker 3: like fashion. I'm not saying he's Tom Brady, but in

191
00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,240
Speaker 3: a brady like fashion, if you're going to play too high,

192
00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,240
Speaker 3: if you're going to back off because you're afraid of

193
00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,280
Speaker 3: our weapons, which teams are now going to be what

194
00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:54,320
Speaker 3: is hand at the nause and gouge you for eight

195
00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,200
Speaker 3: yards of carry your six yards of carry?

196
00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,839
Speaker 1: You know, yeah, I think you know again, I mentioned

197
00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,800
Speaker 1: some of my ten thoughts for today. If you're the

198
00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,640
Speaker 1: San Francisco forty nine ers, you're not watching last year's

199
00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:10,280
Speaker 1: tape of this team. You're watching what happened in the preseason.

200
00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,520
Speaker 1: And if you're watching what happened in the preseason, you're

201
00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:16,880
Speaker 1: not gonna be real happy about having a face of

202
00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:17,840
Speaker 1: Steelers in the opener.

203
00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:21,360
Speaker 3: I don't think so. I mean, there's not much on

204
00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,600
Speaker 3: tape that you're excited to play against, especially in the offense.

205
00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:26,960
Speaker 3: I mean, if we're just focusing on the offense here,

206
00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,960
Speaker 3: you gotta say, boy, the line is better, the quarterbacks

207
00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:35,760
Speaker 3: much better. Boy, they have weapons and can throw a

208
00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:38,000
Speaker 3: lot at us that way. You know, the five guys

209
00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,280
Speaker 3: that they trot out there all should be very very solid,

210
00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:45,360
Speaker 3: you know, so and diverse. Yeah, I hear you. And no,

211
00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:47,320
Speaker 3: by the way, your defensive player of the year still

212
00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:48,920
Speaker 3: hasn't gone the camp.

213
00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:53,440
Speaker 1: Yeah, so it should be very very interesting. We'll see

214
00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,080
Speaker 1: how that continues to break down here. We get the

215
00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,520
Speaker 1: well seventeen more days of sixteen more days now to

216
00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:03,840
Speaker 1: talk about that opener against the San Francisco forty nine Ers.

217
00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:05,679
Speaker 1: So we'll get more into that as we get closer

218
00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:09,240
Speaker 1: to that, but that be a fun breakdown. Yeah, let's

219
00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,000
Speaker 1: take a break here, Matt. We'll come away with our

220
00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:15,240
Speaker 1: our thoughts from the preseason when we come back. He

221
00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,760
Speaker 1: is Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to

222
00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,440
Speaker 1: the Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio. We'll be back

223
00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,000
Speaker 1: with more right after this.

224
00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:30,040
Speaker 2: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

225
00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,280
Speaker 2: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and

226
00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:37,199
Speaker 2: Gold SNR Steelers Nation Radio.

227
00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:43,240
Speaker 3: Welcome back.

228
00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,199
Speaker 1: I am Dale Lollie. He is Matt Williams Simon. This

229
00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,920
Speaker 1: is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio. And Matt, we

230
00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,679
Speaker 1: talked a little bit about this at the end of

231
00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:57,440
Speaker 1: training camp out at Saint Vincent College. Now that we

232
00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:03,240
Speaker 1: have three preseason games in the books, are there some

233
00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:07,559
Speaker 1: positions that you feel better about, worse about the same about?

234
00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:07,640
Speaker 3: What?

235
00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,600
Speaker 1: I mean, where are you at with this team right now?

236
00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:14,520
Speaker 3: It's hard to feel worse about any of them. I

237
00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:16,400
Speaker 3: mean it just I mean, I'm trying to be as

238
00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,839
Speaker 3: impartial as possible, but you watch these three games, plus

239
00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,040
Speaker 3: some pretty spirited practices and some guys in practice that

240
00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:27,040
Speaker 3: look quite good. So I'm gonna say I don't feel

241
00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,480
Speaker 3: worse about any of them. There's one area that I

242
00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:34,960
Speaker 3: have slight concerns about, and there's another area I have minor, minor,

243
00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:40,640
Speaker 3: minor concerns about. And my slight concerns are the defensive backfield.

244
00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:42,199
Speaker 3: And I think you and I talked about this are

245
00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:46,480
Speaker 3: last show that they might be an injury away from

246
00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:50,360
Speaker 3: being in trouble on the secondary. You know, like, right now,

247
00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,960
Speaker 3: I'm cool with things, but if an injury to almost

248
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,800
Speaker 3: anyone in the secondary, I mean certainly Minko would be

249
00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,520
Speaker 3: different than everybody, then all of a sudden, I might

250
00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:06,240
Speaker 3: be scouring things. And I did the pregame show and

251
00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,000
Speaker 3: Jerry Doulac mentioned, hey, I wouldn't be shocked if when

252
00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:13,000
Speaker 3: cut time happens, they're looking for a corner, they might

253
00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:16,240
Speaker 3: that he thought that might be the the one position

254
00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,560
Speaker 3: outside the organization. They might go grab somebody.

255
00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:21,360
Speaker 1: Well them and everybody else. So that's the problem with that.

256
00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:24,320
Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, you want tackles and quarterbacks too, but

257
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:26,440
Speaker 3: you know, right, of course, I mean that's just there's

258
00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:29,400
Speaker 3: just a shortage. And then Tim Ben's mentioned this and

259
00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,960
Speaker 3: I hadn't thought about it, but he wondered and he

260
00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:38,680
Speaker 3: was digging into the practice squad when it becomes out,

261
00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,240
Speaker 3: are they a running back short?

262
00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:41,600
Speaker 1: Like?

263
00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,760
Speaker 3: I like their top three, but we just know that

264
00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:47,880
Speaker 3: position gets hurt, you know what I mean, Like it'd

265
00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:50,160
Speaker 3: be nice if there was a fourth looming around that

266
00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,320
Speaker 3: you had some faith in. I mean, that's a minor,

267
00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:53,440
Speaker 3: minor issue.

268
00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,760
Speaker 1: Well, I mean, I I thought the one run that

269
00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:03,080
Speaker 1: Connor Hayward had last night, it's funny. Yeah, he looked

270
00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,040
Speaker 1: like a guy who's been playing running back all his

271
00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,920
Speaker 1: life and his and you know, is is in line

272
00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:09,440
Speaker 1: to get a lot of carries this year. I mean,

273
00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,560
Speaker 1: he made a nice jump cut. You know, he looks

274
00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,960
Speaker 1: like he can be a factor there as a running back.

275
00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a good point because Tim and I were

276
00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:21,720
Speaker 3: talking about that pregame and then what they gave him,

277
00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:23,880
Speaker 3: like two carries in a row or three out of

278
00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:28,040
Speaker 3: four plays were a carry, Like you know, Tomlin was saying,

279
00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,080
Speaker 3: all right, we're gonna do this. We're definitely going to

280
00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,400
Speaker 3: show him as a running back a little bit, you know,

281
00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,440
Speaker 3: as a pure featured ball carrier just for a series

282
00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,880
Speaker 3: or whatever, because he can do it. I mean, that

283
00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:44,480
Speaker 3: guy has more value like every days.

284
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,600
Speaker 1: It really is. It's hard to believe. I mean, the

285
00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,840
Speaker 1: only thing he doesn't do offensively is is play on

286
00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:51,960
Speaker 1: the offensive.

287
00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:53,080
Speaker 3: Line and throw the ball.

288
00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:55,240
Speaker 1: Well, he threw the ball training camp, the one Dare

289
00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,840
Speaker 1: if you remember now. It wasn't pretty, but he threw

290
00:15:57,880 --> 00:15:59,600
Speaker 1: the ball down at the goal line.

291
00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:00,600
Speaker 3: Yeah.

292
00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:05,680
Speaker 1: True. I mean, he's just a football player, I know.

293
00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:08,840
Speaker 3: I think we talked about this a little, which I

294
00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,640
Speaker 3: think was part of the Kendrick Green experiment of playing

295
00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,240
Speaker 3: fullback and whatever. But you wonder, are you putting too

296
00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:17,920
Speaker 3: much on his plate? Not mentally, I just mean physically,

297
00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:20,760
Speaker 3: you're gonna do all the special teams, You're gonna block,

298
00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:26,280
Speaker 3: you're gonna ball carry, I mean, always stressing a two

299
00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,000
Speaker 3: hundred and forty pound guy too much physically of the

300
00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:29,800
Speaker 3: course of the season.

301
00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:32,400
Speaker 1: Well, I think that, you know, if it comes down

302
00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:36,200
Speaker 1: to that, you know, maybe he doesn't play all of

303
00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:39,600
Speaker 1: the special teams, and you know, then you're then you're

304
00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,720
Speaker 1: looking for other guys to step in and fill that role.

305
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,000
Speaker 1: So because he's I think he's gonna be a valuable

306
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,240
Speaker 1: part of this offense. I do too.

307
00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,160
Speaker 3: He's just the guy I keep thinking of with him

308
00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,040
Speaker 3: is the upcoming opponent. I think he's very cow used

309
00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:56,640
Speaker 3: check Like, I mean, they just asked him to do everything,

310
00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,600
Speaker 3: and he exploits mismatches no matter what. But you know,

311
00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:05,280
Speaker 3: I mean, so he's a problem for teams.

312
00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:09,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. Maybe they should put the FB next

313
00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:13,840
Speaker 1: to his name and just have that there. He could

314
00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:15,680
Speaker 1: be He could be a Pro Bowl guy this year.

315
00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:16,560
Speaker 3: Yeah.

316
00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,199
Speaker 1: Right, if he's just listed as a fullback, if he's

317
00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:23,120
Speaker 1: listened a tight end, that's not going to happen. No,

318
00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:25,520
Speaker 1: that's yeah. He's not gonna be the Anders out. He's

319
00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,320
Speaker 1: not even going to beat Friarmouth out for that part.

320
00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:32,760
Speaker 1: But with everything that he does, Uh, he's one of

321
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:36,080
Speaker 1: the more valuable guys on this team all of a sudden, right,

322
00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:40,160
Speaker 1: And yes, you have other guys who can do those things,

323
00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:45,960
Speaker 1: but not when you The problem is for opponents when

324
00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:49,359
Speaker 1: you break the huddle, they're gonna have to identify, Okay,

325
00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,280
Speaker 1: where's hey we're going, because that's going to you know,

326
00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:54,399
Speaker 1: is he going to the backfield, is he going you know,

327
00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,960
Speaker 1: to the wing? Is he splitting out wide? What's he

328
00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:00,840
Speaker 1: doing on this play? Because that's gonna be maybe identifier

329
00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:01,680
Speaker 1: on this offense.

330
00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:04,879
Speaker 3: Yeah, and he's not even a starter.

331
00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:05,800
Speaker 1: And he's not a starter.

332
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:10,080
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know what I mean. So go back to

333
00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:12,879
Speaker 3: the Niners because the Niners, and I know we have

334
00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,640
Speaker 3: seventeen days to prepare for them, but they almost play

335
00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:19,320
Speaker 3: the same five skill guys, probably more than any offense

336
00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:21,440
Speaker 3: in the league. I mean, it's used check at Stebo,

337
00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,480
Speaker 3: it's McCaffrey, it's Kittle, and it's used check. I mean,

338
00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,000
Speaker 3: it's in. So the beauty of that is, do I

339
00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:34,080
Speaker 3: play nickel against what is really twenty one personnel? Well?

340
00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,719
Speaker 3: If so used, Check's gonna split out Connor Ayward and

341
00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:42,280
Speaker 3: kill linebackers if I'm gonna go heavy against it, or

342
00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,359
Speaker 3: the opposite, if I'm gonna play He's an elite block

343
00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,720
Speaker 3: me if I nickel it, and I'm gonna have linebackers

344
00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,119
Speaker 3: on him if I'm playing base against it. You know,

345
00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:54,040
Speaker 3: the Steelers can do those exact same things with Ayward.

346
00:18:54,440 --> 00:19:00,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, those guys, I know, the quote unquote fullbacks and

347
00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:03,320
Speaker 1: those tackles and things of that nature are no longer

348
00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,879
Speaker 1: you know, in vogue in the NFL. But when you

349
00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,840
Speaker 1: have guys like that, you know, you talk about position

350
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:10,879
Speaker 1: of football.

351
00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:11,439
Speaker 3: Uh.

352
00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,800
Speaker 1: He is maybe the poster boy on this team for

353
00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:18,920
Speaker 1: positionless football. Yeah, right, right, right, There's just so many

354
00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,640
Speaker 1: different things that he can do, and it may save

355
00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,399
Speaker 1: your roster spot. Maybe they decide they only want to

356
00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,400
Speaker 1: keep three running backs on the active roster and they say,

357
00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:31,000
Speaker 1: Heyward's the third running back. I would say that wouldn't

358
00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,800
Speaker 1: surprise me a bit. You know, if they're going to

359
00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,600
Speaker 1: keep they're going to keep four tight ends. Who keeps

360
00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,280
Speaker 1: four tight ends these days? But when when that tight

361
00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,560
Speaker 1: end can also play running back, you can also line

362
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:47,040
Speaker 1: them up and he can run receiver routes. Uh, you know,

363
00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:48,800
Speaker 1: he can put him in the back. There's just so

364
00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:50,720
Speaker 1: many things you can do with him. I don't care

365
00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:51,480
Speaker 1: what you call him.

366
00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,359
Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly exactly. I know. I think someone, maybe it

367
00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:00,040
Speaker 3: was us, brought up the name like Jalen Samuels, and

368
00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:04,000
Speaker 3: that's doing Hayward at discredit. But Samuels had a game

369
00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,199
Speaker 3: or three where he was the feature ball carrier.

370
00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:07,520
Speaker 1: You know.

371
00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,080
Speaker 3: I mean, it's not the perfect world, but it's not

372
00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,840
Speaker 3: a disaster either. Hayward can easily do that. I mean,

373
00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:17,280
Speaker 3: he's not gonna be Barry standards, but I can hand

374
00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,720
Speaker 3: him the football fifteen times in Week ten when people

375
00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:21,200
Speaker 3: were hurt.

376
00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,399
Speaker 1: Yeah, and there's again there's a lot of value to that.

377
00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:32,240
Speaker 1: I look at the you know for things that the positions,

378
00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:34,840
Speaker 1: and I'm looking at and we talked about this a

379
00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,840
Speaker 1: couple of weeks ago at camp. I think these inside

380
00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:39,160
Speaker 1: linebackers can be pretty good.

381
00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,920
Speaker 3: They might be the most improved position on the team

382
00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:47,520
Speaker 3: since what we thought in mini camp. I'm not even

383
00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:49,399
Speaker 3: to compare him to last year's guys. I just mean,

384
00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:53,800
Speaker 3: like when trading camp opened, I thought it was the

385
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,320
Speaker 3: weakest spot on the team. And I'm not saying it

386
00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,720
Speaker 3: still isn't, because it's hard to find weak spots on

387
00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:01,640
Speaker 3: the team right this minute. But I feel so much

388
00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:04,880
Speaker 3: more comfortable with the inside linebackers now than I did

389
00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:06,520
Speaker 3: a month ago or six weeks ago.

390
00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:08,879
Speaker 1: Yeah, we've seen every one of those guys in the

391
00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:14,360
Speaker 1: preseason make plays, Yeah, and make plays that we didn't

392
00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:19,480
Speaker 1: see get made last year, you know, sacks, tip passes,

393
00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:24,200
Speaker 1: tackles for a loss. I mean the Steelers inside linebackers

394
00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,720
Speaker 1: played the entire season last year, obviously, all seventeen games

395
00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:32,200
Speaker 1: they had somebody at inside linebacker. It's seven tackles for

396
00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:32,720
Speaker 1: a loss.

397
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,760
Speaker 3: That's that's remarkable. I mean it's like hard to do.

398
00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:40,760
Speaker 1: And you know, Landon Roberts had to himself last night,

399
00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:43,920
Speaker 1: and Landon Roberts had a sack last night. Like it's

400
00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,480
Speaker 1: just you know, we've seen you know, they get their

401
00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,399
Speaker 1: hand on the on passes, make plays in the backfield.

402
00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,560
Speaker 1: It's it's night and day.

403
00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, as were almost the words I just said without question.

404
00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:02,480
Speaker 3: And even I was talking about this again in the

405
00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,240
Speaker 3: pregame show, not having watched this one yet, and I

406
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:09,520
Speaker 3: said that Bills game was about as good an inside

407
00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:13,159
Speaker 3: linebacker game that I've seen from the Steelers in a

408
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,840
Speaker 3: couple of years. And I know it's preseason, but like

409
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:20,679
Speaker 3: Mark Robinson looks a lot better. Like the position coaches

410
00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,399
Speaker 3: are doing a really good job on this team. Like

411
00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,800
Speaker 3: we can all give Tomlin credit Canada, et cetera. But

412
00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:30,320
Speaker 3: when some of these entire positions take a big mother,

413
00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,639
Speaker 3: may I step forward. The inside linebacker coach doing a

414
00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:34,320
Speaker 3: good job.

415
00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,159
Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, So I think there's a lot to like

416
00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:42,600
Speaker 1: about that for sure. How those special teams are outstanding

417
00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,520
Speaker 1: again last night. Calvin Austin is a weapon.

418
00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,560
Speaker 3: They're gonna start kicking away from him, you know, I mean,

419
00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,520
Speaker 3: which is great. I mean that's exactly what you want.

420
00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:58,119
Speaker 3: I think Harvin's tremendous. With all respect to their core guys,

421
00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,359
Speaker 3: the Snells and the world and Watts that they lost,

422
00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,359
Speaker 3: this core group might be better when it's said and done,

423
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:10,439
Speaker 3: you know. I mean it's pretty impressive. And Boz looks

424
00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:13,639
Speaker 3: perfectly healthy, you know, I mean, like, where are we

425
00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:19,600
Speaker 3: critical on teams? Boykin's a stud, you know. So it's

426
00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:22,800
Speaker 3: the same conversation over and over. It's just positive, positive, positive.

427
00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,080
Speaker 1: Right now, Yeah, I can't come out of a single

428
00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:29,480
Speaker 1: situation looking at this team and go, boy, they that's

429
00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:30,960
Speaker 1: worse than what I thought it was going to be.

430
00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:37,679
Speaker 1: There's nothing, there's nothing, you know, you go looking for

431
00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:39,840
Speaker 1: that because you look at this you go, well, it's

432
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:45,240
Speaker 1: preseason and you know there has to be something there

433
00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,120
Speaker 1: that you don't like, and there's.

434
00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:51,440
Speaker 3: Just not I mean one area. And again I've seen

435
00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,119
Speaker 3: no indications of this. But maybe when you get to

436
00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:58,720
Speaker 3: the regular season, we'll say, boy, Joey Porter Junior is

437
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:02,399
Speaker 3: not quite ready to start. Peterson looks a step slow.

438
00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:08,640
Speaker 3: These slot guys aren't much different than Malette. Maybe. I mean,

439
00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,960
Speaker 3: if I saw a position group that I could see

440
00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:17,520
Speaker 3: getting worrisome, that's the one I would say. But for

441
00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:22,640
Speaker 3: twenty or thirty years, this organization has I don't want

442
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:28,600
Speaker 3: to say hid or masked average quarterback cornerback play, but

443
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,040
Speaker 3: they're masters at it. I mean they don't have Dion

444
00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:32,639
Speaker 3: and Woodson in the last twenty years.

445
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:36,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's all about the pass rush. Yeah right, and

446
00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:38,280
Speaker 1: that looks like it's going to be maybe better than

447
00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,840
Speaker 1: ever it does. They can come at you in waves,

448
00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:45,560
Speaker 1: and if there was a star of the preseason, it

449
00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:46,280
Speaker 1: was Nick Herbig.

450
00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,760
Speaker 3: He has to be number one. I mean, just abusing

451
00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,240
Speaker 3: the people that are putting in front of him. And

452
00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,639
Speaker 3: like you said, I mean, Golden's looks really good, Benton

453
00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:02,560
Speaker 3: looks really good on starters, and the starters look tremendous.

454
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,639
Speaker 3: I mean Rodenhismith looked like killers.

455
00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,960
Speaker 1: Yeah. At one point in the third quarter, I noted

456
00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:12,359
Speaker 1: that the all of a sudden, the Falcons we're giving

457
00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,040
Speaker 1: Nick Krbig the TJ. Watt treatment. He was getting two

458
00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:19,040
Speaker 1: or three guys he was on his side of the like, Okay,

459
00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,080
Speaker 1: he's got three and a half sacks in the preseason

460
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:23,199
Speaker 1: in three games. We might want to double him if

461
00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,600
Speaker 1: we want to run anything confidently here.

462
00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,359
Speaker 3: And I'm sure the offensive tackle is like, hey, coach,

463
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,800
Speaker 3: I mean I need help, or the coaches like, boy,

464
00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:35,879
Speaker 3: you don't. Yeah, I don't have a bounting of the Steelers.

465
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:37,480
Speaker 3: But you had to be aware that he was tearing

466
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,280
Speaker 3: it up in the preseason. I mean, even if you

467
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:42,840
Speaker 3: didn't break down their schemes to no end. But man,

468
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,560
Speaker 3: I mean you don't see late in preseason games people

469
00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,520
Speaker 3: rolling protection doesn't really happen.

470
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:54,200
Speaker 1: No, it doesn't, especially in the second half of preseason quiltings,

471
00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:56,159
Speaker 1: Like I don't know if I've ever seen that.

472
00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's different with Watts out there for the first series.

473
00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,600
Speaker 1: R Yeah, I mean and one had his sack on

474
00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:08,840
Speaker 1: last night. He went through three guys right right, yeah, right?

475
00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:13,160
Speaker 1: Who you can't you can't triple team them all. I mean,

476
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,240
Speaker 1: it's it's just this is going to be a defense,

477
00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:18,399
Speaker 1: is going to be just something to deal with. I

478
00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:22,160
Speaker 1: thought that the sack on that Landon Roberts had, I mean,

479
00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,160
Speaker 1: he timed that delayed blitz up perfectly.

480
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,879
Speaker 3: He seems like he's turning into a folk hero, you know, like,

481
00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,359
Speaker 3: didn't coach Tomlin do a big e rob or something

482
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,640
Speaker 3: when he left the podium or yeah, you can see

483
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,119
Speaker 3: on the sidelines he's like one of the most popular dudes,

484
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,080
Speaker 3: and everybody's talking about him, and you know, it's such

485
00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,199
Speaker 3: a good communicator and his style of play seems to

486
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,720
Speaker 3: fit here so well. I keep bringing up Vince Williams,

487
00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:48,960
Speaker 3: but he's a little bit more of a modern Dame Williams,

488
00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:52,160
Speaker 3: you know, like Vince would struggle in coverage, especially now.

489
00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,960
Speaker 3: Roberts hasn't shown that. And plus you guys have to

490
00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,399
Speaker 3: play every snap, bring in Kwan here and there, or

491
00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:03,240
Speaker 3: you know, the rotation complements each other really well at

492
00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:03,840
Speaker 3: that position.

493
00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:07,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree, I think that's going to be I

494
00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:08,840
Speaker 1: don't know if it could be a strength. I don't

495
00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:10,720
Speaker 1: think it can be, but it's certainly not going to

496
00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:11,800
Speaker 1: be a weakness.

497
00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:14,840
Speaker 3: And that's all take. And frankly, I mean, I think

498
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,680
Speaker 3: Week one will be the hardest challenge they have all year.

499
00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:21,159
Speaker 3: I mean, that's exactly what the Niners do and it

500
00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,960
Speaker 3: might not be pretty in that game, But that doesn't

501
00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,800
Speaker 3: mean that it's all you guys are wrong. These guys stink,

502
00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:29,320
Speaker 3: you know, Like, Okay, they beat you up a little

503
00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:31,520
Speaker 3: bit in the middle of field with kittle and debo

504
00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,160
Speaker 3: and crossers and stuff. Okay, they do that to everybody,

505
00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:37,600
Speaker 3: you know, But I think for the course of the season,

506
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:41,240
Speaker 3: they'll be fine there. I mean, they're gonna definitely get

507
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:45,280
Speaker 3: more splashed. There's three guys I trust where looking back

508
00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,560
Speaker 3: at last year, it was really not I mean Splaine

509
00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:49,960
Speaker 3: shouldn't be in every down mind backer.

510
00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:52,320
Speaker 1: No, I mean Miles Jack should have been that guy

511
00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:53,760
Speaker 1: and he just wasn't right.

512
00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:56,600
Speaker 3: And I'm not picking on that group, but I'm not

513
00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:58,520
Speaker 3: sure if Spalaine even makes his team. And at the

514
00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:00,000
Speaker 3: end of the year he was in every day.

515
00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, he was playing every snap every end of the year.

516
00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,280
Speaker 3: I don't think he'd make the fifty three today.

517
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,879
Speaker 1: Yeah, Well, they got to cut that down by Tuesday,

518
00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,320
Speaker 1: so we'll see how that goes. When we come back, Matt,

519
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:16,320
Speaker 1: let's talk about some of those position groups. He is

520
00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,600
Speaker 1: Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to the

521
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,159
Speaker 1: Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio. We'll be back with

522
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:22,399
Speaker 1: more right after this.

523
00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:30,600
Speaker 2: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

524
00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:32,840
Speaker 2: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and

525
00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:38,040
Speaker 2: Gold SNR Steelers Nation Radio.

526
00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:41,000
Speaker 3: Welcome back.

527
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:43,880
Speaker 1: I'm Dale Lollie. He is Matt Williamson, and this is

528
00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:48,760
Speaker 1: the Drive on Steelers Nation radio. I'm still in Atlanta.

529
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:50,800
Speaker 1: Matt's back in Pittsburgh, So that's why we sound a

530
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:55,200
Speaker 1: little different today. But hope that works out for everybody.

531
00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,280
Speaker 1: Let's talk about these position groups here a little bit,

532
00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:03,880
Speaker 1: and we'll start with the offensive side of things, Matt.

533
00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:08,400
Speaker 1: We'll go from what we saw at the end of

534
00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,640
Speaker 1: last year to what we think this is going to

535
00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:14,560
Speaker 1: look like going into the regular season, and we'll do

536
00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:19,000
Speaker 1: the old, better, same or worse game.

537
00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:21,640
Speaker 3: I think one side, the Ledger is going to win

538
00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:22,120
Speaker 3: a lot of them.

539
00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,400
Speaker 1: I think so too. Okay, so we'll start. We'll start

540
00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:27,680
Speaker 1: a quarterback. That's the that's the easy one. That's better,

541
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:29,760
Speaker 1: I don't.

542
00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:31,520
Speaker 3: I mean to be frank, I don't know if Rudolph

543
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,240
Speaker 3: or Mitch or better. But the guy that's gonna take

544
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:35,600
Speaker 3: all the snaps is much better.

545
00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:39,040
Speaker 1: So yeah, yeah, I mean that that's an easy one.

546
00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:40,520
Speaker 1: How about running back?

547
00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,080
Speaker 3: I mean, I guess it has to be better, And

548
00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:49,560
Speaker 3: we're gonna say's about every position. But it's not like

549
00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:51,480
Speaker 3: the Oscan Warren have had to do a lot in

550
00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:55,280
Speaker 3: the preseason. They've done really well with what they've done,

551
00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:58,880
Speaker 3: but last year's version would have two I guess is

552
00:29:58,880 --> 00:29:59,960
Speaker 3: my point, you know, like.

553
00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,280
Speaker 1: I think, I look at you know, whether they whether

554
00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,120
Speaker 1: it's and we again we don't know what they're going

555
00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:10,360
Speaker 1: to keep there mm hmm. But if it's Hayward instead

556
00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,640
Speaker 1: of Benny Snow, or if it's McFarland in front instead

557
00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:15,800
Speaker 1: of Benny Snow and Hayward instead of of Derek Watt,

558
00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:16,720
Speaker 1: that's better.

559
00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:19,280
Speaker 3: Yeah. I guess that's a good way of looking at it,

560
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:21,560
Speaker 3: because I was thinking, Heyward maybe seem last year. We'll

561
00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:23,920
Speaker 3: just call them what we call him last year. But

562
00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:30,960
Speaker 3: if you look at Hayward, McFarland, Harris, Warren versus Snell,

563
00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:37,320
Speaker 3: Wat Warren, Harris, I definitely want this group.

564
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I think there's a lot more This

565
00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:43,400
Speaker 1: group can be a lot more dynamic.

566
00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:51,040
Speaker 3: Yeah. And my point was Warren and Harris have done

567
00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,760
Speaker 3: really well, especially Warren in these three games. But I

568
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,640
Speaker 3: don't know that they're better. I just think that circumstances

569
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,560
Speaker 3: are better. I mean, last year's version of Warren still

570
00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:02,120
Speaker 3: probably takes that to the house. I don't know that

571
00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,800
Speaker 3: he's a tremendously better player than he was last year

572
00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:08,440
Speaker 3: or not. I just think the circumstances and situations have

573
00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:09,200
Speaker 3: been better for him.

574
00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:14,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. Uh, how about wide receiver.

575
00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,640
Speaker 3: Well, there was, it's much better. I mean, think about

576
00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,920
Speaker 3: how many snaps Sims and Gunner played.

577
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:23,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I hear you.

578
00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:26,760
Speaker 3: That with one of them, is not that right?

579
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, Miles Boycomb was getting a lot of snaps at

580
00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:30,080
Speaker 1: the end of last year.

581
00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:30,960
Speaker 3: Yeah.

582
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:32,959
Speaker 1: And Miles Boykin is going to make this team as

583
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,480
Speaker 1: a special teams player. But I don't know that he

584
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,440
Speaker 1: sees many snaps on offense. If everybody stays healthy ahead

585
00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:40,680
Speaker 1: of him, like a.

586
00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,280
Speaker 3: Week one, if everybody starts to finish as a game,

587
00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,000
Speaker 3: I think he gets zero snaps on offense.

588
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:47,920
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean they were bringing he and Gunnery in

589
00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:52,960
Speaker 1: last year to block. I think that's one thing. Once again,

590
00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:57,680
Speaker 1: last night I noted, you know, Deontay Johnson downfield blocking, Yeah,

591
00:31:57,720 --> 00:31:59,800
Speaker 1: on screen on that screen that they And how about

592
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:01,160
Speaker 1: that they ran a true screen.

593
00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:03,880
Speaker 3: I know, I'm glad you mentioned that too.

594
00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:05,560
Speaker 1: I can't remember the last time I saw the Steelers

595
00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:06,560
Speaker 1: run a true screen.

596
00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:09,520
Speaker 3: I think they were last in the league. And screens

597
00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:13,400
Speaker 3: run last year. You know, it's great, really good stuff.

598
00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:17,000
Speaker 3: And again, I don't know if Allan Robinson's going to

599
00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:20,040
Speaker 3: regain what he once was probably won't, but he's still

600
00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,120
Speaker 3: a professional that you can put out there and move

601
00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:24,480
Speaker 3: the chains. And Austin is scary.

602
00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,520
Speaker 1: Austin's very scary, very scary.

603
00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:31,920
Speaker 3: And you know what I mean, I'm saying the opposite

604
00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:35,200
Speaker 3: I just said about Warren Harris. I think Pickens is

605
00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,480
Speaker 3: better this year than he was last year. And Deontay

606
00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:40,640
Speaker 3: I don't know who he's been covered yet in the preseason.

607
00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:45,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, you know, again, people think that his

608
00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,120
Speaker 1: target share is going to go down. I don't see

609
00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,000
Speaker 1: it always open. He's just always open. And Pikett's going

610
00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,120
Speaker 1: to go where he's Deontay Johnson is going to get

611
00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:56,600
Speaker 1: singled up more this year, maybe than he ever has

612
00:32:56,640 --> 00:32:58,240
Speaker 1: since he came into the league as a rookie.

613
00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:03,120
Speaker 3: Yes, agree, And I I think he's just kind of

614
00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:05,880
Speaker 3: a given at this point in that he's good blah

615
00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:07,840
Speaker 3: blah blah. And I know you Nation has been hard

616
00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:10,440
Speaker 3: on him. He may have had the best preseason of

617
00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:14,840
Speaker 3: any Steeler. He was tremendous in three games. Yeah, just

618
00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:19,400
Speaker 3: taking it to a different level. Yeah, how about tight end?

619
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:25,200
Speaker 3: I mean better to me in practice, and he's made

620
00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:28,880
Speaker 3: some plays and games. But just the addition of Washington

621
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:30,240
Speaker 3: gives the nod to this group.

622
00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know we talked about Hayward. I think

623
00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:36,840
Speaker 1: he's he's up to his game to a different level.

624
00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:38,960
Speaker 1: I mean, I just I just think that the across

625
00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,520
Speaker 1: the board, that group is better. How do you feel

626
00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:46,000
Speaker 1: about the offensive line? At this point, everybody was everybody

627
00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:48,400
Speaker 1: was saying, it's got to be Roderick Jones has to

628
00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,120
Speaker 1: be the left tackle. Bill Barnwell. I read a piece

629
00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,680
Speaker 1: from from him, why the Steelers are going to be

630
00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,680
Speaker 1: worse this year. Yeah, we're going to regress. And well,

631
00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:58,720
Speaker 1: you know they got a new starting, new starting left

632
00:33:58,720 --> 00:33:59,200
Speaker 1: tackle and.

633
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:03,880
Speaker 3: No they don't, No, they don't. Depth is a thousand

634
00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:08,280
Speaker 3: times better than last year. Left guard is much better

635
00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:12,880
Speaker 3: than last year. And maybe I'm getting a little too excited.

636
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,160
Speaker 3: I think Dan Moore is a better player now than

637
00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:16,839
Speaker 3: he was in twenty twenty two.

638
00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:22,279
Speaker 1: Certainly looks like it. I mean, yeah, he's uh, he

639
00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:23,200
Speaker 1: looks like a keeper.

640
00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:26,560
Speaker 3: Yeah. Like I'm not saying just leave it alone against

641
00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,040
Speaker 3: Bosa and Garrett.

642
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,239
Speaker 1: But you wouldn't do that with for anybody not named

643
00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:32,400
Speaker 1: Trent Williams.

644
00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:36,400
Speaker 3: Right, exactly exactly. I mean that's not how the league works, right, So,

645
00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:40,799
Speaker 3: and frankly, I think Roder Jones had a really good preseason.

646
00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:43,400
Speaker 3: And I forget which one of you guys ask coach,

647
00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:46,680
Speaker 3: but he said, and this is my favorite part of

648
00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:50,839
Speaker 3: his response, was he's gotten a lot of reps, you know,

649
00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:53,040
Speaker 3: something along those lines like, I don't think anybody's out

650
00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:54,240
Speaker 3: snapped Roder Jones.

651
00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:56,960
Speaker 1: So he had the most snaps of anybody on the team,

652
00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:58,080
Speaker 1: which is what should have.

653
00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:01,439
Speaker 3: Happened, which was exactly their play votes. Because he needs work.

654
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:06,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, you mentioned Tim Benz. He asked me on the

655
00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:10,600
Speaker 1: pregame show yesterday's is Dan Moore still the starting left

656
00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:13,960
Speaker 1: tackle because he was so good or because Broderick Jones

657
00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,960
Speaker 1: failed him? Like, I don't think they ever planned on

658
00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:17,520
Speaker 1: starting Broderick Jones this year.

659
00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:20,200
Speaker 3: It's kind of like Penny last year.

660
00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:23,279
Speaker 1: Right the idea. I mean, you're still talking about a

661
00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:27,439
Speaker 1: guy who just turned twenty one, who started fifteen career

662
00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:29,680
Speaker 1: college games. If he had't have been one of these

663
00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:32,319
Speaker 1: guys that was a three year starter at Georgia, it's

664
00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,319
Speaker 1: a different story. Now he's got plenty of seasoning, but

665
00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:36,440
Speaker 1: he doesn't at this point.

666
00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:40,200
Speaker 3: And I can't stress that enough. I mean, that position

667
00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:44,120
Speaker 3: isn't like wide receiver. I mean, I know Calvin Austin

668
00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,440
Speaker 3: wasn't a first round pick, but if Austin never got

669
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,879
Speaker 3: hurt last year, you can still throw him out there

670
00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:50,759
Speaker 3: for ten snaps a game and run go routes with

671
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:52,880
Speaker 3: the guy. You can't do that with a left tackle.

672
00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,239
Speaker 3: You can't just trot him out there on you know,

673
00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:59,239
Speaker 3: every tenth play in say go play left tackle. You

674
00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:02,160
Speaker 3: know you gotta They're gonna play every snap no matter what.

675
00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:05,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, it just doesn't work that way. Let's flip all

676
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:09,360
Speaker 1: over to the defensive side of the ball. It looks

677
00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:12,080
Speaker 1: like right now the starting defensive line is going to

678
00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:16,799
Speaker 1: be the same one that finished last year. So the

679
00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:21,360
Speaker 1: question then becomes, are they better behind those guys for

680
00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:22,560
Speaker 1: the big guys? Yeah?

681
00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:30,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I mean I think they're gonna cut good players. Benton.

682
00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,800
Speaker 3: I I feel like I'm an annoint Benton too quick.

683
00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:36,800
Speaker 3: But boys, he good.

684
00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:39,279
Speaker 1: Yeah, he gets in the back. I mean he just

685
00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:43,000
Speaker 1: he's like a bouncer in a bar. Yeah, throwing guys

686
00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:43,600
Speaker 1: out of the way.

687
00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:48,000
Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean, I think he's not only going to

688
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:52,200
Speaker 3: be the starting nose before long, but I think he

689
00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:54,600
Speaker 3: might push a push Ogan Jobie a little bit. When

690
00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:55,800
Speaker 3: there's two of them on the field.

691
00:36:57,320 --> 00:37:00,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, he's Uh. The one thing that we didn't get

692
00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,520
Speaker 1: to see from Benton because he missed the game against

693
00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:07,200
Speaker 1: the Bills is how he looks against the other team's once.

694
00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:09,799
Speaker 3: Right, right, He's killing bad dudes right now.

695
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, which is what you want to see again. That's

696
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:14,040
Speaker 1: you know, I want to see him go out there

697
00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:17,040
Speaker 1: and be the baddest guy in the field when he's

698
00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:18,719
Speaker 1: out there playing against lesser opponents.

699
00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:23,080
Speaker 3: Quick concern on the de tackles will call him. I've

700
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,440
Speaker 3: seen no indication of this, but I someday it's going

701
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,640
Speaker 3: to happen that Cam Hayward's going to take a step backwards.

702
00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:33,399
Speaker 3: I mean, he hasn't played enough preseason snaps or saying oh,

703
00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,279
Speaker 3: there's no chance that happened. I don't think there's any

704
00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,160
Speaker 3: indication of it. But someday that will happen.

705
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:41,800
Speaker 1: I think because of the way his style of play,

706
00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:46,840
Speaker 1: because it's not based on speed, he is one of

707
00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:50,640
Speaker 1: these guys that's going to age gracefully. Yeah, because he's

708
00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:55,080
Speaker 1: not getting any less powerful or technically sound or less

709
00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:57,800
Speaker 1: technically sound. Yeah, I mean that that stuff doesn't go away,

710
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:03,239
Speaker 1: you know, and you're in your forties maybe you know, uh,

711
00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:05,080
Speaker 1: you know, it's kind of like the clay you know,

712
00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:08,719
Speaker 1: maybe you don't want them playing uh, you know, sixties

713
00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:12,480
Speaker 1: plus snaps a game. But they've got guys now that

714
00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:14,759
Speaker 1: can they can step in and make sure that that

715
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:15,800
Speaker 1: doesn't have to happen.

716
00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:22,400
Speaker 3: Do you have any small concerns about lew and louder Milk, Like,

717
00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:26,880
Speaker 3: I think both of them are taking steps, but like

718
00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:29,879
Speaker 3: when you watch Benton and herbig and some of these

719
00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:34,359
Speaker 3: youngsters just dominate, I'm not seeing domination from that. I mean,

720
00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,080
Speaker 3: and that's a high bar, you know.

721
00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:39,239
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, you're the you know, the difference there

722
00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:44,080
Speaker 1: is that you know, Bent was a second round draft pick,

723
00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:48,160
Speaker 1: Lee al was a three, and louder Milk was a five.

724
00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:51,120
Speaker 1: I don't need them all to be you know, to

725
00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:53,400
Speaker 1: be Cam Hayward, right.

726
00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:55,200
Speaker 3: Right, Just give me meaningful snaps.

727
00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:57,839
Speaker 1: Yeah, they just need to play meaningful snaps. And if

728
00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:01,239
Speaker 1: they do that, then they're doing their job. Yeah, you know,

729
00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:04,520
Speaker 1: so I don't have any concerns about that. I think

730
00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:07,319
Speaker 1: I think that line is in pretty good shape, and

731
00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,760
Speaker 1: it's certainly in a better spot than it was last year.

732
00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:14,799
Speaker 1: Looking at outside linebacker, you can't help, but feel that

733
00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:19,359
Speaker 1: way again. We mentioned that her Big was the star

734
00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:22,840
Speaker 1: of the preseason for the Steelers. You know, you added

735
00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:26,200
Speaker 1: a Marcus Golden there. It's better than it was last year.

736
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,680
Speaker 3: How badly could they have used a Golden last year?

737
00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:31,839
Speaker 1: God?

738
00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:34,640
Speaker 3: I mean imagine not that they wouldn't have missed the

739
00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:36,840
Speaker 3: beat when what went down, of course they would have,

740
00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:38,520
Speaker 3: but it would have been much better.

741
00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:41,919
Speaker 1: They might have won one of those games that they lost. Yeah,

742
00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:43,640
Speaker 1: they kept them out of the playoffs. You might beat

743
00:39:43,640 --> 00:39:45,520
Speaker 1: the Jets, you might beat the Dolphins if you have

744
00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:46,000
Speaker 1: that guy.

745
00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:49,879
Speaker 3: Yeah, as oppose we're the Patriots. And then a draft

746
00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:53,279
Speaker 3: pick from Elik Reid that you didn't get enough out of.

747
00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:55,360
Speaker 3: You would have had a pro in there to step

748
00:39:55,440 --> 00:40:00,000
Speaker 3: right in real quick on this exercise. It's a good one,

749
00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:02,920
Speaker 3: but we also have to remember a team at the

750
00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:06,080
Speaker 3: end of the season usually does look as good as

751
00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:07,040
Speaker 3: the team at to begin the season.

752
00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:08,319
Speaker 1: It's a little beaten up, but.

753
00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:11,719
Speaker 3: Attrition of the game.

754
00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:16,880
Speaker 1: But there's just so much turnover that we have. I mean, yes, yes, uh,

755
00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:19,279
Speaker 1: inside backer we already talked about. I think we both

756
00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:25,520
Speaker 1: feel better about that as well. Yeah, cornerback camp, something's

757
00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:32,160
Speaker 1: pretty good. Yeah, and you know that group, that group

758
00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:34,759
Speaker 1: played pretty well last year overall, especially by the end

759
00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:36,279
Speaker 1: of the year. They let some balls get over the

760
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,120
Speaker 1: top of their over their heads, you know, early in

761
00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:42,560
Speaker 1: the season, but they had cleaned that up in the

762
00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:45,799
Speaker 1: in the second half, especially when they started rushing the

763
00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:50,000
Speaker 1: passer a little bit better. So, you know, I guess

764
00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:53,920
Speaker 1: to be determined at this point. I'm not saying it

765
00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:56,040
Speaker 1: can't be better, but I don't know that it is

766
00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:56,960
Speaker 1: better right now.

767
00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:01,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, I can Sutton carries a lot of weight in

768
00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:03,480
Speaker 3: that one good player because he can also bump in

769
00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:08,480
Speaker 3: the slot. Like I don't know for a fact that

770
00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:12,960
Speaker 3: twenty twenty three version of Peterson or Porter will be

771
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,160
Speaker 3: as good as a twenty twenty two version of siden Yeah,

772
00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:17,959
Speaker 3: if it is, you take it like.

773
00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,000
Speaker 1: I've been a long term that they have the hope

774
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:24,440
Speaker 1: that Porter go past that. But he's not there right now.

775
00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:27,160
Speaker 3: Right right right, So I'm gonna get the nod to

776
00:41:27,239 --> 00:41:29,640
Speaker 3: last year. That's the one spot I'll say that last year.

777
00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:30,640
Speaker 1: How about safety?

778
00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:37,040
Speaker 3: Is Edmonds missed? He may not even start for the Eagles,

779
00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:37,479
Speaker 3: by the way.

780
00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:40,840
Speaker 1: I know, that's crazy to me. Yeah, he played a

781
00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:43,759
Speaker 1: lot of snaps for this team. Yeah, and you know

782
00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:47,200
Speaker 1: was always available, was always out there. If you remember

783
00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:50,840
Speaker 1: the game that they won against Tampa Bay, he was

784
00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:54,000
Speaker 1: the only starter in the secondary that played in that game.

785
00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:59,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's true. So yeah, I mean Minke is a

786
00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:03,719
Speaker 3: same K's as Dame. I guess last year's was better.

787
00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:07,279
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would give I'd give this slight node the

788
00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:09,319
Speaker 1: last year. So that I think we agree. Then the

789
00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:10,840
Speaker 1: secondary is a little.

790
00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:16,400
Speaker 3: Maybe leaker, maybe ker maybe but made a baby.

791
00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:18,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, but I think the pass rush will be better.

792
00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:22,040
Speaker 3: This year, so and the second level coverage will be better.

793
00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:23,600
Speaker 1: Not to mention the fact that I think you know,

794
00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:27,480
Speaker 1: if you're explosive on offense, I mean think about they

795
00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:31,080
Speaker 1: led the league in sacks five consecutive years, and about

796
00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:34,000
Speaker 1: in three of those seasons they had leads for about

797
00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:38,840
Speaker 1: I remember doing the story in from twenty nineteen season

798
00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:42,960
Speaker 1: they had they had a lead for like one hundred

799
00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:44,960
Speaker 1: and forty minutes. For the entire season, they had a

800
00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:47,120
Speaker 1: lead of more than one score for less it was

801
00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:49,400
Speaker 1: like less than forty minutes or something like that, some

802
00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:51,920
Speaker 1: of the bumpers, and they led the league in sacks.

803
00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:56,560
Speaker 1: That's insane, right, if you if you get back to

804
00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:00,000
Speaker 1: you know, fifty plus even approaching sixty sacks this year,

805
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,400
Speaker 1: which I think they can. The secondary is going to

806
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:03,600
Speaker 1: look at heck of a whole lot better.

807
00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:06,799
Speaker 3: With all respect to the Eagles, they're a really good team.

808
00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:10,399
Speaker 3: They had seventy sacks last year, and their safety play

809
00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:13,359
Speaker 3: was very very average, and their third corner was very,

810
00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:16,640
Speaker 3: very average. But they played the weakest schedule in the league,

811
00:43:17,080 --> 00:43:21,160
Speaker 3: and I'm almost certain that they had the average the

812
00:43:21,239 --> 00:43:26,160
Speaker 3: highest average margin of victory after the first half, Like

813
00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:28,719
Speaker 3: they went into the second half with the biggest lead

814
00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:31,800
Speaker 3: of any team in the league. Well, that sure helps

815
00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:32,400
Speaker 3: with sacks.

816
00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:40,560
Speaker 1: Oh so, yeah, So I think overall they should be

817
00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:42,120
Speaker 1: a better team.

818
00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:46,439
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I expect Baus to be better this year too.

819
00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:48,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, I do as well. I mean that I think

820
00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:51,520
Speaker 1: that's a given. Yeah yeah, he I mean, he had

821
00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:54,279
Speaker 1: maybe his second worst season as a pro last year.

822
00:43:54,320 --> 00:43:55,480
Speaker 1: That's not going to happen.

823
00:43:55,280 --> 00:44:00,000
Speaker 3: Again, unlikely, right, I mean, there's.

824
00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:03,640
Speaker 1: Henyways we're gonna take a break. He is Matt Williamson.

825
00:44:03,719 --> 00:44:05,640
Speaker 1: I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to the Driver here

826
00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:09,120
Speaker 1: on Steelers Nation Radio. We'll be back with the Fantasy

827
00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:10,680
Speaker 1: Football Focus right after this