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Speaker 1: Your tune's about Drive on your twenty four to seven

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Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal, Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: What's going on Steelers Nation Radio. It's the Drive on

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Speaker 2: the Steelers Audio Network. We Shouler and Matt Williamson with

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Speaker 2: you here on a Wednesday afternoon. Matt, how we doing?

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Speaker 2: How we feeling?

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Speaker 3: Good Man? Midweek, Simon started thinking about the opponent. You

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Speaker 3: got to move on. So I don't think I've ever

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Speaker 3: told you this, but back in the day, like when

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Speaker 3: Twitter was new, I used to host a chat on

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Speaker 3: ESPN dot com, you know, a chat room, and everybody

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Speaker 3: would come join it.

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Speaker 2: Like a live chat. Yeah you questions, and it.

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Speaker 3: Was very popular. I really enjoyed. It was from noon

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Speaker 3: to one every Wednesday, and that was like the perfect

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Speaker 3: middle of the week when you like turn the page

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Speaker 3: to next week. And that's where we're at right now, you.

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Speaker 2: Know, absolutely kind of the moving and shaking in terms

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Speaker 2: of coaches, press conferences and injury updates and all those things.

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Speaker 2: Those tend to come out Monday Tuesday, and then you're right,

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Speaker 2: Wednesday's kind of the all right, any final thoughts on

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Speaker 2: everything that transpired? Yeah, yeah, and then let's let's start

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Speaker 2: to look ahead here at the upcoming opponent, the upcoming week,

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Speaker 2: the NFL slate, We've got another very.

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Speaker 3: Especially from a media perspective, like where we sit one

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Speaker 3: hundred percent shows kind of recap in chatting blah blah blah.

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Speaker 3: But now it's I'm like, okay, it's the middle of

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Speaker 3: the road here.

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Speaker 2: You start to turn the page a little bit.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, And we'll have another very intriguing Thursday night football

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Speaker 2: game that we'll discuss tomorrow as we are back and

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Speaker 2: running and really into the thick of things here. We

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Speaker 2: will also about half an hour forty minutes from now,

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Speaker 2: we're going to I don't know if we'll do it

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Speaker 2: every single week, Matt, but I think at least pretty

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Speaker 2: regularly a college quarterback conversation where we will lay out

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Speaker 2: a lot of those five six, seven names, what they've

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Speaker 2: been doing, stock up, stock down, a little college quarterback

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Speaker 2: watch that I think we're going to continue to do

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Speaker 2: and that everybody should be very interested in, because a

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Speaker 2: very high chance the Steelers are going to be swimming

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Speaker 2: in those waters on the North Shore in April, no.

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Speaker 3: No question about it. I think there's a real good

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Speaker 3: chance that that. I think that's the plan. You know, now,

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Speaker 3: Rogers could win the super Bowl in the MVP and

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Speaker 3: say hey, I want to come back. Let's wait a year,

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Speaker 3: all right, cool, you know whatever, draft of whatever. But

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Speaker 3: I think Steelers are going to be one of five

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Speaker 3: to seven teams are so heavily associated with first round.

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Speaker 2: Quarterbacks, without a doubt, and it feels like a good

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Speaker 2: year to be one of those teams. There's certainly a

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Speaker 2: lot of meat on that are so good. Yeah, and

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Speaker 2: we will discuss that today as well, too. We'll catch

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Speaker 2: up with Chris Hallick.

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Speaker 3: And new guests of the show. How about that new.

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Speaker 2: Guest of the show, Chris Halleck going to be one

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Speaker 2: of our regulars here and a special guest of the show,

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Speaker 2: Ben Skronnik, gonna join us as well too. Here in

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Speaker 2: about fifteen minutes or so, so that we can catch

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Speaker 2: up on the big day that he had Sunday, the

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Speaker 2: touchdown reception, the fumble recovery. We'll spend a few minutes

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Speaker 2: talking to Ben Scronnick here in just a few minutes.

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Speaker 3: You need those role guys, you need those fourth line wingers,

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Speaker 3: you know what I mean.

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Speaker 2: It's a great analogy. I think everyone is really I mean,

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Speaker 2: I don't know how you could. And after Sunday's performance,

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Speaker 2: where his value, Like I mentioned those two massive plays,

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Speaker 2: I thought he was a net positive every time he

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Speaker 2: was on the field.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's been a.

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Speaker 2: Common theme since he's been the Steeler. It's not like

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Speaker 2: they ask him to play a huge role, but what

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Speaker 2: they ask him to do, he does very well, very effectively.

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Speaker 2: And Yeah, be looking forward to talk to him about

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Speaker 2: fifteen minutes or so from now as the Steelers get

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Speaker 2: ready for their home opener. I'm sure he'll be excited

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Speaker 2: about that as well. But Matt, we start with some

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Speaker 2: news of the day, as we tend to do here

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Speaker 2: this program. We had discussed some of the injury news

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Speaker 2: from yesterday, the addition of Jabrill Peppers, what that might

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Speaker 2: mean for the active roster. Could someone be going on, ir,

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Speaker 2: how's that all your somebody? If you're adding one, you

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Speaker 2: got to subtract one led Zeppelin. If one goes in

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Speaker 2: through the outdoor, you got to go out through the indoor,

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Speaker 2: something like that. It's not the rolling Stones, it's led Zeppelin.

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Speaker 2: That's all you need to know. Active roster additions today,

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Speaker 2: Matt Jabrill, Peppers and James Pierre moved to the active roster.

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Speaker 3: Playing real quick on Pierre. This is different than the

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Speaker 3: game day call up move. You know. This is now

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Speaker 3: you're on the fifty three because he was.

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Speaker 2: Still technically a practice squad ga exactly even even despite

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Speaker 2: the the game day call up. So Jabrel Peppers of course,

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Speaker 2: now of this Parish now Pittsburgh Steeler and James Pierre

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Speaker 2: to the active roster. With that, Malik Harrison, who we

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Speaker 2: talked about his knee injury yesterday, and Skyler Thompson have

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Speaker 2: been placed on one injured the injured reserve list.

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Speaker 3: Now, I know one's a corner and one's of safety,

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Speaker 3: but I do find it interesting you add two defensive

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Speaker 3: backs and don't subtract any you know. So, does the

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Speaker 3: Pierre move tell you that Porter's more doubtful than questionable

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Speaker 3: start with that one? Or or are they just sick

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Speaker 3: of bringing them up because he's just like Scornic and

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Speaker 3: a course special teamer.

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Speaker 2: It could be a little bit of both.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I think we saw that they are very confident

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Speaker 2: in their top four cornerbacks, and particularly with Ramsey and Eccles,

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Speaker 2: whatever role they have to ask them to play.

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Speaker 3: Yes, agreed, but I'm again, if Eccles is your fourth corner,

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Speaker 3: that is way better situation. With all respectful per usually

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Speaker 3: Pierre is like your third or fourth, then he shouldn't be.

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Speaker 3: He should be your fifth and your special team. Or

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Speaker 3: if Eccles is your four, I've been joking all week

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Speaker 3: like that's the best depth of corner they've had since

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Speaker 3: the seventies.

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Speaker 2: I don't think the cour I don't think it's particularly

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Speaker 2: close right right, And he's a guy who's got he

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Speaker 2: doesn't only you feel confident about him out there box.

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Speaker 2: He checks the versatility box as well too.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, inside out, you know he doesn't play.

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Speaker 2: It's the Beanie Bishop conversation that we r. Beanie Bishop

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Speaker 2: accounts for one helmet on game day. Eckles accounts for

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Speaker 2: three helmets on three guys, and that is quite often

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Speaker 2: the difference in getting onto the field and certainly the

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Speaker 2: difference in feeling more confident in that group. So it's

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Speaker 2: a good question for you to ask as it relates

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Speaker 2: to Joey Porter.

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Speaker 3: At first I dawned on me it was a couple

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Speaker 3: of minutes ago, but I also was thinking through this,

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Speaker 3: you can always use Joey Porter. He's a really good player.

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Speaker 3: But if this is a Ramsey following JSN situation, who's

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Speaker 3: a heavy heavy slot component guy. I kind of think Cooper,

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Speaker 3: cup Shot and Horton the rookie is their third guy

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Speaker 3: and they don't play a ton of three wide. Maybe

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Speaker 3: this isn't the best week, or maybe this is a

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Speaker 3: good week to give Porter one more rest, you know,

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Speaker 3: and have Pierre active. Eccles is your three. I can

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Speaker 3: handle that, you know what I mean?

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Speaker 2: A lot of times I think we can be too

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Speaker 2: detail oriented. Pedantic. That's the big word to use, right,

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Speaker 2: that's being obsessed with small details. Pedantic. I think sometimes

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Speaker 2: we can be pedantic with what coaches say weekend week out.

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Speaker 2: But when Mike Tomlin was talking about her Big and

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Speaker 2: Joey Porter Jr. I don't forget, I forget exactly now

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Speaker 2: on the spot what the exact quote is. But he

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Speaker 2: said he was optimistic about Joey Porter Jr. But very

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Speaker 2: optimistic about Nick Herbig. So there was a distinction there

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Speaker 2: between the two. Now that you asked that question, could

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Speaker 2: that be they could that be reading the tea leaves.

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Speaker 2: They're not the same, he used. He used an extra

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Speaker 2: you know, an extra word there to describe his excitement,

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Speaker 2: very optimistic for Nick Herbig, I believe is what it was.

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Speaker 2: So there was a little bit, looking back in hindsight,

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Speaker 2: a little bit more of a distinction between those two

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Speaker 2: who are in the questionable realm.

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Speaker 3: It reminds me of a conversation I had in the

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Speaker 3: postgame show with Mike Persuda, who's been probably at Bennett

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Speaker 3: every Tomlin press conference and knows Tomlin speak after the

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Speaker 3: years and flat out. So I'll tell you the story

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Speaker 3: in a minute, But it was after Harmon's injury in

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Speaker 3: the preseason, and Mike and I are host of the

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Speaker 3: pregame show, and a lot of us are like, oh, look,

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Speaker 3: Harmon's on the sidelines. He's joking. He's not going on

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Speaker 3: iar who they have avoided a huge injury, which ended

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Speaker 3: up being true for Pursuda and his hate say it

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Speaker 3: wisdom is like Tomlin did say, he used the word

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Speaker 3: substantial with the injury, you know, like he never the

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Speaker 3: words that come out of that head coach's mouth aren't

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Speaker 3: accident ever, you know, like the fact that he deciphered

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Speaker 3: between Porter and Herbig, the fact that he said substantial

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Speaker 3: with Harmon doesn't mean he's playing. He's practicing the next day.

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Speaker 3: You know how Pursuda said, like tap the breaks, he

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Speaker 3: could still be an ir guy, but it looks like

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Speaker 3: he's avoided season ending. And he was right, it is

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Speaker 3: gonna It was end up being four to five weeks

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Speaker 3: from the day of the injury.

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Speaker 2: You know, and now that we're kind of all rehashing

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Speaker 2: this too, he painted a more optimistic picture all throughout

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Speaker 2: camp and pre season with Calvin Austin. Yes, and we

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Speaker 2: saw him ready to go, no problem, no questions week one.

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Speaker 2: So you're right, we can be too pedantic with that stuff.

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Speaker 2: But I think when it's someone like Mike Tomlin who's.

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Speaker 3: Been his first year coaching, right, it's our first year

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Speaker 3: trying to decipher what.

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Speaker 2: Closer to it was twentieth, Right, it's close to his

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Speaker 2: thirtieth year coaching than it is his first year coaching.

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Speaker 2: And so you know what, I I hadn't kind of

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Speaker 2: put the tea leaves together in that regard, but I

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Speaker 2: but as.

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Speaker 3: We talked through it, maybe it's a little more questionable

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Speaker 3: than you think. And her big isn't you know.

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Speaker 2: I think that's that's a fair thought process. At this point,

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Speaker 2: we will obviously consult injury reports and all of that

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Speaker 2: as we were along this week final kind of thing

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Speaker 2: with that. Now with Skylick Thompson to the reserved injured

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Speaker 2: list as well to Logan, Woodside has been bumped up

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Speaker 2: as Will Howard is still now who knows.

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Speaker 3: That that Howard could come back.

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Speaker 2: That could change soon too, because he's kind of starting

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Speaker 2: to get similar with Derek Harmon right in that timetable

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Speaker 2: of could be ramp up period. But for now, Woodside's

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Speaker 2: the one bumping up there. And if we don't hear

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Speaker 2: anything about Will Howard's status, he would be obviously your

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Speaker 2: emergency QB three for the home opener on someday.

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Speaker 3: Good that Woodside around, But I think we saw enough

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Speaker 3: of him to know what he is. You know, like,

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Speaker 3: if it gets the point where he's in an NFL game,

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Speaker 3: we have problems. You know, you got major problems.

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Speaker 2: You've had some serious bad luck in the in the

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Speaker 2: injury department, without a doubt. If that is the case.

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Speaker 3: Now we know this organization, it's not even a Pomlin

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Speaker 3: thing necessarily. I mean, this goes this is a Rooney

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Speaker 3: thing for fifty years or whatever. They keep three and

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Speaker 3: I bet they're a little nervous with two on the

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Speaker 3: roster right this second, you know. I mean, that's just

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Speaker 3: not how they operate. So it tells me again, I'm

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Speaker 3: guessing that Howard must be close and they're probably going

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Speaker 3: to bring him back on real soon, you know what

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Speaker 3: I mean, real quick before I forget. Doesn't break my

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Speaker 3: heart that you're without Harrison for a while. I mean,

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Speaker 3: I think he's replaceable. He's You're you didn't even play

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Speaker 3: a snap of Holcombe at an inside linebacker. That card

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Speaker 3: still out there to be played. Bruner is a real

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Speaker 3: good special team or Pierre's now on the active roster.

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Speaker 3: You're okay, you know, I mean that doesn't hurt you.

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Speaker 3: But I find kind of curious or funny and not

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Speaker 3: accusing them of anything, but did Skyler Thompson like drop

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Speaker 3: a headset or a uh the clipboard on his toe

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Speaker 3: during the game? I mean, how did he get back?

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Speaker 2: I remember on on the last injury report before the game,

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Speaker 2: he was listed.

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Speaker 3: With Okay, I didn't say much, okay.

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Speaker 2: That final Friday injury get hurt practice. I suppose he

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Speaker 2: was listed before.

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Speaker 3: The Jets just works not well that you can place

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Speaker 3: him there for the for a little bit.

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Speaker 2: I see, I see the cynic in you I.

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Speaker 3: Get a hangnail that I didn't know about. You know, Okay,

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Speaker 3: that's fine.

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Speaker 2: He jumped out of his car too fast, and it happened,

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Speaker 2: bumped his head, happened stangers on the roof of on

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Speaker 2: the roof of his truck.

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Speaker 3: A lot of ways you can get banged up out there.

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Speaker 2: There, certainly are. We've seen some crazy ones. But yes,

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Speaker 2: he was, Uh, you're right. I should have mentioned that too.

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Speaker 2: He was on the injury report, the last injury report

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Speaker 2: on Friday, heading heading into that week one contest against

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Speaker 2: the Jets.

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Speaker 3: And you'd hope you don't need them this week or.

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Speaker 2: Certainly certainly, and you feel obviously goes about saying very confident,

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Speaker 2: and Mason Rudolph is your number two, but you you

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Speaker 2: still want some some I think, greater insurance with your

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Speaker 2: emergency quarterback. But that's the hand they've been dealt for now.

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Speaker 2: And that's, uh, that's where we're at, and we'll navigate

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Speaker 2: that as we roll along here.

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Speaker 3: Arterbacks your same game, you're probably not probably.

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Speaker 2: Yes, you're you're up to your your waist in it

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Speaker 2: at that point, maybe even maybe even up to your

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Speaker 2: to your shoulders or your chin Matt, before we take

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Speaker 2: a break here in a few minutes and get to

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Speaker 2: UH Steelers wide receiver, special teamer all around contributor Ben Skronick.

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Speaker 2: I did want to unveil for you the inaugural Best

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Speaker 2: of the West here on the drive.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm kind of curious. How are you going to

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Speaker 3: hit me with this?

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Speaker 2: So what it's going to be the majority of the

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Speaker 2: time during the regular season is just my top ten

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Speaker 2: power rankings, my best teams in the NFL today. But

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Speaker 2: I will throw you some curve balls because we do

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Speaker 2: big picture power rankings on Tuesdays. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I

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Speaker 2: will throw you some curve balls throughout the year. Sometimes

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Speaker 2: it might be best top ten quarterbacks in the NFL

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Speaker 2: right now, top ten running backs in the NFL right now,

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Speaker 2: top ten defensive coordinators in the NFL right now. We

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Speaker 2: might switch it up a little bit, pizza and then

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Speaker 2: when we get it, then we get then when we

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Speaker 2: get into the off season, it can be your top

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Speaker 2: ten favorite Led Zeppelin songs, things things like that. But

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Speaker 2: for today, Matt, it is the Best of the West,

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Speaker 2: my top ten teams in the NFL. As we stayed

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Speaker 2: here today, Wednesday, September tenth.

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Speaker 3: I have no room to be critical, but I will

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Speaker 3: analyze and no, I would like you to be yeah.

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Speaker 2: You got that way too high or way too low,

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Speaker 2: or where's this team? Where's the team? I will almost

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Speaker 2: like a college ap pole type. My three other teams

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Speaker 2: receiving votes got just outside of the top ten are Pittsburgh, Denver,

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Speaker 2: and the Chargers. Those are my just outside of the

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Speaker 2: top ten, also receiving votes number ten, I've got the

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Speaker 2: Minnesota Vikings.

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Speaker 3: I'm absolutely fine with that.

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Speaker 2: I got it.

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Speaker 3: I think I put I guess the way to look

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Speaker 3: at it. Since I only your other nine, would I

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Speaker 3: put the Vikings ahead of those three teams? Yes, I

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Speaker 3: know Chargers were really impressive. Denver was really not exactly right.

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Speaker 2: Chargers are an interesting one.

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Speaker 3: Right. Herbert was really really good, very very good. And

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Speaker 3: I'm a believer to begin with.

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Speaker 2: I just for game one, and I know he had

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Speaker 2: his struggles, but the way he rebounded. If they can

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Speaker 2: just get JJ McCarthy to eliminate the mistakes, that Vikings

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Speaker 2: team is going to be really good.

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Speaker 3: Everything else is there.

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Speaker 2: Everything else he will ultimately determine their ceiling and if

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Speaker 2: they're a super Bowl contender, a Super Bowl favorite, a

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Speaker 2: division contender, a divisional favorite. But if they can just

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Speaker 2: get some of the low light tape stuff out of there,

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Speaker 2: they are going to be a tough ask every Sunday.

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Speaker 3: Now, that was a really rough start to that game,

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Speaker 3: but in a brutal environment, his first ever start. I mean,

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Speaker 3: Bears fans are rampant on a Monday night, all lubed up,

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Speaker 3: new coach, first overall pick quarterback. They're finally excited about,

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Speaker 3: like we should have known it was gonna be a

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Speaker 3: slow star for McCarthy. Do you feel better or worse

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Speaker 3: about him now than you did four days ago? My opinion,

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Speaker 3: I don't think changed. I mean, I still I still

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Speaker 3: think it's a if.

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Speaker 2: I'm doing stock up stock down.

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Speaker 3: Hmmm, I think stalks about the same.

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Speaker 2: I still know, yeah, yeah, a couple more data points.

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Speaker 3: Right right right, I would say it's still incomplete.

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Speaker 2: Like we'll sure, we'll revisit that before we go to

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Speaker 2: Dublin and see him in person. After two more games,

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Speaker 2: two more games.

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Speaker 3: Oh, he's starting to get it, you know.

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Speaker 2: Number nine. I got the la rams A lot of questions.

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Speaker 2: But if the defense plays like that, if Matthew Stafford

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Speaker 2: is healthy.

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Speaker 3: I'd have him of the Vikes.

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Speaker 2: That's another team that, again, I don't know if they're

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Speaker 2: quite super Bowl contender, certainly not super Bowl favorite.

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Speaker 3: They give the Eagles all they could have in the

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Speaker 3: playoffs last year too.

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Speaker 2: They played the Eagles the best of anybody in the postseason. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: I think their defense might even be a little bit better.

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Speaker 3: I agree.

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Speaker 2: And Matthew Stafford continues to do Matthew Stafford things. He's

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Speaker 2: a top ten quarterback in the NFL. That's a really

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Speaker 2: good team and well coached too.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think he's the best coach in the league.

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Speaker 3: I'm not sure if we've had that conversation, but I

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Speaker 3: used to think it was read. I think McVeigh could

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Speaker 3: do so many different things. Stafford played like a top

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Speaker 3: five quarterback this past week. And we can talk about

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Speaker 3: his back all you want, but if he's out there,

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Speaker 3: I can't talk about it. I mean, I'm not a doctor,

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Speaker 3: I'm not a chiropractor. I don't know anyth about his back.

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Speaker 3: If he's out there, I'm gonna evaluate him. And he's

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Speaker 3: out there, so let's go.

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Speaker 2: And if he blows out his back in Week seven,

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Speaker 2: guess what they're not going to be. You know, Number

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Speaker 2: nine in my power rankings that week, they'll drop substantially.

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Speaker 2: But with what we know right now.

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Speaker 3: And I understand there's more risk with him than others,

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Speaker 3: but this is true for all I mean all started quarter.

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Speaker 3: I mean, if Josh Allen gets thirtd, he's not gonna

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Speaker 3: be and they're not gonna be in the top three

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Speaker 3: either or whatever. You know.

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Speaker 2: Membrainy've got the Lions.

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Speaker 3: I think disappointing week one.

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Speaker 2: But like I think that will be their low point.

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Speaker 3: I tend to agree too. That's another tough situation lambeau Field.

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Speaker 2: Two new coordinators, reworked offensive line. Yeah, Micah Parson's thrown

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Speaker 2: into the mix. That's a that's a tough ass week

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Speaker 2: one for Detroit. I think that'll be their low point.

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Speaker 2: I think they'll improve. Like you've mentioned, I don't know

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Speaker 2: if that super Bowl window is still open for them,

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Speaker 2: But I don't think that means that they're suddenly a

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Speaker 2: bad team either. They just might be second tier in

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Speaker 2: the NFC instead of first tier. I've got them at

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Speaker 2: number eight.

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Speaker 3: I'm cool with that. I would have them ahead of

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Speaker 3: those other two NFC teams you just mentioned. Laflor to

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Speaker 3: me is also a massively underrated coach and especially offensive mind.

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Speaker 2: Oh he does go to the playoffs win double digit games.

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Speaker 3: All the time, right, and you know Love was out

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Speaker 3: for a while, So they run the ball a ton

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Speaker 3: with Willis and still you know, are highly competitive. That's

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Speaker 3: a new defensive coordinator going up against a masterful offensive

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Speaker 3: mind in week one. Yeah, I don't think the lines

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Speaker 3: are going anywhere as a top ten type of team.

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Speaker 3: I don't know that they're a super Bowl champion type team.

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Speaker 2: We might not have them in the top five like

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Speaker 2: r the last couple of years, but I think that's

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Speaker 2: six to ten range. They'll still comfortably be there number seven.

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Speaker 2: This is maybe the hardest team to judge for me,

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Speaker 2: but I got the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But I just

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Speaker 2: think the way that they were able to the way

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Speaker 2: Baker Mayfield was able to knock off some early rust. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: the way that they were able to get I mean,

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Speaker 2: as you talked about this yesterday, they moved Graham Barton

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Speaker 2: their center to tackle because Tris. Because their best offensive lineman,

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Speaker 2: Tristan Wurf's is out.

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Speaker 3: Like it's a second year guy too, you know.

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Speaker 2: Right, They're wide receivers are banged up, but you got

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Speaker 2: a mecha Buka out there making plays.

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Speaker 3: Well.

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Speaker 2: I think the Bucks are a good team right now,

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Speaker 2: who is only going to get better. As again, you

402
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Speaker 2: got to have that good fortune happen. But you know,

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Speaker 2: if they get some these reinforcements back on offense.

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Speaker 3: I think they're a team too now that has earned

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Speaker 3: the benefit of the doubt. I mean, some of it

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Speaker 3: goes back to the Brady era, but since then they

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Speaker 3: just went in division every year, you know, and we

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Speaker 3: just kind of yeah, you know, you know, right, you know,

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Speaker 3: that's there's something to be said for a winning organization

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Speaker 3: that gets it. And I think Todd Bowles is leveled

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Speaker 3: up a little bit as a head coach as well

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Speaker 3: new offensive coordinator. It's only one game, but it doesn't

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Speaker 3: seem like it held them back in any major ways.

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Speaker 3: You're thinking when I go lines or Bucks splitting hairs?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, right, Bucks made the playoffs five straight years. I

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Speaker 2: think they they are, they are They've earned benefit of

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Speaker 2: the doubts the organization a team that hasn't earned benefit

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Speaker 2: of the doubt as an organization. This was another tough

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Speaker 2: one for me, but I've got them at number six

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Speaker 2: because of how much I believe in the quarterback, and

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Speaker 2: I think they found something at running back. I got

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Speaker 2: the Washington Commanders at number six.

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Speaker 3: They go to Lambeau tomorrow.

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Speaker 2: That's what I was talking about that Thursday night game.

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Speaker 2: We're gonna really get to know that and the Packers

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Speaker 2: a little bit better Thursday night.

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Speaker 3: So my reservations. I think they are a lot like

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Speaker 3: the Bengals, and I think their offense can be top

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Speaker 3: five and their defense could be bottom five. But I

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Speaker 3: do believe in the quarterback. Their offensive line changes really

431
00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,960
Speaker 3: paid off in Week one two new tackles the first

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Speaker 3: round guy Tonsla left. They get to move Coleman from

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Speaker 3: tackle to guard, so they got better at like three spots,

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Speaker 3: even though one of the best guys caused me still

435
00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:29,520
Speaker 3: isn't even in there in the O line. They ran

436
00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:33,440
Speaker 3: the ball really really well. Debo paid off huge right

437
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,040
Speaker 3: off the bats. I mean they got him the ball

438
00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,720
Speaker 3: more than McLaurin and looks like he's really going to

439
00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:42,600
Speaker 3: be a focal point. They're pretty good. I would probably

440
00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:46,040
Speaker 3: have them behind Tampa and Detroit, but they're definitely in

441
00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:46,600
Speaker 3: the top ten.

442
00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:48,120
Speaker 2: I think they're certainly in the top ten.

443
00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,840
Speaker 3: Daniels might be special maybe I'm giving.

444
00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:52,360
Speaker 2: Them a little too much credit because the last time

445
00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,200
Speaker 2: we saw them the final four on the NFC Championship Yah. Yeah,

446
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:58,920
Speaker 2: and then Jaydeen Daniels doing what he does in Week one.

447
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that they're hard to argue with this.

448
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:06,520
Speaker 2: I barring obviously something unforeseen where they even improved from

449
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,280
Speaker 2: last year, which you and I don't think is going

450
00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:10,960
Speaker 2: to be the case, this is the highest I'll have them.

451
00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:12,720
Speaker 3: I can see that. I can see that.

452
00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,480
Speaker 2: Coming off the NFC Championship game, what we saw from

453
00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,240
Speaker 2: from Daniels Week one. I don't think I'll have a

454
00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:21,199
Speaker 2: much higher than six again unless they just shatter what

455
00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:23,879
Speaker 2: we think their ceiling is for this year. But I

456
00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:27,680
Speaker 2: think they'll be in about the six to eleven ish

457
00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:29,480
Speaker 2: range for most of the year.

458
00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:32,760
Speaker 3: I get that I didn't pick them to go to

459
00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:34,600
Speaker 3: the playoffs. I think it's harder to go to the

460
00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,639
Speaker 3: playoffs in the NFC than AFC, but I also think

461
00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:39,920
Speaker 3: there's a lot of AFC teams coming at the top

462
00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:44,240
Speaker 3: of the league here as well. My thing I want

463
00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:48,080
Speaker 3: to watch for with Washington is what's their defense do

464
00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,320
Speaker 3: in Lambeau tomorrow. I mean, that's a short week and

465
00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,280
Speaker 3: that's going to be a difficult conversation for anybody. But

466
00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:55,439
Speaker 3: I don't know if the Giants could exploit what I

467
00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:57,520
Speaker 3: don't think was a great defense. We'll see if the

468
00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:58,520
Speaker 3: Packers can't.

469
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:00,600
Speaker 2: That we will a little over to twenty four hours

470
00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,960
Speaker 2: from now into the top five. Not a lot of

471
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,560
Speaker 2: surprises here. I've got the Chiefs at five. Yeah, I

472
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,960
Speaker 2: think they were the least impressive, certainly of the quote

473
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,639
Speaker 2: unquote elite teams. But I'm still keeping them in that

474
00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:11,960
Speaker 2: in that group.

475
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,240
Speaker 3: I did a mailbag podcast today and you'd be blown

476
00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,840
Speaker 3: away how many questions were Are the Chiefs done? Time

477
00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,399
Speaker 3: to write them off? I'm like they were fifteen and

478
00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,320
Speaker 3: two last year, went to the Super Bowl. I mean,

479
00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,960
Speaker 3: this is their fourth loss since opening day of last year,

480
00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:31,000
Speaker 3: including three playoff games. Like done. Maybe I'm a little concerned.

481
00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,840
Speaker 3: The weapons are banged up and old and they might.

482
00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,040
Speaker 2: Go twelve and five instead of fifteen and two. Right,

483
00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:38,280
Speaker 2: That doesn't mean that they're cooked.

484
00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,639
Speaker 3: I mean we were doing predictions. If people were like, oh,

485
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:42,920
Speaker 3: I'm predicting the Chiefs aren't making the playoffs, Like, I

486
00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,000
Speaker 3: don't think they're going from fifteen wins to eight, you know,

487
00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:46,439
Speaker 3: I mean.

488
00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,119
Speaker 2: Not with the quarterback and the head coach.

489
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,880
Speaker 3: No, and they know how to win. And I don't

490
00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:52,360
Speaker 3: know who they play this week, but I'm gonna pick

491
00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,199
Speaker 3: them and after losing, and are they gonna lose two

492
00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:55,640
Speaker 3: in a row.

493
00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:58,359
Speaker 2: I got the Ravens at number four.

494
00:22:59,119 --> 00:22:59,880
Speaker 3: I'm fine with that.

495
00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,000
Speaker 2: They could be you have to.

496
00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,280
Speaker 3: Have them below the Bills, but I still think if

497
00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:08,159
Speaker 3: they played the Bills one hundred and eleven times in

498
00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,600
Speaker 3: which toa Kansas they beat them, they win the series.

499
00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,320
Speaker 2: Number three, I've got the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

500
00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:18,800
Speaker 3: Okay, Eagles were factors I was asked about today and

501
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:20,840
Speaker 3: I'm torn and the best team of the NFC.

502
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,040
Speaker 2: I think the Eagles are still great, but I don't

503
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,000
Speaker 2: think the defense is going to be quite what it

504
00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:25,800
Speaker 2: was last year.

505
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:27,399
Speaker 3: They had a number two corner issue.

506
00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,439
Speaker 2: They got a number two corner issue. Yeah, they're not

507
00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,120
Speaker 2: they're defensive front. They're not as deep as they were

508
00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:37,480
Speaker 2: along that defensive line last year. And they still they

509
00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,879
Speaker 2: still have a loaded offense. But I don't know if

510
00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,320
Speaker 2: the offensive line is going to be quite as great

511
00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:43,159
Speaker 2: as it was.

512
00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,560
Speaker 3: That's a great point. I don't know what the interior

513
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:50,040
Speaker 3: I still think Lane and Mulatto will be yeah, crazy combination.

514
00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,960
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, and the inside will be fine. You know,

515
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,960
Speaker 3: that's not what they're used to. Dickerson's playing with an injury.

516
00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,280
Speaker 2: Right now, you know, and that's not a good way

517
00:23:58,280 --> 00:23:58,840
Speaker 2: to start the series.

518
00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,320
Speaker 3: Yeah, some blurb on my phone. I think Goddard's banged

519
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:01,639
Speaker 3: up too.

520
00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:07,000
Speaker 2: Number two. Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.

521
00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:10,399
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think a big story with Buffalo is key on.

522
00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:14,080
Speaker 3: Coleman came on really, really strong in week one, so

523
00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:16,480
Speaker 3: people know, I do a lot of shows, and I

524
00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:20,520
Speaker 3: did a Dynasty show this morning of whose Dynasty stock

525
00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,040
Speaker 3: rose the most from week one, and it was Coleman.

526
00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:26,880
Speaker 3: But I mean he didn't go from the tenth receiver

527
00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:29,919
Speaker 3: to the eighth. I mean he went from fiftieth to

528
00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:33,720
Speaker 3: the thirtieth. Like he could be their number one. I

529
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:35,959
Speaker 3: mean they have not really had number one since Diggs,

530
00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:40,200
Speaker 3: and he's different than the guys they've been thrown to,

531
00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:42,679
Speaker 3: the Kincaid's and Shakirs of the world. I mean, that's

532
00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:45,760
Speaker 3: one more thing that they've added recently that could pay

533
00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,359
Speaker 3: off for him. I mean, Alan and himself makes him

534
00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,840
Speaker 3: a top five team he's so remarkable to.

535
00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,439
Speaker 2: Watch that he is. He has entered that stratosphere for me.

536
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,119
Speaker 2: Of I don't like the Bills offense as much as

537
00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,040
Speaker 2: I like some of these teams offense, but they got

538
00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:00,000
Speaker 2: Josh Hell yeah.

539
00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:00,000
Speaker 3: Yeah.

540
00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:01,959
Speaker 2: I don't like the Bill's defense as much as I

541
00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,440
Speaker 2: like is some of these teams, but they got Josh Allen.

542
00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,600
Speaker 3: Yeah. Right, I just I mean, he's getting to the

543
00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,320
Speaker 3: point now where if you can line up all the

544
00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:12,199
Speaker 3: Hall of Fame quarterbacks and I used to say this

545
00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,440
Speaker 3: about Rogers when he was in his prime, and we're

546
00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,400
Speaker 3: picking teams, there's not many I'm taking ahead of them.

547
00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:19,840
Speaker 3: I mean, like maybe Mahomes, Yeah, I mean, I mean,

548
00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:23,920
Speaker 3: like ever I'm talking about I want Farvar Allen. I

549
00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,200
Speaker 3: don't think Josh you know, do I want el Way

550
00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:30,000
Speaker 3: or Allen? M That's where I'm at. I mean, like,

551
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:31,440
Speaker 3: who do you want to play? Do you want to

552
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,760
Speaker 3: play against him? No? Ever?

553
00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,679
Speaker 2: Right, he's so hard to game plan for it, right,

554
00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:40,080
Speaker 2: he can beat in so many different ways. And Number one,

555
00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:41,679
Speaker 2: the Green Bay Packers, I get it.

556
00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:43,720
Speaker 3: I mean, you wipe the floor with the Lions with.

557
00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,240
Speaker 2: A division champion from the team that.

558
00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,040
Speaker 3: Should be in your top ten, and clearly is that's

559
00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:50,639
Speaker 3: a statement game. I mean that was as much of

560
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,720
Speaker 3: a statement game. Bill's beat the Ravens. But it wasn't like, man,

561
00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:55,480
Speaker 3: they're way better.

562
00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,520
Speaker 2: It wasn't over in the fourth quarter, all.

563
00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,159
Speaker 3: Right, right right? Yeah, I mean that game was a

564
00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:00,880
Speaker 3: statement game.

565
00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,440
Speaker 2: So there's your Well, I guess now Week two best

566
00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:05,040
Speaker 2: of the West.

567
00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,240
Speaker 3: Okay, not bad. I CAN'TQUI with it too much.

568
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:09,280
Speaker 2: They had the Commander's down a few spots lower, but

569
00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:11,000
Speaker 2: I think other than that, not too many. Not too

570
00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:11,920
Speaker 2: much beef there, right.

571
00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,520
Speaker 3: I guess one team I want to mention that has

572
00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:18,719
Speaker 3: not been mentioned and didn't make your just miss. They

573
00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,320
Speaker 3: would not be in my top ten. Cincinnati.

574
00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:23,480
Speaker 2: Yeah.

575
00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,040
Speaker 3: I don't think they'd be in my top thirteen either.

576
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,679
Speaker 2: Because because I had three others in the receiving votes, right,

577
00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:31,320
Speaker 2: I think Cincinnati would be fourteen.

578
00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:34,040
Speaker 3: Okay, I mean they were not. They did not play

579
00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:35,720
Speaker 3: well in Week one, No, they did it. I don't

580
00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,560
Speaker 3: think they were even the better team. But Burrow and

581
00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,960
Speaker 3: Allen aren't the same. But they have Brie Burrow. That's

582
00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,880
Speaker 3: all you going back to. Yeah, they they got that guy.

583
00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,159
Speaker 2: I think that they will be involved in this conversation.

584
00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,199
Speaker 2: Certainly curious what they do.

585
00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:55,480
Speaker 3: I don't know the schedule very well this week. I'm

586
00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:57,120
Speaker 3: curious where they're.

587
00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,680
Speaker 2: Headed the Cincinnati Bengals.

588
00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,280
Speaker 3: The Browns get the Ravens, which they have.

589
00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,400
Speaker 2: They're at home against Jacksonville. The Bengals are this Sunday

590
00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:11,159
Speaker 2: interesting one there, interesting one with the Jags team that

591
00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:13,639
Speaker 2: looked pretty good on Sunday they did. Matt, Let's take

592
00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:15,719
Speaker 2: a break when we come back on the other side.

593
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:20,760
Speaker 2: Ben Scronic one of the heroes of Sunday's victory, a

594
00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:24,440
Speaker 2: handful of pivotal plays in special teams and on offense.

595
00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:27,679
Speaker 2: We'll talk to him about that win and the upcoming

596
00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:32,000
Speaker 2: challenge against the Seattle Seahawks defense that is on the

597
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,080
Speaker 2: horizon Sunday one o'clock at Akroschuur Stadium. All that and

598
00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:38,240
Speaker 2: more as we roll along West Shuler, Matt Williamson. It

599
00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,640
Speaker 2: is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers

600
00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:50,680
Speaker 2: Audio Network, your tunes.

601
00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:52,800
Speaker 1: About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of

602
00:27:52,840 --> 00:28:07,880
Speaker 1: the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.

603
00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:15,520
Speaker 2: Back on the drive here as we now go to

604
00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:18,280
Speaker 2: the phone lines, and we welcome a special guest from

605
00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:21,880
Speaker 2: your Pittsburgh Steelers, A huge part of that thirty four

606
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,000
Speaker 2: thirty two win over the Giants to open the season.

607
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,159
Speaker 2: It is wide receiver Ben Scronick. Ben, thank you so

608
00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:30,639
Speaker 2: much for taking the time. And I just got to

609
00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,280
Speaker 2: ask you. I mean, you were a part of two

610
00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:37,280
Speaker 2: very integral plays in the Steelers securing victory. Of course,

611
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:41,280
Speaker 2: your touchdown reception and then your fumble recovery on special teams?

612
00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:44,640
Speaker 2: Which one of those did you enjoy more? I imagine?

613
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:48,200
Speaker 2: I imagine it was the touchdown reception of Steelers first

614
00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,320
Speaker 2: touchdown of the season. But I also know the pride

615
00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,680
Speaker 2: you all put in taking your work on special teams.

616
00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:55,360
Speaker 2: Which which one of those more? Which one of those

617
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:56,520
Speaker 2: got you a little more jacked up?

618
00:28:57,720 --> 00:28:59,760
Speaker 4: I don't want to send anybody in the organization, so

619
00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,560
Speaker 4: uh they both got me, you know, pretty sad answer.

620
00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:06,680
Speaker 4: I don't want to send anybody. But it was fun,

621
00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:08,520
Speaker 4: scorn and touchdown, so.

622
00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:10,760
Speaker 3: Wes kind of mentioned it. I mean, you've become an

623
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:15,320
Speaker 3: exceptional special teams player. And I'm always curious, like I

624
00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,239
Speaker 3: don't know your history, but I assume you were a

625
00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:20,720
Speaker 3: pretty darn good high school player and a great junior

626
00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:25,760
Speaker 3: high player. And when did you get thrust into special teams,

627
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,840
Speaker 3: and at what age and what stage of your development

628
00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,040
Speaker 3: did you really dedicate yourself to becoming as good as

629
00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:32,240
Speaker 3: you are in that phase.

630
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:37,800
Speaker 4: Well, actually, I played some kickoff in high school did

631
00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:41,280
Speaker 4: and I played kickoff return. But I always like kickoff

632
00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,240
Speaker 4: because I played a lot of offense and I was

633
00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,320
Speaker 4: able to just run down the field. And usually in

634
00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:47,960
Speaker 4: high school, you know the guys that end up going

635
00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:50,040
Speaker 4: D one and make it to the NFL, they're usually

636
00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,640
Speaker 4: you know, bigger, faster, and stronger than the people there

637
00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:54,200
Speaker 4: lined up against. So I would just run down the

638
00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,400
Speaker 4: field and just smack somebody, and that was a lot

639
00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,400
Speaker 4: of fun. And then when I got to college, I

640
00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:03,720
Speaker 4: did not a much special teams at all. And when

641
00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:05,880
Speaker 4: I went to the NFL, I found out if you're

642
00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,880
Speaker 4: not a starting player, you better play special teams. You're

643
00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,360
Speaker 4: not gonna have a job for long. So I had

644
00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:16,160
Speaker 4: a great coach my first two years in LA Joe D. Kamillis,

645
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,600
Speaker 4: and he made it fun and taught me a lot.

646
00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:23,280
Speaker 4: And then you know, obviously coming here or then I

647
00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,320
Speaker 4: had Chase Blackburn my third year in l A and

648
00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:27,960
Speaker 4: he taught me a bunch of stuff. And then I

649
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:30,360
Speaker 4: came here and you know have you know, a Hall

650
00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,400
Speaker 4: of Fame coach and Danny Smith and you know, older

651
00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,520
Speaker 4: players to learn from. So you know, I'm still evolving

652
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,160
Speaker 4: and there's still things I can get better on in

653
00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:39,680
Speaker 4: that phase of the game. But just being an offensive

654
00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,560
Speaker 4: player that's able to go cover kicks, it's it's a

655
00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:44,600
Speaker 4: lot of fun for me because you know, I hate

656
00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,920
Speaker 4: being labeled as a receiver. I'd rather have the Steelers

657
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:52,600
Speaker 4: list my position as FP football player because I like

658
00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:54,800
Speaker 4: to tackle, I like the block, I like to catch.

659
00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:58,280
Speaker 4: I just, you know, want to be a football player first.

660
00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:01,040
Speaker 4: And coach Simon always emphasizes the importance of special teams

661
00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:03,800
Speaker 4: and team meetings and stuff, so you know, it's it's

662
00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,600
Speaker 4: a very big part of what we do in Pittsburgh, PA.

663
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,440
Speaker 4: And you know, you saw it on Sunday. It turned

664
00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:11,280
Speaker 4: the game a little bit for us.

665
00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:14,640
Speaker 3: Ben I was the director of football opposite Akron a

666
00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,720
Speaker 3: million years ago when Chase Blackburn was our star linebacker.

667
00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:19,120
Speaker 3: That's a good guy to learn from. Man.

668
00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:21,080
Speaker 4: Oh, he's a great guy.

669
00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:23,480
Speaker 2: That's awesome. That's cool.

670
00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:26,040
Speaker 4: Full I talked talked to him on Sunday night, so

671
00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:28,360
Speaker 4: we stay in touch still, and he's a great guy.

672
00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:32,040
Speaker 2: That's a full circle moment here on the Steelers Audio Network, Ben,

673
00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,920
Speaker 2: what's that mindset for you like though, because you know,

674
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,560
Speaker 2: when dk Metcalf catches a touchdown pass, he gets to

675
00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:40,440
Speaker 2: go to the sidelines and get some you know, some

676
00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,440
Speaker 2: pats on the back and and breathe for a minute.

677
00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:45,760
Speaker 2: You catch a touchdown pass and you're right back out

678
00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:47,880
Speaker 2: there into a different phase of the game. What's that

679
00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:49,880
Speaker 2: mindset that focus have to be like for you?

680
00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:52,680
Speaker 4: Well, yeah, you know, you just want to celebrate with

681
00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:54,960
Speaker 4: your teammates. You know, obviously the offensive line works hard

682
00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:56,760
Speaker 4: and then you know, all eleven and then the guys

683
00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:58,440
Speaker 4: in the sideline want to congratulate you.

684
00:31:58,440 --> 00:31:58,640
Speaker 3: You know.

685
00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:01,720
Speaker 4: And for me on that one, I told myself all

686
00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,240
Speaker 4: off season once we got Aaron, I was like, you know,

687
00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:06,080
Speaker 4: if I catch a touchdown from him this year, I'm

688
00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,560
Speaker 4: keeping the ball. Well, the funny thing is it was

689
00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,920
Speaker 4: his first touchdown with the Steelers too, but you know

690
00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:12,680
Speaker 4: he said, I can keep the ball. I want to

691
00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:14,200
Speaker 4: get that one signed from him because he's going to

692
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:19,120
Speaker 4: be a gold jacket guy, so that'd be cool. Yeah,

693
00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:24,800
Speaker 4: he's got like five hundred, so you know, that was

694
00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:26,480
Speaker 4: the first order of business. I was like, I got

695
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:28,520
Speaker 4: to get this ball to somebody, get this thing. Make

696
00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:33,160
Speaker 4: sure I get this ball, you know, back to Pittsburgh.

697
00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:34,520
Speaker 4: Let's not use it the rest of the game.

698
00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:35,200
Speaker 3: And then.

699
00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:38,480
Speaker 4: Luckily there's a TV timeout because you're out of breath

700
00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:40,920
Speaker 4: when everyone's jumping on you and everything, so there's a

701
00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:43,440
Speaker 4: TV time out and then just back to business. Gotta

702
00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:47,320
Speaker 4: go cover kick. And then you know, for me, you know,

703
00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,840
Speaker 4: like you said, guys like DK, you know, he's our

704
00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,760
Speaker 4: number one guy, so he just plays offense. But you know,

705
00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:56,600
Speaker 4: I got to be alert all game, whether it's punt return, kickoff,

706
00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:59,920
Speaker 4: kickoff return, you know, field goal blocking and stuff like that.

707
00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:02,360
Speaker 4: So I just got to be alert on the sidelines.

708
00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:04,560
Speaker 4: You know, obviously you want to enjoy the good moments,

709
00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:09,440
Speaker 4: but it's the NFL. You're you know, one player doesn't

710
00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:12,080
Speaker 4: define a game, and you better, you know, make more.

711
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:14,480
Speaker 3: But we don't want to keep you along. But I

712
00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:16,960
Speaker 3: have to ask you how much of a stickler for

713
00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:21,240
Speaker 3: route running and precision is Aaron Rodgers. Sure he certainly

714
00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:21,960
Speaker 3: has a reputation.

715
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,600
Speaker 4: You know, it's funny you say that because you know,

716
00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:28,760
Speaker 4: being around the league, you kind of hear that you

717
00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:32,680
Speaker 4: like me being a sports guy, a football lover, you know,

718
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,360
Speaker 4: I watched stuff, see stuff, and you know, that's always

719
00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,000
Speaker 4: been his reputation of he's hard on the receivers. But

720
00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:42,200
Speaker 4: you know, I've never really noticed anything that he's too

721
00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:44,000
Speaker 4: hard on us. I think he just wants to win,

722
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:45,480
Speaker 4: and I think we have a group that wants to win.

723
00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:47,480
Speaker 4: So when he makes a coaching point, it's not like

724
00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,480
Speaker 4: he's being hard on us. It's it's something that you know,

725
00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:51,960
Speaker 4: we expect, we want to be great, and he wants

726
00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:54,200
Speaker 4: to be great. And you know, I think the group

727
00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:58,080
Speaker 4: we have of skilled players, you know, there's coaching points

728
00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:01,680
Speaker 4: that you know, I think him being demanding is a

729
00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:03,360
Speaker 4: good thing, you know, like I don't think it's a

730
00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:05,960
Speaker 4: negative thing at all. And you know, he's not, you know,

731
00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:08,279
Speaker 4: too demanding to the point where like he gives us

732
00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,440
Speaker 4: freedom out there to to do put our own flavor

733
00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:13,440
Speaker 4: on things and stuff like that. But I think that

734
00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,640
Speaker 4: narrative that he's hard on his receivers, I mean, I

735
00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,239
Speaker 4: don't see it. I don't think we have a soft

736
00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:21,680
Speaker 4: group of people who can't, you know, take coaching from

737
00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:25,040
Speaker 4: somebody who's won four m vps, won the Super Bowl,

738
00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:27,680
Speaker 4: had so much, so much success in this league. It's

739
00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,640
Speaker 4: like once you want, don't you want those coaching points.

740
00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:33,560
Speaker 4: He's coached you know, Devonte Adams or played with DeVante

741
00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:36,680
Speaker 4: Adams and obviously like play with a ton of great

742
00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:39,400
Speaker 4: players and coaches and just has so much more football

743
00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,279
Speaker 4: IQ than us. It's like, give give me all the

744
00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:44,600
Speaker 4: information I can get. And I think that's the mindset

745
00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:48,280
Speaker 4: you know, DK has, certainly you know, Calvin, Austin, Roman,

746
00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:51,359
Speaker 4: Scottie and myself, the tight ends. You know, we're all

747
00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:54,319
Speaker 4: asking questions. The coaches ask him questions. He asked the

748
00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,840
Speaker 4: coaches questions. It's just a good working environment that we have.

749
00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,319
Speaker 4: And you know, so far since Latrobe to we One,

750
00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:03,440
Speaker 4: you know, I've learned so much football, and you know,

751
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:05,279
Speaker 4: it's just it's fun working with a guy like that.

752
00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:07,960
Speaker 4: You know, a guy that every single route you run,

753
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,560
Speaker 4: he can be open, he'll find you. You know, it's

754
00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:14,280
Speaker 4: not like some other quarterbacks where they're kind of limited

755
00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,600
Speaker 4: in what they can do mentally. You know, Aaron's a

756
00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:18,759
Speaker 4: very bright guy. He's fun to play with, and I

757
00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:21,080
Speaker 4: think we're it's just you know, coming in every day,

758
00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:24,560
Speaker 4: practice meetings, whatever, and just having fun and playing football.

759
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,920
Speaker 4: You know, it's it's it's pure football out here in Pittsburgh.

760
00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:29,759
Speaker 4: It almost feels like we're playing high school again, man,

761
00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,920
Speaker 4: because coach Tomlin all he cares about is winning. And

762
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,520
Speaker 4: I think the culture of the city, man, it's awesome.

763
00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,680
Speaker 4: And I think Aaron's really you know, bought into that.

764
00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:41,680
Speaker 4: And you know, I'll speak for myself. When I came

765
00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:43,920
Speaker 4: here last year, I was I was just kind of shocked.

766
00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:46,400
Speaker 4: It was like, it's all football out here. That's what

767
00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:48,840
Speaker 4: that's what everyone cares about. You know. I loved my

768
00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:50,520
Speaker 4: time in LA, but there's a lot of other things

769
00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,040
Speaker 4: to do out in LA. So I've really enjoyed it

770
00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:55,520
Speaker 4: out here in Pittsburgh. I think he's enjoying it, and

771
00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:58,440
Speaker 4: I think our team is, you know, real close and

772
00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,239
Speaker 4: just want wants to win football games.

773
00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:06,160
Speaker 2: Ben Scronnick, Steelers FP football player kind enough to give

774
00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:07,799
Speaker 2: us a few minutes of his time here on a

775
00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:10,120
Speaker 2: busy day. Ben, thank you so much and all the

776
00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:12,520
Speaker 2: best in the home opener against Seattle on Sunday.

777
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:14,799
Speaker 4: I appreciate you guys. I can't wait.

778
00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,000
Speaker 2: We are looking forward to it. Ben Scronick, there he goes.

779
00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:21,719
Speaker 2: Great stuff from him, and thanks to Steelers PR for

780
00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:23,759
Speaker 2: hooking us up with that. I like that Matt FP

781
00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:24,960
Speaker 2: football player.

782
00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:26,600
Speaker 3: That he qualifies one thousand percent.

783
00:36:26,719 --> 00:36:30,480
Speaker 2: He certainly does, and I don't think that's just going

784
00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:32,759
Speaker 2: to be a one week phenomenon. I expect to see

785
00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:35,279
Speaker 2: that from him all throughout the season. We have got

786
00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:37,640
Speaker 2: to get to a break. We'll go around campus, little

787
00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,040
Speaker 2: college conversation as we continue to monitor these quarterbacks. When

788
00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:44,520
Speaker 2: we return West Shuler, Matt Williamson, it is the Drive

789
00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,080
Speaker 2: on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

790
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:23,880
Speaker 1: Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven

791
00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:26,760
Speaker 1: home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

792
00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:51,439
Speaker 2: Back on the drive here it is not Matt Williams Radio. Uh,

793
00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:54,399
Speaker 2: and great stuff there with Ben Scronick. Thanks for taking

794
00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,200
Speaker 2: a few minutes with us. And like you always point out, Matt,

795
00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:59,080
Speaker 2: there is not as much time in the week for

796
00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:01,320
Speaker 2: these players, for these coaches as people assume.

797
00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:02,640
Speaker 3: No, they got a lot of stuff to do.

798
00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:04,319
Speaker 2: They got a lot of stuff they got on field work,

799
00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:07,520
Speaker 2: they got off field work, they got therapy and recovery

800
00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:11,680
Speaker 2: and installs and meetings and a million different things. So

801
00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:14,080
Speaker 2: big thanks to him, big thanks to everybody with Steelers PR.

802
00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:15,359
Speaker 2: For setting that out for us.

803
00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:20,840
Speaker 3: I'm sure like hockey, basketball, and baseball coaches would massively

804
00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,720
Speaker 3: dispute it. But you need way more time to prep

805
00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:27,359
Speaker 3: for a football game, just x's and o's. I'm only

806
00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,880
Speaker 3: talking like body healing and all that stuff, compared to

807
00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:33,600
Speaker 3: I mean, there's a set play and then you stop.

808
00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:35,399
Speaker 3: I mean, there's so much randomness in this other game.

809
00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,520
Speaker 2: It's not even close Baseball obviously, it is its own

810
00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:42,280
Speaker 2: entity because it's the most controlled one pitch, one batter,

811
00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:43,920
Speaker 2: one pitcher, one batter, I mean, and.

812
00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:46,200
Speaker 3: I'm sure there's a ton of scouting the starting totally,

813
00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:48,399
Speaker 3: you know, no question, think about don't think it takes

814
00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:48,680
Speaker 3: a week.

815
00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:50,680
Speaker 2: Think about it. In baseball, they once they get past

816
00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:54,080
Speaker 2: training camp, spring training, they don't even practice. They're playing

817
00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:54,839
Speaker 2: six games a week.

818
00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:56,560
Speaker 3: Yeah right, you can't practice. I think they have like

819
00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:57,280
Speaker 3: batting practice.

820
00:38:57,440 --> 00:38:59,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, you've got one hundred and sixty track games.

821
00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:01,880
Speaker 3: Like I'm enough practice tonight from.

822
00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:04,120
Speaker 2: You're playing six games a week and like traveling on

823
00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:06,319
Speaker 2: the other day. You know, you're you're not you're not

824
00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:07,440
Speaker 2: practicing like crazy.

825
00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:11,000
Speaker 3: How often is hockey practice a few times a week? Okay,

826
00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:11,839
Speaker 3: on off days?

827
00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:14,040
Speaker 2: On off days, you know, if the Penguins are coming

828
00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:17,000
Speaker 2: back from Minnesota, like you know, they'll probably get an

829
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,520
Speaker 2: off day, as opposed to if they're home and they

830
00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:21,120
Speaker 2: have an off day, that'll be a prime.

831
00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:25,000
Speaker 3: Same with basketball, different levels of intensity.

832
00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,479
Speaker 2: Coaching certainly matters in basketball and hockey without a doubt.

833
00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:30,560
Speaker 2: It matters in baseball too, It matters in everything. But

834
00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:33,120
Speaker 2: football is it's its own animal. It's not closed, not

835
00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:35,120
Speaker 2: not even close to you stop.

836
00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:38,880
Speaker 3: You run a specific hall right right.

837
00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:40,920
Speaker 2: A formation to defend that play right.

838
00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:42,759
Speaker 3: Nothing's really improv you know.

839
00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:48,280
Speaker 2: I think again, I'm I'm being two. It's not actually

840
00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:51,719
Speaker 2: the truth. But like, give me twenty seven year old

841
00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:55,480
Speaker 2: Lebron James. Yeah, and I don't care how how much

842
00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:57,319
Speaker 2: I know my ex'es and o's. I'm good with.

843
00:39:57,480 --> 00:39:58,960
Speaker 3: Give you might want to win it all. You might

844
00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:00,840
Speaker 3: get out coached in a play off or something, but

845
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,320
Speaker 3: you'll probably have a winning record.

846
00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:04,080
Speaker 2: But yeah, I bet you'll go to the post. Give

847
00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:06,360
Speaker 2: me twenty seven year old Kobe or somebody like that.

848
00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:08,200
Speaker 2: And like, I'm at least going to the playoffs as

849
00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:08,960
Speaker 2: a basketball coach.

850
00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:13,400
Speaker 3: Let alone, give me like shocking Kobe exactly pretty well.

851
00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:15,560
Speaker 2: Dwayne Wade, Yeah, I think I think a lot of

852
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:19,239
Speaker 2: coaches could figure that one out. Matt to campus we go.

853
00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:21,640
Speaker 2: Maybe that's what we could call this around campus. Maybe

854
00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:23,440
Speaker 2: this segment that we're going to do and checking in

855
00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:24,839
Speaker 2: on these college quarterbacks.

856
00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:26,719
Speaker 3: All right, I'm gonna stop you super quick, as I

857
00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:29,320
Speaker 3: often do. Sorry, that's all good. I'm a little concerned

858
00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:32,600
Speaker 3: because you watch a lot more college football than me,

859
00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,080
Speaker 3: so I don't know that I'll be on top of

860
00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,120
Speaker 3: what is completion percentage. I definitely won't be you know,

861
00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:42,080
Speaker 3: where they who, they even played the week before. But

862
00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:44,279
Speaker 3: I absolutely am looking forward to this segment because I

863
00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:46,480
Speaker 3: want to keep up with all these guys, or at

864
00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:49,040
Speaker 3: least a couple of them a week. Like I watched

865
00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:52,960
Speaker 3: the MA Tier a lot. I know you did, you know,

866
00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,399
Speaker 3: But Saturdays, I just don't. I'm not glued to the

867
00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:57,439
Speaker 3: TV because it's the only day. I'm kind of doing

868
00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:00,400
Speaker 3: other things. But I can't wait for the segment. I

869
00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:01,840
Speaker 3: think this is great and very needed.

870
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,600
Speaker 2: Absolutely, and I'm not I'm not going to go crazy

871
00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:06,480
Speaker 2: deep into the show. There's like there's like five or

872
00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:09,279
Speaker 2: six guys that will want to touch on every single week. Absolutely,

873
00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:11,520
Speaker 2: and I do. I watch a lot of college football.

874
00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:14,640
Speaker 2: But it also varies because like this past Saturday, I

875
00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:16,600
Speaker 2: was getting on a plane to New York, which in

876
00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:18,040
Speaker 2: the middle of the day, so I'm watching the noon

877
00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:19,799
Speaker 2: games before we take off. I'm flipping it on as

878
00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:20,520
Speaker 2: soon as we land.

879
00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:23,640
Speaker 3: But you know, like all the top twenty five. Yeah, absolutely,

880
00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:24,839
Speaker 3: Like I don't even know that.

881
00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:28,800
Speaker 2: This coming Saturday, Matthew, I'll I'll be leaving my house

882
00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:32,120
Speaker 2: bright and early to go about seventy eighty miles south

883
00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:35,120
Speaker 2: on seventy nine to Morgantown and I'll be tailgating and

884
00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:37,240
Speaker 2: out there the whole day for the three thirty backyard

885
00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:39,160
Speaker 2: brawl that I do not anticipate is going to go

886
00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:41,879
Speaker 2: well for my Mountaineers. Who's a day dog, But I'll

887
00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:43,239
Speaker 2: seven point dog at home?

888
00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:46,640
Speaker 3: Wow? Yeah Wow Yeah about that? That tells you just

889
00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:50,000
Speaker 3: you'll just be fanboy on Saturday. Yeah, oh yeah, big time.

890
00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:51,960
Speaker 2: One thing in my life that is still I mean,

891
00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:54,560
Speaker 2: I do a WU show in podcast, but like, yeah,

892
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:57,560
Speaker 2: I'm a season ticket holder for football. It's and it's

893
00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:01,160
Speaker 2: pure and Jay, Yes, absolutely, And so even when we're good,

894
00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:03,160
Speaker 2: which we haven't been for a long time, even when

895
00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:05,759
Speaker 2: we stink like we do right now, I will be there, baby,

896
00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:09,800
Speaker 2: because these colors don't run. Even though I do anticipate

897
00:42:11,719 --> 00:42:14,400
Speaker 2: Pat Nardoozi and Pitt having their their fair share of

898
00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:18,560
Speaker 2: fun at Mountaineer Field Saturdays afternoon. I think Holstein's pretty good.

899
00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:20,120
Speaker 3: I think that whole reed's pretty good.

900
00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:23,600
Speaker 2: I think they've got a solid defense. I think Florida

901
00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:25,360
Speaker 2: State and Miami are the best two teams in the

902
00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:27,680
Speaker 2: ACC pretty clearly. Clemson as well too, But I think

903
00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:29,799
Speaker 2: Pitt could be towards the top of that next tier

904
00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:32,000
Speaker 2: above average as much as I as much as I

905
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,319
Speaker 2: hate to say it. And w has got a brand

906
00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:37,160
Speaker 2: new staff, eighty one new players on the roster. We

907
00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:41,160
Speaker 2: are not there right now, not even close. So yeah,

908
00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:43,480
Speaker 2: so Saturdays a lot of times, I'm down in Morgantown

909
00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:45,360
Speaker 2: the whole day. But I do. I love college football.

910
00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:48,400
Speaker 2: It's my favorite, just pure spectator sport, just from a

911
00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:50,440
Speaker 2: take work and what I do for a living out

912
00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:52,759
Speaker 2: of the equation. So I think it'll be a lot

913
00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:54,720
Speaker 2: of fun for us to go through this and everything.

914
00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:57,880
Speaker 2: We will talk about your boy mateer here in a minute,

915
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:01,719
Speaker 2: but I think it's hard not to start these conversations

916
00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:05,080
Speaker 2: with Lenora Sellers. Every week is he's I think everybody's

917
00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:07,600
Speaker 2: assumed number one at this point, and that could change.

918
00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:08,200
Speaker 4: Uh.

919
00:43:08,239 --> 00:43:11,120
Speaker 2: They played South Carolina State this past week and that's

920
00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:14,080
Speaker 2: the hard to that's their FCS game. Yeah, and he

921
00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:15,480
Speaker 2: didn't do I mean, he didn't do a ton.

922
00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:15,759
Speaker 4: You know.

923
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:18,320
Speaker 2: He had one hundred and twenty eight passing yards, a touchdown,

924
00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:21,279
Speaker 2: no turnovers, no interceptions or anything like that. But it

925
00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:24,120
Speaker 2: was a lot of we're playing an inferior opponent. We're

926
00:43:24,160 --> 00:43:27,160
Speaker 2: not gonna go We're not gonna They handed the ball

927
00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:29,640
Speaker 2: off a lot. They didn't ask him to run much

928
00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:32,279
Speaker 2: at all. He had just twenty three rushing yards and

929
00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:33,200
Speaker 2: was out of the game.

930
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:35,680
Speaker 3: You know exactly how they should handle that situation. They

931
00:43:35,719 --> 00:43:36,680
Speaker 3: have a bigger fish to fry.

932
00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:38,759
Speaker 2: So he's another one of those kind of like I

933
00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:40,719
Speaker 2: don't know if the arrows pointing up or down. It

934
00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:43,239
Speaker 2: was just to go through emotions and we're gonna get

935
00:43:43,239 --> 00:43:45,640
Speaker 2: out of there with a with a comfortable wind type

936
00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:46,439
Speaker 2: real quick.

937
00:43:46,520 --> 00:43:50,360
Speaker 3: On him. I think a lot of people, and probably

938
00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:53,160
Speaker 3: some of our listeners, are like, oh man, he'd be

939
00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:55,239
Speaker 3: a great stealer. They should grab him, maybe move up

940
00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:57,399
Speaker 3: a couple of spots, and you know, and I don't

941
00:43:57,440 --> 00:43:59,120
Speaker 3: know where the Steelers are gonna end up, but we

942
00:43:59,120 --> 00:44:01,160
Speaker 3: always asume they're gonna pick twentieth because they kind of

943
00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:06,640
Speaker 3: always had you, just knowing what I know about what

944
00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:10,320
Speaker 3: scouts look for and how this whole draft process works,

945
00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:13,080
Speaker 3: he might be the consensus number one overall when it's

946
00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:15,120
Speaker 3: all said and done. You know, Like, I'm not sure

947
00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:17,640
Speaker 3: I could say that about Club Nick or Nuts or

948
00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:19,920
Speaker 3: those guys, but I look at this guy and be like,

949
00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:24,719
Speaker 3: if Anthony Richardson goes four or five, this guy might

950
00:44:24,760 --> 00:44:27,719
Speaker 3: be easily number one if he has a good year.

951
00:44:27,840 --> 00:44:29,880
Speaker 2: If you're going to Vegas right now and you're putting

952
00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:33,399
Speaker 2: a chip on the table of which quarterback is first

953
00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:35,799
Speaker 2: off the board? Yeah, and which player is first off

954
00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:38,880
Speaker 2: the board in late April on the north shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,

955
00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:41,320
Speaker 2: when this all goes down, he would be the odds

956
00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:44,280
Speaker 2: on favorite for both both of them, the first quarterback

957
00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:48,200
Speaker 2: first overall right now, one of the time between now

958
00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:48,480
Speaker 2: and then.

959
00:44:48,560 --> 00:44:50,959
Speaker 3: But and I bet the odds only pay off worse

960
00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:53,320
Speaker 3: and worse going forward. Not unless he's terrible.

961
00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:56,160
Speaker 2: You're not getting very good on right, Yeah, first overall pick.

962
00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:58,640
Speaker 2: You might still get okay, odds first quarterback. I don't

963
00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:00,840
Speaker 2: think you're getting too much use on that squeeze.

964
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,239
Speaker 3: And that's kind of with the assumption that Arch isn't

965
00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:05,239
Speaker 3: going to be involved, you know, I mean, I'm not

966
00:45:05,320 --> 00:45:05,960
Speaker 3: watching him out.

967
00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:08,000
Speaker 2: We'll mention him in a minute. I don't think he's

968
00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:10,600
Speaker 2: going to be involved. Texas is going to pay him

969
00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:13,279
Speaker 2: ten twelve million dollars to come back next year, and

970
00:45:13,560 --> 00:45:14,919
Speaker 2: why why would you?

971
00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:17,600
Speaker 3: Grandpa is not a believer in coming out. Early history

972
00:45:17,640 --> 00:45:19,840
Speaker 3: hasn't been as kind to those guys as dude to say.

973
00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:22,640
Speaker 3: He doesn't need the money, and but he could still make.

974
00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:24,600
Speaker 2: He can make close to what he would make as

975
00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:27,279
Speaker 2: a top ten pick anyways, and who wouldn't want to

976
00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:32,520
Speaker 2: stay in beautiful Austin, Texas. He'll probably taking ballroom dancing

977
00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:37,640
Speaker 2: and wine tasting as his two classes. Yeah, let's talk

978
00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:40,839
Speaker 2: about your boy John Matteer, because his stock was up

979
00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:41,200
Speaker 2: more than.

980
00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:42,800
Speaker 3: The first time I really watched him.

981
00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:44,000
Speaker 2: More than anybody's.

982
00:45:44,719 --> 00:45:46,759
Speaker 3: Matt primetime game helps and all that.

983
00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:47,680
Speaker 2: It sure does.

984
00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:50,640
Speaker 3: The exposure situation that was.

985
00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:55,359
Speaker 2: A I think some of the better tape that you'll

986
00:45:55,360 --> 00:45:57,360
Speaker 2: see from him this year, I'm sure, because he was

987
00:45:57,480 --> 00:46:00,560
Speaker 2: very good against Michigan's in a weird spot as a

988
00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:02,880
Speaker 2: program right now. I think I wink Martindale as their

989
00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:07,360
Speaker 2: defensive coordinator, I bet they've got a zillion dollars nil

990
00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:09,560
Speaker 2: right Like, even if they go eight and four this year,

991
00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:11,960
Speaker 2: that defense is still legit and is gonna have a

992
00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:15,200
Speaker 2: has an NFL defensive coordinator with a lot of NFL

993
00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:18,839
Speaker 2: defensive talent. You know, you saw the interception. You saw,

994
00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:22,759
Speaker 2: That's the I'm trying to think, like maybe kind of

995
00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:25,160
Speaker 2: similar to a conversation that we had with Josh Allen

996
00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:27,960
Speaker 2: when he came into the league. The highlight tape is there,

997
00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:30,759
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, so is the risk, so is the low light.

998
00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:34,239
Speaker 2: So is the kind of the Caleb Williams conversation. One

999
00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:36,759
Speaker 2: play it's wow, where did that come from? The next play,

1000
00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:39,359
Speaker 2: it's what the heck were you thinking? But he did

1001
00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:41,680
Speaker 2: a very good job of limiting that what the heck

1002
00:46:41,719 --> 00:46:44,640
Speaker 2: were you thinking against Michigan, And if he continues to

1003
00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:47,040
Speaker 2: do that, yeah, he could be a top ten pick

1004
00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:47,839
Speaker 2: without a doubt.

1005
00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:51,880
Speaker 3: So you'll see my view on the Steelers next quarterback,

1006
00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:53,879
Speaker 3: or no matter what team it would be. If I'm

1007
00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:58,120
Speaker 3: investing in a high draft pick quarterback, if I strike out,

1008
00:46:58,160 --> 00:46:59,799
Speaker 3: I strike out, but I am going to get my

1009
00:46:59,800 --> 00:47:03,359
Speaker 3: c you know, like I That was my complaint with

1010
00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:06,040
Speaker 3: the picket deal. You know, Dale and I he was

1011
00:47:06,160 --> 00:47:08,600
Speaker 3: Pickett was a twentieth pick in the draft. Dale and

1012
00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:11,480
Speaker 3: I did our top twenty prospects for the Steelers. He

1013
00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:13,920
Speaker 3: was not in my twenty. He was actually twenty first,

1014
00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:18,399
Speaker 3: so close right there. But my complaint was if he hits,

1015
00:47:18,440 --> 00:47:20,480
Speaker 3: I don't think he can hit Josh Allen hit, you

1016
00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:22,680
Speaker 3: know what I mean, like I think you need I'm

1017
00:47:22,719 --> 00:47:27,239
Speaker 3: looking for superheroes. And I know Matiers only six to one,

1018
00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:32,000
Speaker 3: which probably means he's six foot six three or something

1019
00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:33,920
Speaker 3: at the combine. You know, he's probably under six to

1020
00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:35,520
Speaker 3: one if he's listed at sixty to one. But he's

1021
00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:38,640
Speaker 3: not short short, and he's got a weird build. He

1022
00:47:38,719 --> 00:47:41,000
Speaker 3: kind of looks like a fullback. But he used it

1023
00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:43,360
Speaker 3: to his advantage. I mean, it's not like he's stiff

1024
00:47:44,239 --> 00:47:47,520
Speaker 3: or you know, unathletic, or doesn't change direction as well.

1025
00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:50,200
Speaker 3: And I noticed a lot of his throws are on

1026
00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:53,800
Speaker 3: the line. It's always the most catchable ball. Kaepernick was

1027
00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:55,759
Speaker 3: that way, you know, like gotta put a little more

1028
00:47:55,800 --> 00:47:58,520
Speaker 3: touch on everything, doesn't have to be an five mile

1029
00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:02,200
Speaker 3: an hour fast ball especial to the ball. But boy,

1030
00:48:03,120 --> 00:48:08,279
Speaker 3: he is so athletic and flat out fast and accelerate

1031
00:48:08,440 --> 00:48:13,600
Speaker 3: so quickly. And his arm he has easy gas as

1032
00:48:13,640 --> 00:48:15,600
Speaker 3: a thrower. I mean it's flick of a wrist.

1033
00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:16,200
Speaker 1: Wrong.

1034
00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:18,279
Speaker 3: I mean he's got all that stuff to work with.

1035
00:48:18,440 --> 00:48:20,240
Speaker 3: Does he need reeled in a little bit? Of course,

1036
00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:24,120
Speaker 3: and all these guys have it, But boy is he

1037
00:48:24,200 --> 00:48:26,640
Speaker 3: competitive too. And you can just see that it rubs off.

1038
00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:31,400
Speaker 2: Oh, Oklahoma really struggle. They struggledlightily last year, particularly on offense.

1039
00:48:31,440 --> 00:48:33,520
Speaker 2: Their def they went six and six last year, Matt.

1040
00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:37,160
Speaker 2: If their defense wasn't a top ten, top fifteen defense

1041
00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:39,920
Speaker 2: in college football, Oklahoma would have had their first losing

1042
00:48:39,920 --> 00:48:42,680
Speaker 2: record as a program since the nineties, right, Okay, Like

1043
00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:45,960
Speaker 2: they are one of the more const They've only won

1044
00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:48,080
Speaker 2: one national championship in the twenty first century. That was

1045
00:48:48,120 --> 00:48:51,440
Speaker 2: with Bob Stoops in like three or four o two whenever.

1046
00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:54,359
Speaker 2: It was right before that USC and Tim Tebow kind

1047
00:48:54,360 --> 00:48:57,320
Speaker 2: of take over there. That was USC and Florida winning

1048
00:48:57,440 --> 00:48:59,480
Speaker 2: the national championships for that Dregs.

1049
00:48:59,320 --> 00:49:02,000
Speaker 3: White their quarter he won the year.

1050
00:49:02,080 --> 00:49:05,279
Speaker 2: So yes, I remember for Sam Bradford. I was with

1051
00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:08,000
Speaker 2: Larry and we thought Larry should Larry should have won

1052
00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:12,200
Speaker 2: the Heisman when he absolutely even as Pittsburgh's foremost mountaineer,

1053
00:49:12,239 --> 00:49:14,040
Speaker 2: will tell you that Larry Fitzgerald should have won the

1054
00:49:14,080 --> 00:49:16,400
Speaker 2: Heisman that year. But they have been if you go

1055
00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:20,560
Speaker 2: and look, they are the most consistently good. Like them

1056
00:49:20,640 --> 00:49:23,200
Speaker 2: in Ohio State, like even Alabama in the twenty first

1057
00:49:23,200 --> 00:49:26,480
Speaker 2: century has had five six win seasons, you know, losing seasons.

1058
00:49:26,520 --> 00:49:30,120
Speaker 2: Before Saban got there, they were down, they were They're

1059
00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:32,719
Speaker 2: Oklahoma six and six season to them is like same

1060
00:49:32,719 --> 00:49:36,719
Speaker 2: with Ohio State. It's like the Scott's the exactly right,

1061
00:49:36,760 --> 00:49:39,839
Speaker 2: exactly right. One thing that I really give if we

1062
00:49:39,920 --> 00:49:43,120
Speaker 2: see the progression from Matier, it's it's kind of a

1063
00:49:43,200 --> 00:49:45,239
Speaker 2: similar I give this. I should have mentioned this during

1064
00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:46,759
Speaker 2: the Power rankings the Best of the West when we

1065
00:49:46,760 --> 00:49:50,840
Speaker 2: were talking about Josh Allen. Quarterbacks that succeed with defensive

1066
00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:53,920
Speaker 2: head coaches, I give more credit to Yeah, I agree,

1067
00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:56,760
Speaker 2: I give Ben credit for that. I give Allen credit

1068
00:49:56,840 --> 00:49:58,919
Speaker 2: for that. That they don't they didn't have Andy Reid

1069
00:49:58,960 --> 00:50:01,640
Speaker 2: an offensive mass Her mind is like Mahomes does.

1070
00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:03,439
Speaker 3: I love Drew Brees, but he played in the Dome

1071
00:50:03,480 --> 00:50:06,880
Speaker 3: with Peyton. Correct, that's different than bat Matteer.

1072
00:50:07,320 --> 00:50:11,160
Speaker 2: Brent Venables, Oklahoma's head coach is a defensive guy. He

1073
00:50:11,280 --> 00:50:15,520
Speaker 2: was Clemson's defensive coordinator in the Watson Law when Clemson

1074
00:50:15,560 --> 00:50:19,640
Speaker 2: won those two national championships. So if he develops, I

1075
00:50:19,719 --> 00:50:23,240
Speaker 2: will like, they obviously have a very good offensive coaching staff.

1076
00:50:23,239 --> 00:50:25,560
Speaker 2: It's Oklahoma. They've got one of the biggest budgets of

1077
00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:28,360
Speaker 2: any program. They're in the SEC. They've got money. But

1078
00:50:28,560 --> 00:50:31,759
Speaker 2: his head coach and their program is based on defense

1079
00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:35,400
Speaker 2: as opposed to you know, some of these other guys

1080
00:50:35,640 --> 00:50:38,600
Speaker 2: like a Garrettnutmeyer of LSU, who's got Brian Kelly who's

1081
00:50:38,640 --> 00:50:40,840
Speaker 2: an offensive quarterback.

1082
00:50:40,360 --> 00:50:43,560
Speaker 3: And his dad's an offensive coordinator. Elite, right right.

1083
00:50:43,920 --> 00:50:45,600
Speaker 2: So that's just the kind of the final note I

1084
00:50:45,600 --> 00:50:48,200
Speaker 2: wanted to make with Matier as well too.

1085
00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:51,520
Speaker 3: Here's one note too that you'll notice when we start

1086
00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:55,760
Speaker 3: talking quarterbacks is I'm going to aim for the the sky.

1087
00:50:55,960 --> 00:50:57,400
Speaker 3: You know, I mean, if I miss, so be it.

1088
00:50:57,480 --> 00:50:59,120
Speaker 3: But if I only hit one out of three in

1089
00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:01,600
Speaker 3: naded but Josh Allen and wy every twenty years, you're

1090
00:51:01,640 --> 00:51:06,880
Speaker 3: still thrilled. And I mentioned how competitive Matier is, and

1091
00:51:06,920 --> 00:51:09,280
Speaker 3: I hesitate to do that at times, but his really

1092
00:51:09,400 --> 00:51:13,640
Speaker 3: stands out in terms of aggressiveness and taking the extra

1093
00:51:13,719 --> 00:51:17,000
Speaker 3: hit or dragon tacklers and all that stuff, because I

1094
00:51:17,040 --> 00:51:20,200
Speaker 3: believe at this you know, this stage, if you're telling

1095
00:51:20,239 --> 00:51:23,080
Speaker 3: me he's first one in the building, last guy out,

1096
00:51:23,239 --> 00:51:25,640
Speaker 3: or he'll do anything to win a game, I'm like, okay,

1097
00:51:25,680 --> 00:51:27,840
Speaker 3: he can come sit at the table at the conversation

1098
00:51:28,320 --> 00:51:31,279
Speaker 3: if he doesn't have that by like that, just that,

1099
00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:33,960
Speaker 3: just that's the anti. You know everybody has that. You know,

1100
00:51:34,560 --> 00:51:36,120
Speaker 3: everyone you're playing events has that.

1101
00:51:36,120 --> 00:51:37,600
Speaker 2: That's like you work hard. Congratulations.

1102
00:51:37,680 --> 00:51:40,080
Speaker 3: Yeahulation, that's that's step one.

1103
00:51:40,200 --> 00:51:42,360
Speaker 2: That's your that's your key card, just to swipe into.

1104
00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:45,320
Speaker 3: The right, right right, that's the anti to sit the

1105
00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:46,000
Speaker 3: poker table.

1106
00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:48,279
Speaker 2: Matt I should have probably mentioned and I started with

1107
00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:49,920
Speaker 2: sellers and then and then I knew you wanted to

1108
00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:52,799
Speaker 2: talk about Matier. I should have probably lumped in like

1109
00:51:52,920 --> 00:51:56,200
Speaker 2: Drew Aller of Penn State, KG Klubnick of Clemson, Smyer

1110
00:51:56,239 --> 00:51:58,440
Speaker 2: of l s U. They were all in that same

1111
00:51:58,520 --> 00:52:03,719
Speaker 2: conversation as where they played some pushover opponents this week

1112
00:52:03,719 --> 00:52:07,360
Speaker 2: and week two. They played, they played well, they managed

1113
00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:09,120
Speaker 2: the game, they handed the ball off, they didn't do

1114
00:52:09,160 --> 00:52:12,920
Speaker 2: anything crazy. There's not a lot to report they did.

1115
00:52:13,080 --> 00:52:15,280
Speaker 2: They checked the box of doing their job and getting

1116
00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:17,839
Speaker 2: their team out with a comfort. Well for Clemson, they

1117
00:52:17,840 --> 00:52:20,680
Speaker 2: were actually down sixteen to nothing Detroit at one point,

1118
00:52:20,880 --> 00:52:25,080
Speaker 2: but comfortable win in the in the macro for all those.

1119
00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:27,880
Speaker 3: Games, yeah, okay, and then I know there wasn't a

1120
00:52:27,920 --> 00:52:29,120
Speaker 3: lot of Marquis.

1121
00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:31,560
Speaker 2: Arch Manning kind of same thing, like we should mention

1122
00:52:31,680 --> 00:52:33,719
Speaker 2: him because he's just a name that everybody knows and

1123
00:52:33,719 --> 00:52:36,600
Speaker 2: wants to hear about. They beat up, they beat up

1124
00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:39,600
Speaker 2: on San Jose State. He threw for four touchdowns, looked

1125
00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:42,640
Speaker 2: much better. I mean hard not to based off how

1126
00:52:42,640 --> 00:52:45,640
Speaker 2: he started Week one and Columbus against Ohio State. But

1127
00:52:45,640 --> 00:52:48,040
Speaker 2: but okay, that's what you wanted to see from arch

1128
00:52:48,239 --> 00:52:49,840
Speaker 2: to bounce back against a bad opponent.

1129
00:52:50,160 --> 00:52:53,400
Speaker 3: So I just noticed this as a random thing and

1130
00:52:53,440 --> 00:52:55,759
Speaker 3: a lot of these quarterbacks that semi applies to. But

1131
00:52:55,920 --> 00:53:00,000
Speaker 3: just watching the ticker top twenty five scores, I can't

1132
00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:03,600
Speaker 3: remember many weeks where more teams won by sixty seventy,

1133
00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:06,160
Speaker 3: Like Florida State won by like seventy or something.

1134
00:53:06,200 --> 00:53:08,800
Speaker 2: It's like, so the college schedule is kind of changed

1135
00:53:08,800 --> 00:53:11,239
Speaker 2: in a weird way of it used to be. Week

1136
00:53:11,320 --> 00:53:14,000
Speaker 2: one was your FCS beat the crap out.

1137
00:53:13,840 --> 00:53:15,360
Speaker 3: Of them, a pasion right.

1138
00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:18,359
Speaker 2: Week two was like a G five an akron of

1139
00:53:18,480 --> 00:53:20,480
Speaker 2: the South Florida somebody like that.

1140
00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:22,000
Speaker 3: Your building a little bit better.

1141
00:53:22,960 --> 00:53:25,400
Speaker 2: And then week three was like you're you're at a

1142
00:53:25,440 --> 00:53:29,399
Speaker 2: conference rival or your your Ohio State Texas type.

1143
00:53:29,560 --> 00:53:29,759
Speaker 4: Yeah.

1144
00:53:30,480 --> 00:53:32,760
Speaker 2: Where it's kind of changed now is where they're scheduling

1145
00:53:32,840 --> 00:53:34,600
Speaker 2: week one because they know the NFL season is not

1146
00:53:34,640 --> 00:53:36,000
Speaker 2: there and they have the attention.

1147
00:53:35,680 --> 00:53:36,759
Speaker 3: Of labor days.

1148
00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:40,640
Speaker 2: South Carolina's playing Virginia Tech, Ohio State's playing Texas, LSU's

1149
00:53:40,719 --> 00:53:44,000
Speaker 2: playing who did they play, Not Florida State, somebody the

1150
00:53:44,120 --> 00:53:49,880
Speaker 2: LSU played, somebody was Clemson, Notre Dames play in Miami.

1151
00:53:49,960 --> 00:53:53,320
Speaker 2: Like college football has really started moving those big non conference.

1152
00:53:54,680 --> 00:53:58,000
Speaker 3: Because it's weekend adventures.

1153
00:53:57,520 --> 00:54:00,319
Speaker 2: Don't have to compete with the NFL. I all wanted

1154
00:54:00,360 --> 00:54:04,360
Speaker 2: to mention our boy, Fernando Mendoza, quarterback of Indiana. Who, Matt,

1155
00:54:04,400 --> 00:54:07,000
Speaker 2: you watch everybody else who's doing these type of quarterback

1156
00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:10,680
Speaker 2: report things around Pittsburgh. No one's mentioning Fernando Mendoza. So

1157
00:54:10,719 --> 00:54:13,759
Speaker 2: I'm just I'm hoping that that he's our guy that

1158
00:54:13,800 --> 00:54:15,799
Speaker 2: will that everybody else will hop on the moving train

1159
00:54:15,920 --> 00:54:19,719
Speaker 2: later than us Kennesaw State. Terrible opponent, but he did

1160
00:54:19,719 --> 00:54:21,120
Speaker 2: what he did what you wanted them to do. Two

1161
00:54:21,160 --> 00:54:23,799
Speaker 2: hundred and forty five yards, seventy two percent completion percentage,

1162
00:54:24,080 --> 00:54:29,160
Speaker 2: four touchdowns, no interceptions, played very well against a bad opponent.

1163
00:54:29,200 --> 00:54:32,520
Speaker 2: Clean game. Yeah, their schedule starts to ramp up, and

1164
00:54:32,520 --> 00:54:35,360
Speaker 2: they've got Indiana State one more kind of pushover. But

1165
00:54:35,400 --> 00:54:36,920
Speaker 2: then they get into that big ten slate and we'll

1166
00:54:36,920 --> 00:54:38,319
Speaker 2: really start to learn more about him.

1167
00:54:38,560 --> 00:54:40,520
Speaker 3: What's a little interesting thing I think probably goes out

1168
00:54:40,560 --> 00:54:42,719
Speaker 3: saying is there'll be a lot of games where his

1169
00:54:42,800 --> 00:54:45,759
Speaker 3: team's not as talented as the opponent, where that only

1170
00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:49,000
Speaker 3: happens maybe twice the Alur or not Tom or Club

1171
00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:50,960
Speaker 3: Nick or you know what I mean. Yes, there's not

1172
00:54:51,000 --> 00:54:53,600
Speaker 3: gonna be many where those guys don't have the best

1173
00:54:53,640 --> 00:54:55,840
Speaker 3: checkers that's in their pockets.

1174
00:54:55,960 --> 00:54:57,879
Speaker 2: That's going to be exciting here when we just get

1175
00:54:57,880 --> 00:55:00,759
Speaker 2: another another week or two into this thing. Let's take

1176
00:55:01,280 --> 00:55:03,560
Speaker 2: our last break here the first hour. We'll reset for

1177
00:55:03,600 --> 00:55:07,239
Speaker 2: hour number two, a little hodgepodge of randomness, right, and

1178
00:55:07,360 --> 00:55:09,320
Speaker 2: our number two as we go through some stats and

1179
00:55:09,400 --> 00:55:12,200
Speaker 2: some of Matt's on earthings. We'll also catch up with

1180
00:55:12,239 --> 00:55:14,759
Speaker 2: our buddy Chris Halleck with all the latest moving and

1181
00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:17,799
Speaker 2: shaking with the Steelers down on the South Side. All

1182
00:55:17,840 --> 00:55:19,279
Speaker 2: of that and more and hour number two of the

1183
00:55:19,360 --> 00:55:22,600
Speaker 2: Drive West Shouler Matt Williamson, Steelers Nation Radio on the

1184
00:55:22,640 --> 00:55:23,800
Speaker 2: Steelers Audio Network