1
00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,800
Speaker 1: Welcome to this special edition of The Drive. It is

2
00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,360
Speaker 1: O t A Day number two here at the up

3
00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,599
Speaker 1: mc rooney Sports Complex. I am Dale Lollie. He is

4
00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,640
Speaker 1: Matt Williamson and we are here live until one o'clock

5
00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:41,720
Speaker 1: today as the Steelers take part in their second on

6
00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:46,559
Speaker 1: field O t A practice. And Matt, it's a beautiful

7
00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:47,520
Speaker 1: day here in Pittsburgh.

8
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:49,080
Speaker 2: Beautiful and noisy day too.

9
00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:53,680
Speaker 1: Here you little music playing while the teams they turn

10
00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,040
Speaker 1: they they turn the music off when they break up

11
00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,560
Speaker 1: the individual right right, right, right right, start into the

12
00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:01,600
Speaker 1: team portion of practice.

13
00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:03,160
Speaker 2: A couple of minutes ago though it was going good.

14
00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,200
Speaker 2: And then he's got the train going by, and a

15
00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,319
Speaker 2: lot of a lot of bodies here, a lot of energy,

16
00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:08,440
Speaker 2: some places.

17
00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,280
Speaker 1: Buzz't absolutely it is and uh, well a lot more

18
00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,560
Speaker 1: bodies here today, hint, hint than uh there have the

19
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,080
Speaker 1: we're here yesterday. But uh that's all we're going to

20
00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,360
Speaker 1: say about that, Matt. Uh not. You had a day

21
00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,200
Speaker 1: to digest what you saw yesterday. Anything stand out to you?

22
00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:27,759
Speaker 2: Yeah? Definitely, some things, you know, I mean we could

23
00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,800
Speaker 2: even go position by position of you know, where this

24
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,840
Speaker 2: team's at, and you know, he could start with Kenny Pickett.

25
00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,160
Speaker 2: I mean he's in a lot different place now than

26
00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,560
Speaker 2: one year ago. Obviously, you know, I mean, this is

27
00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,200
Speaker 2: his team now. He's clearly the one. You know, you

28
00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:43,959
Speaker 2: mentioned that he said in his interview yesterday that he's

29
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,920
Speaker 2: tacked on some weight. I liked hearing that because, by

30
00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,400
Speaker 2: no means was I watching him going, boy, he looks heavier, sluggish,

31
00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:52,240
Speaker 2: you know, I mean, he looks just as much.

32
00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,600
Speaker 1: What he mentioned when he said he goes I added

33
00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,880
Speaker 1: some weight and kept my speed. Yeah.

34
00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,280
Speaker 2: Yeah, and of course good weight. It's not that's what I.

35
00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:00,640
Speaker 1: Was gonna say.

36
00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,520
Speaker 2: He probably put it on the right way and slowly,

37
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,000
Speaker 2: and you know, and as everyone knows, as you get older,

38
00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:06,760
Speaker 2: you add a little weight, whether you like it or

39
00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,799
Speaker 2: not in ways as well. But I mean, of course

40
00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:11,560
Speaker 2: I watched him at pit and I liked him coming out,

41
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,600
Speaker 2: but I was even shocked as a rookie, how light

42
00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,760
Speaker 2: on his feet he is, how explosive of a mover

43
00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,080
Speaker 2: he is, how twitchy he is. That's the word I

44
00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,920
Speaker 2: was really looking for, especially with you know, free rushers

45
00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,600
Speaker 2: bearing down on him. And when when he mentioned, you know,

46
00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:28,040
Speaker 2: I added the weight, I'm like, boy, I hope he

47
00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,000
Speaker 2: doesn't lose any of that. Yeah, I don't think he has.

48
00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,799
Speaker 2: I mean, it's one practice that we've seen and if

49
00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,600
Speaker 2: he can do that with a little more armor on

50
00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:36,680
Speaker 2: his body, that'd be great.

51
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's funny. I talked to Ross Kology, who was

52
00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,120
Speaker 1: the h He was a defensive line coach at Wisconsin.

53
00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,160
Speaker 1: He's not Stanford, but before being the offensive line coach

54
00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,160
Speaker 1: at Wisconsin, he was their strength and conditioning coach. Okay,

55
00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,560
Speaker 1: and we were talking about Keanu Benton and Benton wrestled

56
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,799
Speaker 1: at two eighty five in high school, Okay, So I

57
00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:56,520
Speaker 1: asked him, I said, you know, when you got him

58
00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,960
Speaker 1: as a freshman, you know, was he at two eighty

59
00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,160
Speaker 1: eighty five or was he was Did he come in heavier?

60
00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,280
Speaker 1: He goes, well, you know he was right around two

61
00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,519
Speaker 1: eighty five because he had just come out of wrestling. Basically,

62
00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:09,320
Speaker 1: he said, but we get a lot of guys that

63
00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,280
Speaker 1: come in, you know, that are naturally that weight, and

64
00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:13,760
Speaker 1: they feel like they have to put on weight when

65
00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:15,560
Speaker 1: they get to college, and it's never good weight.

66
00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,560
Speaker 2: And as you know, wrestlers are kind of a different

67
00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,280
Speaker 2: beast too, because they have to be between X weight

68
00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,240
Speaker 2: and X weight, you know, and some of them have

69
00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:25,480
Speaker 2: a real hard time getting that heavy or staying that

70
00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,120
Speaker 2: light or whatever, and you know they're in shape. You know,

71
00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,760
Speaker 2: a wrestler comes to We used to recruit wrestlers like crazy,

72
00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,320
Speaker 2: especially on the line they get to Wisconsin, Pitt wherever.

73
00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:37,320
Speaker 2: You know they're in shape, you know they're tough, but

74
00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,800
Speaker 2: you don't necessarily know how big can he get? Where

75
00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:42,240
Speaker 2: should he be for football?

76
00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:42,800
Speaker 1: You know what I mean?

77
00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:44,040
Speaker 2: I mean, having a little bit of fat on your

78
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,480
Speaker 2: body doesn't hurt you in football as much as you know, wrestling,

79
00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:48,320
Speaker 2: where you want to trim it as much as possible

80
00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,320
Speaker 2: if you're having a hard time getting in your weight

81
00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:51,040
Speaker 2: class or whatever.

82
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, largely the same thing with our fellow Pitt Johnstown

83
00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,160
Speaker 1: product Carlton hassl Ing. Yeah yeah, yeah. Carleton was a

84
00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,560
Speaker 1: natural two hundred and eighty five pounds, didn't never lifted

85
00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:01,480
Speaker 1: a weight and cont.

86
00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,360
Speaker 2: What he is just what he was, right, was just

87
00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:04,720
Speaker 2: built Yeah yeah.

88
00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:06,720
Speaker 1: Just built that way. So I look at Benton kind

89
00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,520
Speaker 1: of the same way that you know you have that weight, yeah, yeah,

90
00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,320
Speaker 1: you know when you get to Wisconsin. He said he

91
00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,160
Speaker 1: really worked hard to get his body, you know, up

92
00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,600
Speaker 1: to the three zero five three ten that he is now.

93
00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,800
Speaker 2: And sometimes when kids get nineteen twenty twenty one years

94
00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,240
Speaker 2: old and eat better than they did at home and

95
00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,200
Speaker 2: have a different program, you're gonna get the three hundred

96
00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:26,440
Speaker 2: and heartbeat some won't, you know.

97
00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,599
Speaker 1: Yeah, But I look at that guy ninety five and

98
00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:33,120
Speaker 1: he doesn't look fat.

99
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:35,080
Speaker 2: No, he is.

100
00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,800
Speaker 1: A natural big dude, you know. Six four three oh

101
00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,160
Speaker 1: nine is what he's listed at, and he's every bit

102
00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,479
Speaker 1: of that. Again, reminds me of the same body type

103
00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,239
Speaker 1: as Tyson Alululu what stood up at Big Base.

104
00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,040
Speaker 2: So yesterday there was more offense in front of our face,

105
00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,000
Speaker 2: you know, So I definitely felt like I watched a

106
00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,039
Speaker 2: lot more offense than I did defense. But some of

107
00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:01,360
Speaker 2: the glimpses on defense you saw a D line. I'm

108
00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,440
Speaker 2: still even learning the numbers. My mind doesn't work well

109
00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:05,160
Speaker 2: with Jersey numbers. My son makes fun of me all

110
00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:06,640
Speaker 2: the time. I just kind of know who they are

111
00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:08,640
Speaker 2: without even like you know the stars, I don't know

112
00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:09,400
Speaker 2: their numbers.

113
00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:10,320
Speaker 1: As well recognize how they ride.

114
00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,000
Speaker 2: Ye, So this time of the year of my mind

115
00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:14,880
Speaker 2: is always I had to keep a roster handy, which

116
00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:18,320
Speaker 2: is a little embarrassing. But seeing him, I was like whoa,

117
00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,680
Speaker 2: Who's that? And it was the way he ran. I mean,

118
00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,560
Speaker 2: it kind of reminded me when I started coming to practices,

119
00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,039
Speaker 2: you know, five six years ago or whatever, when we

120
00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,520
Speaker 2: started to drive, and I always talk about this. Watching

121
00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,880
Speaker 2: Twitt and Hayward chase the ball, it was like a

122
00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:35,000
Speaker 2: heard of buffaloes coming right now.

123
00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:36,440
Speaker 1: I don't know if I've ever told this story on

124
00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,400
Speaker 1: the air mat so one time.

125
00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:40,719
Speaker 2: The ground shape this is.

126
00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,000
Speaker 1: This is probably like twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen, somewhere in

127
00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,320
Speaker 1: that range. And We're out at training camp and I'm

128
00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:48,400
Speaker 1: standing on the sidelines and Leveon Bell.

129
00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:50,479
Speaker 2: Was at the height of his yeah, really playing powers.

130
00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, And there was a pass to the sideline right

131
00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,719
Speaker 1: in front of me to Leveon Bell going down to

132
00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,039
Speaker 1: look like a little wheel route the sideline and Hayward

133
00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,520
Speaker 1: intuittt we're in on defense, and they both took off

134
00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:08,280
Speaker 1: and they're running to try to cut levy On Bell off,

135
00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,960
Speaker 1: and they're both running straight at me. Okay, yeah, like

136
00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,279
Speaker 1: a couple of big you know, Toronto Sourus rexes coming out. Yeah,

137
00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,240
Speaker 1: And I swear to god, I peede a little bit.

138
00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, I made been staying right next to you because

139
00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:23,839
Speaker 2: it was about that long ago, and I remember the

140
00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,000
Speaker 2: two of them in particular, but the whole defense was

141
00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:26,919
Speaker 2: pursuing the ball.

142
00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:28,080
Speaker 1: But wondering at you like that.

143
00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,520
Speaker 2: I mean you felt the ground shake, Like if you're

144
00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,520
Speaker 2: in the front row of the of Acushre Stadium, you

145
00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:34,920
Speaker 2: would not even know that. I mean, you have to

146
00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:37,480
Speaker 2: be that close. And I got the same field watching

147
00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:40,880
Speaker 2: Bent and run across the field because he's very smooth

148
00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,240
Speaker 2: and he's fast, you know what I mean, he's call

149
00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:45,000
Speaker 2: a nose if.

150
00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,480
Speaker 1: You want and run. Yeah, And that's real athletes, which

151
00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:52,120
Speaker 1: you don't often find at that at those positions. Absolutely,

152
00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:54,640
Speaker 1: you know, yes they're athletes if they're if they're playing

153
00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:55,320
Speaker 1: in the NFL.

154
00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,360
Speaker 2: But there might be a misconception if there's an NT

155
00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,720
Speaker 2: next to his name, that he's going to be that

156
00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,760
Speaker 2: guy he can't run. He can run, Yeah, he can

157
00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,360
Speaker 2: really run. And even more so than what you saw

158
00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,640
Speaker 2: at the combine or his forty times or those type

159
00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,720
Speaker 2: of things, it's different here in pads. Chasing the ball

160
00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,600
Speaker 2: of course incleates on grass, but he covers a lot

161
00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:15,000
Speaker 2: of ground.

162
00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,120
Speaker 1: Well even his forty time, don't it wasn't imagine a

163
00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,480
Speaker 1: low five. It's like five point four or something. Music

164
00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,320
Speaker 1: really excellent for a for a nose tackle. I mean

165
00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,680
Speaker 1: most of those guys move like glaciers exactly exactly.

166
00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,360
Speaker 2: So no, he definitely stood out, and I kind of

167
00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:31,600
Speaker 2: knew they would. I mean, just to stick with this theme,

168
00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:36,520
Speaker 2: but the entire rookie class, the draft doable players, they

169
00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:38,880
Speaker 2: really look good. You know, that doesn't mean they're gonna

170
00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,440
Speaker 2: be good. But everyone they've added, including the free agents,

171
00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,800
Speaker 2: but especially the draft class, they're all way too big

172
00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,000
Speaker 2: to ride the ride let alone, being big enough to

173
00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:49,240
Speaker 2: get on the thunderbolt, you know what I mean?

174
00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:51,480
Speaker 1: Oh? Absolutely. I mean you see the size of a

175
00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:53,960
Speaker 1: you know, a Joey Porter junior or Rory Trice, and

176
00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,680
Speaker 1: that stands out right away when you look at those

177
00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:56,400
Speaker 1: two guys.

178
00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,000
Speaker 2: Yep, compared to NFL players that are successful, you know

179
00:07:59,040 --> 00:07:59,520
Speaker 2: what I mean.

180
00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:03,160
Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, they're bigger than bigger than what you get

181
00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:05,760
Speaker 1: away with. I mean, if you look at that, Washington

182
00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:07,800
Speaker 1: just jumps off the page. Yeah, of course, and we're

183
00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:09,960
Speaker 1: expected today, I can I can make this announcement. This

184
00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,760
Speaker 1: hasn't changed. We'll get Patrick Peterson on today at noon.

185
00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:16,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, ask him about those another big guy, he's big too.

186
00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:18,280
Speaker 2: I mean he was like two twenty at his combine.

187
00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,560
Speaker 1: Which is right insane. He ran He ran a low

188
00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:26,400
Speaker 1: four threes at six two twenty at his individual workout

189
00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:27,160
Speaker 1: when he was coming.

190
00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:29,880
Speaker 2: Out a shut down, lockdown, top five corner. I mean,

191
00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:34,320
Speaker 2: that's rights Gardner Ramsey type. You know, I saw Rod

192
00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,080
Speaker 2: Woodson at the height of his sure powers. I covered

193
00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:40,080
Speaker 2: the team all the way back then, and Rod was,

194
00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:42,520
Speaker 2: you know, six one two ten.

195
00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:47,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, this guy's bigger. He's bigger, but almost equally as fast. Yeah,

196
00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:48,920
Speaker 1: in his in his problem. I'm sure he doesn't run

197
00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:49,559
Speaker 1: a four to three.

198
00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,920
Speaker 2: Now, nor does he have to, but I mean many

199
00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,800
Speaker 2: to do. I am interested to chat with him a

200
00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:58,199
Speaker 2: little bit about how he's transformed his game a little bit,

201
00:08:58,280 --> 00:08:59,800
Speaker 2: you know from you know, we talked about this a

202
00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,160
Speaker 2: lot yesterday. You know, your your axis, the one axis

203
00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:05,559
Speaker 2: is athlete slash your body, and the other ones your

204
00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,400
Speaker 2: mind and knowledge. And one of them dwindles while the

205
00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,800
Speaker 2: other one usually rises. And you know where is he

206
00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:13,679
Speaker 2: in that graph right now?

207
00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:20,720
Speaker 1: You know? Yeah, for sure, definitely you mentioned Pickett. It

208
00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,040
Speaker 1: looks he just looks like he's he's in such a

209
00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,760
Speaker 1: and I'm not breaking any news here. He's in a

210
00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:28,720
Speaker 1: much better place right now than he was a year Agod,

211
00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,079
Speaker 1: no question, no question.

212
00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,679
Speaker 2: I mean, I think that's a credit to the organization

213
00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,640
Speaker 2: that they make him feel that way. You know that

214
00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,679
Speaker 2: you all, we have confidence in you. This is your team,

215
00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:42,240
Speaker 2: you know. I mean, they they've made that clear with

216
00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:44,240
Speaker 2: their moves. I'm sure they make it clear behind the

217
00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:47,480
Speaker 2: walls when we're not here. And frankly, a year ago,

218
00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:50,600
Speaker 2: anything he saw fromim that was negative, how on earth

219
00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:52,040
Speaker 2: could you blame him, I mean, or any of these

220
00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,320
Speaker 2: rookies at this point too. And we had we had

221
00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,000
Speaker 2: a good discussion yesterday about the balancing act the team

222
00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,439
Speaker 2: had last year at this time of trying to get Trubisky,

223
00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:04,480
Speaker 2: who is new, ready for Week one, get Rudolph the

224
00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,240
Speaker 2: snaps he deserves, and your first round rookie to get

225
00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,560
Speaker 2: developed as much as you possibly can for the long

226
00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,439
Speaker 2: term or whatever you know is it was hard where

227
00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,319
Speaker 2: this year you know who's gonna get what? Yeah, for sure?

228
00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,080
Speaker 1: And the other thing. And I think this is something

229
00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:25,400
Speaker 1: that was maybe a little bit under valued in the

230
00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:29,600
Speaker 1: resigning of Mason Rudolph. Having a number three who can

231
00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:34,000
Speaker 1: go out and running an NFL offense. Yes, you know,

232
00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:37,040
Speaker 1: if your number three guy can't get your your third

233
00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:38,400
Speaker 1: team in and out of the huddle.

234
00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:40,360
Speaker 2: Right, there's a lot to be said up.

235
00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:42,960
Speaker 1: I mean, we can't we can't get him done. Yeah,

236
00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:44,959
Speaker 1: we can't get any We can't. We can't look at

237
00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,240
Speaker 1: these these young receivers we want to look at. We

238
00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,760
Speaker 1: can't look at this this offensive line because he screwed

239
00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:50,920
Speaker 1: you know, he's screwing this, like.

240
00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:54,640
Speaker 2: Especially in the preseason game coming up. Yeah, he's gonna

241
00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,360
Speaker 2: he's gonna be overqualified for his duty in the press.

242
00:10:57,360 --> 00:10:59,960
Speaker 1: And that's fine. It's fine, right, you know, because again again,

243
00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,120
Speaker 1: you know, if you've got guys fighting for that sixth

244
00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,920
Speaker 1: receiver spot on your roster, yeah you want them to

245
00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,839
Speaker 1: you want to have a fair chance to evaluate those guys,

246
00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:11,640
Speaker 1: and you can't do that. I've seen some you know,

247
00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,400
Speaker 1: third and fourth string quarterbacks over the years that you're like,

248
00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:18,800
Speaker 1: it's just not fair to these guys. It's not, it's not.

249
00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,360
Speaker 2: I mean, my only concern, which this is just life

250
00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,080
Speaker 2: in the NFL, is you hope you're able to protect

251
00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:27,719
Speaker 2: Rudolph enough too. But with the depth of this so

252
00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,720
Speaker 2: line through the preseason, I don't think that's a problem.

253
00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:32,280
Speaker 2: I don't think they're gonna be trotting out a lot

254
00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:36,200
Speaker 2: of you know, lawyers and accountants in the preseason trying

255
00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,560
Speaker 2: to block for these guys. But you're right. I mean,

256
00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,600
Speaker 2: if you've got a third string quarterback that's either new

257
00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,040
Speaker 2: or just over his head or not an NFL player,

258
00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,360
Speaker 2: you know all these route progressions one to two, Well,

259
00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:48,439
Speaker 2: if two's wide open and.

260
00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:50,240
Speaker 1: He doesn't even see them, or even he never makes

261
00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:51,040
Speaker 1: it that far, right.

262
00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,959
Speaker 2: I mean, of course, the coaches watched the tape and say, well,

263
00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:55,640
Speaker 2: the receiver did all the right things, but it would

264
00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:57,360
Speaker 2: be nice if you got the ball, like to see

265
00:11:57,360 --> 00:11:59,600
Speaker 2: if he catches it right and what happens after you

266
00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:02,800
Speaker 2: he ran around perfectly, the play call was how it

267
00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:04,320
Speaker 2: was designed, and the ball never came out.

268
00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:06,400
Speaker 1: You know, that's a hard thing to evaluate. Yeah. I

269
00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,760
Speaker 1: can also remember talking to Bruce arians back in the

270
00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,160
Speaker 1: day and him talking about having to teach some of

271
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,360
Speaker 1: these young quarterbacks that are coming out of the spread

272
00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,439
Speaker 1: offense where they've got the Donald Duck side sidelines and

273
00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,400
Speaker 1: all that stuff, how to call play in a huddle.

274
00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,720
Speaker 2: Some of them never even taken a snap from center. Yeah,

275
00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:24,480
Speaker 2: that on somebody. But and so you know he used

276
00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,880
Speaker 2: to basics stuff. Yeah right, I mean quarterback basics. They're

277
00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,959
Speaker 2: tight ends that come out many that have never put

278
00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,200
Speaker 2: their hand in the dirk In line. It's one of

279
00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,920
Speaker 2: the many reasons that tight ends have such a hard

280
00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:38,959
Speaker 2: rookie two three for first couple of years.

281
00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:41,600
Speaker 1: Let alone reading stuff on the fly. Right.

282
00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,120
Speaker 2: A lot of people think tight ends struggle because there

283
00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:46,920
Speaker 2: asked to be tackles and wide receivers not as much.

284
00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,440
Speaker 2: I mean, they're not blocking t J. Watt Man on man,

285
00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,560
Speaker 2: you know. I mean it's they just don't get asked

286
00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:54,199
Speaker 2: to do much at all at the college level. I

287
00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,559
Speaker 2: mean some of them are just receivers or run three routes.

288
00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:58,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, they're guys that went to school as a receiver

289
00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:00,280
Speaker 1: and they happen to be six three or six four

290
00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:02,040
Speaker 1: and the coach said, hey, once you put on twenty pounds,

291
00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:03,400
Speaker 1: we're gonna make you a tight end.

292
00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,280
Speaker 2: Yeah. And as much as I adore Darnel Washington, I

293
00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:07,959
Speaker 2: think he's a phenomenal draft pick.

294
00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:08,640
Speaker 1: He's a tight end.

295
00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,120
Speaker 2: I mean he's a tight end, but he didn't run

296
00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,440
Speaker 2: you know, a real diverse route tree AIA. I mean

297
00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:17,400
Speaker 2: he was the number two tight end on a powerhouse team.

298
00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,120
Speaker 2: I mean, and he didn't have that many catches. I

299
00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,400
Speaker 2: mean watch his highlight tapes like, well, there's another steam route,

300
00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:25,400
Speaker 2: but I mean, is he reading safeties on the fly

301
00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:27,680
Speaker 2: and sitting it down, or if it's a man, is

302
00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:29,720
Speaker 2: he running through it at versus zone where he sits

303
00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:31,880
Speaker 2: it down or whatever. I mean, he's so big and

304
00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:33,680
Speaker 2: strong he probably wasn't even asked to do those things.

305
00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:35,520
Speaker 1: That's one of the beauties of a guy like that. Yeah,

306
00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:37,600
Speaker 1: you don't have to, you know, and there's no bad habit.

307
00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:39,560
Speaker 1: You can make area code throws.

308
00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,800
Speaker 2: Absolutely that stood out yesterday too, I mean there was

309
00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,199
Speaker 2: I thought the tight end group in general stood out

310
00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:49,960
Speaker 2: to me. Friarmouth looks really sharp. Hayward to me is

311
00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,360
Speaker 2: really shifty and explosive out of his cuts as just

312
00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,920
Speaker 2: a route runner and his a weapon. I know you

313
00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,760
Speaker 2: call him a fullback, I still call him a tight end.

314
00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:00,800
Speaker 2: I don't think it matters. I'm not sure what he's

315
00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,760
Speaker 2: listed on the depth chart at this right. He's his

316
00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,040
Speaker 2: own beast, but he's hard to play against.

317
00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,839
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know again, I know you like to tinker

318
00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,760
Speaker 1: with those lineup things. Yeah, you know, they could really

319
00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:13,840
Speaker 1: come out in a four tight end set. I know,

320
00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:15,000
Speaker 1: and it'll be dangerous.

321
00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:17,679
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's funny. I wrote. The article I wrote this

322
00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:21,240
Speaker 2: week was all based on that offensive things they can do.

323
00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,120
Speaker 2: And the short of it is, I'm really excited. It

324
00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,680
Speaker 2: doesn't matter what names are on the jerseys when it

325
00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,120
Speaker 2: comes to the preseason. I'm curious that we're going to

326
00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:33,120
Speaker 2: see six offensive line sets because they used to do

327
00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,880
Speaker 2: that a lot before last year because they usually had

328
00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,560
Speaker 2: a good swing tackle and they absolutely will this year

329
00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:42,600
Speaker 2: barring injury. Three tight end sets if you count Hayward

330
00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:44,840
Speaker 2: as a tight end. I mean that's something around the league.

331
00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:47,080
Speaker 2: The Chiefs were at the top of the league in

332
00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,040
Speaker 2: that Denver or the Browns used to do a ton

333
00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:55,280
Speaker 2: of it with na Joku and Hunter Hooper and those guys.

334
00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:59,080
Speaker 2: That's hard to play against. And even four receiver sets.

335
00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:01,200
Speaker 2: I mean you might see four wideouts on the field

336
00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:03,120
Speaker 2: to fare amount. And again, I don't care what names

337
00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:05,840
Speaker 2: they are, but if we see more of those personnel

338
00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:07,960
Speaker 2: groupings and preseason, I'll be pretty excited.

339
00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:10,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think. I mean, you could line up in

340
00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:17,400
Speaker 1: a in a formation with six offensive linemen and four

341
00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,840
Speaker 1: tight ends or four rightouts and throw the football.

342
00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:24,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean you could throw Jones are more as

343
00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:29,640
Speaker 2: your sixth tight end picket in empty with Austin Pickens,

344
00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:33,840
Speaker 2: Johnson and Robinson. I mean that looks like pass all

345
00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,640
Speaker 2: day long. You're gonna get dime. But the other thing,

346
00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:39,360
Speaker 2: no offense to ben picket can just that could be

347
00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,440
Speaker 2: quarterback draw quarterback draws, you know what I mean. If

348
00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:43,360
Speaker 2: you have a really light box, if you missed Fiver

349
00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:45,640
Speaker 2: six men box right right, he might just.

350
00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,160
Speaker 1: Be laking booting. He goes thirty yards right right right.

351
00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,440
Speaker 2: I mean, so the fact that you've a running quarterback

352
00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,440
Speaker 2: too really makes that difficult. And like an example I

353
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,120
Speaker 2: used is like I know the Bills aren't on the schedule,

354
00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:58,560
Speaker 2: but more than any defense in the league there in nickel,

355
00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:02,120
Speaker 2: they're like four defense linemen, two linebackers used to be

356
00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,280
Speaker 2: Edmonds and Milano and five defensive backs. Well, if you're

357
00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,600
Speaker 2: playing the Bills and they're pretty darn committed to being

358
00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,080
Speaker 2: a nickel, well maybe you come out with three tight

359
00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:14,080
Speaker 2: ends in an extra line.

360
00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,000
Speaker 1: We're gonna bludget you and you get until you get

361
00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:16,360
Speaker 1: out of.

362
00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:18,040
Speaker 2: This or the opposite. You know, you come out in

363
00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,240
Speaker 2: four wide when they should be in dime and they

364
00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,800
Speaker 2: don't make the adjustment, or both and see which works better.

365
00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,920
Speaker 2: That's more the crux of it is, we're just gonna

366
00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:28,600
Speaker 2: throw a lot of stuff at you early, and whatever

367
00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:30,120
Speaker 2: you don't handle, we're gonna stick with.

368
00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:34,080
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that's what gets a little bit overlooked

369
00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,240
Speaker 1: early in games when people talk about scripting plays, scripting

370
00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:41,520
Speaker 1: of plays. You're scripting plays not just to try to score,

371
00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,080
Speaker 1: obviously trying to score, but you want to see how

372
00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:45,880
Speaker 1: the defense reacts to what you're doing.

373
00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,680
Speaker 2: I think that's the most important. I mean, if you

374
00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,240
Speaker 2: could give all the play calls in the league true serum.

375
00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:54,000
Speaker 2: I think that the scripted plays part is collecting data.

376
00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:55,480
Speaker 2: You know, like Sean paigea.

377
00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,160
Speaker 1: When we go to three wides and they're all bunched

378
00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:00,800
Speaker 1: on the right side, right, here's what they right right right.

379
00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:02,480
Speaker 1: So then you come back to it in a third quarter.

380
00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:04,160
Speaker 1: You know what they're gonna do. You know how they're

381
00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,280
Speaker 1: gonna defend it. And now you've you've figured out the

382
00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,119
Speaker 1: adjustments you need to make off of that, maybe at

383
00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:11,400
Speaker 1: halftime or whatever. Yeah, Okay, when they when they show

384
00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:13,600
Speaker 1: us this, here's what we're gonna do so to.

385
00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,080
Speaker 2: Bring it back to the Steelers, and this isn't being critical.

386
00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:18,480
Speaker 2: This is the cards they had in their hand. They

387
00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:22,159
Speaker 2: were a heavy eleven personnel team, especially pre Claypool trade,

388
00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:25,360
Speaker 2: and then a heavy twelve personnel team after Claypool where

389
00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:29,280
Speaker 2: Gentry Snaps went up for Claypool. Yeah, and very quickly,

390
00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,520
Speaker 2: I'm sure the whole offensive coaching staff could be like, well,

391
00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,439
Speaker 2: if we're playing the Saints, the Browns, Bears, whoever this week,

392
00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,639
Speaker 2: they view our offense this way when we're in eleven.

393
00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,000
Speaker 2: They view their offense this way when we're in twelve.

394
00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,919
Speaker 2: So we immediately know what defensive players will be on

395
00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,719
Speaker 2: the field just for those two personnel groupings, let alone

396
00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,919
Speaker 2: the hundreds they can put out now or the fifty

397
00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,560
Speaker 2: they can put out now. So okay, you know that

398
00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:55,879
Speaker 2: you're getting dime versus one, you're getting nickel versus this,

399
00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:59,159
Speaker 2: or base nickel whatever, and then you start fiddling with, well,

400
00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:00,920
Speaker 2: what if we put both tight ends on the same

401
00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,560
Speaker 2: side or you know that type of things, and then

402
00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:05,640
Speaker 2: how do they adjust to it? I mean, so once

403
00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:09,280
Speaker 2: you gather all that data, then you can start saying, well,

404
00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,920
Speaker 2: they didn't practice this right, so they checked the cover too.

405
00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:16,320
Speaker 1: You know, going back to our discussion with Cole Holcomb yesterday,

406
00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:18,960
Speaker 1: that's how you end up with an inside linebacker matched

407
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:19,879
Speaker 1: up on a wide receiver.

408
00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,600
Speaker 2: Happens in every game, every year, every game, right right right,

409
00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,080
Speaker 2: and it's it's a mismatch. That's why the offense coordinators

410
00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:26,560
Speaker 2: get paid too.

411
00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,040
Speaker 1: That's why you're trying to scheme those things up. And

412
00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,320
Speaker 1: it happens to every team in the league, not just

413
00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:34,840
Speaker 1: the Steelers. It's far they sometimes get that matchup to

414
00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,600
Speaker 1: I can nobody ever creditsize. I remember when Chase Claypool

415
00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:40,440
Speaker 1: a couple of years ago against the Dolphins, I believe

416
00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,280
Speaker 1: it was heinz Field got matched up on their inside

417
00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,000
Speaker 1: linebacker down to seam for a touchdown. Yeah. Yeah, nobody

418
00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:50,000
Speaker 1: ever said anything about that, Like right right, he beat

419
00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:53,280
Speaker 1: their inside linebacker for a touchdown. It's their big, speedy

420
00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,520
Speaker 1: wide receiver and they matched up a linebacker.

421
00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:59,960
Speaker 2: With all respect to Claypool, that's a play caller touchdown.

422
00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:00,840
Speaker 1: Yes, you know what I mean.

423
00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,960
Speaker 2: That's a scheme touchdown that most receivers should win. That

424
00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,800
Speaker 2: or every receiver receivership basically win that. Assume it's protected,

425
00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,040
Speaker 2: right and all that good stuff, right, So yeah, I

426
00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:13,879
Speaker 2: mean it happens everybody, but now I'm really hoping. And

427
00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:16,520
Speaker 2: again that was the crux of the article is we

428
00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:19,919
Speaker 2: see a lot of different stuff than eleven and twelve.

429
00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,000
Speaker 2: You know, you could be much more diverse, much more diverse.

430
00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:24,480
Speaker 2: And there is something I've even said this in the

431
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:30,280
Speaker 2: article too, like there is some credence to Lombardi runs

432
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:30,800
Speaker 2: his swimp.

433
00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,000
Speaker 1: We're gonna do this'll get a fire right, right, right,

434
00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:36,920
Speaker 1: if you find something that they're not stopping, right, you

435
00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:39,760
Speaker 1: continue to I remember the game against the Bengals a

436
00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:43,040
Speaker 1: few years back where they did the the castro pulling

437
00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:46,639
Speaker 1: around left end and just bludgeoning Vonte's perfect time, like

438
00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:49,000
Speaker 1: sixth straight place right, stop it put it up on

439
00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:49,600
Speaker 1: the scoreboard.

440
00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:50,720
Speaker 2: You know, right, We're gonna do it again.

441
00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:51,640
Speaker 1: We'll do it again. Yeah.

442
00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:53,720
Speaker 2: When I was a pit we used to throw fades

443
00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,840
Speaker 2: the Larry stop every time. You know, why would we not?

444
00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:59,080
Speaker 1: Everybody watching at home was calling, right.

445
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,160
Speaker 2: So just you know here, this one's going up to Larry.

446
00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:03,919
Speaker 1: I was gonna say in that though.

447
00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:10,639
Speaker 2: So there can be too many. So there's the theory

448
00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,600
Speaker 2: of the best restaurants serve five things, right, they don't

449
00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:16,600
Speaker 2: have the cheesecake factory menu, you know what I mean,

450
00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:21,920
Speaker 2: Because everything's okay, but nothing's phenomenal. But I want to

451
00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,320
Speaker 2: see just from personnel groupings and expanded men.

452
00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:26,840
Speaker 1: You have to have your bread and butter and then

453
00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:27,879
Speaker 1: you expand off of that.

454
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, and they didn't really didn't have the horses to

455
00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,199
Speaker 2: do it, especially post Claypool trade in Austin being injured

456
00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:36,359
Speaker 2: and you know, et cetera. But so I'm really excited

457
00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,840
Speaker 2: about that aspect of it too, and just watching these

458
00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:42,119
Speaker 2: guys run around at those positions, you know, even the

459
00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,640
Speaker 2: Calvin Austin's and Haywards and guys like that that aren't

460
00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:49,320
Speaker 2: going to get sixty snaps a game. They're useful NFL players.

461
00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,960
Speaker 1: Absolutely, absolutely, he is Matt Williamson. I am Dale. Allie.

462
00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,560
Speaker 1: You're listening to a special edition of The Drive here

463
00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,560
Speaker 1: on ESPN nine to seventy and Steelers Nation Radio. We

464
00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,200
Speaker 1: are live from the Steelers here on the South Side,

465
00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:03,879
Speaker 1: and we will be back with more right after this.

466
00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,639
Speaker 3: Black and Gold football leaves here twenty four to seven.

467
00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,119
Speaker 3: You're listening to SNH Steelers Nation Radio.

468
00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,880
Speaker 1: Welcome back to this special edition of the Drive here

469
00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:24,520
Speaker 1: on Steelers Nation Radio and ESPN nine to seventy. I'm

470
00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,440
Speaker 1: Dale Lallie. He is Matt Williamson, and we are live

471
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,680
Speaker 1: at Steelers Ota Session number two. We'll be here until noon.

472
00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:34,200
Speaker 1: As I mentioned before, we'll be joined at the top

473
00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,040
Speaker 1: of the hour or sometime there soon after by Steelers

474
00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:40,119
Speaker 1: new cornerback Patrick Peterson. So looking forward to that. You

475
00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:42,600
Speaker 1: don't want to miss that, So stay right here, tuned

476
00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:46,560
Speaker 1: in with us. We will take you through all everything

477
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,320
Speaker 1: that's going on here today. Matt, I did want to

478
00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:52,080
Speaker 1: talk about a little bit more, And I know it

479
00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:54,840
Speaker 1: seems like we're talking a lot about the offense, but

480
00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:55,359
Speaker 1: we should.

481
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, we should. There's a lot of new additions. I mean,

482
00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:00,920
Speaker 2: they made some strides last year. They were super second

483
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:02,720
Speaker 2: year quarterback. Why wouldn't we talk about it?

484
00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:07,520
Speaker 1: So the number ten ranked scoring offense in the league

485
00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:09,159
Speaker 1: last year, do you know who it was and what

486
00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:11,440
Speaker 1: they averaged? No? I didn't think that.

487
00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:13,440
Speaker 2: You I will, I will tip.

488
00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:15,760
Speaker 1: I will clue you in on that. Okay, it was

489
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:20,640
Speaker 1: the Jacksonville Jaguars at twenty three point eight points per game.

490
00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,239
Speaker 2: What I do know is I'm sure that's lower than

491
00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:24,119
Speaker 2: the normal.

492
00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,199
Speaker 1: The tenth highest Yeah, twenty three point eight points per

493
00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,000
Speaker 1: game was number ten in the league last year.

494
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,080
Speaker 2: Wow, so that's well above average. Yes, it's the top third.

495
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:35,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, if you're looking for average, you're looking then down

496
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,840
Speaker 1: into the around twenty one to twenty one and a

497
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:42,760
Speaker 1: half point range. People that don't think that the Steelers

498
00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,439
Speaker 1: offense can do that, right, I mean, that's what they

499
00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:47,480
Speaker 1: averaged in the second half of the season last year.

500
00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,440
Speaker 1: So in their in their second half, they were like

501
00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:53,560
Speaker 1: twenty point nine or something like that, which would have

502
00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,560
Speaker 1: been twentieth in the league. If they do that over

503
00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,320
Speaker 1: the course of a season, and that was with an

504
00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:01,920
Speaker 1: offense that had two passing touchdowns, sure.

505
00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:03,960
Speaker 2: For the season, which that number is going to go up, Yes,

506
00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:04,119
Speaker 2: you know.

507
00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,560
Speaker 1: I mean Boswell is not going to miss as many

508
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:07,240
Speaker 1: kicks as he did.

509
00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:11,280
Speaker 2: He'll have a higher percentage. Yeah, no question. Are they

510
00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,040
Speaker 2: over their red zone woes. I'm not willing to say that,

511
00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,640
Speaker 2: but I bet it's better than it was a year ago. Yeah,

512
00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,480
Speaker 2: I mean, but it could has room to be drastically better.

513
00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:21,600
Speaker 2: I mean, even if their league average is a red

514
00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,600
Speaker 2: zone team, the weaponry I think is better. I mean,

515
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,080
Speaker 2: this time of year, everything looks rosy I mean it's

516
00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:29,960
Speaker 2: not going to be that great. I mean, everyone's not

517
00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:32,080
Speaker 2: going to get better and all those things. But the

518
00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,880
Speaker 2: line looks better. The quarterback I'm sure will be better

519
00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,480
Speaker 2: in his second season. And I think the weaponry and

520
00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:39,600
Speaker 2: all the options like we laid out in the first

521
00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,240
Speaker 2: hour are improved as well.

522
00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,480
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. And so I look at that and say,

523
00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:48,760
Speaker 1: you know, for example, to take a look at that

524
00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:53,359
Speaker 1: Jacksonville offense Trevor Lawrence in his second year. Yeah, they

525
00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,119
Speaker 1: averaged two hundred and thirty two point nine yards passing

526
00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:58,680
Speaker 1: per game and one hundred and twenty four point five

527
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,760
Speaker 1: rushing yards per game. Okay, those numbers are doable for

528
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:02,359
Speaker 1: this offense.

529
00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,439
Speaker 2: They are, they are. I mean, I'm very impressed with Lawrence.

530
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:07,680
Speaker 2: I thought he had a tremendous year. I thought he

531
00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,600
Speaker 2: made great strides after a disastrous, not his fault rookie season.

532
00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:15,239
Speaker 2: But that offense isn't loaded, you know what I mean.

533
00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,440
Speaker 2: I mean last year's version. I mean it's it's fine.

534
00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:19,959
Speaker 2: I mean Kirk and Jay Jones, I mean, are they

535
00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,480
Speaker 2: great Ingram They're fine. I mean the old line's a

536
00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:26,200
Speaker 2: little above average atn missed some time from what I remember,

537
00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,520
Speaker 2: and you know, it's not a phenomenal group. I would

538
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:32,440
Speaker 2: probably even still take the Steelers other ten or supporting

539
00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:35,080
Speaker 2: cast over Jacksonville, certainly last year's version.

540
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:37,840
Speaker 1: I look at some of those other teams that are

541
00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,440
Speaker 1: in that range in that So you had the Dolphins

542
00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,320
Speaker 1: at twenty three point four, they were eleventh.

543
00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,800
Speaker 2: They're kind of an odd one though, Yeah, because with

544
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,119
Speaker 2: him they were at the top of the league. Without them,

545
00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,040
Speaker 2: they were kind of a disaster. Yeah, third and fourth

546
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:51,840
Speaker 2: three quarterbacks.

547
00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:54,440
Speaker 1: Ye had the Raiders at twenty three point two, Okay,

548
00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,240
Speaker 1: I mean that was pretty much a full season of

549
00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:00,440
Speaker 1: car Yeah, you had the Chargers at two twenty three

550
00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:02,080
Speaker 1: point zero. That's with Herbert.

551
00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:04,520
Speaker 2: They're a good comparison actually, because they were two of

552
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:08,320
Speaker 2: the worst offenses in the league in terms of explosive explosives.

553
00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,840
Speaker 2: You know, Herbert to me is a nearly elite quarterback,

554
00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,000
Speaker 2: but they had very little running game. Didn't you know,

555
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:19,520
Speaker 2: convert on many deep shots or help him much. I

556
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,280
Speaker 2: also think they were like the top of the league

557
00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:22,960
Speaker 2: and drop passes. I just happened to hear that the

558
00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,879
Speaker 2: other day, which again Herbert just was swimming upstream with

559
00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:27,440
Speaker 2: VI had around him.

560
00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,919
Speaker 1: You had the Packers at twenty one point eight. That's

561
00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:34,280
Speaker 1: what Aaron Rodgers, that's Rodgers. Yeah, and they could run

562
00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,400
Speaker 1: the ball. They could run the ball. And Rodgers wasn't

563
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,720
Speaker 1: the MVP form, you know is that final season in

564
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,199
Speaker 1: Green Bay. But he's still pretty good football player. How

565
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,640
Speaker 1: about this team, the Falcons at twenty one point five.

566
00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:47,359
Speaker 2: That's actually a pretty good comparison.

567
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,879
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, because they ran the heck out of

568
00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,000
Speaker 1: the ball and I average one hundred and fifty nine

569
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,800
Speaker 1: point nine yards rushing per game.

570
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:57,200
Speaker 2: I have mixed feelings about Ritter, but I thought Mariota

571
00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:00,760
Speaker 2: really really did not play well last year. Is a starter.

572
00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,399
Speaker 2: But they ran the ball like crazy and they scored

573
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:08,840
Speaker 2: score points, you know, So that's a I think it's

574
00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:13,800
Speaker 2: even a paint by numbers, you know, a real lower

575
00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:15,879
Speaker 2: bar to here's.

576
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:17,760
Speaker 1: Yea, because they only average one hundred and fifty eight

577
00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,680
Speaker 1: point eight yards passing per game. Steelers are gonna be

578
00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:21,040
Speaker 1: better than now.

579
00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,879
Speaker 2: I say They're passing game should eclipse what the Falcons

580
00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,640
Speaker 2: were last easily. I mean easily easily. If they run

581
00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,200
Speaker 2: the ball as well as Atlanta did last year, that's

582
00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:30,600
Speaker 2: about as good as it gets in the league.

583
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:30,800
Speaker 1: Yea.

584
00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:32,880
Speaker 2: You know, and I do think Smith's a real good

585
00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:35,639
Speaker 2: play caller and all those things, but you should be

586
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:37,560
Speaker 2: able to mimic that at a minimum.

587
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:39,840
Speaker 1: How about the Giants at twenty one point five. That's

588
00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:43,359
Speaker 1: another good one. Yeah. Yeah, they averaged one hundred and

589
00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:45,399
Speaker 1: forty eight point two yards rushing per game, which the

590
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:47,440
Speaker 1: Steelers were at one forty six in the second half

591
00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:50,080
Speaker 1: of last year when they went seven and two. I mean,

592
00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:52,120
Speaker 1: when they average one hundred and eighty five point seven

593
00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,520
Speaker 1: yards passing per game, Okay, I a Steelers pass catchers

594
00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:57,720
Speaker 1: are far and away better than what the Giants.

595
00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,520
Speaker 2: That's what I should say is we often, especially when

596
00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,800
Speaker 2: we start talking fantasy and things, laugh at the curse

597
00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:06,280
Speaker 2: that's on the wide receiver room. I mean, that was

598
00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:08,840
Speaker 2: as bad a group of wideouts and tight end when

599
00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,400
Speaker 2: you incorporate that as there was in the league last year,

600
00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:13,920
Speaker 2: and they still got to those numbers. Sure, they ran

601
00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:15,639
Speaker 2: the ball, and Barkley is a good player, he's a

602
00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:19,480
Speaker 2: really good player, but what was around him wasn't all that.

603
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:21,479
Speaker 2: I'd rather have this group by one thousand.

604
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:23,879
Speaker 1: Yeah, the Patriots were a twenty one point four, but

605
00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,640
Speaker 1: there's a caveat there. They had like seven return touchdowns.

606
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:28,840
Speaker 1: That's just the whole team. It's not the offensive. Yeah,

607
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,040
Speaker 1: that one's Yeah. So you know, you look at their

608
00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,720
Speaker 1: offense as a whole, it wasn't good. You take those

609
00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,159
Speaker 1: pretty dysfunctional, you know, you take those seven touchdowns out

610
00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,399
Speaker 1: of the equation or even half of them, Yeah, a lot,

611
00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,800
Speaker 1: and they're under twenty. Yeah. You had the Browns at

612
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,480
Speaker 1: twenty one point two. They had they average one hundred

613
00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:51,040
Speaker 1: and forty six point five yards rushing per game. They

614
00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:53,880
Speaker 1: averaged two hundred and two point six yards passing per game,

615
00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:58,520
Speaker 1: mostly with Persett, mostly with perse right, Like, I mean,

616
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,560
Speaker 1: the the Watson, the Euro wasn't I look at this

617
00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:03,040
Speaker 1: Steelers offense, I think it's better than that. I mean

618
00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,520
Speaker 1: other than take you know, Chubbs in the equation. Yeah,

619
00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:06,520
Speaker 1: he's phenomenal.

620
00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, but I think this Steelers line that we're looking

621
00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:13,639
Speaker 2: at is nearing what the Browns played with last year.

622
00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:15,960
Speaker 2: Is one of the better lines out there. Not number one,

623
00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:18,080
Speaker 2: but I mean it's one of the better ones. Yeah.

624
00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:20,760
Speaker 1: I don't have to squint real hard right right to

625
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,080
Speaker 1: see where you know, the Steelers finished last year at

626
00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:25,920
Speaker 1: eighteen point one. That was they were atrocious early in

627
00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:27,880
Speaker 1: the season. They were averaging fourteen points a game early

628
00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:28,239
Speaker 1: in the year.

629
00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:30,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, they'd never dug out of that.

630
00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:33,080
Speaker 1: So to get to get to eighteen point one, you

631
00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:35,960
Speaker 1: got to really start stacking some you know.

632
00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:37,560
Speaker 2: I mean that's what you're point agressive in some of

633
00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,160
Speaker 2: their other categories, like time of possession where they started

634
00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:42,360
Speaker 2: so bad and then ended up leading the league almost

635
00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:44,920
Speaker 2: you know, those type of things. But scoring points is

636
00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:46,320
Speaker 2: harder than possessing the football, you know.

637
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:50,720
Speaker 1: So if we look at last year's offensive numbers for

638
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:51,840
Speaker 1: the Steelers.

639
00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:53,840
Speaker 2: Just what they averaged, but real quick to say this

640
00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,000
Speaker 2: a second ago, like the offenses you just laid out

641
00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:57,960
Speaker 2: there when we went around the league. It's not the

642
00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:00,920
Speaker 2: Chiefs with Kelsey and right right, you know, I mean,

643
00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,120
Speaker 2: it's not elite even the Bengals with Chasing Higgins and

644
00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,080
Speaker 2: Burrough and mix it, and I mean they're not the

645
00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,760
Speaker 2: most talented offenses in the league we're comparing them to.

646
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,000
Speaker 1: Right. So last year, for the season, the Steelers averaged

647
00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:17,200
Speaker 1: two hundred point six yards passing per game. Take the

648
00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:21,840
Speaker 1: over or the under on that this year over over, okay, Yeah,

649
00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,200
Speaker 1: and they averaged one hundred and twenty one point nine

650
00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,920
Speaker 1: yards rushing per game. Go over under that. It's a

651
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,560
Speaker 1: pretty nice number all in all. Yeah, I mean.

652
00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,640
Speaker 2: I think I'll go over as well, but I'm being optimistic.

653
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:36,520
Speaker 1: So if we look at if we look at where

654
00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:38,760
Speaker 1: they were, So they were the Bears led the league

655
00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:40,640
Speaker 1: in rushing one hundred and seventy seven point three yards

656
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:42,560
Speaker 1: per game, No surprise there the quarterback.

657
00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:44,800
Speaker 2: One of the things about that though, too, is they

658
00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:46,760
Speaker 2: could be losing by thirty and they're still going to can.

659
00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:48,280
Speaker 1: They're going to run. That's all they had.

660
00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:51,560
Speaker 2: So they're writing they're running against light boxes late in

661
00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:54,040
Speaker 2: games with a very talented rushing quarterback.

662
00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, and some of that's not even by design.

663
00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,800
Speaker 2: He's just taking it right or they didn't block anybody,

664
00:29:58,880 --> 00:29:59,920
Speaker 2: so he just tucks it and runs.

665
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,240
Speaker 1: The Ravens were second and one hundred and sixty. Yeah,

666
00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,720
Speaker 1: there was a big again running quarterbacks. Yeah, the Falcons

667
00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:09,440
Speaker 1: just missed, but they were in third place one hundred

668
00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:13,239
Speaker 1: and fifty nine point nine. Okay. The Giants were one

669
00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:17,400
Speaker 1: forty eight point two. The Eagles were at one forty

670
00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,200
Speaker 1: seven point six. Again, another another running court. Yeah, Daniel

671
00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:22,120
Speaker 1: Jones is as well, Oh, he absolutely is. I mean

672
00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:23,440
Speaker 1: I think you ran for like five or six hundred

673
00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,640
Speaker 1: yards last year, maybe more. You had the Browns at

674
00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,920
Speaker 1: one forty six point five. They're just a good running game. Yeah,

675
00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:31,000
Speaker 1: they don't throw it particularly well.

676
00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:32,000
Speaker 2: No they didn't.

677
00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,120
Speaker 1: They did, Yeah they We'll see what that turns into.

678
00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:36,240
Speaker 1: The Bills were at one thirty nine point five, and

679
00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:38,600
Speaker 1: again that was about the quarterback six hundred that Yeah,

680
00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:42,040
Speaker 1: the forty nine Ers were one thirty eight point eight. Okay,

681
00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:43,000
Speaker 1: I get that.

682
00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, they just they're a really efficient offense.

683
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:49,240
Speaker 1: The Cowboys were at one thirty five point two, The

684
00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:51,280
Speaker 1: Panthers were at one thirty. The Lions were at one

685
00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:53,719
Speaker 1: twenty eight point two. Panthers were another one. That's all

686
00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:56,200
Speaker 1: they had at one point. So I look at so

687
00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,040
Speaker 1: the Steelers averaged one hundred and forty six yards rushing

688
00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:03,400
Speaker 1: per game in their final nine games last year. That

689
00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,720
Speaker 1: would put them just ahead of the Bills, right behind.

690
00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:10,320
Speaker 2: The brown Over the course of something like that. Yeah, yeah,

691
00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,040
Speaker 2: you do that, You do that, you'll be in really

692
00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:13,480
Speaker 2: good shape.

693
00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,000
Speaker 1: And your offensive line is better this year. It is better.

694
00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:20,000
Speaker 1: And yeah, I mean you're gonna control the clock, you're

695
00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,160
Speaker 1: gonna put the other team, you're gonna you're gonna shorten

696
00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:24,719
Speaker 1: the game to the point where the other teams going

697
00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:26,680
Speaker 1: into the game going, well, we're not gonna get twelve

698
00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:28,560
Speaker 1: possessions in this game. We're gonna get nine and.

699
00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:31,400
Speaker 2: Nine right, right, and your defense is happier. Of course,

700
00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,520
Speaker 2: you hope you could incorporate play action and more deep

701
00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:38,480
Speaker 2: shots and lure people into the box, and picking even

702
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,440
Speaker 2: takes more advantage of those situations or recognizes them better

703
00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:45,440
Speaker 2: as a second year player. Yeah, I mean I always

704
00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:47,280
Speaker 2: worry this time of year that you fall into the

705
00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:50,440
Speaker 2: optimism trap, you know, I mean, this is this is

706
00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,400
Speaker 2: the spring of you know, oternal optimism. Right, Everyone's gonna

707
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:55,000
Speaker 2: get better, No one's gonna get hurt. All your draft

708
00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:56,719
Speaker 2: picks are gonna hit. You know, everyone coming back from

709
00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:58,760
Speaker 2: injury is gonna be fine. I mean, I mean this

710
00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,840
Speaker 2: across the league I've been for since I've been the media,

711
00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,720
Speaker 2: you know that this is draft until training camp is

712
00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,280
Speaker 2: the time of eternal optimism. Which good for the NFL.

713
00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:10,840
Speaker 2: They keep the fan bases really engaged. But I'm afraid

714
00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,640
Speaker 2: I am too optimistic about this offense because I really

715
00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,320
Speaker 2: like where they're at compared to three hundred and sixty

716
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:16,800
Speaker 2: five days ago.

717
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:18,720
Speaker 1: Sitting here doing the exact same show. Yeah, well, I

718
00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:21,200
Speaker 1: just I just know what we saw over the course

719
00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:23,800
Speaker 1: of that second half of the season, and you know

720
00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,720
Speaker 1: some of the games that they didn't score in. There was,

721
00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,240
Speaker 1: you know that game against the Raiders we just mentioned.

722
00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:31,720
Speaker 1: The Raiders had one of the top they were just

723
00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:35,320
Speaker 1: outside the top ten in offense. It's thirteen to ten

724
00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,160
Speaker 1: game because it was like minus seven freezing there. Like,

725
00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:39,880
Speaker 1: nobody was scoring a bunch of points in that game.

726
00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,200
Speaker 1: Patrick Mahomes isn't putting thirty on the board in that game.

727
00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,280
Speaker 2: No, No, I mean that is another thing too. And

728
00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:49,000
Speaker 2: these small sample size sixteen seventeen game schedules or whatever.

729
00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,240
Speaker 2: If you're the Browns or the Bills or you know

730
00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:53,640
Speaker 2: New England, then you have three home games at the

731
00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:55,800
Speaker 2: end of the year. You're probably not going to score

732
00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:58,920
Speaker 2: as much as Arizona and San Francisco and you know Houston.

733
00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, some of the home teams or good weather teams. Right,

734
00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:03,200
Speaker 1: so you have to be built for that, which again

735
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:05,840
Speaker 1: takes me back to the running right right right, Absolutely,

736
00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:08,000
Speaker 1: you better be able to run the football if you

737
00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,560
Speaker 1: play football in the Northeast and unless you live under

738
00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,080
Speaker 1: a rock, I don't think that the game plan is

739
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:14,720
Speaker 1: going to change a whole heck of a lot, you know.

740
00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:18,400
Speaker 2: I mean, they established something last year. Their offseason moves

741
00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:20,640
Speaker 2: imply they're not going to get away from being at

742
00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:23,640
Speaker 2: least a very physical team, starting with the run game.

743
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,600
Speaker 2: And you know, the way we've described it a little

744
00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,480
Speaker 2: bit was trying to build a house. And in the

745
00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:31,880
Speaker 2: first half of the year it felt like.

746
00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:34,440
Speaker 1: You're trying to put you trying to put walls up,

747
00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,440
Speaker 1: and they keep falling back down. You haven't built the foundation.

748
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:40,480
Speaker 2: Right exactly, you know, and what where is our foundation?

749
00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:41,680
Speaker 1: You started with the roof.

750
00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:45,920
Speaker 2: But the second half of the year, I think if

751
00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:49,080
Speaker 2: you build a story, someone to write a book someday

752
00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:52,120
Speaker 2: about the picket led offense or whatever, then it kind

753
00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:54,800
Speaker 2: of starts that Week nine. You know that there was

754
00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:58,760
Speaker 2: some concrete poard, there was a foundation built. Wasn't super pretty,

755
00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:02,080
Speaker 2: you know, the the windows needed painted still, and the

756
00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,480
Speaker 2: electricity was half installed and all that good stuff. But

757
00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:09,040
Speaker 2: the foundation was built last year, and this offseason might

758
00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:11,200
Speaker 2: really be the second floor of the house, you know.

759
00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:13,800
Speaker 1: What I mean. Yeah, you know, you look at the

760
00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:15,560
Speaker 1: Steelers as a whole. Last year they had thirty four

761
00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:20,440
Speaker 1: hundred yards passing. And you know I've seen and heard

762
00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:22,960
Speaker 1: some stuff out there. Well, if Pickett throws for three

763
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,719
Speaker 1: thousand yards this year in nineteen touchdowns, that's a good year.

764
00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:28,480
Speaker 2: No it is, No, it isn't.

765
00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:30,120
Speaker 1: In thirty four hundred you go to ever, I mean,

766
00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:32,560
Speaker 1: two hundred yards are passing for him? Is not going

767
00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,279
Speaker 1: to be No, that's not okay. Yeah, I'm gonna be

768
00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:36,800
Speaker 1: okay with that. I'm not on board with that. No,

769
00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:37,839
Speaker 1: not at all.

770
00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:39,400
Speaker 2: I mean, I think you got to aim higher than that.

771
00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:41,759
Speaker 2: You gotta drive the ball down the field more. You

772
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,880
Speaker 2: got to tack the middle of the field more. And

773
00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:47,920
Speaker 2: you could also you know, just because the numbers for

774
00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,319
Speaker 2: the run game and the pass game could both go up.

775
00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:51,799
Speaker 2: And that doesn't mean you're going to score a ton

776
00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:54,839
Speaker 2: more points. But I do think you need to two

777
00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:56,000
Speaker 2: hundred yards a game through the air.

778
00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,560
Speaker 1: It is not nothing today's NFL. No, absolutely not. I mean,

779
00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:00,840
Speaker 1: if you start looking at the teams that that average

780
00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:02,839
Speaker 1: lesson that, it's it's a very short list.

781
00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:05,160
Speaker 2: Sure it's Atlanta, I'm sure at Chicago.

782
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:11,280
Speaker 1: Chicago, Atlanta, Tennessee, Carolina, Baltimore, the Rams, the Giants, the Texans.

783
00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,439
Speaker 2: Those are the worst offenses out there or the ones

784
00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:14,239
Speaker 2: that can only run?

785
00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:17,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, absolutely, We're gonna take another break. Here

786
00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,640
Speaker 1: is Matt Williamson. I am Dale, i'let You're listening to

787
00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:22,520
Speaker 1: a special edition of The Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio,

788
00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:26,000
Speaker 1: live from the Steeler Ota Sessions here at the upmc

789
00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,920
Speaker 1: rooney Sports Complex. We'll be back with more right

790
00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:33,600
Speaker 3: After this Black and Gold football leaves here twenty four

791
00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:38,040
Speaker 3: to C you're listening to SNR Steelers Nation Radio.