WEBVTT - Preview Week 16

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<v Speaker 1>This is the Steelers Preview Show on WDVE Pittsburgh, presented

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<v Speaker 1>by Unibet. The only thing better than a Steelers win

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<v Speaker 1>is a Steelers win that pays double down on your team.

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<v Speaker 1>With Unibet, proud partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, here are

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<v Speaker 1>your hosts, Mike Persuda, Matt Williamson, and Merril Hodge.

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<v Speaker 2>Good evening and welcome to another edition of Steelers Preview

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<v Speaker 2>right here on your Steelers flagship one of two point

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<v Speaker 2>five DVE and SNR. Mike Pursuda, along with Matt Williamson,

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<v Speaker 2>our factor back Meryl Hodge will be along directly as

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<v Speaker 2>we do our best to get you ready for the

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<v Speaker 2>Steelers and the Bengals Saturday at Actorshuer Stadium. Although Matt,

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<v Speaker 2>it's Christmas week and the three day losing streak has

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<v Speaker 2>cast a grinch like oh may on Stealervasion.

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<v Speaker 3>Very grinchy. Yes, it's been a rough week. Do chat

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<v Speaker 3>about this team. To be honest with you.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's catch up with the particulars from today's practice participation reports,

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<v Speaker 2>as we always do to lead things off. Kenny Pickett

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<v Speaker 2>is not gonna play. He has listed as out after

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<v Speaker 2>being a limited participant in practice Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

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<v Speaker 2>I think Pickett's got a shot to play in Seattle

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<v Speaker 2>a week from Sunday.

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<v Speaker 3>But he's moving around pretty decently throughout the week, but

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<v Speaker 3>just not quite.

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<v Speaker 2>It'll be Mason Rudolf in the rematch against Cincinnati on Saturday.

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<v Speaker 2>Trent and Thompson's safety is out he hasn't practiced all

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<v Speaker 2>week because of a neck injury. Elijah Riley who is

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<v Speaker 2>still on the reserve injured list but could be activated,

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<v Speaker 2>he is questionable, and safety Mika Fitzpatrick is out. Madam thinking,

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<v Speaker 2>with Trent and Thompson down and Fitzpatrick down, we're probably

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<v Speaker 2>gonna see Eric Rowe get activated off the practice squad,

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<v Speaker 2>and well you might see Miles Jack also getting activated

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<v Speaker 2>off the practice squad at a at inside linebacker Riley

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<v Speaker 2>maybe from the reserve injured list. They're running out of guys.

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<v Speaker 3>Say you just flat out running out of guys. He

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<v Speaker 3>took the words out of my Mouth's safety Eric.

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<v Speaker 2>Rose an interesting guy, thirty one, decent career. Yeah, this

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<v Speaker 2>is his ninth NFL season, assuming he gets in the

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<v Speaker 2>NFL maybe Saturday. Saturday's Today started the year with Carolina

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<v Speaker 2>but got released. He has got experience with Philadelphia and

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<v Speaker 2>New England. He was in three straight Super Bowls. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>Oh, he's had a decent career. I mean, like when

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<v Speaker 3>he came out, people weren't sure is he a corner?

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<v Speaker 3>Is he a safety? Didn't run corner forty times? But

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<v Speaker 3>he's got good size, physical and the fact you mentioned

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<v Speaker 3>in New England, I think is all you need to know,

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<v Speaker 3>because Beelichick asked him to do a lot of different stuff.

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<v Speaker 2>Actually had an interception in that AFC Championship game when

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<v Speaker 2>the Patriots beat the Steelers in New England, played in

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<v Speaker 2>the Patriots Super Bowl against Atlanta, played in the Super

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<v Speaker 2>Bowl the Patriots lost to Philadelphia, and then he was

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<v Speaker 2>on the reserve injured list when New England beat the Rams. OK.

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<v Speaker 3>I can't comment what he has left, but he's had

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<v Speaker 3>a good career.

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<v Speaker 2>He's got a couple of rings, and he was I

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<v Speaker 2>said a moment ago. He played in three Super Bowls,

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<v Speaker 2>played in two straight Super Bowls, and was on teams

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<v Speaker 2>that reached three straight Super Bowls. Cincinnati, No Jamar Chase shoulder.

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<v Speaker 2>He's out of course the Bengals. All we already have

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<v Speaker 2>on the reserve injured list quarterback Joe Burrow, defensive tackle

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<v Speaker 2>Dj Reader, who tore up a knee against the Vikings

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<v Speaker 2>huge last Sunday, and cornerback cam Taylor Britt. So Cincinnati's

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<v Speaker 2>going to be depleted. But the Bengals have been cruising

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<v Speaker 2>ever since the Steelers beat Jake Browning in Cincinnati.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, these teams couldn't have gone any different directions

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<v Speaker 3>since their Week twelve matchup, which was probably the Steelers'

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<v Speaker 3>best outing of the year. But I do think those

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<v Speaker 3>injuries are important. I mean, I don't think you need

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<v Speaker 3>to listen to us to know that Jamar Chase is

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<v Speaker 3>an elite player and this team's really struggled to stop

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<v Speaker 3>the run. And now without Dj Reider, a big, mobile

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<v Speaker 3>nose tackle, it's probably gonna get harder for them.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Cincinnati thirty first in rushing offense and twenty eighth

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<v Speaker 2>in rush defense. Yeah, and yet despite not having the quarterback. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>the Bengals are competing. They are contesting for a playoff spot.

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<v Speaker 3>It's amazing, and it amazes me that the defense, I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>statistically is bad at everything. I mean, it really isn't

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<v Speaker 3>all that much different than previous years. They have a

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<v Speaker 3>lot of the same guys. I mean, tight ends are

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<v Speaker 3>tearing them up. As we saw with Friarmouth in Week twelve.

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<v Speaker 3>You can really attack them outside the numbers, and their

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<v Speaker 3>run defense is poor.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, George Pickens the headline story with the Steelers

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<v Speaker 2>this week, even as they wondered, at least until today,

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<v Speaker 2>whether it would be Mason Rudolph or Kenny Pickett at quarterback.

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<v Speaker 2>And I wanted to take a minute here, Matt as

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<v Speaker 2>we kick things off, to just go back to it

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<v Speaker 2>two a couple of years ago when Pickens was drafted

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<v Speaker 2>by the Steelers on the second round. Of course he's

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<v Speaker 2>put on tape what he put on tape in Indianapolis.

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<v Speaker 2>And then he said a couple of days ago he

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<v Speaker 2>didn't block for Jalen Lorn on that goal line run

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<v Speaker 2>because he didn't want to get hurt. And you know,

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<v Speaker 2>my best look, Mike Tomlin has said he's gonna still play,

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<v Speaker 2>and Pickens obviously has some growing up to do, some

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<v Speaker 2>maturing to do. But I've heard some reports that this

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<v Speaker 2>was something that Steelers shouldn't have seen coming, that that

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<v Speaker 2>Pickens was a known problem, that there were red flags,

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<v Speaker 2>and yeah, there were some, but you and I both

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<v Speaker 2>do a lot of draft work for a lot of outlets,

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<v Speaker 2>and I recall hearing that, Yeah, there were some things

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<v Speaker 2>that you wanted to see Pickens clean up in terms

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<v Speaker 2>of his presentation, but it was described to me as

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<v Speaker 2>what they say in football terms, knucklehead stuff. Yeah, nothing

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<v Speaker 2>that threatened you know, oh this is a bad seed

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<v Speaker 2>or this guy's a bad dude or.

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<v Speaker 3>Anything like that.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, And you know the problem, the reason he went

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<v Speaker 2>in the second round was he had that knee injury

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<v Speaker 2>that cost him almost the entire season before. But if

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<v Speaker 2>you think back to that, he came back from a

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<v Speaker 2>spring acl and played the last four games just because

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<v Speaker 2>he wanted to help his team win the National Chair Championship.

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<v Speaker 2>And when he was in college he was a devastating blocker,

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<v Speaker 2>a wide receiver.

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<v Speaker 3>And it was last year too, and he was he

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<v Speaker 3>was a history of the NFL doing it.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll pick that we all thought at the time, great value, right.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, I'm still on board with that. I mean, going

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<v Speaker 3>back to that part of it, A lot of these

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<v Speaker 3>ultra talented players, you see the defensive tackle a lot,

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<v Speaker 3>you see it wide receiver a lot. They don't have

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<v Speaker 3>to become diverse craftsman you know, the big defensive tackle

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<v Speaker 3>can just throw guys out of his way for years

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<v Speaker 3>until you get to the league. And Pickens got away

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<v Speaker 3>with that for much of his career, and then that

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<v Speaker 3>last season at Georgia he gets hurt. As you mentioned,

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<v Speaker 3>I think he ran under twenty routes the entire year

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<v Speaker 3>and they were a on the National Championship game, So

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<v Speaker 3>of course he's gonna go. Ye played in the Semis too, Okay, okay, yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>but I mean he wasn't even a full time player the.

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<v Speaker 2>Board games at the end of the year at the

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<v Speaker 2>end of the including the playoffs.

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<v Speaker 3>So that was a great receiver draft, you know, a

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<v Speaker 3>lave Wilson. I mean, a lot of guys went really high.

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<v Speaker 3>So the fact that he fell wasn't shocking at all.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, considering he hadn't put much on tape, he's

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<v Speaker 3>recovering from an injury, and frankly that those four games

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<v Speaker 3>of referenced, he didn't even look like himself. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>he was out there gutting it out and as a

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<v Speaker 3>part time dude he did.

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<v Speaker 2>I recall against Michigan, he knocked a cornerback on his

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<v Speaker 2>backside blocking. Yeah, he had a great catch down the

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<v Speaker 2>seam where he dove for the ball, caught it, and

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<v Speaker 2>then spun so that when he hit the ground, the

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<v Speaker 2>ball wouldn't hit first body control And yeah, he showed

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<v Speaker 2>me enough. Oh yeah, at the end.

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<v Speaker 3>And we've seen that every step of the way here,

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<v Speaker 3>both training camps and lately. The blocking hasn't been there,

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<v Speaker 3>of course, but he has blocked as an a Steeler

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<v Speaker 3>uniform well and aggressively. And as for his personality, I

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<v Speaker 3>don't know him obviously, I don't hang out with him.

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<v Speaker 3>But what I was told then and I think reflects

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<v Speaker 3>now is knuckleheadedness as you mentioned, but more so or

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<v Speaker 3>at least as much immaturity and extreme competitiveness. He wants

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<v Speaker 3>to win. And you know, I'll tell I can work

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<v Speaker 3>with that, you know what I mean.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and Mike Tomlin has said he's going to keep

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<v Speaker 2>working with them. Hey, it's not a good look. No,

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<v Speaker 2>he couldn't have said anything worse than he did the

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<v Speaker 2>other day, but it's a it's a young guy that

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<v Speaker 2>needs to mature and there's a lot of talent there.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, what else are you going to do?

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<v Speaker 2>At this point? You are still in contention for the playoffs,

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<v Speaker 2>probably a lot of people have written his team off

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<v Speaker 2>three wins to get to ten and seven still might

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<v Speaker 2>not get him there, but they're going to try to

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<v Speaker 2>get there.

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<v Speaker 3>And see what roll over on Saturday. Yeah right, So,

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<v Speaker 3>I mean I know people are, well, you got to

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<v Speaker 3>suspend him to play Calvin Austin and Alan Robinson and

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<v Speaker 3>Miles Boykin. I mean, your your job is to win here,

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<v Speaker 3>and if you were, if you were out of contention

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<v Speaker 3>mathematically eliminated, that's a different story. But now you got

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<v Speaker 3>to light a fire under him. And hey, I don't

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<v Speaker 3>know how that locker room operates, but if there was

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<v Speaker 3>a Pounce or a the Castro or a Villanueva, maybe

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<v Speaker 3>they would police it themselves, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think that's so much turnover and so much

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<v Speaker 2>youth on that offense, and I think that's shining a

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<v Speaker 2>light on the leadership that they maybe don't have on

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<v Speaker 2>that side of the ball.

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<v Speaker 3>And if Mason Cole is a leader, Alan Robinson's a leader,

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<v Speaker 3>well they're not good enough, you know what I mean.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, it's not Pouncy, it's not the Castro. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>you need your your best players to be leaders, and

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<v Speaker 3>that's something they need to worry about soft season.

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<v Speaker 2>That's one thing's for sure. All eyes are going to

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<v Speaker 2>be on George Pickens Saturday. Yes, at act for sure,

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<v Speaker 2>Staaten Bonds. Steelers Preview on DV is brought to you

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<v Speaker 2>by a Uni Bet. The only thing better than the

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<v Speaker 2>Steelers win is a Steelers win. To pay double down

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<v Speaker 2>on your team with Uni Bet, a proud partner of

0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:32.560
<v Speaker 2>the Pittsburgh Steelers. We're just getting warmed up tonight, so

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<v Speaker 2>keep it here. When we come back, we're gonna give

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<v Speaker 2>the ball to the factor back Meryl Hunt. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>he never has to whind about not getting the ball

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<v Speaker 2>on our show because we feed him. We hand it

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<v Speaker 2>to him, we toss it to him, we throw it.

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<v Speaker 3>To He blocks when he's not getting the ball, and

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<v Speaker 3>he blots.

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<v Speaker 2>And he's not getting the ball. So keep it here

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<v Speaker 2>with Matt Williamson, Mike Pursuit of This is Steelers Preview

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<v Speaker 2>right here on your Steelers Flagship one A two point

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<v Speaker 2>five d ve E and s n R.

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<v Speaker 1>Back to the Steelers Preview show presented by Uni Bet

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<v Speaker 1>on DV.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome back to the review. Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson

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<v Speaker 2>with you till eight o'clock tonight, getting you ready for

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<v Speaker 2>the Steelers and the Bengals Saturday at Aktresher. The Greater

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<v Speaker 2>Pittsburgh Community Food Bank reminds you to sack hunger, get food,

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<v Speaker 2>volunteer or donate at Pittsburgh Foodbank dot org. Time now

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<v Speaker 2>to welcome the star of our show to the show,

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<v Speaker 2>Our Factor back, Merril Hodge and Merrill A lot to

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<v Speaker 2>unpack a three game losing streak and the George Pickens saga. Uh,

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<v Speaker 2>he put on tape what he put on tape in

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<v Speaker 2>Indianapolis and has put on tape what he's put on

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<v Speaker 2>tape this year. He said what he said the other day.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's start with this. How does that impact Pickens on Saturday?

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<v Speaker 2>And how do you think that impacts the Steelers?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, it's it's not going to propel them to a win.

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<v Speaker 4>Let's put it that way. He's to propel him and

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<v Speaker 4>eliminate all of the major issues they had. You know,

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<v Speaker 4>it's it's unfortunate that a guy, you know, unfortunately see

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<v Speaker 4>it all time. You see a guy who's who's got

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<v Speaker 4>great talent and I say this all all the time,

0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:10.040
<v Speaker 4>actually getting ready for the draft. If somebody doesn't have

0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:15.000
<v Speaker 4>a passion for being a real pro. And they don't

0:11:15.040 --> 0:11:20.080
<v Speaker 4>have a high IQ and they're smart, then whatever their

0:11:20.440 --> 0:11:22.960
<v Speaker 4>god given talents are is going to be cut in half.

0:11:24.320 --> 0:11:28.080
<v Speaker 4>And I say that because George Dickens is gifted, but

0:11:28.160 --> 0:11:31.400
<v Speaker 4>he uses about half of these gifts about half of

0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:33.920
<v Speaker 4>the time. And you can't play in our league and

0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:35.680
<v Speaker 4>be consistent in our league or even be enough threat

0:11:35.720 --> 0:11:39.760
<v Speaker 4>in our league when you do that. You know the

0:11:39.800 --> 0:11:44.120
<v Speaker 4>play he chooses not to not to keep blocking to

0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:46.600
<v Speaker 4>help his teammate out who blocks for him all the time.

0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:52.160
<v Speaker 4>By the way, you know that pick that Mitchell through

0:11:52.280 --> 0:11:55.720
<v Speaker 4>the Mitch through That was one of the most horrific routes. Now,

0:11:56.120 --> 0:11:59.960
<v Speaker 4>Mitchell should never have You never reward somebody for doing

0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:03.280
<v Speaker 4>something wrong. But the route that he ran was about

0:12:03.320 --> 0:12:05.920
<v Speaker 4>his bad route. I mean, this is not Georgia where

0:12:05.960 --> 0:12:07.800
<v Speaker 4>you throw it up to this, you know, to George

0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:09.880
<v Speaker 4>Pickens and the safety and George is gonna come down

0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:13.160
<v Speaker 4>with the U ninety percent at the time. You have

0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:15.400
<v Speaker 4>to run the correct route. It is one of the

0:12:15.800 --> 0:12:18.880
<v Speaker 4>I mean the route he ran there, I actually shake

0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:21.360
<v Speaker 4>my head, just like I didn't even know why Mitcheude

0:12:21.360 --> 0:12:24.360
<v Speaker 4>even choose to throw the football to it was. It

0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:27.160
<v Speaker 4>was a pathetic rowd. You have a single high saving

0:12:27.520 --> 0:12:30.760
<v Speaker 4>one safety in the middlefield, you don't try to run

0:12:30.760 --> 0:12:32.760
<v Speaker 4>over the top of him, and you don't run two him.

0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:36.959
<v Speaker 4>And that's exactly what he did. That route was designed

0:12:36.960 --> 0:12:37.760
<v Speaker 4>to come underneath.

0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:41.720
<v Speaker 2>He took an angle that Pickens took an angle that

0:12:41.760 --> 0:12:44.640
<v Speaker 2>Trubisky wasn't expecting, and he tried to kind of guess.

0:12:44.920 --> 0:12:46.599
<v Speaker 2>He tried to kind of where he was going to

0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:47.000
<v Speaker 2>end up.

0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:50.720
<v Speaker 4>Well, that's my point. Don't reward it, don't you don't.

0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:52.760
<v Speaker 4>First of all, he was supposed to come flat. It's

0:12:52.840 --> 0:12:57.199
<v Speaker 4>clear that that if that cannot be guess worked Okay,

0:12:57.280 --> 0:12:59.880
<v Speaker 4>if it's a single high safety, it's very clear we

0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:02.439
<v Speaker 4>run over the top of him and we're not running

0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:05.200
<v Speaker 4>to him. We got to run flat and across the field.

0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:07.240
<v Speaker 4>Because keep mind, they put this playing in. You know,

0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:10.120
<v Speaker 4>actually this is one of This is the play if

0:13:10.160 --> 0:13:13.440
<v Speaker 4>you remember against Cincinnati Bengals when they came, you know

0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:15.640
<v Speaker 4>that they threw that they got one of their big

0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:20.000
<v Speaker 4>plays early in the game, sixaxt sing play and and

0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:25.080
<v Speaker 4>it was run right. I mean, that's his inconsistency is disturbing.

0:13:25.400 --> 0:13:27.960
<v Speaker 4>You know, Now he gets away with it. That's because

0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:31.800
<v Speaker 4>leadership lets it happen. I mean, that's on Mike Tomlin,

0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:34.680
<v Speaker 4>that's on the position coaches, and that's on everybody. You

0:13:34.679 --> 0:13:36.120
<v Speaker 4>can sit there and say what you want. You can

0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:39.000
<v Speaker 4>have a silver tongue and you come pontificate in front

0:13:39.000 --> 0:13:41.040
<v Speaker 4>of the media and say a bunch of garbage. At

0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:43.560
<v Speaker 4>the end of the day, it's on you. You allow that,

0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:47.960
<v Speaker 4>and all your other players are watching that, and it's okay.

0:13:48.120 --> 0:13:51.520
<v Speaker 4>So your your standard is not a standard. I mean,

0:13:51.520 --> 0:13:53.760
<v Speaker 4>if that's your standing that, I'm not a championship not

0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:57.800
<v Speaker 4>gonna win championship doing that and having that inconsistency in

0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:00.360
<v Speaker 4>what you demand your players to do, what you allow

0:14:00.440 --> 0:14:03.599
<v Speaker 4>your players to do, I mean they're they're in the

0:14:03.640 --> 0:14:04.800
<v Speaker 4>spot there are because of.

0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:09.440
<v Speaker 3>That, Meryl, do you see an underdeveloped route runner overall,

0:14:09.559 --> 0:14:12.160
<v Speaker 3>not just you know here and there, I mean they

0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:15.000
<v Speaker 3>all are. I meant to me, he's open way more

0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:17.120
<v Speaker 3>than Pickings, at least over the last two years.

0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:21.360
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, Deontay is a better in and out of breaks. Yeah,

0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:24.560
<v Speaker 4>that's what gets him open. Okay, he's still not you

0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:27.160
<v Speaker 4>know you you don't look at him going, Man, that's

0:14:27.200 --> 0:14:30.960
<v Speaker 4>a real pro there, it's a real pro. That's pro man.

0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:34.400
<v Speaker 4>Every play you better be there's not one guy, not

0:14:34.640 --> 0:14:37.920
<v Speaker 4>one guy on that offense that you could throw the

0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:40.640
<v Speaker 4>football to that you would say, Okay, that's a pro

0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:45.320
<v Speaker 4>that right there is a professional NFL player and that

0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:47.640
<v Speaker 4>is one as a guy who works his tail off

0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:51.840
<v Speaker 4>at his craft and his profession, not one guy one.

0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:53.720
<v Speaker 3>Do you think Deontay's regretting that is.

0:14:56.320 --> 0:15:00.000
<v Speaker 4>Uh, it hasn't gotten better? Yeah, since I would say yes, yeah,

0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:02.200
<v Speaker 4>he hasn't gotten many better. The same guy, the same

0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:03.840
<v Speaker 4>guy who was coming out of college. Everbody liked him

0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:05.960
<v Speaker 4>coming out of college too because of his you know,

0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:07.240
<v Speaker 4>at the end of the day, we're out running is

0:15:07.240 --> 0:15:10.320
<v Speaker 4>about separation. You know, it's not about you know, speed

0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:13.520
<v Speaker 4>like if you have speed like Randy Moss, you know,

0:15:14.880 --> 0:15:16.600
<v Speaker 4>really didn't get in and out of break. He got

0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:19.280
<v Speaker 4>better at it actually, you know, after he went to

0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:21.880
<v Speaker 4>the Raiders and he thought his career was over, he

0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:24.480
<v Speaker 4>woke up when he got to New England and then

0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:27.160
<v Speaker 4>he really started to become a pro. You know, his

0:15:27.320 --> 0:15:29.960
<v Speaker 4>pure speed. There's just not many guys like that were here.

0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:32.920
<v Speaker 4>Just you know, you're six five and you just got

0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:35.280
<v Speaker 4>enormous speed and you had he had had a lot

0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:36.960
<v Speaker 4>of talent around him too, so it wasn't just like

0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:40.560
<v Speaker 4>he was the only guy. But the avaendability, the ability

0:15:40.600 --> 0:15:43.880
<v Speaker 4>to get in and out of breaks is the most

0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:46.400
<v Speaker 4>important thing, you know, Listen, I can argue it's the

0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:49.520
<v Speaker 4>most important aspect. If you want. If there's two lines,

0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:52.640
<v Speaker 4>I don't care what your position is, even quarterback. Often

0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:55.680
<v Speaker 4>you wine and deep as one and you could pick speed,

0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:58.640
<v Speaker 4>or you could pick agility, and you can only pick one.

0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:01.640
<v Speaker 4>I would you would stand in that line with agility,

0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:04.600
<v Speaker 4>the ability to start, stop and read it. That is

0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:07.120
<v Speaker 4>where I would stand, and you got a much better

0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:11.560
<v Speaker 4>chance of playing football and being really good at whatever

0:16:11.560 --> 0:16:16.400
<v Speaker 4>position you select than if you just have speed. And

0:16:16.960 --> 0:16:18.960
<v Speaker 4>you know, none of these guys are developed. You know,

0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:21.800
<v Speaker 4>I still think that's some of the biggest problems that

0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:24.360
<v Speaker 4>that they have across the board. On offense, you got

0:16:24.640 --> 0:16:28.200
<v Speaker 4>coaches that just you watch some of the drills and

0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:29.920
<v Speaker 4>you just take your head like, what are we done?

0:16:30.160 --> 0:16:32.840
<v Speaker 4>I mean, I gotta I don't know what that is,

0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:36.440
<v Speaker 4>you know, I mean just you know, you throw a

0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:38.320
<v Speaker 4>medicine ball to the right and then you run through

0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:41.920
<v Speaker 4>the goblet. I Our league is about hitting, hitting, the

0:16:42.000 --> 0:16:43.880
<v Speaker 4>getting the line of scrimmage as quick as you had

0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:47.080
<v Speaker 4>you can get into the hole. Through the hole and

0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:50.400
<v Speaker 4>being decisive as a runner. So throwing a medicine ball

0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:54.400
<v Speaker 4>to the left and delaying before we attack the gauntlet

0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:58.200
<v Speaker 4>with our ball in our left hand, that's don't know

0:16:58.240 --> 0:17:01.080
<v Speaker 4>what that does, test, I don't know what that does.

0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:05.399
<v Speaker 4>It translates to developing players. You know, you got some

0:17:05.440 --> 0:17:08.520
<v Speaker 4>of your guys that have fifteen minutes off in practice,

0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:13.440
<v Speaker 4>didn't even have a drill or anywhere to go. Your

0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:17.920
<v Speaker 4>best running back, there's fifteen minutes off during practice. Walter

0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:21.120
<v Speaker 4>Payton never took fifteen minutes off in practice, and there's

0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:23.399
<v Speaker 4>a guy who could take fifteen minutes off in practice.

0:17:24.000 --> 0:17:26.600
<v Speaker 4>There's always something you should be doing at practice and working.

0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:32.959
<v Speaker 2>But there was another play in that game, late second quarter,

0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:37.040
<v Speaker 2>Mitch Trubisky threw a ball that looked like was behind

0:17:37.080 --> 0:17:40.399
<v Speaker 2>Pat Fryarmoth. Friar Mouth subsequently said that he should have

0:17:40.440 --> 0:17:43.320
<v Speaker 2>stopped and sat down against his own as opposed to

0:17:43.359 --> 0:17:46.879
<v Speaker 2>continuing toward the middle of the field. Trubisky also had

0:17:46.920 --> 0:17:49.119
<v Speaker 2>a couple of bad throws to the one he just

0:17:49.160 --> 0:17:52.440
<v Speaker 2>threw away uh before they decided not to kick the

0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:56.119
<v Speaker 2>fifty seven yard field goal and then the last interception. Uh,

0:17:56.359 --> 0:17:58.880
<v Speaker 2>he just sailed it over Picking's head. So now they

0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:02.080
<v Speaker 2>turned the Mason Rudolph. Uh what uh? What do you

0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:06.160
<v Speaker 2>think can change with Rudolph now becoming the third quarterback

0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:08.560
<v Speaker 2>to get a shot at trying to jump start this

0:18:08.640 --> 0:18:09.240
<v Speaker 2>offense here?

0:18:09.480 --> 0:18:10.960
<v Speaker 3>Is that a movie you would have made as well?

0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:17.679
<v Speaker 4>Uh? Well, you know what, more than likely, yes, just

0:18:17.720 --> 0:18:21.840
<v Speaker 4>because there's the kid's been sitting there and now here

0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:28.159
<v Speaker 4>I bring him into him. Listen, this change, is it

0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:31.880
<v Speaker 4>gonna mean that you're gonna write the ship? Now? We've

0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:34.600
<v Speaker 4>got way too many problems across his board to right

0:18:34.640 --> 0:18:39.240
<v Speaker 4>the ship with one guy, you know. But to me Mason,

0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:41.320
<v Speaker 4>you know, listen when when they went and got Mitch,

0:18:41.960 --> 0:18:44.040
<v Speaker 4>you know which I never understood. I don't know who

0:18:44.960 --> 0:18:48.439
<v Speaker 4>who talked the Steers into that. I don't know who

0:18:48.600 --> 0:18:54.280
<v Speaker 4>made that call. I don't know where they've got I

0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:58.760
<v Speaker 4>just don't I'll never understand that one. But in training camp,

0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:05.159
<v Speaker 4>Mason acid beat him out. If you watch practicing games,

0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:09.120
<v Speaker 4>Mason will pick him out. Mason played better, practice, better everything.

0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:14.800
<v Speaker 4>But you know, obviously they got me retarter, and that's

0:19:14.800 --> 0:19:19.040
<v Speaker 4>what that's Unfortunately, what happens sometimes, you know, they don't

0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:22.560
<v Speaker 4>you know, it doesn't like it Russell Wilson Dill where

0:19:22.520 --> 0:19:24.280
<v Speaker 4>your draft kid in the third round and you went

0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:26.520
<v Speaker 4>and got somebody already and then all that kid beat

0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:28.080
<v Speaker 4>him out. So you know what, we are going to

0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:29.880
<v Speaker 4>play the guy who's better and beat him out because

0:19:29.880 --> 0:19:31.600
<v Speaker 4>that's why we compete. And that's why we say we're

0:19:31.600 --> 0:19:33.679
<v Speaker 4>going to compete, and that's why we do training camps

0:19:33.720 --> 0:19:35.520
<v Speaker 4>because we're going to play the best guy and the

0:19:35.520 --> 0:19:37.400
<v Speaker 4>guy earned it. But I mean, they didn't do that,

0:19:38.320 --> 0:19:41.120
<v Speaker 4>and so you know, who knows. I know, I don't.

0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:44.240
<v Speaker 4>I liked some of the things that Mason Rudolphs does

0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:49.119
<v Speaker 4>and I just I think that that there might be

0:19:49.160 --> 0:19:52.679
<v Speaker 4>a spark with his energy and his confidence, and you know,

0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:57.199
<v Speaker 4>he's an opportunity for him him to play. But you've

0:19:57.240 --> 0:20:03.040
<v Speaker 4>got so many deficiencies. You know, Shoot, we did some

0:20:03.240 --> 0:20:05.680
<v Speaker 4>protection a little boot as we got five offensive linemen

0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:09.919
<v Speaker 4>that bought three defensive linemen. When our quarterback gets throttled,

0:20:11.640 --> 0:20:16.160
<v Speaker 4>we can't block three guys with five guys. You got

0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:18.879
<v Speaker 4>route guys that are you know the fiarmw thing. Okay,

0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:22.359
<v Speaker 4>that is a consistent issue across the board with this

0:20:22.440 --> 0:20:26.359
<v Speaker 4>team not understanding where to sit down and where to

0:20:26.400 --> 0:20:30.040
<v Speaker 4>feel and be in a zone concept is still mind

0:20:30.080 --> 0:20:32.280
<v Speaker 4>boggling to me that you don't know that at this

0:20:32.400 --> 0:20:36.280
<v Speaker 4>point on the season. So all those things going to

0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:41.480
<v Speaker 4>just clear up now. But you know, with you know,

0:20:41.520 --> 0:20:45.280
<v Speaker 4>Mason does do some some job, good job with anticipating

0:20:46.080 --> 0:20:50.280
<v Speaker 4>attacking down the field, so you know he might do

0:20:50.359 --> 0:20:54.160
<v Speaker 4>some things that you know that the myths doesn't do

0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:58.879
<v Speaker 4>very well and take some shots and get some players

0:20:58.920 --> 0:21:02.920
<v Speaker 4>and energy going with this team, you know, but there's

0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:08.000
<v Speaker 4>so many other issues that are they're plaguing this offense

0:21:08.119 --> 0:21:11.920
<v Speaker 4>that unfortunately that one guy isn't going to solve them all.

0:21:12.400 --> 0:21:14.640
<v Speaker 2>I'll go back to that training camp for second, maryor

0:21:14.680 --> 0:21:16.959
<v Speaker 2>I'm gonna I'm gonna disagree with you here for a second.

0:21:17.680 --> 0:21:17.800
<v Speaker 4>Uh.

0:21:17.920 --> 0:21:20.440
<v Speaker 2>You were talking about the first camp of Trubisky and

0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:21.640
<v Speaker 2>Picket correct.

0:21:23.040 --> 0:21:23.320
<v Speaker 4>It was?

0:21:23.720 --> 0:21:29.440
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I remember grading it this way. I thought Trubisky

0:21:29.960 --> 0:21:33.480
<v Speaker 2>was the most splashy, the most spectacular, even though he

0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:36.320
<v Speaker 2>was up and down a lot. I thought Rudolph was

0:21:36.359 --> 0:21:40.560
<v Speaker 2>the steadiest, and I thought Pickett improved the most, but

0:21:40.640 --> 0:21:42.639
<v Speaker 2>he had the furthest to come because he was a rookie,

0:21:42.680 --> 0:21:45.359
<v Speaker 2>and when he started, he was really bad for the

0:21:45.400 --> 0:21:48.239
<v Speaker 2>first three four days. I didn't look at it as

0:21:48.280 --> 0:21:50.560
<v Speaker 2>they were all starting at the starting line and you know,

0:21:50.680 --> 0:21:52.840
<v Speaker 2>running a forty and who got there first. I think

0:21:53.040 --> 0:21:56.600
<v Speaker 2>I think there was a way to interpret each particular

0:21:56.640 --> 0:21:59.440
<v Speaker 2>guy how they were playing versus what they needed from them,

0:21:59.800 --> 0:22:01.520
<v Speaker 2>and I thought they made the right call. But that's

0:22:01.600 --> 0:22:02.280
<v Speaker 2>just my opinion.

0:22:03.440 --> 0:22:08.240
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, well that's well, that's why we don't. That's why

0:22:08.240 --> 0:22:13.120
<v Speaker 4>I think coaching is a great you know, I love

0:22:13.160 --> 0:22:16.200
<v Speaker 4>coaches coaching. That's why I've I've coached at every level

0:22:16.240 --> 0:22:18.840
<v Speaker 4>I've I've been in those environments and you get all

0:22:18.840 --> 0:22:21.960
<v Speaker 4>that feedback when you get done with a training camp

0:22:22.040 --> 0:22:24.480
<v Speaker 4>or a position where you're battling, and you do get

0:22:24.480 --> 0:22:26.440
<v Speaker 4>your coaches the way in to make sure you didn't

0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:28.600
<v Speaker 4>see you miss something. You can't see it all. You

0:22:28.600 --> 0:22:30.560
<v Speaker 4>don't know at all. I don't claim you can't ever

0:22:30.600 --> 0:22:32.840
<v Speaker 4>claim to know it all. That's probably the biggest demise

0:22:32.840 --> 0:22:35.720
<v Speaker 4>as a coach. Then you wait, you know, you get

0:22:35.760 --> 0:22:38.160
<v Speaker 4>people that you trust the way in on on it

0:22:38.280 --> 0:22:41.080
<v Speaker 4>to shed light on things that you men not have

0:22:41.160 --> 0:22:43.840
<v Speaker 4>thought of or you didn't see. I just thought when

0:22:43.880 --> 0:22:47.840
<v Speaker 4>I watched him because I had I mean, I've watched

0:22:47.840 --> 0:22:50.199
<v Speaker 4>mister Bisky from.

0:22:49.680 --> 0:22:51.840
<v Speaker 2>I did think Rudolph looked better than I had seen

0:22:51.920 --> 0:22:55.480
<v Speaker 2>him previously, if if that adds a little context to it,

0:22:56.000 --> 0:22:59.239
<v Speaker 2>I thought he was making quicker decisions and throwing with

0:22:59.280 --> 0:23:02.280
<v Speaker 2>more actors see then at any time before in his

0:23:02.320 --> 0:23:03.399
<v Speaker 2>Steelers career.

0:23:04.920 --> 0:23:08.159
<v Speaker 4>Which I completely agree. And I just just from what

0:23:08.320 --> 0:23:11.439
<v Speaker 4>I had, I know of Mitchell Trubisky and knew what

0:23:11.480 --> 0:23:14.119
<v Speaker 4>to expect to I think that's part of it. You

0:23:14.160 --> 0:23:16.280
<v Speaker 4>know that you're not going to change those things. They

0:23:16.280 --> 0:23:20.480
<v Speaker 4>haven't changed. That's why they ran him out of Chicago. Okay.

0:23:20.880 --> 0:23:23.200
<v Speaker 4>And people say got better in Buffalo, Well, he didn't

0:23:23.200 --> 0:23:25.600
<v Speaker 4>play in Buffalo, so I don't know how that happened.

0:23:25.640 --> 0:23:29.600
<v Speaker 4>But you know, yeah, I mean I maybe learned a

0:23:29.600 --> 0:23:32.520
<v Speaker 4>little something. But you know, we talked a couple of

0:23:32.520 --> 0:23:36.560
<v Speaker 4>weeks ago about you know, I'm trying to be fair

0:23:36.640 --> 0:23:39.640
<v Speaker 4>with you because listen that that's just the evidence. It's

0:23:39.680 --> 0:23:45.840
<v Speaker 4>not me, you know, saying things that haven't already happened,

0:23:46.119 --> 0:23:48.480
<v Speaker 4>and they're not a history for him. I would like

0:23:48.520 --> 0:23:51.160
<v Speaker 4>it to be better for him, I would, but it's

0:23:51.200 --> 0:23:55.159
<v Speaker 4>just be better for the Steelers. But they he just

0:23:55.520 --> 0:23:58.000
<v Speaker 4>he was like that in college. I'm telling you the

0:23:58.119 --> 0:24:01.000
<v Speaker 4>exact same thing, Accountge, and he got done. You're just like, man,

0:24:01.119 --> 0:24:03.760
<v Speaker 4>he just I would have never put my job on

0:24:03.800 --> 0:24:07.520
<v Speaker 4>the line in the first round for that kid. So

0:24:08.400 --> 0:24:09.800
<v Speaker 4>and that's why when they went and got him, I

0:24:09.880 --> 0:24:11.680
<v Speaker 4>was I was really surprised. I was like, I don't

0:24:11.720 --> 0:24:13.720
<v Speaker 4>know who was the evaluator on that. I don't know

0:24:13.720 --> 0:24:17.159
<v Speaker 4>who would have made that call, but that was I

0:24:17.160 --> 0:24:19.600
<v Speaker 4>don't know, I just that was. That was a headshot

0:24:20.200 --> 0:24:21.439
<v Speaker 4>has shaper for me.

0:24:22.359 --> 0:24:27.000
<v Speaker 3>So Merrill both lines of scrimmage in Indianapolis, particularly the

0:24:27.040 --> 0:24:30.120
<v Speaker 3>second half of the game. Is that a one out

0:24:30.160 --> 0:24:33.560
<v Speaker 3>of ten a D minus a F plus. I mean, like,

0:24:33.680 --> 0:24:36.000
<v Speaker 3>does it get much worse there?

0:24:36.200 --> 0:24:43.879
<v Speaker 4>You're you know, Matt your it's so funny you mentioned that.

0:24:44.080 --> 0:24:46.480
<v Speaker 4>It's just so funny mentioned that now you know what

0:24:46.600 --> 0:24:50.160
<v Speaker 4>I can see it on in the defense. They are

0:24:50.840 --> 0:24:53.879
<v Speaker 4>they are beat down, Like I just see it in

0:24:53.920 --> 0:24:58.359
<v Speaker 4>their body lanes. They're beat down. And I'm not gonna

0:24:58.480 --> 0:25:03.120
<v Speaker 4>say any particular players because it'll come off wrong because

0:25:03.520 --> 0:25:09.000
<v Speaker 4>being beat down it doesn't mean that they're quitting. Beat

0:25:09.040 --> 0:25:12.720
<v Speaker 4>Down means they they've played too much to this point

0:25:12.800 --> 0:25:14.960
<v Speaker 4>and then you know which they have. You look at

0:25:15.000 --> 0:25:17.600
<v Speaker 4>their stats, snaps and when they're how much they've been

0:25:17.640 --> 0:25:19.480
<v Speaker 4>on the field, how much you know, how many injuries

0:25:19.520 --> 0:25:22.360
<v Speaker 4>they've had in the back end, they just they're beat

0:25:22.440 --> 0:25:26.560
<v Speaker 4>down unit. You know, they've they've they stood a lot,

0:25:27.600 --> 0:25:31.560
<v Speaker 4>you know, and played i think sexually well based on

0:25:31.640 --> 0:25:33.760
<v Speaker 4>all of the things that have happened to them. And

0:25:33.880 --> 0:25:36.040
<v Speaker 4>they continue to fight. But you can tell it's taking

0:25:36.040 --> 0:25:38.880
<v Speaker 4>its toll. And you can really see it nicole game.

0:25:39.000 --> 0:25:41.840
<v Speaker 4>You can see it, especially towards when it got to

0:25:41.880 --> 0:25:45.200
<v Speaker 4>the fourth quarter. It was just body language was telling

0:25:45.200 --> 0:25:50.280
<v Speaker 4>you everything. Man, you know, and that's why these are

0:25:50.359 --> 0:25:56.120
<v Speaker 4>great games for evaluation how you want to build going

0:25:56.160 --> 0:25:58.080
<v Speaker 4>forward and who you're going to build with.

0:26:00.119 --> 0:26:04.600
<v Speaker 2>Meryl Uh, I'm with you on that. And I hate

0:26:04.640 --> 0:26:07.159
<v Speaker 2>to even bring up injuries because they're part of the

0:26:07.200 --> 0:26:09.920
<v Speaker 2>game and everybody has them. But when you get as

0:26:10.000 --> 0:26:13.880
<v Speaker 2>many at two positions as the Steelers have sustained at

0:26:13.880 --> 0:26:17.879
<v Speaker 2>inside linebacker and now safety, I mean, yeah, you can

0:26:17.920 --> 0:26:20.159
<v Speaker 2>only go so far calling up guys who are retired

0:26:20.200 --> 0:26:23.520
<v Speaker 2>and saying hey, come play. I mean there is a

0:26:23.560 --> 0:26:26.840
<v Speaker 2>saturation point, right. It's it's not an excuse, it's.

0:26:26.640 --> 0:26:30.439
<v Speaker 4>A fact right, I completely agree with you. But you

0:26:30.480 --> 0:26:32.640
<v Speaker 4>can just you can see it now in the overall

0:26:33.720 --> 0:26:37.360
<v Speaker 4>movement of the eleven guys that are on the field. Yeah,

0:26:37.400 --> 0:26:42.080
<v Speaker 4>you can just see it. There's this they're wilting, you know.

0:26:42.840 --> 0:26:45.280
<v Speaker 4>And it's it's not that they keep fighting, they keep

0:26:45.280 --> 0:26:48.240
<v Speaker 4>playing hard, that's not it. It's just it's just they've

0:26:49.320 --> 0:26:53.280
<v Speaker 4>it's taking a toll on them. You know, You're exactly right.

0:26:53.359 --> 0:26:56.240
<v Speaker 4>You can only get you can only go so deep,

0:26:56.320 --> 0:26:59.359
<v Speaker 4>so far, so many times. You know, I keep written

0:26:59.359 --> 0:27:02.560
<v Speaker 4>my rafter Cleveland game. You know, it was right. I mean, gosh, dang,

0:27:02.600 --> 0:27:05.439
<v Speaker 4>all the people that had plugged in and filled in

0:27:05.520 --> 0:27:09.280
<v Speaker 4>and in like a week's notice. It was ridiculous. Well,

0:27:10.280 --> 0:27:13.800
<v Speaker 4>it's one of the most most enjoyable things I had

0:27:13.840 --> 0:27:16.800
<v Speaker 4>watched all year, is that defense over those couple of weeks,

0:27:16.800 --> 0:27:20.280
<v Speaker 4>with those players being plugged in and playing at such

0:27:20.280 --> 0:27:23.400
<v Speaker 4>a high level. And you know, then a few more

0:27:23.400 --> 0:27:26.280
<v Speaker 4>injuries came and it just was too much. It's just

0:27:26.320 --> 0:27:29.439
<v Speaker 4>been too much, you know, And you can see it.

0:27:29.480 --> 0:27:32.800
<v Speaker 4>So it'll be it'll be interesting to see how they

0:27:32.880 --> 0:27:36.119
<v Speaker 4>can handle Cincinnati. Yes, Cincinnati. You know, I was surprised

0:27:36.160 --> 0:27:39.399
<v Speaker 4>Cincinnati didn't play as well, the first time they played him.

0:27:39.800 --> 0:27:42.520
<v Speaker 4>That actually kind of took me by took me off guard.

0:27:42.640 --> 0:27:44.320
<v Speaker 4>To be honest with you, I thought they'd played better.

0:27:44.480 --> 0:27:46.480
<v Speaker 4>How they are playing now is what I was expecting.

0:27:47.320 --> 0:27:49.639
<v Speaker 4>But having played him them once, I think it'll be

0:27:49.680 --> 0:27:52.920
<v Speaker 4>interesting to see how they handle their run, they're running game,

0:27:52.960 --> 0:27:55.000
<v Speaker 4>in their screen game, and the stuff that they're doing

0:27:55.000 --> 0:27:56.120
<v Speaker 4>offensively right now.

0:27:57.359 --> 0:28:00.520
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, the biggest problem. I'm not overly impressed

0:28:01.520 --> 0:28:03.840
<v Speaker 2>with the Bengals. I think I think Browning hung in

0:28:03.880 --> 0:28:06.320
<v Speaker 2>there in that Minnesota game, and he was better at

0:28:06.320 --> 0:28:07.840
<v Speaker 2>the end of it than he was at the beginning

0:28:07.880 --> 0:28:10.320
<v Speaker 2>that last drive, and then in overtime he really made

0:28:10.400 --> 0:28:13.640
<v Speaker 2>some plays. But they're using the rookie running back out

0:28:13.640 --> 0:28:17.280
<v Speaker 2>of Illinois, Chase Brown, Chase Brown on some screens and

0:28:17.320 --> 0:28:19.440
<v Speaker 2>things of that nature, and they throw two tight ends

0:28:19.480 --> 0:28:22.080
<v Speaker 2>a lot. And you know, oh, by the way, the

0:28:22.080 --> 0:28:25.080
<v Speaker 2>Steelers are having problems an inside linebacker and safety and

0:28:25.119 --> 0:28:26.760
<v Speaker 2>those are the guys who cover the tight ends and

0:28:26.800 --> 0:28:29.200
<v Speaker 2>the running backs, and that's been showing up the last

0:28:29.280 --> 0:28:30.119
<v Speaker 2>couple of three games.

0:28:30.160 --> 0:28:32.840
<v Speaker 3>But they've really reinvented the passing game. I mean, that's

0:28:32.840 --> 0:28:33.560
<v Speaker 3>not what Burrow did.

0:28:33.600 --> 0:28:36.800
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, no, you're right,

0:28:36.840 --> 0:28:39.320
<v Speaker 4>you're right. Well listen like the Colts, listen when they

0:28:39.640 --> 0:28:44.040
<v Speaker 4>got down scoring territory where who would touchdowns too? Tight

0:28:44.120 --> 0:28:48.480
<v Speaker 4>ends and running backs, And that's exactly where Cincinnati will do. Now,

0:28:48.520 --> 0:28:51.800
<v Speaker 4>I'll tell you this. The one thing to the Steelers.

0:28:52.640 --> 0:28:55.200
<v Speaker 4>When twenty eight is in the backfield and there's a

0:28:55.240 --> 0:28:59.480
<v Speaker 4>third down situation or chance to blitz, I blitz, I

0:28:59.520 --> 0:29:02.200
<v Speaker 4>would witch. He ain't got a clue.

0:29:03.400 --> 0:29:04.680
<v Speaker 3>That's why he has been wanting to place.

0:29:06.480 --> 0:29:09.160
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, but if he's in there, man, I'm telling you

0:29:09.200 --> 0:29:12.120
<v Speaker 4>what I have it automatic. If twenty eighth there, we're coming,

0:29:13.560 --> 0:29:16.720
<v Speaker 4>I'm saying we are coming. He ain't blocked the son

0:29:16.760 --> 0:29:19.720
<v Speaker 4>he's You got to argue he did some of the

0:29:19.840 --> 0:29:22.240
<v Speaker 4>worst damage in the Super Bowl when they played the Rams.

0:29:22.240 --> 0:29:26.240
<v Speaker 4>How what he did, how pathetic he is at past protection.

0:29:26.600 --> 0:29:27.400
<v Speaker 2>You're talking about.

0:29:28.920 --> 0:29:29.719
<v Speaker 3>I don't know the numbers.

0:29:30.600 --> 0:29:33.040
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, mix mixing, No, I'm talking about mixing.

0:29:33.160 --> 0:29:35.360
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, that's why Ryan was always in there a third

0:29:35.400 --> 0:29:38.000
<v Speaker 3>down thirty thirty is the rookie.

0:29:38.080 --> 0:29:40.480
<v Speaker 2>He's not good at blocking either, which I guess is

0:29:40.520 --> 0:29:41.560
<v Speaker 2>whither throwing it to him?

0:29:41.840 --> 0:29:45.800
<v Speaker 4>That was try Yes, right, yes, Ron, that's why they

0:29:45.840 --> 0:29:49.680
<v Speaker 4>hate to seem lead, you know, because that was you know,

0:29:49.760 --> 0:29:52.960
<v Speaker 4>he he covered him, He covered him there that twenty

0:29:53.000 --> 0:29:55.920
<v Speaker 4>eight Just I'm watching k yesterday and I was just like,

0:29:56.280 --> 0:29:58.360
<v Speaker 4>how can he not see the linebacker standing right in

0:29:58.360 --> 0:30:00.480
<v Speaker 4>front of him that he's responsible for and.

0:30:00.640 --> 0:30:03.320
<v Speaker 2>Run right hind and out like.

0:30:05.040 --> 0:30:07.440
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, no, kidd, and he's running the route like it

0:30:07.480 --> 0:30:10.840
<v Speaker 4>ain't no big deal. I just like, guys, is like

0:30:10.880 --> 0:30:13.720
<v Speaker 4>a wild several times in that game. This is like

0:30:13.800 --> 0:30:15.920
<v Speaker 4>every game I watch. I'm just like, what is he doing?

0:30:16.480 --> 0:30:19.960
<v Speaker 4>I'm like, hey, you put Yeah, I was like, no,

0:30:20.000 --> 0:30:22.320
<v Speaker 4>wonder Joe Burrow and see that that. It's kind of

0:30:22.320 --> 0:30:24.600
<v Speaker 4>stuff like that. I'll just tell you offensive line and

0:30:24.680 --> 0:30:28.360
<v Speaker 4>get furious about because they get blamed for it. You know,

0:30:28.400 --> 0:30:30.160
<v Speaker 4>the back didn't get blamed for it off just like

0:30:30.240 --> 0:30:33.480
<v Speaker 4>it's playing for it. Oh off. The line has gotten

0:30:33.520 --> 0:30:37.080
<v Speaker 4>better by the way, you know. It's just that those backs,

0:30:37.160 --> 0:30:41.000
<v Speaker 4>especially twenty eight man, they make some major major mistakes.

0:30:41.000 --> 0:30:42.360
<v Speaker 4>Not challenging though why not.

0:30:42.520 --> 0:30:47.440
<v Speaker 2>I mean they fixed it, so there's no evidence they

0:30:47.440 --> 0:30:50.880
<v Speaker 2>have blitz them. Hope you get a spark fromation Rudolph

0:30:50.880 --> 0:30:53.640
<v Speaker 2>and maybe uh the special teams come up with another block.

0:30:53.720 --> 0:30:56.720
<v Speaker 2>Kick or a big return or something timely to help

0:30:56.840 --> 0:30:58.480
<v Speaker 2>change the momentum when you need to.

0:30:59.600 --> 0:31:03.640
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, you know they yes, unfortunately, that's this is this

0:31:03.800 --> 0:31:05.719
<v Speaker 4>is who they are. You know, I think this is

0:31:05.800 --> 0:31:11.480
<v Speaker 4>not it's gonna be hard to win the next three games. Oh,

0:31:11.600 --> 0:31:15.480
<v Speaker 4>this is I felt the Colts matchup was probably the

0:31:15.480 --> 0:31:17.440
<v Speaker 4>one where they had the best chance.

0:31:18.360 --> 0:31:20.920
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, we did do Yeah, I actually thought on paper

0:31:20.960 --> 0:31:21.320
<v Speaker 3>they matched.

0:31:21.640 --> 0:31:26.240
<v Speaker 4>Okay, yeah, the way Cincinnati's playing, the way Seattle's playing,

0:31:26.240 --> 0:31:28.680
<v Speaker 4>and the way Baltimore is playing. Now, Baltimore may have

0:31:28.800 --> 0:31:31.920
<v Speaker 4>packed may be packing it up by then, you know,

0:31:33.160 --> 0:31:35.760
<v Speaker 4>with who knows where they'll be sitting, you know, as

0:31:35.760 --> 0:31:40.800
<v Speaker 4>far as playoff race goes. But if everybody plays this is,

0:31:41.200 --> 0:31:43.480
<v Speaker 4>it's just gonna be hard. It's gonna be hard to

0:31:43.480 --> 0:31:46.320
<v Speaker 4>win the next three. Get one of the three, it'll

0:31:46.360 --> 0:31:46.920
<v Speaker 4>be very hard.

0:31:47.120 --> 0:31:48.760
<v Speaker 2>Well, it's not supposed to be easy, right, Meryl.

0:31:50.000 --> 0:31:52.960
<v Speaker 4>Well, it's never it's never easy. But this is extraordinarily hard.

0:31:53.640 --> 0:31:55.600
<v Speaker 4>It's almost like you're fighting yourself. You know, it's like

0:31:55.960 --> 0:31:58.200
<v Speaker 4>they're they're they're fighting themselves, you know, like they don't

0:31:58.200 --> 0:32:01.120
<v Speaker 4>even look like they don't even look like a team,

0:32:01.520 --> 0:32:03.880
<v Speaker 4>you know, watching this offense, they don't even look like

0:32:03.920 --> 0:32:07.440
<v Speaker 4>an offense. There's like eleven players doing eleven different things.

0:32:08.320 --> 0:32:13.120
<v Speaker 2>Well, nonetheless, Meryl, nonetheless, Merry Christmas to you, and uh,

0:32:13.200 --> 0:32:16.200
<v Speaker 2>we'll do this again next week before that Seattle game.

0:32:16.280 --> 0:32:21.360
<v Speaker 4>Hey, I like that. On a brighter note, Merry Christmas.

0:32:21.440 --> 0:32:24.560
<v Speaker 4>Absolutely absolutely, guess what end of the day they got.

0:32:24.600 --> 0:32:26.800
<v Speaker 4>They got a line up and play, so you know what,

0:32:28.080 --> 0:32:30.080
<v Speaker 4>and that's why they play it, you know, they don't.

0:32:30.160 --> 0:32:32.760
<v Speaker 4>They don't do talk shows for wins and losses.

0:32:32.800 --> 0:32:33.800
<v Speaker 2>They go play.

0:32:34.040 --> 0:32:37.400
<v Speaker 4>So let's pray they win it. Man. All right, Mary

0:32:37.480 --> 0:32:38.880
<v Speaker 4>Christmas to everybody.

0:32:38.560 --> 0:32:39.479
<v Speaker 2>You too, Meryl, take care.

0:32:39.680 --> 0:32:41.560
<v Speaker 4>We'll talk to you next week, all right, guy, see

0:32:41.560 --> 0:32:41.880
<v Speaker 4>you guys.

0:32:42.040 --> 0:32:44.960
<v Speaker 2>That was Meryl Hodge. You can gear up with the

0:32:45.040 --> 0:32:48.360
<v Speaker 2>latest sideline apparel, hats or jerseys of your favorite players,

0:32:48.400 --> 0:32:51.440
<v Speaker 2>authentic member Villa custom items and exclusives you can only

0:32:51.440 --> 0:32:54.480
<v Speaker 2>find directly from the team at when the official Steelers

0:32:54.520 --> 0:32:57.680
<v Speaker 2>pro shops. Those are located at Akroscher Stadium, the Grove

0:32:57.720 --> 0:33:00.960
<v Speaker 2>City Premium Outlets, and the Tanger Outlets. You can visit

0:33:01.040 --> 0:33:04.800
<v Speaker 2>us online at shop dot Steelers dot com. One more

0:33:04.960 --> 0:33:07.680
<v Speaker 2>segment to go, so keep it here with Matt Williamson

0:33:08.000 --> 0:33:11.200
<v Speaker 2>on Mike Pursuda. This is Steelers Preview right here on

0:33:11.280 --> 0:33:14.160
<v Speaker 2>your Steelers Flagship one or two point five d VE.

0:33:15.920 --> 0:33:18.720
<v Speaker 1>Back to the Steelers Preview Show presented by Uni bet

0:33:18.880 --> 0:33:19.480
<v Speaker 1>on DVE.

0:33:22.360 --> 0:33:26.800
<v Speaker 2>Welcome back to Steelers Preview. Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson

0:33:26.800 --> 0:33:30.200
<v Speaker 2>with you until eight o'clock tonight. Merril Hodge fired up

0:33:30.240 --> 0:33:31.480
<v Speaker 2>as as always.

0:33:31.880 --> 0:33:34.200
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I think he's got good reason to be. At

0:33:34.280 --> 0:33:36.280
<v Speaker 3>least we ended on a good note, you know, wishing

0:33:36.320 --> 0:33:38.840
<v Speaker 3>each other a merry Christmas and everything swell and jingle

0:33:38.880 --> 0:33:39.600
<v Speaker 3>bells all the way.

0:33:39.640 --> 0:33:43.680
<v Speaker 2>You know, what to expect is brought to you by

0:33:43.760 --> 0:33:47.120
<v Speaker 2>Brian Patton and associates. It's all about the benefits.

0:33:47.760 --> 0:33:47.880
<v Speaker 5>Uh.

0:33:48.040 --> 0:33:51.440
<v Speaker 2>This has become more challenging inst the season. That's progress. Yeah,

0:33:51.600 --> 0:33:55.680
<v Speaker 2>trying to figure out what to expect. Uh, I'm gonna

0:33:55.760 --> 0:33:57.000
<v Speaker 2>change it to what I hope for.

0:33:57.200 --> 0:33:59.000
<v Speaker 3>Okay, it is the season.

0:33:59.440 --> 0:34:02.000
<v Speaker 2>Season. Yeah, on my Christmas list, if you will, there

0:34:02.000 --> 0:34:06.200
<v Speaker 2>you go. I hope Mason Rudolph takes this as an opportunity.

0:34:06.960 --> 0:34:07.200
<v Speaker 4>Yeah.

0:34:07.200 --> 0:34:09.200
<v Speaker 2>And I know he's a teammate and he wants to

0:34:09.239 --> 0:34:11.680
<v Speaker 2>be there for his guys and win for his team.

0:34:11.760 --> 0:34:13.680
<v Speaker 2>But Mason, you.

0:34:13.600 --> 0:34:15.600
<v Speaker 3>Are in the spot, like, this is your chance.

0:34:16.520 --> 0:34:21.880
<v Speaker 2>Play the game aggressively, trust yourself, play to win, and

0:34:21.920 --> 0:34:24.560
<v Speaker 2>see what you can put on tape, because who knows.

0:34:24.840 --> 0:34:27.319
<v Speaker 2>Maybe he's back here next year, maybe he's somewhere else,

0:34:27.360 --> 0:34:30.520
<v Speaker 2>but he's got an opportunity to start a critical game.

0:34:32.120 --> 0:34:35.359
<v Speaker 3>The whole nation washingt go play it, Go play it. Yeah,

0:34:35.480 --> 0:34:36.080
<v Speaker 3>I'm the same way.

0:34:36.120 --> 0:34:40.839
<v Speaker 2>Play fearlessly, play it confidently, and play to win.

0:34:41.200 --> 0:34:44.320
<v Speaker 3>And kind of have we touched on. I think considering

0:34:44.320 --> 0:34:47.319
<v Speaker 3>where Trubisky is, I do believe Rudolph gives him a

0:34:47.320 --> 0:34:51.319
<v Speaker 3>better chance to win how this team is constructed, just

0:34:51.400 --> 0:34:55.279
<v Speaker 3>in terms of less harming yourself, you know. I mean,

0:34:55.480 --> 0:34:57.360
<v Speaker 3>but I don't want him to create or into a

0:34:57.400 --> 0:35:00.840
<v Speaker 3>show either. I mean, take shots. This defense is very vulnerable,

0:35:00.920 --> 0:35:02.759
<v Speaker 3>and hey, it might be your last chance to start

0:35:02.760 --> 0:35:04.080
<v Speaker 3>an NFL game, So make a count.

0:35:04.360 --> 0:35:04.520
<v Speaker 4>You know.

0:35:04.680 --> 0:35:09.920
<v Speaker 2>Maybe Mason Rudolf is the third bear Kenny Pickett was,

0:35:10.200 --> 0:35:13.400
<v Speaker 2>I feel like a little too conservative, Okay, mister Bisky

0:35:13.520 --> 0:35:16.600
<v Speaker 2>was a little too aggressive, right, Maybe Mason Rudolf can

0:35:16.640 --> 0:35:17.760
<v Speaker 2>find that happy medium.

0:35:17.920 --> 0:35:19.480
<v Speaker 3>I think that's possible. I mean, I don't think he's

0:35:19.480 --> 0:35:22.080
<v Speaker 3>gonna like the world on fire, but deep down I

0:35:22.080 --> 0:35:24.200
<v Speaker 3>don't think he's going to be the reason the Steelers lose.

0:35:24.239 --> 0:35:27.880
<v Speaker 3>If they lose, and as we've touched on, the problems

0:35:27.880 --> 0:35:30.080
<v Speaker 3>are many and they're plentiful, you know. And if he

0:35:30.120 --> 0:35:33.839
<v Speaker 3>can not put the ball on Harm's way, be show

0:35:33.920 --> 0:35:36.360
<v Speaker 3>some aggression and try to get the ball down the fields.

0:35:36.400 --> 0:35:38.840
<v Speaker 3>The defense it allows a lot of big plays, but

0:35:38.920 --> 0:35:41.040
<v Speaker 3>it all starts with the run game. I mean, how

0:35:41.120 --> 0:35:43.759
<v Speaker 3>much of our conversations over the last fifteen weeks or

0:35:43.760 --> 0:35:46.840
<v Speaker 3>whatever with Merrill has started with controlling the line scrimmage,

0:35:46.880 --> 0:35:49.040
<v Speaker 3>running the football. I mean, that's where it starts with

0:35:49.120 --> 0:35:49.680
<v Speaker 3>this offense.

0:35:49.960 --> 0:35:53.120
<v Speaker 2>And that's why we were starting to get encouraged exactly.

0:35:53.200 --> 0:35:53.320
<v Speaker 4>You know.

0:35:53.360 --> 0:35:54.960
<v Speaker 2>It was kind of an up and down start to

0:35:55.000 --> 0:35:57.640
<v Speaker 2>the season. And then once they got Broderick Jones in

0:35:57.680 --> 0:36:00.480
<v Speaker 2>the starting lineup, they started running the ball with distancy,

0:36:00.960 --> 0:36:04.520
<v Speaker 2>They started running into heavy boxes, they started running when

0:36:04.520 --> 0:36:06.879
<v Speaker 2>people were expecting them to run, and they were doing

0:36:06.880 --> 0:36:09.240
<v Speaker 2>it man doing it, and they were winning football games.

0:36:09.360 --> 0:36:11.480
<v Speaker 3>I thought that was something that we could count on,

0:36:11.560 --> 0:36:13.880
<v Speaker 3>you know. Yeah, there was a foundation board there and

0:36:13.880 --> 0:36:15.839
<v Speaker 3>then we could start building on that start even going

0:36:15.840 --> 0:36:18.040
<v Speaker 3>back to last year, I mean, post by last year,

0:36:18.320 --> 0:36:19.799
<v Speaker 3>they were a formidable run team.

0:36:19.920 --> 0:36:22.239
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and that kind of went away, and well, the

0:36:22.239 --> 0:36:25.799
<v Speaker 2>three game losing streak has ensued, and here we are

0:36:25.840 --> 0:36:28.759
<v Speaker 2>the Steelers at seven and seven and trying to get

0:36:29.080 --> 0:36:31.560
<v Speaker 2>to ten and seven. I'm not gonna bore everybody with

0:36:31.600 --> 0:36:35.360
<v Speaker 2>all the details, but I did a little checking of

0:36:35.480 --> 0:36:39.840
<v Speaker 2>schedules and kind of how everything is shaking out in

0:36:39.920 --> 0:36:43.759
<v Speaker 2>the AFC, and I could see a path to the

0:36:43.800 --> 0:36:46.640
<v Speaker 2>playoffs at ten and seven. They're probably gonna have to

0:36:46.640 --> 0:36:50.400
<v Speaker 2>finish ahead of Buffalo and Houston, and for that to happen,

0:36:50.440 --> 0:36:53.759
<v Speaker 2>Buffalo is going to have to lose to Miami on

0:36:53.840 --> 0:36:56.440
<v Speaker 2>the last game of the regular season, and Houston's probably

0:36:56.480 --> 0:36:58.399
<v Speaker 2>gonna have to lose to India on the last game

0:36:58.400 --> 0:37:00.759
<v Speaker 2>of the regular season. But beat the Bengals and you

0:37:00.760 --> 0:37:03.000
<v Speaker 2>can get yourself ahead of them and then win the

0:37:03.040 --> 0:37:05.400
<v Speaker 2>next two and you could probably get yourself against Buffalo

0:37:05.520 --> 0:37:09.160
<v Speaker 2>and get yourself past Buffalo and Houston with a little help,

0:37:09.480 --> 0:37:12.200
<v Speaker 2>and then your three wild cards might be Indianapolis, Cleveland,

0:37:12.239 --> 0:37:13.000
<v Speaker 2>and Pittsburgh.

0:37:13.040 --> 0:37:15.600
<v Speaker 3>It doesn't look like CJ. Stroud's gonna play this week

0:37:15.640 --> 0:37:19.880
<v Speaker 3>against the Browns, so maybe that's something that helps you.

0:37:20.280 --> 0:37:23.920
<v Speaker 3>But I mean, I don't know if Seilers can beat

0:37:23.960 --> 0:37:26.720
<v Speaker 3>anyway right now, I mean, let alone run the table.

0:37:27.480 --> 0:37:29.239
<v Speaker 2>It is a one time it is a week to

0:37:29.320 --> 0:37:32.400
<v Speaker 2>week league, it is, and this week they have another opportunity.

0:37:32.440 --> 0:37:34.839
<v Speaker 2>I wanted to go back to Jake Browning a little bit. Yeah,

0:37:34.880 --> 0:37:37.839
<v Speaker 2>he's interesting because when we saw him the first time

0:37:37.880 --> 0:37:41.640
<v Speaker 2>at Pey Course Stadium in Cincinnati, I thought, Okay, well,

0:37:41.760 --> 0:37:43.680
<v Speaker 2>this is a guy that's been on practice squads for

0:37:43.719 --> 0:37:46.000
<v Speaker 2>four or five years, and that's what those guys look like.

0:37:46.400 --> 0:37:48.120
<v Speaker 2>And of course he's played a lot better since. The

0:37:48.600 --> 0:37:51.280
<v Speaker 2>more time he gets in there, he's warming to the task.

0:37:51.320 --> 0:37:54.600
<v Speaker 2>But he wasn't great against Minnesota early in that game

0:37:54.760 --> 0:37:58.440
<v Speaker 2>until three forty eight left in the fourth quarter. The

0:37:58.480 --> 0:38:01.840
<v Speaker 2>Bengals are down twenty four. They need a touchdown to

0:38:01.920 --> 0:38:07.560
<v Speaker 2>tie and force overtime, and he completes seven of nine

0:38:07.640 --> 0:38:10.319
<v Speaker 2>passes for seventy two yards on a drive that ends

0:38:10.320 --> 0:38:14.000
<v Speaker 2>with a touchdown, a ridiculous catch by one of the

0:38:14.040 --> 0:38:15.680
<v Speaker 2>best I've ever seen, where he catches it at the

0:38:15.680 --> 0:38:17.759
<v Speaker 2>one yard, had to come out of the end zone

0:38:17.800 --> 0:38:19.680
<v Speaker 2>back to the ball, and then he was able to

0:38:19.719 --> 0:38:22.600
<v Speaker 2>win mill it around as he's falling out aboundin Yeah,

0:38:22.640 --> 0:38:27.440
<v Speaker 2>but Matt Jake Browning hit six different receivers on his

0:38:27.520 --> 0:38:28.840
<v Speaker 2>first six completions.

0:38:29.200 --> 0:38:29.879
<v Speaker 3>That's what they're doing.

0:38:29.920 --> 0:38:33.920
<v Speaker 2>I think Jamar Chase left the game on the second play,

0:38:33.960 --> 0:38:35.920
<v Speaker 2>who's a superstar of what turned out to be the

0:38:35.960 --> 0:38:38.600
<v Speaker 2>game time drive. So it wasn't like the Steelers won

0:38:38.640 --> 0:38:40.560
<v Speaker 2>the super Bowl. They just threw it to Stantonio Holmes

0:38:40.600 --> 0:38:43.640
<v Speaker 2>every time because nobody could cover him. He had to

0:38:43.680 --> 0:38:46.560
<v Speaker 2>read it, he had to trust it, and he had

0:38:46.600 --> 0:38:47.719
<v Speaker 2>to throw it, and he.

0:38:47.760 --> 0:38:51.560
<v Speaker 3>Did and that's been happening well. Spreading the ball around

0:38:51.640 --> 0:38:53.920
<v Speaker 3>is definitely a theme over the last three games for

0:38:54.000 --> 0:38:56.479
<v Speaker 3>the Bengals. I mean, I think in that Vikings game,

0:38:57.080 --> 0:38:59.600
<v Speaker 3>twelve different Bengals caught the ball. I mean it's kind

0:38:59.600 --> 0:39:01.719
<v Speaker 3>of like the Colts too. They don't have a star

0:39:01.840 --> 0:39:03.719
<v Speaker 3>tight end, but there's four of them that coming in

0:39:03.760 --> 0:39:06.080
<v Speaker 3>out of the game. Two backs are going to catch

0:39:06.120 --> 0:39:10.080
<v Speaker 3>passes now, a bevy of receivers, especially with Chase not

0:39:10.200 --> 0:39:13.239
<v Speaker 3>there not there. One thing we haven't mentioned yet though,

0:39:13.360 --> 0:39:15.360
<v Speaker 3>is kind of like we got rob to this a

0:39:15.360 --> 0:39:17.000
<v Speaker 3>little last week, not that it mattered.

0:39:17.040 --> 0:39:19.680
<v Speaker 2>It was actually not the good interrupted. It was twelve

0:39:19.680 --> 0:39:22.920
<v Speaker 2>guys targeted, eleven guys caught the ball. He threw it

0:39:22.960 --> 0:39:24.040
<v Speaker 2>at twelve different players.

0:39:24.080 --> 0:39:27.160
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, yeah, and that's what they're doing. And frankly, if

0:39:27.200 --> 0:39:29.920
<v Speaker 3>you trust twelve guys enough to throw them the football,

0:39:30.600 --> 0:39:33.200
<v Speaker 3>hunch my hunches, the Steelers aren't going to have a

0:39:33.200 --> 0:39:35.040
<v Speaker 3>safety or linebacker that can cover them all, you know

0:39:35.080 --> 0:39:36.960
<v Speaker 3>what I mean, Like you're gonna find something you'd like

0:39:37.120 --> 0:39:40.080
<v Speaker 3>time and time again pre snap or early into the

0:39:40.239 --> 0:39:42.719
<v Speaker 3>into the snap. What I wanted to ask Meryl about

0:39:42.719 --> 0:39:44.759
<v Speaker 3>we kind of ran out of time though, is on

0:39:44.800 --> 0:39:47.800
<v Speaker 3>a positive note, and it is the holidays. This Joey

0:39:47.800 --> 0:39:50.799
<v Speaker 3>Porter junior dude's all right, and yes see, you know

0:39:50.880 --> 0:39:53.200
<v Speaker 3>there's a maybe the brightest spot of the whole season.

0:39:53.239 --> 0:39:54.920
<v Speaker 3>I can't wait to watch him against Higgins.

0:39:55.239 --> 0:39:58.160
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and that's we talked the first meeting about, you know,

0:39:58.200 --> 0:40:01.000
<v Speaker 2>the start of Joey Porter against Jamark Chase. But now

0:40:01.320 --> 0:40:04.000
<v Speaker 2>and this again, maybe this is a way the Steelers

0:40:04.000 --> 0:40:05.280
<v Speaker 2>find their way out of the woods.

0:40:05.320 --> 0:40:05.520
<v Speaker 4>Here.

0:40:05.680 --> 0:40:08.000
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, if you can shut down the run and the

0:40:08.000 --> 0:40:10.600
<v Speaker 2>Bengals aren't a great running team, no they're not. And

0:40:10.640 --> 0:40:12.560
<v Speaker 2>if Porter can take away Higgins.

0:40:12.200 --> 0:40:13.440
<v Speaker 3>No, I'll take my chances.

0:40:13.520 --> 0:40:17.200
<v Speaker 2>Well, you know is uh are are you going to

0:40:17.239 --> 0:40:20.120
<v Speaker 2>get beat by Andre Yosei vash.

0:40:21.960 --> 0:40:25.080
<v Speaker 3>You might, I mean all the Andrea yashivashes they have

0:40:25.280 --> 0:40:27.319
<v Speaker 3>compared to what your offense are one of the four

0:40:27.400 --> 0:40:30.080
<v Speaker 3>tight ends. But I'm with you. That's to me is

0:40:30.160 --> 0:40:33.719
<v Speaker 3>the path those guys Nickel and dime. You for two

0:40:33.800 --> 0:40:37.040
<v Speaker 3>catches for twelve yards, so be it. But they I

0:40:37.080 --> 0:40:39.919
<v Speaker 3>think Porter and Higgins can at least battle to a draw.

0:40:40.080 --> 0:40:42.840
<v Speaker 3>And I think the Steelers can stop the run. But

0:40:43.760 --> 0:40:45.920
<v Speaker 3>what if you lose another safety in the first quarter

0:40:46.280 --> 0:40:49.399
<v Speaker 3>or anybody on defense, you know, I mean you're held

0:40:49.400 --> 0:40:50.640
<v Speaker 3>together with duct tape as it is.

0:40:50.760 --> 0:40:52.880
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, And the other thing that really stood out watching

0:40:52.960 --> 0:40:56.160
<v Speaker 2>the Bengals play the Vikings, and again I fall into

0:40:56.160 --> 0:40:59.360
<v Speaker 2>this trap a lot. I watched the team's most recent

0:40:59.440 --> 0:41:02.279
<v Speaker 2>game Steelers are about to play. You probably need to

0:41:02.280 --> 0:41:05.879
<v Speaker 2>watch more games than that to get a better read,

0:41:05.920 --> 0:41:07.000
<v Speaker 2>a more accurate read.

0:41:07.719 --> 0:41:10.160
<v Speaker 3>And the Vikings defense is very unique. I mean, like

0:41:10.200 --> 0:41:12.759
<v Speaker 3>they lead the league in three man rushes and six

0:41:12.800 --> 0:41:15.080
<v Speaker 3>man rushes, you know, like they blitzed like crazy.

0:41:15.640 --> 0:41:18.920
<v Speaker 2>But what I was gonna get to what they did

0:41:20.000 --> 0:41:23.920
<v Speaker 2>to Cincinnati offensively With Nick Mullins a quarterback by yeah

0:41:24.000 --> 0:41:27.720
<v Speaker 2>right right back run Ty Chandler had twenty three carries

0:41:27.719 --> 0:41:30.160
<v Speaker 2>for one hundred and thirty two rushing yards. He average

0:41:30.239 --> 0:41:34.280
<v Speaker 2>five to seven a carry, all right. Justin Jefferson seven

0:41:34.360 --> 0:41:38.480
<v Speaker 2>catches for eighty four yards, Jordan Addison six for one

0:41:38.560 --> 0:41:41.080
<v Speaker 2>hundred and eleven yards and two touchdowns.

0:41:41.120 --> 0:41:43.719
<v Speaker 5>I mean, they did whatever they want. They threw it,

0:41:43.760 --> 0:41:46.719
<v Speaker 5>they move it up and down the field, and while

0:41:46.840 --> 0:41:50.440
<v Speaker 5>four plays I think decided this game, maybe more than

0:41:50.480 --> 0:41:55.280
<v Speaker 5>any other, Mullins threw an interception to Mike Hilton.

0:41:55.320 --> 0:41:57.080
<v Speaker 2>He was trying to hit Jefferson. It was a really

0:41:57.120 --> 0:41:59.680
<v Speaker 2>bad throw. That was on third and nine from the

0:41:59.719 --> 0:42:02.000
<v Speaker 2>Ben was fourteen with four or six left in the

0:42:02.040 --> 0:42:02.720
<v Speaker 2>second quarter.

0:42:03.120 --> 0:42:04.239
<v Speaker 3>Then that way.

0:42:04.360 --> 0:42:06.759
<v Speaker 2>Then the next possession, they're third and seven from the

0:42:06.800 --> 0:42:10.000
<v Speaker 2>Bengals twenty two, twenty five seconds left in the half,

0:42:10.440 --> 0:42:12.240
<v Speaker 2>and he's getting sacked.

0:42:12.239 --> 0:42:14.200
<v Speaker 3>One of the worst places I've ever throw the ball.

0:42:14.080 --> 0:42:16.879
<v Speaker 2>And it hits the player in the.

0:42:16.840 --> 0:42:20.359
<v Speaker 3>Face of defensive line BJ Hill.

0:42:20.440 --> 0:42:23.680
<v Speaker 2>Yeah yeah, and it bounces around, it bounces off Moulins

0:42:23.719 --> 0:42:26.440
<v Speaker 2>at Hill is sitting on the ground and grabs it

0:42:26.480 --> 0:42:27.920
<v Speaker 2>for an interception. Yeah.

0:42:27.960 --> 0:42:29.759
<v Speaker 3>So here's there's at least one of the worst players

0:42:29.760 --> 0:42:31.400
<v Speaker 3>I've ever seen this game. I mean, it really was

0:42:31.400 --> 0:42:34.120
<v Speaker 3>because you threw three points away too, right, they gave.

0:42:33.960 --> 0:42:36.520
<v Speaker 2>Away six points there, if not more because maybe you

0:42:36.520 --> 0:42:39.640
<v Speaker 2>get a touchdown, particularly on the previous possession. And then

0:42:39.680 --> 0:42:42.280
<v Speaker 2>in overtime they've got third and one at the Bengals

0:42:42.320 --> 0:42:45.759
<v Speaker 2>forty two and they try to sneak and don't get it.

0:42:46.160 --> 0:42:48.080
<v Speaker 2>And now it's fourth and one and they try to

0:42:48.160 --> 0:42:49.239
<v Speaker 2>run the ball and they don't get it.

0:42:49.280 --> 0:42:51.160
<v Speaker 3>They'll get it. Yeah, I thought they may have been

0:42:51.200 --> 0:42:51.759
<v Speaker 3>the better team.

0:42:52.160 --> 0:42:56.280
<v Speaker 2>I think there's any doubt, but the points they left

0:42:56.320 --> 0:42:59.000
<v Speaker 2>on the field there and crucial mistake in overtime the

0:42:59.000 --> 0:43:01.719
<v Speaker 2>Bengals had already that's all they need to need. All

0:43:01.719 --> 0:43:03.319
<v Speaker 2>they needed was a field goal. They were maybe one

0:43:03.400 --> 0:43:06.799
<v Speaker 2>more first down away from being in field goal range. Yeah,

0:43:06.840 --> 0:43:09.440
<v Speaker 2>and those are four plays you didn't make, and I

0:43:09.480 --> 0:43:11.960
<v Speaker 2>think all three of them are turnovers. If you turn

0:43:12.040 --> 0:43:14.360
<v Speaker 2>it over on downs, that's just like an interception or fumble.

0:43:14.440 --> 0:43:18.839
<v Speaker 2>Bay Exactly, there's your ball game. So can the Steelers

0:43:19.880 --> 0:43:23.600
<v Speaker 2>exploit that defense and protect the ball. What's amazing score

0:43:23.640 --> 0:43:25.480
<v Speaker 2>when they when they have a chance to score.

0:43:25.400 --> 0:43:27.640
<v Speaker 3>Exactly, don't screw it up. But I mean, if you

0:43:27.680 --> 0:43:29.839
<v Speaker 3>look at the numbers, you know I'm a numbers, dorc,

0:43:30.239 --> 0:43:34.399
<v Speaker 3>I mean they're their defense is remarkably bad. I mean

0:43:34.440 --> 0:43:38.360
<v Speaker 3>it's horrific against the run. It allows big plays like crazy,

0:43:38.680 --> 0:43:41.160
<v Speaker 3>as we saw with Friar moves. Tight ends are torturing

0:43:41.200 --> 0:43:44.759
<v Speaker 3>this team. They allow so much production outside the numbers, Like,

0:43:44.840 --> 0:43:47.760
<v Speaker 3>I don't know what they do well on defense, except

0:43:47.760 --> 0:43:50.200
<v Speaker 3>for they're really good and turnover differential and they have

0:43:50.239 --> 0:43:52.200
<v Speaker 3>some good pass rushers. Hendrickson's a really good player.

0:43:53.000 --> 0:43:56.360
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the Bengals, just since you are a numbers geek,

0:43:57.200 --> 0:44:01.240
<v Speaker 2>twenty first in total offense, thirty first rushing, thirteenth, passing,

0:44:01.800 --> 0:44:06.719
<v Speaker 2>thirtieth in total defense, tied twenty eighth rushing twenty seventh passing, Steelers.

0:44:06.440 --> 0:44:09.359
<v Speaker 3>Equally in both phases on defense, Steelers.

0:44:09.080 --> 0:44:13.520
<v Speaker 2>Numbers aren't good either, twenty seventh on total offense, sixteenth rushing,

0:44:13.520 --> 0:44:17.400
<v Speaker 2>twenty eighth, passing, twentieth in total defense, twenty second rushing,

0:44:17.400 --> 0:44:20.520
<v Speaker 2>twentieth passing. But both of these teams are very good

0:44:20.960 --> 0:44:24.680
<v Speaker 2>in the turnover differential, Cincinnati plus eleven and Pittsburgh at

0:44:24.680 --> 0:44:27.640
<v Speaker 2>plus seven after taking a little step back the last

0:44:27.680 --> 0:44:31.480
<v Speaker 2>couple of games. So we shall see, Matt that's gonna

0:44:31.480 --> 0:44:33.799
<v Speaker 2>do it for us. Merry Christmas to you you as well,

0:44:34.239 --> 0:44:38.640
<v Speaker 2>and we'll look forward to doing this again next Thursday,

0:44:38.840 --> 0:44:43.040
<v Speaker 2>getting ready for the Steelers New Year's Eve trip to Seattle.

0:44:43.200 --> 0:44:46.359
<v Speaker 2>Steelers preview on DVE is brought to you by Uni Bet.

0:44:46.400 --> 0:44:48.719
<v Speaker 2>The only thing better than the Steelers win is a

0:44:48.760 --> 0:44:50.880
<v Speaker 2>Steelers win. To Pace double down on your team with

0:44:50.960 --> 0:44:54.040
<v Speaker 2>Uni Bet, a proud partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, for

0:44:54.320 --> 0:44:57.440
<v Speaker 2>Matt Williamson and Justin Miller, who once again did a

0:44:57.440 --> 0:45:01.239
<v Speaker 2>phenomenal job running running the console and running the show

0:45:01.280 --> 0:45:04.840
<v Speaker 2>and keeping us on the air on Mike PURSUITA. Thanks

0:45:04.880 --> 0:45:07.560
<v Speaker 2>for finding us, however, and wherever you found us, we'll

0:45:07.600 --> 0:45:11.600
<v Speaker 2>look forward to talking to you again next week. This

0:45:11.680 --> 0:45:14.400
<v Speaker 2>has been Steel's Preview right here on the Steels flagship,

0:45:14.640 --> 0:45:17.160
<v Speaker 2>one of two point five dv E. Good night, everybody,