1
00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,520
Speaker 1: Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven

2
00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:31,440
Speaker 1: home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

3
00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,400
Speaker 2: Our number two of the drive here as we roll

4
00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,680
Speaker 2: along and we go to the phone lines to catch

5
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,120
Speaker 2: up with the Dean of Doom, the lord of living

6
00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,879
Speaker 2: in his fears. Of course, the Steelers historian Bob Labriola

7
00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,880
Speaker 2: Labs thank you for taking the time as always, as

8
00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:50,800
Speaker 2: always playing we want to discuss with you here, so

9
00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:55,840
Speaker 2: let's get right into it. Just an incredible effort by

10
00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,040
Speaker 2: this Steelers defense on Sunday against the Colts, you know,

11
00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,960
Speaker 2: forcing five turnovers another on special teams for six in

12
00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,160
Speaker 2: total against the team that only had four turnovers going

13
00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,720
Speaker 2: into that in their prior eight games. So much of

14
00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:12,960
Speaker 2: that was being able to get after Daniel Jones, and

15
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,160
Speaker 2: I think another big part of that was the stabilization

16
00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,279
Speaker 2: of the back end with Jalen Ramsey and Kyle Dugger.

17
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,119
Speaker 2: That's going to be the same kind of deployment this week.

18
00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,520
Speaker 2: Is that something that you expect is here to stay,

19
00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,120
Speaker 2: at least for the foreseeable future.

20
00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, in terms of you know the line up, how

21
00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,320
Speaker 3: the players are going to be aligned, yes, I do,

22
00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,800
Speaker 3: But I really think that you know the key to

23
00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:40,840
Speaker 3: the game against the Colts, and the key to the

24
00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,920
Speaker 3: game this Sunday against the Chargers, and really, to me,

25
00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,920
Speaker 3: the key to every game moving forward. When it comes

26
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,360
Speaker 3: to how the defense is supposed to look, it's got

27
00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:53,920
Speaker 3: to start with stopping the run. This defense can just

28
00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:59,520
Speaker 3: not allow the opposing team to use the running game

29
00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,160
Speaker 3: as a weapon, because then you can't get to your

30
00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:08,639
Speaker 3: pressure packages, you can't get after the quarterback and all

31
00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,720
Speaker 3: of the takeaway stuff and the sacks and the momentum

32
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:18,760
Speaker 3: and you know, all that isn't as possible. So you know,

33
00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,480
Speaker 3: whatever they did to stop the run, certainly to me

34
00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,080
Speaker 3: is the most important thing. Guess Ramsey moving to free

35
00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,840
Speaker 3: safety not only his play there, but help with Kyle

36
00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:34,840
Speaker 3: Dugger get acclimated quickly and be a you know, beyond

37
00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,200
Speaker 3: just a good fill in guy. I mean, he was

38
00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,760
Speaker 3: a positive as a starting safety. So yeah, I mean,

39
00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:45,560
Speaker 3: I think it's gonna be a different kind of running

40
00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:50,639
Speaker 3: game this Saturday or Sunday night against the Chargers. They

41
00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:54,680
Speaker 3: don't have a Jonathan Taylor, but they get it done

42
00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,119
Speaker 3: by committee a little bit. So if you're gonna ask

43
00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,080
Speaker 3: me what I really hope to see Sunday night from

44
00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,160
Speaker 3: the Steelers defenses first stop to run. Then I think

45
00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:08,440
Speaker 3: that's the key that unlocks the door, and then all

46
00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:09,840
Speaker 3: those other things are possible.

47
00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:16,639
Speaker 4: Makes sense, labs Like, when you combine special teams contributions

48
00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,959
Speaker 4: and turnover contributions, the Steelers are the best team in

49
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,920
Speaker 4: the league. The Chargers happen to be about the worst. Oh,

50
00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,120
Speaker 4: by the way, now you've been around this team a

51
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:32,720
Speaker 4: long time and consistently turnovers special teams are great strengths

52
00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:36,320
Speaker 4: of the Pittsburgh Steelers under Mike Tomlin and this coaching

53
00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,240
Speaker 4: staff overall. I can't believe that's an accident. I mean,

54
00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,840
Speaker 4: all these people are like, oh, this Tomlin voodoo. I mean,

55
00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,320
Speaker 4: how does he squeeze winning seasons out? He understands how

56
00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:47,480
Speaker 4: to win in the margins like that.

57
00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:53,800
Speaker 3: Well, you know, just from being around this franchise for

58
00:03:53,840 --> 00:04:00,360
Speaker 3: a very, very long time, special teams were probably the

59
00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,520
Speaker 3: worst part of the dynasty of the seventies. Chuck Nole

60
00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,520
Speaker 3: was not a big special teams guy. He was the

61
00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,040
Speaker 3: last coach in the league to hire a full time

62
00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,640
Speaker 3: special teams coach. You know. Bill Coward came to the

63
00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:18,360
Speaker 3: Steelers as a well. He was a defensive coordinator as

64
00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:20,480
Speaker 3: the Chiefs, but he had broken into the league as

65
00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,400
Speaker 3: a coach special teams with the Browns. Uh. He had

66
00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:28,280
Speaker 3: some issues with special teams too. You know, the Steelers

67
00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:34,440
Speaker 3: franchise history with special teams. I remember when Danny Smith

68
00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:40,039
Speaker 3: got hired. You know, I went to high school with him,

69
00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,000
Speaker 3: and so I said to him kiddingly, I said, I'm

70
00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,280
Speaker 3: gonna write you a history of the special teams of

71
00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,800
Speaker 3: this franchise. I said, it's it's gonna surprise you and

72
00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:51,359
Speaker 3: scare you.

73
00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,400
Speaker 4: But you know, so they won despite special teams for

74
00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:57,240
Speaker 4: a lot of years.

75
00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:01,440
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I mean yeah, Like, just real quick, I

76
00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:03,039
Speaker 3: don't want to get too much in the weeds. For

77
00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:07,880
Speaker 3: this Super Bowl, Super Bowl ten, Chuck Bull went for

78
00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:14,200
Speaker 3: it on fourth and nine near midfield at the two

79
00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,760
Speaker 3: minute warning with a four point lead against Dallas in

80
00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:19,760
Speaker 3: a Super Bowl. He just turned it over to the

81
00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,640
Speaker 3: defense because he didn't Well, they got gotten one blocked.

82
00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:29,559
Speaker 3: You know, Walden was awful. Super Bowl ten was also

83
00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,560
Speaker 3: the game let's not forget where Cliff Harris was Patton

84
00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:38,919
Speaker 3: Roy Durel on the head the field goals. Yeah, so,

85
00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,480
Speaker 3: I mean these were the things. You know, even those

86
00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:48,479
Speaker 3: teams had to uh deal with so you know, but

87
00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,240
Speaker 3: Danny Smith is very very you know, I don't want

88
00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:55,720
Speaker 3: to I wanted to come across. As you know, we

89
00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,800
Speaker 3: went to high school together. So I'm saying good things

90
00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:01,800
Speaker 3: about him, but his uh detail, his attention to detail,

91
00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:09,560
Speaker 3: his video study is unmatched. Excuse me. And really, the Steelers,

92
00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,799
Speaker 3: in my opinion, they're special teams in terms of things

93
00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:18,120
Speaker 3: like kick blocking, you know, executing a lot of the

94
00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,480
Speaker 3: you know, non glamorous things for example. You know, I'm

95
00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,200
Speaker 3: not talking about returning kicks for touchdowns, but kick blocking.

96
00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,000
Speaker 3: The Steelers are always uh up close to the right

97
00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,400
Speaker 3: top of the league doing that, and you know that's significant. No,

98
00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,240
Speaker 3: I give him, you know a lot of that credit.

99
00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:41,120
Speaker 3: But yeah, I mean they they they are able to,

100
00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,400
Speaker 3: as you mentioned, live in the margins with this team,

101
00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,400
Speaker 3: and you know, to me, there's nothing wrong with that

102
00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,880
Speaker 3: because those points, you know, comp the same as you

103
00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:52,960
Speaker 3: get on either offense or or on defense.

104
00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:55,400
Speaker 4: And they always take away that's right. Yeah, And they

105
00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,920
Speaker 4: also keep four or five guys on the roster that

106
00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,680
Speaker 4: it's not their only as a special teamer, but it's

107
00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,800
Speaker 4: job number one. Killer grew prier those guys, you know.

108
00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:10,920
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean Mike Tomlin is willing to, you know,

109
00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,240
Speaker 3: consider I guess that's a good word keeping a guy

110
00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,480
Speaker 3: on the roster because of what he does on special team.

111
00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,000
Speaker 3: I mean I remember for one of his you know,

112
00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:23,320
Speaker 3: Mike Tomlin shows that you know, I do with him.

113
00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,200
Speaker 3: I asked him when was around roster cut in time.

114
00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,640
Speaker 3: I said, you know, is it possible for a guy,

115
00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,960
Speaker 3: you know to make this team as a special teams

116
00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,440
Speaker 3: guy and not a returner? And he said, yeah, absolutely,

117
00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:42,200
Speaker 3: Miles Kilrey, he said, you know, he's the team captain.

118
00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,600
Speaker 3: He was an All Pro last year, so yeah, he's

119
00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,040
Speaker 3: willing to consider a roster spot for a guy like that.

120
00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,720
Speaker 3: And I think that that kind of commitment or you know,

121
00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,040
Speaker 3: whatever you want to call it not only sends a

122
00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:59,360
Speaker 3: message to the guys on those teams or the guys

123
00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:04,240
Speaker 3: trying to find find spots on game day or helmets

124
00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,160
Speaker 3: on game day or anything. I mean, it just kind

125
00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:12,120
Speaker 3: of I think shows what you think of special teams,

126
00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:16,960
Speaker 3: and you know, guys can see that they can they

127
00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,920
Speaker 3: can get themselves a nice NFL check by being good

128
00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,960
Speaker 3: at it, work hard at it, pay attention, you know,

129
00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,360
Speaker 3: study it, because you know that there are a lot

130
00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:34,040
Speaker 3: of those those block kicks are not happenstance. You know,

131
00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,440
Speaker 3: it's not that Cam Hayward knows where you know, he

132
00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:39,680
Speaker 3: throws up a hand and he gets lucky and you

133
00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,600
Speaker 3: know blocks an extra pointer, gets a hand on a

134
00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,120
Speaker 3: field goal or something or whatever it might be. I mean,

135
00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:48,240
Speaker 3: that's that's video study, that's repetition, that's practice.

136
00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:50,720
Speaker 4: Let's package.

137
00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:53,280
Speaker 3: Yeah, I.

138
00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,679
Speaker 4: Protection and yeah, right, absolutely right.

139
00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:04,200
Speaker 3: It's a coordinated thing. So yeah, and hey that if

140
00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,199
Speaker 3: that can win you a game, that kind of stuff,

141
00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,280
Speaker 3: you know, it's a difference between ten and seven, nine

142
00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,640
Speaker 3: and eight, ten and seven, eleven and six. I mean

143
00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,480
Speaker 3: it's it's you know, you start looking at that game

144
00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,800
Speaker 3: difference at the end of the season, and that can

145
00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:28,400
Speaker 3: be a significant it could be a significant one game.

146
00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:33,640
Speaker 4: Yeah, and having Boswell doesn't hurt well, right in addition.

147
00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:38,680
Speaker 3: To you know, because yeah, he is I don't know,

148
00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:41,120
Speaker 3: he's the best, and I think he's been the best

149
00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,320
Speaker 3: for a couple of seasons. You know, Tucker still had

150
00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,720
Speaker 3: the you know, the reputation and all of that kind

151
00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,560
Speaker 3: of stuff, and I think a lot of those awards,

152
00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,200
Speaker 3: all Pro Pro Bowl, you know, guys vote for that stuff,

153
00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,280
Speaker 3: or media votes for that stuff. They just vote what

154
00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:00,559
Speaker 3: they voted last year. You know, I don't know how

155
00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:07,160
Speaker 3: much the the all pro voters beyond looking at stats.

156
00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,920
Speaker 3: Who's the best kicker? You know? I mean, it's of

157
00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,440
Speaker 3: course it's not real, right, it's not Check the balls

158
00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:18,120
Speaker 3: for talker again, right, yes, check the blox for talker again. Oh,

159
00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,520
Speaker 3: look at all the field goalsing mate. Okay, yeah, okay.

160
00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,760
Speaker 2: Bob Labriola with us here on the drive, Labs, I

161
00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:26,240
Speaker 2: did want to ask you one of the things that

162
00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,760
Speaker 2: Matt and I discussed a little bit before having you

163
00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,960
Speaker 2: on here was the Steelers' run game in Jalen Warren

164
00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,160
Speaker 2: and how you know, we think the offensive line is

165
00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,560
Speaker 2: playing better, but it hasn't necessarily translated to success in

166
00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:40,680
Speaker 2: the run game. I think, just particularly over the last

167
00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,199
Speaker 2: six quarters. They were really good in that department in

168
00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,720
Speaker 2: the first half against Green Bay eighty one rushing yards

169
00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,199
Speaker 2: in the first thirty minutes against green Bay, but the

170
00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,360
Speaker 2: last six quarters not quite up the snuff. How do

171
00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:54,800
Speaker 2: they get back to kind of that that commanding ground

172
00:10:54,840 --> 00:11:03,520
Speaker 2: game that we've seen this Sunday in La.

173
00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,280
Speaker 3: I would I would tease you, Wes, knowing you're a

174
00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:06,000
Speaker 3: Mountaineer fan, and say, you know, it all depends on

175
00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:11,640
Speaker 3: whether the center play is great. That's right, But I

176
00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:17,960
Speaker 3: wouldn't mean that, you know, uh yeah, I think the

177
00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,560
Speaker 3: Colts were pretty good at it, you know, stopping the run.

178
00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,880
Speaker 3: And I do believe that even you know, when the

179
00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,920
Speaker 3: Steelers had Jerome Bettets, when the Steelers had Franco Harris,

180
00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,520
Speaker 3: when they uh, you know, great running teams or what

181
00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,559
Speaker 3: you think of yourself as a great running team, or

182
00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,600
Speaker 3: you've proven it statistically that you are. I think when

183
00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:42,599
Speaker 3: you're playing a quality opponent, if that opponent commits the

184
00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:47,240
Speaker 3: stopping the run, both in terms of the personnel that

185
00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:51,240
Speaker 3: they assemble h and how they play, it's hard to

186
00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,880
Speaker 3: run in the NFL. It just is. I'm not making

187
00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:59,920
Speaker 3: any excuse excuses for against the Colts, but Buckner's really good.

188
00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,640
Speaker 3: Zaire Franklin is really good. Uh and you know those

189
00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:08,560
Speaker 3: guys in there. I mean it's it's to me, it's

190
00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:11,520
Speaker 3: similar to what the Steelers did with Jonathan Taylor. I mean,

191
00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,120
Speaker 3: you you make it, you commit to this, We're going

192
00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:19,080
Speaker 3: to stop this, uh this guy. Uh, And I think

193
00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,439
Speaker 3: it can't happen if that becomes a primary focus and

194
00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,280
Speaker 3: you have you know, players who are paying attention and

195
00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:28,320
Speaker 3: doing what they're told. Uh, you can stop the run.

196
00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:32,880
Speaker 4: So the advantage of I can put enough people here

197
00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:34,760
Speaker 4: that you can't block everybody.

198
00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:39,559
Speaker 3: Right because running play, you got the quarterback who's handing

199
00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,440
Speaker 3: the ball off, the running back who's running the ball,

200
00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:47,960
Speaker 3: has eleven guys going against nine. They should be they

201
00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:49,160
Speaker 3: should be able to handle that.

202
00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:51,880
Speaker 4: Calvin Austin's not going to blow up a linebacker and

203
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:52,280
Speaker 4: you know.

204
00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:58,079
Speaker 3: Right exactly so you know, flipping it around. Uh, I

205
00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:03,640
Speaker 3: think that uh if. I think Aaron Rodgers had a

206
00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:07,720
Speaker 3: lot on the ball when he was talking about you know,

207
00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,440
Speaker 3: he liked the play calls, but that had to be

208
00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:14,560
Speaker 3: better execution, and he started with himself. You know, there

209
00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:16,760
Speaker 3: were some instances of some guys not being where they

210
00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:21,240
Speaker 3: were supposed to be. Sometimes that can either happen on

211
00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:23,480
Speaker 3: a possession down and you have to punt, so you

212
00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:27,960
Speaker 3: have fewer snaps to get your running game established. You know,

213
00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,240
Speaker 3: there's all kinds of things like that that are kind

214
00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,880
Speaker 3: of interwoven. I don't think the Steelers are the kind

215
00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:39,080
Speaker 3: of team yet that they're going to say, Okay, it's

216
00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,000
Speaker 3: time to run the ball. Now we have a ten

217
00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:45,520
Speaker 3: point lead. There's six minutes left. Here we go. You know,

218
00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:49,120
Speaker 3: we're just gonna drain four or five minutes off the

219
00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,920
Speaker 3: clock by running the football down your throat. I just

220
00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,720
Speaker 3: don't think they're that kind of team. And I also

221
00:13:54,760 --> 00:14:01,079
Speaker 3: don't think that that's really possible in today's NFL. But anyway,

222
00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:03,319
Speaker 3: you want to be able to, you know, find a

223
00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:10,480
Speaker 3: sweet spot between being able to run when when everyone

224
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:13,800
Speaker 3: knows you're supposed to be running, or maybe you look

225
00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,040
Speaker 3: at it as your offense needs to be able to

226
00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:22,360
Speaker 3: move the chains when everybody knows you need to train

227
00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,680
Speaker 3: the clock. Because so I think a lot of it

228
00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,720
Speaker 3: is Rogers and what he can do with the receivers.

229
00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:31,880
Speaker 3: Guys need to get open, you know, they need to

230
00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:38,360
Speaker 3: understand what is at stake or what the situation. You know,

231
00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:42,160
Speaker 3: Mike Tolan talks about situational football so much. I think

232
00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,120
Speaker 3: that's a situation in itself. Guys need to catch the

233
00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:50,120
Speaker 3: ball to a couple of drops last week, but again

234
00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,680
Speaker 3: good enough to win. Uh. And I think though that

235
00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:58,920
Speaker 3: if he starts, if the passing attack does a little

236
00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,600
Speaker 3: bit better possess it the ball. There aren't any you know,

237
00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,840
Speaker 3: I don't know, like fumbles when you're trying to hurdle

238
00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:07,640
Speaker 3: a guy after you already had a first don in

239
00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,840
Speaker 3: the fourth quarter to keep a drive move and you know,

240
00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:16,000
Speaker 3: I mean or you know, I saw some how what

241
00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:21,840
Speaker 3: I call it maybe miss or misreading which way to

242
00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:24,200
Speaker 3: run with the ball when you get the ball in

243
00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,280
Speaker 3: the in the flatter in the open field, you know,

244
00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:31,640
Speaker 3: trying to maybe make more of it than is there,

245
00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:35,720
Speaker 3: and instead of settling for four or five yards, you

246
00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:39,520
Speaker 3: end up maybe only getting one or losing you know,

247
00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:44,040
Speaker 3: those kinds of things. Uh. But you know, I'm not

248
00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:45,800
Speaker 3: going to be the dean of doone today. I'm sorry

249
00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:50,280
Speaker 3: for those people Bolts really good team. Uh. And they

250
00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:56,160
Speaker 3: they the Steelers I thought looked good defensively, really good defensively. Uh.

251
00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,920
Speaker 3: Or let me say this, like the plan was for

252
00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,239
Speaker 3: them to look defensively when all these people were assembled.

253
00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:08,200
Speaker 3: And so now that they've done it, they can use

254
00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:14,160
Speaker 3: that as internal fuel or whatever motivation because then they

255
00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,640
Speaker 3: can say to themselves, well, we've done this before, so

256
00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,200
Speaker 3: we can do it again last night.

257
00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:24,000
Speaker 4: Sorry, last thing I have for you is on that defense,

258
00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:26,680
Speaker 4: A young pop Peyton Wilson in the second year, to

259
00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:30,000
Speaker 4: me is really starting to level up and take his

260
00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,560
Speaker 4: game doing the next level. Is that something you're seeing too?

261
00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,480
Speaker 4: You think the team's really happy with him right now?

262
00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:37,480
Speaker 3: Peyden Wilson, All right, yeah, how could you not be?

263
00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:37,880
Speaker 4: Yeah?

264
00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,240
Speaker 3: I mean you're playing. As I mentioned, Jonathan Taylor. He

265
00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:45,640
Speaker 3: leads the team with thirteen tackles. Peyton Wilson, he had

266
00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,240
Speaker 3: an interception, okay, so then he also got his hands

267
00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:51,560
Speaker 3: on bat at the ball in the air that turned

268
00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:56,040
Speaker 3: into an interception. So he's making plays obviously against the run,

269
00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:00,520
Speaker 3: getting the guy on the ground. He's making plays average

270
00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:05,480
Speaker 3: against the pass. However you want to put it. He

271
00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:11,400
Speaker 3: played a lot of snaps. Yeah, yes he is. He

272
00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:16,720
Speaker 3: is that guy. A really good tandem with Patrick Queen,

273
00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,160
Speaker 3: I think, and the kind of inside linebacker I think

274
00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,200
Speaker 3: some good teams need to have because he's not somebody

275
00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,720
Speaker 3: who got to sub out in either obvious running situations

276
00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:27,600
Speaker 3: or obvious passing situations.

277
00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:32,160
Speaker 2: Great stuff with our friend Bob Labriola, not the Dean

278
00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:34,240
Speaker 2: of doom or lord of living in his fears. Today,

279
00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:38,160
Speaker 2: a cheerier, happier Labs here is the Steelers get into

280
00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,520
Speaker 2: the win column against the Colts. Labs, thank you for

281
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,760
Speaker 2: taking the time. As always, we really appreciate it, and

282
00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:45,800
Speaker 2: we'll be looking forward to hearing you on the pregame

283
00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:47,120
Speaker 2: show on Sunday night.

284
00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:50,240
Speaker 3: All right, fellows, take care you as well.

285
00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:54,120
Speaker 2: There he goes, Bob Labriola, Steelers a store. Hey, everything

286
00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,000
Speaker 2: from Super Bowl nine anecdotes to Miles Killerbrew. He's got

287
00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,600
Speaker 2: it all. Yeah, he's got it all.

288
00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:00,760
Speaker 4: Matt. We have some breaths that I forgot about that though,

289
00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,200
Speaker 4: Chuck Noles, they did not have a special teams.

290
00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:07,560
Speaker 2: One of the last highranchise. Yeah, a special teams coach.

291
00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:09,000
Speaker 2: It is amazing how times have changed.

292
00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:12,240
Speaker 4: Crazy, right, But those teams were never good on special teams.

293
00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:13,600
Speaker 4: I remember my dad telling me that when I was

294
00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:15,320
Speaker 4: like ten years old, like, oh no, they gotta bring

295
00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:15,760
Speaker 4: up the punter.

296
00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,400
Speaker 2: Special teams and ball security were just not what they

297
00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,040
Speaker 2: were now, not at all. I still, I know I've

298
00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:24,280
Speaker 2: told you this story before, but I remember during COVID

299
00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:26,640
Speaker 2: Motes and I did like that once and for all

300
00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,720
Speaker 2: week where we settled all these Steelers debates. You know,

301
00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,440
Speaker 2: who's the best linebacker in the best center, and who's

302
00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,960
Speaker 2: the best corner, and who's the best running back, And

303
00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,679
Speaker 2: Motes was like, I know it's Franco He's like, but

304
00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:40,760
Speaker 2: I just can't get over the fumble numbers. He's like,

305
00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:41,760
Speaker 2: they're just ridiculous.

306
00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:44,880
Speaker 4: Look at franchise interception numbers, right, it's insane.

307
00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:48,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, Matt, we have some breaking Steelers news. We talked

308
00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,800
Speaker 2: about how they had made an addition to the active

309
00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,680
Speaker 2: roster there would be need to be a corresponding move

310
00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,159
Speaker 2: after signing Broderick Martin Rhodes. That corresponding move has happened.

311
00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:00,679
Speaker 2: I'll tell you what it is. We return on the

312
00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,320
Speaker 2: other side, West Sheler. Matt Williamson, it's the Drive on

313
00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:05,840
Speaker 2: Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

314
00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,080
Speaker 1: You were tuned about Drive on your twenty four to

315
00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:27,560
Speaker 1: seven home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

316
00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,000
Speaker 2: Well, Matt, we said that we would probably get a

317
00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,240
Speaker 2: corresponding roster move for the Steelers edition of Broderick Martin

318
00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:49,040
Speaker 2: Rhodes off of the Chiefs practice squad to their active roster. Yeah,

319
00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:53,240
Speaker 2: and we now have that as the Steelers have released

320
00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,480
Speaker 2: the Marvin Leal just not too long ago.

321
00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,600
Speaker 4: Totally get it. I mean he's been here long enough

322
00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,600
Speaker 4: that I think you know who he is, and it's

323
00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:04,320
Speaker 4: hard to find a role for him. I mean, he

324
00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:08,400
Speaker 4: really is not a stand up outside linebacker, and when

325
00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,360
Speaker 4: he would get that role, he'd be kind of your

326
00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,400
Speaker 4: your big base end run stuffer guy. But all four

327
00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:16,960
Speaker 4: of the guys ahead of him on the depth chart

328
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,520
Speaker 4: at that position stuff the run. Fine. What's incredible at it?

329
00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:25,320
Speaker 4: Sawyer's provided you that at a minimum is Smith's always

330
00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:27,239
Speaker 4: been good. Herbie's been getting better and better, you know,

331
00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:31,760
Speaker 4: so putting him out there for that reason isn't good enough.

332
00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,640
Speaker 4: Coming out of A and M. I found him interesting

333
00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:39,520
Speaker 4: because frankly, he's always been kind of an enigma for

334
00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,560
Speaker 4: the Steeler defense because I'm not sure exactly how he fits.

335
00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:46,000
Speaker 2: Yeah. And talent, He's got a skill set, yeah, but

336
00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:47,879
Speaker 2: there was just always something felt a little lost, a.

337
00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:52,560
Speaker 4: Little often, just kind of missing. I also think something

338
00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,240
Speaker 4: he can provide is be a d tackle on throwing downs,

339
00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,399
Speaker 4: you know, as an upfield penetrator type. Little undersized, But

340
00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,440
Speaker 4: he's not better than Bent and Harmon and cam at

341
00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,560
Speaker 4: it right, you know what I mean? Like, so when

342
00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,720
Speaker 4: do I put you on the field unless people are hurt?

343
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,080
Speaker 4: So I think they just wanted a bigger body. I

344
00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,560
Speaker 4: mean they added somebody that has fifty more pounds.

345
00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,280
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, six five. Yeah, yeah, three twenty five.

346
00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,920
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's not leal. You know. Yeah, I was to

347
00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:22,679
Speaker 4: eighty or something.

348
00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:24,159
Speaker 2: I wouldn't have guessed. If you would have made me

349
00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,199
Speaker 2: guess who it was going to be, he probably wouldn't

350
00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,480
Speaker 2: have been one of my first names that I mentioned either.

351
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:30,000
Speaker 2: But when I saw it, I'm like, oh, yeah, that

352
00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:30,800
Speaker 2: also makes sense.

353
00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:32,720
Speaker 4: Yeah, what's he doing for you now?

354
00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:36,800
Speaker 2: Exactly right? Exactly right, And hopefully for him, he'll get

355
00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,080
Speaker 2: an opportunity to go somewhere where he can kind of,

356
00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,240
Speaker 2: you know, find a fit a mesh with his skill set.

357
00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:43,760
Speaker 4: And I'm sure you will. He's got enough tape in

358
00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:45,919
Speaker 4: pedigree that I mean, he'll definitely get picked up on

359
00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:46,800
Speaker 4: a practice squad.

360
00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, I I I even throw him back.

361
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:49,760
Speaker 4: On the practice squad.

362
00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's true. That's great. That's a great point

363
00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,920
Speaker 2: as well too. He could always, right, he could always

364
00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,520
Speaker 2: end up back on the practice squad. That is a great,

365
00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:58,159
Speaker 2: great point by you, But just.

366
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,679
Speaker 4: Not providing enough on game day for you. When do

367
00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,080
Speaker 4: I put him on the field where he's given me

368
00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:05,080
Speaker 4: an advantage over the other guys I could put on

369
00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:07,360
Speaker 4: the field, right, It's not there.

370
00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,160
Speaker 2: That's life in the National Football league, isn't it.

371
00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:10,439
Speaker 4: It is?

372
00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:15,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, So the Marvin Leal has been released. We'll see

373
00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,200
Speaker 2: where he ends up, if it's back on the Steelers

374
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,320
Speaker 2: practice squad, if it's somewhere else. But that's kind of

375
00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:23,240
Speaker 2: the corresponding move that that we had been waiting for.

376
00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:25,280
Speaker 4: Yeah, and big bodies are harder to find.

377
00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:30,520
Speaker 2: They absolutely are. They certainly are. That is a big

378
00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:35,800
Speaker 2: body that they added from the Kansas City Chiefs practice

379
00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:37,000
Speaker 2: squad for sure.

380
00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:39,080
Speaker 4: Now, it doesn't mean he has to be active on

381
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,280
Speaker 4: game day. He just has to be on the active roster.

382
00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,400
Speaker 2: That's a great point. That doesn't mean that he has

383
00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:45,719
Speaker 2: to get a helmet. He could be in inactive. But

384
00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,240
Speaker 2: there's I wonder how that's gonna look with Logan Lee

385
00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:49,720
Speaker 2: now as well.

386
00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:51,880
Speaker 4: I don't know. Curious about that too, because.

387
00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:53,800
Speaker 2: At the same time, you probably don't want too defensive

388
00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:58,359
Speaker 2: linemen inactive in terms of your inactives, and Logan Lee

389
00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,520
Speaker 2: has been that guy recently. I'll be interesting to see

390
00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:01,960
Speaker 2: how that plays.

391
00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,240
Speaker 4: I wouldn't think he plays this week, dude.

392
00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, just kind of happened today. Yeah, they're gonna want

393
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,440
Speaker 2: him to at least get a couple of practices under

394
00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,760
Speaker 2: his belt. That's a good that's a good point by you.

395
00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:17,240
Speaker 2: Sooner rather than later, Yeah, certainly, But yeah, that's a

396
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,200
Speaker 2: good call by you. Actually, I would I don't think

397
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,400
Speaker 2: we'll see him on Sunday night. Would be surprised if

398
00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:25,240
Speaker 2: there was that quick of a turnaround. Yeah, Matt before

399
00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,639
Speaker 2: we uh, maybe close down with some tweets here today,

400
00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:31,479
Speaker 2: we do have to talk a little Thursday night football tonight.

401
00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:34,000
Speaker 4: Yeah, not the best game, not the best game.

402
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:37,840
Speaker 2: But you got Vegas at Denver Mile High Stadium there

403
00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,520
Speaker 2: the Broncos nine and a half point favorites. We did

404
00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:42,879
Speaker 2: see some signs of life from Vegas in their in

405
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,000
Speaker 2: their past Sunday out of their bye week.

406
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:48,520
Speaker 4: What's such a key for them, as brock by ours

407
00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,240
Speaker 4: health totally. I mean it's first time that healthy since

408
00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:51,720
Speaker 4: week one.

409
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:54,920
Speaker 2: And he looked at me like, what like one hundred

410
00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,880
Speaker 2: and forty yards receiving and three touchdowns or something insane

411
00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:01,320
Speaker 2: like that. And they are a two point conversion away

412
00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,200
Speaker 2: from potentially beating the Jags. That would have been a

413
00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:04,760
Speaker 2: nice win. That would have been a nice win for

414
00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:07,440
Speaker 2: them out of their bye week. Any chance they can

415
00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,040
Speaker 2: keep this one close, that's a pretty chunky number. It's

416
00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:13,320
Speaker 2: in Denver, but they are that proverbial team going on

417
00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:14,680
Speaker 2: the road on Thursday night.

418
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:16,840
Speaker 4: Division game on the road, Division.

419
00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:18,480
Speaker 2: Game on the road Thursday night. And also you know

420
00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:22,800
Speaker 2: in Mile High, tough place to play. You you like

421
00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:24,760
Speaker 2: the you like the Broncos? You laying the points on

422
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:25,880
Speaker 2: this one? Or where are you going?

423
00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:26,439
Speaker 3: Uh?

424
00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:30,200
Speaker 4: No, certain the Broncos are a little uneven. I think

425
00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,040
Speaker 4: they're the better team clearly. Now we're also getting the

426
00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,160
Speaker 4: point of the season. I kind of mentioned it earlier

427
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,000
Speaker 4: that Steeler fans need to start rooting against. Like you

428
00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,439
Speaker 4: wanted the Raiders to beat the Jags, You'd love to

429
00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:45,120
Speaker 4: see the Broncos drop a loss here in this especially

430
00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:48,480
Speaker 4: a conference loss, you know, because all these tiebreakers and

431
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:52,240
Speaker 4: things could impact the Steelers. I do think the Broncos win,

432
00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,160
Speaker 4: but I would probably take the points. It's a lot

433
00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:56,520
Speaker 4: for a short week, you know.

434
00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:58,760
Speaker 2: It is, even for being the home team on the

435
00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:02,040
Speaker 2: short week. Yes, these Thursday games are typically closer, and

436
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:04,240
Speaker 2: I realized last week it was just what twenty eight

437
00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,240
Speaker 2: to six that the Ravens won pretty comfortably. Yeah, in

438
00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:11,000
Speaker 2: Miami on the road, but that feels a game that

439
00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,040
Speaker 2: feels like maybe more the exception than the rule. It

440
00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:15,320
Speaker 2: just always feels like these Thursday nighters are close because

441
00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:17,439
Speaker 2: it's a short week. Teams are tired and beat up

442
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:18,800
Speaker 2: and don't have as much prep time.

443
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,919
Speaker 4: Yeah, and the Raiders are one week removed from their

444
00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,240
Speaker 4: by maybe they're still a little fresh or healthier, you know.

445
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's a good point too. I think I

446
00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:28,920
Speaker 2: would I think I will take the nine and a

447
00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:31,560
Speaker 2: half points with the Raiders.

448
00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:33,320
Speaker 4: I'd probably keep an eye on see if it goes

449
00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,040
Speaker 4: to ten, Yes, that would.

450
00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,880
Speaker 2: Be absolutely ten ten and a half, certainly, yes, would

451
00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:40,560
Speaker 2: be would be fantastic. But this is a big one

452
00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:40,960
Speaker 2: for Denver.

453
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:41,080
Speaker 3: Man.

454
00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:42,680
Speaker 2: If they can get to eight and two, they're in

455
00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:44,879
Speaker 2: really good shape. They're in great shape. The Chiefs are

456
00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:45,680
Speaker 2: five and four.

457
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:47,480
Speaker 4: Right, you get this win, then have a long week.

458
00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:49,480
Speaker 4: They have a long their next opponent is which I

459
00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:50,640
Speaker 4: don't know who that it is, and they.

460
00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:52,600
Speaker 2: Still haven't had their bye week yet either, so they've

461
00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:54,160
Speaker 2: got some real rest down the stretch here.

462
00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:56,600
Speaker 4: Certain will be backed not too long down the road.

463
00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:58,600
Speaker 4: I mean, no, they're they're shitting pretty.

464
00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:00,919
Speaker 2: Chiefs are only five and four. Chargers, Yeah, they're six

465
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:02,480
Speaker 2: and three, but they're banged up. And they got a

466
00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,000
Speaker 2: tough one against the Steelers.

467
00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,359
Speaker 4: I wonder, especially if the win tonight, what the Vegas

468
00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:09,800
Speaker 4: odds would be for them to win their division. It

469
00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:11,240
Speaker 4: has to be very, very high.

470
00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:12,080
Speaker 2: Oh, I would think so.

471
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,439
Speaker 4: And I know people you know rightfully so value what

472
00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:18,800
Speaker 4: the Chiefs can do. But that's a big hole to

473
00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:20,280
Speaker 4: come back from for Kansas City.

474
00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:22,600
Speaker 2: Oh, it's huge, It's absolutely huge. And you know what

475
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:24,760
Speaker 2: I think, I saw this actually just a minute ago.

476
00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,919
Speaker 2: I do right here playoff odds for every team at

477
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,199
Speaker 2: this point. So right now they have the Broncos with

478
00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,040
Speaker 2: a little over forty eight percent chance to win that division.

479
00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:34,480
Speaker 4: To win the division.

480
00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,720
Speaker 2: But that's before if they would win tonight.

481
00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:38,800
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm sure it goes well.

482
00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:41,639
Speaker 2: Their odds are ninety percent to make the playoffs, so

483
00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,480
Speaker 2: they you know, if they win tonight, that probably goes

484
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:46,640
Speaker 2: up to ninety six ninety seven.

485
00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:48,240
Speaker 4: Especially if the Steelers beat the Chargers.

486
00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:50,680
Speaker 2: Especially if the Steelers beat the Chargers, if that happened,

487
00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:52,639
Speaker 2: I bet you their division odds would go up closer

488
00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:56,159
Speaker 2: to sixty percent. The Chiefs are going to get a

489
00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:57,800
Speaker 2: lot of benefit of the doubt because at any point

490
00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,359
Speaker 2: they could rattle off six or seven straight wins wouldn't

491
00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:01,600
Speaker 2: surprise anybody.

492
00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:02,840
Speaker 4: Losing in Buffalo. It doesn't.

493
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,879
Speaker 2: They are still five and four. I mean, you know,

494
00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,200
Speaker 2: that's maths. Some of it is just math. If you're

495
00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:13,119
Speaker 2: three games behind and we're in the November already, you

496
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:15,360
Speaker 2: only got so much time, you only got so much opportunity.

497
00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,800
Speaker 4: So Denver would be eight and two if they win tonight.

498
00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,080
Speaker 2: It would be eight and two. If they win tonight, man, yeah,

499
00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:23,680
Speaker 2: that's that's a stronghold. And then they would have their

500
00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,600
Speaker 2: bye week. Wait no, sorry, sorry, sorry, party.

501
00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:27,040
Speaker 4: They have a long week.

502
00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,680
Speaker 2: They have a long week to host Kansas City.

503
00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:31,520
Speaker 4: That'd be and then if you win that one, you're

504
00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:33,000
Speaker 4: pretty much set.

505
00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:37,800
Speaker 2: Absolutely. Let me look here. Ten Yes, then you have

506
00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,639
Speaker 2: a bye Yes, okay, So would host Kansas City, then

507
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,080
Speaker 2: have a bye, then would go to Washington to Las Vegas,

508
00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:49,280
Speaker 2: Green Bay, Jacksonville to Kansas City the Chargers.

509
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:51,440
Speaker 4: So maybe three more losses on there.

510
00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:53,320
Speaker 2: Some tough ones, but you get Vegas twice, that should

511
00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:56,159
Speaker 2: be two wins for them. Yeah, you get Washington, albeit

512
00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,879
Speaker 2: on the road, but that should be a win. You

513
00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,440
Speaker 2: host the Packers at home, you host the Jags at home.

514
00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,639
Speaker 4: No one likes playing in Denver. I mean, maybe you

515
00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:06,160
Speaker 4: split those.

516
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:08,520
Speaker 2: If you split with Kansas City, you're in great shape.

517
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,680
Speaker 4: I mean, you're gonna have a rest advantage against Jeeves.

518
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:13,080
Speaker 2: If you win tonight and then you split against Kansas City,

519
00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:13,400
Speaker 2: you are.

520
00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:15,000
Speaker 4: In You're gonna win the great shape. You'll probably win,

521
00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:16,040
Speaker 4: You'll probably win the division.

522
00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,080
Speaker 2: And man, that is just to be impressive. I think

523
00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:21,560
Speaker 2: a lot of us thought the Broncos could be good

524
00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:23,000
Speaker 2: this year. I'm pretty sure you and I both picked

525
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:23,760
Speaker 2: them to go to the playoffs.

526
00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:26,240
Speaker 4: People go to the playoffs. But they're exceeding my expectations.

527
00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,400
Speaker 2: To win that division would would would be a big

528
00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:31,399
Speaker 2: deal for them, and hosting a playoff game there in

529
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,280
Speaker 2: that environment, in that that mile high atmosphere, brutal place

530
00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,440
Speaker 2: to go to, it would wouldn't be It would be

531
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,520
Speaker 2: so weird this year if if the Chiefs and the

532
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,280
Speaker 2: Bills both ended up as wild cards? What if the Ravens?

533
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,200
Speaker 2: What if the Ravens, Bills and Chiefs the three proverbial

534
00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,400
Speaker 2: AFC favorites coming into this year are the three wild card.

535
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:53,640
Speaker 4: We were actually sort of joking about that indirectly last

536
00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:58,440
Speaker 4: night with Tim and Tom, because like Steelers win division,

537
00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:03,200
Speaker 4: here's your Kansas kid of yours. That's awesome, right, yeah,

538
00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:05,200
Speaker 4: and that could happen. I could certainly, Hey, you'd love

539
00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,000
Speaker 4: to host a playoff game, but I don't really want

540
00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:10,120
Speaker 4: the Josh Allen or mahomes with some strong or Lamar

541
00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:12,160
Speaker 4: super hot. You know that's happened to.

542
00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:14,240
Speaker 2: I think I'd rather go to New England for a

543
00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:17,240
Speaker 2: round game than host the Bills or the Chiefs.

544
00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:20,280
Speaker 4: I want the Jags coming something like that, right, everybody

545
00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:20,600
Speaker 4: like that?

546
00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,840
Speaker 2: Come on, man, But yes, certainly I want to keep

547
00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,560
Speaker 2: an eye on tonight on Thursday Night. Can the Raiders

548
00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:28,760
Speaker 2: continue to show any sign of life? Cause the Broncos

549
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,520
Speaker 2: really put the AFC West in a in a stranglehold

550
00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:35,560
Speaker 2: here as we get into November. All of that on

551
00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,800
Speaker 2: the table this evening. We'll close things down with a

552
00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,719
Speaker 2: couple of your tweets on the other side, some final thoughts.

553
00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:43,120
Speaker 2: All of that and more. Wesh Euler, Matt Williamson. It

554
00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,480
Speaker 2: is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers

555
00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:46,240
Speaker 2: Audio Network.

556
00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,640
Speaker 1: You were tuned about Drive on your twenty four to

557
00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:09,600
Speaker 1: seven home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

558
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:22,480
Speaker 3: M M m M.

559
00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:37,440
Speaker 2: Final segment here on a Thursday of the drive and

560
00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,480
Speaker 2: Matt we have the Steeler's latest practice report, good to

561
00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,120
Speaker 2: go through before we get to some tweets to get

562
00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:47,360
Speaker 2: on up out of here. Here's what we've got for Thursday,

563
00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,840
Speaker 2: November the sixth. Scottie Miller still has not practiced with

564
00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:53,440
Speaker 2: that broken finger. I assume he'll be an act I

565
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:54,760
Speaker 2: got to think that means that he's going to be

566
00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,880
Speaker 2: an active again. Will Howard has been all of our

567
00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:01,720
Speaker 2: listeners favorite player. Will Howard has been a full participant

568
00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:03,320
Speaker 2: again yesterday and today.

569
00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,240
Speaker 4: His windows getting close to close.

570
00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:07,000
Speaker 2: It's getting closed to close, and I think he's got

571
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:08,720
Speaker 2: a few more days here, so that's certainly something to

572
00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:12,040
Speaker 2: keep an eye on. Chuck Clark back, like I mentioned

573
00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:14,160
Speaker 2: this earlier, but back from that illness, been a full

574
00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:15,160
Speaker 2: practice participant.

575
00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:15,600
Speaker 4: Good.

576
00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:21,080
Speaker 2: Corey Trice Junior has not practiced yet. The hamstring and knee.

577
00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:25,320
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's he came back and he played one practice.

578
00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:29,360
Speaker 2: I'm I'm discouraged. I'm starting to I'm starting to think

579
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,120
Speaker 2: this might be the end of the line. As unfortunate

580
00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:32,800
Speaker 2: as that would, because they're getting close with his twenty

581
00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:33,960
Speaker 2: one day window as well too.

582
00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:35,240
Speaker 4: I mean, it could be the end the line. For

583
00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:37,360
Speaker 4: this season at a minimum. Yeah, I mean, if he

584
00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:39,720
Speaker 4: can't get it.

585
00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,320
Speaker 2: It's just a shame. It really is not good news

586
00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:44,880
Speaker 2: on the Jabrill Peppers front. He did not practice again

587
00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:47,600
Speaker 2: today with that quad injury, so he has not practiced yet.

588
00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,440
Speaker 4: This wark being healthy. Probably not.

589
00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:54,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, Cole Holcomb still has not practiced this week with

590
00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:55,280
Speaker 2: that illness.

591
00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,240
Speaker 4: What illness has never lasted that long?

592
00:31:58,400 --> 00:31:59,880
Speaker 2: I know he must be dealing with.

593
00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:02,240
Speaker 4: Yeah, okay, keep him away from everybody.

594
00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:05,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, seriously. Alex high Smith with the ankle, he was

595
00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,800
Speaker 2: limited in practice today. I'm sure that was probably you know,

596
00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:10,800
Speaker 2: he didn't practice with like a vet's day today limited.

597
00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:11,920
Speaker 2: I'm sure that's all planned.

598
00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,600
Speaker 4: I'd say Wednesday Thursday. I really don't even care about

599
00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:17,160
Speaker 4: Smalu in high Smith veterans.

600
00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:19,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, Sayamalu has not practiced yet this.

601
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,160
Speaker 4: I'm sure they're going to take it very conservatively with

602
00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,120
Speaker 4: both those guys. I'm sure the high Smith limited was

603
00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:26,320
Speaker 4: not doing much correct.

604
00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:29,600
Speaker 2: I would think that that was the case. Darnel Washington

605
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,080
Speaker 2: didn't practice Wednesday with a foot, good news. He was

606
00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:34,680
Speaker 2: a full participant in today's practice. Love to see that.

607
00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:38,640
Speaker 2: John new Smith also a full participant in today's practice

608
00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:43,520
Speaker 2: after getting a day off yesterday. Uh Cam Hayward got

609
00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:47,560
Speaker 2: a arresting, arresting day today, but then not great news

610
00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,400
Speaker 2: with Connor Hayward who popped up with a knee injury

611
00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:52,000
Speaker 2: today and did not practice.

612
00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:54,920
Speaker 4: Okay, Well, sounds like Smith and Washington are good to

613
00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:58,080
Speaker 4: go to tight end position. Good news, no injury issue.

614
00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,520
Speaker 4: But the Connor one, they're sorting through some special team

615
00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,440
Speaker 4: stuff and he is one of the core guys. You know,

616
00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:08,760
Speaker 4: the killer brew injury has a ripple effect on their

617
00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:13,080
Speaker 4: special teams participation, you know, all that stuff. And Danny

618
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,120
Speaker 4: Smith of course will handle what he's done it for years.

619
00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,320
Speaker 4: But if you take another one of his core guys

620
00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:19,920
Speaker 4: away just for one day, it's hard to put those

621
00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:22,920
Speaker 4: puzzle pieces together. You know. They said they activated those

622
00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:26,240
Speaker 4: two running backs off the practice squad just for special

623
00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:27,400
Speaker 4: teams reasons, right.

624
00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:31,280
Speaker 2: You know, right, Yeah, So that's certainly something to keep

625
00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:32,160
Speaker 2: an eye on here.

626
00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:35,400
Speaker 4: You have a special team's advantage against Chargers, but you

627
00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:36,760
Speaker 4: need your best guys out there.

628
00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:38,320
Speaker 2: Right, And they've already had to do some shuffling. We

629
00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:40,440
Speaker 2: talked about how they had to move Ben's Chronik into

630
00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,480
Speaker 2: the personal protector role. Bump Brandon eckles out. Yeah, just

631
00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:44,760
Speaker 2: becomes one of those you don't want to be. You

632
00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:46,280
Speaker 2: don't have too many moving parts.

633
00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:48,320
Speaker 4: No one thinks about that on special teams. But like,

634
00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:52,120
Speaker 4: if you lose your starting left guard and tight end

635
00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:55,000
Speaker 4: and you're gonna ask a receiver to play tight end

636
00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,840
Speaker 4: and receive, you know, like, it's not apples to apples.

637
00:33:57,920 --> 00:33:59,760
Speaker 2: No, it's not. And as you and I talked about,

638
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:02,880
Speaker 2: We've talked about this many times, you only have so

639
00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:05,200
Speaker 2: much time during the course of the week, right, like

640
00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:07,680
Speaker 2: you're getting ready for Herbert and for the Chargers and

641
00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:10,319
Speaker 2: for Derwin James and for like, you don't have all

642
00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:12,840
Speaker 2: this time to figure out how exactly you're going to

643
00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:14,480
Speaker 2: deploy your special teams in practice.

644
00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:16,359
Speaker 4: No, they're getting ready for the Chargers. There's not that

645
00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,600
Speaker 4: many sessions too, your periods during the course of the

646
00:34:19,640 --> 00:34:22,960
Speaker 4: week dedicated special teams, you know, the one big meeting

647
00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:24,200
Speaker 4: a day probably too.

648
00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:27,920
Speaker 2: Yes, So certainly, certainly something to keep an eye on there.

649
00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,359
Speaker 2: We will continue you to monitor that. Obviously, we'll have

650
00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:36,880
Speaker 2: tomorrow's Friday report and everything that's going on there. But Matt,

651
00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:39,160
Speaker 2: that is kind of all the latest in the moving

652
00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:41,719
Speaker 2: and shaken for today. So what do you say We

653
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,120
Speaker 2: get to some tweets here, all right, Joe tweets us

654
00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:48,160
Speaker 2: and says that the Steelers only had fifty two on

655
00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:51,319
Speaker 2: the roster and so now even with the release of

656
00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,680
Speaker 2: Demarvin Leal, they still have one more room. Wondering if

657
00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:58,160
Speaker 2: that's maybe for MVS, for Marquez Valdez scantling to get

658
00:34:58,160 --> 00:34:59,440
Speaker 2: bumped up from the practice squad.

659
00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,160
Speaker 4: Good for him for paying attention. I don't monitor that

660
00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:03,000
Speaker 4: stuff down to the.

661
00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:05,400
Speaker 2: That is not our that's where we miss dale. Yeah,

662
00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,560
Speaker 2: and the real kind of boots on the ground journalism

663
00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:08,319
Speaker 2: people here.

664
00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:13,440
Speaker 4: That's a good thought on MVS, especially if Miller's probably

665
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,319
Speaker 4: not gonna play. But I immediately when he said that,

666
00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:19,480
Speaker 4: I thought, is that a spot for Will Howard? Ooh?

667
00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:23,040
Speaker 4: I mean they love keeping three quarterbacks. I bet they

668
00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:26,000
Speaker 4: don't sleep well at night when there's only two. I

669
00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:27,200
Speaker 4: bet that's Will Howard.

670
00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:28,040
Speaker 2: That's a great call.

671
00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,440
Speaker 4: Yeah, because that is closing soon, he's healthy. They want

672
00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,360
Speaker 4: that third guy involved. I'm thinking that's Howard.

673
00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:36,440
Speaker 2: We will That's another thing that we'll keep an eye

674
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:36,680
Speaker 2: on here.

675
00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:39,160
Speaker 4: And if he tells that immediately, correct, he's just gonna

676
00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,160
Speaker 4: practice either way, and yeah, yeah, yeah.

677
00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:42,560
Speaker 2: But that might be might be something to keep an

678
00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:46,600
Speaker 2: eye on coming down the pipeline here before too much longer. Uh,

679
00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:53,960
Speaker 2: let's see here. Steel Curtin tweets us and actually says

680
00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:57,319
Speaker 2: say similar kind of thing about leaving Will Howard within

681
00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,440
Speaker 2: his twenty one day window and leaving room within the roster.

682
00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:05,640
Speaker 2: He said, maybe it was because their injuries in the secondary.

683
00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:07,400
Speaker 4: Now safety shuffling.

684
00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:09,759
Speaker 2: It was a lot of safety shuffling as well too,

685
00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:11,839
Speaker 2: So you guys are on it that all that all

686
00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:13,759
Speaker 2: makes makes a lot of sense to me at this

687
00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:18,680
Speaker 2: at this standpoint, it certainly does, certainly does. Let's see here, man,

688
00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:20,840
Speaker 2: I'm gonna find a find a few more of these

689
00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:22,319
Speaker 2: that I had bookmarked.

690
00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:22,640
Speaker 4: Here.

691
00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:29,000
Speaker 2: Let's see, Jeff, here's the one that I wanted to

692
00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:33,200
Speaker 2: get to from. Jeff says that he he said, he's laughed.

693
00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,520
Speaker 2: How not too many people are really talking a ton

694
00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:37,560
Speaker 2: about the offensive line lately. You guys did a little

695
00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:39,319
Speaker 2: bit this week, But I think that's a good thing

696
00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:41,640
Speaker 2: when you're not talking too much about the offensive line.

697
00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:44,200
Speaker 2: How much do you think that or where do you

698
00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:46,440
Speaker 2: think the unit is now compared to where they were

699
00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:48,960
Speaker 2: in the first couple weeks of the season. In my opinion,

700
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:50,960
Speaker 2: they seem to be much better in the run game,

701
00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:53,399
Speaker 2: improving in past pro but still need some.

702
00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:56,840
Speaker 4: Work thousand percent. They still need to work in period,

703
00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:02,720
Speaker 4: but really trending the right direction. I still haven't read

704
00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:06,000
Speaker 4: the Brandon Thorn thing top to bottom. I probably will tonight,

705
00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:07,600
Speaker 4: like at halftime or whatever. It's like it's going to

706
00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,400
Speaker 4: take long. But I thought nine might be a little

707
00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:12,920
Speaker 4: high just the initial sniff test. But I want to

708
00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,799
Speaker 4: just check out the other lines around them. But I

709
00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:17,440
Speaker 4: don't think it's crazy to say that they're definitely in

710
00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:20,239
Speaker 4: the top half of the league. I mean, because the

711
00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:22,200
Speaker 4: one thing I'm going to hold against the Steelers line

712
00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:24,720
Speaker 4: it thought their fault. I mean, this is scheme wise.

713
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:26,839
Speaker 4: They're not asked to protect.

714
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:28,200
Speaker 2: Long, yes, you know what I mean.

715
00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:31,560
Speaker 4: Compared to most lines, they are not asked to protect long.

716
00:37:31,640 --> 00:37:35,680
Speaker 4: Now Rogers is like the least pressured quarterback in the league.

717
00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:37,680
Speaker 4: As a result, you know, I mean, that's the plan

718
00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:40,640
Speaker 4: here too. You're also getting your desired results. It'd be

719
00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:43,200
Speaker 4: different if it was like time to throw is super

720
00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:45,960
Speaker 4: low and he's getting blasted, you know.

721
00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:49,080
Speaker 2: Right, you know, different story, right, different?

722
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:51,239
Speaker 4: So they're doing their job, but they're not asked. Their

723
00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:55,160
Speaker 4: job in protection isn't as difficult as most.

724
00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:57,239
Speaker 2: And hey, do what you're asked to do, and maybe

725
00:37:57,239 --> 00:37:58,759
Speaker 2: they'll continue to build upon that.

726
00:37:58,800 --> 00:37:59,759
Speaker 4: And I think that's what they're doing.

727
00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:00,960
Speaker 2: I think we've seen a little bit.

728
00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:02,160
Speaker 4: And they're definitely doing that in the run game.

729
00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,600
Speaker 2: Yes, Matt tweets us this is an interesting one with

730
00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:10,280
Speaker 2: the way teams are stacking receivers and doing the pick,

731
00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:14,840
Speaker 2: the legal pick, and how tight the ref's police defensive backs.

732
00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:17,960
Speaker 2: Is pressman coverage going the way of the Dodo bird.

733
00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:22,680
Speaker 4: No, but it's harder and harder to find capable pressman corners.

734
00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:27,960
Speaker 4: It was so long ago, but one of the first

735
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,880
Speaker 4: things drilled into my head as a scout for the

736
00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:34,879
Speaker 4: Browns and it was from the receiver coach. So when

737
00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:37,399
Speaker 4: I got hired, like the first two days on the job,

738
00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:41,240
Speaker 4: you basically go spend like two hours with each position coach,

739
00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:44,520
Speaker 4: you know, and me and another new hire we're in there,

740
00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:47,400
Speaker 4: and then you know, what are you looking for specifically

741
00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:51,000
Speaker 4: for this team at this position? What are your You know,

742
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:54,760
Speaker 4: I can't have short arm tackles, some teams can whatever,

743
00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:57,359
Speaker 4: you know, I mean, like these are our parameters, all right, cool,

744
00:38:57,600 --> 00:39:00,680
Speaker 4: So it's a very useful exercise before this he's and starts,

745
00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:04,960
Speaker 4: you know, I mean during the down times and immediately

746
00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:09,279
Speaker 4: the receiver coach, the defensive back coach said, when you

747
00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:12,760
Speaker 4: go into a college, you watch every human possible snap

748
00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:14,799
Speaker 4: of pressman coverage because you're not going to see much

749
00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:18,760
Speaker 4: of it, and we need you might get thirty reps

750
00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:22,359
Speaker 4: of it. Yeah, of all wvu's season, you know, like

751
00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:23,480
Speaker 4: it's it's hard to find.

752
00:39:23,719 --> 00:39:25,799
Speaker 2: Beanie Bishop's a good example in that re guard. Like

753
00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:28,839
Speaker 2: he was a consensus All American his last year at WVU,

754
00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:31,120
Speaker 2: didn't get drafted, and so I had a lot of

755
00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:33,360
Speaker 2: WV people that were like surprised he wasn't taken in

756
00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:36,200
Speaker 2: the six or seventh round. You know, somebody no special

757
00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:39,759
Speaker 2: teams and I mean he might have had a right

758
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:42,959
Speaker 2: he might have had a dozen. He had a bunch

759
00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:45,600
Speaker 2: of He had a handful of interceptions, and like was

760
00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:48,320
Speaker 2: second in the nation and pbu's his last year at WU.

761
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:50,279
Speaker 2: That's because they had him. They had him back off

762
00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:51,520
Speaker 2: the line of scrimmage.

763
00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:53,359
Speaker 4: Ball hawking, like he had break it on the ball.

764
00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:56,440
Speaker 2: He had a handful of pressman coverage snaps and that

765
00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:58,080
Speaker 2: was it and no special teams.

766
00:39:58,120 --> 00:39:59,440
Speaker 4: And you'll hate here in this, but I think you

767
00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:01,600
Speaker 4: already know it total.

768
00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:03,920
Speaker 2: I mean, that's why they get so many dbs drafted

769
00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:04,400
Speaker 2: and they.

770
00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:07,400
Speaker 4: Last, you know, fifth round corner from Pitts. Nordoozy had

771
00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:08,279
Speaker 4: them playing press man.

772
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:09,680
Speaker 2: Fonte maddis exactly.

773
00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:13,080
Speaker 4: They aren't super talented, but it goes a long way,

774
00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:14,120
Speaker 4: you know, like think you stick.

775
00:40:14,239 --> 00:40:17,000
Speaker 2: Not a lot of college programs do that. Still, no, right, right, right,

776
00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:20,080
Speaker 2: it's a big deal. You're absolutely right. Uh, here's a

777
00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:22,759
Speaker 2: funny one from AJ He said, I thought about this

778
00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:25,360
Speaker 2: with the Colts game earlier. What was the more surprising

779
00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:28,400
Speaker 2: victory over Indianapolis the divisional round of the playoffs in

780
00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:32,480
Speaker 2: two thousand and five or this past win on Sunday.

781
00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:33,920
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go with this past win.

782
00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:36,719
Speaker 4: On Sunday, probably, yeah, because I know the Colts.

783
00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:37,919
Speaker 2: Were the super Bowl favorite that year.

784
00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:39,560
Speaker 4: But the Steers are a really good team.

785
00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:42,360
Speaker 2: But it was still the playoffs. It was the divisional round,

786
00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:44,480
Speaker 2: so the Steelers had already won a playoff game. They

787
00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:46,960
Speaker 2: were fifteen and one and in the AFC Championship game

788
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,560
Speaker 2: the year before. I felt pretty good about the Steelers

789
00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:51,680
Speaker 2: go to that pretty.

790
00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:55,200
Speaker 4: Really good defense. So yeah, I'm gonna go with this

791
00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:55,600
Speaker 4: past win.

792
00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:58,239
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go with this past one too. I was surprised.

793
00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,239
Speaker 2: I thought I was kind of flabber We both picked

794
00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:03,200
Speaker 2: the Steelers to lose. That's the first time that's happened

795
00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:06,480
Speaker 2: this year. But I tell you what, that man, that

796
00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:09,680
Speaker 2: two thousand and five Colts Divisional Round win is just

797
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:13,520
Speaker 2: time capsule stuff. That was such a crazy game, such

798
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:17,839
Speaker 2: a crazy game. Let's see here, Cody, another question about

799
00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:22,080
Speaker 2: that cot Colts game. Cody says, you know, it's easier

800
00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:24,520
Speaker 2: to talk about these things in hindsight, but the Steelers

801
00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:30,880
Speaker 2: going for it on that fourth down and getting zero points,

802
00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:32,320
Speaker 2: is that's still the correct decision?

803
00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:33,640
Speaker 4: I thought so.

804
00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:34,160
Speaker 2: I think so.

805
00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:37,400
Speaker 4: I mean, you can't judge those things on Monday or

806
00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:40,440
Speaker 4: in this case, Thursday. You got it. You know, we

807
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:43,760
Speaker 4: don't have the head coach, the whole team, US don't

808
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,560
Speaker 4: have the benefit of knowing how it's going to turn

809
00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:48,840
Speaker 4: out and all those things. But I think it was

810
00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:51,120
Speaker 4: definitely the right call because at that stage of the game,

811
00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:53,640
Speaker 4: you're thinking, this is gonna be a high scoring event. I

812
00:41:53,920 --> 00:41:56,280
Speaker 4: got it. It's gotta be touchdowns off field goals.

813
00:41:56,360 --> 00:42:00,520
Speaker 2: You know, they just went thirteen plays and scored touchdown

814
00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:03,480
Speaker 2: on their first drive. Like we right right, We're gonna

815
00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:03,719
Speaker 2: win this.

816
00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:05,920
Speaker 4: Up today, you know.

817
00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:08,879
Speaker 2: Yeah, despite turning the ball over on offense, they still

818
00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:09,880
Speaker 2: put up twenty points.

819
00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:14,120
Speaker 4: It's still great offense, right Yeah. The receivers have big days, you.

820
00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:17,319
Speaker 2: Know, totally totally good stuff on the tweets today, Guys

821
00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:20,040
Speaker 2: got some good ones. Appreciate that from everybody out there

822
00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:22,799
Speaker 2: on the ex Twitter. Thank you for chiming in. We

823
00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,640
Speaker 2: always appreciate it. A big thank you to Bob Labriola

824
00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:27,560
Speaker 2: for joining us a little bit later than usual, but

825
00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:30,239
Speaker 2: it still worked out swimmingly. Thanks thanks to Labs for

826
00:42:30,320 --> 00:42:33,320
Speaker 2: joining us, and thanks as always to our video producer

827
00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:36,120
Speaker 2: mister tv Tyler V for making us look handsome on

828
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:39,120
Speaker 2: the YouTube and for young Nathan hanging out here and

829
00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:41,760
Speaker 2: learning the ropes in the studio with us as well.

830
00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:45,160
Speaker 2: For Matt Williinson I'm wes Huler. Big show tomorrow as

831
00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:48,759
Speaker 2: we deep dive into Steelers Chargers five Star Friday, our

832
00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:52,479
Speaker 2: NFL picks all that good stuff your Friday fixings when

833
00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:55,600
Speaker 2: we return tomorrow, Take care everybody, and we will talk

834
00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:57,759
Speaker 2: to you tomorrow. As always, you know where to find us.

835
00:42:57,960 --> 00:42:59,360
Speaker 2: It's on your twenty four to seven home of the

836
00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:02,520
Speaker 2: Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio

837
00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:03,000
Speaker 2: Network