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Speaker 1: This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson

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Speaker 1: on your twenty four to seven home of the Black

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Speaker 1: and Gold car Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to the Drive. I'm Dale Lowly.

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Speaker 3: Here with me Matt Williams, and this is well Steelers

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Speaker 3: Nation Radio and Fox Sports Pittsburgh. We are live at

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Speaker 3: Steelers training camp here at Saint Vincent College of Steelers

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Speaker 3: back on the field today after losing their preseason opener

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Speaker 3: twenty to twelve to the Houston Texans on Friday night.

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Speaker 3: Looks like an unpadded practice today, Matt. But yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 3: Russell Wilson out there working with the ones.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's promising for sure. We kind of thought that

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Speaker 2: would be the case. That's good to see. We have

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Speaker 2: a lot of game to talk about. I mean, this

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Speaker 2: practice will probably be light. I mean, what do you

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Speaker 2: think the schedule be this week? The more I think

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Speaker 2: about it, like, so, the light unpaded one today, come

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Speaker 2: back probably in pads tomorrow, I would think. Yeah, Thursday

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Speaker 2: is going to be very padded because they're off Tuesday. Yeah, okay,

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Speaker 2: so and then Wednesday probably a light one, and then

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Speaker 2: Thursday is the joint one and then back to the

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Speaker 2: game right, and then we get into like regular season

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Speaker 2: mode from there pretty.

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Speaker 3: Much pretty much. Yeah, Wednesday, they will pack up and

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Speaker 3: leave Saint Vincent College here in the beautiful light.

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Speaker 2: Trope, so we won't be on there Wednesday, No, we are,

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Speaker 2: we are Wednesday, yeah, okay, okay.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's practice that day.

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Speaker 2: That day.

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Speaker 3: Okay, that's our last practice of actual training camp out here.

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Speaker 2: Gotcha, Okay, cool, So that's what we're looking at.

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Speaker 3: But it's a beautiful days crowd here today. It's packed.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I'm not sure if people didn't realize that

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Speaker 2: this is the latest start time of the year other

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Speaker 2: than Friday Lights. But I was walking around at lunchtime

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Speaker 2: and there was probably two thousand people here waiting. I

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Speaker 2: mean that was two or three hours before they were

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Speaker 2: even taking the field. So like the enthusiasm, a lot

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Speaker 2: of enthusiasm in the stadium. I've gotten tons of tweets

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Speaker 2: and responses and stuff about, you know, teams, people being

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Speaker 2: excited about this team. I know they lost, and we

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Speaker 2: can talk about things in the game, and there was

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Speaker 2: some problems for sure, but I took a lot more

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Speaker 2: good out of the game than bad. I mean, especially

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Speaker 2: after second watching. I mean you've a different world than

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Speaker 2: I do. I haven't been to a Steeler game in

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Speaker 2: a couple of years, so I was watching it live

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Speaker 2: from the stadium, and like, man, they're struggling and keep

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Speaker 2: shooting themselves in the foot. Then I went home and

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Speaker 2: watched it, and then I watched you All twenty two.

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Speaker 2: It was like, they're doing a lot of good stuff here.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I was impressed.

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Speaker 3: Well, let's get into that that What were What were

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Speaker 3: you most impressed by.

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Speaker 2: Arthur Smith is probably one way of putting it. I mean,

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Speaker 2: just you see the shifts and motions and things of

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Speaker 2: that nature, but there aren't any real indicators. They run

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Speaker 2: a variety of different run plays from the same looks,

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Speaker 2: the same personnel, the same shifts, the same motions. You know,

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Speaker 2: he's schemed up a lot of chunk plays. And I

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Speaker 2: don't put I mean a preseason game, I don't put

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Speaker 2: much in the way of stats, especially for the whole game.

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Speaker 2: But the Steelers, I mean, on a per play basis,

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Speaker 2: blew the doors off the Texans. On a per drive basis,

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Speaker 2: they blew the doors off the Texan Texans, and they

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Speaker 2: inevitably shot themselves in the foot too often. But I

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Speaker 2: thought he schemed up a lot of routes where we've

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Speaker 2: seen a lot of static routes with guys coming back

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Speaker 2: to the ball, you know, And this was a lot

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Speaker 2: of scheme things open crossers and chunks and after the catch.

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Speaker 2: And I mean it was a beautiful rub route in

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Speaker 2: the end zone that they didn't complete, you know, I

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Speaker 2: mean wide open. And we've been talking about that for

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Speaker 2: a couple of weeks now, especially down in the red zone.

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Speaker 2: I'm seeing guys getting schemed open where it's an easy

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Speaker 2: pitch and catch. They didn't make it that time. Allen

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Speaker 2: to Austin, but Wilson to Pickens is gonna do it.

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Speaker 2: I mean, like that's gonna convert more often than not.

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Speaker 2: And I also thought Frasier was really good too. I mean,

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Speaker 2: I don't know who to blame for the two snaps.

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Speaker 2: I do.

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Speaker 3: That's on the quarterback. Okay, Okay, people are gonna blame

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Speaker 3: the center on that. That's on the quarterback. The center

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Speaker 3: puts the ball back there. It's the quarterback's job to

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Speaker 3: take the football.

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Speaker 2: Okay. I didn't study the snaps or if they were bad,

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Speaker 2: if they were not bad, they screwed him up. But

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Speaker 2: that's not why I'm even implying that Fraser should get

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Speaker 2: even more looks at the one. I thought he played

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Speaker 2: a really, really good game, and it kind of reminded

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Speaker 2: me of last year. If you remember, Roderick Jones from

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Speaker 2: what I recall, led the team in preseason snaps, first

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Speaker 2: round pick that they were super high on. Well, Peyton

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Speaker 2: Wilson and Fraser and you know, guys that they're super

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Speaker 2: high on from his draft class played a ton and

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Speaker 2: I thought they played really well in their first action.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, there's their first round draft pick. Was in there

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Speaker 3: early at right tackle, gave up one sack. The second

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Speaker 3: sack was kind of you know.

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Speaker 2: Yeah much, it's kind of a collaborative effort. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: And then and then, uh, you know, suffered a what

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Speaker 3: what's being called a spring m CL. We'll see how

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Speaker 3: long that keeps him out, but certainly that's not promising

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Speaker 3: for him. You know, they're already missing Roman Wilson. I

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Speaker 3: don't I don't see him back out there yet today,

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Speaker 3: but I would think by maybe next week we can

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Speaker 3: get to see Roman Wilson back out there there. One

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Speaker 3: of their third round picks. He's dealing with that sprained ankle.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, I'm with you, Matt, and I thought the

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Speaker 3: defensive line, which was playing without Cam Hayward, I thought

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Speaker 3: they controlled the line of scrimmage. Houston really had a

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Speaker 3: difficult time running the ball traditionally.

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Speaker 2: And now I think it's important to know who Houston played,

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Speaker 2: you know, like I mean.

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Speaker 3: Let's remember too, the Steelers didn't They had seven starters

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Speaker 3: on defense did not start that game.

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Speaker 2: The key guys that were out as well. I was

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Speaker 2: shocked Houston put Stroud in the game behind the line

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Speaker 2: that they did. But they also I thought were great

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Speaker 2: at the running back, backup, quarterback, wide receiver positions too,

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Speaker 2: you know, so in some ways they were not a

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Speaker 2: super difficult test. They're lying in my opinion. But to

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Speaker 2: your point, I thought the Steelers d line had a day,

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Speaker 2: and we're batting down passes and making plays and chasing

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Speaker 2: the balltrating, penetrating and really blowing things up before they

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Speaker 2: ever got started, exactly what you want to see. But

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Speaker 2: I thought Steelers secondary had a tougher time against their

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Speaker 2: pass catchers, which was the strength of their what they

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Speaker 2: were putting out there too. So there were a lot

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Speaker 2: of standout performances, you know, going back to the offense

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Speaker 2: real quick. A lot of chunk plays, you know, a

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Speaker 2: lot of ten, fifteen, twenty yard gains, that type of thing.

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Speaker 2: I thought Darnell Washington was killing people as a blocker,

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Speaker 2: thought Prue it had a really good game blocking as well.

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Speaker 2: And it is unfortunate about futan Ortanho, but I was

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Speaker 2: hoping that that line would start to take shape with

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Speaker 2: you know, Jones on the left full time and him

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Speaker 2: on the right. I guess we're off the wait and

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Speaker 2: see where that lands, but I am open to see

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Speaker 2: more frasier.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, when we saw Matt two short passes caught by

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Speaker 3: George Pickens that he turned into longer games.

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Speaker 2: That's interesting you said that because I thought I haven't

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Speaker 2: said in the postgame show. Mike pursued and I did

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Speaker 2: the postgame show, and I said something about, let's say

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Speaker 2: Pickens plays sixty minutes against you know, in that same regard,

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Speaker 2: it's a pretty good stat line, you know what I mean.

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Speaker 2: I mean, if he's gonna be used to that capacity

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Speaker 2: or even nausea or you know, I mean, like they

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Speaker 2: would have really put up big games.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, so there was a lot to like there,

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Speaker 3: and I thought that you know, the Steelers ran the

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Speaker 3: ball reasonably effectively out of there with their running backs,

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Speaker 3: didn't you know matter first drive not so much. But

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Speaker 3: then after that, after that opening possession, it was you know,

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Speaker 3: six yards here, five yards there, nine yards there that

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Speaker 3: they were running the ball for.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: And so you know, I do think that there are

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Speaker 3: more positives than negatives that come out of the game.

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Speaker 3: But the negatives were such.

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Speaker 2: That's going to kill the score. Yeah. Yeah, I mean again,

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Speaker 2: it depends what you're so real quick on. Let's spend

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Speaker 2: some time in the negative. So I thought the punt

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Speaker 2: returning was terrible, to be flat out on it.

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Speaker 3: Well, let's be honest. You know, Ques Watkins will not

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Speaker 3: They were taking a look at him there to see

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Speaker 3: if he could do it in a stadium.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and didn't pass the test.

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Speaker 3: Did not know.

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Speaker 2: And I said the same thing. I'm like, Okay, that's terrible,

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Speaker 2: but he's not your punt return I mean, if they

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Speaker 2: asked me to do it wouldn't be good either, you know.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I'm sure things like center quarterback exchanges are

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Speaker 2: going to get better, you know, I mean, like, to me,

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Speaker 2: the problems to shoot yourself and the foot stuff is

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Speaker 2: very correctable. That would be better. I'd rather see that

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Speaker 2: than couldn't block anybody, couldn't tackle anybody, he couldn't scheme

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Speaker 2: anything up, et cetera. You know, so some of that

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Speaker 2: is just third spring quarterbacks throwing the smaller receivers and

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Speaker 2: missing them, or you know, a punt returner that shouldn't

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Speaker 2: be out there, and things like that. I mean, I'm

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Speaker 2: not worried about center quarterback exchanges and things like that.

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Speaker 3: One thing I am a little concerned about, Matt is

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Speaker 3: the gunner position.

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Speaker 2: Oh yeah, Yeah.

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Speaker 3: If you look at the first two punts the Steelers

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Speaker 3: had in the game, you know they.

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Speaker 2: It wasn't a great special teams night overall, it was not.

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Speaker 3: And you're putting a lot of different guys out there.

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Speaker 3: I get that, but one of the you know, I

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Speaker 3: would assume, you know, Beanie Beanie Bishop and and uh

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Speaker 3: Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick where the initial gunners. It's you know, starting gunners.

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Speaker 3: The Steelers punt on their first after their first possession,

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Speaker 3: to get a nine or a thirty nine yard punt

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Speaker 3: by Cameron Johnston down to the five, Beanie Bishop's the

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Speaker 3: first guy down there and completely whiffs. Yeah, and that

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Speaker 3: turns into a nineteen or an eighteen yard return out

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Speaker 3: to the twenty three. That can't happen.

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Speaker 2: Can't happen, and we stressed that all week. You know,

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Speaker 2: I'm not sure who the gunners are. We see who's

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Speaker 2: running with the first team, but do we trust them.

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Speaker 2: I mean it's not Pierre and Boykin, I mean that's

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Speaker 2: for sure. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: And then does Fitzpatrick on the second one runs out

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Speaker 3: of bound, gets down the field. He's the first guy

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Speaker 3: down that on that one, and allows the return guy,

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Speaker 3: Tank Dell to get around him to his side, and

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Speaker 3: he goes right up the sideline where he should where

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Speaker 3: Alexander should have been. That that was his lane. He

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Speaker 3: got out of it, and that turns into a twenty

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Speaker 3: two yard punt return. Aji tack on an extra five

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Speaker 3: yards because he ran out of bounds on his own.

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Speaker 3: Fitzpatrick can't do those kind of things, and with.

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Speaker 2: Gunners, you saw mental airs and physical errors. That's the problem.

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Speaker 2: Tank Dell did that and he also scored a touchdown.

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Speaker 2: There's no shame and a great receiver beating you in preseason.

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Speaker 3: But it was a communication failure on the.

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Speaker 2: Shirt looks like it, Yeah, it sure looked like it.

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Speaker 2: They were all kind of standing around looking at each other,

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Speaker 2: like who's got who type.

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Speaker 3: Of anytime you get the Spider Man meme where everybody's

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Speaker 3: pointing to each other.

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Speaker 2: There's some poems in the air and things like that.

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Speaker 2: But no, I mean, the gunner position to me, would

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Speaker 2: be very concerning special teams overall. Doesn't concern me though,

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Speaker 2: although it was a tough day.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, no, I'm not. I'm not overly concerned about that yet.

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Speaker 2: They'll get when you're coaching the same fifty three dudes.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, when when they get into the regular season, I

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Speaker 3: would imagine it's going to be Calvin Austin back to

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Speaker 3: returning punts, or Roman Wilson or something, you know, somebody

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Speaker 3: who is much more adept at doing it.

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Speaker 2: And no, no, you know, Shade un plumb Lee, but

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Speaker 2: your backup quarterback is not gonna be your kick returner either,

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Speaker 2: right right, you know. I mean, so then I think

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Speaker 2: they'll firm up who their core special teamers are as well.

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Speaker 2: So that kind of stuff doesn't particularly worry me. But no,

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Speaker 2: I thought there was a lot of good Yeah. Yeah, look,

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Speaker 2: it's always going to kill you in the game, though,

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Speaker 2: I mean, like you're dropping snaps, you're muffing punts, You're

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Speaker 2: you're poor, you're losing on third downs, you're dropping touchdowns.

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Speaker 2: You're not gonna win, you know what I mean. I

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Speaker 2: mean it's really difficult to win. But on a per

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Speaker 2: snap basis, I think the Steelers are the better team. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you could tell Houston had played or they've gotten

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Speaker 3: all that stuff out of the way, kind of nerves

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Speaker 3: or anything like that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, communication stuff on game day, yeah, you know whatever

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Speaker 2: it is.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, yeah, you know, to your point, in that game,

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Speaker 3: the Steelers averaged what was it, seven point three yards

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Speaker 3: per play, Houston was at five point one.

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Speaker 2: Okay, like I think that was yards per pass or

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Speaker 2: that was.

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Speaker 3: Yards per pass. It was six point oh to four

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Speaker 3: point two.

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Speaker 2: I'd say there was two real big discrepancies. Those were

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Speaker 2: two of them, yards per drive really favored the Steelers,

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Speaker 2: and the rest of them were kind of even, you know,

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Speaker 2: number of plays, run time and possession. But those those

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Speaker 2: two were the ones I looked at and said, really

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Speaker 2: that was imbalanced.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, if you typically in an NFL game, if you

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Speaker 3: win the average per play by one point eight yards,

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Speaker 3: you won the game.

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Speaker 2: You're gonna be fourteen to three. Yeah, I like that's

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Speaker 2: hard to do. That's a big, big discrepancy. I mean,

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Speaker 2: think about every time the balls snapped, you gain a

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Speaker 2: yard and a half more than the opponent. That's massive.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. And defensively, if you're giving up just four point

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Speaker 3: two yards per play, you'll take it all the time long.

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Speaker 2: You'll think you'll give that up in the run game

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Speaker 2: four point two, let alone anytime they snapped the ball. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, I'm with you. I didn't think it was awful. No,

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Speaker 3: but some of those overriding things were awful.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, but they're super correctable compared to Boy, it's not

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Speaker 2: good enough. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I mean I heard, you know, the same old cliches.

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Speaker 3: Tomlin didn't have the team ready to play, blah blah,

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Speaker 3: like it's on the preseason, on the post game show,

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Speaker 3: I heard some of it. Yeah, say firing the head

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Speaker 3: coach after preseason.

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Speaker 2: Was that makes a ton of sense.

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Speaker 3: I didn't have them ready to play. Well, it's you

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Speaker 3: did no game planning for that one none, not one thing.

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Speaker 3: So that that's that to me. Was the thing that

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Speaker 3: stood out about the offense was that you weren't game

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Speaker 3: planning and yet you were able to get guys that

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Speaker 3: schemed open.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, you were pushing people around. You were opening

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Speaker 2: big lanes, mostly for running backs that might not be

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Speaker 2: with an NFL team this year, and they were. They

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Speaker 2: ran hard. That group impressed me overall. I'm not taking

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Speaker 2: any away from them, but their depth, dudes, you know,

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Speaker 2: I mean, and your scheming dudes open for what's been

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Speaker 2: a lifetime third string quarterback, you know, I mean, that's

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Speaker 2: what you want to see.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, did you see any separation at the wide resiver

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Speaker 3: receiver position, you know, beyond Jefferson and Pickens?

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Speaker 2: To me, like if we were tiering these guys, Pickens

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Speaker 2: is his own tier. Of course, Jefferson's in his own tier.

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Speaker 2: For me, then I think it's Austin and Miller, and

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Speaker 2: Miller's had a little more buzz up here. But I

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Speaker 2: thought it was a good game for him as well.

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Speaker 2: And you hope Wilson somehow sneaks in there and maybe

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Speaker 2: gets to the Jefferson tier. But I don't think Watkins

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Speaker 2: helped his case. It did not help himself at all.

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Speaker 3: No, No, I you know, I was you know, you

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Speaker 3: were hoping, you know, I guess they were hoping that Fitzpatrick. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: and he caught the ball, fine, but you know, the

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Speaker 3: mistakes on special teams. You can't have like that if

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Speaker 3: you're gonna be the gunner.

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Speaker 2: If he's a demon on teams, yeah, different story, right

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Speaker 2: if you're not. If you're below average on teams, well

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Speaker 2: we'll find somebody else.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so he didn't help, So we'll see if he

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Speaker 3: gets another opportunity to do that. But certainly not not

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Speaker 3: not the start that you wanted to see from from

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Speaker 3: those guys, particularly you know, his punt gunners. You need

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Speaker 3: at least one of those guys to be really good.

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Speaker 2: So thinking through it though, I mean we talked about

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Speaker 2: Pierre and Boykin. I don't recall them missing much time

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Speaker 2: last They missed no time. Yeah, I mean like you

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Speaker 2: had two good ones and now you've got to kind

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Speaker 2: of start from scratch again.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and so we do have.

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Speaker 2: Time to figure that out, and you could probably find

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Speaker 2: someone who has a history that's not on a team

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Speaker 2: right now too. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I'm sure that'll open up and you know, something could

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Speaker 3: happen there, but then you're still on a roster spot

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Speaker 3: from somebody else that yeah, maybe.

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Speaker 2: Be okay at corner receiver or something too. Yeah, I

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Speaker 2: mean you can't just be a gunner. No, it's not

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Speaker 2: a valuable enough position.

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Speaker 3: No, I don't think so either. Otherwise they would have

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Speaker 3: Boyken in particular back yea, yeah, you know, because he

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Speaker 3: was really good at it.

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Speaker 2: He was really good. I don't know if Pierre's even with

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Speaker 2: the team.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so yeah, we'll see what. We'll see how it

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Speaker 3: goes here. But the Steelers they're going through their positional

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Speaker 3: warm ups here right now as we as we go

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Speaker 3: through the show here, we're gonna take a break. He

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Speaker 3: is the Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. You're listening

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Speaker 3: to the Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio and Fox

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Speaker 3: Sports Pittsburgh. We are live from Steelers train camp here

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Speaker 3: at Saint Bencent College. The Steelers undergoing their practice here

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Speaker 3: on this beautiful Sunday here in the late trope. We'll

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Speaker 3: be back with more right after this.

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Speaker 1: This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson

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Speaker 1: on your twenty four to seven home of the Black

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Speaker 1: and Gold.

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Speaker 3: Steelers Nation Radio and Welcome back. I am Dale lay

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Speaker 3: here with the Matt Williamson. We are live at Saint

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Speaker 3: Finsent College where the Steelers are going their practice here today,

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Speaker 3: their first one back on the field after their twenty

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Speaker 3: to twelve preseason loss Friday night against the Houston Texans.

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Speaker 3: They'll be back in action next Saturday against the Buffalo Bills.

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Speaker 3: Of course, hold that joint practice with the Bills on Thursday.

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Speaker 3: That one is not open to the public. So if

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Speaker 3: you want to see the Steelers here, Matt, you've got well,

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Speaker 3: you're running out of time. Got you got tomorrow, you

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Speaker 3: got Wednesday, and then that's it.

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Speaker 2: That's it unless you want to go to the stadium.

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Speaker 2: But if you wanna come join us up here, make

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Speaker 2: it happen quick.

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Speaker 3: Well, they go to the stadium, you're gonna have to

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Speaker 3: pay to get in. I'm talking about free. You would

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Speaker 3: come watching practice. These are your last two opportunities in

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Speaker 3: the next couple of days here, kids.

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Speaker 2: Going back to school and summer's ending quickly. But man,

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Speaker 2: you could do if you could have been here today

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Speaker 2: and you know, enjoyed this weather and just being around

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Speaker 2: the team. Shame on you for missing it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely looks like we're not quite ready yet for

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Speaker 3: seven shots here. The defense is well, not quite heading.

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Speaker 2: Over but on the horizon here though.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think they still do stretch.

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Speaker 2: Oh, I think they do.

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Speaker 3: Ye haven't even gotten that far into it yet. Here

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Speaker 3: they did start a little later today than the normal

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Speaker 3: an hour later, hours later. Yeah, so we just picked

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Speaker 3: things up here when when when the practice started, Matt

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Speaker 3: the uh we saw more nickel, Yes, in the game

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Speaker 3: the other day.

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Speaker 2: Yep.

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Speaker 3: There were some situations where they could have gone to

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Speaker 3: the dime some third and you know, sixteen third and

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Speaker 3: you know, much longer than what you typically see with

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Speaker 3: a lot of nickel, and they stayed in that in

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Speaker 3: the in the nickel defense, they didn't go dime.

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Speaker 2: So I try to sum up a little bit of

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Speaker 2: coaches thought process sometimes in the preseason and why results

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Speaker 2: don't always matter as much as process. So if the

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Speaker 2: Texans were coming to town in Week one and you

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Speaker 2: were scheming up against Diggs, Dell, Nico Strouled that line,

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Speaker 2: Schultz and mixing, you probably would or at least you'd

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Speaker 2: strongly consider, no matter what your personnel was, that when

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Speaker 2: they were an eleven with those receivers, we need a

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Speaker 2: lot of defensive backs on the field, you know, I mean,

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Speaker 2: that's a scary group, whether it's three safeties and three

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Speaker 2: corners or however you devise your dime defense, probably in

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Speaker 2: that manner, but I'm sure even with Hulcombe not available

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Speaker 2: and even with Queen sitting, we want to play as

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Speaker 2: much nickel as possible. I mean, if it doesn't go

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Speaker 2: great and it doesn't give us the best chance to win,

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Speaker 2: that doesn't matter, because it gives us the best chance

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Speaker 2: to win in the regular season, you know. And we've

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Speaker 2: talked this to no end, but I think it's extremely

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Speaker 2: important that they are now set up to not be

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Speaker 2: a team a defense that's at the bottom of the

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Speaker 2: league in nickel percentage used. And in order to be

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Speaker 2: a nickel and be strong there, you really have to

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Speaker 2: have two linebackers you can count on in all phases.

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Speaker 2: I talk about the Bills during the McDermott time had

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Speaker 2: Edmonds in Milano, and they've had really good backbone every

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Speaker 2: down linebackers and they don't even go to base, they

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Speaker 2: don't even go to dime. They just live in nickel

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Speaker 2: no matter what the situation, and it makes it hard

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Speaker 2: to play against you. I mean, it's just like a

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Speaker 2: basketball defense. It does have to substitute. If you put

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Speaker 2: your big guys in or your little guys in, you know,

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Speaker 2: it's on a tell and you'll get too slow or

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Speaker 2: too little. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: So that's that's an interesting little thing that came out

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Speaker 3: of the game. You know, it seems they were intent

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Speaker 3: on at least getting a good long look at that

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Speaker 3: Nickel defense.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think you should. And I think it's

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Speaker 2: going to be a real asset. I mean again, they've

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Speaker 2: always been Nickel should be base. I mean it's because

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Speaker 2: growing up, base was a.

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00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,879
Speaker 3: Four to three or three four with except when you

436
00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,040
Speaker 3: were the Steelers last year was nowhere near their base.

437
00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,760
Speaker 2: Nowhere near their base. But for the league, the defense

438
00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,040
Speaker 2: defense is I'm gonna attack by a flying here. The

439
00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:58,320
Speaker 2: defenses are in five defensive backs in this league more

440
00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:02,000
Speaker 2: than any other defensive per snel grouping. So in reality,

441
00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,000
Speaker 2: that should be NFL based defense. But it just hasn't

442
00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,760
Speaker 2: been for the Steelers. They've been in there three four

443
00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:11,280
Speaker 2: or a dime over the last hand for really, probably

444
00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,880
Speaker 2: since the Shazier injury, but it definitely over the last

445
00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:17,320
Speaker 2: couple of years. And then offensive coordinators can manipulate you

446
00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:19,640
Speaker 2: into one or the other, and that's a tough place

447
00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:20,000
Speaker 2: to live.

448
00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:22,240
Speaker 3: Well, and the other thing about it was that, you know,

449
00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:24,560
Speaker 3: the Steelers just didn't to your point didn't have the

450
00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:29,240
Speaker 3: linebackers capable of covering anybody in those situations many of

451
00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,960
Speaker 3: the times. And you know, for example, yeah, they're playing

452
00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,879
Speaker 3: Robert Splain a couple of years ago in their dime defense.

453
00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:41,000
Speaker 2: Yeah right, he was basically yeah right, So yeah, exactly,

454
00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:43,240
Speaker 2: And in a dime you're offense is gonna have one

455
00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,919
Speaker 2: out there. You know, you're a four man front, a

456
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,080
Speaker 2: single off the ball linebacker and six defensive backs, and

457
00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:51,320
Speaker 2: you can massage it a little bit. I mean, a

458
00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,760
Speaker 2: big safety can do second level stuff and all that.

459
00:21:54,880 --> 00:22:00,399
Speaker 2: But man, I mean, like Willison Bowman Greenlawn Warner mentioned

460
00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:04,640
Speaker 2: those that group for the Bills, teams don't have that anymore.

461
00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:06,840
Speaker 2: I Mean, a big thing I've been saying this whole

462
00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:11,400
Speaker 2: offseason is attacking linebackers. The best offenses in the league

463
00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:15,280
Speaker 2: now don't go bombs away and throw over the top

464
00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:19,800
Speaker 2: and create explosives anymore because defenses are taking that away.

465
00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:23,879
Speaker 2: You're seeing so much zone, so much too high that

466
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,000
Speaker 2: the biggest thing defenses have done lately is not allowing

467
00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,280
Speaker 2: big plays. However, there's a shortage of linebacker which the

468
00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:35,399
Speaker 2: Steelers have really suffered through for half a decade before

469
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,320
Speaker 2: this year that the Shanahan's and mcvay's and all these

470
00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:43,320
Speaker 2: different you know, Miami with crossing routes are attacking linebackers

471
00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:47,200
Speaker 2: and a great way to do that. So, without going

472
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,760
Speaker 2: on too many detail, obviously they improved their nickel package.

473
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:52,720
Speaker 2: That had to have been a priority for them, I mean,

474
00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:57,600
Speaker 2: and the Queen signing screams that. But also Arthur Smith,

475
00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,120
Speaker 2: with all his usage of full back and tight ends,

476
00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:04,440
Speaker 2: is going to ensure that the opponents have a lot

477
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,359
Speaker 2: of linebackers on the field, Like you can't go dime

478
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,199
Speaker 2: against the offenses he puts out there, no, you know,

479
00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:14,199
Speaker 2: and most teams like if you're if the Steelers are

480
00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,800
Speaker 2: playing Arthur Smith a year ago, he would have been

481
00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,440
Speaker 2: attacking your lesser linebackers or the spellings of the world,

482
00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:22,879
Speaker 2: you know what I mean. So I think something that

483
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:25,720
Speaker 2: really happened kind of under the surface for this football

484
00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:28,359
Speaker 2: team on both sides of the ball is a big

485
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,840
Speaker 2: theme in the league of attacking the linebackers has been

486
00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:33,919
Speaker 2: a problem and now it's a strength I think on

487
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:34,840
Speaker 2: both sides of the ball.

488
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, And so you know, to your point, you know,

489
00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:42,280
Speaker 3: we saw the Steelers, you know, they came out in

490
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,280
Speaker 3: eleven personnel and ran the ball. Yeah, they came out

491
00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:48,919
Speaker 3: in thirteen personnel with three tight ends out there at

492
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:52,679
Speaker 3: the goal line and through the football. You know, you

493
00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:54,760
Speaker 3: zig when the other team wants to zag, and so

494
00:23:54,880 --> 00:24:00,760
Speaker 3: you get them in a defense that you want them in. Yeah,

495
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:03,040
Speaker 3: and then you do the opposite yeah.

496
00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,160
Speaker 2: Exactly, or you find matchups that you really like out

497
00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:09,080
Speaker 2: of that. Or again, it's why team script plays is

498
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:11,520
Speaker 2: what are they gonna do against our thirteen? What are

499
00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:13,679
Speaker 2: they gonna do against a fullback? I mean, it probably

500
00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:16,800
Speaker 2: isn't a lot of tape even a month into the

501
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:21,760
Speaker 2: season or whatever of the Steelers' Week four opponents against

502
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:26,359
Speaker 2: twenty two personnel, two backs, two tight ends or thirteen personnel,

503
00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,680
Speaker 2: one back, three tight ends. So how do teams deal

504
00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:32,600
Speaker 2: with that? Well, we'll see, we'll see early in the game.

505
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,639
Speaker 2: And if they're playing something really heavy, well, Friar Move's

506
00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,840
Speaker 2: gonna go run down the scene, or Hayward's gonna split

507
00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,080
Speaker 2: out wide and or vice versa. If they're gonna try

508
00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:45,920
Speaker 2: to match that with Nickel or Dime, well, Darnel Washington's

509
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,880
Speaker 2: gonna block a safety, and that's a problem for them,

510
00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:49,159
Speaker 2: you know.

511
00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:51,639
Speaker 3: Yeah, And to your point, he had a really good

512
00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,480
Speaker 3: day really blocking and that's that's a carryover of what

513
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:56,240
Speaker 3: he's been doing out here at camp. I mean, he

514
00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,800
Speaker 3: just looks so much more healthy this year than what

515
00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:00,680
Speaker 3: he did last year.

516
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,400
Speaker 2: It's so crisp. His pass protection in particular, looks really

517
00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,360
Speaker 2: nimble and moves more like an offensive tackle now as

518
00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:09,720
Speaker 2: opposed to a big guy that gets in the way.

519
00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:11,560
Speaker 2: And he's always kind of been a killer in the

520
00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,520
Speaker 2: run game, but much more so. And it's so great

521
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:16,639
Speaker 2: to see, Like it's got to be rewarding as a coach,

522
00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,800
Speaker 2: as a front office to be like, Okay, we drafted

523
00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,640
Speaker 2: this guy and then in year two we're watching him

524
00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,359
Speaker 2: on on the Latrobe field and boy, he got a

525
00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:27,719
Speaker 2: lot better. He looks like the guy we thought he was.

526
00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:30,160
Speaker 2: And then he takes it to a game against the opponent,

527
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:32,919
Speaker 2: like sometimes they don't take that next like where's the

528
00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,080
Speaker 2: guy we left in La trope? You know what I mean.

529
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,480
Speaker 3: But you know we made note that that you know,

530
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,120
Speaker 3: he hasn't even been wearing a knee brace on that knee.

531
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,120
Speaker 3: He wore that all season long last year. Yeah, Yeah,

532
00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:45,480
Speaker 3: just a sleeve on on the you know, his his

533
00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:47,720
Speaker 3: one leg and that was one of the reasons why

534
00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:49,800
Speaker 3: he slipped in the draft. Well, he's got a you know,

535
00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:52,440
Speaker 3: he's got a knee issue that you know, might might

536
00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,320
Speaker 3: hamper his career. Doesn't look like it now.

537
00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:59,040
Speaker 2: Right, I mean, injuries are always so hard. It's particularly

538
00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,840
Speaker 2: with draft prospects. Like they probably found something with his

539
00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,840
Speaker 2: knee at the combine and it probably wasn't even secret,

540
00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:07,679
Speaker 2: and maybe the Georgia people even told you that when

541
00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,560
Speaker 2: he went in the building as a scout, and you know,

542
00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:13,560
Speaker 2: the team doctors across the league could have been like, now,

543
00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:15,800
Speaker 2: it's probably gonna bug him for the next year, or

544
00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:18,679
Speaker 2: it's gonna bug him his whole career and you're only

545
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,320
Speaker 2: gonna get one contract out of him. And he also

546
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:23,439
Speaker 2: was in a draft class that had a rare amount

547
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,480
Speaker 2: of top you know, day one and two tight ends. Yeah,

548
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:30,199
Speaker 2: so if the knee's not a problem, or he's coping

549
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,800
Speaker 2: with it way better, which it is sure apparently is

550
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,240
Speaker 2: in year two, who knows what it'll be like in

551
00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:37,959
Speaker 2: year five. But that's how these things go. You know,

552
00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,200
Speaker 2: like maybe he just had to suffer through that first

553
00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:41,600
Speaker 2: year with it and now it's fine.

554
00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:44,920
Speaker 3: I don't know, Yeah, but it looks like a much more.

555
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,040
Speaker 3: He looks like the player they thought they were getting

556
00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:49,400
Speaker 3: when they when they selected.

557
00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:53,600
Speaker 2: Because Georgia highlights. I mean, I'll be still shocked if

558
00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,480
Speaker 2: he ever runs on an NFL football field like he

559
00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,720
Speaker 2: did in Indianapolis. Yeah, I mean his forty time was

560
00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,639
Speaker 2: bombers for a man that huge. But that being said,

561
00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,120
Speaker 2: his nimbleness is Christmas and movement, you know, his ability

562
00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:10,240
Speaker 2: to kick, slide and play in reverse. He's looking good, Matt.

563
00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:12,000
Speaker 3: Let's talk a little bit about that defense.

564
00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:12,800
Speaker 2: He is still huge.

565
00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:17,000
Speaker 3: He's still is a huge human, just a monster.

566
00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:17,919
Speaker 2: Uh.

567
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:25,280
Speaker 3: Defensively mentioned the the the defensive lineman not named Cam

568
00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:29,400
Speaker 3: Heyward because Cam didn't play. Uh, but they were very

569
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:33,200
Speaker 3: destructive in that game. Really, Al was Al was good.

570
00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:35,840
Speaker 3: You know, we saw I.

571
00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,080
Speaker 2: Think louder Milk kind of pass defended as well.

572
00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:41,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, montrevious Adams was a couple as good as he's

573
00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:42,240
Speaker 3: been out here.

574
00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:47,480
Speaker 2: Adams just a quality player. Yeah, no questions about him anymore.

575
00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,040
Speaker 3: And so I think they have better depth on the

576
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:53,280
Speaker 3: defensive line than maybe a lot of people were giving.

577
00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:54,520
Speaker 2: Them credit for.

578
00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:58,280
Speaker 3: We see Dean Lowry come back today. He activated off

579
00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:02,640
Speaker 3: the The h football are the reserve list, so he's

580
00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,360
Speaker 3: back out practicing good.

581
00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,160
Speaker 2: I think he plays this week. I guess we'll see

582
00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:08,080
Speaker 2: what he does in pat It.

583
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:09,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, we'll see how you know, see how it goes

584
00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 3: this week for him at Pat's. But he and Cordell

585
00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,160
Speaker 3: Patterson both getting their first practices in today.

586
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:17,919
Speaker 2: And people may have missed it in the game, but

587
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,720
Speaker 2: Benton got poked in the eye or something somewhat early.

588
00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:22,960
Speaker 2: I think it was the first quarter. So that opened

589
00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:25,800
Speaker 2: the door for more people to play for Hooko I

590
00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,199
Speaker 2: thought did some good stuff. Or Fojoko didn't play in

591
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:28,440
Speaker 2: this game.

592
00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,200
Speaker 3: He didn't play. He's actually was placed on IR today.

593
00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:34,160
Speaker 2: Okay, I didn't know, but Logan Lee lined.

594
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,320
Speaker 3: Up at nose ye couple they were short on nose

595
00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:38,440
Speaker 3: tackles because Fojoko and Bent were both out.

596
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:40,120
Speaker 2: I didn't put two and two together at the time,

597
00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:42,680
Speaker 2: Like did I miss this guy playing nose at Latroe

598
00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:45,720
Speaker 2: because he sure doesn't profile that way. But he wasn't bad.

599
00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,880
Speaker 2: I started concentrating him in the second half. He held

600
00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:54,680
Speaker 2: up fine. There. Leel's moving around great. He he does

601
00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,960
Speaker 2: bring that edge quality to him as well, you know,

602
00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:57,400
Speaker 2: I mean he.

603
00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:00,280
Speaker 3: With the sack he had I actually thought it first

604
00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,760
Speaker 3: that he was playing outside linebacker because he came off

605
00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,520
Speaker 3: the edge. They didn't have anybody outside of him. But

606
00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,280
Speaker 3: he beat he beat the tackle on that one to

607
00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,160
Speaker 3: the outside and he got to the quarterback.

608
00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:12,400
Speaker 2: Absolutely. So No, I think they're in good shape. I'm

609
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,160
Speaker 2: excited to watch Lowry. I think him and Adams should

610
00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:19,160
Speaker 2: be foundational backups and Leal's kind of the wild card

611
00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:19,400
Speaker 2: for me.

612
00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, and well they still like Laudermilk as well, so

613
00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:27,280
Speaker 3: they get some guys there that, you know, again you

614
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,120
Speaker 3: keep seven there, you know, maybe that gets a little

615
00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:30,800
Speaker 3: bit easier here.

616
00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:34,520
Speaker 2: We'll see, but any chance he keeps seven and three

617
00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:38,000
Speaker 2: edge guys if with the Owl's ability to do both,

618
00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,240
Speaker 2: I mean, I don't think you want him lining up

619
00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:42,400
Speaker 2: in a two point stance on his feet all the time.

620
00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,560
Speaker 3: Not all the time, I wouldn't think. But he did

621
00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:46,080
Speaker 3: do that as a rookie a couple of years ago,

622
00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:49,480
Speaker 3: and what was out. But the problem becomes again the

623
00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:53,880
Speaker 3: special team stuff, because you know, those those smaller linebackers

624
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,840
Speaker 3: are going to be maybe you have a defensive lineman

625
00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,480
Speaker 3: out there, you know for that new kickoff, Well, I

626
00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,600
Speaker 3: can't imagine you have two and They're not going to

627
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:02,720
Speaker 3: run down and cover punts.

628
00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,200
Speaker 2: No. No, they don't help you much on teams. I mean,

629
00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,360
Speaker 2: they might be part of field goal block and field

630
00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:10,040
Speaker 2: goal protection, but that's not hard to find either. Do

631
00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:13,440
Speaker 2: you know more about the Fojoco situation is that.

632
00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:14,400
Speaker 3: He's done for the year.

633
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:15,120
Speaker 2: It's a season end.

634
00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, you get places the injury reserve this time of year,

635
00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:18,760
Speaker 3: you're done for the year.

636
00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:20,719
Speaker 2: So I kind of liked what I've seen from him

637
00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:24,520
Speaker 2: in a Steeler uniform overall, but that's shame for him. Yeah.

638
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:28,480
Speaker 3: So that's you know, that's the way this goes. You know,

639
00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:31,760
Speaker 3: you look around the league. If that's the worst injury

640
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,560
Speaker 3: that they have in the preseason, you.

641
00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:37,920
Speaker 2: Know, coupled with Roan Wilson and I mean.

642
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,120
Speaker 3: I'm talking, I'm just talking about in these games. You know,

643
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:43,280
Speaker 3: if you get out of these games without somebody you

644
00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:46,920
Speaker 3: know who you're counting on to play a lot of snaps,

645
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,600
Speaker 3: you know, having a serious injury. We saw some over

646
00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:51,760
Speaker 3: the weekend that you know, guys are going to be

647
00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:55,040
Speaker 3: out for extended periods of time. Who teams are counting on.

648
00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:58,560
Speaker 3: Hollywood Brown's gonna miss the first you know, a few

649
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,880
Speaker 3: games of the season. Yeah, the forty nine Ers lost

650
00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:04,360
Speaker 3: one of the one of their cornerbacks they were counting on. Yeah,

651
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:06,440
Speaker 3: that's the kind of stuff you can't.

652
00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:08,800
Speaker 2: It's gonna happen. I mean, hopefully the Steelers get unscathed

653
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:10,880
Speaker 2: in the next two games and the joint practice. But

654
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,000
Speaker 2: there's a lot of injuries on the horizon across the

655
00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,880
Speaker 2: league between now and opening day, for sure. And I

656
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,400
Speaker 2: like Fojoko, but he's a pure nose that is probably

657
00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,080
Speaker 2: a practice squad borderline guy anyway.

658
00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,040
Speaker 3: Yeah, So, I mean, like I said, if that's the

659
00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,440
Speaker 3: worst thing that happens to you coming out of these games,

660
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:28,880
Speaker 3: then you'll be Okay.

661
00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:31,600
Speaker 2: No, then you're in the luckier side of things.

662
00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:36,240
Speaker 3: Yeah, what do you think of the the kickoff stuff?

663
00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:39,920
Speaker 2: I've been watching a lot of preseasons. You can imagine

664
00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:43,800
Speaker 2: between you know, the Steelers kickoffs since then, I have

665
00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,600
Speaker 2: not seen Jacksonville sprung a big one. I've not seen

666
00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,920
Speaker 2: a lot of noteworthy stuff on kickoffs.

667
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,160
Speaker 3: Jackson have also got a safety on a kickoff against

668
00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:56,920
Speaker 3: against Houston or against Kansas City because the ball hit

669
00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:00,239
Speaker 3: in the landing zone between the twenty and the uh

670
00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,600
Speaker 3: in the goal line, bounced into the end zone and

671
00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:08,160
Speaker 3: then bounced back out and mcole Hartman grabbed it, reached

672
00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:09,880
Speaker 3: he was in the end zone. He grabbed it and

673
00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:11,720
Speaker 3: pulled it back into the end zone and downed it.

674
00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,600
Speaker 3: That's the safety happen, That's how it happened. Yeah, okay,

675
00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:15,280
Speaker 3: that's a safety.

676
00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,240
Speaker 2: That's a weird situation, but boy, those things are going

677
00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,440
Speaker 2: to happen in the Initially, the officials were going to

678
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,200
Speaker 2: give Kansas City the ball.

679
00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:26,200
Speaker 3: At to thirty initially, and then the safety was on

680
00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,520
Speaker 3: the chiefs. Hardman's now back on the chiefs, okay, But

681
00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:33,400
Speaker 3: then I guess Doug Peterson challenged it, and when they

682
00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:35,920
Speaker 3: called New York, this New York said, no, that's a safety. Yeah,

683
00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:38,000
Speaker 3: the officials didn't even know the role on that.

684
00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:40,680
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm sure there was a lot of consternation about it,

685
00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:44,120
Speaker 2: so correct me if I'm wrong. But the second that

686
00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,200
Speaker 2: ball hit in the landing zone, it's live.

687
00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:46,680
Speaker 3: It's live.

688
00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:48,440
Speaker 2: Yeah. So it's just like the old rules. If he

689
00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:50,720
Speaker 2: would have grabbed it, walked back in the end zone

690
00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:54,040
Speaker 2: and kneel down, we know how to do that. You

691
00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:55,880
Speaker 2: just gave them the other guy's two points.

692
00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,160
Speaker 3: I guess he figured since he was in the end

693
00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:04,560
Speaker 3: zone himself. He could pull it back in and establish.

694
00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:05,440
Speaker 2: But that's a weird one. Yeah, but I have not

695
00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,520
Speaker 2: seen a lot of funky stuff.

696
00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,560
Speaker 3: Yet on nobody's going to show you any funky stuff,

697
00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:11,280
Speaker 3: just like we thought.

698
00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:13,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's been pretty basic. But that with

699
00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,479
Speaker 2: that Jags game, the returner Washington, the kid out of

700
00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:20,280
Speaker 2: Penn State, did get past the second level, and the

701
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,320
Speaker 2: kicker and another safety type guy you know, made life

702
00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:25,560
Speaker 2: difficult on him before taking so he didn't take it

703
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:27,800
Speaker 2: to the house. But I do think there are big

704
00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,360
Speaker 2: plays to be had in the kicking game, yeah, without

705
00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:30,760
Speaker 2: a doubt.

706
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:33,920
Speaker 3: And and uh, you know, I also think that you

707
00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:36,720
Speaker 3: can pin some teams back if you do, if you.

708
00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:41,200
Speaker 2: Cover it well, if you're if that group can get

709
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:45,120
Speaker 2: past the blocking line and pay them in pretty deep.

710
00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:47,120
Speaker 2: I haven't seen much of that in the league. I

711
00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:51,479
Speaker 2: haven't seen many kickoff drives start ten yards or deeper,

712
00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:55,040
Speaker 2: you know, But I'm sure they will. I mean I

713
00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:58,000
Speaker 2: guess they will, especially once you start doing funky stuff. Yeah.

714
00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:02,719
Speaker 3: Absolutely, the uh well, you know, Houston screwed one up

715
00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:05,000
Speaker 3: as well the other day squibbing a kick.

716
00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:07,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, did they do that on purpose?

717
00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:08,040
Speaker 3: Should look like it.

718
00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:10,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's like, what were you thinking? I remember turning

719
00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:12,680
Speaker 2: to Mike pursud It next to me in the booth.

720
00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:14,160
Speaker 2: I'm like, do they not know the rule?

721
00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:18,360
Speaker 3: Apparently they didn't, because he squibbed the ball well well

722
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:19,080
Speaker 3: short of.

723
00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:20,920
Speaker 2: The landing zone. Yeah.

724
00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:22,959
Speaker 3: I think maybe he thought if he squibbed it into

725
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,520
Speaker 3: the landing zone, you'd be fine, which you could, you

726
00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:28,839
Speaker 3: know I could do before. But no, that ball has

727
00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:31,120
Speaker 3: to get into It has to land inside the twenty

728
00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:32,080
Speaker 3: even if you squib it.

729
00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:34,920
Speaker 2: That's step one of this whole thing. Is it to

730
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:36,160
Speaker 2: land in the landing zone.

731
00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:37,919
Speaker 3: And if you're going to do a kick like that,

732
00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:40,239
Speaker 3: it can't hit any of the players.

733
00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:42,839
Speaker 2: One of the Steelers like dodge out of the way. Yeah,

734
00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:44,400
Speaker 2: because it was a line drive type and he was

735
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:46,879
Speaker 2: smart enough to realize, I can't let this touch maker.

736
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,880
Speaker 3: Actually, if it touches in there, it's it's they they

737
00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:50,720
Speaker 3: get the ball to forty.

738
00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:52,279
Speaker 2: So if he was no different if you had caught

739
00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:53,200
Speaker 2: the line drive.

740
00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:56,640
Speaker 3: Yep, if the ball is touched before the landing zone,

741
00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:59,600
Speaker 3: it goes to the forty. So that's like kicking the

742
00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:00,320
Speaker 3: ball at a ounce.

743
00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:03,400
Speaker 2: Yeah. Okay, so that he could.

744
00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:07,000
Speaker 3: Have fielded that thing and done anything with it. But

745
00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:10,000
Speaker 3: I think even if even if you fumbled that thing,

746
00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:11,240
Speaker 3: it goes to the forty, goes.

747
00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,120
Speaker 2: To forty because it never touched the landing zone.

748
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:13,759
Speaker 3: Yeah.

749
00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,400
Speaker 2: What shocked me. And I'm not making fun of you know,

750
00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:20,120
Speaker 2: our cohorts in the press box, But nobody understood why

751
00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,600
Speaker 2: there were so many people talking after that kickoff that

752
00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:25,560
Speaker 2: didn't understand why that was a penalty on Houston.

753
00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,799
Speaker 3: I did. I did. I looked over.

754
00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:29,680
Speaker 2: I'm like, what are they think?

755
00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:31,239
Speaker 3: And he's like, yeah, I just wrote a twenty five

756
00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:33,600
Speaker 3: hundred word piece on that on Steelers dot Com. I

757
00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:35,560
Speaker 3: knew exactly what was I'm like, as soon as he

758
00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:36,800
Speaker 3: kicked it, I'm like, well that's penalty.

759
00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:38,799
Speaker 2: Yeah. A bunch of people around me like what's wrong

760
00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:41,680
Speaker 2: with that. I'm like, there's a new rule that's called

761
00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:42,439
Speaker 2: the landing zone.

762
00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:44,759
Speaker 3: Yeah, you have to get the ball on the landing zone. Yeah,

763
00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:47,520
Speaker 3: that's what we're doing in the air. That's yeah, does

764
00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:49,560
Speaker 3: you is swimming the kick? It does you no good?

765
00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,400
Speaker 2: No, nor does great hangtime for that matter. Right, you know,

766
00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:54,920
Speaker 2: you can put it to the sky and it lands

767
00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,200
Speaker 2: in the landing zone. They still can't leave until people

768
00:35:57,239 --> 00:35:57,520
Speaker 2: touch it.

769
00:35:57,600 --> 00:35:59,799
Speaker 3: The only thing the squib might do is is get

770
00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:01,799
Speaker 3: the some trouble handling it and.

771
00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:03,719
Speaker 2: Issues it hits between the twenty and the goal line.

772
00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:06,000
Speaker 2: But yeah, right, it has to do that. So, I mean,

773
00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:07,640
Speaker 2: that would be a great kick if you could hit

774
00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:11,920
Speaker 2: one that's very you know, just off the ground and

775
00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,000
Speaker 2: the first time it touches down is right after the

776
00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:15,799
Speaker 2: twenty yard line. That'd be really hard to handle. But

777
00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:16,600
Speaker 2: that's really hard to.

778
00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:19,399
Speaker 3: Do, very difficulty to do. Yeah, let's get through another break.

779
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:22,080
Speaker 3: He is the Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. You're

780
00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:24,600
Speaker 3: listening to The Drive here on Steelers Nation Radio and

781
00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:27,520
Speaker 3: Fox Sports Pittsburgh. We are live from Steelers training camp

782
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:30,360
Speaker 3: here at Saint Pencent College of Steelers back on the

783
00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,720
Speaker 3: practice field today for the first time since they're twenty

784
00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:36,320
Speaker 3: to twelve loss in the preseason opener to the Houston Texans.

785
00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:44,680
Speaker 3: Matt and I will be back with more right after this.

786
00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:48,480
Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

787
00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:50,680
Speaker 1: your twenty four to seven home of the Black and

788
00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:59,600
Speaker 1: Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

789
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:00,880
Speaker 3: And we are back. I am Dale. He is the

790
00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,600
Speaker 3: Matt Williamson, and this is the Drive on Steelers Nation

791
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:07,680
Speaker 3: Radio and Fox Sports Pittsburgh, your home of all your

792
00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:11,520
Speaker 3: Steelers coverage. You're the best Steelers coverage out there. And Matt,

793
00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,120
Speaker 3: we are live here at the Saint Fencent College of

794
00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:16,719
Speaker 3: Steelers practicing right now as we sit here and watch

795
00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:21,359
Speaker 3: the going through some some stuff here offensively and defensively, a.

796
00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,040
Speaker 2: Lot of fast paced stuff. I've noticed, like even in

797
00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:26,560
Speaker 2: walk through tempo, they did a two minute drill you

798
00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:29,759
Speaker 2: know earlier, you know, like they still were out there

799
00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:30,600
Speaker 2: with a lot of energy.

800
00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:34,719
Speaker 3: Yeah, and we're seeing Russell Wilson out there with more

801
00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:37,600
Speaker 3: of a little more intensity today. It looks like he's

802
00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:41,760
Speaker 3: gonna do a full practice. The Steelers aren't in pads today, but.

803
00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,120
Speaker 2: It sure looks like he's acting as the one.

804
00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:47,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know what I mean, right absolutely. I mentioned

805
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:51,680
Speaker 3: some of those injuries that happened. Uh, Hollywood, Brown dislocated

806
00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:58,240
Speaker 3: his shoulder. Oh for the Chiefs, it's a sterno clovacular

807
00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:02,480
Speaker 3: joint dislocation. That could be several weeks for him.

808
00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:09,040
Speaker 2: And I haven't heard anything on race you Rice's potential suspension.

809
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:11,440
Speaker 2: I would think they could if he's around.

810
00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:14,319
Speaker 3: Typically they wait until something happens with the courts for that.

811
00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:16,480
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, so so I don't know if they'll be

812
00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:19,719
Speaker 2: available for Week one or not. Rice. I mean, it

813
00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:23,480
Speaker 2: sure doesn't sound like Brown is worthy will be No,

814
00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:25,799
Speaker 2: that's a big deal. They're counting on him for quite

815
00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:26,560
Speaker 2: a bit of production.

816
00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:32,800
Speaker 3: Yeah. Nate Wiggins suffered a shoulder injury for the Ravens

817
00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:35,160
Speaker 3: on Friday Night against the Eagles. He's considered day to

818
00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:38,200
Speaker 3: day for the Baltimore Ravens.

819
00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:44,440
Speaker 2: I watched a lot of that game early. He was

820
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:46,239
Speaker 2: making a lot of plays. He was actually looked like

821
00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:48,719
Speaker 2: a standout for them in that game. He wasn't going

822
00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:51,239
Speaker 2: against Brown or Smith. Yeah, you know, it's not Kenny

823
00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:53,839
Speaker 2: Pickett and Green. That was kind of odd, but he

824
00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:55,800
Speaker 2: was kind of a standout in my opinion for the

825
00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,279
Speaker 2: Ravens for them. Hopefully it's not a long one because

826
00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:00,200
Speaker 2: I think he's gonna pay a lot.

827
00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:02,799
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I mentioned that the injury for the well,

828
00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,320
Speaker 3: it looks like we're getting ready to jump into seven shots.

829
00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:05,560
Speaker 2: Yeah.

830
00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:11,879
Speaker 3: Yeah, but the forty nine ers losing cornerback. Let's see

831
00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:15,120
Speaker 3: what what we got here. It looks like the looks

832
00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:20,600
Speaker 3: like the offensive line is unchanged. Jones on the right yep,

833
00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:23,320
Speaker 3: Jones on the ring, lare on the left. You still have.

834
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:28,239
Speaker 2: Herbig at center, her bigot centers. Yeah, Washington's out there,

835
00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:31,799
Speaker 2: so I assume it's double tights. Yeah, but friar Muth isn't.

836
00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:36,040
Speaker 3: Justin Field's getting the first rep here, So yeah, that's interesting.

837
00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:39,919
Speaker 2: But they're in a lot of rotating that last week too,

838
00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:41,800
Speaker 2: last couple of days ago.

839
00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:45,759
Speaker 3: Last week giving rotating reps, so it would have been

840
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:46,160
Speaker 3: a sasher.

841
00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:48,360
Speaker 2: Looked like a sack by Herbert. Yeah, but they're an

842
00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:51,880
Speaker 2: eleven with Washington is the tight end and now Friarman's

843
00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:54,840
Speaker 2: going back out. I only caught this because a fantasy

844
00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:57,560
Speaker 2: site caught it. It doesn't send alarm bells to me

845
00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:00,759
Speaker 2: at all. But in any of the time the Steelers

846
00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:02,839
Speaker 2: had two tight ends on the field, not two or more,

847
00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:05,240
Speaker 2: but just two tight ends on the field in the game,

848
00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:06,919
Speaker 2: Friar Mooth wasn't one of them.

849
00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:08,719
Speaker 3: I'm not concerned about that might either.

850
00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:09,760
Speaker 2: I just thought it was noteworthy.

851
00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:12,839
Speaker 3: I was like, that's odd Wilson. Wilson is out there

852
00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:15,520
Speaker 3: now and they have two tight ends out there, and

853
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,439
Speaker 3: so is Washington. Yeah, yeah, it looks like they're both

854
00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:20,440
Speaker 3: whoop we'll get her big to jump off side on

855
00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:23,280
Speaker 3: that one, but they didn't snap the football.

856
00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:29,920
Speaker 2: So what I found interesting there is I don't know

857
00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,320
Speaker 2: that we've seen that formation before. Probably haven't. I just

858
00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,080
Speaker 2: missed it. But as you said, there was twelve personnel

859
00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:39,080
Speaker 2: with Washington and Friar Mooth both detached, both detached, and

860
00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:41,759
Speaker 2: they do that a ton with like Kelsey, but they

861
00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:45,240
Speaker 2: did it with Washington as the lone guide to one side,

862
00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:47,719
Speaker 2: you know, like an ISO X receiver. Even though that

863
00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:51,520
Speaker 2: you're a tight end. Now you have to honor that.

864
00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:55,120
Speaker 2: I mean, like Washington's not gonna be confused with Kelsey,

865
00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:58,239
Speaker 2: but it does draw people your way, and if you're

866
00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:01,839
Speaker 2: to run that direction, he could be an isolated blocker too.

867
00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:04,959
Speaker 3: Absolutely Wilson getting the third rep here as well, after

868
00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:08,560
Speaker 3: throwing and complete the pickings on that last rep, and

869
00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:11,000
Speaker 3: there's a little flip out the Jaylen Warren Opie fell down,

870
00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:14,720
Speaker 3: Patrick Queen out there with him.

871
00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:16,600
Speaker 2: Not a perfect pass, but that's definitely a win for

872
00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:21,320
Speaker 2: the d Yeah, a little bit behind Warren.

873
00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:24,359
Speaker 3: Yeah, seeing Queen out there again today, so that's that's

874
00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:27,280
Speaker 3: a good sign for him. Uh but uh yeah, starting

875
00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:31,759
Speaker 3: to see things round back into shape here, but that

876
00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:36,680
Speaker 3: gives a defense a three toero lead here, so we'll

877
00:41:36,719 --> 00:41:39,799
Speaker 3: see the offense. Offense has to win the all the

878
00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:45,120
Speaker 3: remaining four shots here to Wilson again, got time, get time.

879
00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:51,560
Speaker 2: That's late, late, late into the play. Yeah, away there. Yeah.

880
00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:55,120
Speaker 3: The the offense had been getting the better of this

881
00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:57,960
Speaker 3: in recent uh in recent days, and uh, while the

882
00:41:58,000 --> 00:41:59,800
Speaker 3: defense wins the first four today.

883
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:02,000
Speaker 2: So, I mean it's only human nature, but everybody roots

884
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,480
Speaker 2: for the offense when he touchdowns. The whole place cheers.

885
00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:06,760
Speaker 2: That's four really good stats with the defense.

886
00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:09,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely nothing wrong with that. I mean, you know,

887
00:42:09,520 --> 00:42:12,400
Speaker 3: double covering, pickings, doing those kinds of things. Yeah, you

888
00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:13,280
Speaker 3: get fields back.

889
00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:16,200
Speaker 2: Probably in a sack on is what the second play? Yeah, so.

890
00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:20,120
Speaker 3: That's always the thing, you know, that that you.

891
00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:22,960
Speaker 2: You he gets old about training camp. Yeah.

892
00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:25,479
Speaker 3: Anytime somebody does something good, well, I mean something bad

893
00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:27,440
Speaker 3: happened for the other side of the ball, so.

894
00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:29,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, or vice versa.

895
00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:31,960
Speaker 3: Everyone is critical of one getting a touchdown on that one. Yeah.

896
00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:35,719
Speaker 2: I think he gets in there. Yeah, so that's a

897
00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:37,520
Speaker 2: well designed play too. That's a long way for that

898
00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:38,959
Speaker 2: linebacker safety.

899
00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:41,879
Speaker 3: To get out to the running get out to the flat. Yeah. Yeah,

900
00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:44,759
Speaker 3: not easy there, And that was Jonathan Ward getting out

901
00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:46,160
Speaker 3: of there. So he's got some speed too.

902
00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:49,120
Speaker 2: So Ward was kind of a story the other night too. Yeah.

903
00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:51,120
Speaker 2: He played a lot on special teams too, which made

904
00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:53,200
Speaker 2: me think that they like what they've seen from him.

905
00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:54,680
Speaker 2: He was kind of like first guy off the bench

906
00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:55,480
Speaker 2: running back, you know.

907
00:42:55,800 --> 00:43:00,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, now you've got Aaron Shampkin is the back up.

908
00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:01,719
Speaker 2: He runs hard too.

909
00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:04,160
Speaker 3: Is that still fields out there? Yeah?

910
00:43:04,239 --> 00:43:07,719
Speaker 2: This field too. That might have been a sack by

911
00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:09,319
Speaker 2: forty eight, yeah coming in there.

912
00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:10,640
Speaker 3: Either way, it was in a complete pass.

913
00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:12,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it was definitely a pressure.

914
00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:18,080
Speaker 3: So the defense will win the day here, at least

915
00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:20,239
Speaker 3: with five. We'll see if they get a six to

916
00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:23,560
Speaker 3: one here and get the route a route be six

917
00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:25,200
Speaker 3: to one if the defense wins this one.

918
00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:26,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, and we all know that they're not going to

919
00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:29,680
Speaker 2: hand it the Harris behind a full back with no pads,

920
00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:32,160
Speaker 2: pads and blow your doors off. But I mean still,

921
00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:34,919
Speaker 2: you know they're also not rushing the pass or full

922
00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:35,879
Speaker 2: strength either.

923
00:43:36,040 --> 00:43:38,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, that gives the defense a little bit of a

924
00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:41,480
Speaker 3: it's a bit of a tail, sure if you're not

925
00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:44,120
Speaker 3: in pads. You know, that was pretty Yeah, Scotty Miller

926
00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:45,960
Speaker 3: will hit with that catch, a nice little outbreaking or

927
00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:47,080
Speaker 3: out there by him.

928
00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:50,120
Speaker 2: That's what I want to see from fields. That was fields, right, Yeah,

929
00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:53,600
Speaker 2: he threw that with anticipation. He threw that on time

930
00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:57,640
Speaker 2: before to the front pylon. Yeah, to a spot and

931
00:43:57,719 --> 00:44:00,640
Speaker 2: let the receiver do his job. Trusted his receivers through

932
00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:04,120
Speaker 2: with anticipation. That ball came out before the receiver even

933
00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:07,160
Speaker 2: broke you know, broke his route off. You didn't see

934
00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:09,040
Speaker 2: that much of Chicago. I mean that's exactly what you

935
00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:11,040
Speaker 2: want to see from him in tight quarters like that too.

936
00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:15,120
Speaker 2: That's not easy, yeah, no doubt, quick processing.

937
00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:18,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, And so I'm well thrown ball by him.

938
00:44:18,200 --> 00:44:21,319
Speaker 3: Another nice catch by Scotty Miller. That's not easy to

939
00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:23,799
Speaker 3: do to catch a ball like it coming out of

940
00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:24,240
Speaker 3: a break.

941
00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:27,879
Speaker 2: No, like you like that right right? I mean it's

942
00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:29,920
Speaker 2: almost like a shortstop making it go and you know,

943
00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:31,960
Speaker 2: going the opposite direction type of thing. Yeah, that is

944
00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:34,279
Speaker 2: no an easy catch, especially when it's on you now.

945
00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:35,960
Speaker 2: But that's what makes you a professional receiver.

946
00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:38,840
Speaker 3: Absolutely. And I was watching him a little bit in

947
00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:42,080
Speaker 3: the game on Friday. He's a willing blocker. Two for

948
00:44:42,160 --> 00:44:44,279
Speaker 3: being a guy that's hard listed at one hundred and

949
00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:46,359
Speaker 3: seventy four pounds. He threw his body in there.

950
00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:49,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I thought it was a very positive

951
00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:52,279
Speaker 2: night for him, and he has some explosiveness to him.

952
00:44:52,719 --> 00:44:55,319
Speaker 2: He's never gonna be George Pickens, you know. I mean,

953
00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:59,560
Speaker 2: there's a certain type of receiver, but there's value in that. Yeah.

954
00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:03,120
Speaker 3: And and you know, again you mentioned Jefferson, you know,

955
00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:06,000
Speaker 3: had the one twenty five yard catch. It looked like

956
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:08,879
Speaker 3: he had another catch down the sideline that he got

957
00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:11,200
Speaker 3: pushed out of bounds on and it was ruled no

958
00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:15,040
Speaker 3: catch and everybody was upset because Mike Tomlin didn't challenge

959
00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:19,080
Speaker 3: the play. I saw it, Well, that's inexcusable. It's like

960
00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:20,200
Speaker 3: it's a preseason game.

961
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,160
Speaker 2: I don't care about that part. Yeah, I would have

962
00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:25,600
Speaker 2: ruled it a catch on second viewing. So I mean,

963
00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:28,200
Speaker 2: if we're just talking about Jefferson and analyzing the player,

964
00:45:29,080 --> 00:45:30,440
Speaker 2: that was another positive play to me.

965
00:45:30,640 --> 00:45:33,840
Speaker 3: People also need to remember for preseason games, you have

966
00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:37,799
Speaker 3: way fewer cameras in the building. Oh really to look

967
00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:40,160
Speaker 3: at those things because you have the local broadcast, so

968
00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:44,480
Speaker 3: you know, whereas the network TV may have I don't know,

969
00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:47,960
Speaker 3: twenty cameras in the building. Your your local TV maybe

970
00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:50,800
Speaker 3: has six, you know, so you're not getting twelve different

971
00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:52,919
Speaker 3: angles on these things, and you don't know which ones

972
00:45:52,920 --> 00:45:55,640
Speaker 3: are being sent to New York to even look at

973
00:45:55,640 --> 00:46:00,239
Speaker 3: those things. Coaches may have been told, hey, don't don't

974
00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:04,280
Speaker 3: bother challenging anything in the preseason here that it's a Okay,

975
00:46:04,719 --> 00:46:06,359
Speaker 3: I don't know. I don't know that for sure, but

976
00:46:06,560 --> 00:46:06,879
Speaker 3: it's a.

977
00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:10,720
Speaker 2: I didn't put much weight on the decision to review

978
00:46:10,760 --> 00:46:12,400
Speaker 2: it or not, but I thought it was a positive

979
00:46:12,400 --> 00:46:14,000
Speaker 2: play by quarterbacking Jefferson.

980
00:46:14,120 --> 00:46:16,359
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, the only bad thing about the throw

981
00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:18,279
Speaker 3: is a little bit behind Jefferson. If it's thrown out

982
00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:20,040
Speaker 3: in front of him where it should have been, that's

983
00:46:20,080 --> 00:46:20,800
Speaker 3: an easy completion.

984
00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:22,680
Speaker 2: Was that fields? Yeah, pretty early in the game.

985
00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:25,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, that was just one poor throw, I thought, And

986
00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:27,400
Speaker 3: even at that it could have still been a completion.

987
00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:30,000
Speaker 2: So I would have liked to have seen at least

988
00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:32,600
Speaker 2: another series of fields. And I thought he played well,

989
00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:35,000
Speaker 2: But I didn't think we needed to see Allen for

990
00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:37,959
Speaker 2: two thirds of the game. But I'm picking knits, you know. Yeah,

991
00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:39,880
Speaker 2: I mean I think he's an interesting player, and I

992
00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:40,919
Speaker 2: want to see as much fields.

993
00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:42,760
Speaker 3: I mean, that's probably as much as you see Alan

994
00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:45,960
Speaker 3: until well maybe a week three, you think, yeah, you

995
00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:48,680
Speaker 3: might let Fields play the entire first half of that game,

996
00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:51,839
Speaker 3: and then Alan played the entire second half something like that,

997
00:46:51,920 --> 00:46:54,640
Speaker 3: So Allan would would get a little less playing time, but.

998
00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:57,399
Speaker 2: You probably won't play Wilson in week three, right.

999
00:46:57,320 --> 00:46:59,319
Speaker 3: I would think not. I think, you know, Wilson gets

1000
00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:01,719
Speaker 3: the same treat this week that Field's got last week,

1001
00:47:01,719 --> 00:47:04,240
Speaker 3: and maybe gets you know, three or four series against

1002
00:47:04,239 --> 00:47:05,120
Speaker 3: the Buffalo Bills.

1003
00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:07,040
Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, that makes all the sense in the world

1004
00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:07,439
Speaker 2: to me too.

1005
00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:09,520
Speaker 3: And then you know, Fields gets to finish the half,

1006
00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:11,040
Speaker 3: so maybe he gets to run a two minutes through

1007
00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:13,360
Speaker 3: at the end of the half and then Alan finishes

1008
00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:15,759
Speaker 3: up made up a little bit, maybe the fourth quarter

1009
00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:16,560
Speaker 3: or something like that.

1010
00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:19,040
Speaker 2: Alan made some mistakes, but I think he showed that

1011
00:47:19,560 --> 00:47:22,640
Speaker 2: he's a fine NFL three. Yeah, I mean he's been around.

1012
00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:26,040
Speaker 2: You could see his recognition, ability to get getting guys

1013
00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:27,880
Speaker 2: in now the huddle, that type of thing. Yeah, he

1014
00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:30,719
Speaker 2: missed some throws and he's not a superstar, but you

1015
00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:32,799
Speaker 2: might have to use him in this league the.

1016
00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:35,279
Speaker 3: Way it went last year. He's sixty eight quarterbacks played

1017
00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:38,000
Speaker 3: last year, so you hope that never happens, but it does.

1018
00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:40,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, Wilson's been super durable, but you know,

1019
00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:43,360
Speaker 2: knock on wood, but you have a really, really capable

1020
00:47:43,400 --> 00:47:46,960
Speaker 2: number two. But it's not uncommon to get into number threes.

1021
00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:48,279
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely not.

1022
00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:48,960
Speaker 2: Certainly.

1023
00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:51,799
Speaker 3: We've seen the team's five quarterbacks last year, so.

1024
00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:54,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think youah Cleveland and the Jets. I think

1025
00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:58,479
Speaker 2: he's five. Minnesota used Minnesota was a million a bunch too. Yes,

1026
00:47:58,600 --> 00:48:01,840
Speaker 2: after Cousins, that next month is brutal, a brutal.

1027
00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:03,680
Speaker 3: Let's get to another break that's going to do it.

1028
00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:05,840
Speaker 3: For hour number one of the Drive here on Steelers

1029
00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:09,560
Speaker 3: Nation Radio and Fox Sports Pittsburgh, we are live from Steelers'

1030
00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:12,480
Speaker 3: training camp here at Saint Vincent College of Steelers taking

1031
00:48:12,520 --> 00:48:16,960
Speaker 3: part in their first practice since their preseason opener Friday

1032
00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:19,759
Speaker 3: night against the Houston Texans. Matt and I will be

1033
00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:21,520
Speaker 3: back with more right after this