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Speaker 1: He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on

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

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Speaker 1: Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to the Drive. I am Dale Lollie. He is

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Speaker 2: the Matt Williamson and Matt I. I don't know why

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Speaker 2: sometimes I look at social media, but I do, and

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Speaker 2: I glanced around a different things out there, and I

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Speaker 2: just know there was something. I can't even remember what

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Speaker 2: what the what the post was about on the ex Twitter,

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Speaker 2: but it was about something about the Steelers. And you know,

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Speaker 2: immediately people start chiming in how much better off the

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Speaker 2: Steelers would be if they had a better, better coach

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Speaker 2: right now? Oh wow, you know they it just the

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Speaker 2: mediocrity has to end, and it's just, you.

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Speaker 3: Know, Okay, So.

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Speaker 2: Looking at this, this is a tweet from Warren Sharp

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Speaker 2: since twenty twenty the AFC North in non division games,

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Speaker 2: non AFC North game.

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Speaker 3: Okay, I think I know where you're going with this now.

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Speaker 2: Is one hundred and six and sixty three. That's a

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Speaker 2: sixty six and sixty that's a sixty two point six

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Speaker 2: percent winning percentage against all the other.

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Speaker 3: Division everybody that's not an AFC North.

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Speaker 2: Tham The next closest record is the NFC West at

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Speaker 2: fifty four point seven percent winning percentage.

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Speaker 3: Wow, almost ten percent different.

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Speaker 2: Ninety four and seventy eight. Then you get the AFC

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Speaker 2: West at ninety one and eighty one. Then you have

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Speaker 2: the AFC East at eighty eight and eighty three, the

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Speaker 2: NFC East at eighty four and eighty seven, the NFC

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Speaker 2: North at eighty three and eighty eight. Uh, the NFC

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Speaker 2: South at seventy four and ninety eight.

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Speaker 3: Wow, in the.

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Speaker 2: AFC South at sixty five and one oh seven.

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Speaker 3: Wow, they are.

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Speaker 2: The AFC North is like one hundred percent better than

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Speaker 2: their percentage seconds, but they are is as bad as

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Speaker 2: the AFC South has been outside the division. The AFC

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Speaker 2: North has been good.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, And last year was a perfect example. I mean,

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Speaker 4: clearly the best division in all the land, and every

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Speaker 4: team with a winning record was all said and done,

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Speaker 4: even with Burrow injuries and whatnot and Watson's situation. These

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Speaker 4: teams are good even when bad times hit them, you know. So,

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Speaker 4: I assume you're saying things aren't as easy for the

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Speaker 4: Steelers as it is maybe the Titans.

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Speaker 2: Or the Jets. Right right, here's the kicker, Matt in

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Speaker 2: that same time span. Within the AFC North, the Steelers

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Speaker 2: are sixteen and eight, the Browns are twelve and twelve,

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Speaker 2: The Ravens are eleven and thirteen, and the Browns are

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Speaker 2: nine and fifteen.

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Speaker 3: Bengals are nine to fifteen. He's the Browns twice.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, the Bengals, I'm sorry, you're twelve and twelve. Okay,

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Speaker 2: weren't sharp stat here?

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Speaker 4: Yeah?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's with Ben Roethlisberger going eight, Kenny Picktt

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Speaker 2: going five and three, Mason Rudolph going two in one,

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Speaker 2: and Miss Trubisky going one in one. Much of four

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Speaker 2: different started quarterbacks.

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Speaker 4: And it's not Lamar, It's not MVP type guys. Wow,

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Speaker 4: that's pretty ar, Joe, How do you do that? Probably

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Speaker 4: good coaching and knowing your environment.

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Speaker 2: Coaching and yes, might have something to do with that.

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Speaker 4: People get sick of him saying, you know, it's AFC

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Speaker 4: North football. Well, AFC North football is different than the

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Speaker 4: other seven divisions. And I mean I also wonder are

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Speaker 4: the two this is a side note, are the two

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Speaker 4: souths soft when they come North in late in the year.

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Speaker 2: I think that's certainly something that.

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Speaker 4: I also think they've been the least talented divisions of

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Speaker 4: late as well too. That might be changing. There's a

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Speaker 4: lot of new quarterbacks flooding those divisions right now. But

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Speaker 4: I do think some of its environment and being equipped

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Speaker 4: to handle all environments, you know that the Steelers have been.

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Speaker 4: That's interesting though. I mean, none of that stuff shocks me.

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Speaker 4: I knew their record and division was good. I didn't

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Speaker 4: know it was clearly the best in the division during

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Speaker 4: that stretch. Doesn't shock me that they've been the best

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Speaker 4: division of the twenty twenties, but by lot, but by

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Speaker 4: that number was shocking.

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Speaker 2: By I knew it was the best, but by that

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Speaker 2: much of a of a gap was pretty sharking.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it is, that absolutely is, and I don't think

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Speaker 3: it's getting a worse.

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Speaker 2: No, If anything, they've you know, it's peaking. Yeah, these

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Speaker 2: teams have gotten better. The quarterbacks are are all still young.

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Speaker 3: Right right.

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Speaker 4: I mean we get we have and we can or

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Speaker 4: each of those teams better or worse than when we

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Speaker 4: saw them last. They're all on par But the Borough

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Speaker 4: thing is massive.

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Speaker 2: Nobody's gotten markedly worse. No, I mean you look at

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Speaker 2: the Ravens maybe and say they've they've lost.

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Speaker 4: A lot of coordinators left town in the division, which

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Speaker 4: is good for the Steelers. I think, yeah, Thinn the

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Speaker 4: Herd a little bit there, But during the regular season,

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Speaker 4: Baltimore was the best team in the league, you know, and.

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Speaker 2: Rich couldn't beat the Steelers.

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Speaker 4: The other three weren't that far off. They couldn't be the Seelers, right,

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Speaker 4: that's interesting. I mean the division is really strong. Are

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Speaker 4: there better quarterbacks than any division that's comparable?

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Speaker 2: I mean top to bottom? Yeah, like you you're one

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Speaker 2: through four versus somebody another divisions one through four. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: I don't think it's close. And that's what Deshaun Watson, right,

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Speaker 2: washing If one of those two are your worst quarterback

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Speaker 2: in your division, and you assume they will be, you

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Speaker 2: have a pretty good division.

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Speaker 3: And I'm not a watching much this this kound of Watson.

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Speaker 2: He's not like he's not a rookie out there, like

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Speaker 2: they win games when he's.

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Speaker 3: Not the Raiders quarterback.

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Speaker 4: Like they have Mahomes and they have you know, Herbert,

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Speaker 4: but they have the Raider quarterback, you know, right, and

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Speaker 4: then Locke and you know those guys. You're probably right.

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Speaker 4: I'm just trying to do quick math in my head,

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Speaker 4: like who's even close?

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Speaker 2: I mean, maybe the I was NFC West.

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Speaker 4: Geno Kyler's pretty strong. Uh, Parties, okay, Stafford, Stafford's won,

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Speaker 4: they don't have they don't have the start, they don't.

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Speaker 2: Have a Lamar or Burrow in that division nor.

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Speaker 4: I mean, I think Stafford's comparable, but I think both

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Speaker 4: of them over them.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, I was even saying thinking like.

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Speaker 2: That, and none of those guys are stiffs, right, right.

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Speaker 4: I mean the fact that Parties last, or you know,

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Speaker 4: Geno's last, pretty strong, But I think I'd still take

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Speaker 4: the The other thing too, is again I'm not a

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Speaker 4: Watson supporter or believer, but Watson and Wilson were great.

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Speaker 3: Yes, you know what I mean. It's not like, well.

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Speaker 2: Just in the in the past to say, oh, you guys.

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Speaker 3: Are a good players, right, and one or both or

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Speaker 3: either been.

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Speaker 2: In the MVP conversation throughout their career.

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Speaker 4: Oh yeah, yeah, I mean they were at the Borough

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Speaker 4: Lamar level at one point and it wasn't that long ago.

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Speaker 4: So yeah, all that stuff adds up. But it's you know,

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Speaker 4: to hear the numbers is shocking and telling.

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Speaker 2: So again to to you know, you can look at

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Speaker 2: it a couple of different ways. So, first of all,

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Speaker 2: from two thy seventeen to two thousand, let's say nineteen.

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Speaker 2: Is there a team that lost more talent than the Steelers.

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Speaker 2: And when I'm saying, we're talking Levy on Bell, we're

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Speaker 2: talking Antonio Brown, Yeah, we're talking Ryan Chazier, and we're

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Speaker 2: talking to Ben Roethlisberger injury?

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Speaker 3: How long did it? And Ben? And right?

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Speaker 2: I mean you're talking about five impactful players.

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Speaker 3: Foundational guy.

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Speaker 2: Yah yeah, yeah, that you lost and that doesn't even count.

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Speaker 2: You know, Pouncy retiring to castor.

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Speaker 4: Retired about the other line too, I'm trying to think

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Speaker 4: of that. I'm really bad with the chronology of him, Like,

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Speaker 4: how was that three years ago? Or is that four

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Speaker 4: years ago?

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Speaker 2: Touncy was after twenty, I believe.

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Speaker 4: Because I mean the line had to be getting old

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Speaker 4: and time to replace it about that time.

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Speaker 3: Interesting.

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Speaker 2: So really what we've seen from the Steelers over the

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Speaker 2: last three or four years has been kind of a retooling.

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Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I mean it was Ben.

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Speaker 4: Anytime you're gonna have a big quarterback change, and even

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Speaker 4: his last year he wasn't quite the same. Obviously is monumental.

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Speaker 4: You know, like I always cite the Luck retirement because

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Speaker 4: like completely I mean, that's hard the ideas about it,

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Speaker 4: but right, I mean that was like in training camp

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Speaker 4: though that'd be like if Mahomes retired Josh Allen retired

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Speaker 4: in July, like where would the billsby, you know, But

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Speaker 4: other than that, I mean the shaz your situation similar

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Speaker 4: at least, though at least you couldn't prepare for it

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Speaker 4: as a front office same thing.

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Speaker 3: Really you couldn't prepare for similar to.

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Speaker 2: Right, And there's a Castro, I mean they expected to

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Speaker 2: Castro back.

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Speaker 3: That that good season.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, And the more I think about it, right, and

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Speaker 4: I'm sure there's other teams that have gone through hardships.

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Speaker 3: It's a tough league. I mean we know that, but

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Speaker 3: a lot in a hurry.

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Speaker 2: I mean I just started thinking about that today, like that,

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Speaker 2: over that three or four year period, they lost five

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Speaker 2: foundational pieces six if you count like the Castro in

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Speaker 2: that and guys of that nature, Like they lost the

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Speaker 2: foundation of what had been a pretty good football to

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Speaker 2: a team that went to an AFC Championship and was

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Speaker 2: knocking on the door of.

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Speaker 4: Some weird circums answers to I mean, the more you

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Speaker 4: think about it, like lev bell sits out a whole

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Speaker 4: year right, nobody in the point.

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Speaker 2: Nobody's ever done that before, and nobody's done it since.

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Speaker 3: I mean, it's terrible business.

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Speaker 2: Antonio Brown goes completely off off.

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Speaker 4: That's what I'm saying too, is Brown. I'm sure they

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Speaker 4: thought he was an odd bird, and they've.

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Speaker 2: Been around the dude, but they had managed it to

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Speaker 2: that point and.

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Speaker 4: They had restructured his contract. You only do that with

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Speaker 4: guys who think are stable enough that they're not going

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Speaker 4: off the rails. You know, that's a T. J. Hayward,

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Speaker 4: you know ben type of thing. And that didn't go

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Speaker 4: as planned either.

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Speaker 3: They got dealt a lot of curveballs, to say the least,

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Speaker 3: and they've.

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Speaker 2: Still managed to not have a losing season. And I

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Speaker 2: don't know, I know people get caught up in that. Tomally,

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Speaker 2: all he cares about is not having losing seasons. First

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Speaker 2: of all, he's never said that.

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Speaker 3: No, I say, that's just people looking into it more

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Speaker 3: than they should.

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Speaker 2: I mean, the idea is to win as many games

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Speaker 2: as you can.

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Speaker 3: No question.

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Speaker 4: But I think not against winning thirteen games, No, not

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Speaker 4: at all.

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Speaker 2: But I but I think that when you look at

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Speaker 2: when you lose those kind of foundational players and you're

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Speaker 2: still able to manage to to win eight, to win nine,

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Speaker 2: to win ten games as they did last year. You

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Speaker 2: must be doing something right as a.

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Speaker 4: Coach, absolutely, And you know, to go through all that

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Speaker 4: and I forget what the number is, but like the

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Speaker 4: Steelers are by far the team that has been hasn't

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Speaker 4: picked in the top ten or five in forever. I mean,

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Speaker 4: it's been like Bradshaw, like crazy long. You know, like

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Speaker 4: the Patriots are bad.

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Speaker 2: They haven't earned one, earned one, Yeah, since the nineteen

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Speaker 2: ninety nine draft or nineteen ninety nine season, I should.

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Speaker 3: Say that they've earned a top ten pick. Yeah, let

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Speaker 3: alone the top five.

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Speaker 2: That was in two thousand. They took Plexico Burus in

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Speaker 2: the top ten. That was our last top ten pick lot.

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Speaker 4: That they earned. They didn't trade into or anything like that.

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Speaker 4: That right, I mean, so you've never bottomed out. Let

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Speaker 4: alone Jordan Tomlin here obviously. You know, like Patriots are

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Speaker 4: going through a rough time, you know, I mean a

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Speaker 4: lot of these teams go through rough times. And that's

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Speaker 4: how the league set up. So you pick.

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Speaker 3: Early and you get a Caleb Williams or this is street.

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Speaker 2: The league is set up so that everything is like

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Speaker 2: an S curve. If you've ever done biology, it's they're

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Speaker 2: kind of it's like a rabbit for kundity rate, Like

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Speaker 2: you have a whole bunch of rabbits and then the

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Speaker 2: predators come in and they eat them all, and the

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Speaker 2: bottom population bottoms out and then it explodes again.

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Speaker 3: This is what happens. Yeah, in the NFL, it's set.

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Speaker 2: Up to your point that when you're you're good for

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Speaker 2: a few years, and then you bought them out. You're

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Speaker 2: good for a few years, and then you bought them up.

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Speaker 2: The outliers are those franchises like the Steelers, like even

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Speaker 2: a Dallas.

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Speaker 3: Or one of the Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's in it.

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Speaker 2: It's always in it, and so it's never you don't

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Speaker 2: see the dips and curves in it. You see it

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Speaker 2: pretty steady.

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Speaker 4: But there's a lot of dips and curves of who's

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Speaker 4: getting playing time, who's getting you know, like Patrick Peterson

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Speaker 4: had the most defensive snaps on the team.

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Speaker 2: He's currently not even on a team.

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Speaker 4: He's not even on a team a team. So it's funny.

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Speaker 4: I just saw this because Jason from Over the Cap

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Speaker 4: put this out yesterday or whatever, and it kind of

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Speaker 4: shows being competitive last year. So twenty eight percent of

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Speaker 4: the Commander's snaps from last year are currently unemployed. They're

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Speaker 4: not in the low Steelers are third, they have twenty five.

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Speaker 4: I mean only the Dolphins and Commanders have more. You know,

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Speaker 4: like the Patrick Peterson's of the world that Levi Wallace

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Speaker 4: took up with anybody with Yeah, I mean, okay, I'm

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Speaker 4: not sure he'll we make the team, you know, but

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Speaker 4: like they played with a lot I'm not saying they're

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Speaker 4: not NFL players, you know, but like Alexander's not.

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Speaker 3: With the team.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I wonder how much of that was, you know.

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Speaker 2: It's also all those guys they signed late in the

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Speaker 2: year that played a lot of snaps, a.

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Speaker 4: Lot of them at nessity, out of necessity, but they

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Speaker 4: were to the point.

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Speaker 2: You're playing, I mean, you were winning games.

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Speaker 4: They aren't good enough to be on a team right

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Speaker 4: this minute, and you still made the playoffs with a

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Speaker 4: bunch of those dudes. And they weren't the only team

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Speaker 4: signing guys off the street. So twenty five percent of

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Speaker 4: their snaps last year are unemployed. Huge number. Finished, I

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Speaker 4: mean most rosters are pretty close to set.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a huge number.

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Speaker 3: And Alan Robinson, you know, I.

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Speaker 2: Can't stress enough that that doesn't happen.

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Speaker 4: That doesn't include retirement, So like if Tom Brady retired,

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Speaker 4: I mean, it wouldn't count that.

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Speaker 2: Right, That doesn't happen if you have a bad coaching staff.

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Speaker 4: We're bad coaches right right, because I mean that doesn't

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Speaker 4: mean they had terrible players last year, but they had

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Speaker 4: a lot of borderline guys right that were on the

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Speaker 4: field a lot.

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Speaker 2: They were the thing that really kicked it off when

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Speaker 2: we somebody was talking about, yeah, we would have won

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Speaker 2: thirteen Steelers would have won thirteen games last year if

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Speaker 2: they had a good coach. I'm like, you need to

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Speaker 2: go back and take a look. If they had a

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Speaker 2: bad coach, as this guy was suggesting that, could they

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Speaker 2: probably win six or seven games right right?

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Speaker 4: I mean it was not a good offense. They had

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Speaker 4: bottom easily bottom ten maybe bottom five quarterback play. I mean,

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Speaker 4: I'm not sure Shula Hallis or whoever can win a

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Speaker 4: lot of games this league with bottom ten quarterback play,

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Speaker 4: bottom five quarterback play.

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Speaker 3: I mean, and they it needs to improve.

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Speaker 2: They had to play a certain way to make that work.

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Speaker 2: Everything had to be close to the vest yep, you know.

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Speaker 2: They the game management part of the game right right right,

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Speaker 2: we can out had to be perfect.

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Speaker 4: That had to be perfect. And I do think and

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Speaker 4: mister Rooney's said this, I mean, it's no longer okay

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Speaker 4: just to win slightly over fifty percent of your.

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Speaker 3: Games and because is not rebuilt.

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Speaker 4: Right now, it's okay, we overcame all those hard ships.

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Speaker 2: Starting to get some foundational and some new foundational pieces

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Speaker 2: to Roderick Jones, Yeah, I.

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Speaker 4: Mean, I mean, who knows what the quarterback situation will

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Speaker 4: be for the next decade, but they got no line

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Speaker 4: and now you got enough to say, Okay, now I

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Speaker 4: need more results, you know, And I think that's fair

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Speaker 4: to ask.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So I just thought that was that all kind

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Speaker 2: of is I was in round.

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Speaker 4: I don't think this head coach does know how to

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Speaker 4: win the league. No, No, I think that's to have.

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Speaker 2: A sixteen and eight record in the league's best division,

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Speaker 2: best division, to be seven and one against the Ravens.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, always good team, which.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, which is always a team that is right there

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Speaker 2: in the in the mix with it.

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Speaker 3: It's like job number one.

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Speaker 2: Sometimes you're winning. I had somebody say that to me, Uh,

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Speaker 2: work where we at? I want to say it was

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Speaker 2: the uh. At the Senior Bowl this year, somebody came

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Speaker 2: up to me and said, how in the hell did

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Speaker 2: Mike tom to get ten wins out of that Steelers team?

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Speaker 3: Right right?

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Speaker 4: I mean pretty miserable offense, remotion much of the year,

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Speaker 4: the defense had some injuries. I mean, everybody deals with

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Speaker 4: stuff again, but Cam Hayward and Minka were basically hurt

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Speaker 4: start to finish. Yeah, yeah, I mean the year before,

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Speaker 4: he didn't know what so. Yeah, getting double digit wins

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Speaker 4: out of that team is really impressive.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely. Tough schedule too, Yeah, absolutely, You're going to be

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Speaker 2: a tough schedule again this year. We'll talk about that

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Speaker 2: when we come back. He is the Matt Williamson. I'm

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Speaker 2: Dale Lollie. You're listening to the Drive here on Steelers

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Speaker 2: Nation Radio. We'll 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 Steelers Nation Radio.

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Speaker 2: We are back. I am Dale Lolli. He is the

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Speaker 2: Matt Williamson except no imitations and well man I mentioned

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Speaker 2: the today was supposed to schedule was supposed to come

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Speaker 2: out this week. Yeah, yeah, now it looks now, it

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Speaker 2: looks like it's going to come out next week. So,

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Speaker 2: but we already know who the Steelers' opponents are. We

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Speaker 2: already know what their records were, all that stuff, So

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Speaker 2: looking at.

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Speaker 3: We know where they're going to be to.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, what you don't know is the is, the where,

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Speaker 2: and the when, I should.

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Speaker 3: Say, right, all the details of it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah right, which when? To me, the win is as

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Speaker 2: important as the.

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Speaker 4: Who oh coming off bys, maybe even more so. Yeah,

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Speaker 4: I think so too. Miami early in the season, Denver

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Speaker 4: early in the season, Buffalo late in the year. You know,

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Speaker 4: I mean you wis witness at first hand for a

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Speaker 4: playoff game. I mean, it's a different world.

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Speaker 2: The Steelers are Ravens right after they played each other.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, when your bye weeks are, was that your third

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Speaker 3: road game in a.

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Speaker 2: Row, Thursday night game that you're you're on the road.

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Speaker 3: Yeah no, So I think all that's really important is

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Speaker 3: the flow of it all.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. So, looking at last year's winning percentages, the team

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Speaker 2: with the toughest schedule this year, it's the Cleveland Browns. Okay,

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Speaker 2: five forty seven opponent winning percentage last year.

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Speaker 3: Okay, the team that is.

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Speaker 2: Second, the Baltimore Ravens winning percentage last year because they

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Speaker 2: got to play each other, team is third.

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Speaker 3: The Steelers does surprise me.

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Speaker 2: The crazy part of this is the Bengals are for sixteenth.

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Speaker 2: Their their opponent winning percentages five oh two.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so.

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Speaker 4: I have the same thing we mentioned Warren Sharp last time.

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Speaker 4: He puts us out all the time is and it

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Speaker 4: changes slightly over the course of the year. If you

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Speaker 4: don't do it by opposing winning percentages last year, if

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Speaker 4: you do it by vegas over underwin totals. You know,

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Speaker 4: because the Jets are a lot different than they were

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Speaker 4: last year. I mean they got Rogers.

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Speaker 2: I will say this. I was just looking at that

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Speaker 2: the other day. The Steelers is bumped up to eight

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Speaker 2: and a half now. Their win total it had been

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Speaker 2: had been seven and a half, it's bumped eight. Remember

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Speaker 2: we talked about that a couple of weeks weeks ago

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Speaker 2: in the show pre draft. I think we did the

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Speaker 2: win totals. The Steelers were at seven and a half,

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Speaker 2: but it's like minus one sixty two, yeah, sixty five

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Speaker 2: worth time. So they bumped it to eight and a half.

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Speaker 4: Eight and a half now, So off those way of

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Speaker 4: looking at strengthen schedule Steelers have the hardest schedule in

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Speaker 4: the league. The Patriots are next, the Browns have the next,

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Speaker 4: and Ravens have the next, So three of the four

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Speaker 4: are North.

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Speaker 3: But to your point, since he's the same way, they're

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Speaker 3: like right in the middle. Yeah, I can't find him

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Speaker 3: right out there. They actually have the sixth easiest.

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Speaker 2: Which is crazy considering they play in the AFC North.

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Speaker 4: They still play the Browns twice or Evens twice, the

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Speaker 4: Steelers twice. Now, maybe this will change slightly because to

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Speaker 4: of the teams on their schedule, the Steelers win number

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Speaker 4: just went up a point a whole one, so they'll

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Speaker 4: get a little bit closer to the mean. But the

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Speaker 4: fact that they have a much easier schedule anyway you

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Speaker 4: cut it, than the rest of the vision is bizarre.

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Speaker 2: I mean, here's what they have.

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Speaker 4: Bengals, Yeah, I mean they obviously have the two games

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Speaker 4: are being last.

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Speaker 2: Their home schedule is Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh. Yeah, Denver, the Raiders,

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Speaker 2: the Eagles, the Commanders, the Patriots.

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Speaker 3: That it does sound really nice. Yeah, Eagles, I think

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Speaker 3: will be back back. They're good.

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Speaker 2: But they're away schedule Antimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas Okay, Kansas City,

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Speaker 2: the Chargers, the Giants, Panthers, the Titans. So it's a

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Speaker 2: little more.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean there's like three total hard non AFC

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Speaker 4: North games there, you know, at first blush, I mean

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Speaker 4: the Eagles, the Cowboys, the Chiefs. There was another in

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Speaker 4: there that I'm missing that was difficult.

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Speaker 2: Eagles, Cowboy, Chiefs, Chargers. Maybe it was Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City.

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Speaker 2: So those are the Giants, Panthers, Titans.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that's not bad. So that really is for them.

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Speaker 4: I think there's three non division games where I would

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Speaker 4: say they're a dog today or close to it.

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Speaker 2: Here's the thing about the Steelers schedule for next year.

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Speaker 2: The home schedule Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, the Chargers,

441
00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,199
Speaker 2: the Giants, the Jets. It's almost the exact opposite.

442
00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:56,920
Speaker 3: I think the Jets influenced us a lot.

443
00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:00,879
Speaker 2: Of Cincinnati scheduler because they where Cincinnati played at Dallas,

444
00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,240
Speaker 2: at Kansas City at the Chargers. There at least here

445
00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,719
Speaker 2: those games are all in Pittsburgh. The seasons, either one

446
00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,320
Speaker 2: of our strength of scheduled metrics account for home versus

447
00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:10,480
Speaker 2: road r either you'd rather.

448
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:12,040
Speaker 3: Get the Chiefs here, Yeah, right right.

449
00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:19,720
Speaker 2: The road schedule Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Atlanta, Denver, Indianapolis, the Raiders,

450
00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:23,200
Speaker 2: the Eagles, the Commanders. If I look at those road games,

451
00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:26,560
Speaker 2: their toughest two road games, well, I mean two of

452
00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:28,399
Speaker 2: them are in the AFC North, I'd say outside of

453
00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,080
Speaker 2: the North, Baltimore and Cincinnati. Then their toughest one is Philadelphia.

454
00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:32,280
Speaker 2: They never win in Philadelphia.

455
00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:33,640
Speaker 3: Stuff for them, right, But.

456
00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:37,639
Speaker 2: The other one is Atlanta, Denver, Indy, the Raiders, the Commanders.

457
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,640
Speaker 4: Yeah, I hope Denver's not Week one or two. That's

458
00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:43,560
Speaker 4: one of my land you know, that's one of the

459
00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:45,639
Speaker 4: things I'm definitely gonna keep an eye on. That's not

460
00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:47,959
Speaker 4: so bad. Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean there

461
00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,320
Speaker 4: are some different teams, you know, like the Jets are

462
00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,040
Speaker 4: a big one for me versus Patriots, you know it.

463
00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:57,320
Speaker 4: Cincy schedule versus is that's influencing all these metrics a lot.

464
00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:00,520
Speaker 4: But the fact that you get case here, I mean,

465
00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:05,000
Speaker 4: maybe there's a home dog game, you know, Casey's favored

466
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,320
Speaker 4: by four and a half or whatever, and you squeak

467
00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:09,960
Speaker 4: one of those out that you wouldn't have on the road. Yeah,

468
00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:12,560
Speaker 4: it might end up being one more win than you think.

469
00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,239
Speaker 4: You know, Yeah, it's all said and done. I mean,

470
00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:16,040
Speaker 4: I just I look at that road schedule and like,

471
00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:18,240
Speaker 4: not too bad. They could have a winning.

472
00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:21,600
Speaker 3: Road record, right right, Vegas at you know those aren't you.

473
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,199
Speaker 2: Do that and you figure out a way to go

474
00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,600
Speaker 2: at least four and four at home? Yeah, if you

475
00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,760
Speaker 2: could say with the I mean, the home schedule is

476
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,160
Speaker 2: a much more difficult schedule.

477
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,400
Speaker 3: But I'm sure Dallas isn't thrilled about coming.

478
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:36,200
Speaker 2: Here, especially if it's in December.

479
00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,240
Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, yeah, which comes back to, yeah, it'll

480
00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:40,879
Speaker 4: be interested when the schedule release.

481
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,640
Speaker 2: Schedule comes set up. How the hell breaks down?

482
00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:46,840
Speaker 4: It is nice at the better teams are at home. Yeah,

483
00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:47,560
Speaker 4: that's interesting.

484
00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,560
Speaker 2: You get Kansas City on a Thursday night game or

485
00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:50,840
Speaker 2: something like that, right.

486
00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:52,520
Speaker 3: Or in Casey on Thursday night yuck?

487
00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:56,159
Speaker 2: You know yeah, right, a big difference. Yeah, so you

488
00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:57,720
Speaker 2: know that part of it kind of works out for

489
00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:04,280
Speaker 2: the Steelers. Some of those other Houston Green Bay. Houston

490
00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,640
Speaker 2: and green Bay tied for the fourth most difficult schedule

491
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:11,080
Speaker 2: based on last year's records. Then you got the Giants,

492
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:16,960
Speaker 2: Bills tied for sixth. Tied for eighth are the Jaguars

493
00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:23,080
Speaker 2: Raiders and Patriots. Eleventh is Detroit, a bunch of teams,

494
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,280
Speaker 2: three teams tied for four teams tied for twelfth. That's

495
00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,760
Speaker 2: the Rams, forty nine, Ers, Cowboys, and Jets. Then you

496
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:33,280
Speaker 2: get the Bengals, Commanders, Vikings, and Chiefs all tied for sixteenth.

497
00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,960
Speaker 2: Everybody under sixteenth has it faces a schedule that has

498
00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:40,480
Speaker 2: a less than five hundred winning percent from last year

499
00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:41,080
Speaker 2: from last year.

500
00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:44,080
Speaker 3: Is Atlanta thirty two. They're like a distant thirty two.

501
00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:47,560
Speaker 2: Atlanta is thirty. Actually they're tied for thirty thirty first

502
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:48,480
Speaker 2: with the Saints.

503
00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:50,959
Speaker 4: Okay, both at a fourth division. Those were the two

504
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:52,080
Speaker 4: easy schedules last year.

505
00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:54,719
Speaker 2: I mean that's so you look at it. The bottom

506
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:59,760
Speaker 2: of this is Atlanta, New Orleans, Chicago, Carolina, Los Angeles,

507
00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:03,800
Speaker 2: charge in Tampa Bay. So the entire NFC South. Yeah,

508
00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,040
Speaker 2: it has the easiest because they all play each other.

509
00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,320
Speaker 3: They all play each other and no one is ran

510
00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:09,120
Speaker 3: away the last year.

511
00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,320
Speaker 4: Yeah, so they looking at it based off wind totals

512
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,919
Speaker 4: or you know, win projections, Atlanta's far and away the easiest. Yeah,

513
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,879
Speaker 4: and then it's the Chargers, Bears, Jets, Saints, Bengals.

514
00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,840
Speaker 3: So I don't know people that bet and look it

515
00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,920
Speaker 3: over under wind totals and stuff. I urge you to.

516
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,320
Speaker 4: Pay attention to this stuff, you know, because seventeen game schedule,

517
00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:32,639
Speaker 4: it doesn't all even out right, I mean, when it's

518
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:34,400
Speaker 4: all said and done, it won't end up this way.

519
00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:37,679
Speaker 4: You know, chances that the Steelers finished the season with

520
00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,160
Speaker 4: the hardest schedule was probably slim because you might play

521
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:47,920
Speaker 4: guys get hurting, et cetera. But having betting the over

522
00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,399
Speaker 4: for the Falcons is a lot different than betting the

523
00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:52,359
Speaker 4: over for the Steelers, you know, just in terms of

524
00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:53,320
Speaker 4: what they have to face.

525
00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,000
Speaker 3: Because it's only seventeen games.

526
00:24:54,800 --> 00:25:00,320
Speaker 2: Right right, so you know, I think it's it's significant.

527
00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:01,959
Speaker 3: But this also is unusual for the Steelers.

528
00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,520
Speaker 2: Go back to the war for them.

529
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,400
Speaker 3: I mean if six seventeenths are AFC North games adds

530
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:10,160
Speaker 3: a pretty quick yeah. I mean there none of them are,

531
00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:11,680
Speaker 3: you know, the three win type team.

532
00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,119
Speaker 2: It seems like we're doing this every year with the

533
00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:15,200
Speaker 2: Sea as well. This this schedule is wow.

534
00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:15,680
Speaker 3: Yeah.

535
00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:17,240
Speaker 2: You know last year as well, they get in a

536
00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:18,119
Speaker 2: much easier schedule.

537
00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:21,040
Speaker 4: It was like twelfth, Yeah, and that's you take that

538
00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:22,760
Speaker 4: like next year if it's twelfth, like Oh, it's a

539
00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,520
Speaker 4: little easier than yea is at this point. And I was,

540
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,840
Speaker 4: to be honest, when when we figured out the teams

541
00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:30,720
Speaker 4: exactly like as soon as the season ended and you

542
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:32,760
Speaker 4: could do the math of what teams were going to be,

543
00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:35,960
Speaker 4: I didn't think it looked all that bad. But when

544
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:37,800
Speaker 4: you start stacking it versus other.

545
00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,320
Speaker 3: Schedules, it's pretty rough. Yeah, it just is. And it's

546
00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:42,160
Speaker 3: the way it's going to be. I'm excited to see

547
00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:43,720
Speaker 3: the sequence of going over it all.

548
00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, that'll be the the interesting part of this all.

549
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:50,520
Speaker 2: And you know, the thing to remember is that, you know,

550
00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:53,880
Speaker 2: the other AFC North teams outside of Cincinnati also played

551
00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:57,400
Speaker 2: difficult schedules. Yeah, which made you know, it makes those

552
00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,479
Speaker 2: AFC North games mean all that much more, you know,

553
00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,080
Speaker 2: because you're not you know, you know the Ravens, you know,

554
00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:07,800
Speaker 2: the Browns also have very difficult schedules. So if you

555
00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:11,159
Speaker 2: can beat those teams, yeah, it's like I mean, normally

556
00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,280
Speaker 2: it's like a double win because you're giving them a

557
00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,360
Speaker 2: loss and you're also winning a game. But with those schedules,

558
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:18,639
Speaker 2: it just magnifies that.

559
00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:19,600
Speaker 3: It absolutely does.

560
00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,240
Speaker 4: And I know the Steelers have had the most success,

561
00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:25,880
Speaker 4: you know, We just cited this last segment the most

562
00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:29,040
Speaker 4: success within divisional games, and the Browns have had the least.

563
00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:31,760
Speaker 4: But I think if you were if you could ask

564
00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,560
Speaker 4: all four head coaches, I'd let you be.

565
00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,679
Speaker 3: Four and two in the division. I think it'd all

566
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:37,120
Speaker 3: say yes.

567
00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:38,280
Speaker 2: Yeah.

568
00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,880
Speaker 3: I mean, I'm not going fish on that if you look.

569
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,160
Speaker 2: At it so in every cause I just looked at

570
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,720
Speaker 2: It's funny. Warren tweeted this out. I had just done

571
00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,199
Speaker 2: this five for Friday. The Steelers were sixteen and eight

572
00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,840
Speaker 2: since twenty twenty five and one last year, Yeah, three

573
00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,040
Speaker 2: and three. The year before that, the entire division was

574
00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,360
Speaker 2: three and three. Yeah, strange, four and two and four

575
00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,560
Speaker 2: and two, that's what their record has been within the

576
00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:00,280
Speaker 2: division to.

577
00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:02,959
Speaker 3: It worst is five hundred. Yeah. I would still take

578
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:04,040
Speaker 3: four and two and be happy.

579
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:04,560
Speaker 2: Yeah.

580
00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:07,800
Speaker 4: I do think the Ravens are a little lesser. I

581
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,560
Speaker 4: think the Bengals are a little better. Browns are about

582
00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:12,520
Speaker 4: the same as when we saw them last and then

583
00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,040
Speaker 4: that's its Burrow really for the Bengals.

584
00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:15,920
Speaker 3: But I think the Steelers are better. Yeah.

585
00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,959
Speaker 2: I mean, every every time we've done which team has

586
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,840
Speaker 2: helped itself the most with this offseason? The Steelers are

587
00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:23,879
Speaker 2: one of the five teams. Every time that are mentioned,

588
00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:26,240
Speaker 2: whether you're talking about the draft, whether you're talking about

589
00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:29,160
Speaker 2: free agency, it doesn't seem to matter. They they back

590
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,120
Speaker 2: up done really well on all that stuff, and yet

591
00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:34,920
Speaker 2: the win the win total doesn't.

592
00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,880
Speaker 3: Match it because they place their stuffed.

593
00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:38,440
Speaker 2: Because they play this tough schedule. But I look at that,

594
00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:41,879
Speaker 2: I'm like, do we not understand this team's DNA?

595
00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:43,320
Speaker 3: Right? Right?

596
00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,440
Speaker 4: Like I'm curious. I mean, Vegas knows a lot of

597
00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,160
Speaker 4: stuff and I think there's a lot to learn from them.

598
00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:49,680
Speaker 4: And that's a big reason we cite Warren Sharp so

599
00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,240
Speaker 4: much too. He's got a betting background. Like if the

600
00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:55,880
Speaker 4: Steelers were playing the same teams Atlanta is scheduled to play,

601
00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,439
Speaker 4: but they're over under wind, total be ten and a half.

602
00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:00,480
Speaker 4: I mean, it go from a and a half to

603
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:02,159
Speaker 4: ten and a half. That's a monster jump.

604
00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:03,040
Speaker 3: I bet it would.

605
00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:03,480
Speaker 2: Yeah.

606
00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:04,879
Speaker 3: I mean it's not how the world works.

607
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,040
Speaker 4: But you know, if for you to play the Saints

608
00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:10,200
Speaker 4: twice and the Panthers twice and doesn't sound so bad.

609
00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,719
Speaker 2: No, not at all, But that's it. I mean it's

610
00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,240
Speaker 2: the NFL. You know, any team can win in any

611
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,880
Speaker 2: given week, and where you play them. When you play them.

612
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,119
Speaker 4: Is big is a big part of that. Yeah, and

613
00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,840
Speaker 4: that's benefited them against Baltimore too. I mean, they haven't

614
00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:25,760
Speaker 4: had to face Lamar as much as you'd think, but

615
00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,720
Speaker 4: they also haven't had great quarterbacks themselves in those games.

616
00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,920
Speaker 3: They also handled pretty well too, more than anybody.

617
00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:33,320
Speaker 2: Yeah.

618
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,879
Speaker 3: So yeah, let's get to another mark. Knowing your opponent.

619
00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:38,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, and knowing how to beat that those opponents.

620
00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:41,240
Speaker 4: I actually did a podcast talking about the other three

621
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:45,360
Speaker 4: teams uh draft classes, and I labeled it, you know,

622
00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,880
Speaker 4: keep your friends close, but your enemy's closer. You got

623
00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:50,120
Speaker 4: to know these guys Steelers know. This seems really really

624
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:50,480
Speaker 4: well to.

625
00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,400
Speaker 2: That's why I, you know, I and I wrote this

626
00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:56,520
Speaker 2: last week in my five for Friday that the fact

627
00:28:56,520 --> 00:29:01,880
Speaker 2: that the Steelers draft five of their pre draft visitors

628
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,560
Speaker 2: m hm shows me they had a very good understanding

629
00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:06,240
Speaker 2: of this draft.

630
00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:09,720
Speaker 4: Absolutely, And we talked about the time too, even like

631
00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:13,360
Speaker 4: the Picket and Deonte trades, moving from an area of

632
00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,520
Speaker 4: the draft, they didn't really like the spots they did

633
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,320
Speaker 4: that were rich in those departments.

634
00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:20,960
Speaker 2: You know, that was all calculated, but knowing, okay, we're

635
00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,640
Speaker 2: going to bring in these eight or nine guys. These

636
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,120
Speaker 2: one of these guys is probably going to be our

637
00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,920
Speaker 2: first round pick. Yeah, but then also being able to

638
00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:29,960
Speaker 2: do that in the second round. It's easy to the

639
00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:32,800
Speaker 2: first round, the third round, yeah, into the fourth and

640
00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,960
Speaker 2: fifth rounds. Like that's that's showing some pretty a pretty

641
00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,200
Speaker 2: good understanding of how that draft is going to fall.

642
00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,960
Speaker 4: Yeah, And so I don't know that any true of

643
00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,640
Speaker 4: this at all, but I bet their draft board was

644
00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,920
Speaker 4: smaller than usual. You know, like the Patriots are historic,

645
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,120
Speaker 4: you don't need three hundred names on your draft board.

646
00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,680
Speaker 4: I think if people understand that part, the Patriots historically

647
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,560
Speaker 4: have like one hundred because they were looking for such

648
00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,120
Speaker 4: a certain type. Yeah, and they didn't draft particularly well.

649
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:01,680
Speaker 4: But I bet the Steelers draft board is even smaller

650
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,680
Speaker 4: this year. Like if you don't show toughness or willingness

651
00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:07,520
Speaker 4: to block as a receiver, like, hey, we're not interested

652
00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:07,800
Speaker 4: this year.

653
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:09,200
Speaker 3: You know, we're not making any sense.

654
00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:12,160
Speaker 2: It's the same like the defensive alignment. Yeah, like there's

655
00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:16,160
Speaker 2: a certain height parameters and yeah, he's got to fall

656
00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,320
Speaker 2: into these parameters otherwise or not. So there were like

657
00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:20,080
Speaker 2: five of those in the entire draft.

658
00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,040
Speaker 4: Right, right, And if we're gonna get one, Chances are

659
00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:23,480
Speaker 4: I'm not gonna get one in this area of the

660
00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,080
Speaker 4: draft or this area of the draft, you know, knowing

661
00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:27,280
Speaker 4: those pockets, but it's.

662
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:31,000
Speaker 2: Also not only knowing the draft itself, but having a

663
00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,200
Speaker 2: pretty good idea of what everybody else was going to

664
00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:34,760
Speaker 2: be doing too.

665
00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:39,520
Speaker 4: Yes, and no one thinks about your pro scouts during

666
00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,800
Speaker 4: the draft process. And they do get involved, like they'll

667
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:45,600
Speaker 4: cross check tight ends or whatever you have them do something.

668
00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:48,400
Speaker 4: You know, they're not just watching Seahawk and Ram tape

669
00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,760
Speaker 4: all off season, but they are huge for that where

670
00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:54,360
Speaker 4: they tell you it's back to the Zach Fraser thing.

671
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:58,080
Speaker 4: Like I'm sure there was an in depth conversation, who

672
00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:00,760
Speaker 4: are who are we fighting with on centers? You know,

673
00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:04,120
Speaker 4: the free agents have hit the board. Who realistically could

674
00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:07,320
Speaker 4: take Fraser? You know, or a top fifty over or

675
00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,320
Speaker 4: top fifty one pick could go to a center. And

676
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:12,760
Speaker 4: I bet when Power Johnson fell, they went, ooh, he's

677
00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,400
Speaker 4: also he's a guard too, you know. Yeah, But I

678
00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:19,120
Speaker 4: mean teams like Carolina they need a center bad, but

679
00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:22,680
Speaker 4: they they're so bad. I'm sure the Carolina pro scoyle

680
00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,560
Speaker 4: was like, maybe they would take Fraser, but their receiver need.

681
00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:27,400
Speaker 3: Is just so massive. I doubt it's gonna be a

682
00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:28,200
Speaker 3: top fifty pick.

683
00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:28,560
Speaker 2: Yeah.

684
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, And it's just calculations, you know, it's like playing Blackjacker. Yeah.

685
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:36,320
Speaker 2: Those guys in an outstanding job of manipulating the draft

686
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:38,080
Speaker 2: to the point where they didn't even have to move

687
00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,360
Speaker 2: right right to get the guys that they wanted.

688
00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:43,320
Speaker 4: And I wonder if again, the Pickett and Johnson things

689
00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:46,000
Speaker 4: were their trade ups, you know, like, I don't like

690
00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,320
Speaker 4: this pick. Here is nothing we're not going to find needs.

691
00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,520
Speaker 4: Let's get out of round five and get a third. Yeah,

692
00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:52,760
Speaker 4: absolutely worth the player.

693
00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:54,960
Speaker 2: Let's get to a break. He is the Matt Williamson.

694
00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,000
Speaker 2: I'm Dale Lolly. You're listening to the Drive here on

695
00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:04,400
Speaker 2: Steelers Nation Radio. We'll be back with more right after this.

696
00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:07,719
Speaker 1: This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson

697
00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,320
Speaker 1: on your twenty four to seven home of the Black

698
00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:11,600
Speaker 1: and GOLDNR.

699
00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,240
Speaker 3: Steelers Nation Radio.

700
00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:19,080
Speaker 2: Stealer fans, you can gear up with the latest sideline

701
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,959
Speaker 2: apparelhats or jerseys of your favorite players, authentic memorabilia, custom items,

702
00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,480
Speaker 2: and exclusives you can only find directly from the team

703
00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:27,880
Speaker 2: at one of the official Steelers pro shops that are

704
00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:31,520
Speaker 2: located at Akrosher Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets. We're Tanger

705
00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:34,960
Speaker 2: Outlets where you can visit online at shop dot Steelers

706
00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,200
Speaker 2: dot com. He is the Matt Williamson. I'm Dale Lolly

707
00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:42,280
Speaker 2: and this is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio and Matt.

708
00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:46,719
Speaker 2: Some reports out there that the Steelers are signing former

709
00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:51,920
Speaker 2: Tampa Bay and Atlanta wide receiver Scottie Miller, former Bowling

710
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,360
Speaker 2: Green product. He's a pure slot receiver.

711
00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:58,240
Speaker 3: A few of his official heights and weights.

712
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,480
Speaker 2: I know it's five, Okay, I knew he was like

713
00:33:01,480 --> 00:33:05,760
Speaker 2: Austin's eye, you know, right. Yeah, but his best season

714
00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:09,880
Speaker 2: came in twenty twenty with the Buccaneers. Thirty three catches,

715
00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,360
Speaker 2: five hundred and one yards, three touchdowns. That's fifteen point

716
00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:14,600
Speaker 2: two yards per catch average.

717
00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:16,920
Speaker 4: Yeah, I say, and from what I I just hard

718
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:20,040
Speaker 4: just a second ago. But I don't know the player great,

719
00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:22,800
Speaker 4: But I do think he's a speed slot. Yeah, you know,

720
00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:25,160
Speaker 4: I mean Austin comes to mind. I mean it's maybe

721
00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:29,640
Speaker 4: a comp I think Austin's probably faster. Another Falcon from

722
00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,680
Speaker 4: a year ago. I mean, he's gonna know the system.

723
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:37,520
Speaker 4: I so all of a sudden, you know, Pickens and

724
00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:41,320
Speaker 4: Wilson aside, Like, I think we know they're making this right.

725
00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:46,520
Speaker 2: I feels like six guys for seven guys for four spots.

726
00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,680
Speaker 4: For maybe two or three spots that has all said

727
00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:52,280
Speaker 4: that have NFL experience. Yeah, I mean it's throwing a

728
00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:53,880
Speaker 4: bunch of stuff against a fan to me and see

729
00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:57,400
Speaker 4: what sticks and hopefully. I still don't think they're done,

730
00:33:57,560 --> 00:33:59,440
Speaker 4: you know, like if the thing is something.

731
00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:01,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, some big came up that they could make a move.

732
00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:03,280
Speaker 2: I think they you know, they certainly do it.

733
00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:06,800
Speaker 4: I'd be a little worried if from Austin yet again though,

734
00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:11,080
Speaker 4: I mean he's he's the only incumbent of the group

735
00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:14,040
Speaker 4: of that, you know, and they keep bringing in guys

736
00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:15,480
Speaker 4: of his level, you know.

737
00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:18,120
Speaker 2: Well, I mean he's got to step up and you know,

738
00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:22,160
Speaker 2: become what they thought he could be. You know. I

739
00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:24,640
Speaker 2: think coming out of the draft, I didn't look at

740
00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:28,160
Speaker 2: him as as a just a slot either. I looked

741
00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:30,840
Speaker 2: at him as a wide receiver who just happened to

742
00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:32,720
Speaker 2: be smaller than most he played on the outside.

743
00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:35,720
Speaker 4: Memphis Ton, Yeah, a ton like ninety percent of snaps

744
00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:36,920
Speaker 4: and one consistently.

745
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:39,600
Speaker 3: I just think that they're showing that they're not counting

746
00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:40,000
Speaker 3: on him.

747
00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:42,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, but he might take a big step.

748
00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:46,280
Speaker 2: You know, his speed is something that that is very real. Yeah, nobody.

749
00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:48,319
Speaker 2: They don't have another guy with that kind of speed.

750
00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:51,759
Speaker 3: Maybe, yeah, but I mean I think they.

751
00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:53,920
Speaker 4: I think Austin wins a race of all the receivers,

752
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:56,640
Speaker 4: you know, without question. But maybe Wilson can move to

753
00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,399
Speaker 4: But I mean of that Tho's foursome, I don't any

754
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:01,880
Speaker 4: of them a guarantee to roster spot. I mean, I

755
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,520
Speaker 4: would guess Van Jefferson probably is the best chance of

756
00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:08,120
Speaker 4: making the team out of those four or five guys.

757
00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:10,439
Speaker 2: I would say that's probably fair.

758
00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,320
Speaker 4: None of them are guaranteed it. I mean, I haven't

759
00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:16,360
Speaker 4: seen this latest contract, but I'm sure.

760
00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:16,960
Speaker 3: It's I'm sure it's so.

761
00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,600
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm sure the contract reflects that you're not guaranteed

762
00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:21,160
Speaker 4: to make the teams.

763
00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,320
Speaker 2: Yeah. It's a one year probably veteran minimum.

764
00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:25,520
Speaker 3: Not a big bonus or anything like that.

765
00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:29,160
Speaker 2: People discount the Van Jefferson's signing.

766
00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:32,160
Speaker 3: He's an interesting player. You know, you're talking.

767
00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:37,759
Speaker 2: About a guy here that in twenty twenty one, which

768
00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:42,000
Speaker 2: isn't all that long ago, he started all seventeen games

769
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:47,239
Speaker 2: for the Rank the Ram right, eighty nine targets, which

770
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,600
Speaker 2: is double that's double ed. You know what he's gotten

771
00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:52,520
Speaker 2: in any other time in his career. Fifty catches for

772
00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,200
Speaker 2: eight hundred and two yards in six touchdowns.

773
00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:56,000
Speaker 3: Yeah.

774
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,040
Speaker 2: If they get fifty catches for eight hundred and two

775
00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,080
Speaker 2: yards and six touchdowns out of Van Jefferson and.

776
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:04,120
Speaker 4: Highly successful pick up, then right, Yeah, I mean he's

777
00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,359
Speaker 4: capable of that type of stuff. You know, I think

778
00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:09,359
Speaker 4: he timed really well. But I don't see him as

779
00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:12,319
Speaker 4: a speed demon. I think he's more of an intermediate. Yeah,

780
00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:15,319
Speaker 4: more of a slot for people don't know. His dad

781
00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:19,240
Speaker 4: was an NFL wide receiver coach. Like he's well versed

782
00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:21,680
Speaker 4: in getting off the line of scrimmage and the nuances

783
00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:23,880
Speaker 4: of it. I mean, he doesn't just win with size

784
00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:25,960
Speaker 4: speed gifts, you know what I mean. Like he's been

785
00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,360
Speaker 4: well coached. I think he'll make the team of the group.

786
00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:33,800
Speaker 4: But him and Watkins and Austin and all these dudes

787
00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:36,560
Speaker 4: really aren't that dissimilar in terms of, like what's your

788
00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:37,799
Speaker 4: value to an NFL team?

789
00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:39,919
Speaker 3: You know, I think there are a lot of four.

790
00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:42,960
Speaker 2: He's the one that can play on the outside the most, though.

791
00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:45,680
Speaker 3: I would say so people think Watkins is that he

792
00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:46,440
Speaker 3: hasn't at all.

793
00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:48,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's like thirty. His snaps have come out on

794
00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:51,120
Speaker 2: the out side, and that's probably when somebody else motioned

795
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:51,680
Speaker 2: inside him.

796
00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:54,440
Speaker 4: That's probably I mean, aj Brown, DeVante Smith are going

797
00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:58,440
Speaker 4: to get those those reps. But maybe he's capable. But man,

798
00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:05,360
Speaker 4: so we brought up the names like Traylon Burkes and Slayton.

799
00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:08,600
Speaker 4: I think I would take my chances on either one

800
00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:13,520
Speaker 4: of those over this foursome of you know what's out

801
00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,000
Speaker 4: there now. And I don't think any of them would

802
00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,600
Speaker 4: be the answer. But would you still be in the

803
00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:21,319
Speaker 4: market for somebody like that on the cheap. It'd have

804
00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:24,440
Speaker 4: to be honest, like, definitely be on the cheap. The

805
00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:28,359
Speaker 4: Titans just signed Tyler Boyd. Yeah, they've got an over

806
00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:32,319
Speaker 4: abundance of wide receivers. Hopkins isn't going anywhere, Ridley's not

807
00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:35,120
Speaker 4: going anywhere. Westbrook A Kinney they just signed. That's four

808
00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:38,040
Speaker 4: they're making team right now. And this staff didn't draft

809
00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:41,360
Speaker 4: Burks get him for six round pick, seventh round pick.

810
00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:43,200
Speaker 2: If I can get him or a ken A, you know,

811
00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:45,640
Speaker 2: Westbrook and Kenney off of them for one of those

812
00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:46,560
Speaker 2: sevens next year.

813
00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:50,040
Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, that's you upgraded your room. I don't think

814
00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:51,839
Speaker 3: you fixed your room, but you upgraded your room.

815
00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:55,920
Speaker 2: You're taking another body, and another young body in the.

816
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,200
Speaker 3: Case of both of those guys, and personal the first

817
00:37:58,239 --> 00:37:59,080
Speaker 3: round pick two years.

818
00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:00,879
Speaker 2: Ago, and you were saying, Okay, let's see what let's

819
00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:01,720
Speaker 2: see what you got.

820
00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:02,680
Speaker 3: Here, so real quick.

821
00:38:02,719 --> 00:38:05,680
Speaker 4: On Burks, he has been really frustrating and frankly, I

822
00:38:05,719 --> 00:38:08,200
Speaker 4: didn't think he was a great pick at the time.

823
00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:11,640
Speaker 4: But that's they traded AJ Brown on draft Day and

824
00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:15,000
Speaker 4: drafted Burkes, hoping to do the Diggs Jefferson swap, which

825
00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:17,840
Speaker 4: did never work out for them. Yeah, but they misused

826
00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:20,719
Speaker 4: Burkes really badly. Like if you watched them at Arkansas,

827
00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:24,440
Speaker 4: he was gadgety, but he certainly is more of a

828
00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:27,759
Speaker 4: big slot power player. They lined them up on the

829
00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:29,800
Speaker 4: line of scrimmage and had him try to be press

830
00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:32,799
Speaker 4: coverage like he was AJ Brown, and he's It was

831
00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:35,759
Speaker 4: really poor usage of him. I'm not saying he's a

832
00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:39,560
Speaker 4: hit or he would even be an asset to any team,

833
00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:42,760
Speaker 4: but there's ability there. He's really good after the catch.

834
00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:45,719
Speaker 4: He's kind of like a bigger Malachi Corley, you know.

835
00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:49,160
Speaker 4: And if they asked Corley to just sit there and

836
00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:52,839
Speaker 4: be Garrett Wilson, it's not going to work. So I'd

837
00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,120
Speaker 4: love to see him in a new spot used differently.

838
00:38:55,719 --> 00:38:58,799
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think the idea is, hey, you're

839
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:02,319
Speaker 2: not not necessarily going to get a Brandon Ayuk or

840
00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:05,560
Speaker 2: someone of that. Probably that that's not gonna happen. But

841
00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,800
Speaker 2: if you throw enough guys, enough bodies at it, somebody

842
00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:12,600
Speaker 2: will somebody just stand out. Yeah, somebody's gonna stand out

843
00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,640
Speaker 2: as Hey, that guy's you know, is he Is he

844
00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:18,839
Speaker 2: a great number two or number No? Probably not, but.

845
00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:22,239
Speaker 3: I can win with them. Yeah, the hopes, I mean, and.

846
00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:23,680
Speaker 2: If you're going to run the football as much as

847
00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:25,280
Speaker 2: we think the Steelers are going to run the football,

848
00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:29,000
Speaker 2: then maybe you know, it doesn't necessarily kill you to

849
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,799
Speaker 2: have you know, I can I can harken back to

850
00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:34,840
Speaker 2: the days when they were rotating their starting wide receivers

851
00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:38,840
Speaker 2: with Ernie Mills and and you know, Andrea Hastings and those.

852
00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:41,400
Speaker 3: Guys Charles Johnson, and they.

853
00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:47,600
Speaker 2: Were all okay, you know, and then finally finally, you know,

854
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:50,319
Speaker 2: emerged as as you know, the number one guy. But

855
00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:52,040
Speaker 2: you you've already got the number one. You know who

856
00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:54,480
Speaker 2: it is. Now you just have to find those other

857
00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:56,160
Speaker 2: guys and slot them into the right spots.

858
00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:58,759
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't love it.

859
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:01,200
Speaker 4: And to be honest, I mean, it'd be great if

860
00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:05,440
Speaker 4: there was a one slash two on this roster, but you.

861
00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:06,200
Speaker 3: Can't have everything.

862
00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:09,880
Speaker 4: I don't know that any of those dudes that they've signed,

863
00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:13,160
Speaker 4: including Austin, are going to work out and be hits.

864
00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:16,719
Speaker 4: But I don't have a problem with where they're sitting now,

865
00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:18,879
Speaker 4: taking more and more bites at the apple. And even

866
00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:20,400
Speaker 4: if it was a slate, and I feel.

867
00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:22,600
Speaker 2: Better about this than if they had gone out and

868
00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:26,439
Speaker 2: drafted three rookie wide receivers and they're going to say, Okay,

869
00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:28,040
Speaker 2: these three guys are going to be on the roster.

870
00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:31,080
Speaker 2: And you know, when you step you step in the

871
00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:32,880
Speaker 2: Baltimore November and.

872
00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:33,839
Speaker 3: And uh, nobody knows what they're doing.

873
00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:35,600
Speaker 2: Joe Blow has to step out there for the first

874
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:38,000
Speaker 2: time on the on the on the turf out there,

875
00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:38,960
Speaker 2: and what's he going to do?

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Speaker 3: Right?

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Speaker 2: These guys are all guys who who've done it at

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00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:43,000
Speaker 2: the NFL level.

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Speaker 4: Two of which just worked with the offense coordinator last year.

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00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:48,879
Speaker 4: And you know, so no, I think they're all NFL players. Yeah, Yeah,

881
00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:52,920
Speaker 4: so six and seventh round receivers might not be Yeah.

882
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Speaker 3: So, I mean I think they're They're not sitting on

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00:40:56,480 --> 00:40:57,319
Speaker 3: their hands.

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00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:00,200
Speaker 2: No, I mean there. I'm sure they're certainly trying to

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Speaker 2: address it without mortgaging the future.

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00:41:03,239 --> 00:41:04,680
Speaker 3: I think they're looking under every rock.

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00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:06,640
Speaker 2: Yeah right, and they can still do something else.

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00:41:06,719 --> 00:41:08,160
Speaker 3: Oh, I don't think they're close to being done.

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Speaker 2: Yea, if need be, let's get to another break. He

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Speaker 2: is the Matt Williamson. I'm Dale Lollie. You're listening to

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Speaker 2: the drive here on Steelers Nation Radio. That's going to

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Speaker 2: do it for our number one. We'll be back with

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Speaker 2: our number two of the show right after this