October 13, 2025 • 32 mins
Mark continues to talk about the stories of the day, Steelers win and James Franklin being fired. Matt Williamson joins to weigh in on the Steelers win over the Browns
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Mark Mannon show, Too Hot to Handle
for twenty nine years on Pittsburgh Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
A three three four one two.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
W XDX is the number to call, or you can
follow me on Twitter at mark mann X. Boy, did
the Ravens suck? I gonna use my vocal five voice
to emphasize they suck in the tank. I'm conditional surrender
(00:30):
that game yesterday, the Steeler game. It defies analysis, like
every like talking point I brought up in this monologue.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
That's it. That's the list.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Uh football one oh one always does defy analysis. But
four and one here we are, and now Cincinnati gonna
be five and one.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And really I'm dazed and confused.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
I'm too sick to clog to do the baselide, I
can't do it.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
How do I feel about four to one? How do
you feel? How to starblin feel? It's like next game up?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
No big picture, but the defense is finally great, not good,
but great, worthy of its price tag against Cleveland for now.
But you're what Jamar Chase said, the Steelers are coming.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
We do.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
We have that SoundBite.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
You gotta hear this soud bye this Jamar Chase talking
about what the Steelers are gonna come the Cincinnati looking.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
To do what this next game is always the most
important game is because of divisional game also, but just
the rankings that we got going on the standards where
we are right now. We know Steelers don't try to
come in and raw doggas and kill us. But we're
gonna be ready for that challenge and we're gonna be
waiting for it.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Raw dog on brass. That costs extra. Ask that Penguins winger.
He'll tell you.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
We'll get a little Penguins talk in a little bit later.
But with the Steelers, like I keep saying, you're probably
bored with me saying it, But that's too bad. It
begs a bigger question. Can you win in today's NFL?
Can you win playoff games in today's NFL with an
approach primarily based on defense? Because when it's nine to
(02:26):
three against Cleveland at halftime, your approach is obviously based
on defense. First, they laid up for field goals, make
sure we get three. If Bos would have blown out
his knee on the bad turf, that would have changed
the game plan. No offense to Bos, but maybe that
would have been best for the sake of entertainments, and
(02:48):
to win in that method yesterday, and to keep winning
by just playing d and leading a high three at
halftime against good teams, that would be a quantum shit
in how football is played.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I mean, think about this. If you watch Red.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Zone yesterday instead of the Steeler game in the first half,
you didn't see the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
You just didn't.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Maybe I'm DeBie Donner and I'm not gonna lie that
I can go for helseyon right now. Maybe I'm thinking
too much. Maybe I should enjoy four and one like
we all enjoy ten and three. Maybe I should have
a shot and a beer in a helcion. And now
I feel like the show sucks because I'm not embracing
(03:37):
the communal joy of Connor Hayward scoring a touchdown. I
feel bad that I just can't buy in to the
mascot scoring a touchdown. But on a lighter note, baseball sucks.
Get your calls in, by the way, let's talk today.
I'm sick, I need company. I'm lonely. Eight three three
(03:58):
four one TWODX.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Baseball sucks.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
He had that great fifteen inning game to decide the
division series between Detroit Seattle and Detroit's a Scooble, who
is the left handed skiings.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
He is a bad mfort. He's really freaking good. He
can deal.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
And he pitched six innings in that game, ninety nine pitches,
lights out, and his last pitch in the sixth was
one one hundred and one miles per hour. And he
struck on cal Rawley, the presumptive American League MVP. And
then right after that, after he struck on cal Rawley
at one oh one mph, Detroit pulled Schooble. Detroit pulled
(04:46):
Scooble with the season on the line. I think they
were head by one. They pulled Scooble. You got that
guy specifically to pitch that game, Sounless. His arm hurts,
and I bet it didn't let him keep going. The
priority there can't be protecting Schooble's arm at the expense
(05:07):
of winning an elimination game in the friggin' Alds. You
just can't worry about the guy's arm unless he tells
you he hurts, and he tells you to worry about it.
But I don't think he wanted to come out. Invited
me a Blake Snell like for Tampa NetWorld Series game
against La elimination game where Snell like, you know, you
could tell visibly on the mind he did not want
(05:27):
to come out of the game for Tampa.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
But the priority want to protect his arm. You know
what else you'll hear.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I didn't see the round up afterwards because I just
hated what happened so much. I mean I didn't watch
the rest of the game. Once they pulled him, I go, Okay,
this ain't how baseball is supposed to be. All y'all
can go after yourselves, but uh, they're gonna say that
(05:55):
crap probably about how oh third time through the order,
blah blah blah. The ware was dealing. He could have
gone three, four, five, ten, twenty times in the order,
and as long as he was dealing, I left him
in there. And you know what, when he stops dealing,
you'll know it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
You'll know it.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
You're not stupid, Well, actually you are if you pulled him.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
And in that vein.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Some baseball purest After that game was on Twitter, I
was like, see, that's why you don't use the stupid
ghost runner. Actually that's exactly why you do use the
ghost runner, because who has time.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
For fifteen innings?
Speaker 1 (06:35):
But that's in the regular season, the ghost Runner is
a OK in the regular season. In the playoffs not
so much. The playoffs are different. Four one two three
three three Wait that's wrong. A three three four one
two WXDX. Does anybody out there Pet State fans? I
think they should have fired Franklin. And here's the thing,
(06:56):
you Pet State fanser dopes. You Pet fans, you're bigger dopes.
I'm not picking on anybody but your Pet State fans. Okay,
you wanted him fired, I guarantee you'll call up and
give me the reasons why, and I'll pick you to
shreds because logic dictates he should not have been. And
when they hire whoever they hire, you will see right
(07:17):
quick that they should not have Give an example. They're
gonna try for Kurtzing that you not get him. They're
just not would you leave Indiana to coach pet State?
They're gonna get this Matt Rule guy, and you're gonna
take It's a good hire, yo, idiots. He's the GM's buddy.
That's what the hires based up buddy system. They should
(07:39):
not have fired him. A three three four one two
WSTX call now, X, we've been kind of dropping in
names and guys who played real good for the Steelers yesterday,
(08:02):
Some pretty obvious like Jalen Ramsey, and some not quite
so obvious like Broderick Jones, who Trey Essex said played
a great game. It was a big part of neutralizing
Miles Garrett. Is much as we've ever seen Garrett neutralized
another guy, and I've not been a fan so far.
(08:22):
Patrick Queen, Patrick Queen getting some stuff done out there.
Patrick Queen played a little tougher, Patrick Queen rising to
the occasion finally, and about time too. Let's hear not
from Miles Garrett after that horrible performance he put in
(08:44):
yesterday in losing to the Steelers yet again at Akroshur Stadium.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
They tipped after he got the ball out as quick
as possible, And there weren't a lot of situations in
which even if I was running, but as nugget, no day,
I could have got there. So I think that was
a situation for for all of us. You know, the
way he was getting it out or spurning out to
the other side.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah, wait what Garrett said. It's all true, but nobody cares.
And Garrett bitched in another side by Cleveland's offense not scoring,
and that's why we lose. And that's true too, But
you can't bitch when you're invisible. Late Miles Garrett was yesterday.
I'm a Garrett fan, but yesterday he sucked and then
(09:29):
he babbled. And here's a little secret to repeats. Rodert
Jones played great. It's kind of be a whispered to
maybe not jinx it, but Treyasis said it for example
on Twitter, Rodert Jones played great and that is a
welcome development. And yes, please would like to see some
(09:51):
more of that. I'd like to get some Steelers calls
at eight three three four one two WX Dix. But
I gotta tell you. I find what's happening in college football.
And I'm not a college football guy, you guys know that,
but I find what was going on in college football
to be mooie interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
The Franklin firing.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Pitt with a big win in Florida State, where both
those programs go from here? Let me ask you Pitt
fans this your Penn State fans too. If Pitt and
Penn State played Saturday, who would win? And tell me why.
If you're a Penn State fan, would you have fired Franklin,
(10:41):
if so, why so? If not, why not dial eight
three three four one two WXDX. Staying with college football,
Texas be to Oklahoma. Oklahoma had been righting number six.
Arch Manning was twenty one for twenty seven and one touchdown,
(11:04):
not even two hundred yards. Very nickel, dimie. They've dumbed
him down. They know he's not good. And with arch
Manning being not so good Andrew Aller being not so
good and now out for the year and with no
more eligibility, is next year's draft gonna be flushed with
(11:27):
great quarterbacks like we thought?
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Or no?
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Because to me it looks like no. And with this
height Shechell kid had Pitt the bomber, the true freshman
who's the same. Big ten and SEC teams won't come
Colin with a big nil envelope.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I almost hope they.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Do, because that would validate how good he is, because
they didn't come in for Holstein, who got off to
such a hot start last year before kind of fading.
And people say, well, they gave him a million bucks
holsteate to keep him here. Yeah, that's great, but uh,
if he was worth worth it to an SEC or
(12:10):
Big ten team as a quarterback. My god, the money position,
they would have given him a whole lot, I mean
a whole lot more than that. I'm next going to
talk to our football grew. We're with the pro and
college Scott Matt Williamson here on one oh five nine.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
It's the Woodie Show Show Week in Winnings at six.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Precocious and full of wonderment.
Speaker 6 (12:29):
One nine The X.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
If you can't get enough, if you're Pittsburgh Steels, then
check out the Laker.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
I remember what.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Falls are really awesome call the X at one oh
five nine. Steelers with a convincing twenty three nine went
over Cleveland yesterday, joining me now to talk about it.
He is our football guru, former pro and college Scott
Matt Williamson. Matt, the Steelers defense was excellent yesterday and
mostly has been what and who have been the biggest
(12:58):
factors on that side of the ball.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Yeah, I'm really impressed with that group, and they're doing
such a good job of just being aggressive, play calling, blitzing, attacking,
playing fast. I think everyone's starting to get, you know,
acclimated with one another. That was obviously a problem early
in the season. I thought collectively the first couple of weeks.
(13:21):
They were a very poor tackling team that's changed dramatically.
And frankly, they're healthy too, you know. I mean the
guys that they had to play early on got valuable experience,
and then the high Smiths and Elliotts and these guys
start coming back and everyone's kind of found their role.
But most importantly to me or if we get to
(13:43):
stress one thing, if they're so good right now at
creating splash plays and chaos and disruption from all angles.
And I give the coaching staff a lot of credit.
I was really critical of Austin a year ago for
being so static with the defense, and they went out
and got a lot more movable chess pieces. Ramsey's at
(14:04):
the top of the list, and they have really lit
it up with aggressive play calling, and I think the
players are thriving off it and it's fun to watch.
And frankly, there was what four or five near interceptions
they could have had on tip balls and things like
that that even if they get one or two of them,
that game goes drastically different. In the Steelers faate, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
You mentioned Ramsey in full marks to him. I think
he's been everything we hoped he would be. He enables
the team to present so many different looks by moving around.
Even got two sacks yesterday, which is not always in
his game. And another guy I want to praise is
Derek Harmon. He's making plays and there's clearly a trickle
dad to everybody else along that.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Front line, right And I love that you can have
like Equalle and Black as your fourth and fifth piece
now and early in the season when Harmon was out,
Ben and Hayward were playing way too many snaps, especially
for early in the season. You know, Hayward hadn't done
(15:06):
anything hardly anyone does, I mean around the league. So
I like Harmon quite a bit. He's very active, just
a big bodied athlete in the middle of the defense
I think goes a long way. And you know, Benton
was really straight. Benton might be the number one benefactor
(15:27):
of Harmon being in the mix because Benton was playing
too much. He was getting worn down, he was getting
pushed to the second level, he was getting dumped downfield,
especially in the run game. And now he looks like
a new guy. So there's definitely a ripple effect. With
the first off pick of the mix.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Would you expand Herby's roll or be content with what
he's doing in the staffs he's playing.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
I think he's phenomenal. If he played every snap, I
wouldn't object. And I know this sounds like it's a
bit extreme, but I really think he's one of the
best edge pass rushers in the league. I don't think
he's a cute, cute story that's fun off the bench
(16:10):
or being introduced as a the twelfth member of the
defense as they did yesterday. I think he is a
star in the making, and I love kind of how
they handled yesterday, though. You know, take ten to fifteen
snaps off a lot, Take ten to fifteen snaps off
the high Smith. Throw in six or seven snaps of
(16:33):
the three of them out there together, and it should
pay off long term. I mean, I'm sure watch will
be a lot fresher come December because of it, and inevitably, unfortunately,
someone will probably get hurt again. But they're really in
an enviable situation with those three players, which of course
isn't the knock on what or high Smith. I mean,
(16:53):
I just think her big is spectacular.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Can you win in today's NFL against good teams with
the defense is your main strength? I mean, yesterday's win
was convincing that but it was nine to three at halftime.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, and it was against the Browns and they have
not played great offenses and as a quarterback in his
second year. And it should be noted too that not
the rain on the parade, but their tackle offensive tackle
situation was a disaster by the end of the game
for Cleveland and wasn't great to start the game. I
think that's a great question. I definitely believe it's harder
(17:28):
and harder in today's NFL to be very defensive oriented
because inevitably, in the playoffs, Josh Allen or Mahomes, the
Lamar or one of these type of guys is going
to figure out a defense and start ripping you apart.
But I also think the Steelers offense is a little
better than it's been in those last couple of years too.
(17:49):
Maybe a lot better.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
No, I think it's a little better. And that leads
to this question. Matt was The running game good enough.
The yards per carry not great, but the Steelers rarely
got behind the sticks and they seemed committed the run,
which is something they're they're really sticking to.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
They're not getting away from it.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Yeah, And I didn't know if they would because some
are the best run defense in the league and teams
are averaging about seventy five yards a game against the
Browns despite usually winning deep in the game and trying
to close the Browns out, you know, So the fact
that they eclipsed you know, the Browns average performance I
thought was really oppressive, and frankly, I know this is
(18:28):
kind of like making excuses for them. Their yard for
rush went down so much because they had three meal
downs at the end of the game. Those Caleb Johnson's
you know rushes at the end of the game were
basically into a brick wall eating clocks. So in meaningful
time they will average in a little over four yard
to carry, which I did not see coming against this group.
(18:51):
And I give them credit for sticking with it because
I probably would have been more pass centric than they were.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Is the all line playing better or is it just
about using seven guys?
Speaker 2 (19:01):
I thought Roderick Jones had maybe his strongest game of
the year.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Yeah, maybe a strongest game as a Steeler and certainly
his strongest game as a left tackle. I think Faltanu
is coming into his own and understanding what's expected of
being an every down player in this league and the
starter and all those things. I think Frasier is better
than he was early in the season, So I absolutely
think the line is better. One thing I wanted to
(19:28):
ask throw in, you know, from your previous question, though,
and I think it's very Roger centric, is they had
very few negative offensive plays. Now that doesn't mean every
play was a raging success, but sacks, turnovers, you know,
going backwards, they and that's been the case for a
(19:49):
couple of weeks now. And I think Rogers helps the
old line drastically, as does the addition of Anderson and Washington.
But I think Rogers is so good at the line
a scrimmage that he doesn't have them, you know, have
six guys block eight in the run game. If you're
gonna give me single high, I'm gonna go over the
top of the metcalf war in Max protect, you know.
(20:11):
So he's so smart that they're rarely in the wrong play.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Well, and that's what's great about him.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
He's just such a such a brain back there, knows
what to do, what not to do. Maybe even more impressively,
I want to stay with the running game for one
more second, that Warren was good. I thought he got
hard yards. I feel like he laid down the marker
that he's the guy.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
I agree. Like if you just look at the box
score or even the snap counts, he might be like, ah, boy,
they still like Game Well, the mixing and Johnson. No,
he's the guy. I mean to me, Warren is clearly
the best player at that position on the team. He
had some nice pass protection reps. There was one snap
that he picked up Miles Garrett very ably alone. You know,
(20:56):
that's exactly what a defense tries to devise, and he
lived extremely well. I'm a big, big Warren fan, and
that's not a knock on Game Well, but I just
think Warren is clearly the guy.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
As you mentioned how Rogers play, is he just a
game manager? And if he is, I don't mean that
as a knock, but he's he's real effective whatever they ask.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
I think he's the ultimate game manager. I mean, he's
always in ahead of what the defense is doing, and
I think he's bringing his teammates up to par with
him for what's expected so that he can use his
brain to the fullest. I still think he throws. I
still think he throws the football quite well. I was
(21:40):
alarmed at the deep goball to Metcalf that just died
and didn't come close to getting there. But I'm gonna
call that a one off. That was one throw. And
he doesn't move great, that's for sure, especially when you
compare him to a lot of the starters around the league.
But he always knows where the most dangerous guy is
when he's buying time. And his sack avoidance, which I
(22:03):
think is very much a quarterback thing, not a no
line thing, is really good and was particularly good in
this game. So I mean, even like his time to
throw went up drastically, their average depths of target went
up drastically in this game. And it just shows that
he doesn't have to play one way. You know, if
you're going to load the box and try to take
(22:25):
away the run, well then I will hold the ball
a little bit longer and throw it downfield.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
DK broke out a bit, but in the second half,
the Steelers don't like to open up till they feel
they have I don't want to say it safely, but
certainly a lead, and certainly in the second half.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Yeah, and I think a lot of that's opponent base
too that I don't think that the Steelers, Tomlin, whoever
you want to say, feared the Browns offense at any point,
you know, so why put the ball in Harm's way
rookie quarterback, struggling offensive line. They eliminated Judkins early, so
I think that was more of just a team philosophy.
(23:04):
If they were to hypothetically, if Burrow was healthy on
Thursday night, maybe they would play the first half a
lot different. But I will say, you know, I think
everyone's aware. Boy, they're scoring touchdowns and points on the
opening drive that hasn't happened in five years. They're also
scoring points all through the first half, you know, like
(23:25):
their first half scoring is really really good. So it's working.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Is Darnel Washington the legit number one tight end? He's
catching the balls. Obviously he's big and he could block.
Is it the right move to have him playing the snapsis?
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yes? And I've lobbied for this for over a year
because everyone in the NFL to freak, and everyone's an
athlete and everyone's a special physical specimen. But sometimes there's
outliers and he's an outlier, and playing against outliers drives
defensive coordinators bonkers. You know, there's no great answer for
someone with his dimensions that can also catch the football.
(24:03):
And I like Johnny Smith, and frankly, Friar Moose has
just kind of been the short you know, he just
pulled the short straw. And but I would continue, and
I think they agree that Washington would be my tight
end snap leader every week.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Well, where's that Friar mooth in the long run, because
it's all Worth paid him eleven million to have him
do what he's doing.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Agreed. Now, I'm not saying i'd dump him at the
trade deadline for a fifth round pick or a sixth
round picker or something that doesn't help you much. But
I think he'd have to explore, you know, extending Washington.
Smith's making money and field offers for Friar Moose, draft
another one in the fifth round to be your you know,
third tight end is.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
The division decided con Cincinnati maker gave him a Thursday
on a short week.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Flacco helped them a little, a little, but there was
nowhere to go but up. And boy they stink the
start games and they some injuries Hendrickson Mims, two of
their key guys. I don't know, we'll play. We'll find
that out. More as we go. Chase and Higgins are
as dangerous as ever, and Flacco makes them more dangerous,
but their defense is horrific. I don't definically well coached team.
(25:17):
I know you know, Tomlin on the road Thursdays is
not a winning formula, and it really isn't for anybody.
But I'd be shocked if the Steelers lose this game.
I think that that puts a nail in the Bengals coffin.
But I'm not quite ready to bury the Ravens. I mean,
(25:38):
to me, the Ravens go into a buy that they
need unbelievably bad and could on the other side being
a highly effective team, but the math and the standings
are not their friend at all. Obviously.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Well, here's the thing about this game Thursday, and I
don't see a ghost of a chance for the Bengals,
not really math, but but Flacco could bomb the Bengels
back into the game if the trail into the lead early.
The Steelers need have a much better first half offensively
than they did against Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
That's the only way this game could be.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
Trouble could be. But if you look at how bad
the Bengals have started games lately, it's terrific. I mean,
they haven't scored more than three points in the first
half of a game for like a month, you know,
so a lot of their production is coming when the
game's well out of hand. But the thing with Flaco
is he doesn't care. I mean, he's to the point
(26:30):
of his career where he's ultra aggressive. Now that might
mean four touchdowns, or might mean four picks, you know.
I mean, and you know he's gonna get hit. But
it's kind of like that Winston game when they played
the night. If he rolls the dice over and over
and he keeps getting seven, well then you might be
(26:51):
in for a game. But man, their defense is so
bad in Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Oh yeah, Trey Henderson might not play. He's bagged up. Yeah.
I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
I don't think it's going to be a tough game
for the Steelers bit up. But like you said Thursday
night on the road, that that's difficult. And I was
surprised Tomlin kind of took it to Cleveland's management about
trading Flaco. It was almost like he doesn't want to
play Flacco.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
I know, and I'm anxious. I'm actually driving home at
the moment I'm going to go watch the press conference
because I want to see what tone he took about it,
because I mean, the only I think, the only time
it's really happened in the Super Bowl era. It was
a meaningless trade. But the Eagles traded McNabb to Washington
way back when, right, you don't trade starting quarterbacks within
(27:34):
the division, you know.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Let me play Devil's advocate of Craig Patrick, the Penguins
former GM who's as good at GM and any sport
as there is. He always said that if you can
make the best trade with inner division and benefits your club,
you should make the trade. And by way of evidence,
he made a trade with Philadelphia in nineteen ninety two
then got Tackett, Sheel, Samuelson, Kenny Reagan, and ultimately the
(27:58):
Penguins second straight Stanley Cup. So I just like making
a good.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Deal me too.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
And frankly, the day that the you know, I do
a bunch of other radio stuff on national networks and
national stuff and podcasts, and the second the Browns made
the deal, I'm like, Wow, they got more than they
should for a bad old quarterback. That doesn't matter, so
good for them. They shouldn't care what the Steelers saying, don't.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
You that was a deal made by their ownership to
try to get Shador that much closer to the field.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Yes, I have one thousand percent think that, and I
think Shador will be starting a month from now.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
The Steelers haven't trailed by more than one score all year,
except against Seattle, the game they lost. Does that double
storias a coincidence? Can this offense come.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
For behind that? I don't know? And that was something
I questioned all off season, was boy, I like this
approach of three tight ends and creating mismatches with your
tight ends and you know, thirteen personnel and do some
things that most teams don't do. But and I even
(29:01):
said this today on the Drive, like sometime in two
months or whatever, you're gonna go into the fourth quarter
down by fourteen and Rogers is gonna have to sit
in the shotgun and throw it over and over and
over to Roman Wilson and Scronic and Miller and you
know what I mean, Like today, have the firepower to
(29:22):
do that. I think Rogers can do it. I just
don't know that they can play that style of game
when everyone in the stadium knows you have to throw I.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Don't think they can play that style game when they
have to convert to it in the wink of an
eye after not doing it very much. I also don't
think they have the receivers either, which begs the question
that my producer Tom one step to trade for a
number two receiver.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
So do I. But I just don't think they're.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
Gonna It's funny because today, more than ever, I would
push stronger, you know, if it was me. Now, I
know they're always making calls, and they're always looking a
bit better their team and all that stuff. I don't
think they will either. And I don't think it'll be
a lave, a expensive you know, big.
Speaker 7 (30:07):
Time guy, but I would bet it's better than the
Mike Williams edition last year, you know what I mean,
some throwaway nonsense and I mixed feelings.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
But the more I what's the team, the more I
see the status of the division and the conference. I
could see giving up a third round pick next year
when you have multiple for us a high quality number two.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
But who's out there.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
To Kobe Meers, you know, something like that, And it's
kind of splitting the difference between in the lave and
a junkie you know, seventh round, pick move something like that.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Would that guy come here and get enough targets to
keep him happy or doesn't that matter.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
I don't think you care about that at the moment,
you know, And frankly, there's not enough targets to go
around to keep Fiarmuth happy and John you're happy, and
you know it's they don't run a lot of plays
or you know, have a huge piece of the pot,
but I want one more insurance piece if you're really
gonna make a run.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Mad great stuff, fabulous insight. As always. We'll do it
again next week. Good job, a man, Take care.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
That's Matt Websit, our football guper. He's brought to us
by the Steelers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com.
The segment at the top of the hour previously brought
to us by Danny's Pets and Hogies are Rout eighty
eight of Bethel Park. We got Phil Bark talking hockey
at the bottom of the hour four thirty that is
one to five.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Ie the x the.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Spirits Summer News to join us for the Xsters Halloween.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
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Speaker 6 (31:41):
The crew says sale at eight pm with live music
from the Klintones playing all your nineties favorites. Ten dollars
and fifty nine cents from every ticket sold goes to
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Speaker 2 (31:57):
All night.
Speaker 6 (32:00):
Tickets are on seale now at Gatewayclipper dot com the
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(32:36):
Visit triple a dot com slash Gift Triple A.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
We're always with you.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
The Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbucks, Crafted with
our signature espresso and real pumpkin sauce, then topped with
whipped cream, cinnamon and nutmeg.
This is the Mark Mannon show, Too Hot to Handle
for twenty nine years on Pittsburgh Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
A three three four one two.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
W XDX is the number to call, or you can
follow me on Twitter at mark mann X. Boy, did
the Ravens suck? I gonna use my vocal five voice
to emphasize they suck in the tank. I'm conditional surrender
(00:30):
that game yesterday, the Steeler game. It defies analysis, like
every like talking point I brought up in this monologue.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
That's it. That's the list.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Uh football one oh one always does defy analysis. But
four and one here we are, and now Cincinnati gonna
be five and one.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And really I'm dazed and confused.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
I'm too sick to clog to do the baselide, I
can't do it.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
How do I feel about four to one? How do
you feel? How to starblin feel? It's like next game up?
Speaker 1 (01:12):
No big picture, but the defense is finally great, not good,
but great, worthy of its price tag against Cleveland for now.
But you're what Jamar Chase said, the Steelers are coming.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
We do.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
We have that SoundBite.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
You gotta hear this soud bye this Jamar Chase talking
about what the Steelers are gonna come the Cincinnati looking.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
To do what this next game is always the most
important game is because of divisional game also, but just
the rankings that we got going on the standards where
we are right now. We know Steelers don't try to
come in and raw doggas and kill us. But we're
gonna be ready for that challenge and we're gonna be
waiting for it.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Raw dog on brass. That costs extra. Ask that Penguins winger.
He'll tell you.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
We'll get a little Penguins talk in a little bit later.
But with the Steelers, like I keep saying, you're probably
bored with me saying it, But that's too bad. It
begs a bigger question. Can you win in today's NFL?
Can you win playoff games in today's NFL with an
approach primarily based on defense? Because when it's nine to
(02:26):
three against Cleveland at halftime, your approach is obviously based
on defense. First, they laid up for field goals, make
sure we get three. If Bos would have blown out
his knee on the bad turf, that would have changed
the game plan. No offense to Bos, but maybe that
would have been best for the sake of entertainments, and
(02:48):
to win in that method yesterday, and to keep winning
by just playing d and leading a high three at
halftime against good teams, that would be a quantum shit
in how football is played.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I mean, think about this. If you watch Red.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Zone yesterday instead of the Steeler game in the first half,
you didn't see the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
You just didn't.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Maybe I'm DeBie Donner and I'm not gonna lie that
I can go for helseyon right now. Maybe I'm thinking
too much. Maybe I should enjoy four and one like
we all enjoy ten and three. Maybe I should have
a shot and a beer in a helcion. And now
I feel like the show sucks because I'm not embracing
(03:37):
the communal joy of Connor Hayward scoring a touchdown. I
feel bad that I just can't buy in to the
mascot scoring a touchdown. But on a lighter note, baseball sucks.
Get your calls in, by the way, let's talk today.
I'm sick, I need company. I'm lonely. Eight three three
(03:58):
four one TWODX.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Baseball sucks.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
He had that great fifteen inning game to decide the
division series between Detroit Seattle and Detroit's a Scooble, who
is the left handed skiings.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
He is a bad mfort. He's really freaking good. He
can deal.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
And he pitched six innings in that game, ninety nine pitches,
lights out, and his last pitch in the sixth was
one one hundred and one miles per hour. And he
struck on cal Rawley, the presumptive American League MVP. And
then right after that, after he struck on cal Rawley
at one oh one mph, Detroit pulled Schooble. Detroit pulled
(04:46):
Scooble with the season on the line. I think they
were head by one. They pulled Scooble. You got that
guy specifically to pitch that game, Sounless. His arm hurts,
and I bet it didn't let him keep going. The
priority there can't be protecting Schooble's arm at the expense
(05:07):
of winning an elimination game in the friggin' Alds. You
just can't worry about the guy's arm unless he tells
you he hurts, and he tells you to worry about it.
But I don't think he wanted to come out. Invited
me a Blake Snell like for Tampa NetWorld Series game
against La elimination game where Snell like, you know, you
could tell visibly on the mind he did not want
(05:27):
to come out of the game for Tampa.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
But the priority want to protect his arm. You know
what else you'll hear.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I didn't see the round up afterwards because I just
hated what happened so much. I mean I didn't watch
the rest of the game. Once they pulled him, I go, Okay,
this ain't how baseball is supposed to be. All y'all
can go after yourselves, but uh, they're gonna say that
(05:55):
crap probably about how oh third time through the order,
blah blah blah. The ware was dealing. He could have
gone three, four, five, ten, twenty times in the order,
and as long as he was dealing, I left him
in there. And you know what, when he stops dealing,
you'll know it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
You'll know it.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
You're not stupid, Well, actually you are if you pulled him.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
And in that vein.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Some baseball purest After that game was on Twitter, I
was like, see, that's why you don't use the stupid
ghost runner. Actually that's exactly why you do use the
ghost runner, because who has time.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
For fifteen innings?
Speaker 1 (06:35):
But that's in the regular season, the ghost Runner is
a OK in the regular season. In the playoffs not
so much. The playoffs are different. Four one two three
three three Wait that's wrong. A three three four one
two WXDX. Does anybody out there Pet State fans? I
think they should have fired Franklin. And here's the thing,
(06:56):
you Pet State fanser dopes. You Pet fans, you're bigger dopes.
I'm not picking on anybody but your Pet State fans. Okay,
you wanted him fired, I guarantee you'll call up and
give me the reasons why, and I'll pick you to
shreds because logic dictates he should not have been. And
when they hire whoever they hire, you will see right
(07:17):
quick that they should not have Give an example. They're
gonna try for Kurtzing that you not get him. They're
just not would you leave Indiana to coach pet State?
They're gonna get this Matt Rule guy, and you're gonna
take It's a good hire, yo, idiots. He's the GM's buddy.
That's what the hires based up buddy system. They should
(07:39):
not have fired him. A three three four one two
WSTX call now, X, we've been kind of dropping in
names and guys who played real good for the Steelers yesterday,
(08:02):
Some pretty obvious like Jalen Ramsey, and some not quite
so obvious like Broderick Jones, who Trey Essex said played
a great game. It was a big part of neutralizing
Miles Garrett. Is much as we've ever seen Garrett neutralized
another guy, and I've not been a fan so far.
(08:22):
Patrick Queen, Patrick Queen getting some stuff done out there.
Patrick Queen played a little tougher, Patrick Queen rising to
the occasion finally, and about time too. Let's hear not
from Miles Garrett after that horrible performance he put in
(08:44):
yesterday in losing to the Steelers yet again at Akroshur Stadium.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
They tipped after he got the ball out as quick
as possible, And there weren't a lot of situations in
which even if I was running, but as nugget, no day,
I could have got there. So I think that was
a situation for for all of us. You know, the
way he was getting it out or spurning out to
the other side.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah, wait what Garrett said. It's all true, but nobody cares.
And Garrett bitched in another side by Cleveland's offense not scoring,
and that's why we lose. And that's true too, But
you can't bitch when you're invisible. Late Miles Garrett was yesterday.
I'm a Garrett fan, but yesterday he sucked and then
(09:29):
he babbled. And here's a little secret to repeats. Rodert
Jones played great. It's kind of be a whispered to
maybe not jinx it, but Treyasis said it for example
on Twitter, Rodert Jones played great and that is a
welcome development. And yes, please would like to see some
(09:51):
more of that. I'd like to get some Steelers calls
at eight three three four one two WX Dix. But
I gotta tell you. I find what's happening in college football.
And I'm not a college football guy, you guys know that,
but I find what was going on in college football
to be mooie interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
The Franklin firing.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Pitt with a big win in Florida State, where both
those programs go from here? Let me ask you Pitt
fans this your Penn State fans too. If Pitt and
Penn State played Saturday, who would win? And tell me why.
If you're a Penn State fan, would you have fired Franklin,
(10:41):
if so, why so? If not, why not dial eight
three three four one two WXDX. Staying with college football,
Texas be to Oklahoma. Oklahoma had been righting number six.
Arch Manning was twenty one for twenty seven and one touchdown,
(11:04):
not even two hundred yards. Very nickel, dimie. They've dumbed
him down. They know he's not good. And with arch
Manning being not so good Andrew Aller being not so
good and now out for the year and with no
more eligibility, is next year's draft gonna be flushed with
(11:27):
great quarterbacks like we thought?
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Or no?
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Because to me it looks like no. And with this
height Shechell kid had Pitt the bomber, the true freshman
who's the same. Big ten and SEC teams won't come
Colin with a big nil envelope.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I almost hope they.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Do, because that would validate how good he is, because
they didn't come in for Holstein, who got off to
such a hot start last year before kind of fading.
And people say, well, they gave him a million bucks
holsteate to keep him here. Yeah, that's great, but uh,
if he was worth worth it to an SEC or
(12:10):
Big ten team as a quarterback. My god, the money position,
they would have given him a whole lot, I mean
a whole lot more than that. I'm next going to
talk to our football grew. We're with the pro and
college Scott Matt Williamson here on one oh five nine.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
It's the Woodie Show Show Week in Winnings at six.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Precocious and full of wonderment.
Speaker 6 (12:29):
One nine The X.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
If you can't get enough, if you're Pittsburgh Steels, then
check out the Laker.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
I remember what.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Falls are really awesome call the X at one oh
five nine. Steelers with a convincing twenty three nine went
over Cleveland yesterday, joining me now to talk about it.
He is our football guru, former pro and college Scott
Matt Williamson. Matt, the Steelers defense was excellent yesterday and
mostly has been what and who have been the biggest
(12:58):
factors on that side of the ball.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
Yeah, I'm really impressed with that group, and they're doing
such a good job of just being aggressive, play calling, blitzing, attacking,
playing fast. I think everyone's starting to get, you know,
acclimated with one another. That was obviously a problem early
in the season. I thought collectively the first couple of weeks.
(13:21):
They were a very poor tackling team that's changed dramatically.
And frankly, they're healthy too, you know. I mean the
guys that they had to play early on got valuable experience,
and then the high Smiths and Elliotts and these guys
start coming back and everyone's kind of found their role.
But most importantly to me or if we get to
(13:43):
stress one thing, if they're so good right now at
creating splash plays and chaos and disruption from all angles.
And I give the coaching staff a lot of credit.
I was really critical of Austin a year ago for
being so static with the defense, and they went out
and got a lot more movable chess pieces. Ramsey's at
(14:04):
the top of the list, and they have really lit
it up with aggressive play calling, and I think the
players are thriving off it and it's fun to watch.
And frankly, there was what four or five near interceptions
they could have had on tip balls and things like
that that even if they get one or two of them,
that game goes drastically different. In the Steelers faate, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
You mentioned Ramsey in full marks to him. I think
he's been everything we hoped he would be. He enables
the team to present so many different looks by moving around.
Even got two sacks yesterday, which is not always in
his game. And another guy I want to praise is
Derek Harmon. He's making plays and there's clearly a trickle
dad to everybody else along that.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Front line, right And I love that you can have
like Equalle and Black as your fourth and fifth piece
now and early in the season when Harmon was out,
Ben and Hayward were playing way too many snaps, especially
for early in the season. You know, Hayward hadn't done
(15:06):
anything hardly anyone does, I mean around the league. So
I like Harmon quite a bit. He's very active, just
a big bodied athlete in the middle of the defense
I think goes a long way. And you know, Benton
was really straight. Benton might be the number one benefactor
(15:27):
of Harmon being in the mix because Benton was playing
too much. He was getting worn down, he was getting
pushed to the second level, he was getting dumped downfield,
especially in the run game. And now he looks like
a new guy. So there's definitely a ripple effect. With
the first off pick of the mix.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Would you expand Herby's roll or be content with what
he's doing in the staffs he's playing.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
I think he's phenomenal. If he played every snap, I
wouldn't object. And I know this sounds like it's a
bit extreme, but I really think he's one of the
best edge pass rushers in the league. I don't think
he's a cute, cute story that's fun off the bench
(16:10):
or being introduced as a the twelfth member of the
defense as they did yesterday. I think he is a
star in the making, and I love kind of how
they handled yesterday, though. You know, take ten to fifteen
snaps off a lot, Take ten to fifteen snaps off
the high Smith. Throw in six or seven snaps of
(16:33):
the three of them out there together, and it should
pay off long term. I mean, I'm sure watch will
be a lot fresher come December because of it, and inevitably, unfortunately,
someone will probably get hurt again. But they're really in
an enviable situation with those three players, which of course
isn't the knock on what or high Smith. I mean,
(16:53):
I just think her big is spectacular.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Can you win in today's NFL against good teams with
the defense is your main strength? I mean, yesterday's win
was convincing that but it was nine to three at halftime.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, and it was against the Browns and they have
not played great offenses and as a quarterback in his
second year. And it should be noted too that not
the rain on the parade, but their tackle offensive tackle
situation was a disaster by the end of the game
for Cleveland and wasn't great to start the game. I
think that's a great question. I definitely believe it's harder
(17:28):
and harder in today's NFL to be very defensive oriented
because inevitably, in the playoffs, Josh Allen or Mahomes, the
Lamar or one of these type of guys is going
to figure out a defense and start ripping you apart.
But I also think the Steelers offense is a little
better than it's been in those last couple of years too.
(17:49):
Maybe a lot better.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
No, I think it's a little better. And that leads
to this question. Matt was The running game good enough.
The yards per carry not great, but the Steelers rarely
got behind the sticks and they seemed committed the run,
which is something they're they're really sticking to.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
They're not getting away from it.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Yeah, And I didn't know if they would because some
are the best run defense in the league and teams
are averaging about seventy five yards a game against the
Browns despite usually winning deep in the game and trying
to close the Browns out, you know, So the fact
that they eclipsed you know, the Browns average performance I
thought was really oppressive, and frankly, I know this is
(18:28):
kind of like making excuses for them. Their yard for
rush went down so much because they had three meal
downs at the end of the game. Those Caleb Johnson's
you know rushes at the end of the game were
basically into a brick wall eating clocks. So in meaningful
time they will average in a little over four yard
to carry, which I did not see coming against this group.
(18:51):
And I give them credit for sticking with it because
I probably would have been more pass centric than they were.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Is the all line playing better or is it just
about using seven guys?
Speaker 2 (19:01):
I thought Roderick Jones had maybe his strongest game of
the year.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Yeah, maybe a strongest game as a Steeler and certainly
his strongest game as a left tackle. I think Faltanu
is coming into his own and understanding what's expected of
being an every down player in this league and the
starter and all those things. I think Frasier is better
than he was early in the season, So I absolutely
think the line is better. One thing I wanted to
(19:28):
ask throw in, you know, from your previous question, though,
and I think it's very Roger centric, is they had
very few negative offensive plays. Now that doesn't mean every
play was a raging success, but sacks, turnovers, you know,
going backwards, they and that's been the case for a
(19:49):
couple of weeks now. And I think Rogers helps the
old line drastically, as does the addition of Anderson and Washington.
But I think Rogers is so good at the line
a scrimmage that he doesn't have them, you know, have
six guys block eight in the run game. If you're
gonna give me single high, I'm gonna go over the
top of the metcalf war in Max protect, you know.
(20:11):
So he's so smart that they're rarely in the wrong play.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Well, and that's what's great about him.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
He's just such a such a brain back there, knows
what to do, what not to do. Maybe even more impressively,
I want to stay with the running game for one
more second, that Warren was good. I thought he got
hard yards. I feel like he laid down the marker
that he's the guy.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
I agree. Like if you just look at the box
score or even the snap counts, he might be like, ah, boy,
they still like Game Well, the mixing and Johnson. No,
he's the guy. I mean to me, Warren is clearly
the best player at that position on the team. He
had some nice pass protection reps. There was one snap
that he picked up Miles Garrett very ably alone. You know,
(20:56):
that's exactly what a defense tries to devise, and he
lived extremely well. I'm a big, big Warren fan, and
that's not a knock on Game Well, but I just
think Warren is clearly the guy.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
As you mentioned how Rogers play, is he just a
game manager? And if he is, I don't mean that
as a knock, but he's he's real effective whatever they ask.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
I think he's the ultimate game manager. I mean, he's
always in ahead of what the defense is doing, and
I think he's bringing his teammates up to par with
him for what's expected so that he can use his
brain to the fullest. I still think he throws. I
still think he throws the football quite well. I was
(21:40):
alarmed at the deep goball to Metcalf that just died
and didn't come close to getting there. But I'm gonna
call that a one off. That was one throw. And
he doesn't move great, that's for sure, especially when you
compare him to a lot of the starters around the league.
But he always knows where the most dangerous guy is
when he's buying time. And his sack avoidance, which I
(22:03):
think is very much a quarterback thing, not a no
line thing, is really good and was particularly good in
this game. So I mean, even like his time to
throw went up drastically, their average depths of target went
up drastically in this game. And it just shows that
he doesn't have to play one way. You know, if
you're going to load the box and try to take
(22:25):
away the run, well then I will hold the ball
a little bit longer and throw it downfield.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
DK broke out a bit, but in the second half,
the Steelers don't like to open up till they feel
they have I don't want to say it safely, but
certainly a lead, and certainly in the second half.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
Yeah, and I think a lot of that's opponent base
too that I don't think that the Steelers, Tomlin, whoever
you want to say, feared the Browns offense at any point,
you know, so why put the ball in Harm's way
rookie quarterback, struggling offensive line. They eliminated Judkins early, so
I think that was more of just a team philosophy.
(23:04):
If they were to hypothetically, if Burrow was healthy on
Thursday night, maybe they would play the first half a
lot different. But I will say, you know, I think
everyone's aware. Boy, they're scoring touchdowns and points on the
opening drive that hasn't happened in five years. They're also
scoring points all through the first half, you know, like
(23:25):
their first half scoring is really really good. So it's working.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Is Darnel Washington the legit number one tight end? He's
catching the balls. Obviously he's big and he could block.
Is it the right move to have him playing the snapsis?
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yes? And I've lobbied for this for over a year
because everyone in the NFL to freak, and everyone's an
athlete and everyone's a special physical specimen. But sometimes there's
outliers and he's an outlier, and playing against outliers drives
defensive coordinators bonkers. You know, there's no great answer for
someone with his dimensions that can also catch the football.
(24:03):
And I like Johnny Smith, and frankly, Friar Moose has
just kind of been the short you know, he just
pulled the short straw. And but I would continue, and
I think they agree that Washington would be my tight
end snap leader every week.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Well, where's that Friar mooth in the long run, because
it's all Worth paid him eleven million to have him
do what he's doing.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Agreed. Now, I'm not saying i'd dump him at the
trade deadline for a fifth round pick or a sixth
round picker or something that doesn't help you much. But
I think he'd have to explore, you know, extending Washington.
Smith's making money and field offers for Friar Moose, draft
another one in the fifth round to be your you know,
third tight end is.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
The division decided con Cincinnati maker gave him a Thursday
on a short week.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Flacco helped them a little, a little, but there was
nowhere to go but up. And boy they stink the
start games and they some injuries Hendrickson Mims, two of
their key guys. I don't know, we'll play. We'll find
that out. More as we go. Chase and Higgins are
as dangerous as ever, and Flacco makes them more dangerous,
but their defense is horrific. I don't definically well coached team.
(25:17):
I know you know, Tomlin on the road Thursdays is
not a winning formula, and it really isn't for anybody.
But I'd be shocked if the Steelers lose this game.
I think that that puts a nail in the Bengals coffin.
But I'm not quite ready to bury the Ravens. I mean,
(25:38):
to me, the Ravens go into a buy that they
need unbelievably bad and could on the other side being
a highly effective team, but the math and the standings
are not their friend at all. Obviously.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Well, here's the thing about this game Thursday, and I
don't see a ghost of a chance for the Bengals,
not really math, but but Flacco could bomb the Bengels
back into the game if the trail into the lead early.
The Steelers need have a much better first half offensively
than they did against Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
That's the only way this game could be.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
Trouble could be. But if you look at how bad
the Bengals have started games lately, it's terrific. I mean,
they haven't scored more than three points in the first
half of a game for like a month, you know,
so a lot of their production is coming when the
game's well out of hand. But the thing with Flaco
is he doesn't care. I mean, he's to the point
(26:30):
of his career where he's ultra aggressive. Now that might
mean four touchdowns, or might mean four picks, you know.
I mean, and you know he's gonna get hit. But
it's kind of like that Winston game when they played
the night. If he rolls the dice over and over
and he keeps getting seven, well then you might be
(26:51):
in for a game. But man, their defense is so
bad in Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Oh yeah, Trey Henderson might not play. He's bagged up. Yeah.
I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
I don't think it's going to be a tough game
for the Steelers bit up. But like you said Thursday
night on the road, that that's difficult. And I was
surprised Tomlin kind of took it to Cleveland's management about
trading Flaco. It was almost like he doesn't want to
play Flacco.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
I know, and I'm anxious. I'm actually driving home at
the moment I'm going to go watch the press conference
because I want to see what tone he took about it,
because I mean, the only I think, the only time
it's really happened in the Super Bowl era. It was
a meaningless trade. But the Eagles traded McNabb to Washington
way back when, right, you don't trade starting quarterbacks within
(27:34):
the division, you know.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Let me play Devil's advocate of Craig Patrick, the Penguins
former GM who's as good at GM and any sport
as there is. He always said that if you can
make the best trade with inner division and benefits your club,
you should make the trade. And by way of evidence,
he made a trade with Philadelphia in nineteen ninety two
then got Tackett, Sheel, Samuelson, Kenny Reagan, and ultimately the
(27:58):
Penguins second straight Stanley Cup. So I just like making
a good.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Deal me too.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
And frankly, the day that the you know, I do
a bunch of other radio stuff on national networks and
national stuff and podcasts, and the second the Browns made
the deal, I'm like, Wow, they got more than they
should for a bad old quarterback. That doesn't matter, so
good for them. They shouldn't care what the Steelers saying, don't.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
You that was a deal made by their ownership to
try to get Shador that much closer to the field.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Yes, I have one thousand percent think that, and I
think Shador will be starting a month from now.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
The Steelers haven't trailed by more than one score all year,
except against Seattle, the game they lost. Does that double
storias a coincidence? Can this offense come.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
For behind that? I don't know? And that was something
I questioned all off season, was boy, I like this
approach of three tight ends and creating mismatches with your
tight ends and you know, thirteen personnel and do some
things that most teams don't do. But and I even
(29:01):
said this today on the Drive, like sometime in two
months or whatever, you're gonna go into the fourth quarter
down by fourteen and Rogers is gonna have to sit
in the shotgun and throw it over and over and
over to Roman Wilson and Scronic and Miller and you
know what I mean, Like today, have the firepower to
(29:22):
do that. I think Rogers can do it. I just
don't know that they can play that style of game
when everyone in the stadium knows you have to throw I.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Don't think they can play that style game when they
have to convert to it in the wink of an
eye after not doing it very much. I also don't
think they have the receivers either, which begs the question
that my producer Tom one step to trade for a
number two receiver.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
So do I. But I just don't think they're.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
Gonna It's funny because today, more than ever, I would
push stronger, you know, if it was me. Now, I
know they're always making calls, and they're always looking a
bit better their team and all that stuff. I don't
think they will either. And I don't think it'll be
a lave, a expensive you know, big.
Speaker 7 (30:07):
Time guy, but I would bet it's better than the
Mike Williams edition last year, you know what I mean,
some throwaway nonsense and I mixed feelings.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
But the more I what's the team, the more I
see the status of the division and the conference. I
could see giving up a third round pick next year
when you have multiple for us a high quality number two.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
But who's out there.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
To Kobe Meers, you know, something like that, And it's
kind of splitting the difference between in the lave and
a junkie you know, seventh round, pick move something like that.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Would that guy come here and get enough targets to
keep him happy or doesn't that matter.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
I don't think you care about that at the moment,
you know, And frankly, there's not enough targets to go
around to keep Fiarmuth happy and John you're happy, and
you know it's they don't run a lot of plays
or you know, have a huge piece of the pot,
but I want one more insurance piece if you're really
gonna make a run.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Mad great stuff, fabulous insight. As always. We'll do it
again next week. Good job, a man, Take care.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
That's Matt Websit, our football guper. He's brought to us
by the Steelers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com.
The segment at the top of the hour previously brought
to us by Danny's Pets and Hogies are Rout eighty
eight of Bethel Park. We got Phil Bark talking hockey
at the bottom of the hour four thirty that is
one to five.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Ie the x the.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Spirits Summer News to join us for the Xsters Halloween.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Crews on Thursday at Chober thirtieth.
Speaker 6 (31:41):
The crew says sale at eight pm with live music
from the Klintones playing all your nineties favorites. Ten dollars
and fifty nine cents from every ticket sold goes to
the Mariolamuth Foundation, John Crew for this twenty one or
older event and dressing your Halloween best to score prizes.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
All night.
Speaker 6 (32:00):
Tickets are on seale now at Gatewayclipper dot com the
xs Hollow Way on the Gateway Clipper, sponsor by Disaster
Restoration Services, We'll see you one October thirty.
Speaker 8 (32:15):
This holiday, give the gift a peace of mind with
a Triple A membership. Enjoy exclusive savings on shopping, dining,
sam Bark and even travel planning Plum twenty four to
seven roadside assistant Right now, gift a membership for just
thirty five dollars and get a free household member. We'll
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(32:36):
Visit triple a dot com slash Gift Triple A.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
We're always with you.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
The Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbucks, Crafted with
our signature espresso and real pumpkin sauce, then topped with
whipped cream, cinnamon and nutmeg.
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