October 10, 2025 • 35 mins
Mark plays sound from Stephen A and talks about the outrage from the masses regarding the tush push after last night. Tim Benz joins the show to talk Steelers and Browns
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Mark Maddon Show. Eight three to three
four one two w XDX is the number to dial.
Well nobody dials anymore. Cell phone punch it out eight
three three four one two wxdx, or follow me on
Twitter at Mark madden X. I think the Steelers are
gonna win on Sunday, but I gotta be honest, and
(00:21):
you won't like this. They're not going anywhere. They're not
gonna get better by season's in. They're gonna be the
exact same team in week eighteen they are right now
in Week six, only older, tirer and more beat up.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
That's what's gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
You look at the Giants Dart scatter Boat rookies improving.
You look at the Brons Gabriel Judskins rookies improving. You
look at the Penguins, new coach, Kids Bruning Kindle Coyvenon improving.
And then you look at the Steelers, same coach for
nineteen years, same old prehistoric approach, getting even more prehistoric.
(01:01):
Seven offensive linemen, and you know, you know, you know,
you know where the season is headed.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Let's talk Evgeny Maukin.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Three points last night, five points in two games and
Gino was flying, flying. The old guys are energized by
the kids. Hey, it's not rocket surgery.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Geno, Carlson, Latang sid. You can see it. You can
see the trickle.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Down, the energy, the enthusiasm from kids to veterans, trickle up.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I guess you might call it. You can see it.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
It might not last, but it's fun now and it
will lead to bigger and better if not.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
This spring necessarily Dry wasn't great.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Battled the puck, but he battled period in the third
especially any won. But I felt that all three Islanders
goals was stoppable. It always just like disasters imminent with
Charian goal like at the end. But it did end well.
It was a fun game, a real fun game. I
would go back to shilloffs in goal tomorrow night when
(02:12):
the New York Rangers visit Pittsburgh. My god, Gino with
that geometry pass the Spring Brawsers for the money shot,
the winning goal of a long bank shot.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Like I said, a fun game, Yo.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
You got the King and his castle, the captain with
the goal, the GM and the bunker. Great night at
PPG paints Serena Brunette got his first NHL goal.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
You saw the new yellow units and helmets.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Not to be clear, that is yellow, not gold, but
it's coal. Looks good. Two thousand empty seats roughly, that's
not good. So we got a lot to talk about
down now. Eight three three four one two w XDX.
Follow me on Twitter at Mark madd and X. Come
(03:03):
see me at Big Fellas in Cannonsburg during the Steeler
game on Sunday. We not only have the Steelers hosting
Cleveland on Sunday, we have Northwestern at Penn State tomorrow
pit at Florida State. That seems big if I'm to
believe all their bs, all their horsemen were about how
the win over crappy crappy crappy crappy really bad BC
(03:26):
is some sort of turnaround after losing to West Virginia
and blowing that game to Louisville, then I think you
have to go to Florida State and beat them there.
They're ranked twenty fifth. That's good, but it's not honorust.
It's a winnable game. So go win a big mouth
nard dog. Don't just say yeah we did this, we
did that. Know what you did was lose to West Virginia.
(03:46):
That's almost as battle loss almost almost as battle loss
is Penn State losing the UCLA. It really is almost
as battle loss. I mean you could say, well, it's
the backyard, bro, anything can happen.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
No, that should not have happened.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
It did, shut the frig up and beat four the States.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Mario and the jumbo Tron was a surprise. He got
a big pop, but it was a surprise. The reaction
was surprise leading into the standing ovation. And by the way, no,
he's not there because he's renewing efforts to buy the team.
Like I said, him and his wife Nat brought a
bunch of friends from Montreal to the game. But it
(04:26):
does say something good that he permitted himself to be
on the jumbo tron.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
That was very nice, like I.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Said, just just great to see Lemuse, just fantastic. And
the interaction afterwards in the locker room. I wish you
could take pictures. I was standing next to Mario and
see it. Like I said, on my way out the
door saying goodbye. If I wouldn't have got heat for it,
I would have taken a selfie with the two of them.
I mean, how many times am I going to get
that opportunity? But that's okay. I'm a pro h A
(04:57):
lot of the Steeler talk shouldn't be about being three
and one or even how they're gonna be five in one.
It's about how can they win the division to make
a playoff run. And I say again, there's never risk
it for the Biscuit. It's always straight by. Make sure
we win this week. If we win Sunday, everything will
(05:20):
be okay. One game at a time. That's the Steeler way.
Big picture, take your big picture and shove it up
your ass. We think one game at a time. But
like I said, no risk it, no Biscuit. Steeler fans
bitch now about not drafting Scatabow after three touchdowns last
night for the New York Football Giants, but it's really
about not giving Caleb Johnson the same opportunity here in
(05:44):
Pittsburgh the Scatabo is getting in New York because Johnson
got drafted around earlier.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
The NFL thinks Johnson is better. This isn't about.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Drafting scata Bow and not having you know, taken him
in whatever round. It's about you got a guy who's
better or how regarded projected to go higher in the draft,
and in fact did and you're not using him because
you're scared, your coach scared. You love what's old because
you're so set in your ways after nineteen seasons, your
(06:15):
stale as brand that's been left out of the cupboard
and out of the rapper for a year, stale, Staler,
stalest And like I said, the Brons, the Giants, the Penguins,
there are so many contradictory examples to prove me exactly right,
which I always am. The Eagles got killed by the
(06:39):
Did you watch that game? I'm like Josh Showe had
it on. You always really handy with this stuff. He
had it on in the press box on his laptops.
So we were doing double duty between whistles at the
Penguin game. And the Eagles deserve to lose. I'm not
even sure the Giants deserve to win as much the Eagles.
Just there was no there there now that said they
(07:01):
are foreign two and on ESPN this morning, you know,
as they always overreact because that's part of what you
got to do when you have that much.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Time to fill.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Seriously, a lot of sports media isn't as good as
it should be because you have too much time to
fill and when you have that much time to fill,
you end up saying something stupid. I think I'm probably
no better. But they're wondering this morning if the Eagles
are done.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
They're not done.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
That's dumb. They're the defending super Bowl champions. They're born too.
They're not done after just week six. But again, I
might not be any better. And this is the business
I've chosen. We got Tim Ben's the bottom of the hour,
(07:47):
Charlie Batch in just a little bit. Another crap that
we have, Oh, mister Friday afternoon, Like I said, crap.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Oh and Danny Griffin from the River Hounds.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
He'll join us in the five o'clock hour if the
Hounds win tomorrow night at home.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
They couldn't.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
She had another playoff Berth, So let's see how many
would that be in a row? That would be their
eighth consecutive playoff Berth. That's tom lnesque if they don't
start winning in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Did I say that out loud?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
One oh five nine The X from the Seaton Hill
University Traffic Center.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Schedule your campus visit today. This report is sponsored by
Macy's Backstay.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Yeah the ex at one five nine. Tim Ben's at
the bottom of the hour, Charlie Batson top of the hour.
A lot of great Steelers versus Browns talk all.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Day long on the show.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Don't forget, I'm a big fellows at Cannonsburg for a
watch party on Sunday at one pm. Actually get there.
On twelve forty five, a lot of pushback, no pun intended,
actually definitely intended. After the Philadelphia Eagles ran the tush push,
which a lot of people hate. Anyway, they ran it
four times in a row last night while losing to
(09:02):
New York on Thursday Night Football.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Here's Stephen A.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Smith on ESPN webbing to band the tush push after,
like I said, the Eagles ran at four straight times.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I never felt that this play should be eliminated until
last night watching the Eagles do it on four consecutive plays.
It was a turnoff last night to see that, especially
when they re chowed to play out on at least
a couple of occasions the Eagles you know, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
They were all sides. That's my issue.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Okay, So what if the Eagles ran four straight times
with Barkley like same play, off, tackle, outside, whatever, and
it worked and he scored every time, which outlaw thats
or what if hurts through Street? Four straight slants the
aj Brown and you know they went big every time?
Would you those plays based on repetition combined with success.
(10:03):
I don't think so. As far as it being a turnoff,
unquote like Steve and they said, this isn't porn. A
lot of football is boring, not just the Toush push.
What you're gonna everything that's boring? Field goals are boring.
And if Philadelphia is offside or moving, then coll its
do know the Toush push, just call you know, motion
(10:26):
or off sides. I'm obviously no better because I'm talking
about it right this second. But the media loves the
Toush push because they can talk about it constantly, even
those who hate it, especially those who hate it. I've
been thinking long and hard, and I thought about it
(10:47):
last night just doodling notes at the Penguins game in
the press box. What's my big angle for the Steelers
on Sunday one is do the Steelers yet have an identity,
especially off And if it is, if that seven offensive
linemen and the running game thing is their identity? Is
(11:08):
it a good one? Is it one that'll work? We'll
talk about that with Tim and Charlie. Is this game
a Tomlins special? Is this the loss that shouldn't be
which we see all too often and Tomlin's about to
do for one? To be honest, here's a couple of
predictions for Sunday. If the Steelers trailed by two scores
on Sunday, really in any game moving forward, they're gonna
(11:31):
lose because you don't catch up using seven offensive linemen
and playing way too conservative. And even if you do
switch your method and your formation and your personnel and
when you're down you go more high octane. When you
do that, it's probably not gonna snap the life and
(11:53):
you score a bunch of points. If you could do that,
you already would be it wouldn't be the alternative. Hey John, now, Pat,
get off the bench, wipe off the boo boo face, get.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
In there and win the game. We don't know yet
about Ramsey.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
He practiced today, but he was noncommittal about playing on Sunday.
But the defense without Ramsey will be okay. Tommy Radio
had a good idea earlier talking about, you know, using
Brandon Eccles as the guy who moves around. Although Eccles
can't play safety. I don't think, but they're playing a
rookie quarterback. You could be vanilla and beat a rookie quarterback,
(12:34):
although I'd rather give him as much to think about
as possible, like Dick Calebo always did when he was
the Steelers defensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
What's goud have a big game? He will?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
I predicted, and the de facto match up against Garrett
what will have a big game? So the Steelers are
gonna win. Probably Aaron Rodgers will navigate. That's the call
to arms for the Steelers all season in close games,
which they almost all.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Will be, Rogers will navigate.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Now, I'm gonna call eight three, three, four one two
ninety nine thirty nine up next, gonna talk to Tim Benz.
You're on one O five ninety X one oh five nine.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
The X as your shot at extra cash.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
See what I did there.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Thirteen times a day, nine am through nine pm, d
X will give you the keyword at the top of
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Speaker 2 (13:28):
With that much money, you could buy like ten coffees.
You know what I was homeschool. I'm not good at mouth.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Listen all day for your chance at some extra cash
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Speaker 1 (13:40):
If you can't get enough, if you're Pittsburgh Steelers, then
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Speaker 2 (13:50):
I'm on the X.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Joining me now to talk Steelers and Brons from the
trib he is Tim Benz. Tim, here's a pretty broad question,
but do the Steelers I have an identity on offense yet,
and if so, what is it.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
It's an identity that I don't think they want to admit.
It's cautious and coaching away from problems successfully enough to
win three out of four games against sometimes sub mediocre competition.
But that's not much of an identity they're getting by.
I think that's their identity. They're relying on big chunk
(14:25):
plays that occasionally come and the.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Catch and run department.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
But that's a tough way to live, Mark, I mean,
I get what they're thinking. You can't go for the
deep shots because they're playing cover two against DK. You
can't go for the deep shots because if Rogers hangs
in the pocket, he's most assuredly going to get killed.
Because they can't block for him. But if you're scared
to try to go for the chunk plays from time
(14:49):
to time, then you've got to rely on being right
nine ten times in a row on long sustained drives,
and that's really difficult to do. It's kind of looked
like what we at the end of the Roethlisberger era.
It's a lot like what we saw during the Kenny
and Bitch era. It's not all that different, you.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Know what it reminds me of with regard to protecting
Rogers when Arians got fired because his offense didn't do
enough to protect Ben. He got sacked too much and
hit too much. But the Arians offense got more out
of Ben. It won more with Ben, no risk it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
No biscuit.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I don't think this offense allows Rogers to be Rogers.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
And part of that is, again they would never admit it,
is that the reward of Roethlisberger hanging in there and
taking pops from people, if that's what it came down to,
was he was throwing downfield to Antonio Brown and if
it wasn't to Ab, then you know it was to
Martavis or Juju. When he first came out in the league,
(15:50):
when he was good. Now it's DK or bust because
they left themselves exposed at the number two wide receiver
position again, talked themselves to thinking that they were smarter
than everybody else about who they had again, and they
sold themselves and the rest of us on this false
bill of goods that the collective of the tight end
could make up for the lack of a second receiver.
(16:12):
And now they're even talking themselves out of it.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
I mean, like, I think.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
The fans in the media are trying to hold onto
that longer than the Steelers are, because the Steelers are
just going back to thinking the tight end should be blockers.
So it's a tough position they've put Rogers in. And
I will modify one thing I said earlier, Mark, But
I said it's just like the Kenny and Mitch and.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
Lake ben Eyres.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
That's not quite true, because Rogers is more proficient at
doing this. At least he's better at what they're asking
him to do than those quarterbacks were at their stages
of their careers.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah, the tight end thing. The tight ends were supposed
to be targets. They were supposed to be variety in
the way they were used. Now Mount Washington's just a
blocker and Spencer Anderson's an extra tackle.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I hate that formation, Tim.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
I saw a stat that they're averaging four points seven
yards per carry when Anderson's an extra tackle and only
three point three yards otherwise. But of course they are.
They should, it's an extra offensive lineman. But does it
make the offense overall too cautious?
Speaker 5 (17:15):
It makes it very predictable because what are you going
to do in those situations?
Speaker 6 (17:18):
Throw?
Speaker 5 (17:18):
So yeah, stat like that is very much a self
fulfilling prophecy. That better be the case, and if it isn't,
then they need to stop doing it. But you know,
I heard you talking about sort of fun stats with
Tom and fun stats with the fable.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
I'll give you one.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
I'm not sure if Tom brought this up or not,
but we were talking about it with Williamson on the
Wednesday show and Countdown to Kickoff. And that is for
as good as the Browns defense is, it's poor when
it comes to defending against the short passing game. I
think the Steelers are sixth and short passing efficiency and
the Browns are in the mid to late twenties somewhere
(17:53):
when it comes to defending the short pass and.
Speaker 6 (17:56):
They are.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
Usually pretty good at taking away running backs catching the
ball out of the backfield, and Jalen Warren is the
second best pass catcher on this team right now. So
the tight end's better be good because I don't know
where else the ball is going, maybe maybe.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
A tight end over.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I know where it's going, It's going to the running backs.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
The running backs have sixty four the touches that is
in the book figure.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Yeah, well that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
It's like if you keep looking at the other team
and saying, we can't do.
Speaker 6 (18:28):
This, because they do that with.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
This offense, who run out of options pretty quickly. And
if one of those options is the tight end, because
you better have to use them, then they better remember
to put Friar Muth out there on the field, because
they seem to have forgotten that as well.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Well.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Again, my big problem is not what it can do
against Cleveland, because really, with Garrett being the thready is
you know, as much protection as possible makes sense. But
but will this method beat a good team in a
big game, in a playoff game? Will it overcome a
lead the other team holds by two scores and doesn't
(19:07):
let Rogers be Rogers. I mean, we talk about what
the other team doesn't let the Steelers do. What about
the Steelers won't let themselves do well?
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Exactly, And that's how they're gonna get themselves beaten. But
maybe not this week. I think they'll beat the Browns,
especially because it's in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Well, yeah, Tim, that's the problem. That they're gonna beat
the Browns.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Then guys like me and you, I'm sorry, we're right
and Tomlin's wrong. That will be proven in fact us
being right in Tomlin being wrong has been proven time
and again. But they'll be four and one, maybe five
and one after Cincinnati and will be full of crap.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
But we also know how it's gonna end.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
And I think the proof of that, or the truth to.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
It, will happen earlier than last year. The truth came
because their schedule was so bumpy in December. They've got
three pretty difficult games coming up after the two contests
against the Ohio teams that are and different stages of
you know, quarterback disaster, won by their own making and
one because of injury. You know, those Thursday night road
(20:08):
divisional games are pretty brutal and Steelers lore So and
most of them have come in Cleveland, not necessarily Cincinnati,
but I think there's been a chapter or two there too,
So we'll see. If you can lose to Ryan Finley,
you can lose to anybody. When it comes to Bengal Stripes,
I suppose. But my thinking is they still should be
good enough to win these two games, two and zeros,
that they should be six and one in the conference.
(20:30):
Then you got what Green Bay, Indie and La after that,
with at least two being homes, so I don't think
they'll get blanked in them, but it gets harder, and
then I think it gets into the likelihood of you
having to score a little bit with another team, which
we saw against Seattle and that's the one loss that
they've had so far, and I had to score the Jets.
They had to score the Jets. But you know, they
(20:50):
had some breaks there too, in the sense like they
had the short field and the the fumble on the kickoff.
It certainly helped them, and Boss Will kicked the sixty yarders,
so there were some asterisks there, but good enough to
win and good enough to be three and one against
those teams. Let's see what happens in October which generally
speaking has been their best month. I think under Tom
(21:11):
Win the last eight years.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
We're talking to Tim Bens.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
By the way, a few segments back, brought to us
by Danny's Pets and Hogies on Route eighty eight and
Bethel Park. This segment brought to us by Calusy Chevrolet,
serving the Pittsburgh area for one hundred and seven years.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Tim, how do you feel if you're.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
John new and Friarmuth because they didn't sign up for this,
They signed up for a lot more, and I suspect
it no matter how the worm turns, how they might
maybe open up a bit, you know, depending on opponent.
I think Friar Moose's the third string tight end period
moving forward, don't you.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
I think by the way they're deploying the tight ends,
if this is continuing to.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
Be the case, and you're just gonna see.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
Washington be whether he's named the starter or not, the
guy against the most snaps if the run game works
and they keep leaning into it this way, so that
very much could happen. And Friar Mouth right now, I
feel like they look at John uh and they see
John Hu as a bigger, more versatile version of what
everybody wants Connor Hayward to be. He can be gadgety,
(22:14):
he can do a bunch of different things, but he
can do it at a higher level of a efficiency
just because he's much bigger. So I think, then yeah,
he becomes the top option to do everything butt block
and then Fryar was sort of stuck in the middle,
and we're seeing the snapcount be delineated that way, and
then you got to start thinking, Mark, like, what are
you paying that guy to do? Then you know he's
(22:35):
he's they decided to keep him. It's it's almost like
the Warren thing if they were decided to go with
Kenny Gainwell or with Caleb Johnson, Like, why'd you bother
putting that ticket on your books?
Speaker 6 (22:44):
If you didn't if you saw limitations.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
That were easily surpassed by Saquon Barkley's back up and
some guy the Dolphins didn't want anymore like that, that's weird,
isn't it?
Speaker 6 (22:54):
Well?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
No, I, I Jim, I don't think they know what
they're doing. I don't care what their record is. I
think he's Lazzi coach. I think he's a Losi personnel guy.
They didn't need to keep Friarmouth at that price. They
didn't need to keep Hige Smith at that price. And
if they drafted Caleb Johnson, they should be using them.
What could people going nuts in Pittsburgh. Oh, we should
have drafted Scattabo. Look what he did last night for
New York. No, they should be giving Caleb Johnson carries.
(23:18):
Caleb Johnson is better than Scattabo. Caleb Johnson got drafted
around later than Judkins, and Jenkins is better. We saw
him at Ohio State. But look what he's doing for Cleveland.
This guy just won't play rookies unless unless there's no
other body to play.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Well, I think going back to, you know, the two
points that I brought up personnel wise that you might
be scratching your head about.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
Depending on how guys are used moving forward, it's like
everything seems.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
To default back to, Oh well, it doesn't matter, they're
not paying a quarterback.
Speaker 6 (23:46):
Oh well, it doesn't matter they're not paying a quarterback,
all right, Like that's good farmers to get depth to
tight end. We not using any of the ties that
they early.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
Have, and they have no depth at wide receiver, so
the ball has to go somewhere, especially if a team
is able to take away pass to the running backs,
which is again something to watch against Cleveland. Now these
two teams, they do have very similar attributes as well,
Like I'm really interested on the other side of the
ball to see which team gets out the quarterback more
(24:13):
because of miss Max's the tackle position, like you know,
Broderick trying to block Miles Garrett a lot of the time,
or whatever they decide to do at left tackle, trying
to block high Smith and or herbig and if they
put Watt over there.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Or if they try to decide to have like Conklin
block one on one.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Does what get free for a big day? And my god, Mark,
they really should create a turnover or two or just
back down three or four balls against Dylan Gabriel. That's
something this defensive line.
Speaker 6 (24:40):
Is good at. And Gabriel is only five foot eleven,
so they should get a couple of those No.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I who hardly agree with that.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
And with that in mind, let's switch over to talk
about Cleveland's defense and Miles Garrett. Do you think what
and Garrett see this is a rivalry game even though
they're never on the field. At the same time, I'm
curious because I mean, you know, Watson ego maniac. Garrett
is uh probably that as well. We don't we're not
exposed to with as much here in Pittsburgh. But but uh,
(25:10):
I think they see this as a challenge, don't you.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
And I think we all know how sensitive Watt is
about it. I mean, we all saw at the night
that he won the award, you know, in Vegas, and
we all saw how acutely aware Garrett is of it
two when he you know, cut his promo after the
Browns beat the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in the
snowstorm last year. So yeah, I do think that these
guys see this as sort of a mono, a mono matchup,
(25:38):
even though they don't play against one another. I think
they very quickly look at the other guy's stack column
once they get back to the locker room and can
check out a box score to see who get better.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
I think they do that every week. This time they'll
just be in the same stadium.
Speaker 5 (25:51):
Yeah, I mean, they'll just be doing it in opposite
locker rooms. And I think the opposite city has kind
of told the story more than anything. It's been much
more about Garrett doing damage in Cleveland than it has
been Garrett doing damage in Pittsburgh. Sometimes the damage was
to Mason Rudolph' skull.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
In fact, Yeah, I'm hoping Rudolph gets in there and
gets his helmet ripped off and slung at him again.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
That was very entertaining.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
I don't see a lot of storylines about this game otherwise.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
Now you want to stumble on one, like what if
Shaudur gets in, there's a storyline for the whole country.
Then it's stopped being a Pittsburgh Cleveland thing, then it's
a national thing.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
And I think he will get in.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
For those just tuning in, you know, he will be
the backup quarterback, the number two. There was a report
that after trading Flaco Bailey, Zappy might jump off the
practice squad be the second quarterback, but that's not the case.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Shador will be the backup.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
I think that's at the owner's behest, and I think
Tim also at the owner's behest. If Cleveland trails in
the third quarter and Gabriel's not playing well, it would
not surprise me at all if Shaeddor got in there,
how about you.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
I wouldn't be stunned.
Speaker 5 (26:53):
And I thought it was telling there's Mary Kaycabot from
Cleveland dot Com la the story that you know, she
said that Joe Flacco didn't ask for this trade, but
he was not at all upset that it happened, you know,
like getting out of this situation. I'm sure he's happy about,
even though he's going to what's also a bit of
a gong show right now in Cincinnati.
Speaker 6 (27:13):
I don't know if you saw the clip mark.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
It was pretty funny, but like, there are these two
guys in the Cincinnati Bengals podcast. I think there's the
two guys that covering for the athletic and he got
into this argument about like how the Bengals were gonna
get Flacco down from Cleveland the Cincinnati and the one
guy sort of said, just, you know, kind of off the cup. Well,
he'll jump on a flight and be here and be
here for practice tomorrow and they can get the other
guy cut them off. But wait, wait, wait, wait, you
(27:35):
actually think the Bengals will flat.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Down from Cleveland. They'll be lucky if they send a driver.
Speaker 5 (27:40):
And they said that this whole argument, and then they
edited in a hard cut to Zach Taylor mentioning how
they send a car up to go get Joe Flacco.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
So they could do a zoom meeting in.
Speaker 5 (27:49):
The car in the four hour drive down from Cleveland,
which is just so Bengals. It was like welcome to
Cincinnati experience right off the hot for Flacco, and then
the real experience to be playing behind that offensive line
as he's trying to sit back in the pocket to
have time for Tea and Jamar Chase.
Speaker 6 (28:05):
To get deep.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
I will say, though, I think that he'll you know,
get the grasp of the offense. I think he's proven
to be very adaptable jumping from team to team and
in pretty quick fashion too. That said, I don't think
it will do them enough good. But yeah, I don't
blame him for getting for being glad he's out of there.
I mean, you know, the coach didn't even know he
was going to be traded Stefanski. I mean, clearly, clearly,
(28:27):
the whole Shador thing, from drafting him to everything that's
happened since is owner motivated. And that's just not a
good situation for nearly anybody involved in that includes Shador. Now,
we just got word ten moments ago that that Ramsey,
while he was a full participant for the Steelers is
up is questionable for the game Sunday, and that means
(28:48):
probably not as as we've experienced. How will that secondary
adjust without Ramsey? Because I'd like to see them be
less than vanilla against their rookie quarter and Dylan Gabriel.
But I suspect that's exactly what that defense will be.
Speaker 6 (29:05):
Good question.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
I've been thinking about that myself. I don't know if
this was Tomlin blowing smoke. It usually is, but when
he did the whole processing is Dylan Gabriel's superpower speech?
Speaker 6 (29:20):
To me?
Speaker 5 (29:21):
That felt forced, like trying to say, Okay, Dylan, we
think we you know what we're doing. We're just gonna
play defense. We're not gonna try to trick you. And
if Ramsey is on the injury report and doesn't play,
that plays into that as well. I mean, a rookie
still is a rookie. And whether it's like you guys
are talking about earlier Brandon Echols playing a different position,
(29:42):
or they do something different with where Chuck Clark lines
up as opposed to to Sean Elliott, like saying something
along those lines, they might still try to fool him
into something. My thing is we've started to see this year,
particularly in the last few games, it's not so much
about trying to cons use them with coverage in the secondary.
I would try to confuse them with blitzeres on who's
(30:05):
coming at the second level.
Speaker 6 (30:06):
I want to see it.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Maybe Elliott is a factor and that is one defensive back,
but I don't want to see them try to confuse Gabriel.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
So what gap Queen or Peyton.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
Wilson are blitzing in the middle of Like that sort
of thing is where I want to see them throw
him off, like throw him off with the pass rush
more so than throw them off with the coverage.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Is there any way they lose this game?
Speaker 1 (30:29):
And when the answer to that is no, I'm aware
that's when the trouble usually starts. In some ways, it
does feel like a Tomlin's Special, especially with so much
of the national media conceding the Steelers the AFC North.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Right, and that is the very definition. It's a typical
Tomlin trap game, which isn't so typical. And you know,
like these are the ones where you look at them
and say, this one can't possibly be it, and then
it happens three weeks in a row like we saw
in twenty twenty three when they played against the Cardinal
at home, the Patriots at home in Indianapolis, Like, there's
no way they could lose all three of those than
(31:04):
they did and the Mason saved the season, of course,
But yeah, this game was in Cleveland, despite the records,
despite Cleveland coming back from Europe, despite the Steelers coming
off of bye. I'd probably pick the Browns, but for
those reasons, it's home. It's the first true road game
for Gabriel in Division against the Steelers. I think the
(31:27):
Steelers win. I have it at twenty one to sixteen.
Maybe it's a little lower scoring than that, but you
know this, that might also be a game mark where
Boswell plays a factor. Again, as Tom was talking about,
if you get in the red zone, you can score
against Cleveland, and the Steelers have been really good in
the red zone. But this also might be a game
where if the Browns stall out a drive like they
(31:49):
do to other teams, it still results in points. So
maybe it's more like twenty four to sixteen or something
along those lines, or however you want to chop up
the match.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
With a couple of boswell field goals.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
But I could finally see him in printing a game
for the first time since the Jets game.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Tim, I totally agree, but let me offer a disclaimer.
I think the Brons are confident because they have those
rookies playing, that energy that trickles down. I think they
are improving, not by leaps and bounds, but to some
small degree. I don't think they'll come into this game
assuming that their cannon fodder.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I don't think they'll be intimidated or bullied.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
So say, it's almost like the Penguin thing, and that
with all those young guys playing, they're too dumb to
know that they're bad. So if they're to them know
that they're bad, they might actually play better.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
I've been talking all day.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I look at the Giants with Scatibow and Dart, I
look at the Browns with Gabriel and Judkins. I look
at the Penguins with a new coach and all those kids,
and uh, I know those teams are getting better. I'm
not sure if they'll get good enough, you know, by
season's end, but all three of those teams are getting better.
(32:56):
I expect the Steelers will be worse in Week eighteen
than they are right now, because they'll be older more
tired and banged up.
Speaker 6 (33:06):
I want to make a cost here.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
The Steelers don't look to improve. They just look to
be the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
Well right now, until they re form their quarterback position
with whoever they draft, and that's looking less and less
likely every week based on how they're playing, the standings
and the lack of standout performance at quarterback in college football.
But until that happens, then they're just going to try
to improve their position enough from nine wins to eleven
(33:35):
wins to maybe host a playoff game so they can
win one. You can get that monkey off of everybody's back.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
No, no, no question. But I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
I mean I it frustrates me that the Steelers never ever,
for one moment, we'll get the big picture, never ever
look further than the next game. And it's how you
pointedly do not get better. And I know that because
they never do.
Speaker 5 (34:00):
You are the one guy in the world listening by
Tom and say I'm not a big picture guy, and
you were saying, yet, that's right, you sure aren't.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
No, Tim, I think a lot of people agree with that.
I just don't think too many of them say it
out loud. Tim, great stuff, thank you, enjoy the game Sunday.
Speaker 6 (34:16):
Mark, thanks a bunch, talk to you on Monday for
the podcast.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
That's Tim Benz.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Like I said, thanks to our good friends at Calousy
Chevrolet for sponsoring serving the Pittsburgh area for one hundred
and seven years.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
They should give me a car that would be serving
me for well. Will I have the car? Okay?
Speaker 1 (34:32):
Up next, I'm gonna hear from Brawsers after the money
shot last night, Penn's win, Penns win New York Rangers,
and tom tomorrow night Sully returns. He'll get a nice
tribute video and obviously should one oh five nine.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
X Spirits Summer News should join us for the Upsters halloweenk.
Speaker 6 (34:54):
Clues on.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Thursday, October thirty.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
Sets sale at eight pm with li us It from
the Clintones playing all your nineties favorites. Ten dollars and
fifty nine cents from every ticket sold goes to the
Mariolamute Foundation for the crew for this twenty one Hoar
Older event and dressing your Halloween best to score prizes.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
All night Fly tickets are on sale.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
Now at Gateway clipper dot com, the Exes Pilloway cru
on the Gateway Clipper sponsored by Disaster Restoration Services.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
We'll see you one October THIRTI
This is the Mark Maddon Show. Eight three to three
four one two w XDX is the number to dial.
Well nobody dials anymore. Cell phone punch it out eight
three three four one two wxdx, or follow me on
Twitter at Mark madden X. I think the Steelers are
gonna win on Sunday, but I gotta be honest, and
(00:21):
you won't like this. They're not going anywhere. They're not
gonna get better by season's in. They're gonna be the
exact same team in week eighteen they are right now
in Week six, only older, tirer and more beat up.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
That's what's gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
You look at the Giants Dart scatter Boat rookies improving.
You look at the Brons Gabriel Judskins rookies improving. You
look at the Penguins, new coach, Kids Bruning Kindle Coyvenon improving.
And then you look at the Steelers, same coach for
nineteen years, same old prehistoric approach, getting even more prehistoric.
(01:01):
Seven offensive linemen, and you know, you know, you know,
you know where the season is headed.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Let's talk Evgeny Maukin.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Three points last night, five points in two games and
Gino was flying, flying. The old guys are energized by
the kids. Hey, it's not rocket surgery.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Geno, Carlson, Latang sid. You can see it. You can
see the trickle.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Down, the energy, the enthusiasm from kids to veterans, trickle up.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I guess you might call it. You can see it.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
It might not last, but it's fun now and it
will lead to bigger and better if not.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
This spring necessarily Dry wasn't great.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Battled the puck, but he battled period in the third
especially any won. But I felt that all three Islanders
goals was stoppable. It always just like disasters imminent with
Charian goal like at the end. But it did end well.
It was a fun game, a real fun game. I
would go back to shilloffs in goal tomorrow night when
(02:12):
the New York Rangers visit Pittsburgh. My god, Gino with
that geometry pass the Spring Brawsers for the money shot,
the winning goal of a long bank shot.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Like I said, a fun game, Yo.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
You got the King and his castle, the captain with
the goal, the GM and the bunker. Great night at
PPG paints Serena Brunette got his first NHL goal.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
You saw the new yellow units and helmets.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Not to be clear, that is yellow, not gold, but
it's coal. Looks good. Two thousand empty seats roughly, that's
not good. So we got a lot to talk about
down now. Eight three three four one two w XDX.
Follow me on Twitter at Mark madd and X. Come
(03:03):
see me at Big Fellas in Cannonsburg during the Steeler
game on Sunday. We not only have the Steelers hosting
Cleveland on Sunday, we have Northwestern at Penn State tomorrow
pit at Florida State. That seems big if I'm to
believe all their bs, all their horsemen were about how
the win over crappy crappy crappy crappy really bad BC
(03:26):
is some sort of turnaround after losing to West Virginia
and blowing that game to Louisville, then I think you
have to go to Florida State and beat them there.
They're ranked twenty fifth. That's good, but it's not honorust.
It's a winnable game. So go win a big mouth
nard dog. Don't just say yeah we did this, we
did that. Know what you did was lose to West Virginia.
(03:46):
That's almost as battle loss almost almost as battle loss
is Penn State losing the UCLA. It really is almost
as battle loss. I mean you could say, well, it's
the backyard, bro, anything can happen.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
No, that should not have happened.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
It did, shut the frig up and beat four the States.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Mario and the jumbo Tron was a surprise. He got
a big pop, but it was a surprise. The reaction
was surprise leading into the standing ovation. And by the way, no,
he's not there because he's renewing efforts to buy the team.
Like I said, him and his wife Nat brought a
bunch of friends from Montreal to the game. But it
(04:26):
does say something good that he permitted himself to be
on the jumbo tron.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
That was very nice, like I.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Said, just just great to see Lemuse, just fantastic. And
the interaction afterwards in the locker room. I wish you
could take pictures. I was standing next to Mario and
see it. Like I said, on my way out the
door saying goodbye. If I wouldn't have got heat for it,
I would have taken a selfie with the two of them.
I mean, how many times am I going to get
that opportunity? But that's okay. I'm a pro h A
(04:57):
lot of the Steeler talk shouldn't be about being three
and one or even how they're gonna be five in one.
It's about how can they win the division to make
a playoff run. And I say again, there's never risk
it for the Biscuit. It's always straight by. Make sure
we win this week. If we win Sunday, everything will
(05:20):
be okay. One game at a time. That's the Steeler way.
Big picture, take your big picture and shove it up
your ass. We think one game at a time. But
like I said, no risk it, no Biscuit. Steeler fans
bitch now about not drafting Scatabow after three touchdowns last
night for the New York Football Giants, but it's really
about not giving Caleb Johnson the same opportunity here in
(05:44):
Pittsburgh the Scatabo is getting in New York because Johnson
got drafted around earlier.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
The NFL thinks Johnson is better. This isn't about.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Drafting scata Bow and not having you know, taken him
in whatever round. It's about you got a guy who's
better or how regarded projected to go higher in the draft,
and in fact did and you're not using him because
you're scared, your coach scared. You love what's old because
you're so set in your ways after nineteen seasons, your
(06:15):
stale as brand that's been left out of the cupboard
and out of the rapper for a year, stale, Staler,
stalest And like I said, the Brons, the Giants, the Penguins,
there are so many contradictory examples to prove me exactly right,
which I always am. The Eagles got killed by the
(06:39):
Did you watch that game? I'm like Josh Showe had
it on. You always really handy with this stuff. He
had it on in the press box on his laptops.
So we were doing double duty between whistles at the
Penguin game. And the Eagles deserve to lose. I'm not
even sure the Giants deserve to win as much the Eagles.
Just there was no there there now that said they
(07:01):
are foreign two and on ESPN this morning, you know,
as they always overreact because that's part of what you
got to do when you have that much.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Time to fill.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Seriously, a lot of sports media isn't as good as
it should be because you have too much time to
fill and when you have that much time to fill,
you end up saying something stupid. I think I'm probably
no better. But they're wondering this morning if the Eagles
are done.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
They're not done.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
That's dumb. They're the defending super Bowl champions. They're born too.
They're not done after just week six. But again, I
might not be any better. And this is the business
I've chosen. We got Tim Ben's the bottom of the hour,
(07:47):
Charlie Batch in just a little bit. Another crap that
we have, Oh, mister Friday afternoon, Like I said, crap.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Oh and Danny Griffin from the River Hounds.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
He'll join us in the five o'clock hour if the
Hounds win tomorrow night at home.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
They couldn't.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
She had another playoff Berth, So let's see how many
would that be in a row? That would be their
eighth consecutive playoff Berth. That's tom lnesque if they don't
start winning in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Did I say that out loud?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
One oh five nine The X from the Seaton Hill
University Traffic Center.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Schedule your campus visit today. This report is sponsored by
Macy's Backstay.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Yeah the ex at one five nine. Tim Ben's at
the bottom of the hour, Charlie Batson top of the hour.
A lot of great Steelers versus Browns talk all.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Day long on the show.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Don't forget, I'm a big fellows at Cannonsburg for a
watch party on Sunday at one pm. Actually get there.
On twelve forty five, a lot of pushback, no pun intended,
actually definitely intended. After the Philadelphia Eagles ran the tush push,
which a lot of people hate. Anyway, they ran it
four times in a row last night while losing to
(09:02):
New York on Thursday Night Football.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Here's Stephen A.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Smith on ESPN webbing to band the tush push after,
like I said, the Eagles ran at four straight times.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I never felt that this play should be eliminated until
last night watching the Eagles do it on four consecutive plays.
It was a turnoff last night to see that, especially
when they re chowed to play out on at least
a couple of occasions the Eagles you know, you know.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
They were all sides. That's my issue.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Okay, So what if the Eagles ran four straight times
with Barkley like same play, off, tackle, outside, whatever, and
it worked and he scored every time, which outlaw thats
or what if hurts through Street? Four straight slants the
aj Brown and you know they went big every time?
Would you those plays based on repetition combined with success.
(10:03):
I don't think so. As far as it being a turnoff,
unquote like Steve and they said, this isn't porn. A
lot of football is boring, not just the Toush push.
What you're gonna everything that's boring? Field goals are boring.
And if Philadelphia is offside or moving, then coll its
do know the Toush push, just call you know, motion
(10:26):
or off sides. I'm obviously no better because I'm talking
about it right this second. But the media loves the
Toush push because they can talk about it constantly, even
those who hate it, especially those who hate it. I've
been thinking long and hard, and I thought about it
(10:47):
last night just doodling notes at the Penguins game in
the press box. What's my big angle for the Steelers
on Sunday one is do the Steelers yet have an identity,
especially off And if it is, if that seven offensive
linemen and the running game thing is their identity? Is
(11:08):
it a good one? Is it one that'll work? We'll
talk about that with Tim and Charlie. Is this game
a Tomlins special? Is this the loss that shouldn't be
which we see all too often and Tomlin's about to
do for one? To be honest, here's a couple of
predictions for Sunday. If the Steelers trailed by two scores
on Sunday, really in any game moving forward, they're gonna
(11:31):
lose because you don't catch up using seven offensive linemen
and playing way too conservative. And even if you do
switch your method and your formation and your personnel and
when you're down you go more high octane. When you
do that, it's probably not gonna snap the life and
(11:53):
you score a bunch of points. If you could do that,
you already would be it wouldn't be the alternative. Hey John, now, Pat,
get off the bench, wipe off the boo boo face, get.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
In there and win the game. We don't know yet
about Ramsey.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
He practiced today, but he was noncommittal about playing on Sunday.
But the defense without Ramsey will be okay. Tommy Radio
had a good idea earlier talking about, you know, using
Brandon Eccles as the guy who moves around. Although Eccles
can't play safety. I don't think, but they're playing a
rookie quarterback. You could be vanilla and beat a rookie quarterback,
(12:34):
although I'd rather give him as much to think about
as possible, like Dick Calebo always did when he was
the Steelers defensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
What's goud have a big game? He will?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
I predicted, and the de facto match up against Garrett
what will have a big game? So the Steelers are
gonna win. Probably Aaron Rodgers will navigate. That's the call
to arms for the Steelers all season in close games,
which they almost all.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Will be, Rogers will navigate.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Now, I'm gonna call eight three, three, four one two
ninety nine thirty nine up next, gonna talk to Tim Benz.
You're on one O five ninety X one oh five nine.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
The X as your shot at extra cash.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
See what I did there.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Thirteen times a day, nine am through nine pm, d
X will give you the keyword at the top of
every hour. Enter it wxdx dot com and you could
win one thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
With that much money, you could buy like ten coffees.
You know what I was homeschool. I'm not good at mouth.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Listen all day for your chance at some extra cash
on one oh five nine d X.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
If you can't get enough, if you're Pittsburgh Steelers, then
check out the latest podcast or game.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
It's not fair, it's not far, it's not fair the
X at one O five nine double.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
I'm on the X.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Joining me now to talk Steelers and Brons from the
trib he is Tim Benz. Tim, here's a pretty broad question,
but do the Steelers I have an identity on offense yet,
and if so, what is it.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
It's an identity that I don't think they want to admit.
It's cautious and coaching away from problems successfully enough to
win three out of four games against sometimes sub mediocre competition.
But that's not much of an identity they're getting by.
I think that's their identity. They're relying on big chunk
(14:25):
plays that occasionally come and the.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Catch and run department.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
But that's a tough way to live, Mark, I mean,
I get what they're thinking. You can't go for the
deep shots because they're playing cover two against DK. You
can't go for the deep shots because if Rogers hangs
in the pocket, he's most assuredly going to get killed.
Because they can't block for him. But if you're scared
to try to go for the chunk plays from time
(14:49):
to time, then you've got to rely on being right
nine ten times in a row on long sustained drives,
and that's really difficult to do. It's kind of looked
like what we at the end of the Roethlisberger era.
It's a lot like what we saw during the Kenny
and Bitch era. It's not all that different, you.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Know what it reminds me of with regard to protecting
Rogers when Arians got fired because his offense didn't do
enough to protect Ben. He got sacked too much and
hit too much. But the Arians offense got more out
of Ben. It won more with Ben, no risk it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
No biscuit.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I don't think this offense allows Rogers to be Rogers.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
And part of that is, again they would never admit it,
is that the reward of Roethlisberger hanging in there and
taking pops from people, if that's what it came down to,
was he was throwing downfield to Antonio Brown and if
it wasn't to Ab, then you know it was to
Martavis or Juju. When he first came out in the league,
(15:50):
when he was good. Now it's DK or bust because
they left themselves exposed at the number two wide receiver
position again, talked themselves to thinking that they were smarter
than everybody else about who they had again, and they
sold themselves and the rest of us on this false
bill of goods that the collective of the tight end
could make up for the lack of a second receiver.
(16:12):
And now they're even talking themselves out of it.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
I mean, like, I think.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
The fans in the media are trying to hold onto
that longer than the Steelers are, because the Steelers are
just going back to thinking the tight end should be blockers.
So it's a tough position they've put Rogers in. And
I will modify one thing I said earlier, Mark, But
I said it's just like the Kenny and Mitch and.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
Lake ben Eyres.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
That's not quite true, because Rogers is more proficient at
doing this. At least he's better at what they're asking
him to do than those quarterbacks were at their stages
of their careers.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah, the tight end thing. The tight ends were supposed
to be targets. They were supposed to be variety in
the way they were used. Now Mount Washington's just a
blocker and Spencer Anderson's an extra tackle.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I hate that formation, Tim.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
I saw a stat that they're averaging four points seven
yards per carry when Anderson's an extra tackle and only
three point three yards otherwise. But of course they are.
They should, it's an extra offensive lineman. But does it
make the offense overall too cautious?
Speaker 5 (17:15):
It makes it very predictable because what are you going
to do in those situations?
Speaker 6 (17:18):
Throw?
Speaker 5 (17:18):
So yeah, stat like that is very much a self
fulfilling prophecy. That better be the case, and if it isn't,
then they need to stop doing it. But you know,
I heard you talking about sort of fun stats with
Tom and fun stats with the fable.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
I'll give you one.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
I'm not sure if Tom brought this up or not,
but we were talking about it with Williamson on the
Wednesday show and Countdown to Kickoff. And that is for
as good as the Browns defense is, it's poor when
it comes to defending against the short passing game. I
think the Steelers are sixth and short passing efficiency and
the Browns are in the mid to late twenties somewhere
(17:53):
when it comes to defending the short pass and.
Speaker 6 (17:56):
They are.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
Usually pretty good at taking away running backs catching the
ball out of the backfield, and Jalen Warren is the
second best pass catcher on this team right now. So
the tight end's better be good because I don't know
where else the ball is going, maybe maybe.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
A tight end over.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I know where it's going, It's going to the running backs.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
The running backs have sixty four the touches that is
in the book figure.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Yeah, well that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
It's like if you keep looking at the other team
and saying, we can't do.
Speaker 6 (18:28):
This, because they do that with.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
This offense, who run out of options pretty quickly. And
if one of those options is the tight end, because
you better have to use them, then they better remember
to put Friar Muth out there on the field, because
they seem to have forgotten that as well.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Well.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Again, my big problem is not what it can do
against Cleveland, because really, with Garrett being the thready is
you know, as much protection as possible makes sense. But
but will this method beat a good team in a
big game, in a playoff game? Will it overcome a
lead the other team holds by two scores and doesn't
(19:07):
let Rogers be Rogers. I mean, we talk about what
the other team doesn't let the Steelers do. What about
the Steelers won't let themselves do well?
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Exactly, And that's how they're gonna get themselves beaten. But
maybe not this week. I think they'll beat the Browns,
especially because it's in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Well, yeah, Tim, that's the problem. That they're gonna beat
the Browns.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Then guys like me and you, I'm sorry, we're right
and Tomlin's wrong. That will be proven in fact us
being right in Tomlin being wrong has been proven time
and again. But they'll be four and one, maybe five
and one after Cincinnati and will be full of crap.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
But we also know how it's gonna end.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
And I think the proof of that, or the truth to.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
It, will happen earlier than last year. The truth came
because their schedule was so bumpy in December. They've got
three pretty difficult games coming up after the two contests
against the Ohio teams that are and different stages of
you know, quarterback disaster, won by their own making and
one because of injury. You know, those Thursday night road
(20:08):
divisional games are pretty brutal and Steelers lore So and
most of them have come in Cleveland, not necessarily Cincinnati,
but I think there's been a chapter or two there too,
So we'll see. If you can lose to Ryan Finley,
you can lose to anybody. When it comes to Bengal Stripes,
I suppose. But my thinking is they still should be
good enough to win these two games, two and zeros,
that they should be six and one in the conference.
(20:30):
Then you got what Green Bay, Indie and La after that,
with at least two being homes, so I don't think
they'll get blanked in them, but it gets harder, and
then I think it gets into the likelihood of you
having to score a little bit with another team, which
we saw against Seattle and that's the one loss that
they've had so far, and I had to score the Jets.
They had to score the Jets. But you know, they
(20:50):
had some breaks there too, in the sense like they
had the short field and the the fumble on the kickoff.
It certainly helped them, and Boss Will kicked the sixty yarders,
so there were some asterisks there, but good enough to
win and good enough to be three and one against
those teams. Let's see what happens in October which generally
speaking has been their best month. I think under Tom
(21:11):
Win the last eight years.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
We're talking to Tim Bens.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
By the way, a few segments back, brought to us
by Danny's Pets and Hogies on Route eighty eight and
Bethel Park. This segment brought to us by Calusy Chevrolet,
serving the Pittsburgh area for one hundred and seven years.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Tim, how do you feel if you're.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
John new and Friarmuth because they didn't sign up for this,
They signed up for a lot more, and I suspect
it no matter how the worm turns, how they might
maybe open up a bit, you know, depending on opponent.
I think Friar Moose's the third string tight end period
moving forward, don't you.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
I think by the way they're deploying the tight ends,
if this is continuing to.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
Be the case, and you're just gonna see.
Speaker 5 (21:50):
Washington be whether he's named the starter or not, the
guy against the most snaps if the run game works
and they keep leaning into it this way, so that
very much could happen. And Friar Mouth right now, I
feel like they look at John uh and they see
John Hu as a bigger, more versatile version of what
everybody wants Connor Hayward to be. He can be gadgety,
(22:14):
he can do a bunch of different things, but he
can do it at a higher level of a efficiency
just because he's much bigger. So I think, then yeah,
he becomes the top option to do everything butt block
and then Fryar was sort of stuck in the middle,
and we're seeing the snapcount be delineated that way, and
then you got to start thinking, Mark, like, what are
you paying that guy to do? Then you know he's
(22:35):
he's they decided to keep him. It's it's almost like
the Warren thing if they were decided to go with
Kenny Gainwell or with Caleb Johnson, Like, why'd you bother
putting that ticket on your books?
Speaker 6 (22:44):
If you didn't if you saw limitations.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
That were easily surpassed by Saquon Barkley's back up and
some guy the Dolphins didn't want anymore like that, that's weird,
isn't it?
Speaker 6 (22:54):
Well?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
No, I, I Jim, I don't think they know what
they're doing. I don't care what their record is. I
think he's Lazzi coach. I think he's a Losi personnel guy.
They didn't need to keep Friarmouth at that price. They
didn't need to keep Hige Smith at that price. And
if they drafted Caleb Johnson, they should be using them.
What could people going nuts in Pittsburgh. Oh, we should
have drafted Scattabo. Look what he did last night for
New York. No, they should be giving Caleb Johnson carries.
(23:18):
Caleb Johnson is better than Scattabo. Caleb Johnson got drafted
around later than Judkins, and Jenkins is better. We saw
him at Ohio State. But look what he's doing for Cleveland.
This guy just won't play rookies unless unless there's no
other body to play.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Well, I think going back to, you know, the two
points that I brought up personnel wise that you might
be scratching your head about.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
Depending on how guys are used moving forward, it's like
everything seems.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
To default back to, Oh well, it doesn't matter, they're
not paying a quarterback.
Speaker 6 (23:46):
Oh well, it doesn't matter they're not paying a quarterback,
all right, Like that's good farmers to get depth to
tight end. We not using any of the ties that
they early.
Speaker 5 (23:53):
Have, and they have no depth at wide receiver, so
the ball has to go somewhere, especially if a team
is able to take away pass to the running backs,
which is again something to watch against Cleveland. Now these
two teams, they do have very similar attributes as well,
Like I'm really interested on the other side of the
ball to see which team gets out the quarterback more
(24:13):
because of miss Max's the tackle position, like you know,
Broderick trying to block Miles Garrett a lot of the time,
or whatever they decide to do at left tackle, trying
to block high Smith and or herbig and if they
put Watt over there.
Speaker 6 (24:25):
Or if they try to decide to have like Conklin
block one on one.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Does what get free for a big day? And my god, Mark,
they really should create a turnover or two or just
back down three or four balls against Dylan Gabriel. That's
something this defensive line.
Speaker 6 (24:40):
Is good at. And Gabriel is only five foot eleven,
so they should get a couple of those No.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I who hardly agree with that.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
And with that in mind, let's switch over to talk
about Cleveland's defense and Miles Garrett. Do you think what
and Garrett see this is a rivalry game even though
they're never on the field. At the same time, I'm
curious because I mean, you know, Watson ego maniac. Garrett
is uh probably that as well. We don't we're not
exposed to with as much here in Pittsburgh. But but uh,
(25:10):
I think they see this as a challenge, don't you.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
And I think we all know how sensitive Watt is
about it. I mean, we all saw at the night
that he won the award, you know, in Vegas, and
we all saw how acutely aware Garrett is of it
two when he you know, cut his promo after the
Browns beat the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in the
snowstorm last year. So yeah, I do think that these
guys see this as sort of a mono, a mono matchup,
(25:38):
even though they don't play against one another. I think
they very quickly look at the other guy's stack column
once they get back to the locker room and can
check out a box score to see who get better.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
I think they do that every week. This time they'll
just be in the same stadium.
Speaker 5 (25:51):
Yeah, I mean, they'll just be doing it in opposite
locker rooms. And I think the opposite city has kind
of told the story more than anything. It's been much
more about Garrett doing damage in Cleveland than it has
been Garrett doing damage in Pittsburgh. Sometimes the damage was
to Mason Rudolph' skull.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
In fact, Yeah, I'm hoping Rudolph gets in there and
gets his helmet ripped off and slung at him again.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
That was very entertaining.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
I don't see a lot of storylines about this game otherwise.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
Now you want to stumble on one, like what if
Shaudur gets in, there's a storyline for the whole country.
Then it's stopped being a Pittsburgh Cleveland thing, then it's
a national thing.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
And I think he will get in.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
For those just tuning in, you know, he will be
the backup quarterback, the number two. There was a report
that after trading Flaco Bailey, Zappy might jump off the
practice squad be the second quarterback, but that's not the case.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Shador will be the backup.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
I think that's at the owner's behest, and I think
Tim also at the owner's behest. If Cleveland trails in
the third quarter and Gabriel's not playing well, it would
not surprise me at all if Shaeddor got in there,
how about you.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
I wouldn't be stunned.
Speaker 5 (26:53):
And I thought it was telling there's Mary Kaycabot from
Cleveland dot Com la the story that you know, she
said that Joe Flacco didn't ask for this trade, but
he was not at all upset that it happened, you know,
like getting out of this situation. I'm sure he's happy about,
even though he's going to what's also a bit of
a gong show right now in Cincinnati.
Speaker 6 (27:13):
I don't know if you saw the clip mark.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
It was pretty funny, but like, there are these two
guys in the Cincinnati Bengals podcast. I think there's the
two guys that covering for the athletic and he got
into this argument about like how the Bengals were gonna
get Flacco down from Cleveland the Cincinnati and the one
guy sort of said, just, you know, kind of off the cup. Well,
he'll jump on a flight and be here and be
here for practice tomorrow and they can get the other
guy cut them off. But wait, wait, wait, wait, you
(27:35):
actually think the Bengals will flat.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Down from Cleveland. They'll be lucky if they send a driver.
Speaker 5 (27:40):
And they said that this whole argument, and then they
edited in a hard cut to Zach Taylor mentioning how
they send a car up to go get Joe Flacco.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
So they could do a zoom meeting in.
Speaker 5 (27:49):
The car in the four hour drive down from Cleveland,
which is just so Bengals. It was like welcome to
Cincinnati experience right off the hot for Flacco, and then
the real experience to be playing behind that offensive line
as he's trying to sit back in the pocket to
have time for Tea and Jamar Chase.
Speaker 6 (28:05):
To get deep.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
I will say, though, I think that he'll you know,
get the grasp of the offense. I think he's proven
to be very adaptable jumping from team to team and
in pretty quick fashion too. That said, I don't think
it will do them enough good. But yeah, I don't
blame him for getting for being glad he's out of there.
I mean, you know, the coach didn't even know he
was going to be traded Stefanski. I mean, clearly, clearly,
(28:27):
the whole Shador thing, from drafting him to everything that's
happened since is owner motivated. And that's just not a
good situation for nearly anybody involved in that includes Shador. Now,
we just got word ten moments ago that that Ramsey,
while he was a full participant for the Steelers is
up is questionable for the game Sunday, and that means
(28:48):
probably not as as we've experienced. How will that secondary
adjust without Ramsey? Because I'd like to see them be
less than vanilla against their rookie quarter and Dylan Gabriel.
But I suspect that's exactly what that defense will be.
Speaker 6 (29:05):
Good question.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
I've been thinking about that myself. I don't know if
this was Tomlin blowing smoke. It usually is, but when
he did the whole processing is Dylan Gabriel's superpower speech?
Speaker 6 (29:20):
To me?
Speaker 5 (29:21):
That felt forced, like trying to say, Okay, Dylan, we
think we you know what we're doing. We're just gonna
play defense. We're not gonna try to trick you. And
if Ramsey is on the injury report and doesn't play,
that plays into that as well. I mean, a rookie
still is a rookie. And whether it's like you guys
are talking about earlier Brandon Echols playing a different position,
(29:42):
or they do something different with where Chuck Clark lines
up as opposed to to Sean Elliott, like saying something
along those lines, they might still try to fool him
into something. My thing is we've started to see this year,
particularly in the last few games, it's not so much
about trying to cons use them with coverage in the secondary.
I would try to confuse them with blitzeres on who's
(30:05):
coming at the second level.
Speaker 6 (30:06):
I want to see it.
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Maybe Elliott is a factor and that is one defensive back,
but I don't want to see them try to confuse Gabriel.
Speaker 6 (30:14):
So what gap Queen or Peyton.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
Wilson are blitzing in the middle of Like that sort
of thing is where I want to see them throw
him off, like throw him off with the pass rush
more so than throw them off with the coverage.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Is there any way they lose this game?
Speaker 1 (30:29):
And when the answer to that is no, I'm aware
that's when the trouble usually starts. In some ways, it
does feel like a Tomlin's Special, especially with so much
of the national media conceding the Steelers the AFC North.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Right, and that is the very definition. It's a typical
Tomlin trap game, which isn't so typical. And you know,
like these are the ones where you look at them
and say, this one can't possibly be it, and then
it happens three weeks in a row like we saw
in twenty twenty three when they played against the Cardinal
at home, the Patriots at home in Indianapolis, Like, there's
no way they could lose all three of those than
(31:04):
they did and the Mason saved the season, of course,
But yeah, this game was in Cleveland, despite the records,
despite Cleveland coming back from Europe, despite the Steelers coming
off of bye. I'd probably pick the Browns, but for
those reasons, it's home. It's the first true road game
for Gabriel in Division against the Steelers. I think the
(31:27):
Steelers win. I have it at twenty one to sixteen.
Maybe it's a little lower scoring than that, but you
know this, that might also be a game mark where
Boswell plays a factor. Again, as Tom was talking about,
if you get in the red zone, you can score
against Cleveland, and the Steelers have been really good in
the red zone. But this also might be a game
where if the Browns stall out a drive like they
(31:49):
do to other teams, it still results in points. So
maybe it's more like twenty four to sixteen or something
along those lines, or however you want to chop up
the match.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
With a couple of boswell field goals.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
But I could finally see him in printing a game
for the first time since the Jets game.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Tim, I totally agree, but let me offer a disclaimer.
I think the Brons are confident because they have those
rookies playing, that energy that trickles down. I think they
are improving, not by leaps and bounds, but to some
small degree. I don't think they'll come into this game
assuming that their cannon fodder.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I don't think they'll be intimidated or bullied.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
So say, it's almost like the Penguin thing, and that
with all those young guys playing, they're too dumb to
know that they're bad. So if they're to them know
that they're bad, they might actually play better.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
I've been talking all day.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I look at the Giants with Scatibow and Dart, I
look at the Browns with Gabriel and Judkins. I look
at the Penguins with a new coach and all those kids,
and uh, I know those teams are getting better. I'm
not sure if they'll get good enough, you know, by
season's end, but all three of those teams are getting better.
(32:56):
I expect the Steelers will be worse in Week eighteen
than they are right now, because they'll be older more
tired and banged up.
Speaker 6 (33:06):
I want to make a cost here.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
The Steelers don't look to improve. They just look to
be the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
Well right now, until they re form their quarterback position
with whoever they draft, and that's looking less and less
likely every week based on how they're playing, the standings
and the lack of standout performance at quarterback in college football.
But until that happens, then they're just going to try
to improve their position enough from nine wins to eleven
(33:35):
wins to maybe host a playoff game so they can
win one. You can get that monkey off of everybody's back.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
No, no, no question. But I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
I mean I it frustrates me that the Steelers never ever,
for one moment, we'll get the big picture, never ever
look further than the next game. And it's how you
pointedly do not get better. And I know that because
they never do.
Speaker 5 (34:00):
You are the one guy in the world listening by
Tom and say I'm not a big picture guy, and
you were saying, yet, that's right, you sure aren't.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
No, Tim, I think a lot of people agree with that.
I just don't think too many of them say it
out loud. Tim, great stuff, thank you, enjoy the game Sunday.
Speaker 6 (34:16):
Mark, thanks a bunch, talk to you on Monday for
the podcast.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
That's Tim Benz.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Like I said, thanks to our good friends at Calousy
Chevrolet for sponsoring serving the Pittsburgh area for one hundred
and seven years.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
They should give me a car that would be serving
me for well. Will I have the car? Okay?
Speaker 1 (34:32):
Up next, I'm gonna hear from Brawsers after the money
shot last night, Penn's win, Penns win New York Rangers,
and tom tomorrow night Sully returns. He'll get a nice
tribute video and obviously should one oh five nine.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
X Spirits Summer News should join us for the Upsters halloweenk.
Speaker 6 (34:54):
Clues on.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Thursday, October thirty.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
Sets sale at eight pm with li us It from
the Clintones playing all your nineties favorites. Ten dollars and
fifty nine cents from every ticket sold goes to the
Mariolamute Foundation for the crew for this twenty one Hoar
Older event and dressing your Halloween best to score prizes.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
All night Fly tickets are on sale.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
Now at Gateway clipper dot com, the Exes Pilloway cru
on the Gateway Clipper sponsored by Disaster Restoration Services.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
We'll see you one October THIRTI
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