Wild Card Round @ Ravens

Mike Prisuta and Charlie Batch break down the Steelers loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Pittsburgh Steelers postgame show, which presented by Doing It
Right roofing, siding and remodeling home of the Lifetime Workmanship Warranty.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
They got back into the game in the third quarter
sort of, but the first half was such a disaster
it never quite felt like it. Too much Derrick Henry,
too much Lamar Jackson, and with a chance to make
it a one score game and just enough fourth quarter
o'clock left, the offense went backwards from the Ravens thirty
eight yard line, false start sack and finally a desperation

(00:31):
heave that fell in complete ball game and so the
baggage Mike Tomlin maintained he loaned Toat's got a little
bit heavier tonight at M and T Banks Stadium. Ravens
twenty eight Steelers fourteen dropped the Steelers to zero to
five in the postseason since their last playoff victory in
January of twenty seventeen. A season that once dripped with

(00:52):
promise ends with five consecutive losses. A defense that was
among the hardest to score against in the NFL from
weeks one through eleven got leaky thereafter, and an offense
that average twenty eight point four points a game in
Russell Wilson's first seven starts never managed more than seventeen
through the season ending losing streak. Sifting through the recags

(01:13):
can begin in either area, but it can't end there
on to the off season. Good evening, everyone, and welcome
to the postgame show on the Steelers Audio Network Mike
Persuda along with Charlie Batch and Charlie I think you know,
sifting through the wreckage is kind of cliched, but it
applies after Ravens twenty eight, Steelers fourteen.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
It definitely does.

Speaker 4 (01:34):
And when you have an outcome like this and knowing
you know you need to put on a better performance,
at least starting fast. That didn't happen again here today,
you start to wonder, Okay, what's truly going on down there?
Why they can't turn it on in that playoff game
at least in the first quarter when you're talking about
playoff games.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Now it's time for Max's Takeaways. That's a sideline reporter
Max Starks and brought to you by S and T Bank.
For every takeaway from the defense this season, S and
T Bank will donate three hundred dollars to PA Wounded
Warriors who have helped over eighteen thousand veterans and counting Max.
I don't think what any of us were expecting. I'm

(02:13):
still at a loss to explain how the defense could
just get run over the way it was. I know
Lamar Jackson's really good. I know Derek Henry's really good.
Did you see anything in particular that wasn't happening in
terms of trying to contain those guys?

Speaker 5 (02:28):
Well, I think one of the biggest things I think
you saw over aggressiveness early guys in this game. I
mean Alex Highsmith being the first one. Then of course
DJ Watt is over pursuit on the back side and
closing down on the in man on the line of scrimmage.
And that's something as a hallmark usually when you have
a running style quarterback where quarterback option read pull out

(02:49):
out the back door is always an option or what
we used to call Charlie, you know, the quarterback eight
And at nine right, that was like, I'm reading that
defensive end on the back side. If he closes, I'm gone.
If he can, I keep the ball and the gut
of the running back that really set the tone for
the entire contest. Was that early over pursuit. That over

(03:09):
tenacity really cost them, and I think mentally it got
into their heads and Lamar Jackson made them pay. He
was smart with the ball, he was disciplined in his eyes.
He waited for the decisions to be made, and then
he made the prudent one. He talked about it this
week in his press conference about you know why haven't
I had success in the playoffs, Well, it's been because
I've tried to I've been antsy, I've been anxious, I've

(03:30):
been trying to make something happen when it isn't. And
it was coming down to being palm playing patient and
he did absolutely that, and we saw patients in there
tonight where he took the game on his shoulders in
a way that was like, I'm going to lead this
team and do the right thing in the best interest
of the team and not try and make the big
play and not try and put on the superhero cape.

Speaker 4 (03:50):
And to that point, I mean, obviously our defense wore
down and they controlled the time and possession, but I
thought I wanted to critical points was that second drive
if I'm not and it was third and one. They
didn't make it, but had an opportunity on fourth and
less than a yard and did not attempt to go
for it, punted the football and gave the Ravens back
the ball. What did you see during that drive was

(04:11):
talent potentially thinking about going for that on fourth and
one or you know, what did you see down there?

Speaker 5 (04:18):
No, I mean you saw a quick look to Corless
weightman and the punt unit.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
Run out there.

Speaker 5 (04:23):
I don't think they even contemplated it really too long
about what they were going to do, considering the location
of where they were and where the ball was. You know,
for them, I think they were more fearful of the
fact that if we don't get this, we're turning the
ball over at an early critical point in the game
to the Ravens on that side. So I think, you know,
it was a little bit of lost of faith in
those moments, because remember, you know, was that week like

(04:45):
nine ten to eleven, where if it was that situation,
didn't care. We weren't thinking twice about it. We're going
to get the first down, We're going to control it.
But I think when you only muster up you know,
twenty nine yards of rushing yards, that faith gets a lot,
you know, a lot less, and I think that's ultimately
what played into it. They couldn't get they couldn't get
the ball going consistently in the run game, and they

(05:07):
you know, they had sixty one yards for a majority
of that game before they really bushed it open in
the second half.

Speaker 2 (05:12):
Yeah. Particularly you could throw it back to the Cincinnati
game when they had second to one, third and one,
fourth and one and didn't make it, or third and
one and fourth on one and didn't make it. What
did you sense on the sideline, Max, Because Kirk curve
Street on the broadcast throughout the first half kept referencing
a lack of fight from the Steelers and how surprised

(05:33):
he was by that. Both he and now Michaels thought
that in the second half, the Steelers looked like they
expect the Steelers to look. Did you see anything in
terms of guys for whatever reason, not being where they
needed to be mentally or was it just too much Baltimore.

Speaker 5 (05:53):
I think it was just too much Baltimore. I mean,
you know, mentally, guys looked like they were engaged with
they were ready to go. They were making the proper
adjustments on the sidelines. The communication was clean, throughout that
first half. But it's just you know, and to put
it in a very frank terms, you know, I was
talking to my one buddy who was doing the Westwood
one sidelines, Ross Tucker. Ross said, I'm not used to

(06:13):
seeing the Steelers get punked. And that's that's what it
felt like, like they were getting bullied out there on
the field and especially the defense.

Speaker 6 (06:21):
You know.

Speaker 5 (06:21):
But like you said, when you give them the ball
twenty minutes in the first half, you know, they win
the time of possession dramatically and overwhelmingly.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
In this game.

Speaker 5 (06:30):
They finished the game by taking a knee and holding
the ball. And I mean we saw that with the
with the Cincinnati game, right, I mean, they had thirty
eight minutes time of possession. This was close to that
as well.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
This was actually thirty nine three.

Speaker 5 (06:43):
Thank you, thank you. Even worse, they almost have forty minutes,
So I mean that's a two to one ratio in
time of possession. That's something when I used to seeing,
Like the Steelers going into this game even were still
greater than thirty minutes in time of possession. We're used
to seeing more evenness. So to add extra ten minutes
on the defense backs take that off of the offense.
You know, it is a very sobering type of reality

(07:05):
in a moment there. So I mean, it just it
just never felt like you felt that one play it
usually gets them going, that one play just never came
to fruition defensively to turn the tide a sudden change, turnover,
stolen possession here, whether special teams are defense, they just
didn't happen. And we're so used to that when you
talk about a team that was one of the tops

(07:25):
in the league and takeaways with thirty three on the season,
and to not really see a sniff at that tonight
was just tough. And this team has always feasted off
off of those sudden change explosive opportunities and they take
advantage of them. They did not get the opportunity to
even take advantage of it.

Speaker 4 (07:40):
And I know we get you know, obviously, as we
shift focused as the season comes to a close and
you have people, you know, like TJ. Watt, you have
Cam Hayward not having that playoff victory, and you know,
you know, it's tough to get to this point and
what did you see from those guys. Obviously, emotions are
flowing during this time because this team would never be
the same again. But what did you know looking at
the reaction to those guys, I mean, what did your

(08:02):
sense as they walked off the field here today?

Speaker 5 (08:05):
I mean, just another opportunity missed. You know, they gave
it there all. I mean Cam was evaluated for you know,
a concussion or a head injury, going into the locker
room two seconds left in the first half and came
running out of there like like a spartan, you know,
two minutes into the second half to make sure he
cleared protocol before he left the locker room, and he

(08:27):
did and got back into that game. So I mean,
willing to give it all. T Elbow comes in, gets
spat it up, put puts on. I call it. I
call it the big Brother brace, the JJ Watt brace
that we always knew him for. Puts that on and
gets back out there because he doesn't want to miss time.
You know, these are these are precious moments. You're not
guaranteed the playoffs year in and year out if you
make it, and so you have to try and do

(08:49):
everything in your power. So I saw just the ultimate
measure of a champion, like those guys trying to go
out there and fight and will their team to a victory.
It just didn't come to fruitionship so a lot. So
you know, the have a hidden disappointment, right. You know,
you had guys sitting on the sidelines after the game
kind of just staring off with a thousand miles stare,
you know, because they just you know, it's shell shock

(09:09):
and everything else. But at the end of the day,
you know, it's a team effort. Everybody puts their hand
in the pile. Everybody has to kick in and unfortunately
it wasn't enough today from the hands that kicked into
the pile.

Speaker 2 (09:22):
Max, really appreciate your contributions to the postgame show all
season long. I know it's a game day's long day
for all of us. We start with the pregame and
we worked late into the night. But thanks for your efforts,
and from me in particular, thank you for calling Cam
Heyward a Spartan. I appreciate that, oh jeez, and.

Speaker 5 (09:40):
Not in that sense.

Speaker 6 (09:41):
Cam.

Speaker 5 (09:41):
If you hear this, just know that it was more
so the Spartans of Spartan Leonidas style, not the one
there somewhere in Michigan.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
All Right, that's my last statement.

Speaker 3 (09:51):
All Right, boys, I appreciate it. Thanks Max.

Speaker 2 (09:53):
That was uh Max's takeaway. So thanks to Max, and
thanks to doing it Right roofing, siding and remind you
got to have a little fun right absolutely the home
of the Lifetime Workmanship Warranty seven two to four New
roof for bringing us this hour of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Audio Network Postgame Show. The show continues right here on
the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (10:13):
The Pittsburgh Steelers Postgame Show, which presented by Doing it
Right Roofing, siting and Remodeling Home up the Lifetime Workmanship Warranty.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
Welcome back, Mike Pursuon and Charlie Batch with you the
last postgame show of the season. After Ravens twenty eight
Steelers fourteen four one two three three three nine three
eight three is our number. Let's kick things off tonight
with Linda from Myrtle Beach. Linda, you're hitting the lead
off tonight. How are you?

Speaker 7 (10:41):
Oh?

Speaker 8 (10:42):
Good?

Speaker 6 (10:44):
Well?

Speaker 9 (10:44):
Before I get to my question, I just want to
thank you guys both for a great post game show
all year and for always talking to me. I do
really appreciate that. My question is after the five game
losing streak to end a year and eight years without
a playoff, when like, what changes? Do you think what

(11:05):
we've made? You think any coaches? Even on Twitter, everyone's
calling for Tomlin's head. I'm not so sure you know
about that, but I know just signed it to year
extension and which quarterbacks, if any, will be back next year?

Speaker 10 (11:19):
Do you think?

Speaker 4 (11:20):
Yeah, we appreciate you calling in eagent every week, so
thank you for doing so you're inside is fantastic, So
we appreciate you. I think when you look at coaching staff,
you always going to start there. Obviously, I don't think
nothing's going to happen to coach Tomlin, but then you
start looking at statistically what each individual group has done,
and then you start evaluating your position coaches to see

(11:41):
if they're deemed worthy to keep and maybe and then
it works his way up to the coordinators to see
kind of how that works. So that's going to be
an evaluation process that is going to take some time
and maybe a couple of weeks before we even hear
anything as it relates to what they may do on
a coaching staff. But I think ultimately when you go
from the players, you know, again expiring and contracts. Obviously
we know what's happening at the quarterback position. You pretty

(12:04):
much have all three quarterbacks with expiring contracts, and that
includes Kyle Allen, so that there's gonna be a lengthy
decision as it relates to what you do there scouting department,
front office. They're going to evaluate every snap that Justin
Fields and Russell Wilson played, and then from there they
have to make a decision. I promise you it is
all three of them won't be back next year. You
might have Kyle Allen and then maybe whatever you use

(12:26):
a decision that you make with Justin or Russ at
the QB position. But then of course dollars come into
play as well. So there's going to be interesting decision here,
and I don't think that is going to reveal itself
anytime soon.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah, I would just add Linda my whole theory on
this back to March when they rebuilt the quarterback room.
This is just me personally, my own opinion. I saw
Russell Wilson as a one year guy to try to
get them over the hump and get him into the
playoffs and get him a win or two or maybe more.
He's thirty six years old. I don't know what kind

(13:01):
of money he's going to command on the open market,
but I was real curious to see what Justin Fields had.
We all knew his story in Chicago. Phenomenal talent, phenomenal
skill set, but it wasn't working with the Bears. He
went four and two here. You know, they've worked with
them all year. They've gotten to know him. He's twenty six.
And if you listen to Mike Tomlin again right after

(13:23):
the game tonight, he kept talking about Lamar Jackson as
the X factor and the difference maker and all that
ability and his ability to run, and what a difference
that makes. Well, Justin Fields has the same kind of
skill set, So if they turn it over to Justin Fields,
that would not displease me.

Speaker 9 (13:42):
I agree, That's what I was thinking. I knew that
they were all done after this year, so I didn't
know who they're bringing back. But anyway, I appreciate you guys,
Thank you all, and have a great off season you too.

Speaker 2 (13:55):
Linda, Thank you Mark in Virginia. You're up next with
Mike and Charlie.

Speaker 11 (14:00):
He got the newom Fellers.

Speaker 3 (14:01):
How you doing doing well? How you doing all right?

Speaker 12 (14:04):
Happy lady found this day Charlie.

Speaker 3 (14:06):
Thank you, sir. Same to you, thank you.

Speaker 11 (14:09):
Thank you if you bear with me. And I got
a lot on my coordinators.

Speaker 6 (14:17):
I thought Art.

Speaker 11 (14:19):
Smith did a decent job tonight. I think he was
trying to get some things done. But terror Austin, if
he was dating my daughter, I'll be a happy person.
Defensive coordinator, I don't.

Speaker 8 (14:30):
I don't know about that.

Speaker 11 (14:31):
I have my every every game. It's like, I don't
understand what he's doing.

Speaker 6 (14:37):
Do you could you posit to me?

Speaker 11 (14:38):
Why the DV so far back? Because we were able
for first down Joye put it. Think it's like maybe
eight nine yards past the line. It was third down
and it's easy pitching, catch and throw. I know we
said Lamar did a great job, but it's almost like
they just pitch and catch because the DB's are so
far back.

Speaker 10 (14:57):
Adjustments.

Speaker 11 (14:58):
I didn't play college ball, play high school ball. We
had our defense. We had the defense that were playing
for the week, for the team that we was playing.
We would change that every week. I don't understand why
it's grown ups. We've been playing ball all this long.
They can't do simple adjustments. You know, end games at
the half. Sometimes it's done.

Speaker 10 (15:18):
And sometimes it's not done. I just don't understand those things.

Speaker 13 (15:23):
That the nickel we was running is not working.

Speaker 11 (15:26):
And the teams we're playing, they're prepared for it and
they beat it because I used to about it all
we play, it seems. And the offense the line, if
we're gonna keep rushing, I think they got to make
some adjustment to that line. Maybe we bring Dames back
and move seventy three. I mean, as a Venturan, I
don't think he's getting the job done in my opinion,

(15:47):
and move.

Speaker 10 (15:48):
I like the guy.

Speaker 11 (15:49):
I think it's a good tight end. I don't know
if he's a tear one tight end. He's had some
some some bad players here late in the last couple
of games. I don't know. I just let me get
it off on my chest. I've been holding a.

Speaker 8 (16:05):
Well.

Speaker 2 (16:05):
He covered a lot of ground there. I'm with you
on the soft coverage. I'm a press man guy myself,
Particularly when you're a pass rush, when your defense is
dependent on the pass rush, you can't give guys options
to get rid of the ball quickly and still get
five or six yards whenever they want it. In terms
of the adjustments, I think they make more than you

(16:26):
think I don't think tonight was an adjustment problem. I
saw the Ravens run against their base. I saw them
run against their passing nickel which has Peyton Wilson in
it at linebacker. I saw them run against the running
nickel which has a Landon Roberts in it as the
as the linebacker with Patrick Queen. They just got bullied
on defense tonight.

Speaker 14 (16:46):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (16:46):
And when you look at that defense, one of the
questions they're gonna want answers. And when I say they,
I mean, aren't Rooney the second and whoever he relies
on to help him run the show. They got a
lot of money invested in that defense, and they got
a lot of I think, still Charlie, really good football
players on that defense, and it ain't working.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
And that's the part that surprised me, because the people
who didn't play in the last matchup a few weeks ago,
they all played today.

Speaker 3 (17:12):
But yet you give up close to.

Speaker 4 (17:13):
Three hundred, you got two hundred ninety nine yards rushing,
and then ultimately you give up four hundred and sixty
four yards of total offense. So the game plan coming
into this obviously didn't work. When you talk about the
soft coverage I'm watching it as well.

Speaker 3 (17:27):
Look completely like Cover two.

Speaker 4 (17:28):
But yet Joey falls off and then you give up
an easy complete him for a first down underneath because
he was trying to take away the deep pass. He
just has to be aware of down and distance in
that situation. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Did that play cause
them to lose the game? Absolutely not? And when you
look at them overall, to Mike's point, they have a
lot of money in that defense, and unfortunately, putting on
a performance like that, giving up the yardage in the

(17:50):
manner that you did, knowing what they were going to
do coming in here because they were minus a Flowers
and you do that and you put on that performance,
it's unacceptable.

Speaker 3 (18:00):
Arts.

Speaker 4 (18:00):
Obviously you're talking about Tollin, but a court, a defense
coordinator Austin that has to put that particular game plan together,
and when that performance happened, it makes for a long offseason.
And I promise you he's going to lose a lot
of sleep here tonight, because when when you sees it
ends in this particular way, it's very frustrating, and it's
frustrating for a lot of people.

Speaker 2 (18:18):
Appreciate the call. We are up against a break. Thanks
to Doing It Right Roofing, Siding and Remodeling Home of
the Lifetime Workmanship Warranty roofingcontractor Pittsburgh dot Com for bringing
us this hour of the Pittsburgh Steelers Audio Network Postgame Show.
The show continues right here on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (18:35):
The Pittsburgh Steelers Postgame Show, which presented by Doing It
Right Roofing, Sighting and Remodeling, Home of the Lifetime Workmanship Warranty.

Speaker 2 (18:44):
Welcome back, Ravens twenty eight Steelers fourteen and that's all
she wrote for the twenty twenty four season. The Steelers
at one time were ten and three. They end a
ten and seven in the regular season and zero to
one in the postseason. Four one, two, three, three, three,
nine eight three is our number. Back to the telephones
we go. Let's welcome Dave from Florida to the show.

(19:08):
How are you, Dave?

Speaker 8 (19:10):
Good guys, how are you tonight? Way? Hey? Thank you?
Thank you for taking my calls? All yeah, I appreciate it. Uh,
it's gotta be hard to listen to grumpy fans crying
got their team. Sometimes. I've dealt with the public, so
I know it's it's not easy. So you guys do
a great job. I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
Well, thank you. What's on your mind relative to the.

Speaker 8 (19:34):
Game, disappointment, disappointment sellers, My god, this is division rival.
You would think this was going to be a slug test.
Derrick Henry. It was like he was a bowl and
bull and the steels are pins. I mean he was
just throwing people off stiff arm and people they were

(19:57):
just bouncing off of him. To me, it looked like
this game was starve and for somebody turning forcer to
come up and stick him, plant him on his butt
and make a statement never happened. Don't seem like we
have that personnel on the back like that. We need
to get somebody like that because anybody runs the two

(20:18):
hundred yards on you, you're soft and then you're soft. Up front,
we got a good pass rush. There's a lot of
things with this team that you know going into the
off season. I think what Mike was saying before about
Russ one year, I think that's correct. Unfortunately, I think

(20:38):
I don't think he was the problem. I think he
could get it done, but this team just wasn't ready
this shear to get it done. They didn't address the
wide receiver the two positions from the get go. I mean,
I know they tried and everything, but the failure was there,
and then kind of disappointed a little bit Patrick Queen's play,

(20:59):
not that he didn't play, he played bad, but I
don't think he's played great, you know, like what we
were looking for, Like I said, we needed a forcer
out there. I don't see no enforcer out there.

Speaker 2 (21:11):
I think you make a lot of good points, Dave.
I think Cam Hayward is that as an interior player
in the trench, but you don't necessarily see him making
those highlight reel hits or you know, lighting guys up
in open field. I thought Queen would be splash year
and more impactful. I was fully in favor of them

(21:32):
signing him. The lack of receivers is something that people
have been talking about ever since the offseason last year
and going into camp, and you look at tonight first
half when they got blown out of the water. Wide
receivers had two targets, one to George Pickens and one

(21:53):
to Mike Williams, and that resulted in one catch by
eight yards for Pickens. That's just not enough. Can't throw
the tight end running backs all.

Speaker 4 (22:01):
The time correct, and I think when you look back,
even just waited to since training camp, you knew, you know,
the worst kept secret that they were looking for a receiver.
When I didn't materialize as early as we would as
everybody would hope, you start to see what was happening.
And I think that weighed on that position group because
they were uncertain whether you know, they.

Speaker 3 (22:18):
Were truly the guys or not.

Speaker 4 (22:19):
And then they made the move to bring Mike Williams
in here, and he didn't play as much as he did.
Obviously we don't know the reason why for that. But
coming into this season, I was optimistic because I thought
they were solid with the starters, and then they did
have backups, and then when the injuries started to occur,
that's when this offense started to be tested. It started
when you lost Troy's Fontana. It started when you lost

(22:42):
Nate Herbick, you lost James Daniels. Those were three projected
starters on your offensive line. So now the young guys
had to be forced into play, and I don't necessarily
think they were ready at the time. I'm talking about
Zach and I'm talking about Mason McCormick, which they actually
had solid seasons as the season moved on. So I'm
urage from that perspective, what do you do with the
rest of those guys who are injured that are returning

(23:05):
back to this particular roster. And I think ultimately the
injuries caught up with the offensive side.

Speaker 3 (23:10):
Of the ball.

Speaker 4 (23:10):
They had to protect the efficiencies that they had on
the offensive side, and that's where you started to see
the slow progress in this offense. And they weren't opening
it up as much as they can because they were
trying to hide some of the flaws that they had
within the offensive.

Speaker 8 (23:24):
Side, right. You know, Charlie, like you said, I'm encouraged
the offensive line. I think we did good, So I'm
encouraged for the years going forward with the with the
offensive line. You know, it was something that we needed
and we got. So you know, that's a start. So
you know, this team has uh where we can build

(23:46):
on and hopefully we'll be back next year a little
bit strongly.

Speaker 4 (23:49):
Absolutely, and it's going to start with that offensive line.
So a lot of that question is going to happen.
You know, as I say, Malo, he missed time coming back.
He wasn't able to practice as much as what you
know he can do consistantly throughout the course of the season.
And that offensive line, those five guys who are starting,
they have to practice together every single day if they
want to go from good to great. And you know

(24:11):
with the guys that are coming back, they do have
an opportunity to do so. Because of course a young
Troy f On time, this guy is lights out. If
he didn't get out, would love to see what he
was capable of. Unfortunately his year was cut short with injury.
But what happens is you're gonna stay right, is you're
gonna go left. What is going to happen with Broders.
So again, those are conversations that we're gonna have as

(24:31):
we get into the offseason when they start to shape
what that offensive line looks like. So I think when
you look at what Omar Kahn and Andy Wido was
trying to do, they're trying to beef it up. But
unfortunately in that offensive line, I think those injuries caught
up to him.

Speaker 8 (24:44):
Yeah, hey guys again, thank you, talk to you next year.

Speaker 2 (24:48):
Appreciate it. Dave, back to the telephones, we go, Let's
go to Connor in Holidaysburg. You're up next with Mike
and Charlie.

Speaker 15 (24:58):
Hey, guys, appreciate you always frustrating loss tonight. Frustrating season
really for the last month or so, going from ten
to three to five losses in a row, all in
in similar fashion was was fairly disheartening. My question to you,

(25:18):
guys is kind of centered on the slow starts in
the playoff games. It's sort of become a trend throughout
Kach Tomlin's career getting off to slow starts in these
postseason games, whether it be against Jacksonville, New England, Baltimore tonight.

(25:39):
What contributes to that and what are the common denominators
across that, because obviously there's been a lot of different players,
different faces, and there's there's matchups different teams on the
field for that, but it seems to be similar results
going out there where the Steelers are playing from behind
and and are forced to rally the second half.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
And yeah, I mean they're playing from way behind against Jacksonville, Cleveland,
Kansas City, Buffalo, and now Baltimore tonight. Uh, Mike, I
would have to go back and look at the other
games to be honest with you. Mike Tomlin talked tonight
about why it worked out that way, and still they
didn't do anything on offense, and then the defense couldn't

(26:21):
stop him, so it was three and out or one
first down and then seven minute drive, eight minute drives,
seven minute drive. I think you know, it was reverse
complimentary football. They neither side was getting it done, and
nobody on either side could make that tide turning play
that would that would reverse that tide. But it's yeah,
that's probably uh, you know, first they got to figure

(26:44):
out what their team's gonna look like next year, and
then they got to figure out why that this keeps
occurring over a number of years with a number of
different teams.

Speaker 4 (26:52):
And as the first quarter ended, did Jerry Dulaight tweeted
out as well. He said, hey, this and the last
five playoff games in the first quarter alone, this Deelers
were out score sixty three to zero. So that is
a problem. So obviously, I mean, I wish I had
an answer. I had an answer for you. I'll be
on the coaching staff and trying to figure this stuff
out to try to reverse that trend.

Speaker 2 (27:10):
But would you still be talking to the people right man?

Speaker 3 (27:13):
I make sure i'd be on the phone with you
for sure.

Speaker 2 (27:14):
Put the he set down after the game and run
up to the booth.

Speaker 4 (27:17):
Absolutely, but I think do you know those type of
things that occurs, you know, for whatever reason, you just
don't know why it's occurring.

Speaker 3 (27:24):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (27:24):
I don't have an answer for you, because we're seeing
this repeatedly. And when you get down in the manner
that the Steelers have gotten down, there's no coming back.

Speaker 3 (27:32):
Twenty one nothing.

Speaker 4 (27:33):
I don't care what type of performance you had in
the second half. You know Baltimore was going to bleed
the clock and eventually time was not going to be
on your side and you were going to run out
for a potential comeback, and that's ultimately what happened. You
see the time of possession almost forty minutes for Baltimore
and you're talking about twenty for the Steelers.

Speaker 8 (27:52):
Yep.

Speaker 15 (27:52):
Absolutely pretty frustrating. I think Max put it pretty well
said they got bullied. I believe he shaid, and yeah,
I believe he did.

Speaker 2 (28:00):
Yeah, I believe it was right.

Speaker 8 (28:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 16 (28:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (28:03):
Well.

Speaker 15 (28:03):
I appreciate you guys. I listen every week, so thank
you for what you do, and I'll be tuned in
next year.

Speaker 2 (28:10):
Appreciate it. Conor, you know what one thing Charlie before
we hit the break. Add this to the list of problems.
I mean, in recent years, it's been up and down,
and you know, there's been some good and some bad.
But they had a good thing going against the Ravens
at least, and they were able to beat them. It
was eight of the last ten coming into tonight. But
you look at what happened after they beat Baltimore in
the first game this year thirty four to seventeen, and

(28:32):
then tonight twenty eight to fourteen. And I agree with
Rob King. If people caught the end of the game broadcast,
he said that December twenty first game was more competitive
than this one, right, And even though the spread was
a little bit greater, you had it.

Speaker 4 (28:45):
Even though you had a lot on the line for
the AFC North the clinching, you still had the same thing.
It would have been a great redemption story if you
could have knocked off the AFC North champions and now
continued your season in the same manner they did a
few years ago when they came to the two. I
think Hansfield at that time it wasn't acasure, but they
came in after the Steelers. Clint's the AFC North. They
came in and won, and they continued their season on

(29:07):
when the Steelers did not.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
Thanks to Doing it Right Roofing, siding and Remodeling home
with a Lifetime Workmanship Warranty seven to four new roof
for bringing us this hour the Pittsburgh Steelers Audio Network
Postgame Show. The show continues right here on the Steelers
Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (29:22):
The Pittsburgh Steelers Postgame Show, which presented by Doing it
Right Roofing, siding and Remodeling Home of the Lifetime Workmanship Warranty.

Speaker 17 (29:30):
Jackson gets a snap now rolling out to the right,
looking is going to throw underneath and its complete to Wallace,
and Wallace heads up the right sideline and Wallace again
micka Fitzpatrick ripping it the ball and Wallace gets an
extra three yards and enough for a first down across
the forty.

Speaker 2 (29:47):
Tonight's Electrified play. The game is powered by the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union Number five IBEW letting
up Pittsburgh since eighteen ninety seven. Mike pursued and Charlie
Batch with you after Raven's twenty eight Steelers fourteen and Charlie,
I picked that one because that play drove me crazy.
Among several that fit into that category. You know, the

(30:08):
first half is an abject failure. It's twenty one and nothing.
Then they come out in the third quarter. They got
to stop. They got a long touchdown drive, started out
at their three yard line and went down the field
and scored to make it twenty one seven. Then you
get a sack of Lamar Jackson on first down and

(30:29):
it's second and twenty one from the Baltimore nineteen, and
all of a sudden, you start thinking, eh, still half
the third quarter and all the fourth quarter to go,
get a stop here, get some field position, maybe get
another score, see if you can make it twenty one fourteen. Instead,
Jackson gets out of the pocket, bootlegs Tyland Warren a

(30:49):
catch and run a twenty one yard game for a
first down. You heard Rob say he went through Mika
Fitzpatrick clawing at the ball trying to knock it out.
And if you watch the game on television, you heard
Herbstreet mentioned that Dante Jackson didn't look real interesting in
coming up and making a tackle, getting on the right
side of the chains to at least make a third

(31:10):
and short. That's kind of the way it went. When
a play needed to be made. They did not make one.

Speaker 4 (31:17):
They didn't and that was the frustrating part. You needed
to make a stop that, it felt that was the
biggest drive of the game. That the defense needed to
make a stop. They didn't do it. They allowed them
to go down and answer the touchdown what they touched down,
and that ultimately created that separation that the Steelers weren't
able to rebound from.

Speaker 2 (31:32):
Yeah, two plays later, it was a forty four yard
run for a touchdown by Derrick Henry that was against
the Nickel, but again that was the run Nickel with
the Landon Roberts and Patrick Queen. Guys, do that you're
gonna lose.

Speaker 3 (31:47):
Look back.

Speaker 4 (31:48):
That is a key play right there. You can show
up in the stat line. Landon had fourteen tackles, Queen
had ten. But that's a play right there out of position.
Dereck Henry is going to make you pay for it
in the manner that he did.

Speaker 3 (32:00):
He was doing. That was one play, but he did
it all night.

Speaker 2 (32:03):
Four well, two, three, three, eight three is our number.
Jeff in Ohio, You're up next with Mike and Charlie.

Speaker 6 (32:11):
Joemen.

Speaker 2 (32:12):
How are you tonight doing well? Jeff? How are you.

Speaker 6 (32:15):
It's been a rough one here. I appreciate you guys
hanging with us for throughout the seed and obviously it's
a tough way to conclude the year. A couple of points,
and I had a question for you guys, Jeff.

Speaker 2 (32:26):
Were you at the game or are we just screaming
at the television.

Speaker 6 (32:30):
It's it's been a rough one. I'll tell you, I'm
kind of kind of right. I actually got to the
point where I was so upset I didn't know if
I should call. And then I got the point where
we got to finish out the year, try to go
through this. So a couple of things that stood out.
Then I got a question for you.

Speaker 8 (32:45):
The things that kind of.

Speaker 6 (32:46):
Stuck with me, the fourth down where we didn't go
for that, and I'll be honest, I apologies. I couldn't
get your broadcast when I was waiting online. So you
guys made a couple of weeks seven to nothing, and
I look at the Ravens five or this time when
I did that was with Mark Andrews, and we can't
get an inch, we don't go for it. I thought

(33:09):
that was kind of a pivotal play early and then
in the game one that kind of stuck me when
it was kind of our last gasp befourth down play
where Baltimore was going to go for it and we
couldn't get our guys on the field and we took
the twelve man penalty, but you know, we're running guys
on and off the field. That didn't look like we
were prepared that. That was kind of a tough one stomach.

(33:29):
But the bottom line is you give up three hundred
rushing yards. I mean that's a disaster of biblical proportions.
I mean, it's it's.

Speaker 2 (33:37):
Gone awful reference exactly.

Speaker 6 (33:41):
And it was rough to watch. I'll be honest, that
was embarrassed. It was humiliating. So he's taking a holder
and to be honest, it's it's very disappointing to watch
that and schematically and this was kind of a question
to consider. I don't understand why, you know, use TJ
in different locations. I know he didn't do a thing tonight,

(34:03):
and I know he might have been injured the last
few weeks and have got a lot of production, but
we don't use a lot of stunts with them. We
don't move him around a lot, and it just seemed
when I look at like Miles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson, Max Crosby.
Guys like that. They move him around and they get
a lot of production by moving him up and down
the line, and we just don't do it. And I
don't know if that's TJ's doesn't like that or you know,

(34:26):
but and you guys might have mentioned this. I think, Mike,
you were talking about this. With all the money we're
spending on defense, it has to be better. You got
to get more out of this than what we're getting.
And that was just, I mean, it was ugly.

Speaker 2 (34:38):
Yeah, I got I get the frustration. I mean, and
I think they have good players too. It's not like
they're just spending money and oh that's a terrible contract.
You never sort of brought this guy in or that
guy in. I think they have really good players, but
it's just not adding up the short yardage thing. A
couple things about that. Pat Fryarmuth didn't get the first

(34:59):
down there, and that's been a little bit of a
trend the last couple of weeks, and he got tackled
by a safety short and then I don't know what
play I would have called, because they've had problems on
sure yardage all year, even with sneaks. Maybe that would
have been a good time for Justin Fields. I thought
they were gonna use him more in this game. You know,

(35:21):
burn all the boats, leave no stone unturned, all that stuff.
You know, maybe try try something there with him. That
wouldn't have been a bad time to try to possess
the ball because that trend had already started off the
Steelers having it for a very small amount of time
and the Ravens having it for a long amount of time.
I mean they punted, and that just took Baltimore longer

(35:42):
to score. That was the drive where they went eighty
five yards on thirteen plays. Every one of them are
running play.

Speaker 4 (35:50):
And that's the part where this is playoff football. You
have to go for it. And I understand, you know,
the field position could have played the factor, but it
was less than one. And that means you're telling me
that I don't believe in my offense that you can
get less than the yard. And that's frustrating for me
because you see other teams doing that. So when you
punt the football and then all of a sudden they

(36:11):
go down and score anyway, it's okay. Can you now
rebound from a fourteen zero game. I just say, in
that particular sits, I would I would have lived with
the fact that attempting it and if you didn't get it,
guess what. Okay, fine, but in that particular manner you
gave up.

Speaker 2 (36:27):
Better at least try to draw him off or something something.
Just quick decision to punt.

Speaker 6 (36:31):
Was kind of living there a little bit.

Speaker 2 (36:33):
Yeah, Well the fears kind of or ugly head the
last five weeks, didn't.

Speaker 3 (36:38):
They that was it?

Speaker 4 (36:38):
But that's just one that I thought that they should
have went. I thought that turned the game around because
you still could have potentially drove down the football down
the field, put points on the board, and could have
changed that that that narrative that way. But the second
point when you talked about TJ there, I truly believe
that that ankle injury hindered him over the last three weeks.
He went out I think was late in the Baltimore game,
if I'm not mistaken, on a Saturday, and then trying to

(37:00):
play in that Chiefs game, and for him to just
be non existent in games in this particula. He didn't
even put a stat line up in this game. I
think his presence was more felt than anything trying to observe.
And I think that's why he was crashing down as
much as he was, because typically he could play both
and I just don't think he had the side to
side movement on that ankle to turn around and do it.

(37:21):
And I think that ultimately Baltimore was able to exploit that.
And that's why we were gashed in the running game
when you saw that, because everybody's sitting Max saying, why
does he keep crashing? We have nobody to replace over
the top. I just truly believe. I don't think TJ
was able to do it. But hats off to him
through playing through that injury because we know that he
could say capable of bringing more to the game. I
just felt that that injury affected him.

Speaker 2 (37:41):
Jeff, appreciate the call, Get some hot tea or maybe
something a little stronger and wait for the sun to
come up tomorrow. Nice talking to you, thanks to doing
it right. Roofing, Siding and Remodeling Home of the Lifetime
Workmanship Warranty Roofingcontractor Pittsburgh dot Com for bringing us this
hour of the Pittsburgh Steelers Audio Network postgame show. The
show continues right here on the Steelers Audio.

Speaker 1 (38:03):
Network d buy doing it right, roofing, sighting and remodeling,
pull them up the lifetime workmanship warranty.

Speaker 18 (38:10):
I think the big thing is is we didn't make
enough plays in the first half, you know, for whatever reasons.
And I gotta watch the film and see what it is.
But you know, I thought I'm mentality, especially in the
second half, and just we weren't giving up, you know,
And that's why I'm proud of these guys in this
locker room.

Speaker 2 (38:23):
How we went approached it even though we.

Speaker 18 (38:25):
Were down, you know, we we gave ourselves a chance
and a little a gleans of hope, you know for
a while there, and we battled and guys didn't quit.

Speaker 8 (38:34):
Guys gave it all. Every play.

Speaker 2 (38:38):
That was Russell Wilson after Raven's twenty eight Steelers fourteen
four one two three three, three nine three eight three
is our number. Let's go back to the phones and
welcome Max in Houston. Max, you're on with Mike and Charlie.

Speaker 12 (38:53):
Hey, guys, how you doing do it?

Speaker 2 (38:55):
Okay? Max? How are you.

Speaker 19 (38:58):
For fifty one? At least the Texans one? That's my
forty nine percent? But I'm a native Pittsburgher, so I'm
fifty one bad. Anyways, the stealer's demise was written back
in the Indianapolis Colt game and the Dallas game. Those

(39:20):
two teams ran the ball between the tackles on us
when we never fixed it. Imagine how bad it would
have been today if Mike Tomlin wasn't a defense of Gurbu.

Speaker 10 (39:31):
That's a joke.

Speaker 19 (39:32):
But think about it. Everybody keeps saying he's a Hall
of Fame coach. George Seaffert, two Super Bowls, two different quarterbacks.
Nobody talks about him as being a Super Bowl as
a Hall of Fame coach.

Speaker 10 (39:44):
What's the parallels?

Speaker 2 (39:48):
Uh, not really remembering George Seaffert right now? Run defense
was awful tonight. Body of work in the regular season
was six in the leag ninety eight point seven yards
a game, and the Dallas game was an exceptionally bad
performance by the run defense. I do remember that one
tonight was off the charts awful, But I don't think

(40:12):
it was a problem from start to finish throughout the
course of the campaign.

Speaker 3 (40:17):
No, it wasn't.

Speaker 4 (40:17):
And when you look at just you know, all you
could do is really focus on what December look like,
and when you lose five straight, you start pointing at
what happens there, because when you get to that particular
point of the season, if your goal and obviously it's
a goal every year here and it's still his organization,
is to hoist that Lombardi Trophy at the end of
the season. You have to be playing your best ball.
And they never got hot and luck wasn't on their side,

(40:38):
and ultimately, when you see them falter in a manner
that they did, that's just unacceptable and right now they
deserve the criticism that's going to happen their way. You
can see the players and the sound bites that's coming
out of the locker room right now. They are very
frustrated and you know about their performance and it goes
top to bottom. So just as we're upset, the players
are upset. Especially you're talking about somebody like a Cam

(41:00):
Hayward who's fourteen years in and you have not been
to that Super Bowl. You came in one year after
we lost the Super Bowl forty five, and you expect
to get there, and when you haven't got there, you
don't know how much more you have left in the tank. Yes,
he signed an extension prior to this season, but you
want to make sure when you enter in the season

(41:20):
that you have a legit chance. He honestly felt that
that was the case this year. Injuries occurred and unfortunately
they fizzled at the end of the season. And that's
just very frustrated in my heart, you know, goes out
to those guys, because you know around here in Pittsburgh
they don't celebrate division winners, which they didn't do this year.
And if they don't, you don't win the super Bowl,

(41:40):
they don't celebrate you. You have to hoist that Lombardi
Trophy to be remembered in history. Throughout the Steelers organization,
this team has felt felt short and they all understand that,
and that reminder will start to happen tomorrow when they
go in for their final meeting. They say, that's to
go a hand. We fell short in The season begins
now and hopefully you are a part of that because

(42:04):
the way that you fizzled out at the end of
the season. There's going to be a lot of changes
on this roster and we haven't even gotten to who's
unrestricted free agency and anything of that nature. All they
know is that the team is going to turn over
because they fail short of their goal.

Speaker 19 (42:21):
Last thing to say, Jerry Jones, if you're listening, call
Rooney the third up and make them such an outrageous
offer for Mike Tomlins that he can't receive.

Speaker 2 (42:33):
Thanks for the call, Max. Let's move on to Randy
in Southern California. You're upe with Mike and Charlie.

Speaker 14 (42:43):
Gentlemen, it's always good to talk to you.

Speaker 2 (42:45):
How are you doing okay? How you doing tonight? Randy?

Speaker 10 (42:50):
Well, that's not going to happen.

Speaker 14 (42:52):
Jerry Jones is not going to step in anytime soon.

Speaker 6 (42:55):
But guys, I.

Speaker 14 (42:58):
Think you're avoiding what's obviously a recurring issue here. You know,
we just got beaten up tonight. That so it's embarrassing
the way that we performed tonight and the stat that
Max said about the we were getting out the escaping me.

(43:24):
Now the how long you hold the ball? The last
five weeks that we have been beaten up, we've been
out held. I mean the other team held the ball
more than we did two to one. It wasn't just tonight.
That's been going on for the last five weeks. Go

(43:45):
back and look it up now, Max said, over the season.
That's been a slight nod towards the positive.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
But oh, there was a time that there was a
time when they were leading the NFL in time of possession, right,
But yes, and that's problem lately. Yeah, there's no question.

Speaker 14 (44:07):
And guys, I know you're right Charlie when you say
Tomlin's not going anywhere. But guys, this is never going
to change until we until there's a change at the top.
Who are we kidding? Come on, We keep changing out players,
we keep changing out assistant coaches. There's one common denominator here, guys.

(44:31):
And I'm not anti Tomlin. I think he's an amazing man.
I would wish him all the best. I don't care
if he'd go somewhere else and be successful. But it's
not working here anymore. And why do we keep doing
this year after year and expecting a different result.

Speaker 2 (44:51):
Well, I'll just refer you to what Art Rudy the
Second said last January in his season ending press conference.
Was asked multiple questions about Mike Tomlin, and he said,
I think the players still respond to Mike. That's number one.
Still feel good about Mike. Obviously, if we didn't, we'd
make a change I think if Mike wasn't able to

(45:13):
lead us to a championship, he wouldn't be here. That's
why he's here now. Art run in the second also
said in the same press conference regarding the playoff failures,
We've had enough of this. It's time to get some wins.
It's time to take these next steps. So yeah, I
think there's some urgency for sure.

Speaker 4 (45:30):
Absolutely, And he's always gonna as always to go here
to me when I see it, and that is easy
to put the blame on Tomlin, but when you look
at collectively from the organization's perspective, for me, is not
hitting in the draft, which was once a big formula
where this team is building through the draft and you
have longevity at these particular positions. You don't have that anymore.

(45:52):
And you look at this, you could just go back
the last five years, you go back to the last
ten years when you look at just the draft picks
that they miss in the first round and those guys
aren't here. You're not building into that, and that's just
the frustrating part. You know, you lost Troy this year,
you have Fontana, you have Broderick Jones last year, Kenny
Pickett's not here. Naji was a first round or he

(46:12):
may be walking out the door. You didn't have a
pick because you gave it up in twenty twenty to
the Dolphins for Minka. Yes, he's still here a pro bowler.
But then when you go to twenty nineteen Devin Bush,
Terrell Edmonds, and then you go back to twenty seventeen
with TJ.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
Watt.

Speaker 4 (46:26):
If you keep going back twenty sixteen already Burns, you're
missing on all of these first round picks that you're
nucleus is not there.

Speaker 3 (46:34):
That's where I see where.

Speaker 4 (46:36):
The miss has happened, and they're trying to patchwork things
onto this roster, and you don't have the longevity that
you once had when you were building through the drafting,
hitting on some of those late round draft pick that
came to be stars. That's where I see the disconnect
happening right now. So that's not a straight Tomlin issue.
It's an organization issue because they all have their opinions

(46:58):
as it relates to who they're gonna pick in their
first So when you miss, they all have to accept
that responsibility.

Speaker 2 (47:04):
Appreciate the phone call. We are up against the break
thanks to doing it right Roofing, siding and Remodeling. Home
of the lifetime workmanship warranty seven to four new roof
for bringing us this hour the Pittsburgh Steelers Audio Network
Post Game Show. The show continues right here on the
Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (47:20):
The Pittsburgh Steelers Postgame Show was presented by Caldiente Pizza
and Draft House, the Pizza Up Champions.

Speaker 16 (47:28):
It's tough in a game, but can't whine about it
like they're gonna make plays. But we have to make
our own plays. And we did not do that. Didn't
get off the field on third down and long a
couple of times that sustained drives and you know they

(47:53):
wags the war, you know, in the Russian Battle.

Speaker 2 (47:58):
We're speaking with the media after Ravens twenty eight, Steelers fourteen.
Tonight's look ahead lines are brought to you by Bette
Rivers Online Casino and sports book. It's a whole new
game gambling prom call one eight hundred gamb We're three
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(48:21):
the night game the Buccaneers playing in Tampa hosting the
Commanders Tampa Bay. A three point favorite. Four one two
three three three nine three eight three is our number.
Back to the phones, we go LA in Indianapolis. You're
up next with Mike and Charlie.

Speaker 7 (48:42):
Hey, great show, gentlemen.

Speaker 6 (48:44):
I listened to you all the time.

Speaker 7 (48:45):
Charlie, keep up to build work. You're doing an excellent job.
And YouTube Mike a couple of statements, and then I'm
gonna ask you guys some questions. I'll hang up so
everybody else can get on. Let me make this statement.

Speaker 6 (48:59):
I'm from South I.

Speaker 7 (49:01):
Know what what spoiled means.

Speaker 10 (49:04):
Notre Dame has set.

Speaker 7 (49:05):
The bar so high that if you don't go twelve
and zero every year and bring the national title, the
whole city sick. The same with Pittsburgh, if you don't
lift that Lombardi Trophy. Everybody's down.

Speaker 5 (49:19):
Now.

Speaker 20 (49:19):
I say this, we have one hundred and fifty million
dollars defense.

Speaker 14 (49:26):
That's almost two hundred million dollars.

Speaker 7 (49:29):
I don't understand what the plan is or the scheme.
I didn't see Preston Smith. Why are you trading for
this dude? And he had sixty eight sacks career sacks
and he wasn't in there.

Speaker 2 (49:44):
He wasn't active tonight.

Speaker 6 (49:48):
Was he hurt?

Speaker 2 (49:50):
Didn't show up on the injury report?

Speaker 3 (49:52):
Yeah, here it was a healthy scratch.

Speaker 11 (49:55):
See that.

Speaker 7 (49:56):
They I'm just hey, I'm just they fan, avid fan,
things like that.

Speaker 6 (50:03):
I worry.

Speaker 20 (50:04):
And then I listened to the broadcast. Look like they
just gave up and didn't want to tackle. You're right,
Michae on that second and twenty one after you get.

Speaker 6 (50:14):
This sack, they throw a twelve out.

Speaker 7 (50:17):
Instead of Minka knocking this dude down by the legs,
they trying to tackle the football. And then Dante Jackson
is standing there signing autographs with the Ravens to other players.

Speaker 10 (50:30):
This is ridiculous.

Speaker 6 (50:32):
I hope they don't.

Speaker 14 (50:33):
Bring him back.

Speaker 7 (50:34):
I hope these guys get a mental self evaluation.

Speaker 6 (50:40):
This is not how.

Speaker 7 (50:41):
The Steelers play.

Speaker 13 (50:43):
I hope they bring Justin back.

Speaker 7 (50:46):
I would like for Russell to give us a hometown discount.
He's getting forty one million dollars a million and a
half from US and thirty nine from Denver and then
his wife and Sierra, so don't tell me he needs
the money. I would like for them to go get
what will somebody please tell me why Mike Williams wasn't
in there?

Speaker 13 (51:06):
Is he in somebody's doghouse.

Speaker 4 (51:10):
I don't know if he's in anybody's doghouse, but I
believe been wondering why he hasn't been in the lineup
since we traded for him.

Speaker 2 (51:16):
Certainly hadn't been featured caught a couple of balls tonight.
What did Mike Williams end up with one catch for
thirty seven yards on two targets.

Speaker 6 (51:29):
And didn't go back in the game.

Speaker 7 (51:32):
I don't know if Arthur if that's Arthur Smith's call
or what. I like the offensive coordinators we had last year,
To be honest with you, gentlemen, I really do the
offense was more wide open, unpredictable. But if they don't
address and I'm disappointed in Patrick Queen, Oh my lord.

Speaker 13 (51:53):
One question.

Speaker 7 (51:54):
Can anybody tell me how Cole Holkm is doing? Is
he coming back or what.

Speaker 2 (51:59):
He was practicing the last couple of weeks he was
in that twenty one day window to be activated from
the reserve injured list. I believe he's still in a
contract for next year.

Speaker 3 (52:11):
He signed a three year coming in I would.

Speaker 2 (52:13):
I would assume that he would be back. Yeah, I was.

Speaker 4 (52:16):
You know, I think his recovery probably will determine if
he Landon Roberts is going to be back. He's unrestricted
free agent. Both of those guys played the same position,
so it's gonna be that's gonna be one that they
monitor to determine what happens in that With the inside
linebacker pairing up with Patrick Queen.

Speaker 7 (52:35):
I understand what the steal away is Charlie and Mike,
But I'm going to give you guys just a little bit.

Speaker 10 (52:43):
An analogy.

Speaker 7 (52:45):
For years Notre Dame Latin and speed, flat out speed
and athleticism.

Speaker 10 (52:54):
They got a guy in there.

Speaker 7 (52:55):
Now they're bringing NFL caliber Or you think I'm lying,
blowne Bet his son, Plaxico Burds Ike Taylor. So those
three guys will be on the field next year for
not today. So Pittsburgh needs to go out and get
a grade A receiver. I would like to see him
get t Higgins, but we all know he's not gonna

(53:18):
come there because he's gonna want twenty five to twenty
eight million dollars a year.

Speaker 2 (53:22):
Maybe what are you gonna do with Maybe after this
year they'll be willing to give it to him.

Speaker 7 (53:28):
Whoo, this is ridiculous.

Speaker 13 (53:32):
Stevie Wonder can see that we need some help.

Speaker 4 (53:35):
And I think when you look at you know you're
bringing up great points. And I think when you look
at this also remember guys who are coming in free agency,
this whole salary cap is gonna change because you have
to pay a quarterback. And if Justin Field or Russell whoever,
whoever's coming in here, you're not getting him for the
minimum like he did this year. So now you have
to Now you have to back end and figure out

(53:56):
how you're gonna configure what the rest of the offense
look because you have all the money in the defense.
That allowed you to put the money in the defense
because you had to discount at the quarterback position.

Speaker 3 (54:04):
But once you get that QB position, it's not going.

Speaker 4 (54:07):
To be the last year, one year twelve that you
got with Ben in his final season. It's going to
be twenty five plus that you're looking at that particular position.
So it's going to change the whole dynamics of what
the salary cap looks like.

Speaker 2 (54:19):
Appreciate the call in LA we are up against a break,
but I would just doad. I don't know about Justin
fields twenty five million. He might be thirty, he might
be less. I guess we'll table that and see how
it plays out. I mean, you know, guy started six games,
finished the years to back up.

Speaker 4 (54:34):
But he also has experience in Chicago. That's the difference.
It's not like you're evaluating him on six games.

Speaker 2 (54:39):
I'm curious what his market value would be.

Speaker 4 (54:42):
And right now it'd be interesting to see if they
allow him to test it. But the only way that
you can protect Justin from walking out that doorangerous, right.
The only way you can protect him is two options.
One is a franchise tag.

Speaker 2 (54:54):
Oh, not going to do that.

Speaker 4 (54:56):
Now, you're at the top five of every salaries or
transition tags will allow you to match the offer. But
also it's going to be top ten salaries of what
the quarterback position. So they do have something in play
that they can protect themselves. Is just a matter when
they do to the evaluation process of what free agents
are out there where you're drafting at to determine whether
a quarterback is going to be there where you're drafting,

(55:18):
and if he's not, then you have to secure you
have to be secured a quarterback position.

Speaker 3 (55:23):
With that unrestricted and if.

Speaker 4 (55:24):
These are guys that you have right now, those are
the only options that you have before you allow them
to go out and test that market.

Speaker 2 (55:31):
Thanks to Kelli Anti PiZZ In Draft House for bringing
us this hour the Pittsburgh Steelers Audio Network Post Game Show,
Cally Anti Pizzin, Drafthouse, The Pizza of Champions. The show
continues right here on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (55:43):
The Pittsburgh Steelers Postgame Show its presented by Caliente Pizza
and Drafthouse The Pizza of Champions.

Speaker 2 (55:51):
Welcome back, Mike Pursuder and Charlie Batch with you in
the wake of Ravens twenty eighth Steelers fourteen. Back to
the phones we go, Jim in up a Valley. You're
up next with Mike and Charlie.

Speaker 10 (56:03):
Hey, guys, So this is the way the Stealers season ends,
not with a bang but a whimper, or, as Seinfeld
might say, they wanted to be a high late tech salesman.
Five straight losses at a time at the end of
the season, at a time when you need to be
at your peak, like Charlie says, of you know you

(56:24):
want to hoist that trophy, you have to have momentum
at the end of the season, Well, they really really
lost it and exposed some really tragic flaws. Everybody's not
talking about the high priced defense. Yeah, the defensive cordtor coordinator.
That's his job to rally them, to really pump them up.
And I'll tell you you look at Joey Porter. You

(56:46):
look at him earlier in the season, he was really
really juiced whenever he was going up against the number
one receiver and really, uh, you know, just loving it
playing these last few games. I mean, to have an
injury came back, he just looks listless. I mean, he
had a couple penalties too, But they weren't excited. It's

(57:08):
almost like they expected to lose, but they wanted to
be competitive. Well they you know, they play a you know,
the defensive corner plays at bend but not break defense.
But they end up dying the slow death because they
just give up first down after first down after first down.
Some big plays, but some little plays and they just

(57:30):
you know, second and short, third and short in the
first down. Can't win that way. Pickings on the offensive side, pickings,
He's obviously a highlight reel, but I don't know why
they didn't even after they realized that next season, so
make just showcase his talents and give him fifteen targets

(57:50):
a game, you know, no matter what, and just let
him go up for balls and build the program around him.
When they realized they could work on to get another receiver,
and they're gonna need at least probably won probably two
weapons just as lethal as him for next year. And
I don't know how they get them on offense because

(58:13):
they got some other needs. But the and lastly, the
questioned Charlie QB sixteen CB sixteen, Troy Batch, the announcer,
actually said that Russell Wilson, as you know, maybe it
becomes back or not, that when he didn't get his

(58:33):
first read, he noticed that he got little jittery when
his first read was was covered and he wasn't really
looking through progressions. Did you happen to notice anything like
that on Wilson this this year?

Speaker 4 (58:49):
Yeah, I mean by him making that comment, he would
have went back and studied four or five games and
watching a pattern. So for him to say it on
air and put his put his opinion behind it, obviously
he believes that. So I think, for me, what I
see when I'm watching it is the fact that there's
no threat of a wide receiver number two or number three,
so they're going to focus all the attention to pickings.

(59:10):
So when you go to that point and it's not there,
the way that the pass rush is, Yeah, immediately he
goes back to and to the checkdown. That's what I'm seeing.
But I think you just don't see the evolution of
going through the reads because they don't have a number two,
three or a number four receiver. That's the challenge that
you have, and defenses aren't threatened by anybody else that
you see on the field.

Speaker 2 (59:30):
Yeah, he's referencing the kirk Herbstreet comment on the television broadcast.
Charlie Our colleague Meryl Hodge is of the same opinion,
and Merrill is also of the opinion that's kind of
been Rush's history that if the first read is not there,
he looks to kind of get out of the pocket
or make something happen. And one of the problems of
late has been the defenses have been keeping him in

(59:50):
the pocket. Smart pass rushes and things of that nature.
It definitely slowed down. He was flying at mid season,
and the longer it went, the worse it got and
kind of like the way a specific offensive snap goes,
the longer he holds the ball, the less likelihood it

(01:00:11):
is that the play is going to be productive.

Speaker 4 (01:00:13):
No, and I'm not sitting there defending it whatsoever. But often,
you know, when you're comparing it from here or other offenses,
is different because that's not the offense that you're running here.

Speaker 2 (01:00:22):
So in other words, if his Jamar Chase isn't open,
he doesn't necessarily have a T. Higgins to fall back there.

Speaker 4 (01:00:28):
Correct, you don't, And that's where it's at, and that's
just unfortunate in the in the passing game that you're
seeing right now. Could it get better, Yeah, I'm sure
it could, but you have to add more weapons to
this offense. Until then, it's not going to happen anything else.

Speaker 10 (01:00:43):
Hut well jump and yeah. But if that's the case, guys,
then you know these are still professional receivers. I mean,
maybe they're not T. Higgins caliber, but you got to
try them. And I mean he has but you could
still go back to Pickens after the next play.

Speaker 6 (01:01:06):
I mean it's.

Speaker 10 (01:01:10):
And design something different so that he does get open.

Speaker 2 (01:01:12):
You can use them a little more too. I'll give
you an example of the play that drove me the
second most crazy. The first one was the completion on
second and twenty one for Baltimore. Steel's trying to flee
flicker on their first play of their second possession, first
intend at to Pittsburgh thirty. Russell Wilson gives the ball

(01:01:32):
to Jalen Warren and then Warren flips it back to
Russell Wilson and he's looking deep and there's nobody there.
He's looking deep for Van Jefferson. I know Jefferson caught
a touchdown pass on a deep ball tonight, but maybe
that's the play where pickings should have been on the field.
The three receivers were Jefferson, Calvin Austin, and Ben Skernic.

Speaker 4 (01:01:53):
And it goes to my point, the defense is not
threatened by that. Look, That's all I'm saying. So when
you look for Van Jefferson and you have Kylvin Austin
running down the sideline and it's not there. Hey, you know,
if you're gonna run a fleet figure, you have to
establish the run first, and they weren't able to establish
the run in that particular situation. But the one thing
that I will say, as it relates to this offense

(01:02:14):
watching it throughout the course of the season. Regardless of
well with Justin or Russell, they did not have full
autonomy at the line of scrimmage. They weren't able to say, hey,
I see something they're loading the box, or maybe I
see a favorable matchup in the passing game that they're
truly able to audible out of that play and get
to something else that was not there. And I will

(01:02:35):
stand by that watching what I saw throughout the course
of the season, those questions could come up. We'll never
get the answer, but that is just my belief as
watching this offense that they cannot get to that point.
So that allows someone like a Kurt Herstring or a
Merril Hodge to say, hey, if the first reason not there,
he's going somewhere else is because you can't audible out
of that play.

Speaker 3 (01:02:55):
You have to make the most of what's called.

Speaker 2 (01:02:57):
Appreciate the call, Hut, and thanks also to Calliente Pizza
and Draft House for bringing us this hour the Pittsburgh
Steelers Audio Network postgame show Calliente Pizza and Draft House
the Pizza of Champions. The show continues on the Steelers
Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (01:03:12):
The Pittsburgh Steelers postgame show. Its presented by Caliente Pizza
and Drafthouse, the Pizza of Champions.

Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
Tonight's Keys to the Game are brought to you by
South Hills Ge, Pittsburgh's home for all things Geeve Charlie.
I have one key to the game, and it was
the same key as the last four playoff games. Steelers
fall behind twenty one to nothing. This in the wake
of falling behind the Jaguars twenty one to nothing, the
Browns twenty eight to nothing, the Chiefs thirty five to seven,

(01:03:44):
and the Bills twenty one to nothing in previous postseason efforts.
Gotta stop doing that.

Speaker 6 (01:03:51):
You have to that is it.

Speaker 4 (01:03:53):
I mean there nowhere that can't even go in any
other direction because it starts there, and it question is why,
and we can't fit figure it out. But it's continuously
happened happening, So this is something that we have to
talk about.

Speaker 2 (01:04:04):
Although you know that said, we were sitting here watching
the game in the fourth quarter and thinking, talking out loud, hey,
if they get through it in seven points change, you
think maybe Baltimore starts coming on glue a little bit.
They could never get it there, speaking of not using
George Pickens enough. That deep ball into the end zone

(01:04:26):
was Calvin Austin. That's not the little guy route, right, No,
it's not throwing a jump ball. He should be throwing
it to the big guy right.

Speaker 4 (01:04:32):
Absolutely, when it happened, he let it go. I said, oh, yeah,
it's not happening because if it's a fifty to fifty
ball and you wanted to go up to make a catch,
he's not going.

Speaker 3 (01:04:39):
To be able to do it.

Speaker 4 (01:04:40):
Unfortunately, that's a ball that I thought that probably should
have went to Pickens if you were going to throw
that deep pass out together. But as we were watching,
we're sitting Hey, mat Connor, Hey, we're just sitting right there.
Maybe give him a shot underneath.

Speaker 7 (01:04:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:04:51):
Max Starts was adamant about that before we started, when
he was still talking with Rob King and Craig Wolfley.
One of those nights. Let's go back to the telephones
before we do. I got my wires crossed in the
last segment. Uh, we were speaking with Jim in Napa Valley.
I mistakenly called him Hut from Ohio. I hope he's

(01:05:11):
not offended and hot, I hope you're not offended. But
we're getting to you now, No.

Speaker 6 (01:05:16):
Not at all, My thanks. I thought I was having
an aneurysm for a second. I'm like, hold on, what
am I doing?

Speaker 2 (01:05:23):
I wasn't sure, But I don't say you never sounded
more on top of your game, or you never made
any more salent salient points than you made a moment ago.

Speaker 16 (01:05:32):
Well.

Speaker 6 (01:05:33):
See, hey, I always love my subjects. Why yeah, do
what you do?

Speaker 2 (01:05:37):
What do you got to know?

Speaker 6 (01:05:38):
Hey, I'm in Ohio and may go a junction, Ohio
where I'm always at. I was at it, yeah, at
a bar watching the game. I lost my voice screaming, Yeah,
what was the time of possession that game?

Speaker 8 (01:05:50):
Mike?

Speaker 6 (01:05:50):
Hey, can you bring it down to the halfs? Also,
because if we get destored in the first half, Kenny
game was embarrassing.

Speaker 2 (01:05:58):
Indeed, for the game it was thirty nine thirty three
for the Ravens ROS and twenty twenty seven for the Steelers.

Speaker 4 (01:06:09):
And for the half I have it here, Mike is
twenty twenty minutes for twenty twenty seven for the Ravens.

Speaker 3 (01:06:14):
It was nine thirty three for the Steelers.

Speaker 6 (01:06:17):
See that was just that was embarrassing, right, and it
wasn't no defense they were gassed. Man, they had their
hands on their hips.

Speaker 2 (01:06:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 20 (01:06:26):
One of the.

Speaker 2 (01:06:26):
Reasons, the sad right, one of the reasons they were
gassed was they didn't stop anybody.

Speaker 6 (01:06:32):
I know, dude, those at the ninety eight and eighty
then a night.

Speaker 4 (01:06:36):
Lord, I mean at that particular point, Baltimore. At the half,
they had three hundred and eight yards total offense. Steelers
had fifty nine.

Speaker 2 (01:06:43):
And here's the problem with that. The Ravens were seven
of eight on third down in the first half, right, Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:06:50):
One.

Speaker 2 (01:06:51):
Their third downs were third and two, third and one,
third and thirteen, which actually scored a fifteen yard touchdown
on third and four. Yeah, third and one, third and one,
and third and three. The only one they didn't get
was a third and twelve. Pittsburgh conversely, had a third

(01:07:11):
and one justin Field's first play was converted on a
four yard run by Jalen Warren. Then, yeah, third and six,
third and seven, third and two, and third and eighteen.
They failed on all those, and then the third and
two was this past a friar move that came up
a couple of inches short and they opted not to
go for it.

Speaker 6 (01:07:28):
Yeah, which I don't understand that call.

Speaker 21 (01:07:30):
Either I mean, why didn't you?

Speaker 6 (01:07:31):
I mean, why wouldn't you? But yeah, that's the dread
better I guess. And I also want to say the
conversation you had a little bit of gas get who
was with and Tury, your insight on the quarterback market
and everything with Field's coming back perfect that was inside baseball,
were inside football whatever. It was an awesome conversation. But
I'm with you, Mike twenty five for Justin Fields No. Nineteen,

(01:07:59):
Maybe don't. I don't think he's a twenty five million
dollars even with the history.

Speaker 2 (01:08:04):
I'm curious what he would command. I really have me too,
Excuse me, I have no idea. I do know he
talked to Kevin Gorman of Trip Live locally here last
week and he said he'd really like to come back
to Pittsburgh. He's tired of changing offensive coordinators all the time.

Speaker 6 (01:08:22):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:08:24):
I'm not sure if he's considered what capacity he'd like
to come back in, but I know he's a young
guy with talent. And some people have taken some shots
at me on Twitter because I said at the outset
of the show that I think he has a similar
skill set to Lamar Jackson and I'll die on that hill.
This guy is a former thousand yard rusher in the NFL.

(01:08:45):
He is a great runner of the football. And Mike Tomas,
Mike Tomlins seemed really really impressed by Lamar Jackson and
always has. But his comments after the game, he kept
talking about Jackson the X factor, And you know Jackson
is his ability to run the ball changes the way
you have to play defense. And if that's what you're

(01:09:07):
looking for, then Justin Fields is the guy you gotta consider.

Speaker 4 (01:09:11):
And I just want, just for the sake of conversation,
give me a quarterback that out there that you would
say Justin Fields comparable. You already say Lamar Jackson, right,
Lamar Jackson. Yes, he's probably going to be on his
third MVP, but he's making fifty two million.

Speaker 3 (01:09:22):
Dollars this year. So if you're looking at that, that's
where the market goes.

Speaker 4 (01:09:27):
If you look back and say, would you think you
play another playoff quarterback Matt Matthew Stafford. I know he
won a Super Bowl, but he's still out there and
he's older, but he's making forty a year. So when
you look at where the numbers are from forty all
the way up to Dak Prescott. And this is the
top fifteen salaries. And at the bottom of that, you're
looking at some of the names in here, Cayler Murray.

(01:09:48):
You look back saying, maybe Justin is better than him.
He's making forty six this year.

Speaker 19 (01:09:52):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (01:09:53):
And then you go back Justin Herbert, Herbert, he was
in there. He's making fifty two this year. To a
to a down down in Miami, he's making fifty three
this year.

Speaker 2 (01:10:04):
Charlie, you've played at the long time. But that's just
where we are.

Speaker 4 (01:10:11):
When you're talking about this quarterback, think about think about it,
and I'll give you one more. I'll give you Down
in Jacksonville, they haven't made the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:10:20):
They fired their coach.

Speaker 4 (01:10:21):
Trevor Lawrence is the coach, and Trevor Lawrence is making
fifty five this year.

Speaker 8 (01:10:26):
So it's just.

Speaker 16 (01:10:28):
Me.

Speaker 6 (01:10:28):
I mean, I'm just beginning.

Speaker 4 (01:10:32):
All I'm all I'm saying is this is what the
market is. We can turn around and say what we
think that we would pay and it could be under
twenty five. Great, that's a great hometown discount. But I'm
just telling you what the top fifteen quarterbacks are right now,
and a lot of them are older. So when you're
next up, guess what, it's my turn. I'm not taking
a disc I'm not taking a discount for nobody. Why

(01:10:53):
because owners don't do that. They don't honor contracts the
same way players want paid. They have to figure that
out when you get paid. Now it's up to the
organization to figure out how they're going to construct their salaries.
And you don't and people say the moment you pay
your quarterback, the rest of it falls. No, because Kansas
City is doing that with Patrick Mahons. They're trying to

(01:11:14):
figure out a way to win and they're winning Super Bowls, so.

Speaker 3 (01:11:17):
It can be done.

Speaker 4 (01:11:18):
Oh, you just gotta figure it out. All I'm saying
is twenty five ain't gonna be the market. That's all
I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (01:11:25):
Okay, okay, now see I understanding. I told you just what.
I love that he is not baseball a charney.

Speaker 4 (01:11:29):
I love that just and just just so, just so
you know, pat Patrick Mahones is making forty five this year,
and you know he needs to pay raise too.

Speaker 3 (01:11:37):
So that's just where we're at.

Speaker 6 (01:11:39):
Yeah, okay, gentlemen, I have a whole list of stuffing
I don't want to waste a bunch of time. I
know it's the last call of the season. I want
to say thanks for giving with.

Speaker 21 (01:11:47):
Me all year long.

Speaker 8 (01:11:49):
Mike.

Speaker 6 (01:11:49):
I'll hear you in the morning show all the time. Charlie,
just because the seasons over. Keep calling every Tuesday, dude,
keep us up dat what's going on? Yeah, I mean
thank you your calls coming home season, man, and I
just I mean, let me. It was a terrible game.
I felt bad for you. Of course, you know, cam
and aint and all that stuff, But I just want
to thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:12:08):
Thanks to everybody, appreciate the call.

Speaker 2 (01:12:10):
Hut. Thanks to Calliente Pizza and Draft House for bringing
us this hour of the Pittsburgh Steelers Audio Network postgame
Show Calliente Pizza and draft House The Pizza of Champions.
The show continues right here on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (01:12:25):
The Pittsburgh Steelers Postgame Show was presented by Calliente Pizza
and Drafthouse The Pizza of Champions.

Speaker 2 (01:12:34):
Welcome back, Mike Pursuita and Charlie Batch with you for
what has become the final postgame show of the season.
In the wake of Ravens twenty eight, Steelers fourteen. Back
to the Phones, we go, James in Maryland. You're up
next with Mike and Charlie.

Speaker 10 (01:12:53):
Hey, Mike, Mike, you know yeah, yes, I am.

Speaker 8 (01:12:59):
I'm right.

Speaker 13 (01:13:00):
You're wrong, Mike, I'm right and you're wrong. Listen, you
are what your record says you are, and Mike Tomlin
is exactly what his record says he is in the playoffs.
He's not a good coach, he's not, but he's our coach,
and unfortunately we have to deal with that. I was
thinking about all the names that Pittsburgh's had in the past,

(01:13:21):
right for their defenses, Blitsburgh Steel, Curtin. So I was
trying to think of the name for Mike Tomlin's defenses
right now. I came up with one. Tell him if
you agree with it, Nope.

Speaker 8 (01:13:33):
Toast was very good.

Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
It was very good tonight.

Speaker 13 (01:13:44):
I think it a Pitomi. I think the team has
taken on his personality. Like when you have a fourth
in inches and you're fighting for your playoff life, this
is your last game of the season. If you don't
win this game, you have fourth in inches, you have
one on the sideline, you have on the sideline and
you decide to punt. That says a lot about you.

Speaker 10 (01:14:06):
As a coach, you've given up on something.

Speaker 13 (01:14:09):
And you say this, you know these themes, like you know,
I don't live in my fears fourth and inches. I
realize that on the defensive side, James Harrison, Troy Polamalu,
Ryan Clark, none of those guys, Joey Porter, Ryan Shazeer,
none of those guys are coming back to this team.
But I don't see any life when I look at that.
I don't see any fear, Like I would not be
afraid to walk in the alley with anyone on Pittsburgh defense.

Speaker 2 (01:14:32):
I wouldn't.

Speaker 13 (01:14:32):
But if I look over there at Baltimore, these guys
are bulging out there their uniforms like that. I don't
even know if they're they picking the right uniforms. They
look so small on them, like they look angry, They
look like they want to take someone's head off. I
look at Pittsburgh's defense and you see the guy number
twenty six, He's standing there looking at a guy get
a first down, just looking at him. And I don't
understand that. I don't understand what I see when I

(01:14:55):
look at this team. So Charles, let me ask you
a question before I get off, Because I love having
you guys on the radio, and I thank you for
always taking my call. I heard some time ago that
last season that Brian left, which was out there, and
he decided, you know, that he wanted to be someone's coordinator,
and he actually said that I would love to be
Pittsburgh's coordinator. I've never seen anything from Arthur Smith that

(01:15:17):
says he should have been our coordinator in Tennessee or Atlanta,
but I have seen something from Brian that says he
could have been a great coordinator and probably still is.
He has a super Bowl and I understand that he
got it with one of the best quarterbacks of all times.
But I think that young mindset. I think because he
has won a Super Bowl, he could have brought something

(01:15:39):
a lot better than what.

Speaker 10 (01:15:40):
Mister Smith has. Tell me what you think about that?
Thanks for taking my call as always.

Speaker 4 (01:15:44):
Yeah, I mean there's probably there's always going to be something,
another option that's better than you. So I think, you know,
because I haven't been in those conversations. I think most
coaching hires a relationship driven. So maybe he had a
relationship with Arthur Smith prior to what we've known, and
it could have been a lot longer. Than Barren Leftwish,
so only he can answer that question as it relates

(01:16:05):
to why he went that direction. I just know when
you look at just the coaching trees around the coaching
staffs around the league, the hires are going to be
the people they know right away, and that's just what
it is. They're going to hire who they're familiar with,
So that ultimately is probably what I think happened.

Speaker 2 (01:16:21):
I was just added about Arthur Smith. I mean, reportedly
the Jets and Bears are interested in making him their
head coach, or at least interviewing him to be their
head coach. And go back and recheck what he did
at Tennessee in terms of where they finished in total
offense and scoring offense. He was a great offensive coordinator
in Tennessee. He got tremendous football out of Ryan Tannehill,

(01:16:45):
who to my knowledge, nobody has done before or since.
It didn't work out for him as head coach in Atlanta.
And if I have one major complaint about Arthur Smith,
and this goes back to around mid season. I get
that you want to use different guys in different packages
to have diversity and keep the defense off balance and

(01:17:06):
all that, but these guys are not interchangeable, and I
don't think the good players good players is a bad
way to put it. I don't think the guys you're
counting on to be the leaders at their respective positions
play enough. You know, not enough pickings for example, there's
too much they're non interchangeable parts to me. But Arthur

(01:17:28):
treats him that way because he believes in that. In
that philosophy, I would compare with the Philadelphia Eagles. AJ
Brown and DeVonta Smith never come off the field right.

Speaker 4 (01:17:38):
And I think, you know, to your point, it's one
of those things to where you know you're trying to
make everybody happy, but you can't make everybody happy. And
to you to your point, when you say you know
you're talking about different personnel packages out there, it's like, oh,
I'm gonna give him, I'm gonna throw him a bone
and put him out there when it's only a run
play to get him on the field. But yet you're
not setting up other plays with that personnel group does
on for later in the game. And that's been That's

(01:17:59):
something that I've seen as I was watching this offense
throughout the year.

Speaker 2 (01:18:04):
Let's get one more call in before we go to
break Tony in Florida. Thanks for hanging in there, Tony.

Speaker 12 (01:18:10):
Hey, guys on, thank you for taking my call, all
my calls all season and and you have such a
great show. So thank you so much for that. Want
to talk, Thank you so much, guys. So the someone
from the from an organ organization's standpoint and then just
talking about the last five games this this losing streak,

(01:18:31):
including tonight's game. So I just wanted to bring up
those two points with the organization. I stand by what
I've been saying all seasons that this team should never
have let Kenny Pickett go. They should have built a
team around him. I'll stand by that. I thought he
did a great job winning the East and on the
NFC East for the Philadelphia Eagles, and I hope that

(01:18:52):
he gets a Super Bowl ring this year. I think
that would be great. I love I'm a big fan
of his. As far as this five game losing guys, well,
I just want to say one other thing. Rooney should
Mister Rooney should be clean house, get rid of everybody
from the top down. Enough is enough with this one
and done business. It's it's absolutely becoming a clown show
over there. In Pittsburgh. But I just want to say

(01:19:14):
that as far as this five game losing streak in
this if you look at the the defensive line getting
just completely blown off the ball by the offensive lines
of these five teams that just beat them the last
five games, this forty to twenty minute you know, two

(01:19:35):
to one ratio on time and possession. It just told
you you're getting blown off the line of scrimmage're getting
beat in the line of scrimmage. With with with with that,
And that's you know, that's really what I have to say.
And and another disappointing one and one and done for
this team. But enough is enough with Tomlin and these guys.

Speaker 8 (01:19:50):
They gotta go.

Speaker 12 (01:19:51):
I'm sorry, they gotta go.

Speaker 2 (01:19:53):
Appreciate the phone call. Let's move on and welcome Jack
in Indianapolis to the show. How are you tonight? Jack?

Speaker 21 (01:20:02):
Hey, good morning, gentlemen. How are you doing. I appreciate
you taking my call, you know, to harp on what
the last element said. You know, it seems that you know,
listening to social media, reading the local papers. You know,
I've subscribed to it because that and stuff in Pittsburgh.
Seems that the media continually gives Tom on a hall pass.
You know, I like to like, and as a young
military officer, I learned early and often that from superiors.

(01:20:26):
As a leader, I was responsible for everything that went
right in my unit and got the accolades when things
went well, But when things went bad, I was also
the first person to get browbeat. Therefore, the buck stops
of tom. You know, weekly observations tailable, terrible clock manage
in every week flow to make any game is just
there's no creativity. Watch type, flight teams, scheme, act scheming,

(01:20:49):
game plan. Example of the Lions, Chiefs and Bills. Russ
rolling to the right on nearly every path play only
gives you a third of the field. It's no vertical
passing games. Stay for number fourteen, chucking the moonball on
third bounds. No crossing patterns. It's like a no, it's
like a caution zone. It's got to be avoided. Predictable

(01:21:09):
play calling toss players is number twenty two slow. You know,
you hit it early in the last previous caller. With
mismanagement of the running backs, and they're not interchangeable.

Speaker 16 (01:21:19):
You know.

Speaker 21 (01:21:20):
On the defensive side, we got wide receivers running up
open every weekend, week out, just like all season. You know,
it happened again tonight that she touched down in the
second quarter. You know, Tom was the defensive backs coach
cutting his teeth. You know, a five out of the
last seven years we've ended the season with the three
three or more game lose the streak. You know, what
point does the rubber meet the road that the message

(01:21:41):
is stay at this point? You know, sometimes it changes
for the good turnover.

Speaker 8 (01:21:46):
You guys are your thoughts.

Speaker 4 (01:21:48):
Yeah, you make valid points that there's nothing to real
dispute when it comes to that. You know, I think ultimately,
when you have an outcome that you did today, you
fall short of your goals. You're right, everybody frustrated, every angry,
and nobody more disappointed than people in that locker room.
And unfortunately they can't do anything else about it because
when they have won their final meeting, they know that
this particular roster will never be the same and they're

(01:22:11):
probably going to be fifty percent of that roster that
is going to be turned over. You just hope that
your play was sufficient enough that you're deemed worthy of
keeping on this roster.

Speaker 2 (01:22:19):
Yeah, I'll be curious to hear what our rooney the
second has to say about it. He'll get around, probably
a couple of weeks, but he'll get around holding his
season ending kind of state of the Union review. I
keep repeating that a lot of people calling up complaining
about Mike Tomlin. As of the end of last year,
Art Runey the Second was very much committed to Mike Tomblin.

(01:22:41):
The Steelers extended him this past summer his contract. He
is contractually tied to the team until twenty twenty seven.
So my suspicion, Charlie is that change is not going
to be made.

Speaker 3 (01:22:54):
I don't see it.

Speaker 4 (01:22:55):
And if you just history and you've been around the
Rooney family, they don't fire people and let them sit
home and collect checks.

Speaker 3 (01:23:02):
That just doesn't happen.

Speaker 4 (01:23:03):
So there was thought behind a contract extension they offered
to coach Tomlin, and he's going to be here till
twenty twenty seven unless something else happens that hasn't happened
around here before. Because I was surprised whatever he did
when he fired Matt Canada. That was a complete surprise
to me. So obviously things can change in that particular manner.
Conversation could dictate where that goes. But I fully expect

(01:23:26):
coach Tomlin to be here for a couple more years.

Speaker 16 (01:23:33):
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:23:33):
The other thing that complicates this is they have a
lot of regular season success, but of course that's not
as important as postseason success. So that's why they got
to get that figured out. Thanks to Kelly Aente, Peach
and draft House for bringing us this hour of the
Pittsburgh Steelers Audio Network Post Game Show. Kellyente, Pizza and
draft House The Pizza of Champions. The show continues right

(01:23:56):
here on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (01:23:58):
The Pittsburgh Steelers Postgame Show. It was presented by Caldiente
Pizza and Drafthouse The Pizza Up Champions.

Speaker 2 (01:24:07):
Welcome back, Mike Pursuda and Charlie Batch. Some of things
up in the wake of Ravens twenty eight Steelers fourteen
Steelers one and done again for their fifth consecutive trip
to the postseason. Four one, two, three, three, three, nine
three eight three is our number. Back to the telephones,
we go, Pete in California. You're up with Mike and Charlie.

Speaker 10 (01:24:31):
Mike and Charlie, I appreciate your show very much. This
is my first time calling in. I've been listening to
you guys for a long time.

Speaker 2 (01:24:38):
Well, we appreciate your appreciation. Thank you, thank you for
the kind words.

Speaker 10 (01:24:43):
You got it well. Charlie mentioned earlier when he was
talking to another caller, a previous caller, about missing in
the draft over over recent recent years. And I'm curious
as to who who is ultimately responsible, meaning I guess

(01:25:03):
who is the final say who has the final say
in who the Steelers take when it's their turn to
pick During the draft.

Speaker 2 (01:25:13):
They will tell you it's a collective effort between the
head coach, the GM and the scouting staff, the personnel department.
They have a lot of meetings about this stuff and
it's gone over and it's gone over, and it's gone over.
I don't think they would draft people the head coach
doesn't want. And sometimes every once in a while somebody intervenes. Charlie,

(01:25:36):
what's the legend of Ben Roethlisberger. They were going to
take Sean Andrews alignman from Temple, and Dan Rooney stuck
his head in the draft room and said, are you
guys sure you don't want to take the quarterback? Something
along those lines, and they ended up taking Ben Roethlisberg.
It's a collective effort. But certainly, if I'm guessing where

(01:25:56):
you're going with this, Mike Tomlins got a lot of
say in that.

Speaker 4 (01:25:59):
Yeah, you have your scouting department, they're evaluating all information.
They all get together collectively, they present it to head coach,
general manager. But the person ultimately that has to sign
off on and agree to it is Art Rooney, the
second Yet, okay, I'm good. So again, it's a collective
effort that all happens. I'm not in the room to
say who has the final say. Is just the fact

(01:26:20):
that you know that it's a collective effort between all
three of them, general manager, head coach and owner.

Speaker 10 (01:26:27):
And the reason I ask is in fifty six years
the Steelers have had three coaches three There's half the team,
half the teams in the league, half the owners in
the league would give their big toe on their right
foot to have that kind of continuity, and they would

(01:26:50):
certainly give a lot to know that they're going to
have a winning season every year over a two decade period,
and which is great. However, that gets a little tiresome
when you're not going deep into the playoffs. I would
imagine no more than for coach Tomlin and for Omar
and anyone else in the organization. But I just wonder

(01:27:13):
if you're missing that many times in the draft. And
I remember all those and this is I've been. My
earliest memories of being a Steelers fan is nineteen seventy two,
and my earliest memory of being a Pirates fan is
nineteen seventy one. So I've watched it a long time,
been around a long time, and this is getting harder

(01:27:35):
and harder to watch.

Speaker 8 (01:27:37):
Now.

Speaker 10 (01:27:38):
Something's got to change if they keep missing in the
draft that many times. I'll take your answer off the
thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (01:27:44):
Appreciate the phone call, Pete. By the way, seventy one
a good year to start watching the Pirates, right, you know,
they just changed the general manager, They just made major
changes in the scouting department. It hadn't been that long ago,
but it has transitioned. So we'll see where it goes.

Speaker 3 (01:28:01):
Yeah, you will.

Speaker 4 (01:28:02):
And I think when you just look back, it's just
when you miss on your first round pick, especially the position,
it sets you back a few years. And that's why
I just go back and I'm not you know, And
I'll start just at twenty eighteen, Terrell Edmans didn't get
a second contract. Devin Bush didn't get a second contract, Minka.
You obviously gave that up. Nagy, he had his fifth
year decline, so he's probably walking out the door. Kenny

(01:28:23):
Pickett should be talking about, Hey, we should be ready
to accept, you know, his fifth year option, and that's
not happening because he's not on the roster. Broderick Jones,
there's a lot of questions still about him. I'm not
I'm in favor of him, but there's a lot of
people that are down on him. And Troy, who looked
like one heck of a talent up until the point
that he got hurt, did not play this year, so

(01:28:45):
essentially he read shirt. So when I look back from
twenty eighteen on, that's what I'm talking about, missing on
those first rounders that ultimately set you back in those
positions now.

Speaker 2 (01:28:56):
And that was one of the strengths of throughout the
majority of Kevin colbert career was they never missed on
a first round correct and that's why they were so
good for as long as they were.

Speaker 4 (01:29:05):
Absolutely, and that's where you hit on those unrestricted those
late guys, the sixth round draft pick Antonio Brown, you
hit on the Ramon Foster who's unrestricted, free unrestricted or
a non drafted guy that you bring him here to
have started for almost ten years, and is that's what
I'm talking about by hitting on those and right now,
when you miss on the first round or it sets

(01:29:26):
you back. And that's that's something that statistically when you
look at it right now, right now, you don't have
the first round or outside of TJ. Watt from twenty
seventeen that you could say, we know he's going to
be here for ten years.

Speaker 3 (01:29:39):
First rounder. When you hit when you're drafting, you expect
them to be here for at least ten years.

Speaker 2 (01:29:43):
Particularly when you miss on that quarterback. Boy, that's even
that's worse than a Devin.

Speaker 4 (01:29:47):
Being sure correct because if you hit on Kenny and
he's here, we're not talking about Russell or Justin or
Kyle Allen on this roster, or miss Trubisky or Mason Rudolph.

Speaker 3 (01:29:57):
You're not talking about that. You're talking about who back
up Kenny.

Speaker 4 (01:30:00):
But when you're missing that particular man now here, we
are again starting a conversation by saying, who's going to
be the quarterback for twenty twenty five and will he
be here longer than one year.

Speaker 3 (01:30:12):
That's what we're talking about right now.

Speaker 2 (01:30:14):
That's all I'm saying, and we're gonna keep talking about it.
You're listening to the Steelers Audio Network. I'm Mike Pursuda.
Thanks for joining us. Our next broadcast is at a
point in the future to be determined. There won't be
any more pregame shows or postgame shows coming up anytime soon.
That's for sure. That's for certain. The postgame show continues
locally on your home of the Steelers one O two

(01:30:35):
point five Dvan Steelers Nation Radio. This is the Steelers
Postgame Show on the Steelers Audio Network.