September 5, 2023 • 22 mins
Labs and Tom discuss the excitement they feel towards Week 1 finally arriving for the NFL season before getting into a fresh batch of questions from Steelers Nation
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is asked and answered questions with Tom Upperman and
Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
The wait is finally over. We've slogged through an offseason,
We've slogged through training camp, We've slogged through preseason games. Sunday,
when the Steelers face off against the Niners, Labs, it's
going to count for real in the win and Lost column.
College football had their fun little day in the Sun
this past weekend. It was really cute of them. But
the big boys show up to the playground starting on Thursday.
(00:32):
NFL football is officially back. Couldn't be happier. Got that
first day of school opening.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Day kind of vibe to me this week, Labs, I'm
full of excitement.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
If you can't tell, well, you know, I read somewhere
that last Sunday, you know, the day before Labor Day,
was the last Sunday with no NFL football until the
middle of February.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
And that really just music to my ears.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
So we'll go from you know, just using the weather,
you know, as a possible you know, as mile post.
Maybe you go from ninety degrees to you know, snow
and ice and where we live anyway, and.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Thank you again as always to NFL Football for allowing
me an excuse to not hang out with my.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Family on Sunday afternoons throughout the season.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So I mean, just hats off to the NFL always
helping me out at every turn.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
And you know for this year season anyway, no diaper changing.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
For you, exactly right. I mean, Steelers are on. I'm sorry,
I can't.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
I'm busy, right, Sorry, sweetheart, I have to work. You know,
it's not like you're it's just watching it on TV.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I'm taking rigorously, which.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
We're running the board for the pregame show.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Well, we start things off on Sunday against the forty
nine Ers. They come to Akroshore Stadium. That pregame show
that Labs was mentioning that kicks off at eleven am
on DVE with Labs, Perzuda and Jerry Doulac. But we
got a batch of questions to get to for today's
edition of Asked and Answered, so let's not delay any further.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Our first one comes.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
From Bryce Kuiber's from Austin, Texas, and he wants to
know when a quarterback is in the pistol formation. What
is this referencing? What is the difference between the pistol
and shotgun formations.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Okay. In the pistol the quarterback lines up about four
yards behind the center, and the running back in the
formation would line up behind the quarterback. So you know,
it's kind of like an elongated eye formation with only
one back in the backfield. Now the shotgun, the quarterback
(02:47):
is usually seven yards behind the center, and if there
is a running back in the backfield, he would line
up next to the quarterback. Okay, So it's believed or
claimed that the pistol formation allows the quarterback to be
close enough to the line of scrimmage to read the defense,
but also far enough away from the line of scrimmage
(03:09):
to give him a little bit of extra time and
a better vision of the field for passing place.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Ed Johnson from Germantown, Ohio has a very topical question.
He wants to know, what do you think about the
Steelers signing Desmond King. I wanted them to draft him
back in twenty seventeen. He was voted first team All
Pro in twenty eighteen, when he finished with three interceptions
and ten passes defense as a cornerback and had eight
hundred and forty yards in a touchdown returning both punts
and kickoffs. I remember watching him play at Iowa and
(03:37):
how he was always around the football.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
You know, on the surface, I'm with Ed. I mean,
there's a lot to like about, you know, the Steelers
edition of Desmond King. Cornerback, maybe slot corner, maybe outside corner,
maybe safety. The guy seems to have a lot of versatility.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Probably why the Steelers are so interested in him.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, and you know, he's experienced in the sense that
he has you know, over forty six hundred defensive snaps
during six seasons in the NFL. And he's still relatively
young because he won't be twenty nine until mid December. Okay.
I also, you know, based on and I've been, I'm
(04:24):
sure that Desmond King has come across you know, my
vision or TV screen or however you want to describe
it previously in his NFL career. But I do not
remember anything specifically about him. But you know, looking at it,
I would think I would say that it's an upgrade
at the number four cornerback spot on the roster for
(04:45):
the Steelers right now, which going into this regular season
was kind of identified as a potential weakness, you know,
and King, since he came out in the twenty seventeen
NFL Draft. You we know how the Steelers like to
do business with, you know, free agents in that is
that they use there what they've learned during the draft
(05:07):
prep for when the player came out for the draft
as kind of a baseline or as a foundation for
you know, whether they believe the guy is a fit
not only as a player but also as a person.
So all of these things, you know, are aligning nicely, okay,
But you know the proof is it will be in
(05:30):
his play. And you know, I don't know what Desmond
King's role is going to be immediately, you know what
he will be. Will he even get a helmet on Sunday?
I would think he would, but you know I wouldn't.
I wouldn't guarantee it. So it may take a little
while for Desmond King to show us what kind of
(05:52):
player he is. But you know I do like the move.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, I like it too.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
And as you stated, you know, it was an upgrade
in your eyes as the number four cornerback spot. So
maybe you don't need to rush that guy along. Not
to say he doesn't deserve a helmet on Sunday if
he is up to speed enough to get one. But
it's not like you brought this guy into be your
number one corner, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
It's it's not like you're desperate to throw him out
their asap.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah. But I having said that, I do believe we
will see him on the field sooner rather than later,
because again, as I mentioned, he has a lot of
position versatility, so to speak. And you know, a guy
like him could be a good guy to have in
a helmet on game days.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Keith Miller from Campton, North Carolina. I am a firm
believer that third down efficiency, both offensively and defensively is
a key factor in winning games. How did the Steelers
do in those categories during the preseason?
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Okay, and there are three preseason games. On offense, the
Steelers converted seventeen to forty one third downs, that's forty
one point five percent. On defense, allowed the opponents to
convert thirteen of thirty five, which is thirty seven point
one percent. So, you know, just to try and give
(07:09):
you some context to what those percentages mean. If you
look at the twenty twenty two NFL regular season, at
the end of that regular season, forty one point five
percent on offense would have ranked twelfth in the NFL.
Thirty seven point one percent on defense would have ranked
seventh in the NFL. So, you know, pretty representative situate
(07:33):
in terms of that particular statistics on how the Steelers
did in the preseason.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
David Costello from Roscoe, Illinois, Can you explain what it
means that tackles are considered an unofficial statistic? I've scoured
the internet trying to find a clear explanation on what
it means. The league website lists a leaderboard for tackles.
Does it mean tackles can't be factored in for NFL Award,
slash honors, Hall of Fame consideration?
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Well, okay, the main reason we're talking about tackle statistics.
The main reason why tackles are considered unofficial by the
NFL is because the way the tackles are credited. It
happens on a game by game basis by the home
team stats crew. So, okay, just to kind of use
(08:22):
an example, Okay, the Steelers host the Ravens, the Steelers'
stats crew assigns or credits tackles to the Ravens players,
and when the Ravens host the Steelers, the Ravens stats
crew assigns or credits tackles to the Steelers players. Now,
I'm not saying that there's anything, you know, suspicious going
(08:47):
on there, but I'm just trying to explain why the
league doesn't necessarily gauge these as gospel. You know, they're
not etched into stone tablets and walk down from the
mount by Moses So and you have to understand that
this happens during every week of the regular season. The
(09:09):
home team stats crew is a signing or crediting tackles
for the visiting team. You know, you have a lot
of there's a lot of within division rivalries, bitterness. You
know that you can go to any you know that
when the Jets play the Patriots, or when the Raiders
play the Chiefs, or you know, the Cowboys against anybody
(09:30):
in the NFC East. And so that's why, you know,
this particular category has remained an unofficial statistic. And I
don't know how you know you can get around that
going over game films. You know, could you imagine doing
that for every game every season to come up with
(09:54):
these statistics? And how could you get that done in
a timely manner? Because games are every so you know,
tackle stats. I think it's just something to take with
the grain of salt. At this point.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I'm not a tinfoil cap guy, but I will forever
be suspicious of the Baltimore Ravens scorekeepers.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
For t J.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Watt not being the single holder of the sack record
and not sharing that honor with Michael Strahan. He sacked
the quarterback in that game against Baltimore Labs, some funny
business going on in that booth.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Let me and well, but let me say this, The
Elias Sportsbewer reviewed that, So I'm not I'm not questioning
your conspiracy theory or fear of conspiracy theory or any
of that stuff. But at least with sacks, you know
they are you know, they're not that many. You know,
(10:48):
a tackle happens on every play.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You can go back in track sacks.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Yeah, you know, look over and because it was you know,
that one particular play that you're referencing about TJ. Wattether
that gave him me the sole possession of the NFL
single season record or just to share of it. The
Elias Sports Bureau was able to just look at that
play a few times and make a decision and Elias
(11:16):
is the official arbiter, you know, and keeper of NFL stats,
and so once Elias rules on something, that's it. So
I get, Hey, you know, I like the I like
the I like the hate. You know, go for it.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
But Elias and his bureau undermining me as I always do.
Sam Kennedy from Richmond, Virginia asks, here's another one about
tackle statistics. If tackles are unofficial stats, what does that
mean for sacks unofficial as well? Also, is there an
established baseline among all of the stats crews for what
is a tackle versus assist?
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Okay, let's deal with the sacks first. I touched on
it a little bit in the previous answer to David's
question NFL the sacks didn't become an official NFL statistic
until nineteen eighty two. Okay, So up until that points,
(12:14):
the sack totals were compiled unofficially. Here's an example of
what I mean. Now. The guy who is credited with
coining the term sack was Los Angeles Rams defensive end
Deacon Jones. Okay, and you can look up, you know,
Deacon Jones. And there are also other lists of all
(12:38):
time sack leaders that will include you know the pre
nineteen eighty two totals of players. Now, Deacon Jones' career
was over before nineteen eighty two, so his entire sack
total does not appear on any list recognized by the NFL.
So but he happened to finish his career with one
(13:01):
hundred and seventy three and a half unofficial sacks, okay,
but on the NFL's list he doesn't appear at all.
So that's an obvious example. You know, there's all kinds
of players. You know, Ernie Stautner had his jersey retired
by the Steelers, uh, you know, Joe Green and a
lot of the you know, the steel Curtain people. You know,
(13:24):
there's their sack totals are not listed on any official
NFL list because again, Joe Green's career was over before
nineteen eighty two. Just to pick some you know, Elsie
Greenwood another example. So that's that's the difference. Now, you know,
as for a you know, a baseline among the stats crews,
(13:48):
you know, we can talk about it all you want
to talk about it, but until the NFL comes up
with a way to make those numbers official, that's all
it is is talk. And as I said earlier, I
just look at tackle statistics with a grain of salt,
and especially assisted tackles. I mean, you know those can
(14:12):
be credited, you know, for just a guy. You know,
you can get a neighborhood assist, which is if you're
in the neighborhood. A lot of times they'll just put
you down because, as I said, you know, there's a
little bit of favoritism or bitterness depending upon you know
which home stadium you happen to be in and what
(14:34):
visiting team you happen to be.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Bradley Dill from Hermitage, Pennsylvania, I was listening to the
NFL channel on Series enduring a discussion of cutdown Day.
Someone said you could take a player from one team's
practice squad and put him on your practice squad. I thought,
if another team takes a player from the practice squad,
he has to be put on the fifty three man roster.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Did they change the rule?
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Okay, Bradley, I don't know whether maybe you misunder stood
what they said on that radio program or whether whoever
said it was just wrong, But here's the rule. Anyway, Okay,
Tom and I each have we're each the owner of
an NFL team. So if I sign a player from
(15:21):
Tom's practice squad, that player has to be on my
fifty three roster for three games, now, not three weeks.
Three games. So if you if you sign a guy
over the buy or something that doesn't the bye week
doesn't count three games. And even if you waive him
(15:42):
the guy before the three games were over, you still
have to pay him for three games, and the team
that signs him off the practice squad has to account
for him on fifty three roster until the three game
period is over. Okay, now, let me just kind of
(16:02):
make this part of our little example. I sign a
player off your practice squad, so if I cut him
after a week after one game, not only do I
have to pay him for three games, but I also
can only carry fifty two guys on my roster for
(16:24):
those other two weeks or those other two games. So
it's very punitive if you don't. You know, there's no
dabbling anymore with practice squad guys. If you're going to
sign a guy off the team's practice squad, you have
to keep him, you have to play him, you have
to commit to him. So there's no none of that.
Tom Coughlin garbage that was going on back in the day,
(16:47):
where he would, you know, sign players off the Steelers
practice squad, keep them for fifteen minutes, pick their brains
and cut them. I mean that they they stop that totally.
And as I said, if you want a guy off
another team's practice squad, you better be serious about, you know,
incorporating him into your program because you know, the penalties
(17:10):
or the requirements are significant.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Kurt Ringling from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
During the season, does the practice squad travel with the
team on away games? And are they on the sideline
and locker room during home games?
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Okay? This is you know more rules about practice squad.
NFL rules prohibit practice squad players from traveling to road games. Okay,
so that's out home games now there are limits on
the number of people that and this is everyone okay,
(17:45):
not play this that that are allowed in the home,
in the in the bench area okay limit. And but
what I mean by people I'm talking about this number
includes players, coaches, doctors, trainers, it people you know with
the with the all the you know, the tablets that
(18:07):
you see players using. I mean those have to be
charged and you know, maintained a little bit. So there's
it people down there. So all of these people who
are in the bench area have to add up to
a specific number. Okay, And so for that reason, home,
when it's a home game, your practice squad guys usually
(18:27):
watch the game from the stands. They can watch it
from the locker room on a TV, but on the
field probably not.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
And our final question today comes from John Mott from Seabring, Florida,
and he asks, I remember when teams only had forty
players but had something referred to as a taxi squad?
How many players were on it and was there a
significant difference than today's practice squad.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Yeah, I kind of remember something about the taxi.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Squad, but I'm even I'm not old enough to be
able to give John enough, you know, detailed explanation about
it to tell him what the specific differences were from
the taxi squad in the old days to the practice
squad now.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
So the only thing I can tell you is I
do know the interesting story about how it got its name,
and this is back. It was during the all the
days of the All America Football Conference, and that's where
the Cleveland Browns came from the Baltimore Colts too, is
just as an example. And so, but it was Paul Brown,
(19:40):
who who was the coach of the Cleveland Browns at
the time, who came up with this idea. You know,
you can only have so many players on the roster,
and but he wanted to keep guys other guys that
he thought were promising, you know, kind of build his
own little minor league, right so to speak. Okay, now,
(20:01):
there were salary rules in effect for the All American
Football Conference, and so the way Paul Brown got around
it was he had the owner. The Brown's owner at
the time was a guy named Mickey McBride, and he
owned Mickey McBride owned a taxi company, the Yellow Cab
(20:23):
of Cleveland. So Mickey McBride would take those players that
Paul Brown, his coach, wanted to keep in reserve and
pay them from his Yellow Cab Company of Cleveland. And
those reserve players, I mean, they never drove cabs or anything,
and they never worked for McBride's other business, but they
(20:45):
remained available, you know, in case the coach ever needed them.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Something romantic about that old school sports, when things like
that like trade Babe Ruth for money to fund the
Broadway play or have guys on your payroll based on
your cab company instead of having to pay them on
the All American Conference payroll. I mean, it's really remarkable
the stuff that they could get away with.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And yeah, you know, it's it's it's and and also
having you know, players who weren't making so much money.
I mean, could you imagine trying to figure out a
way to play Nick Bosa not with not a salary,
you know what I mean outside of your your revenue
(21:32):
from you know, being in the NFL. I mean, so yeah,
it's They're quaint and interesting and make up some pretty
nice stories, but you know they don't really translate very
well to the modern era.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Well that'll do it for today's Asked and Answered.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Game one this Sunday, one pm kickoff at Acrotuer Stadium
the San Francisco forty nine Ers.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Pay a visit to your Pittsburgh Steelers Labs is.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
On the pregame at eleven on Dvees, joined by Jerry
Dulac and Miketa and they lead you into Billy Wolf,
Missy and Max calling the game for you. Enjoy Sunday's
action libs and I will be back again next week
with a fresh batch of questions for Askton answered,
This is asked and answered questions with Tom Upperman and
Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
The wait is finally over. We've slogged through an offseason,
We've slogged through training camp, We've slogged through preseason games. Sunday,
when the Steelers face off against the Niners, Labs, it's
going to count for real in the win and Lost column.
College football had their fun little day in the Sun
this past weekend. It was really cute of them. But
the big boys show up to the playground starting on Thursday.
(00:32):
NFL football is officially back. Couldn't be happier. Got that
first day of school opening.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Day kind of vibe to me this week, Labs, I'm
full of excitement.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
If you can't tell, well, you know, I read somewhere
that last Sunday, you know, the day before Labor Day,
was the last Sunday with no NFL football until the
middle of February.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
And that really just music to my ears.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
So we'll go from you know, just using the weather,
you know, as a possible you know, as mile post.
Maybe you go from ninety degrees to you know, snow
and ice and where we live anyway, and.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Thank you again as always to NFL Football for allowing
me an excuse to not hang out with my.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Family on Sunday afternoons throughout the season.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So I mean, just hats off to the NFL always
helping me out at every turn.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
And you know for this year season anyway, no diaper changing.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
For you, exactly right. I mean, Steelers are on. I'm sorry,
I can't.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
I'm busy, right, Sorry, sweetheart, I have to work. You know,
it's not like you're it's just watching it on TV.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I'm taking rigorously, which.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
We're running the board for the pregame show.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Well, we start things off on Sunday against the forty
nine Ers. They come to Akroshore Stadium. That pregame show
that Labs was mentioning that kicks off at eleven am
on DVE with Labs, Perzuda and Jerry Doulac. But we
got a batch of questions to get to for today's
edition of Asked and Answered, so let's not delay any further.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Our first one comes.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
From Bryce Kuiber's from Austin, Texas, and he wants to
know when a quarterback is in the pistol formation. What
is this referencing? What is the difference between the pistol
and shotgun formations.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Okay. In the pistol the quarterback lines up about four
yards behind the center, and the running back in the
formation would line up behind the quarterback. So you know,
it's kind of like an elongated eye formation with only
one back in the backfield. Now the shotgun, the quarterback
(02:47):
is usually seven yards behind the center, and if there
is a running back in the backfield, he would line
up next to the quarterback. Okay, So it's believed or
claimed that the pistol formation allows the quarterback to be
close enough to the line of scrimmage to read the defense,
but also far enough away from the line of scrimmage
(03:09):
to give him a little bit of extra time and
a better vision of the field for passing place.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Ed Johnson from Germantown, Ohio has a very topical question.
He wants to know, what do you think about the
Steelers signing Desmond King. I wanted them to draft him
back in twenty seventeen. He was voted first team All
Pro in twenty eighteen, when he finished with three interceptions
and ten passes defense as a cornerback and had eight
hundred and forty yards in a touchdown returning both punts
and kickoffs. I remember watching him play at Iowa and
(03:37):
how he was always around the football.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
You know, on the surface, I'm with Ed. I mean,
there's a lot to like about, you know, the Steelers
edition of Desmond King. Cornerback, maybe slot corner, maybe outside corner,
maybe safety. The guy seems to have a lot of versatility.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Probably why the Steelers are so interested in him.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah, and you know, he's experienced in the sense that
he has you know, over forty six hundred defensive snaps
during six seasons in the NFL. And he's still relatively
young because he won't be twenty nine until mid December. Okay.
I also, you know, based on and I've been, I'm
(04:24):
sure that Desmond King has come across you know, my
vision or TV screen or however you want to describe
it previously in his NFL career. But I do not
remember anything specifically about him. But you know, looking at it,
I would think I would say that it's an upgrade
at the number four cornerback spot on the roster for
(04:45):
the Steelers right now, which going into this regular season
was kind of identified as a potential weakness, you know,
and King, since he came out in the twenty seventeen
NFL Draft. You we know how the Steelers like to
do business with, you know, free agents in that is
that they use there what they've learned during the draft
(05:07):
prep for when the player came out for the draft
as kind of a baseline or as a foundation for
you know, whether they believe the guy is a fit
not only as a player but also as a person.
So all of these things, you know, are aligning nicely, okay,
But you know the proof is it will be in
(05:30):
his play. And you know, I don't know what Desmond
King's role is going to be immediately, you know what
he will be. Will he even get a helmet on Sunday?
I would think he would, but you know I wouldn't.
I wouldn't guarantee it. So it may take a little
while for Desmond King to show us what kind of
(05:52):
player he is. But you know I do like the move.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, I like it too.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
And as you stated, you know, it was an upgrade
in your eyes as the number four cornerback spot. So
maybe you don't need to rush that guy along. Not
to say he doesn't deserve a helmet on Sunday if
he is up to speed enough to get one. But
it's not like you brought this guy into be your
number one corner, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
It's it's not like you're desperate to throw him out
their asap.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah. But I having said that, I do believe we
will see him on the field sooner rather than later,
because again, as I mentioned, he has a lot of
position versatility, so to speak. And you know, a guy
like him could be a good guy to have in
a helmet on game days.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Keith Miller from Campton, North Carolina. I am a firm
believer that third down efficiency, both offensively and defensively is
a key factor in winning games. How did the Steelers
do in those categories during the preseason?
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Okay, and there are three preseason games. On offense, the
Steelers converted seventeen to forty one third downs, that's forty
one point five percent. On defense, allowed the opponents to
convert thirteen of thirty five, which is thirty seven point
one percent. So, you know, just to try and give
(07:09):
you some context to what those percentages mean. If you
look at the twenty twenty two NFL regular season, at
the end of that regular season, forty one point five
percent on offense would have ranked twelfth in the NFL.
Thirty seven point one percent on defense would have ranked
seventh in the NFL. So, you know, pretty representative situate
(07:33):
in terms of that particular statistics on how the Steelers
did in the preseason.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
David Costello from Roscoe, Illinois, Can you explain what it
means that tackles are considered an unofficial statistic? I've scoured
the internet trying to find a clear explanation on what
it means. The league website lists a leaderboard for tackles.
Does it mean tackles can't be factored in for NFL Award,
slash honors, Hall of Fame consideration?
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Well, okay, the main reason we're talking about tackle statistics.
The main reason why tackles are considered unofficial by the
NFL is because the way the tackles are credited. It
happens on a game by game basis by the home
team stats crew. So, okay, just to kind of use
(08:22):
an example, Okay, the Steelers host the Ravens, the Steelers'
stats crew assigns or credits tackles to the Ravens players,
and when the Ravens host the Steelers, the Ravens stats
crew assigns or credits tackles to the Steelers players. Now,
I'm not saying that there's anything, you know, suspicious going
(08:47):
on there, but I'm just trying to explain why the
league doesn't necessarily gauge these as gospel. You know, they're
not etched into stone tablets and walk down from the
mount by Moses So and you have to understand that
this happens during every week of the regular season. The
(09:09):
home team stats crew is a signing or crediting tackles
for the visiting team. You know, you have a lot
of there's a lot of within division rivalries, bitterness. You
know that you can go to any you know that
when the Jets play the Patriots, or when the Raiders
play the Chiefs, or you know, the Cowboys against anybody
(09:30):
in the NFC East. And so that's why, you know,
this particular category has remained an unofficial statistic. And I
don't know how you know you can get around that
going over game films. You know, could you imagine doing
that for every game every season to come up with
(09:54):
these statistics? And how could you get that done in
a timely manner? Because games are every so you know,
tackle stats. I think it's just something to take with
the grain of salt. At this point.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
I'm not a tinfoil cap guy, but I will forever
be suspicious of the Baltimore Ravens scorekeepers.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
For t J.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Watt not being the single holder of the sack record
and not sharing that honor with Michael Strahan. He sacked
the quarterback in that game against Baltimore Labs, some funny
business going on in that booth.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Let me and well, but let me say this, The
Elias Sportsbewer reviewed that, So I'm not I'm not questioning
your conspiracy theory or fear of conspiracy theory or any
of that stuff. But at least with sacks, you know
they are you know, they're not that many. You know,
(10:48):
a tackle happens on every play.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
You can go back in track sacks.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Yeah, you know, look over and because it was you know,
that one particular play that you're referencing about TJ. Wattether
that gave him me the sole possession of the NFL
single season record or just to share of it. The
Elias Sports Bureau was able to just look at that
play a few times and make a decision and Elias
(11:16):
is the official arbiter, you know, and keeper of NFL stats,
and so once Elias rules on something, that's it. So
I get, Hey, you know, I like the I like
the I like the hate. You know, go for it.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
But Elias and his bureau undermining me as I always do.
Sam Kennedy from Richmond, Virginia asks, here's another one about
tackle statistics. If tackles are unofficial stats, what does that
mean for sacks unofficial as well? Also, is there an
established baseline among all of the stats crews for what
is a tackle versus assist?
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Okay, let's deal with the sacks first. I touched on
it a little bit in the previous answer to David's
question NFL the sacks didn't become an official NFL statistic
until nineteen eighty two. Okay, So up until that points,
(12:14):
the sack totals were compiled unofficially. Here's an example of
what I mean. Now. The guy who is credited with
coining the term sack was Los Angeles Rams defensive end
Deacon Jones. Okay, and you can look up, you know,
Deacon Jones. And there are also other lists of all
(12:38):
time sack leaders that will include you know the pre
nineteen eighty two totals of players. Now, Deacon Jones' career
was over before nineteen eighty two, so his entire sack
total does not appear on any list recognized by the NFL.
So but he happened to finish his career with one
(13:01):
hundred and seventy three and a half unofficial sacks, okay,
but on the NFL's list he doesn't appear at all.
So that's an obvious example. You know, there's all kinds
of players. You know, Ernie Stautner had his jersey retired
by the Steelers, uh, you know, Joe Green and a
lot of the you know, the steel Curtain people. You know,
(13:24):
there's their sack totals are not listed on any official
NFL list because again, Joe Green's career was over before
nineteen eighty two. Just to pick some you know, Elsie
Greenwood another example. So that's that's the difference. Now, you know,
as for a you know, a baseline among the stats crews,
(13:48):
you know, we can talk about it all you want
to talk about it, but until the NFL comes up
with a way to make those numbers official, that's all
it is is talk. And as I said earlier, I
just look at tackle statistics with a grain of salt,
and especially assisted tackles. I mean, you know those can
(14:12):
be credited, you know, for just a guy. You know,
you can get a neighborhood assist, which is if you're
in the neighborhood. A lot of times they'll just put
you down because, as I said, you know, there's a
little bit of favoritism or bitterness depending upon you know
which home stadium you happen to be in and what
(14:34):
visiting team you happen to be.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Bradley Dill from Hermitage, Pennsylvania, I was listening to the
NFL channel on Series enduring a discussion of cutdown Day.
Someone said you could take a player from one team's
practice squad and put him on your practice squad. I thought,
if another team takes a player from the practice squad,
he has to be put on the fifty three man roster.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Did they change the rule?
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Okay, Bradley, I don't know whether maybe you misunder stood
what they said on that radio program or whether whoever
said it was just wrong, But here's the rule. Anyway, Okay,
Tom and I each have we're each the owner of
an NFL team. So if I sign a player from
(15:21):
Tom's practice squad, that player has to be on my
fifty three roster for three games, now, not three weeks.
Three games. So if you if you sign a guy
over the buy or something that doesn't the bye week
doesn't count three games. And even if you waive him
(15:42):
the guy before the three games were over, you still
have to pay him for three games, and the team
that signs him off the practice squad has to account
for him on fifty three roster until the three game
period is over. Okay, now, let me just kind of
(16:02):
make this part of our little example. I sign a
player off your practice squad, so if I cut him
after a week after one game, not only do I
have to pay him for three games, but I also
can only carry fifty two guys on my roster for
(16:24):
those other two weeks or those other two games. So
it's very punitive if you don't. You know, there's no
dabbling anymore with practice squad guys. If you're going to
sign a guy off the team's practice squad, you have
to keep him, you have to play him, you have
to commit to him. So there's no none of that.
Tom Coughlin garbage that was going on back in the day,
(16:47):
where he would, you know, sign players off the Steelers
practice squad, keep them for fifteen minutes, pick their brains
and cut them. I mean that they they stop that totally.
And as I said, if you want a guy off
another team's practice squad, you better be serious about, you know,
incorporating him into your program because you know, the penalties
(17:10):
or the requirements are significant.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Kurt Ringling from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
During the season, does the practice squad travel with the
team on away games? And are they on the sideline
and locker room during home games?
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Okay? This is you know more rules about practice squad.
NFL rules prohibit practice squad players from traveling to road games. Okay,
so that's out home games now there are limits on
the number of people that and this is everyone okay,
(17:45):
not play this that that are allowed in the home,
in the in the bench area okay limit. And but
what I mean by people I'm talking about this number
includes players, coaches, doctors, trainers, it people you know with
the with the all the you know, the tablets that
(18:07):
you see players using. I mean those have to be
charged and you know, maintained a little bit. So there's
it people down there. So all of these people who
are in the bench area have to add up to
a specific number. Okay, And so for that reason, home,
when it's a home game, your practice squad guys usually
(18:27):
watch the game from the stands. They can watch it
from the locker room on a TV, but on the
field probably not.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
And our final question today comes from John Mott from Seabring, Florida,
and he asks, I remember when teams only had forty
players but had something referred to as a taxi squad?
How many players were on it and was there a
significant difference than today's practice squad.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Yeah, I kind of remember something about the taxi.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Squad, but I'm even I'm not old enough to be
able to give John enough, you know, detailed explanation about
it to tell him what the specific differences were from
the taxi squad in the old days to the practice
squad now.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
So the only thing I can tell you is I
do know the interesting story about how it got its name,
and this is back. It was during the all the
days of the All America Football Conference, and that's where
the Cleveland Browns came from the Baltimore Colts too, is
just as an example. And so, but it was Paul Brown,
(19:40):
who who was the coach of the Cleveland Browns at
the time, who came up with this idea. You know,
you can only have so many players on the roster,
and but he wanted to keep guys other guys that
he thought were promising, you know, kind of build his
own little minor league, right so to speak. Okay, now,
(20:01):
there were salary rules in effect for the All American
Football Conference, and so the way Paul Brown got around
it was he had the owner. The Brown's owner at
the time was a guy named Mickey McBride, and he
owned Mickey McBride owned a taxi company, the Yellow Cab
(20:23):
of Cleveland. So Mickey McBride would take those players that
Paul Brown, his coach, wanted to keep in reserve and
pay them from his Yellow Cab Company of Cleveland. And
those reserve players, I mean, they never drove cabs or anything,
and they never worked for McBride's other business, but they
(20:45):
remained available, you know, in case the coach ever needed them.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Something romantic about that old school sports, when things like
that like trade Babe Ruth for money to fund the
Broadway play or have guys on your payroll based on
your cab company instead of having to pay them on
the All American Conference payroll. I mean, it's really remarkable
the stuff that they could get away with.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And yeah, you know, it's it's it's and and also
having you know, players who weren't making so much money.
I mean, could you imagine trying to figure out a
way to play Nick Bosa not with not a salary,
you know what I mean outside of your your revenue
(21:32):
from you know, being in the NFL. I mean, so yeah,
it's They're quaint and interesting and make up some pretty
nice stories, but you know they don't really translate very
well to the modern era.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Well that'll do it for today's Asked and Answered.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Game one this Sunday, one pm kickoff at Acrotuer Stadium
the San Francisco forty nine Ers.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Pay a visit to your Pittsburgh Steelers Labs is.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
On the pregame at eleven on Dvees, joined by Jerry
Dulac and Miketa and they lead you into Billy Wolf,
Missy and Max calling the game for you. Enjoy Sunday's
action libs and I will be back again next week
with a fresh batch of questions for Askton answered,
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