October 14, 2025 • 19 mins
Labs and Tom talk about the win over Cleveland then get to this weeks questions.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is asked and answered questions with Tom Upferman and
Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Steelers beat the Browns twenty three to nine. They improved
to four and one. Every other team in the division,
including obviously Cleveland, lost last weekend as well, so this
lead grows in the AFC North, and looking at the
Cleveland game specifically, Labs, I mean that was really I
think this Pittsburgh Steelers of twenty twenty five's most complete
performance today.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Except for one, well two things I will say, okay,
I agree with except for two things. Too many penalties.
Too many penalties, too many penalties. And I know it's
you know, Mike Tomlin took some some of the blame
at his news conference. He said, you know, to the penalties,
that's my fault, blah blah blah. Okay, you know, and
(00:53):
I get that. And to some degrees, right, lining up
off sides is not a coaching thing.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Can't have that.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Yeah, multiple first team All Pro lineup on sides, I'm sorry,
can't have that. And then the other thing is when
they're throwing the ball to you, when their offense is
throwing the ball to your defense, catch a couple yeah,
you know a couple.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
That's a really good point too. You know, this defense's
identity is sacking the quarterback, getting a lot of pressure,
but also getting turnovers. And they had zero against a
rookie quarterback. A dominating performance, don't get me wrong, but
you got to have at least one or two.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yeah, And you know again, earlier in the season, you know,
the takeaways were coming in bunches, and I get it.
And yes, it runs in cycles, and I get that too,
but that is a you know, dropping the ball is
a mechanical thing. It's not a scheme thing or you know,
(01:50):
you got out schemes or you know, whatever it is
by the offense, or they made a play and you didn't.
I mean no, the ball was thrown, you had your
hands on it. You know, catch some, as I said,
you have to catch everyone. But I think I'm just
in my head. There were three, for sure that were
(02:14):
like gut punches to me watching the game, thinking, you know,
you can ice this away some of these, some of
those in the fourth quarter it's over. But you know,
again I'm nitpicking. Outside of that, Yes, it was a
really good performance. I've thought the offense did a lot
(02:35):
of good things against a defense that came in ranked
number one in the NFL overallp and I don't know
did Monals Garrett make the trip or did he miss
the bus.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
He must have been inactive in that game, because I
didn't see him much at all. You know what, I'm
glad you went there, Labs, because they were obviously chipping him,
they were doubling him, they were doing a lot against them.
Rogers was getting the ball out quick. But Progerick Jones
deserves his flowers because it wasn't all game where Miles
Garrett had three guys going against him. Jones had to
step up from rep to rep and he did such
(03:06):
a masterful job. He has to feel a lot of confidence.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Yes, he was, he was. He was much better and
that was a I don't know that he's going to
have a stiffer test than Miles Garrett, but you know,
just you know, beat a drum that just it's just
amazing to me. Pro Football Focus, did you see any
(03:30):
of that stuff?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, I mean you're doing yourself a disservice as an
outlet of Pro Football Focus to have that garbage to
rank Garrett higher than Watt and Herbie.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Well and beyond that. I mean, just rating Garrett that high,
right exactly. Forget the comparison, right, forget the comparison the
whatever percentage win rate he was given on you know,
pass Rushes. I mean, that's just absurd. How is that possible?
You know, when you when you really largely didn't and
a sniff, and let me just throw this out there,
(04:04):
just to some of the younger fans in the in
the listening audience. You know, the Browns are seen as
a patsy. Now. You know, they haven't won in Pittsburgh
since two thousand and three. Okay, all that's fine, that's
that's that's those are accurate facts. But this season, this
(04:24):
series Steelers Cleve Pittsburgh Cleveland started in nineteen fifty when
the Browns were absorbed into the NFL from the All
American Football Conference, and these teams played at least twice
a year every year except for you know, when Modell
took the Browns away after the ninety five seasons, So
(04:44):
ninety six, excuse me, ninety six, ninety seven, and ninety eight,
there was no Pittsburgh Cleveland games. Then ninety nine, the
Browns came back into the NFL and the series resumed. Okay,
the Steelers did not go over five hundred in this
series until Mike Tomlin's Mike Mike Tomlin era. That's how dominant,
(05:09):
That's how dominant it was early because as I said,
you remember, you know the Browns, how many did they
lose in a row of three River Stadium? You know
they have a one in Pittsburgh at all since in
the regular season. Let me say that, clarify that for
any of the nitpickers out there since two thousand and three.
So a lot of Steelers beat in Cleveland has been
(05:32):
taking place lately. But still I remember a Post Gazette
columnist once compared the Steelers Browns quote unquote quote unquote
rivalry similar to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in nineteen
(05:53):
sixty eight, when the tanks just rolled through the country
and just you know, bulldozed it. So yeah, that for
those of us who are old enough to remember a
lot of misery in this series, in this series before
this recent streak of dominance.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Before we get to the questions, I did want to
bring up one last thing. Aaron Rodgers Labs every week
has a throw or a couple throws that just make
you go Wow, that guy's a four time MVP. That
guy's a first ballot Hall of Famer. He's obviously not
an MVP anymore at this current age, but he's not
as far off as some people might have thought he'd be.
(06:33):
And that throw to Connor Hayward for the first touchdown
pass of the game from Rogers was a thing of beauty.
Labs on the run across his body directing traffic. I mean,
that was vintage Rogers stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, and you know, I can only imagine how frustrating
that is for defensive back, no doubt being to be
in that situation you're he was. It couldn't have been
inches away that that dB was, whoever that was, I
don't remember off the top of my head. But because
he threw it and Connor Hayward had to dive, we'll
(07:07):
go down for the ball. Great catch, yes, great catch, absolutely,
but the kind of coverage you have and then for
him to find that window, I mean, what was that
window was? Maybe what and the size of an eight
by eleven piece of paper in the touchdown pass was
twelve yards. Connor Hayward was like eight yards deep in
(07:29):
the end zone. Rogers was maybe five or six yards
behind the line of scrimmage, So let's just call it
a thirty yard throw through a hole that size when
you're running or being chased or both. Yeah, big time,
big time.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Let's start with our first question from Paul Grossheim from Washington, Pennsylvania.
On the play against the Vikings where Roger Jones recovered
in advanced Aaron Rodgers's fumble. How are those yards accounted for? Statistically?
Would Jones be credited with a carry and rushing yards.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
On the play Paul describes Broderick Jones was credited with
a fumble recovery, but there's no carry or yardage assigned
to that run.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I would have loved to see the four.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yards because in the NFL, with the way you score
those kinds of things, that falls under the nebulous category
of miscellaneous yardage. So you know, I don't know exactly
how it's accounted for somewhere, but it's not assigned to
any individual player.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Dave Hyslip from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With the Steelers game in
Dublin being such a roaring success on both sides of
the pond and from the business standpoint, expanding the NFL
brand internationally a continued success, It's easy to see where
this could be heading in the future. This might be
more of a think about it than a question, but
imagine one of the Steelers regular home games every year
(09:02):
being played in Ireland.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Well, first of all, Dave, my buddy Tom's liver could
not handle it all of the guinness, you know, so,
but no, I know, but if I was, yes, But
since we're just thinking about it, I don't think the
(09:25):
Steelers would ever have an annual international game, regardless of
the site. You know, teams like Jacksonville have an international
international game. But that's not forget the Jaguars were having
trouble selling tickets. They were putting tarps over those sections
of seats in the upper deck. Uh, And there was
(09:47):
some there was some talk at one point that you know,
Jacksonville might become the first NFL franchise in Europe. So
you know, that's the situation. I think you would need
to have an annual gain in London. Uh. You know,
(10:08):
I don't think the Steelers are interested in giving up
a home game every year. You know, people in Pittsburgh
have been loyal fans for a long time, and I
don't think Art Rooney would be interested in that either.
I don't think the NFL is interested in that. Uh,
you know, certainly, expanding the growth of the game internationally
(10:29):
is very high on the priorities list of the of
the league. But I think the way that they want
to do it is expose a lot of teams to
that experience and a lot of fans internationally to the
various teams. So I could see it happening again, but
(10:53):
having it at any an annual thing, I gotta say,
I don't think that's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Well, speaking of international and Europe, Our next question comes
from Red Car, England. Richard Sharrott writes in does a
block field goal count as a miss on the Kickers stats?
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yes, it does, as does planning your foot in some
bad turf and falling to the ground and missing as
a result.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
That counts to Oh thank god he didn't have any
ankle injury there that could.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Have been bad. Oh oh my god. Yeah. I don't
you know, Danny Smith was having some problems controlling himself
on the sideline. I mean, I love yeah, I watched
our the Steelers sideline a lot on home games. You
can you can suss out a lot of things. I mean,
especially when when a unit comes off the field if
(11:48):
something bad happened, you can see who the coaches believe
was that fault, or should have been doing something that
they weren't, or they were doing something that they shouldn't
by who gets I'll use this word loosely jumped first
on the sideline by an assistant coach. After that play,
(12:12):
Danny Smith was livid. They wasn't yelling at anyone, but
he was just up and down the sideline. I mean
I could I could almost see the veins popping out
of his forehead from the press box.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
He was yelling at the grass labs. He was looking
down and yelling at the actual grass itself.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Maybe better, Yes, I think it will be because by
the time I left the press box after the Browns game,
a good bit of that turf was ripped up. And no,
I mean they started working. No, Well, it's a it's
you know, it's not a it's not a job as
(12:50):
simple as you know, going out and mowing your own lawn.
Let me say.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
That, Brian Maddox from Granite Falls, North Carolina, Why wasn't
Deshaun Elliott just given a warning instead of an almost
six thousand dollars fine for wearing a black towel during
the game against the Vikings. It's a stupid, nitpicky roll
that had no effect on the outcome of the game.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Okay, I you know, I don't necessarily disagree that a
lot of the what the NFL refers to as its
uniform code isn't filled with you know, nitpicky, stupid rules.
But you know, I can understand the reason behind a
lot of them. You know, you don't want these guys
(13:33):
looking like NASCAR drivers, you know, with all kind of
patches and labels and you know, and and all of
the things that can you just imagine what the players
would come up with, arm decorations, leg decorations, socks, how
they would wear like you watch a college game. Now,
(13:55):
they don't even look like football pants that they're wearing.
You know, a lot of them are above the knee.
You know, some guys look like they're almost wearing yoga pants.
So that's why that's the purpose of the uniform code.
What also happens in that instance is there is a guy,
(14:17):
at least one on site, an NFL employee, who you know,
checks all of his stuff out make sure all of
you know guys, you know a lot of times it's
eyeballing it from up above. A lot of times this
happens the guy walk around on the field during pregame
and anyone who is in quote unquote violation. And in
(14:40):
this case, you know, tiles are only allowed to be white.
That's it, and you're only allowed to wear one. So
anybody who, uh, for example, Deshaun Elliott and I didn't
notice this. I'm gonna be honest. Anyone like Deshaun Elliott
with a black tile, he had to be told by
(15:00):
the uniform police who was on site, or he couldn't
have been fined. They have to warn you, and they
do that before the game, and then if you don't
change it for the game, then you get the letter.
So that's the rule. I feel bad for Deshaun Elliott.
(15:22):
That's a big number for a black tile, but you
know what, can I say? He can afford it.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Robert Klatzek from Palmyra, Pennsylvania. Kickoffs are consistently landing around
the one yard line.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Why do the.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Kickoff returners not line up a few yards into the
end zone and get a running start when they catch
the ball. They would get up to full speed more
quickly and likely get a longer run.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yeah, theoretically that works, but you never know where the
ball on the field is going to be kicked. So
if you know you're trying, if you're lining up the
little deeper in the end zone, because a lot of
them in most of the Steelers games, the kickoffs are
land and coming down in between the goal line and
(16:07):
the five yard line. So to get a running start,
I'd say you'd have to probably be a couple of
yards deep into the end zone so you could run
up and be at full speed when you catch the ball. Okay,
that's that's the theoretical, But you don't know where the
ball is going to come down. So when you're if
you line up, say on the left hash mark, and
(16:28):
the kicker kicks the ball towards the right sideline, well,
now you're not running straight at it, you're running at
an angle at it. And then so you're running at
an angle at it full speed. Does that impact your
ability to secure the ball, which a is the most
important thing? And then does that momentum carry you more
(16:50):
towards the sideline than up the field, which is how
the ball is to be returned. So you know, if
you don't know where the ball is going to be kicked,
what direction, I think that you know, the best thing
to do, the safest thing to do is just catch
(17:10):
it first and then get the top speed as quick
as possible, because you know, Mike Tomlin I asked him
once about the skill set he looks for in kickoff returners,
and he says, you know, one of the way you
put it was something like this, I'm paraphrasing. You know,
get the top speed. You're running in the dark because
(17:34):
you really don't know what's coming at you and from where.
But you have to have the fortitude to still get
yourself at top speed fast. And then you look for
those little openings because if if the return is called
for the left side, as an example, well that that
hole might that little window might be open for a
(17:57):
second or two, and you got to hit it at
top speed. So you're running full speed at something that
looks like you're running into a wall and then maybe
it opens for you. You know. It's so yeah, that's
not for the faint of heart that job. And so
I wouldn't be a kickoff returner in the league.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
No, I wouldn't want to be one either. I don't
think i'd want to be anything in the league. To
be honest with you, I don't think I have the
physical fortitude or mental fortitude to play any position out there,
So I'll just stick to podcasting with you. Sound good?
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Okay, yep much lower lower contact support part take in
on Tuesdays.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
That'll be it for us for today's edition of ask
An Answered. Thanks as always forgetting your questions in Labs.
It's my favorite kickoff time this week in eight thirty,
eight fifteen on Thursday, because that means we get a weekend.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yes, yes, the yeah, it's in the office is closed Friday, Saturday, Sunday, exactly,
so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
It's beautiful Bengals Steeler's eight fifteen Thursday Night in Cincinnati
Labs and I will be back next week with another
edition of Asten Answered
This is asked and answered questions with Tom Upferman and
Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Steelers beat the Browns twenty three to nine. They improved
to four and one. Every other team in the division,
including obviously Cleveland, lost last weekend as well, so this
lead grows in the AFC North, and looking at the
Cleveland game specifically, Labs, I mean that was really I
think this Pittsburgh Steelers of twenty twenty five's most complete
performance today.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Except for one, well two things I will say, okay,
I agree with except for two things. Too many penalties.
Too many penalties, too many penalties. And I know it's
you know, Mike Tomlin took some some of the blame
at his news conference. He said, you know, to the penalties,
that's my fault, blah blah blah. Okay, you know, and
(00:53):
I get that. And to some degrees, right, lining up
off sides is not a coaching thing.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Can't have that.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Yeah, multiple first team All Pro lineup on sides, I'm sorry,
can't have that. And then the other thing is when
they're throwing the ball to you, when their offense is
throwing the ball to your defense, catch a couple yeah,
you know a couple.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
That's a really good point too. You know, this defense's
identity is sacking the quarterback, getting a lot of pressure,
but also getting turnovers. And they had zero against a
rookie quarterback. A dominating performance, don't get me wrong, but
you got to have at least one or two.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yeah, And you know again, earlier in the season, you know,
the takeaways were coming in bunches, and I get it.
And yes, it runs in cycles, and I get that too,
but that is a you know, dropping the ball is
a mechanical thing. It's not a scheme thing or you know,
(01:50):
you got out schemes or you know, whatever it is
by the offense, or they made a play and you didn't.
I mean no, the ball was thrown, you had your
hands on it. You know, catch some, as I said,
you have to catch everyone. But I think I'm just
in my head. There were three, for sure that were
(02:14):
like gut punches to me watching the game, thinking, you know,
you can ice this away some of these, some of
those in the fourth quarter it's over. But you know,
again I'm nitpicking. Outside of that, Yes, it was a
really good performance. I've thought the offense did a lot
(02:35):
of good things against a defense that came in ranked
number one in the NFL overallp and I don't know
did Monals Garrett make the trip or did he miss
the bus.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
He must have been inactive in that game, because I
didn't see him much at all. You know what, I'm
glad you went there, Labs, because they were obviously chipping him,
they were doubling him, they were doing a lot against them.
Rogers was getting the ball out quick. But Progerick Jones
deserves his flowers because it wasn't all game where Miles
Garrett had three guys going against him. Jones had to
step up from rep to rep and he did such
(03:06):
a masterful job. He has to feel a lot of confidence.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Yes, he was, he was. He was much better and
that was a I don't know that he's going to
have a stiffer test than Miles Garrett, but you know,
just you know, beat a drum that just it's just
amazing to me. Pro Football Focus, did you see any
(03:30):
of that stuff?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, I mean you're doing yourself a disservice as an
outlet of Pro Football Focus to have that garbage to
rank Garrett higher than Watt and Herbie.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Well and beyond that. I mean, just rating Garrett that high,
right exactly. Forget the comparison, right, forget the comparison the
whatever percentage win rate he was given on you know,
pass Rushes. I mean, that's just absurd. How is that possible?
You know, when you when you really largely didn't and
a sniff, and let me just throw this out there,
(04:04):
just to some of the younger fans in the in
the listening audience. You know, the Browns are seen as
a patsy. Now. You know, they haven't won in Pittsburgh
since two thousand and three. Okay, all that's fine, that's
that's that's those are accurate facts. But this season, this
(04:24):
series Steelers Cleve Pittsburgh Cleveland started in nineteen fifty when
the Browns were absorbed into the NFL from the All
American Football Conference, and these teams played at least twice
a year every year except for you know, when Modell
took the Browns away after the ninety five seasons, So
(04:44):
ninety six, excuse me, ninety six, ninety seven, and ninety eight,
there was no Pittsburgh Cleveland games. Then ninety nine, the
Browns came back into the NFL and the series resumed. Okay,
the Steelers did not go over five hundred in this
series until Mike Tomlin's Mike Mike Tomlin era. That's how dominant,
(05:09):
That's how dominant it was early because as I said,
you remember, you know the Browns, how many did they
lose in a row of three River Stadium? You know
they have a one in Pittsburgh at all since in
the regular season. Let me say that, clarify that for
any of the nitpickers out there since two thousand and three.
So a lot of Steelers beat in Cleveland has been
(05:32):
taking place lately. But still I remember a Post Gazette
columnist once compared the Steelers Browns quote unquote quote unquote
rivalry similar to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in nineteen
(05:53):
sixty eight, when the tanks just rolled through the country
and just you know, bulldozed it. So yeah, that for
those of us who are old enough to remember a
lot of misery in this series, in this series before
this recent streak of dominance.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Before we get to the questions, I did want to
bring up one last thing. Aaron Rodgers Labs every week
has a throw or a couple throws that just make
you go Wow, that guy's a four time MVP. That
guy's a first ballot Hall of Famer. He's obviously not
an MVP anymore at this current age, but he's not
as far off as some people might have thought he'd be.
(06:33):
And that throw to Connor Hayward for the first touchdown
pass of the game from Rogers was a thing of beauty.
Labs on the run across his body directing traffic. I mean,
that was vintage Rogers stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, and you know, I can only imagine how frustrating
that is for defensive back, no doubt being to be
in that situation you're he was. It couldn't have been
inches away that that dB was, whoever that was, I
don't remember off the top of my head. But because
he threw it and Connor Hayward had to dive, we'll
(07:07):
go down for the ball. Great catch, yes, great catch, absolutely,
but the kind of coverage you have and then for
him to find that window, I mean, what was that
window was? Maybe what and the size of an eight
by eleven piece of paper in the touchdown pass was
twelve yards. Connor Hayward was like eight yards deep in
(07:29):
the end zone. Rogers was maybe five or six yards
behind the line of scrimmage, So let's just call it
a thirty yard throw through a hole that size when
you're running or being chased or both. Yeah, big time,
big time.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Let's start with our first question from Paul Grossheim from Washington, Pennsylvania.
On the play against the Vikings where Roger Jones recovered
in advanced Aaron Rodgers's fumble. How are those yards accounted for? Statistically?
Would Jones be credited with a carry and rushing yards.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
On the play Paul describes Broderick Jones was credited with
a fumble recovery, but there's no carry or yardage assigned
to that run.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I would have loved to see the four.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yards because in the NFL, with the way you score
those kinds of things, that falls under the nebulous category
of miscellaneous yardage. So you know, I don't know exactly
how it's accounted for somewhere, but it's not assigned to
any individual player.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Dave Hyslip from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With the Steelers game in
Dublin being such a roaring success on both sides of
the pond and from the business standpoint, expanding the NFL
brand internationally a continued success, It's easy to see where
this could be heading in the future. This might be
more of a think about it than a question, but
imagine one of the Steelers regular home games every year
(09:02):
being played in Ireland.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Well, first of all, Dave, my buddy Tom's liver could
not handle it all of the guinness, you know, so,
but no, I know, but if I was, yes, But
since we're just thinking about it, I don't think the
(09:25):
Steelers would ever have an annual international game, regardless of
the site. You know, teams like Jacksonville have an international
international game. But that's not forget the Jaguars were having
trouble selling tickets. They were putting tarps over those sections
of seats in the upper deck. Uh, And there was
(09:47):
some there was some talk at one point that you know,
Jacksonville might become the first NFL franchise in Europe. So
you know, that's the situation. I think you would need
to have an annual gain in London. Uh. You know,
(10:08):
I don't think the Steelers are interested in giving up
a home game every year. You know, people in Pittsburgh
have been loyal fans for a long time, and I
don't think Art Rooney would be interested in that either.
I don't think the NFL is interested in that. Uh,
you know, certainly, expanding the growth of the game internationally
(10:29):
is very high on the priorities list of the of
the league. But I think the way that they want
to do it is expose a lot of teams to
that experience and a lot of fans internationally to the
various teams. So I could see it happening again, but
(10:53):
having it at any an annual thing, I gotta say,
I don't think that's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Well, speaking of international and Europe, Our next question comes
from Red Car, England. Richard Sharrott writes in does a
block field goal count as a miss on the Kickers stats?
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yes, it does, as does planning your foot in some
bad turf and falling to the ground and missing as
a result.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
That counts to Oh thank god he didn't have any
ankle injury there that could.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Have been bad. Oh oh my god. Yeah. I don't
you know, Danny Smith was having some problems controlling himself
on the sideline. I mean, I love yeah, I watched
our the Steelers sideline a lot on home games. You
can you can suss out a lot of things. I mean,
especially when when a unit comes off the field if
(11:48):
something bad happened, you can see who the coaches believe
was that fault, or should have been doing something that
they weren't, or they were doing something that they shouldn't
by who gets I'll use this word loosely jumped first
on the sideline by an assistant coach. After that play,
(12:12):
Danny Smith was livid. They wasn't yelling at anyone, but
he was just up and down the sideline. I mean
I could I could almost see the veins popping out
of his forehead from the press box.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
He was yelling at the grass labs. He was looking
down and yelling at the actual grass itself.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Maybe better, Yes, I think it will be because by
the time I left the press box after the Browns game,
a good bit of that turf was ripped up. And no,
I mean they started working. No, Well, it's a it's
you know, it's not a it's not a job as
(12:50):
simple as you know, going out and mowing your own lawn.
Let me say.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
That, Brian Maddox from Granite Falls, North Carolina, Why wasn't
Deshaun Elliott just given a warning instead of an almost
six thousand dollars fine for wearing a black towel during
the game against the Vikings. It's a stupid, nitpicky roll
that had no effect on the outcome of the game.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Okay, I you know, I don't necessarily disagree that a
lot of the what the NFL refers to as its
uniform code isn't filled with you know, nitpicky, stupid rules.
But you know, I can understand the reason behind a
lot of them. You know, you don't want these guys
(13:33):
looking like NASCAR drivers, you know, with all kind of
patches and labels and you know, and and all of
the things that can you just imagine what the players
would come up with, arm decorations, leg decorations, socks, how
they would wear like you watch a college game. Now,
(13:55):
they don't even look like football pants that they're wearing.
You know, a lot of them are above the knee.
You know, some guys look like they're almost wearing yoga pants.
So that's why that's the purpose of the uniform code.
What also happens in that instance is there is a guy,
(14:17):
at least one on site, an NFL employee, who you know,
checks all of his stuff out make sure all of
you know guys, you know a lot of times it's
eyeballing it from up above. A lot of times this
happens the guy walk around on the field during pregame
and anyone who is in quote unquote violation. And in
(14:40):
this case, you know, tiles are only allowed to be white.
That's it, and you're only allowed to wear one. So
anybody who, uh, for example, Deshaun Elliott and I didn't
notice this. I'm gonna be honest. Anyone like Deshaun Elliott
with a black tile, he had to be told by
(15:00):
the uniform police who was on site, or he couldn't
have been fined. They have to warn you, and they
do that before the game, and then if you don't
change it for the game, then you get the letter.
So that's the rule. I feel bad for Deshaun Elliott.
(15:22):
That's a big number for a black tile, but you
know what, can I say? He can afford it.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Robert Klatzek from Palmyra, Pennsylvania. Kickoffs are consistently landing around
the one yard line.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Why do the.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Kickoff returners not line up a few yards into the
end zone and get a running start when they catch
the ball. They would get up to full speed more
quickly and likely get a longer run.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yeah, theoretically that works, but you never know where the
ball on the field is going to be kicked. So
if you know you're trying, if you're lining up the
little deeper in the end zone, because a lot of
them in most of the Steelers games, the kickoffs are
land and coming down in between the goal line and
(16:07):
the five yard line. So to get a running start,
I'd say you'd have to probably be a couple of
yards deep into the end zone so you could run
up and be at full speed when you catch the ball. Okay,
that's that's the theoretical, But you don't know where the
ball is going to come down. So when you're if
you line up, say on the left hash mark, and
(16:28):
the kicker kicks the ball towards the right sideline, well,
now you're not running straight at it, you're running at
an angle at it. And then so you're running at
an angle at it full speed. Does that impact your
ability to secure the ball, which a is the most
important thing? And then does that momentum carry you more
(16:50):
towards the sideline than up the field, which is how
the ball is to be returned. So you know, if
you don't know where the ball is going to be kicked,
what direction, I think that you know, the best thing
to do, the safest thing to do is just catch
(17:10):
it first and then get the top speed as quick
as possible, because you know, Mike Tomlin I asked him
once about the skill set he looks for in kickoff returners,
and he says, you know, one of the way you
put it was something like this, I'm paraphrasing. You know,
get the top speed. You're running in the dark because
(17:34):
you really don't know what's coming at you and from where.
But you have to have the fortitude to still get
yourself at top speed fast. And then you look for
those little openings because if if the return is called
for the left side, as an example, well that that
hole might that little window might be open for a
(17:57):
second or two, and you got to hit it at
top speed. So you're running full speed at something that
looks like you're running into a wall and then maybe
it opens for you. You know. It's so yeah, that's
not for the faint of heart that job. And so
I wouldn't be a kickoff returner in the league.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
No, I wouldn't want to be one either. I don't
think i'd want to be anything in the league. To
be honest with you, I don't think I have the
physical fortitude or mental fortitude to play any position out there,
So I'll just stick to podcasting with you. Sound good?
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Okay, yep much lower lower contact support part take in
on Tuesdays.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
That'll be it for us for today's edition of ask
An Answered. Thanks as always forgetting your questions in Labs.
It's my favorite kickoff time this week in eight thirty,
eight fifteen on Thursday, because that means we get a weekend.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yes, yes, the yeah, it's in the office is closed Friday, Saturday, Sunday, exactly,
so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
It's beautiful Bengals Steeler's eight fifteen Thursday Night in Cincinnati
Labs and I will be back next week with another
edition of Asten Answered
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