October 31, 2023 • 28 mins
Labs and Tom talk about the trade deadline and answer this week’s questions
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is Asked and Answered Questions with Tom Upferman and
Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
We're recording this episode around nine thirty am on Tuesday morning.
The trade deadline is at four pm today, Labs. So
between now and then, how many first round picks do
you think the Steelers are going to give up to,
you know, get a safety, get a corner, maybe you know,
some help on the line. I mean, they're gonna they're
gonna be trading like crazy, right.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
You mean or for another host of this podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I knew you were going to say that. I mean
I was worried. I was on the block.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Are you ready to go to Green Bay just in
time for the winner?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Can it be Miami? I mean, you can't send me
down to Miami.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Hey, I'm not making the trade. I mean I don't
have that kind of authority, you know. Okay, As you mentioned,
the trading deadline is four pm today, which is October
thirty first. Happy Halloween by the way, Happy Halloween. What
you cant costume gonna be first year Dad, first year?
So in other words, you're gonna have like a towel
(01:07):
around your on your shoulder with all kind of god
knows what all over it.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, in a lot of ways. That costume. First, your
dad looks like a Rocky Biboa costume. After ten rounds
with Apollo Creed, just sweat, blood towels, people squaring water
in your face, cutting your eyelids. It's the same.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
It's one of the same, all right. So anyway back
to the trading deadline. I hope that's not too bloody.
It is four pm today, October thirty first, Happy Halloween
to all our listeners. Yesterday at Mike Thomlins news conference,
he was asked about the trading deadline, and he said
(01:44):
his line was, we're always open for business. Okay, I
take him at his word, but it depends on to me.
It's it's gonna come down to what kind of business
we're talking about. You know, I'm not gonna go so
far as to say that Steelers won't be making any
trades before the deadline, but I am comfortable predicting that
(02:06):
there won't be any trading away a number one pick,
certainly not multiple number one picks for a veteran player. So,
you know, any fans listening to this before the trading deadline,
don't get your hopes up for you know, any of
those ridiculous names you've been hearing. Patrick certain the second
(02:27):
as one, right some corner from the Bears. I forget
his name is another. If these high profile type people
who their teams would require a number one pick or
maybe a number one pick plus other things, I do
not believe that's gonna happen. The Steelers are not interested
(02:50):
in getting into the business of trading away high draft
picks for the future. That's what they did with under
the Buddy era in the late fifties and early sixties.
Dan Rooney took care of that and him and then
that led to the hiring of Chuck Nolan nineteen sixty nine,
(03:12):
and the business model I think has been kind of
consistent since then. So, with the exception of Minka Fitzpatrick,
that was a one time thing, right, I think that
there was a considerable mitigating factors there. The Steelers were,
you know, he was still a very young player, so
(03:33):
they had some significant cost. You know, they knew what
the cost was. I can't think of the word the
assurance cost assurance based on his rookie contract, how many
years that had left, those kinds of things, and so
(03:57):
I don't know. I just think it was a I
want to say one in a lifetime, but certainly once
in a very rare occurrence for the Steelers to make
a trade for a future number one draft pick. And
I think that was a good trade too, by the way.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, I mean it's been a decent player, hasn't he.
He seems to be doing okay.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's pretty okay. I'd like to be
as okay at my job as he is at his.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Say that, and seriously, we hope Mink can get to
a speedy recovery with that hamstring injury, because that secondary
for sure needs number thirty nine back there. Let's get
to this defense, the defense in general, Right, you're right, Yeah,
he's a game changer on that defense. Let's get to
this week's a batch of questions. Our first one comes
from John Fry from Titusville, Pennsylvania. I know, usually when
(04:45):
there is an accepted penalty, the official scoring is no play.
But when Deontay Johnson caught the pass and then George
Pickens was called for an illegal block, how is that
play scored?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Okay? John is referring to a play and from a
game against the Rams okay, and it was just to
give you the particulars. It was third and nine from
the Rams twenty seven yard line. Okay. So according to
the official play by play from the game, the fifteen
yard penalty for the illegal blindside block against and the
(05:18):
call was on against George Pickens, that was enforced from
the Rams twenty yard line. Okay. So that indicates that
there was a gain of seven yards before the penalty
occurred and then therefore was enforced. So in that specific situation,
can he Pickett is assigned an attempt and a completion
(05:38):
for seven yards. In the statistics, de Autae Johnson is
credited with one catch for seven yards.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Wayne Eppenheimer from Jamestown, New York. How is it determined
which teams get to play in London?
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Okay? There's a website called Operations dot NFL dot com,
and I'm red I'm going to quote from that website.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Did you have to pay a subscription to get to
that website or is that free?
Speaker 1 (06:07):
F I did not have to pay, but don't say
it too loud, because who knows what might happen. No,
that is a free website. Okay. So the quote about
the International Games as part of the league adopting a
(06:27):
seventeen game schedule in twenty twenty one, AFC and NFC
teams will alternate seasons where they have nine home games.
The host teams for international games will be selected from
the conference with the ninth home game, so clubs still
will host eight games in their home stadiums. For example,
since NFC teams have a ninth home game in twenty
(06:49):
twenty two, four NFC teams will be selected to host
an international game that season. Teams can still volunteer to
play home games abroad, just as they have in previous seasons.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Steelers haven't played in London since twenty thirteen. You were there, right,
You went over and sees for that trip.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yes, London is a very cool city.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Yeah, I mean it looks like if you get it
once in a blue moon like the Steelers. I'm not
trying to be the Jaguars or you go there once
or twice even every single year, but it can definitely
be a trip that's worthwhile for not just the whole team,
but the ancillary staff around the team as well.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Right, and what they've what they've implemented now, which you know,
I think I would like even better if you know
that were to happen again, is you know they they
have they will play the game at one o'clock in London,
which is in those nine to thirty Eastern time kickoffs
are on TV, you know international games, because in that case,
(07:50):
you know, for it to be a one o'clock game,
it's not. It doesn't kick off till six o'clock there,
five or six o'clock. So yeah, and then because coming
back to red eye situation, the travel is more difficult
on your bomb. So but anyway, they didn't have that,
then they had that. Now I'm not anxious to get
(08:13):
back on a plane and fly across the pond, as
they say, but I think that would be a better,
more body friendly time situation thing. And no way they
had been doing it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I don't think you want to get on a plane
to just fly to Cincinnati, Ohio at this point, do you.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
That's an accurate statement, as Bill Cower might have said.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Scott Blakenship from Ashville, Kentucky, Chuck Noll, Bill Kawer, and
Mike Tomlin are all coaches with defensive backgrounds. Noel is
rightly given credit for the steel Curtain defense, though he
did have a defensive coordinator Bud Carson. Do we know
who called defensive plays back? Then correct me if I'm wrong,
But Terry Bradshaw called the offensive plays. I'm also curious
as to whether Cower called any of the defensive and
(08:57):
or offensive plays.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Okay, going back to the first part of the question,
which had to do with Chuck Noll and his defensive coordinator,
Bud Carson. That was during the nineteen seventies. Offenses and
defenses at that time were elementary in comparison to the
day's schemes. Okay, So for those Steelers team teams, let's
(09:23):
start with the offense. The quarterback called the plays, and
that was whether it was Bradshaw or Joe gillim or
Terry Hanrady. Okay, Chuck Noll served as the offensive coordinator
he met with during the week. He met with the
quarterbacks in the formulation of the game plan, what kind
(09:44):
of plays they wanted to run that particular week, and
then the quarterback called the plays. Okay. On defense, there
weren't any defensive plays called. I mean, the Steelers were
in the same defense all the time. Okay. It was
a four to three covered two. That's what they played. Basically. Now,
(10:08):
there may have been some adjustments in terms of for
a particular opponent, but all of that stuff was handled
leading up to the game. I mean, there weren't hand
signals coming in from the sideline changing the coverage. Every down.
You know, Mel Blunt lined up on the one side
of the formation, and whichever receiver came over there, he
(10:30):
covered him. Now, pretty wasn't always me, yeah, and it
wasn't always man to man necessarily, but whatever it was,
it was the same. Jack Ham did the same thing
on every snap of every game. He was the the
right outside linebacker. He was over there, and his assignments
(10:53):
based on maybe what the the offense aligned in might
have been a little different, but no one had to
tell him that, you know what I mean. I mean
that was just that was his position. So you know,
there were no green dots, There were no linebackers with
you know, with the communicator and their helmets, and there
(11:17):
were no hands signals defensive plays called. I mean that
just didn't exist that so okay. Then the Bill Cowherd part. Yes,
Bill Cower was involved in play calling on both sides
of the ball. Whenever he chose to assert his authority
as the head coach. I mean I saw a recent
quasi documentary about it was a Steve Sable who used
(11:43):
to be the before he died, NFL film's chief, right,
and they did it. Steve Sable did a It was
an in depth it was about forty five minutes to
an hour long thing. It was very good as obviously
everything that Steve Sable was associated with for NFL films,
and there was a lot of you know, sideline kind
of footage as NFL Films is very good at obtaining
(12:06):
and using and and Bill Kauer you could hear him telling, uh,
there was a play from nineteen ninety two, which was
his rookie season, or as a coach, telling offensive coordinator
Ron Earhart Steelers special screen, let's use that now. And
at the time, Uh, they would they would hand signal
(12:29):
the plays in. I don't know that. I don't think
they had home at communicators yet nineteen ninety two. So
that was the play call they threw the Barry Foster
was the running back. He took the pass rand in
for a touchdown. So that's a documented example of Bill
Kauer suggesting if you prefer that word a play. But
(12:54):
you know when he said let's do this. You know
it was it was in the suggestion, not like yeah right.
And even with you know, Dick Lebow as the defensive coordinator,
Bill Cower would sometimes say whatever. You know, he had input,
(13:15):
and as I said, he he could assert that input
anytime he wanted to. You know, he wanted to.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Eric Shecher from Downington, Pennsylvania asks on the first series
of the game against the Rams, t J. Watt made
a brilliant play on the interception when he was dropped
into coverage. How often is he used in that capacity?
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Okay, I'm not able to provide what provide snap counts
where t J Watt dropped in the coverage versus when
he rushed the passer. And I'm not saying that because
you know, the team doesn't want me to reveal that information.
I'm telling you I don't know. I'm sure that you
know within the team they know, but it's not something
(13:58):
that's made public and not something that anyone would tell me.
So there's that. I can tell you some things about it. Though.
The interception the TJ. Watt had against the Rams that
was the seventh of his career and his rookie year
was twenty seventeen, and he recorded his first interception as
(14:21):
a rookie in that season. In twenty nineteen and twenty
twenty two, he had two interceptions in each of those seasons. Okay, Now,
scouring the interweb, I found a website that says what
has been targeted by opposing quarterbacks forty eight times in
his ninety three career NFL regular season games. So I
(14:44):
don't know if that helps or not. Now, just as
a general policy or tendency of three to four, you know,
having the edge rushers or as they were called, you
know before or recent times, outside linebackers dropping into coverage.
(15:06):
That's long been a part of the Steelers defensive plan,
going all the way back to the you know, when
Greg Lloyd was doing that. Because when the version of
the three four that the Steelers kind of play now
was first introduced, that happened in nineteen ninety two, and
it kind of came from the merging of ideas from
(15:28):
Bill Kawers, the head coach at the time, Don Capers,
who was the defensive coordinator at the time, and Dick
lebo was the secondary coach. So you know, the Steelers
ran a three to four before that, but it wasn't.
It was a different version. Let me put it that way.
It was different in style, it looked different, and the
(15:54):
edge rushers were one or the other. You know, you
either covered or you're rushed, and it wasn't a lot
of both. You didn't have that And so you know,
and everybody knows the most memorable example of an instructor
dropping in the coverage super Bowl forty three, and James
Harrison did that, just that to intercept Kurt Warner. That
(16:17):
pass was returned, for those of you who don't know,
one hundred yards for a touchdown at the end of
the first half. And let me just throw this into
Kurt Warner does a lot of TV. Now. Yes, it
always cracks me up when he says, well, a quarterback
should be more aware, you know, of what was happening
or where he was throwing the ball or and I
(16:37):
always scream at the TV, Hey, Kurt, what were you
aware of Super Bowl forty three when you thought Harrison
was supposed to drop? Were you aware? Did you check?
Did you You know? It always cracks me up when
guys forget that it's not as easy as they're making
it sound on TV. And Kurt Warner is the guy.
(16:58):
He's got a Super Bowl ring out, a Hall of famering.
You know, he can actually say, hey, you know, you
don't want to do what I did.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Right exactly, so self nuprecation would be great.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And a little bit of uh, you know, honesty. You know,
but hey, I'm not a TV guy. Maybe that's why
I'm not on TV. That plus them not very pretty.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
TJ Watt seven interceptions and seventy sacks. He's the first.
He's one of only two players in their first seven
seasons to have at least those two marks. The other
one was some guy named Lawrence Taylor. I think he
was an actor labs. He was in like any given Sunday,
and he was in a little bit of The water
Boy too, So.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
I mean he did a movie too once, wasn't it.
Oh yeah, The water Boy?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah, they're right, The Waterboy exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
So not many people know professional wrestler too.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I think, oh, did he really nice? Great?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
I remember that name. I'll have to look him up there.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
He must have been a decent player to be in
the same you know, category.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
As teacher what exactly? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Tom Henson from Martinsville, Indiana. I counted fourteen total catch
by tight ends through six games with Pat Firemouth on
injured reserve, do you expect to see Darnell Washington get
more targets? And what are the chances the Steelers get
Zach Gentry back from the Bengals practice squad.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Okay, I'm just gonna update this because you know, we
played another game since I was able to include this question.
So through seven games, Connor Hayward has twelve catches, Pat
Friarmuth has eight, Darneld Washington has won. So that's twenty
one catches through the first seven games of the season.
(18:33):
You know, I'm gonna I believe that when you're looking
for someone well, while Friarmuth is on IR, if you're
looking for someone among the tight ends currently on the
roster who has a chance to see more targets because
Friarmuth is on IR, I am imagining it's going to
(18:54):
be Connor Hayward because you know, Darnell Washington is not
a receiving tight end. Boys and girls, I mean, I'm
getting a lot of these kinds of things. Why aren't
they targeting him more? Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
He never wasn't that George right, he was not, that's
(19:16):
not that was not his claim to fame in college.
I mean I think he averaged like, I don't know,
one point two catches a game or something there because
that Bowers is his last name, Brock Bowers, thank you. Yes,
he's the receiving tight end. So Darnell Washington didn't come
(19:37):
into the NFL as a refined route runner. As a
tight end. I mean, he's big, but his and I
don't you know, he could still develop into a receiving
tight end. But seven games into his rookie year, you know,
I just think people are looking at his high and
(20:00):
wait and thinking, you know, he should be great at this,
or you know, maybe they went to training camp practices
as I did, and fell in love with some of
the things he did in drills as I did, and
then you just think, well, that's gonna translate right into
NFL regular season football. But it doesn't work that way. Okay,
So I'm not down on Darnel Washington. I saw him
(20:22):
handle TJ. Watt and some backs on backers. The guy
can block. Okay, give him some time. Maybe he adds
receiving to his repertoire, But right now, I think with
Friarmouth out, Connor Hayward is going to assume the role
of go to guy. I mean, if you if you
(20:43):
need a phrase among the tight ends in the passing game. Okay, Now,
the Zach Gentry thing, I you know, a nice guy.
I mean, Zach Gentry is a good guy. I mean
he was very He always interacted with the fan at
training camp. Uh before practice he'd played catch with the
kids or other fans were standing along the sideline. I mean,
(21:07):
you know, I got nothing bad to say about Jack's
Zach Gentry, but this idea that has grown from I
don't know where that he was a great receiver in
the NFL. I mean it's just not true. I mean
he wasn't uh his forte you know coming into the
(21:28):
the season anyway was the last couple of seasons was
his blocking? Okay, now with Darnold Washington on the team,
who is a much better blocker. Uh, you know, Gentry
was waived and there were a couple of different times
when the steel you know, the Steelers had a chance
(21:48):
to bring him back to the practice squad for sure,
they decided they decided not to. Okay, and there have
been another couple of occasions where they have made roster
moves and they have involved Rodney Williams. So if they're
picking Rodney Williams over Zach Gentry, I don't know. It
(22:09):
doesn't seem to me to be that difficult to say
or to realize that the Zach Gentry ship has sailed.
I don't see them bringing him back. They've chosen Rodney
Williams on a couple of different occasions when they made
moves at the position, and so there you go. No,
there will not be any Zach Gentry return. I just
(22:33):
don't think the team is interested.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
And our final question today comes from Joe Asher from Tampa, Florida.
If TJ. Watt breaks his own and Michael Strahan's record
for sacks in a single season, do you think he'd
be the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
Do you think there are any numbers he could achieve
to be considered MVP?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Okay, the single season sack record that TJ. Watt shares
with Michael Strahan's twenty two and a half. If TJ.
Watt breaks that record, I believe he should get the
Defensive Player a Year of the Year award by the
end of that game, whenever that happens. I mean, that's
what I believe should happen. But you know, on TV
(23:19):
social media, I've been hearing a lot of blathering about
how great Miles Garrett is. Okay, and so let me
just point this out. The Defensive Player of the Year
is awarded through votes from a panel of fifty AP
sports writers. So a lot of those people who may
be touting Miles Garrett on television, on podcasts, possibly on
(23:45):
social media could have a vote. So you know, what
I think should happen doesn't necessarily mean it will. And
because once you have an election, I mean, nobody knows
how an election is going to turn out. So I
believe that t J. Watt is the best defensive player
in the NFL. I believe that he is the leading
(24:07):
candidate for that award right now. I believe if he
breaks that sack record, he should undoubtedly win that award.
But I don't have a vote, so it doesn't really
you know, I can say this is what I think,
but it has no real impact on the award and
(24:29):
to whom to whom it is given now m v P,
I don't know. I just you know, to me that's
not has evolved into a quarterback award. You can't even
be a different offensive player than a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
It was like Adrian Peterson back in eight I think
was the last one to win that wasn't a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Yeah. Now, Lauren, that guy that you mentioned, the actor Taylor,
he won the MVP Award in nineteen eighty six in
a movie or in real life apparently it's real life.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
But he had twenty and a half sacks that year. Now,
at that time, forced fumbles were not a sanctioned NFL statistic,
so he's officially credited with no force fumbles that year.
But if you remember right, all the strip sacks because
that was one of his moves. He invented it in
(25:30):
my mind, whether he did or not, I don't know,
but I remember him being the first guy who executed
that as a part of his repertoire. Okay, so he
had a number of those. But we also have to
remember this about nineteen eighty six. Whatever Lawrence Taylor did
(25:52):
every tackle, every time his presence altered the outcome of
a play. He did it in New York. I know
they were playing in you know, the swamp lands in
New Jersey the Meadowlands. But you understand what I mean.
So that's another that's a thing in Lawrence Taylor's favor
for winning that award. And as I just mentioned about
(26:13):
the award being a quarterback award, I mean that that
now has become so ingrained. You know. I don't know,
can could anyone beat Patrick Mahomes out? You know for
this MVP Award. People, I've been you know, hearing and
reading Tyreek Hill, the receiver from the Dolphins, might end
up two thousand yards receiving and he's a long shot.
(26:35):
If he does that, I think, yeah, because.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
And that guy is going to get consideration.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Shit. Yeah, So you know, I I just whether I
just don't think it's possible. You know, sure there are
numbers he could that could lead to him winning the
MVP Award, but they would have to be so ridiculous,
and then all the offensive players would have to stink,
you know. I mean, we have to be some sort
(27:03):
of confluence of things that I don't think are real. So,
you know, I believe TJ what is the defensive Player
of the Year right now, and if he continues, I
think he should win the award. I cannot I cannot
say for sure that he will.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Though, short week for your Steelers. They kick off at
eight fifteen at Akroshure Stadium on Thursday night against the Titans.
I know Labs agrees with me. The best part about
a Thursday night game that's Sunday off. Huh oh, it's going.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
To be yes, I thought, yeah, the best part of
a Thursday night game is Friday morning, when it's over
and all the work is done, because that's when the
weekend starts.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Amen to that. Good luck to the Steelers this Sunday
need to get a win or excuse me, this Thursday
need to get back in the win column against the
Tennessee Titans. Get your questions in right now to Labs
and hopefully you'll be heard on a future edition of
this podcast for Bob Blabriella. I'm Tom Opferman and thanks
as always for listening to this to the ast An
Answered Podcast
This is Asked and Answered Questions with Tom Upferman and
Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
We're recording this episode around nine thirty am on Tuesday morning.
The trade deadline is at four pm today, Labs. So
between now and then, how many first round picks do
you think the Steelers are going to give up to,
you know, get a safety, get a corner, maybe you know,
some help on the line. I mean, they're gonna they're
gonna be trading like crazy, right.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
You mean or for another host of this podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I knew you were going to say that. I mean
I was worried. I was on the block.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Are you ready to go to Green Bay just in
time for the winner?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Can it be Miami? I mean, you can't send me
down to Miami.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Hey, I'm not making the trade. I mean I don't
have that kind of authority, you know. Okay, As you mentioned,
the trading deadline is four pm today, which is October
thirty first. Happy Halloween by the way, Happy Halloween. What
you cant costume gonna be first year Dad, first year?
So in other words, you're gonna have like a towel
(01:07):
around your on your shoulder with all kind of god
knows what all over it.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, in a lot of ways. That costume. First, your
dad looks like a Rocky Biboa costume. After ten rounds
with Apollo Creed, just sweat, blood towels, people squaring water
in your face, cutting your eyelids. It's the same.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
It's one of the same, all right. So anyway back
to the trading deadline. I hope that's not too bloody.
It is four pm today, October thirty first, Happy Halloween
to all our listeners. Yesterday at Mike Thomlins news conference,
he was asked about the trading deadline, and he said
(01:44):
his line was, we're always open for business. Okay, I
take him at his word, but it depends on to me.
It's it's gonna come down to what kind of business
we're talking about. You know, I'm not gonna go so
far as to say that Steelers won't be making any
trades before the deadline, but I am comfortable predicting that
(02:06):
there won't be any trading away a number one pick,
certainly not multiple number one picks for a veteran player. So,
you know, any fans listening to this before the trading deadline,
don't get your hopes up for you know, any of
those ridiculous names you've been hearing. Patrick certain the second
(02:27):
as one, right some corner from the Bears. I forget
his name is another. If these high profile type people
who their teams would require a number one pick or
maybe a number one pick plus other things, I do
not believe that's gonna happen. The Steelers are not interested
(02:50):
in getting into the business of trading away high draft
picks for the future. That's what they did with under
the Buddy era in the late fifties and early sixties.
Dan Rooney took care of that and him and then
that led to the hiring of Chuck Nolan nineteen sixty nine,
(03:12):
and the business model I think has been kind of
consistent since then. So, with the exception of Minka Fitzpatrick,
that was a one time thing, right, I think that
there was a considerable mitigating factors there. The Steelers were,
you know, he was still a very young player, so
(03:33):
they had some significant cost. You know, they knew what
the cost was. I can't think of the word the
assurance cost assurance based on his rookie contract, how many
years that had left, those kinds of things, and so
(03:57):
I don't know. I just think it was a I
want to say one in a lifetime, but certainly once
in a very rare occurrence for the Steelers to make
a trade for a future number one draft pick. And
I think that was a good trade too, by the way.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, I mean it's been a decent player, hasn't he.
He seems to be doing okay.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's pretty okay. I'd like to be
as okay at my job as he is at his.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Say that, and seriously, we hope Mink can get to
a speedy recovery with that hamstring injury, because that secondary
for sure needs number thirty nine back there. Let's get
to this defense, the defense in general, Right, you're right, Yeah,
he's a game changer on that defense. Let's get to
this week's a batch of questions. Our first one comes
from John Fry from Titusville, Pennsylvania. I know, usually when
(04:45):
there is an accepted penalty, the official scoring is no play.
But when Deontay Johnson caught the pass and then George
Pickens was called for an illegal block, how is that
play scored?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Okay? John is referring to a play and from a
game against the Rams okay, and it was just to
give you the particulars. It was third and nine from
the Rams twenty seven yard line. Okay. So according to
the official play by play from the game, the fifteen
yard penalty for the illegal blindside block against and the
(05:18):
call was on against George Pickens, that was enforced from
the Rams twenty yard line. Okay. So that indicates that
there was a gain of seven yards before the penalty
occurred and then therefore was enforced. So in that specific situation,
can he Pickett is assigned an attempt and a completion
(05:38):
for seven yards. In the statistics, de Autae Johnson is
credited with one catch for seven yards.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Wayne Eppenheimer from Jamestown, New York. How is it determined
which teams get to play in London?
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Okay? There's a website called Operations dot NFL dot com,
and I'm red I'm going to quote from that website.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Did you have to pay a subscription to get to
that website or is that free?
Speaker 1 (06:07):
F I did not have to pay, but don't say
it too loud, because who knows what might happen. No,
that is a free website. Okay. So the quote about
the International Games as part of the league adopting a
(06:27):
seventeen game schedule in twenty twenty one, AFC and NFC
teams will alternate seasons where they have nine home games.
The host teams for international games will be selected from
the conference with the ninth home game, so clubs still
will host eight games in their home stadiums. For example,
since NFC teams have a ninth home game in twenty
(06:49):
twenty two, four NFC teams will be selected to host
an international game that season. Teams can still volunteer to
play home games abroad, just as they have in previous seasons.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Steelers haven't played in London since twenty thirteen. You were there, right,
You went over and sees for that trip.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yes, London is a very cool city.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Yeah, I mean it looks like if you get it
once in a blue moon like the Steelers. I'm not
trying to be the Jaguars or you go there once
or twice even every single year, but it can definitely
be a trip that's worthwhile for not just the whole team,
but the ancillary staff around the team as well.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Right, and what they've what they've implemented now, which you know,
I think I would like even better if you know
that were to happen again, is you know they they
have they will play the game at one o'clock in London,
which is in those nine to thirty Eastern time kickoffs
are on TV, you know international games, because in that case,
(07:50):
you know, for it to be a one o'clock game,
it's not. It doesn't kick off till six o'clock there,
five or six o'clock. So yeah, and then because coming
back to red eye situation, the travel is more difficult
on your bomb. So but anyway, they didn't have that,
then they had that. Now I'm not anxious to get
(08:13):
back on a plane and fly across the pond, as
they say, but I think that would be a better,
more body friendly time situation thing. And no way they
had been doing it.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
I don't think you want to get on a plane
to just fly to Cincinnati, Ohio at this point, do you.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
That's an accurate statement, as Bill Cower might have said.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Scott Blakenship from Ashville, Kentucky, Chuck Noll, Bill Kawer, and
Mike Tomlin are all coaches with defensive backgrounds. Noel is
rightly given credit for the steel Curtain defense, though he
did have a defensive coordinator Bud Carson. Do we know
who called defensive plays back? Then correct me if I'm wrong,
But Terry Bradshaw called the offensive plays. I'm also curious
as to whether Cower called any of the defensive and
(08:57):
or offensive plays.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Okay, going back to the first part of the question,
which had to do with Chuck Noll and his defensive coordinator,
Bud Carson. That was during the nineteen seventies. Offenses and
defenses at that time were elementary in comparison to the
day's schemes. Okay, So for those Steelers team teams, let's
(09:23):
start with the offense. The quarterback called the plays, and
that was whether it was Bradshaw or Joe gillim or
Terry Hanrady. Okay, Chuck Noll served as the offensive coordinator
he met with during the week. He met with the
quarterbacks in the formulation of the game plan, what kind
(09:44):
of plays they wanted to run that particular week, and
then the quarterback called the plays. Okay. On defense, there
weren't any defensive plays called. I mean, the Steelers were
in the same defense all the time. Okay. It was
a four to three covered two. That's what they played. Basically. Now,
(10:08):
there may have been some adjustments in terms of for
a particular opponent, but all of that stuff was handled
leading up to the game. I mean, there weren't hand
signals coming in from the sideline changing the coverage. Every down.
You know, Mel Blunt lined up on the one side
of the formation, and whichever receiver came over there, he
(10:30):
covered him. Now, pretty wasn't always me, yeah, and it
wasn't always man to man necessarily, but whatever it was,
it was the same. Jack Ham did the same thing
on every snap of every game. He was the the
right outside linebacker. He was over there, and his assignments
(10:53):
based on maybe what the the offense aligned in might
have been a little different, but no one had to
tell him that, you know what I mean. I mean
that was just that was his position. So you know,
there were no green dots, There were no linebackers with
you know, with the communicator and their helmets, and there
(11:17):
were no hands signals defensive plays called. I mean that
just didn't exist that so okay. Then the Bill Cowherd part. Yes,
Bill Cower was involved in play calling on both sides
of the ball. Whenever he chose to assert his authority
as the head coach. I mean I saw a recent
quasi documentary about it was a Steve Sable who used
(11:43):
to be the before he died, NFL film's chief, right,
and they did it. Steve Sable did a It was
an in depth it was about forty five minutes to
an hour long thing. It was very good as obviously
everything that Steve Sable was associated with for NFL films,
and there was a lot of you know, sideline kind
of footage as NFL Films is very good at obtaining
(12:06):
and using and and Bill Kauer you could hear him telling, uh,
there was a play from nineteen ninety two, which was
his rookie season, or as a coach, telling offensive coordinator
Ron Earhart Steelers special screen, let's use that now. And
at the time, Uh, they would they would hand signal
(12:29):
the plays in. I don't know that. I don't think
they had home at communicators yet nineteen ninety two. So
that was the play call they threw the Barry Foster
was the running back. He took the pass rand in
for a touchdown. So that's a documented example of Bill
Kauer suggesting if you prefer that word a play. But
(12:54):
you know when he said let's do this. You know
it was it was in the suggestion, not like yeah right.
And even with you know, Dick Lebow as the defensive coordinator,
Bill Cower would sometimes say whatever. You know, he had input,
(13:15):
and as I said, he he could assert that input
anytime he wanted to. You know, he wanted to.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Eric Shecher from Downington, Pennsylvania asks on the first series
of the game against the Rams, t J. Watt made
a brilliant play on the interception when he was dropped
into coverage. How often is he used in that capacity?
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Okay, I'm not able to provide what provide snap counts
where t J Watt dropped in the coverage versus when
he rushed the passer. And I'm not saying that because
you know, the team doesn't want me to reveal that information.
I'm telling you I don't know. I'm sure that you
know within the team they know, but it's not something
(13:58):
that's made public and not something that anyone would tell me.
So there's that. I can tell you some things about it. Though.
The interception the TJ. Watt had against the Rams that
was the seventh of his career and his rookie year
was twenty seventeen, and he recorded his first interception as
(14:21):
a rookie in that season. In twenty nineteen and twenty
twenty two, he had two interceptions in each of those seasons. Okay, Now,
scouring the interweb, I found a website that says what
has been targeted by opposing quarterbacks forty eight times in
his ninety three career NFL regular season games. So I
(14:44):
don't know if that helps or not. Now, just as
a general policy or tendency of three to four, you know,
having the edge rushers or as they were called, you
know before or recent times, outside linebackers dropping into coverage.
(15:06):
That's long been a part of the Steelers defensive plan,
going all the way back to the you know, when
Greg Lloyd was doing that. Because when the version of
the three four that the Steelers kind of play now
was first introduced, that happened in nineteen ninety two, and
it kind of came from the merging of ideas from
(15:28):
Bill Kawers, the head coach at the time, Don Capers,
who was the defensive coordinator at the time, and Dick
lebo was the secondary coach. So you know, the Steelers
ran a three to four before that, but it wasn't.
It was a different version. Let me put it that way.
It was different in style, it looked different, and the
(15:54):
edge rushers were one or the other. You know, you
either covered or you're rushed, and it wasn't a lot
of both. You didn't have that And so you know,
and everybody knows the most memorable example of an instructor
dropping in the coverage super Bowl forty three, and James
Harrison did that, just that to intercept Kurt Warner. That
(16:17):
pass was returned, for those of you who don't know,
one hundred yards for a touchdown at the end of
the first half. And let me just throw this into
Kurt Warner does a lot of TV. Now. Yes, it
always cracks me up when he says, well, a quarterback
should be more aware, you know, of what was happening
or where he was throwing the ball or and I
(16:37):
always scream at the TV, Hey, Kurt, what were you
aware of Super Bowl forty three when you thought Harrison
was supposed to drop? Were you aware? Did you check?
Did you You know? It always cracks me up when
guys forget that it's not as easy as they're making
it sound on TV. And Kurt Warner is the guy.
(16:58):
He's got a Super Bowl ring out, a Hall of famering.
You know, he can actually say, hey, you know, you
don't want to do what I did.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Right exactly, so self nuprecation would be great.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
And a little bit of uh, you know, honesty. You know,
but hey, I'm not a TV guy. Maybe that's why
I'm not on TV. That plus them not very pretty.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
TJ Watt seven interceptions and seventy sacks. He's the first.
He's one of only two players in their first seven
seasons to have at least those two marks. The other
one was some guy named Lawrence Taylor. I think he
was an actor labs. He was in like any given Sunday,
and he was in a little bit of The water
Boy too, So.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
I mean he did a movie too once, wasn't it.
Oh yeah, The water Boy?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah, they're right, The Waterboy exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
So not many people know professional wrestler too.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I think, oh, did he really nice? Great?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
I remember that name. I'll have to look him up there.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
He must have been a decent player to be in
the same you know, category.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
As teacher what exactly? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Tom Henson from Martinsville, Indiana. I counted fourteen total catch
by tight ends through six games with Pat Firemouth on
injured reserve, do you expect to see Darnell Washington get
more targets? And what are the chances the Steelers get
Zach Gentry back from the Bengals practice squad.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Okay, I'm just gonna update this because you know, we
played another game since I was able to include this question.
So through seven games, Connor Hayward has twelve catches, Pat
Friarmuth has eight, Darneld Washington has won. So that's twenty
one catches through the first seven games of the season.
(18:33):
You know, I'm gonna I believe that when you're looking
for someone well, while Friarmuth is on IR, if you're
looking for someone among the tight ends currently on the
roster who has a chance to see more targets because
Friarmuth is on IR, I am imagining it's going to
(18:54):
be Connor Hayward because you know, Darnell Washington is not
a receiving tight end. Boys and girls, I mean, I'm
getting a lot of these kinds of things. Why aren't
they targeting him more? Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
He never wasn't that George right, he was not, that's
(19:16):
not that was not his claim to fame in college.
I mean I think he averaged like, I don't know,
one point two catches a game or something there because
that Bowers is his last name, Brock Bowers, thank you. Yes,
he's the receiving tight end. So Darnell Washington didn't come
(19:37):
into the NFL as a refined route runner. As a
tight end. I mean, he's big, but his and I
don't you know, he could still develop into a receiving
tight end. But seven games into his rookie year, you know,
I just think people are looking at his high and
(20:00):
wait and thinking, you know, he should be great at this,
or you know, maybe they went to training camp practices
as I did, and fell in love with some of
the things he did in drills as I did, and
then you just think, well, that's gonna translate right into
NFL regular season football. But it doesn't work that way. Okay,
So I'm not down on Darnel Washington. I saw him
(20:22):
handle TJ. Watt and some backs on backers. The guy
can block. Okay, give him some time. Maybe he adds
receiving to his repertoire, But right now, I think with
Friarmouth out, Connor Hayward is going to assume the role
of go to guy. I mean, if you if you
(20:43):
need a phrase among the tight ends in the passing game. Okay, Now,
the Zach Gentry thing, I you know, a nice guy.
I mean, Zach Gentry is a good guy. I mean
he was very He always interacted with the fan at
training camp. Uh before practice he'd played catch with the
kids or other fans were standing along the sideline. I mean,
(21:07):
you know, I got nothing bad to say about Jack's
Zach Gentry, but this idea that has grown from I
don't know where that he was a great receiver in
the NFL. I mean it's just not true. I mean
he wasn't uh his forte you know coming into the
(21:28):
the season anyway was the last couple of seasons was
his blocking? Okay, now with Darnold Washington on the team,
who is a much better blocker. Uh, you know, Gentry
was waived and there were a couple of different times
when the steel you know, the Steelers had a chance
(21:48):
to bring him back to the practice squad for sure,
they decided they decided not to. Okay, and there have
been another couple of occasions where they have made roster
moves and they have involved Rodney Williams. So if they're
picking Rodney Williams over Zach Gentry, I don't know. It
(22:09):
doesn't seem to me to be that difficult to say
or to realize that the Zach Gentry ship has sailed.
I don't see them bringing him back. They've chosen Rodney
Williams on a couple of different occasions when they made
moves at the position, and so there you go. No,
there will not be any Zach Gentry return. I just
(22:33):
don't think the team is interested.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
And our final question today comes from Joe Asher from Tampa, Florida.
If TJ. Watt breaks his own and Michael Strahan's record
for sacks in a single season, do you think he'd
be the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
Do you think there are any numbers he could achieve
to be considered MVP?
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Okay, the single season sack record that TJ. Watt shares
with Michael Strahan's twenty two and a half. If TJ.
Watt breaks that record, I believe he should get the
Defensive Player a Year of the Year award by the
end of that game, whenever that happens. I mean, that's
what I believe should happen. But you know, on TV
(23:19):
social media, I've been hearing a lot of blathering about
how great Miles Garrett is. Okay, and so let me
just point this out. The Defensive Player of the Year
is awarded through votes from a panel of fifty AP
sports writers. So a lot of those people who may
be touting Miles Garrett on television, on podcasts, possibly on
(23:45):
social media could have a vote. So you know, what
I think should happen doesn't necessarily mean it will. And
because once you have an election, I mean, nobody knows
how an election is going to turn out. So I
believe that t J. Watt is the best defensive player
in the NFL. I believe that he is the leading
(24:07):
candidate for that award right now. I believe if he
breaks that sack record, he should undoubtedly win that award.
But I don't have a vote, so it doesn't really
you know, I can say this is what I think,
but it has no real impact on the award and
(24:29):
to whom to whom it is given now m v P,
I don't know. I just you know, to me that's
not has evolved into a quarterback award. You can't even
be a different offensive player than a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
It was like Adrian Peterson back in eight I think
was the last one to win that wasn't a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Yeah. Now, Lauren, that guy that you mentioned, the actor Taylor,
he won the MVP Award in nineteen eighty six in
a movie or in real life apparently it's real life.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
But he had twenty and a half sacks that year. Now,
at that time, forced fumbles were not a sanctioned NFL statistic,
so he's officially credited with no force fumbles that year.
But if you remember right, all the strip sacks because
that was one of his moves. He invented it in
(25:30):
my mind, whether he did or not, I don't know,
but I remember him being the first guy who executed
that as a part of his repertoire. Okay, so he
had a number of those. But we also have to
remember this about nineteen eighty six. Whatever Lawrence Taylor did
(25:52):
every tackle, every time his presence altered the outcome of
a play. He did it in New York. I know
they were playing in you know, the swamp lands in
New Jersey the Meadowlands. But you understand what I mean.
So that's another that's a thing in Lawrence Taylor's favor
for winning that award. And as I just mentioned about
(26:13):
the award being a quarterback award, I mean that that
now has become so ingrained. You know. I don't know,
can could anyone beat Patrick Mahomes out? You know for
this MVP Award. People, I've been you know, hearing and
reading Tyreek Hill, the receiver from the Dolphins, might end
up two thousand yards receiving and he's a long shot.
(26:35):
If he does that, I think, yeah, because.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
And that guy is going to get consideration.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Shit. Yeah, So you know, I I just whether I
just don't think it's possible. You know, sure there are
numbers he could that could lead to him winning the
MVP Award, but they would have to be so ridiculous,
and then all the offensive players would have to stink,
you know. I mean, we have to be some sort
(27:03):
of confluence of things that I don't think are real. So,
you know, I believe TJ what is the defensive Player
of the Year right now, and if he continues, I
think he should win the award. I cannot I cannot
say for sure that he will.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Though, short week for your Steelers. They kick off at
eight fifteen at Akroshure Stadium on Thursday night against the Titans.
I know Labs agrees with me. The best part about
a Thursday night game that's Sunday off. Huh oh, it's going.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
To be yes, I thought, yeah, the best part of
a Thursday night game is Friday morning, when it's over
and all the work is done, because that's when the
weekend starts.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Amen to that. Good luck to the Steelers this Sunday
need to get a win or excuse me, this Thursday
need to get back in the win column against the
Tennessee Titans. Get your questions in right now to Labs
and hopefully you'll be heard on a future edition of
this podcast for Bob Blabriella. I'm Tom Opferman and thanks
as always for listening to this to the ast An
Answered Podcast
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