October 2, 2025 • 48 mins
Rob and Max discuss the state of the team in the bye week as well as what is to come for the Steelers.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
And thank you very much for being with us in
the locker room alongside Max Starks, alongside meaning, you know,
three thousand miles away, I'm Rob King at Max.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
How are you today?
Speaker 4 (00:41):
I'm doing good, Rob. How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I am doing well. It's a beautiful day in the burg.
Max is in Still in London, Max.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Still in London. I leave tomorrow morning.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Eager to get home. Are you going to work? Do
you have a game?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Yeah? I have a game this week.
Speaker 5 (01:01):
I got the Broncos Eagles in Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Oh that's a good game, Max.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, it's gonna be a good one.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
And so I figured go to the game first before
trying to go home, instead of flying home Friday all
the way back to Arizona to only turn around Saturday
and fly back to Philly.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Uh. Yeah, so you're just going right to Philly.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Yeah, I'm just going right to Philly.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Okay, so uh.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Man oh man, that that's an exciting game, Max, I
think that's one that's you know there, that's one of
the most intriguing games of the week.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
I would say, yeah, No, I definitely think it's going
to be a really good one and I'm really looking
forward to kind of seeing what, you know, this Broncos
team can do, I mean with bow knicks, to see
if it's real a very tight AFC West, and I
think this will be their first time to kind of
spread their wings and see how they stack up against
(02:00):
the current Super Bowl champions and really give them a
measuring stick, and they'll definitely make, you know, the AFC
West race a lot more interesting knowing that they that
that they've had this type of game and whether they
win or whether they lose kind of let them know
how far or how close they are to making that jump.
So it's gonna be a really good, tough contest.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
You know, Philadelphia, we're going to get into the NFL.
The NFL dot Com did their power rankings and we're
going to get that a little bit. Wanted to let
you know as well that we have Jerry Dulac coming
up Uh, it is a cool breeze Thursday. So Jerry
Dolac will be joining US. I don't know if Jerry
might be in. He might be still in France. We're
(02:43):
going international here.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Inside the locker room. It's a very large, welcoming locker room.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And so yeah, do dude's gonna be joining US. I
think he might still be in in Paris. Good for him,
you know.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I just think there's so much interest and intrigue. For me,
it's the quarter pole of this season, right, So I
think that to me, if I were to divvy up
the season, the first quarter is just win games figured out,
(03:17):
you know, kind of take stock of the inevitable injuries.
Your team's gonna have, that sort of thing. In this
next four games, I think you begin to solidify who
you are, and then that that third quarter kind of
get into okay, we're starting to really gain our identity,
and then the last quarter is let's get ready for
the playoffs and let's go.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Is that, generally.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Speaking, a decent way to look at the season or
do you look at it differently?
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Max?
Speaker 5 (03:45):
No, I think you have to take the beginning of
this of the NFL season as though it's trial and error, right,
it's trial by fire, and you don't really have identity
yet for this current team that you have in this
current season. So this is a month of tinkering, figuring out,
(04:10):
you know, retooling every week and just figuring out a
way to gut it out and win. Because this is
a glorified preseason that counts when you start the first
month of the season September, and so any victory is
a quality victory and is a meaningful victory because as
teams start to settle in, as teams start to mature
(04:34):
with each other, now it gets tougher to do that
from a week two week basis. So the faster you
can accumulate these on the front end, you know, the
easier it makes your life on the back end. And
you want to just get through it as healthy as
possible and get as many wins as possible. So I
think when you look at the first quarter pole, the
(04:55):
identity is just get it done. I mean, really, that's right,
That's that's all. By any means necessary, get it done.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
So I want to I want to get into there's
some big NFL news going on in the injury front
for a lot of teams and teams that directly relate
to the Steelers into moves the quarterback position.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
We kind of touched on briefly yesterday.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
But before we get into all that stuff, Max, what
happens during a bye So we've got a bye week
and you know, you're the Steelers, You're you're obviously you're
coming back from this trip. Everybody got in late Sunday
night is a bye a bye Are you practicing, do
you have meetings? Are you looking forward to the Browns game?
(05:42):
Or you know, are you getting treatment? What happens in
a bye week?
Speaker 4 (05:49):
So in a bye week, it's threefold.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
One is the idea is get healthier and that's you
get another week to kind of let ays rest. You
don't don't have to make her injury report, you don't
have to get in front of the media, you don't
have to have open practice period times guys get to
kind of take a breath. Second front is I need
(06:15):
to stay fresh. So there is practices, movement stuff, and
you know when your meetings, you're reflecting a little bit
more on kind of taking stock of the first four
games of the season versus just looking back at the vikings.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
You're taking stock of the.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
First quarter, like what do we do right, what do
we do wrong? What do we need to continue to
build on. So it's a big strategy session as you
move forward towards the Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
And then third, you get to sleep, You get to.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
Recover, you know, because you know you probably you probably
won't have a practice tomorrow. You'll be off Saturday, Sunday,
back in the building on Monday, get Tuesday off, and
then boom, it's officially Browns week.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
So those are the three things you get.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
You get to you know, kind of heal, reflect, and
recover are the three missions and goals that you have
to make it a successful.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Bye week in the NFL.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
And that's what that's what this team I believe is
focused on this week.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So I wanted to ask you about the about the
sleeping thing, because you know, you go around the locker
room and you talk to guys. There are guys who
are in the building and I don't know how many
fans know this, but on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, they're
in the building at five thirty in the morning, six
(07:42):
o'clock in the morning. I was like, what you know,
I mean, yeah, it is a long day it is
a full twelve hour plus day to be an NFL player.
So first of all, is that was that what you
found in your career? You're you know, twelve hours or
(08:03):
more devoted to.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Minimum minimum.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you better be in there.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
In fact, if you're a guy that came in after six,
we're having a talk, you know.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Because I think that because it just it means that much.
And you need to you need to get get.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
On your high your high horse, and you need to train,
You need to get in there for treatment, you need
to do your stretching. Then you need to be prepared
for the meetings. And then after your meetings you get
a little bit of a break before walkthrough. Then after walkthrough,
you go back in get ready for practice, you know,
(08:46):
whatever that entails, whether that's you know, getting taped up,
whatever you need stretched. Additionally, then you get on the field,
you perform, you practice, you come back in, you shower,
and then you go up to post practice meetings and
you watch the film from today and you get to
jump on tomorrow's work. And then after that, you know,
(09:08):
some guys stick around, like we used to stick around,
and we just we had just basic team bonding. We
play cards, We play pool in the locker room. We
you know at the time, we would have our wives, girlfriends,
you know, bring food into the to the to the
building for us because we were hanging out and we
would stay late and just building that bond, getting to
(09:29):
know each other and then you know, get up rents
for Pete.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Do it again on Thursday, do it again on Friday.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
Friday is usually a lighter day because your practice is
going to be earlier. You're not going to have that
walk through and lunch break time. You're just gonna get
straight to practice. On a Friday's fast Friday. You want
to be quick, efficient and no redos. And then you
know that day Friday would be your early day out
the building, you know. But you know, after practice, a
(09:56):
lot of guys, what we do is we had we
had a gun show Fridays where it would be all arms.
You know, it would be buys and tries and an
upper back area.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
You know, you had to get the gun show ready.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
And then it turned into West Coast Friday where we
would play nothing but West Coast music and you know,
guys would guys would guys with freestyle in the in
the weight room in between sets.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
I mean, we had themes and we had just a
way of doing things. We always wanted to be around
each other.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
And so the facility was a place where it was
the silo. You know, you leave your problems of home
and everything else at the front door of the facility.
And then, you know, coach Tomlin always had this saying,
has it still out there?
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Take the field? When you take the field.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Even if your life creeped into the locker room area,
it can't creep out into.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
The football field. So you got to take the field.
And that's what that kind of meant.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
So this was your kind of sanctuary from you know,
dealing with your significant other, dealing with your kids, dealing
with your family, where there's a demand on you outside
of what your main job is. This is a chance
to kind of go into that, you know, ConA silence
(11:12):
and be focused purely on your job. And so and
so guys also took that as as their kind of,
you know, hangout spot where you could hang out and
be yourself and you could get to know those guys
that you're going to battle with on Sundays, and y'all
could develop a deeper bond as teammates and you know,
create that brotherhood where you could So how would that
(11:34):
be situation?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
I'm sorry, Max, So how would that be different in
a bye week? So are you still putting in twelve
hour days in the office or you you don't have
to get there maybe early in the morning, but maybe
you're getting a lift in after after practice. How does
that differ in a bye week as opposed to and
would there be more veteran days offs and keeping guys
(11:57):
off their feet? What is the difference as far as
that workload that you're talking about and still wanting to
maintain that brotherhood that you referred to, but you don't
have a game to get ready for and this is
a chance to try to get healthy.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Well, well, that's exactly what the difference is.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
There's no game plan, rob, you know, I think that's
the biggest thing.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
So when you're going out there for practice.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
It's more just going through the motions to stay fresh
because you don't want to have that sluggishness coming into
the next week.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
So you want to stay sharp.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
So, you know, if you are a guy who trains,
you're gonna still train. You're still going to get up
and go to the facility the time that you need,
But like you said, when it gets to Friday, I
might be out. If I'm going on a little three
day vacation with the family or the significant other, you know,
I'm gonna go do that, you know, right afterwards, or
(12:54):
if we even have practice on a Friday. It depends
on how coach Tomlin feels about where the team is at.
But when they're there are days to be there. You
put the time in when you're when you when you're
supposed to be there are the days a little bit
so you can still have twelve hour days.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Oh wow, but it might only be two days this week.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Man, oh man, you guys are earning that money. Huh.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Well, I mean listen, but listen.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
The goal is what is what you know and the
journey you're you're trying to get to a super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
So you don't want to be the weakest link.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yeah, fully, fully understood. And there's a little bit of
peer pressure. Actually quite a bit of peer pressure, isn't there.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Yeah, Oh, there's a lot, especially when you have a
lot of veterans and a lot of young guys.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
You want to see the little ducklings fall.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
In the row right right, fascinating, So you.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Try and bring you.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
So you try and bring them along a way as well,
and try and teach them the ways that you learned
as a young guy. And that's how it passes on
for that oral tradition of what it means to be
a stealer.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
So the notion that a bye week means stay away
from the facility, you don't have anything to do, you're
resting and rehabbing. That stuff doesn't happen till Friday.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
Yeah at the earliest.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
Got you? Got you?
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (14:17):
I mean some guys might leave out Thursday night if
they know they don't have practice Friday.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
But you know that's well, while you are required, you're
going to come in.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
You're going to work for at least two days during
the bye week, if not three.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Is there any notion of preparation for Cleveland this week?
Would it be different if it was later in the
season and say a Ravens week was coming up? Or
are all bye weeks created the same?
Speaker 5 (14:46):
I think all bye weeks have this similar philosophy. It
just it really depends on the health of your team.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Really.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
You know, if you got a lot of banged up guys,
you're obviously not going to be as willing to put
them out there.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
And have a so you might slow go it. Therefore
you might.
Speaker 5 (15:02):
Have more days, shorter workload on the field, as opposed
the team is healthier. You might say, hey, listen, let's
just hit it hard for two days guys, and then
we'll give you the rest of the week off and
then show up ready Monday to prep.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
But I think you are looking a little bit ahead
to Cleveland. The coaches are.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Definitely now whether I think they can they can slowly
introduce some concepts that might carry over, but the Cleveland
specific stuff's not going to come till next week.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Okay, Okay, So it's it's it's stay limber, keep your
mind and your body in it. Uh, keep hanging around
the guys, because you just keep wanting you want to
hang around the guys, especially if you're a winning team.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
You want to be around the guys. You want to
be part of it.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Is that is that kind of where we're Is that
what you're doing here during a Do I have that
about right?
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Yeah? Yeah, you have it about right.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
I think the biggest thing about being around the guys,
you're still getting to know these guys because a lot
of them are new faces, and that's a part of
the melting process, especially for this offensive line. They're so young,
they still need time time together. You still need time
with your teammates. You still need to get to know them.
If you're a rookie, you don't know anything, so you're
(16:19):
always going to sit there and try and soak up
as much just being around them because you learn so
much by just listening and absorbing, not necessarily interacting. But
it's that time spent around to get more comfortable, to
get to know nuances, to get to know quirks, to
get to know how a guy thinks and how you
(16:40):
know he processes and views things. It's going to translate
onto the field. So it's a constant information gathering opportunity
when you are just hanging around each other.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
So it's a lot.
Speaker 5 (16:56):
It's just a lot of data and analytics points that
you're that you're you're taking in and mental reps instead
of physical reps that you're that you're absorbing in the process.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Gotcha, Uh Okay, So that's kind of what's going through
the team. You know during a bye week. Now does
that one more time? Does that change it?
Speaker 3 (17:19):
All? Depending upon where the team is.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
So the Steelers are three and one, would the bye
week be any different? And I'm not talking about mentally,
I'm just talking about the workload or whatever. Let's say
you're a you're a disappointing one in three. Let's say
you're the the Texans or the Ravens. Who are you know,
considering yourself super Bowl contenders? And now you're one and
three and you hit the buye. Does anything change? Is
(17:44):
there more attention? Is there maybe less attention? Get away
from it?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Guys?
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Does it change depending upon where the team is on
its journey?
Speaker 4 (17:56):
I don't.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
I think the funny thing is, Rob, I've never been
on a team that's been losing.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
At this point.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
To say so, I would say from the hypothetical, philosophical
point of view, because god knows, I didn't.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
Practically live it. No, No, I think I think it
doesn't matter. And listen, I've had family, I've had friends
who've played teams that have also been underperformers, And you know,
I think there is a correction process, but it's within
the still the same framework, Like those two to three
(18:36):
days that you're gonna that you're gonna go to work
during the bye week. It's whether it's you know, it's corrections,
it's changing some things to get ready for the next
week and the rest of the season.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
But I don't think.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
It becomes oh my god, I can't stand to see
the side of you, or I'm gonna work the dog
piss out of you. I don't think it's either one
of those things. I just think it's the time is
still going to be the same. It's just what you
focus on that changes. But you guys are because guys
are still going to get beat up. Guys are still
given their best effort. But you know, as a coach,
(19:15):
as an organization, you might have to make some changes.
There might be Let's say, if if if this was
the New York Giants a week ago before you made
the change to Jackson Dart, you know, and you're going
into a buy, maybe you do switch your quarterbacks or
what the Browns are doing this week was with benching
Joe Flacco and starting Dylan Gabriel. If you were at
(19:36):
this point you had to buy, you would you would
start working that in this week if you were going
to make a drastic change at a position group. So
I think that's the only difference to it. But I
think you know, for the most part, the work is
the work, and the time is going to be the time.
That's not going to change. There's not going to be
more time added. There's not going to be more of
(19:57):
a disgust and an early dismissal because you still got
the rest of the season to go, so you're still
gonna need to do some things to keep guys fresh,
keep them sharp, and make sure they just don't blow
off an entire week regardless.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
I think that's where it is.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
I think one of the most remarkable and you know,
we're not in the business of spreading praise to the
Baltimore Ravens, although look, even as a Steelers fan, you
have to acknowledge how good they've been, what a well
run organization they've been. But I think one of the
most remarkable things that I've seen in my years of
covering and observing and watching and being a fan of
the NFL and everything that's been involved in that was
(20:36):
the Ravens during a bye week, benching Joe Flacco and
going to Lamar Jackson and coming out of the bye
with a completely different offense. I still think I don't
know what that bye week could have possibly looked like,
you know, and again you had the following week to
still put more stuff in. But you know, mostly I
(21:00):
think this is fair to say during a week of practice,
you know, if you might have a package for Lamar Jackson,
and I'm sure they did, but most of those reps
are going to Joe Flacco. There's not a lot of
time for second and third team reps when you're getting
ready for practice. I believe that's correct, right, it's mostly
first team guys out there. Oh, you get a series
(21:21):
or two or a snap or two for the second team,
but it's mostly those first team guys. So, first of all,
I believe that's correct, correct me if I'm wrong. And
then secondly, to make that transition, I think, you know,
over the space of this period of time you've just
described for our listeners is pretty remarkable.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Yeah, it is. And I think that's what you know, people.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
Kind of look at and see and you're just like, wow,
how did they do that? But I mean you can
get a lot of complishment in a week. I mean
the playbooks. The playbook is just how you call it
and the frequency and some of the keys that are
in it. Listen, some of the things don't necessarily apply
to everybody. So for the offensive line, if you're running counter,
you're running counter. It doesn't matter if the quarterback keeps it.
(22:10):
You're still blocking at the same and the only thing
that changes is you're running back. Your quarterback or your
lead blockers responsibilities who are not the offensive line, because
they're still going to do their jobs. So the tweaks
that you can make might seem very large, but in
the essence, you're only changing two, maybe three things that
necessarily doesn't have all eleven people involved in the process
(22:33):
of guessing it.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Gotcha, Yeah, yeah, because that's a really good point, because
I hadn't really thought about it that way. The defense
remains the same, if you're the Baltimore Ravens, the blocking
remains the same, but instead of running two counters a game,
you're not going to run thirty five counters a game.
It's just probably the frequency with which you're running it.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Yeah, yeah, And that's really what it comes down to,
is the frequency with which you call it and the
personnel group is that you deploy to get it blocked
up correctly.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
He is Maximilian Weisner starks the fourth I'm rob king your.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
Full government out there, but that full government out there.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
We wanted to let you know.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
You can gear up with the latest game day necessities
at the official Steelers Pro shops. Get the latest Sideline apparel, jerseys,
terrible tows, authentic memorabilia and custom exclusives you can only
find directly from the team. Visit one of the official
Steerers Pro shops located at Akrocher Stadium, Grove City Premium
Outlet's or Tank Route Let's, or gear up online at
shop dot Steelers dot com. Get it direct from the
(23:38):
team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers
dot com. Incidentally, Max, did you have a chance to
go to the Steelers Pro Shop in Dublin.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Yes, I did, only once.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
I tried to make it there a second time, but
I heard the lines were just crazy, but it was
awesome the one time I went out.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yeah, it was over an hour wait for many people
and I took a pic, sure of it.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
I should have posted it. I'm not a big social
media guy.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
The line was, oh, I think conservatively you could say
three blocks long for people to try to get inside that.
I went down the line and I was talking to people,
how long have you been here? I've been here forty
five minutes, you know, and there's still another fifteen minutes away.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
I talked to people at the head of the line.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
They'd been there for a little over an hour. The
shop was not huge. It wasn't a gigantic shop. Those
people must have been hustling to constantly, uh, you know,
replenish the stocks and the stores. I mean, you know, uh,
I don't know how many people were working at the store.
So I saw three those three people. You talk about
(24:46):
getting your ten thousand steps. Those people must have been
hustling up and down steps and and you know whatever.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
I don't know if they had trucks in the back.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Yeah, go first, what's that gophers? Go? Were gophers?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Those goers gophers?
Speaker 4 (24:58):
That's that's what they were.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
They were, they were hauling. It was a pretty cool experience.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I did not get to the NFL shop, but I
did get to the Steelers Pro shop over there in Ireland,
and it was good stuff.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
So we're going to.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Take a look at the latest power rankings in the NFL.
We'll let you know where the Steelers are.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
I well, I don't know, I don't know. If it's
a little low.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
We'll get to that you're in the Locker Room presented
by your neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop
on Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The f one point fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
And we thank you for being with us inside the
locker room. And Max Darks in jolly old I'm Rob
King in just as jolly old Pittsburgh. I think we're
gonna give we were gonna have our French connection, Jerry
Dulac joining us. But I think that the cool breeze
might be just you know, just blowing across mainland Europe.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
We might just let it sit there.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
I think I think that's good.
Speaker 7 (26:22):
You know, the land yacht that he's on, figure, you know,
me needs to spread its sales.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
A little bit, okay, right, that works for me?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
So ah, Max, A couple of you know, big injuries
right now and big moves happening around the NFL as
we keep an eye on what's going on around the league.
And I can't wait for your game, Max, I really
can't wait. And I'm gonna be in my car when
(26:53):
you're doing that game. Now, will that be a Westwood
one or what is that going to be?
Speaker 4 (26:58):
That'll be ESPN Rady, ESPN Radio.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Okay, so that's the game I want. I might want
to be listening to ESPN. Who are you doing with.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Steve Leaby Steve Levy? Okay, fantastic good stuff.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Uh so, uh that's a and we can look forward
to some of the games coming up. We will not
have a show tomorrow, just so everybody knows, so we
can kind of look forward to the weekend. But you know,
some big news tonight. No Brock Party, no Ricky Piersoll,
no Juwan Jennings. Kind of taking a little bit of
the luster off for me. Now, we'll see. I'm still
(27:31):
gonna watch at least, you know, get through that first
half before I before I have to trundle on into bed.
Bye week. Max's got to get our rest. So I'm
really looking forward to that game tonight. But man, you know,
another injury at the quarterback position. Mac Jones is going
to start for San Francisco tonight against the Rams, big
(27:53):
match up. Your thoughts on what we can kind of
maybe expect to see with Mac Jones getting an eye opportunity,
And look, man, if you're Mac Jones, you had a chance.
You want to be the next guy who seizes an
opportunity and lets the rest of the league know, hey,
I still got some pedigree here as a former first
round pick, I still have some upside.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
This is an audition because I mean, you look at
what this game means, and when you look around the
league and you see teams losing guys like you said
the injury front, there could be a lot of movement,
a lot of trades. I mean, look at Joe Burrows
out for the year. You wonder if the Bengals are
(28:38):
looking for an upgrade somewhere out there. So if you're
a Mac Jones that normally is not starting and you're
getting a starting role, just like a Carson Wentz is
for the Minnesota Vikings for Jake Brown, you're trying to
put your best foot forward because you never know trade
deadlines not for another couple of weeks, you know you
could be moving and moving into a starting role. This
helps salvage a season for a team. So you want
(29:00):
to put your best foot forward, trying to show that
you still got it. And this is a very important
opportunity and audition because thirty other teams are watching you
right now.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
You know, I know we.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
Talked about the preseason and how you're auditioning for thirty
one other teams on top of the team you're playing for.
But even in season, especially a quarterback position or a
position that's lost the player. You know, Trey Benson just
goes on the ir for the Cardinals. They who are
already down James Connor. You know, there's running backs who
are getting elevated roles that might you know, get a
(29:33):
second look and team you know, teams might try and
negotiate and bart to get some of their services in there.
So big opportunity for Mac Jones to kind of regain
some of the lost luster and try to have you
know what everybody will consider the Sam Darnold effect. Essentially,
you know, guy that's cast off from his original team,
he's not there. You travel a little bit trying to
(29:53):
figure out your way and you know, trying to continually
see if you could still be a starter in this league.
So you're gonna get a gret opportunit against against the
La Rams tonight. I think it's going to be a
really good game for both. These teams are three and one,
competing for the top of the NFC West Division, so
you know it's going to be super competitive. And Matthew Stafford,
Puka Nakula and company DeVante Adams, they're looking to continue
(30:17):
to add their their claim on being the NFC West
representative UH for the NFC, So they're trying to they're
trying to jock for a position, and this is a
divisional game that's being played on Thursday night.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
It is.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
The Rams are an interesting team, you know, they're you know,
they gave Philadelphia all they wanted and really, by all accounts,
should have won that game, and they gave them all
they wanted in.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
The playoffs a year ago.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
UH.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
San Francisco is looking for that bounce back because a
couple of years ago, San Francisco looked like they were
on the cusp of joining the powerhouses in the NFL.
They were one of the powerhouses, which again underscores just
how difficult it is to to get to the top
and then stay there and maintain that that pedigree as
a real contender. This is an interesting game for the
(31:09):
forty nine ers. I think that the Rams are showing
once again and again quarter pole of the season. You know,
as Mike Tomlin likes to say, we're painting with a
broad brush here, we don't really know, won't know. You know,
teams have to overcome injuries right now. You know brock
Perty's an injured guy for the forty nine ers. But
(31:30):
you know, this is a game in which I think
if you're the forty nine ers, you want to make
sure that you know that, Okay, maybe we don't have
our starting quarterback and even if we.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Don't win, we won't run off the field.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
We will we can say we can look across the field,
win or lose at the end and say, hey man,
we'll see you next time when we're.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Ready to go.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I just it feels to me, obviously divisional game, it's
super important for both teams, even though it's early, much
as this as Ravens would be super important for both
teams even though it's early.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
But I would think, you know.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
For for the forty nine ers, you want to make
sure you're back and measuring up.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
I don't know. I don't know if I'm putting too
much on it, but that's the way it feels to me.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
Well, you only get two shots at them, right, right,
and you know this one's going to be a home game.
The next one's going to be in San Francisco. Next
game happens November ninth, So you got a month and
a week, five weeks in between seeing each other, and
if you're the forty nine ers, you want to see
how good you can do. Like you said, we already
talked about no Brock party. There's also Nick Bosa, George
(32:40):
Kittle's on ir R. Right, you got all these missing pieces,
Juwan Jennings. I mean, you have a lot of missing
pieces if you're San Francisco, And I think that's what
kind of went to the way of this loss against
Jacksonville that you're coming off of and for the Rams,
people are saying the Rams are back. This is a
chance to prove that in a division setting and constantly,
(33:01):
like I said, create your mark, create your stay on everything,
because up to this point you haven't had a division test.
You've played, you know, essentially one team in the NFC, and.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
You lost to that team, and the Eagles.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
But the three AFC games you won Colts, Titans, Texans. Right,
So if you're the Rams, it's now start to see
where do I stack up in my own conference?
Speaker 4 (33:29):
And this is the second test, but this is the
division test. This this is the arrival test to see
where where are we going to make our mark?
Speaker 5 (33:38):
And so for the Rams it's very important, and for
the forty nine ers, it's just hold on because you know,
if you're the forty nine ers, you've kind of had
the inverse. You've played all NFC except for one AFC,
and you lost to that one AFC, but you beat
the other three nfcs, and one of those being another
division rival, they beat the Cardinals, you know, by a point,
(34:03):
so technically you really struggle through that game. The Cardinals
should have won that game, but San Francisco wins it.
And then the following week you go and you drop
one to Jacksonville.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
So you got to get back on your winning ways.
And the forty nine ers kind of have a leg.
Speaker 5 (34:17):
Up on the Rams because they're leading the division because
they have two Vision victories. They started the season beating
the Seahawks and then they played the Cardinals in week three,
So they're two and zero in division, and so you
don't want them to get to three and oh and
they've already won all their games and they're halfway through
the division schedule. That would be that would be a
(34:39):
tough setback for the Rams that's playing really well.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
Yeah, a fascinating game tonight. Fascinating.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
I just think that, you know, you get some of
these Thursday night games and they're trying to get matchups going.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
But by the way, do you as a fan, I love.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Thursday night football because I get to another night to
watch football, although it seems like it seems like the
games aren't quite as crisp, and I'm sure that is
a you know, I heard Matt Stafford on on NFL
Radio talking about this that he thinks probably mentally he's
better equipped now as a veteran guy to handle a
(35:16):
Thursday night game, you know, just because he's been around
the block. But physically you wake up Thursday as a
day that's kind of you know, you're beginning to straddle
the fence on recovery, right.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
And I'm extrapolating a little bit here from.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
What Stafford said, But you know, Thursdays when you're like, okay,
I can walk standing straight. You know, it's like those
evolution of man posters. Right, you're you're on on on Monday,
you might be austrol Epithecus. Right, you're bent over and
your knuckles are dragging on the ground, and then you
know you're Homo sapien by like Friday or Saturday.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Okay, let's let's go at it again. I don't know
where you.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Are on Thursday, Max, I don't know where the body
is in recovery mode in a normal week on a Thursday.
Speaker 7 (36:01):
Yeah, it's kind of like you know, you were figuring
out that you're that you're that You're not a newborn
deer on ice, right, You're not.
Speaker 4 (36:12):
You're not Bambi. And I think.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
Normally, you know, the school system was by Thanksgiving is
usually when you got the first Thursday game back in
the day, and you were your body was an autopilot,
so it just didn't matter. Just hey, they have ball,
have stadium, will play game, right, just you're an autopilot.
I think because these games aren out every week in
(36:37):
the season, and if you get the early draw versus
the late draw, it plays with your mind a little
bit because, like you said, you haven't gotten into a
routine the first month in the season, and so to
just jump right out the gates and have these games
on different days, and you know your body, like you said.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
You're playing three days earlier than in your.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Body is a customed to so the speed up has
to be faster. You don't get the Tuesday off because
you're practicing on Tuesday, because you got a game one Thursday.
And if you're the away team, you're flying on Wednesday.
So you know your body gets disrupted. You get that
that not sensation. I'm trying to figure out how to
(37:23):
your body gets shocked into believing it's better than it
really is. And so the quality of the product that
you put out there, because you have a lot of
guys that are at different points in their career, different recovery
methods and habits, and if.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
You plan poorly, you will get exposed.
Speaker 5 (37:40):
And so you know, just how Matt talked about how
you know in the beginning, if you got an early
Thursday night game, you know it's a shock to the system.
You're sluggish, your body hasn't adjusted properly to Now I'm older,
I've looked at the schedule all the way back in
training camp. I know how to kind to ramp myself
(38:01):
up and get ready for when that Thursday night game
is going to be. So your preparation and your recovery
is a lot different. And he's learned that through trial
and errow. But you can only get that through experience.
So you try and impart wisdom and at the same time,
sometimes you just you got to go through things to
know how to do them better, and that's what you get.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
You know, you get a lot of young guys trial
and error.
Speaker 5 (38:22):
They think they know better and they get exposed and
they're like, oh crap, I can't do that. So next
time we have this come around, I got to make sure.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
I do this, this, this, and this and this.
Speaker 5 (38:31):
And then you go back and you retool it the
next year. You're so lucky to have that opportunity. But
the longer you play, the more adjusted you become to it.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
Right. Uh do you as a fan you like it? Yep?
I think we lost maths. Oh no, there you are. Sorry,
I'm here.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
I was just I was just I was just in
deep reflective thoughts.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
You're contemplative. I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
Yes, it's very contemplative. I don't know if I necessarily
like it this early in the year. I mean, I
thought it was.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
A privilege to have Thursday Night Football when you got it,
which usually meant after Thanksgiving. You had to be a
good team, just like Monday Football to get the honor
to play on primetime. Even though it's shorter earlier in
the week, it's still primetime. It's still a special time
where only two teams get to play. There's nothing else
to take away your attention, there's nothing else to do,
(39:29):
there's no other game to watch. You are the prime show.
So it kind of loses that luster to me because
you usually had to earn it, and when I played,
we earned every one of them. I played in Thursday
Night Football every year. It was usually the first weekend
after Thanksgiving, just like the Cowboys get it every Thanksgiving.
The Steelers and Browns usually was a team because the
(39:51):
Steelers earned a Thursday night Football game, right, So it
becomes more necessity than privilege. So I don't necessarily like it,
especially this early. I think it's something you got to
earn later in the year, and it should be a
privilege to be on Thursda Night Football, not a mandate.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Right, So big game tonight.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Lots more news to get to around the NFL, including
what is the latest on Lamar Jackson, what is the
Ravens outlook right now? Where do the Steelers sit in
the latest NFL dot Com team rankings. Lots to get to,
which we will get to when we continue in the
Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the
(40:36):
Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio. Apart of the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
This is given the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at Shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
And thank you very much for being with us in
the locker Room.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Still have our AFC preview coming up in just a
little bit, so I'm gonna try to dance around a
little bit the injury to Lamar Jackson and what it
means for the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
We'll get into that. Do you think Max that.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Teams will begin to think about making trades so and again,
I know this is part of the AFC, and we'll
get into their game this week. But you know, somebody
floated out there, hey that you know, maybe the Bengals
should be interested in Russell Wilson, And I thought that
makes a lot of sense, man, a lot of sense.
(41:49):
No telling whether Joe Burrow will be able to get
back from his turf toe surgery. You know, possibly he
could be back for the team by December.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
And if you're a team that thinks you're a super
Bowl contender, and the Bengals think they're a super Bowl contender,
right or wrong, that's what they think. And you think
that Russell Wilson can help you win games. I mean,
just think about that shootout last year in Cincinnati in
which Russell performed so well and helped the Steelers defeat
(42:21):
the Cincinnati Bengals. The more I think about that, the
more I think that makes a lot of sense for
both teams. If you're the Giants, Okay, move on from Russ,
move on from the salary, get something back, go all
in on Jackson Dart. You know you're one and three
and I think you're one to out with Jackson Dart
(42:42):
as a starter. Let's just go ahead and move on
and if you're the Bengals, you've got to be thinking
that's an upgrade and a guy that can at least
help you stay in the race till Joe Burrow potentially
comes back in December.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Yeah, I think you have to give it a realistic
thought because do you have no other option? Jake Browning
is your option. Jake Browning is not the answer. And
you saw this play out a year ago to no avail,
and do you really want to I'm sorry two years ago?
(43:18):
And do you really want this to be kind of
another year? You waste that one year that you fought
with Trey Henderson about to finally get him back, and
you're paying all this money to Jamar Chase t Higgins
and you can't really get the ball to them, So
you got.
Speaker 4 (43:36):
To kick the tires on someone like they have to
make a trade.
Speaker 5 (43:41):
Russell Wilson just seems like the easiest one because he's
the first disavowed starter.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
Right, disavowed starter? Max Ye there was a land of
Shakespeare and Chaucer kind of you know, is he getting there?
Speaker 4 (43:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (43:58):
Well, you know I was at the Globe earlier on
my hop on hop off bus store, so.
Speaker 4 (44:03):
A little bit of that thesbian you know, creeped in so.
Speaker 5 (44:07):
Well, while while I while I am simply pontificating about
these various enumerated subjects, figure I might as well.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
Just add a little sophistication to the broadcast, you know.
Speaker 5 (44:21):
But no, I think I think you do have to
consider whether it's him, whether or even like I said,
like a mac Jones getting a preview. Maybe you look
and see, well, what does mac Jones have? Once brock
Party comes back? You know, a lot of these backups
become more valuable, Wentz, when JJ comes back, you start
looking around.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
You're like, hey, wait a second.
Speaker 5 (44:41):
You know, I don't know if you knows, Sary go
Anthony Richardson is a backup to Daniel Jones because Daniel Jones,
Indiana Jones looks like he just found a pit.
Speaker 4 (44:49):
Of snakes, and we know how much he loves snakes.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
So well that continue.
Speaker 4 (44:54):
You may have to still make a change there.
Speaker 5 (44:56):
But you're now looking at every backup and every murder
back of what if? Because what you have right now
is not the answer of your Cincinnati right.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
It is uh, It's it's gonna be interesting, man. I
You know, generally speaking, I'm just you know, like, okay,
so you know that those are rumors. But the more
I thought about that, the more that's one team. So
let's say you were the Giants and you had, you know,
(45:28):
you had an injury to your quarterback. Are you really
going anywhere this year?
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Are you?
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Are you really a contender if you're wanted the lesser lights?
Are you really a contender?
Speaker 3 (45:40):
But you're the.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
Bengals and you're built for Joe Burrow, which means you're
built for quarterback play. It means you have weapons that
you can take advantage of, and you do not. You
just flushed the season a year ago, and you don't
want to do that again. That's where a rumor to
me a rumor. You know, there's so many rumors out there, Oh,
(46:02):
they should trade for this receiver that receiver. You know,
there's a lot of receiver injuries, and so there are
teams like, hey, the Giant's gonna go find a replacement
for Malik Neighbors. It might not make sense Max in
a in a weird here to contend, but it might
make sense in a Hey let's give this guy some weapons.
Let's give this guy Jackson Dart an opportunity. Although I
(46:25):
think with Wandale Robinson and Slayton, they're at least in
decent shape.
Speaker 3 (46:28):
But you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
I think that, you know, a team's ability and desire
to make a trade is dependent upon any number of factors,
including where you think you're gonna go. But if Cincinnati
doesn't believe Jake Browning can win them enough football games,
it's incumbent upon them, isn't it to go out and
try and explore the trade market?
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (46:51):
Behoo's that.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
To get somebody in there that's viable, somebody in there
that has experience and this knows what success looks like,
so that you can almost shepherd, you know what I'm saying,
in between the valleys, shepherd in between the Joe Burrows,
the pre Joe Burrow injury to the post Joe Burrow iny.
(47:14):
You need somebody to shepherd you in between those two
lulls before Joe Burrow was back healthy.
Speaker 4 (47:20):
And so.
Speaker 5 (47:23):
I watched it. We both watched it. Jake Browning, even
with Jamar Chase T. Higgins, Yoshavash and everybody else that
they have on that roster, it's not enough. Like Joe
Burrow even a year ago. Joe Burrow had one of
his best statistical seasons ever.
Speaker 4 (47:44):
And it wasn't good enough to get him in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (47:47):
So when you know that even your starting quarterback at
his best, absolute best is not enough, then when you
lose him, you know that you're gonna fall even further
behind at the best case Anario.
Speaker 4 (48:00):
So why not try and curb the drop off?
Speaker 5 (48:03):
And I think that's where it comes with looking at it,
can or can you not get a quarterback that can
be better than Jake Browning in there for the Bengals
to compete.
Speaker 2 (48:14):
Interesting stuff, And you know, we'll see what they do
because they are going to be loath to take another
season and just say, hey, listen, our guys hurt. There's
nothing we can do about it. I can't believe they
would accept that. And again, well, you know we're basing
this on some reports.
Speaker 3 (48:33):
They may be.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
They may think Jake Browning is the guy and he's
going to lead him to victory. But boy, that sure
does make that one intriguing.
Speaker 3 (48:40):
We have a lot to get too.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
Still, we have a whole weekend of football to look
forward to, a whole lot of stuff going around the NFL,
the sort of the state of the Steelers will give
it over you on that as well when we continue
inside the locker Room, presented by your neighborhood, Ford Stour
and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a
part of the Steelers Audio Network
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
And thank you very much for being with us in
the locker room alongside Max Starks, alongside meaning, you know,
three thousand miles away, I'm Rob King at Max.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
How are you today?
Speaker 4 (00:41):
I'm doing good, Rob. How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I am doing well. It's a beautiful day in the burg.
Max is in Still in London, Max.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Still in London. I leave tomorrow morning.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Eager to get home. Are you going to work? Do
you have a game?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Yeah? I have a game this week.
Speaker 5 (01:01):
I got the Broncos Eagles in Philadelphia.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Oh that's a good game, Max.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, it's gonna be a good one.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
And so I figured go to the game first before
trying to go home, instead of flying home Friday all
the way back to Arizona to only turn around Saturday
and fly back to Philly.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Uh. Yeah, so you're just going right to Philly.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Yeah, I'm just going right to Philly.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Okay, so uh.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Man oh man, that that's an exciting game, Max, I
think that's one that's you know there, that's one of
the most intriguing games of the week.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
I would say, yeah, No, I definitely think it's going
to be a really good one and I'm really looking
forward to kind of seeing what, you know, this Broncos
team can do, I mean with bow knicks, to see
if it's real a very tight AFC West, and I
think this will be their first time to kind of
spread their wings and see how they stack up against
(02:00):
the current Super Bowl champions and really give them a
measuring stick, and they'll definitely make, you know, the AFC
West race a lot more interesting knowing that they that
that they've had this type of game and whether they
win or whether they lose kind of let them know
how far or how close they are to making that jump.
So it's gonna be a really good, tough contest.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
You know, Philadelphia, we're going to get into the NFL.
The NFL dot Com did their power rankings and we're
going to get that a little bit. Wanted to let
you know as well that we have Jerry Dulac coming
up Uh, it is a cool breeze Thursday. So Jerry
Dolac will be joining US. I don't know if Jerry
might be in. He might be still in France. We're
(02:43):
going international here.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Inside the locker room. It's a very large, welcoming locker room.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And so yeah, do dude's gonna be joining US. I
think he might still be in in Paris. Good for him,
you know.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I just think there's so much interest and intrigue. For me,
it's the quarter pole of this season, right, So I
think that to me, if I were to divvy up
the season, the first quarter is just win games figured out,
(03:17):
you know, kind of take stock of the inevitable injuries.
Your team's gonna have, that sort of thing. In this
next four games, I think you begin to solidify who
you are, and then that that third quarter kind of
get into okay, we're starting to really gain our identity,
and then the last quarter is let's get ready for
the playoffs and let's go.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Is that, generally.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Speaking, a decent way to look at the season or
do you look at it differently?
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Max?
Speaker 5 (03:45):
No, I think you have to take the beginning of
this of the NFL season as though it's trial and error, right,
it's trial by fire, and you don't really have identity
yet for this current team that you have in this
current season. So this is a month of tinkering, figuring out,
(04:10):
you know, retooling every week and just figuring out a
way to gut it out and win. Because this is
a glorified preseason that counts when you start the first
month of the season September, and so any victory is
a quality victory and is a meaningful victory because as
teams start to settle in, as teams start to mature
(04:34):
with each other, now it gets tougher to do that
from a week two week basis. So the faster you
can accumulate these on the front end, you know, the
easier it makes your life on the back end. And
you want to just get through it as healthy as
possible and get as many wins as possible. So I
think when you look at the first quarter pole, the
(04:55):
identity is just get it done. I mean, really, that's right,
That's that's all. By any means necessary, get it done.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
So I want to I want to get into there's
some big NFL news going on in the injury front
for a lot of teams and teams that directly relate
to the Steelers into moves the quarterback position.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
We kind of touched on briefly yesterday.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
But before we get into all that stuff, Max, what
happens during a bye So we've got a bye week
and you know, you're the Steelers, You're you're obviously you're
coming back from this trip. Everybody got in late Sunday
night is a bye a bye Are you practicing, do
you have meetings? Are you looking forward to the Browns game?
(05:42):
Or you know, are you getting treatment? What happens in
a bye week?
Speaker 4 (05:49):
So in a bye week, it's threefold.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
One is the idea is get healthier and that's you
get another week to kind of let ays rest. You
don't don't have to make her injury report, you don't
have to get in front of the media, you don't
have to have open practice period times guys get to
kind of take a breath. Second front is I need
(06:15):
to stay fresh. So there is practices, movement stuff, and
you know when your meetings, you're reflecting a little bit
more on kind of taking stock of the first four
games of the season versus just looking back at the vikings.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
You're taking stock of the.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
First quarter, like what do we do right, what do
we do wrong? What do we need to continue to
build on. So it's a big strategy session as you
move forward towards the Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
And then third, you get to sleep, You get to.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
Recover, you know, because you know you probably you probably
won't have a practice tomorrow. You'll be off Saturday, Sunday,
back in the building on Monday, get Tuesday off, and
then boom, it's officially Browns week.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
So those are the three things you get.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
You get to you know, kind of heal, reflect, and
recover are the three missions and goals that you have
to make it a successful.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Bye week in the NFL.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
And that's what that's what this team I believe is
focused on this week.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So I wanted to ask you about the about the
sleeping thing, because you know, you go around the locker
room and you talk to guys. There are guys who
are in the building and I don't know how many
fans know this, but on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, they're
in the building at five thirty in the morning, six
(07:42):
o'clock in the morning. I was like, what you know,
I mean, yeah, it is a long day it is
a full twelve hour plus day to be an NFL player.
So first of all, is that was that what you
found in your career? You're you know, twelve hours or
(08:03):
more devoted to.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Minimum minimum.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you better be in there.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
In fact, if you're a guy that came in after six,
we're having a talk, you know.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Because I think that because it just it means that much.
And you need to you need to get get.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
On your high your high horse, and you need to train,
You need to get in there for treatment, you need
to do your stretching. Then you need to be prepared
for the meetings. And then after your meetings you get
a little bit of a break before walkthrough. Then after walkthrough,
you go back in get ready for practice, you know,
(08:46):
whatever that entails, whether that's you know, getting taped up,
whatever you need stretched. Additionally, then you get on the field,
you perform, you practice, you come back in, you shower,
and then you go up to post practice meetings and
you watch the film from today and you get to
jump on tomorrow's work. And then after that, you know,
(09:08):
some guys stick around, like we used to stick around,
and we just we had just basic team bonding. We
play cards, We play pool in the locker room. We
you know at the time, we would have our wives, girlfriends,
you know, bring food into the to the to the
building for us because we were hanging out and we
would stay late and just building that bond, getting to
(09:29):
know each other and then you know, get up rents
for Pete.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Do it again on Thursday, do it again on Friday.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
Friday is usually a lighter day because your practice is
going to be earlier. You're not going to have that
walk through and lunch break time. You're just gonna get
straight to practice. On a Friday's fast Friday. You want
to be quick, efficient and no redos. And then you
know that day Friday would be your early day out
the building, you know. But you know, after practice, a
(09:56):
lot of guys, what we do is we had we
had a gun show Fridays where it would be all arms.
You know, it would be buys and tries and an
upper back area.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
You know, you had to get the gun show ready.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
And then it turned into West Coast Friday where we
would play nothing but West Coast music and you know,
guys would guys would guys with freestyle in the in
the weight room in between sets.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
I mean, we had themes and we had just a
way of doing things. We always wanted to be around
each other.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
And so the facility was a place where it was
the silo. You know, you leave your problems of home
and everything else at the front door of the facility.
And then, you know, coach Tomlin always had this saying,
has it still out there?
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Take the field? When you take the field.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Even if your life creeped into the locker room area,
it can't creep out into.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
The football field. So you got to take the field.
And that's what that kind of meant.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
So this was your kind of sanctuary from you know,
dealing with your significant other, dealing with your kids, dealing
with your family, where there's a demand on you outside
of what your main job is. This is a chance
to kind of go into that, you know, ConA silence
(11:12):
and be focused purely on your job. And so and
so guys also took that as as their kind of,
you know, hangout spot where you could hang out and
be yourself and you could get to know those guys
that you're going to battle with on Sundays, and y'all
could develop a deeper bond as teammates and you know,
create that brotherhood where you could So how would that
(11:34):
be situation?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
I'm sorry, Max, So how would that be different in
a bye week? So are you still putting in twelve
hour days in the office or you you don't have
to get there maybe early in the morning, but maybe
you're getting a lift in after after practice. How does
that differ in a bye week as opposed to and
would there be more veteran days offs and keeping guys
(11:57):
off their feet? What is the difference as far as
that workload that you're talking about and still wanting to
maintain that brotherhood that you referred to, but you don't
have a game to get ready for and this is
a chance to try to get healthy.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Well, well, that's exactly what the difference is.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
There's no game plan, rob, you know, I think that's
the biggest thing.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
So when you're going out there for practice.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
It's more just going through the motions to stay fresh
because you don't want to have that sluggishness coming into
the next week.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
So you want to stay sharp.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
So, you know, if you are a guy who trains,
you're gonna still train. You're still going to get up
and go to the facility the time that you need,
But like you said, when it gets to Friday, I
might be out. If I'm going on a little three
day vacation with the family or the significant other, you know,
I'm gonna go do that, you know, right afterwards, or
(12:54):
if we even have practice on a Friday. It depends
on how coach Tomlin feels about where the team is at.
But when they're there are days to be there. You
put the time in when you're when you when you're
supposed to be there are the days a little bit
so you can still have twelve hour days.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Oh wow, but it might only be two days this week.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Man, oh man, you guys are earning that money. Huh.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Well, I mean listen, but listen.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
The goal is what is what you know and the
journey you're you're trying to get to a super Bowl.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
So you don't want to be the weakest link.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Yeah, fully, fully understood. And there's a little bit of
peer pressure. Actually quite a bit of peer pressure, isn't there.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Yeah, Oh, there's a lot, especially when you have a
lot of veterans and a lot of young guys.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
You want to see the little ducklings fall.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
In the row right right, fascinating, So you.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Try and bring you.
Speaker 5 (13:48):
So you try and bring them along a way as well,
and try and teach them the ways that you learned
as a young guy. And that's how it passes on
for that oral tradition of what it means to be
a stealer.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
So the notion that a bye week means stay away
from the facility, you don't have anything to do, you're
resting and rehabbing. That stuff doesn't happen till Friday.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
Yeah at the earliest.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
Got you? Got you?
Speaker 4 (14:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (14:17):
I mean some guys might leave out Thursday night if
they know they don't have practice Friday.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
But you know that's well, while you are required, you're
going to come in.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
You're going to work for at least two days during
the bye week, if not three.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Is there any notion of preparation for Cleveland this week?
Would it be different if it was later in the
season and say a Ravens week was coming up? Or
are all bye weeks created the same?
Speaker 5 (14:46):
I think all bye weeks have this similar philosophy. It
just it really depends on the health of your team.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Really.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
You know, if you got a lot of banged up guys,
you're obviously not going to be as willing to put
them out there.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
And have a so you might slow go it. Therefore
you might.
Speaker 5 (15:02):
Have more days, shorter workload on the field, as opposed
the team is healthier. You might say, hey, listen, let's
just hit it hard for two days guys, and then
we'll give you the rest of the week off and
then show up ready Monday to prep.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
But I think you are looking a little bit ahead
to Cleveland. The coaches are.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Definitely now whether I think they can they can slowly
introduce some concepts that might carry over, but the Cleveland
specific stuff's not going to come till next week.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Okay, Okay, So it's it's it's stay limber, keep your
mind and your body in it. Uh, keep hanging around
the guys, because you just keep wanting you want to
hang around the guys, especially if you're a winning team.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
You want to be around the guys. You want to
be part of it.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Is that is that kind of where we're Is that
what you're doing here during a Do I have that
about right?
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Yeah? Yeah, you have it about right.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
I think the biggest thing about being around the guys,
you're still getting to know these guys because a lot
of them are new faces, and that's a part of
the melting process, especially for this offensive line. They're so young,
they still need time time together. You still need time
with your teammates. You still need to get to know them.
If you're a rookie, you don't know anything, so you're
(16:19):
always going to sit there and try and soak up
as much just being around them because you learn so
much by just listening and absorbing, not necessarily interacting. But
it's that time spent around to get more comfortable, to
get to know nuances, to get to know quirks, to
get to know how a guy thinks and how you
(16:40):
know he processes and views things. It's going to translate
onto the field. So it's a constant information gathering opportunity
when you are just hanging around each other.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
So it's a lot.
Speaker 5 (16:56):
It's just a lot of data and analytics points that
you're that you're you're taking in and mental reps instead
of physical reps that you're that you're absorbing in the process.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Gotcha, Uh Okay, So that's kind of what's going through
the team. You know during a bye week. Now does
that one more time? Does that change it?
Speaker 3 (17:19):
All? Depending upon where the team is.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
So the Steelers are three and one, would the bye
week be any different? And I'm not talking about mentally,
I'm just talking about the workload or whatever. Let's say
you're a you're a disappointing one in three. Let's say
you're the the Texans or the Ravens. Who are you know,
considering yourself super Bowl contenders? And now you're one and
three and you hit the buye. Does anything change? Is
(17:44):
there more attention? Is there maybe less attention? Get away
from it?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Guys?
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Does it change depending upon where the team is on
its journey?
Speaker 4 (17:56):
I don't.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
I think the funny thing is, Rob, I've never been
on a team that's been losing.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
At this point.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
To say so, I would say from the hypothetical, philosophical
point of view, because god knows, I didn't.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
Practically live it. No, No, I think I think it
doesn't matter. And listen, I've had family, I've had friends
who've played teams that have also been underperformers, And you know,
I think there is a correction process, but it's within
the still the same framework, Like those two to three
(18:36):
days that you're gonna that you're gonna go to work
during the bye week. It's whether it's you know, it's corrections,
it's changing some things to get ready for the next
week and the rest of the season.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
But I don't think.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
It becomes oh my god, I can't stand to see
the side of you, or I'm gonna work the dog
piss out of you. I don't think it's either one
of those things. I just think it's the time is
still going to be the same. It's just what you
focus on that changes. But you guys are because guys
are still going to get beat up. Guys are still
given their best effort. But you know, as a coach,
(19:15):
as an organization, you might have to make some changes.
There might be Let's say, if if if this was
the New York Giants a week ago before you made
the change to Jackson Dart, you know, and you're going
into a buy, maybe you do switch your quarterbacks or
what the Browns are doing this week was with benching
Joe Flacco and starting Dylan Gabriel. If you were at
(19:36):
this point you had to buy, you would you would
start working that in this week if you were going
to make a drastic change at a position group. So
I think that's the only difference to it. But I
think you know, for the most part, the work is
the work, and the time is going to be the time.
That's not going to change. There's not going to be
more time added. There's not going to be more of
(19:57):
a disgust and an early dismissal because you still got
the rest of the season to go, so you're still
gonna need to do some things to keep guys fresh,
keep them sharp, and make sure they just don't blow
off an entire week regardless.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
I think that's where it is.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
I think one of the most remarkable and you know,
we're not in the business of spreading praise to the
Baltimore Ravens, although look, even as a Steelers fan, you
have to acknowledge how good they've been, what a well
run organization they've been. But I think one of the
most remarkable things that I've seen in my years of
covering and observing and watching and being a fan of
the NFL and everything that's been involved in that was
(20:36):
the Ravens during a bye week, benching Joe Flacco and
going to Lamar Jackson and coming out of the bye
with a completely different offense. I still think I don't
know what that bye week could have possibly looked like,
you know, and again you had the following week to
still put more stuff in. But you know, mostly I
(21:00):
think this is fair to say during a week of practice,
you know, if you might have a package for Lamar Jackson,
and I'm sure they did, but most of those reps
are going to Joe Flacco. There's not a lot of
time for second and third team reps when you're getting
ready for practice. I believe that's correct, right, it's mostly
first team guys out there. Oh, you get a series
(21:21):
or two or a snap or two for the second team,
but it's mostly those first team guys. So, first of all,
I believe that's correct, correct me if I'm wrong. And
then secondly, to make that transition, I think, you know,
over the space of this period of time you've just
described for our listeners is pretty remarkable.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Yeah, it is. And I think that's what you know, people.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
Kind of look at and see and you're just like, wow,
how did they do that? But I mean you can
get a lot of complishment in a week. I mean
the playbooks. The playbook is just how you call it
and the frequency and some of the keys that are
in it. Listen, some of the things don't necessarily apply
to everybody. So for the offensive line, if you're running counter,
you're running counter. It doesn't matter if the quarterback keeps it.
(22:10):
You're still blocking at the same and the only thing
that changes is you're running back. Your quarterback or your
lead blockers responsibilities who are not the offensive line, because
they're still going to do their jobs. So the tweaks
that you can make might seem very large, but in
the essence, you're only changing two, maybe three things that
necessarily doesn't have all eleven people involved in the process
(22:33):
of guessing it.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Gotcha, Yeah, yeah, because that's a really good point, because
I hadn't really thought about it that way. The defense
remains the same, if you're the Baltimore Ravens, the blocking
remains the same, but instead of running two counters a game,
you're not going to run thirty five counters a game.
It's just probably the frequency with which you're running it.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Yeah, yeah, And that's really what it comes down to,
is the frequency with which you call it and the
personnel group is that you deploy to get it blocked
up correctly.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
He is Maximilian Weisner starks the fourth I'm rob king your.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
Full government out there, but that full government out there.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
We wanted to let you know.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
You can gear up with the latest game day necessities
at the official Steelers Pro shops. Get the latest Sideline apparel, jerseys,
terrible tows, authentic memorabilia and custom exclusives you can only
find directly from the team. Visit one of the official
Steerers Pro shops located at Akrocher Stadium, Grove City Premium
Outlet's or Tank Route Let's, or gear up online at
shop dot Steelers dot com. Get it direct from the
(23:38):
team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers
dot com. Incidentally, Max, did you have a chance to
go to the Steelers Pro Shop in Dublin.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Yes, I did, only once.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
I tried to make it there a second time, but
I heard the lines were just crazy, but it was
awesome the one time I went out.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yeah, it was over an hour wait for many people
and I took a pic, sure of it.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
I should have posted it. I'm not a big social
media guy.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
The line was, oh, I think conservatively you could say
three blocks long for people to try to get inside that.
I went down the line and I was talking to people,
how long have you been here? I've been here forty
five minutes, you know, and there's still another fifteen minutes away.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
I talked to people at the head of the line.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
They'd been there for a little over an hour. The
shop was not huge. It wasn't a gigantic shop. Those
people must have been hustling to constantly, uh, you know,
replenish the stocks and the stores. I mean, you know, uh,
I don't know how many people were working at the store.
So I saw three those three people. You talk about
(24:46):
getting your ten thousand steps. Those people must have been
hustling up and down steps and and you know whatever.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
I don't know if they had trucks in the back.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Yeah, go first, what's that gophers? Go? Were gophers?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Those goers gophers?
Speaker 4 (24:58):
That's that's what they were.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
They were, they were hauling. It was a pretty cool experience.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
I did not get to the NFL shop, but I
did get to the Steelers Pro shop over there in Ireland,
and it was good stuff.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
So we're going to.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Take a look at the latest power rankings in the NFL.
We'll let you know where the Steelers are.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
I well, I don't know, I don't know. If it's
a little low.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
We'll get to that you're in the Locker Room presented
by your neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop
on Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The f one point fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
And we thank you for being with us inside the
locker room. And Max Darks in jolly old I'm Rob
King in just as jolly old Pittsburgh. I think we're
gonna give we were gonna have our French connection, Jerry
Dulac joining us. But I think that the cool breeze
might be just you know, just blowing across mainland Europe.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
We might just let it sit there.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
I think I think that's good.
Speaker 7 (26:22):
You know, the land yacht that he's on, figure, you know,
me needs to spread its sales.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
A little bit, okay, right, that works for me?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
So ah, Max, A couple of you know, big injuries
right now and big moves happening around the NFL as
we keep an eye on what's going on around the league.
And I can't wait for your game, Max, I really
can't wait. And I'm gonna be in my car when
(26:53):
you're doing that game. Now, will that be a Westwood
one or what is that going to be?
Speaker 4 (26:58):
That'll be ESPN Rady, ESPN Radio.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Okay, so that's the game I want. I might want
to be listening to ESPN. Who are you doing with.
Speaker 3 (27:07):
Steve Leaby Steve Levy? Okay, fantastic good stuff.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Uh so, uh that's a and we can look forward
to some of the games coming up. We will not
have a show tomorrow, just so everybody knows, so we
can kind of look forward to the weekend. But you know,
some big news tonight. No Brock Party, no Ricky Piersoll,
no Juwan Jennings. Kind of taking a little bit of
the luster off for me. Now, we'll see. I'm still
(27:31):
gonna watch at least, you know, get through that first
half before I before I have to trundle on into bed.
Bye week. Max's got to get our rest. So I'm
really looking forward to that game tonight. But man, you know,
another injury at the quarterback position. Mac Jones is going
to start for San Francisco tonight against the Rams, big
(27:53):
match up. Your thoughts on what we can kind of
maybe expect to see with Mac Jones getting an eye opportunity,
And look, man, if you're Mac Jones, you had a chance.
You want to be the next guy who seizes an
opportunity and lets the rest of the league know, hey,
I still got some pedigree here as a former first
round pick, I still have some upside.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
This is an audition because I mean, you look at
what this game means, and when you look around the
league and you see teams losing guys like you said
the injury front, there could be a lot of movement,
a lot of trades. I mean, look at Joe Burrows
out for the year. You wonder if the Bengals are
(28:38):
looking for an upgrade somewhere out there. So if you're
a Mac Jones that normally is not starting and you're
getting a starting role, just like a Carson Wentz is
for the Minnesota Vikings for Jake Brown, you're trying to
put your best foot forward because you never know trade
deadlines not for another couple of weeks, you know you
could be moving and moving into a starting role. This
helps salvage a season for a team. So you want
(29:00):
to put your best foot forward, trying to show that
you still got it. And this is a very important
opportunity and audition because thirty other teams are watching you
right now.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
You know, I know we.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
Talked about the preseason and how you're auditioning for thirty
one other teams on top of the team you're playing for.
But even in season, especially a quarterback position or a
position that's lost the player. You know, Trey Benson just
goes on the ir for the Cardinals. They who are
already down James Connor. You know, there's running backs who
are getting elevated roles that might you know, get a
(29:33):
second look and team you know, teams might try and
negotiate and bart to get some of their services in there.
So big opportunity for Mac Jones to kind of regain
some of the lost luster and try to have you
know what everybody will consider the Sam Darnold effect. Essentially,
you know, guy that's cast off from his original team,
he's not there. You travel a little bit trying to
(29:53):
figure out your way and you know, trying to continually
see if you could still be a starter in this league.
So you're gonna get a gret opportunit against against the
La Rams tonight. I think it's going to be a
really good game for both. These teams are three and one,
competing for the top of the NFC West Division, so
you know it's going to be super competitive. And Matthew Stafford,
Puka Nakula and company DeVante Adams, they're looking to continue
(30:17):
to add their their claim on being the NFC West
representative UH for the NFC, So they're trying to they're
trying to jock for a position, and this is a
divisional game that's being played on Thursday night.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
It is.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
The Rams are an interesting team, you know, they're you know,
they gave Philadelphia all they wanted and really, by all accounts,
should have won that game, and they gave them all
they wanted in.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
The playoffs a year ago.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
UH.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
San Francisco is looking for that bounce back because a
couple of years ago, San Francisco looked like they were
on the cusp of joining the powerhouses in the NFL.
They were one of the powerhouses, which again underscores just
how difficult it is to to get to the top
and then stay there and maintain that that pedigree as
a real contender. This is an interesting game for the
(31:09):
forty nine ers. I think that the Rams are showing
once again and again quarter pole of the season. You know,
as Mike Tomlin likes to say, we're painting with a
broad brush here, we don't really know, won't know. You know,
teams have to overcome injuries right now. You know brock
Perty's an injured guy for the forty nine ers. But
(31:30):
you know, this is a game in which I think
if you're the forty nine ers, you want to make
sure that you know that, Okay, maybe we don't have
our starting quarterback and even if we.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Don't win, we won't run off the field.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
We will we can say we can look across the field,
win or lose at the end and say, hey man,
we'll see you next time when we're.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Ready to go.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
I just it feels to me, obviously divisional game, it's
super important for both teams, even though it's early, much
as this as Ravens would be super important for both
teams even though it's early.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
But I would think, you know.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
For for the forty nine ers, you want to make
sure you're back and measuring up.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
I don't know. I don't know if I'm putting too
much on it, but that's the way it feels to me.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
Well, you only get two shots at them, right, right,
and you know this one's going to be a home game.
The next one's going to be in San Francisco. Next
game happens November ninth, So you got a month and
a week, five weeks in between seeing each other, and
if you're the forty nine ers, you want to see
how good you can do. Like you said, we already
talked about no Brock party. There's also Nick Bosa, George
(32:40):
Kittle's on ir R. Right, you got all these missing pieces,
Juwan Jennings. I mean, you have a lot of missing
pieces if you're San Francisco, And I think that's what
kind of went to the way of this loss against
Jacksonville that you're coming off of and for the Rams,
people are saying the Rams are back. This is a
chance to prove that in a division setting and constantly,
(33:01):
like I said, create your mark, create your stay on everything,
because up to this point you haven't had a division test.
You've played, you know, essentially one team in the NFC, and.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
You lost to that team, and the Eagles.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
But the three AFC games you won Colts, Titans, Texans. Right,
So if you're the Rams, it's now start to see
where do I stack up in my own conference?
Speaker 4 (33:29):
And this is the second test, but this is the
division test. This this is the arrival test to see
where where are we going to make our mark?
Speaker 5 (33:38):
And so for the Rams it's very important, and for
the forty nine ers, it's just hold on because you know,
if you're the forty nine ers, you've kind of had
the inverse. You've played all NFC except for one AFC,
and you lost to that one AFC, but you beat
the other three nfcs, and one of those being another
division rival, they beat the Cardinals, you know, by a point,
(34:03):
so technically you really struggle through that game. The Cardinals
should have won that game, but San Francisco wins it.
And then the following week you go and you drop
one to Jacksonville.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
So you got to get back on your winning ways.
And the forty nine ers kind of have a leg.
Speaker 5 (34:17):
Up on the Rams because they're leading the division because
they have two Vision victories. They started the season beating
the Seahawks and then they played the Cardinals in week three,
So they're two and zero in division, and so you
don't want them to get to three and oh and
they've already won all their games and they're halfway through
the division schedule. That would be that would be a
(34:39):
tough setback for the Rams that's playing really well.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
Yeah, a fascinating game tonight. Fascinating.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
I just think that, you know, you get some of
these Thursday night games and they're trying to get matchups going.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
But by the way, do you as a fan, I love.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Thursday night football because I get to another night to
watch football, although it seems like it seems like the
games aren't quite as crisp, and I'm sure that is
a you know, I heard Matt Stafford on on NFL
Radio talking about this that he thinks probably mentally he's
better equipped now as a veteran guy to handle a
(35:16):
Thursday night game, you know, just because he's been around
the block. But physically you wake up Thursday as a
day that's kind of you know, you're beginning to straddle
the fence on recovery, right.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
And I'm extrapolating a little bit here from.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
What Stafford said, But you know, Thursdays when you're like, okay,
I can walk standing straight. You know, it's like those
evolution of man posters. Right, you're you're on on on Monday,
you might be austrol Epithecus. Right, you're bent over and
your knuckles are dragging on the ground, and then you
know you're Homo sapien by like Friday or Saturday.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Okay, let's let's go at it again. I don't know
where you.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Are on Thursday, Max, I don't know where the body
is in recovery mode in a normal week on a Thursday.
Speaker 7 (36:01):
Yeah, it's kind of like you know, you were figuring
out that you're that you're that You're not a newborn
deer on ice, right, You're not.
Speaker 4 (36:12):
You're not Bambi. And I think.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
Normally, you know, the school system was by Thanksgiving is
usually when you got the first Thursday game back in
the day, and you were your body was an autopilot,
so it just didn't matter. Just hey, they have ball,
have stadium, will play game, right, just you're an autopilot.
I think because these games aren out every week in
(36:37):
the season, and if you get the early draw versus
the late draw, it plays with your mind a little
bit because, like you said, you haven't gotten into a
routine the first month in the season, and so to
just jump right out the gates and have these games
on different days, and you know your body, like you said.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
You're playing three days earlier than in your.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Body is a customed to so the speed up has
to be faster. You don't get the Tuesday off because
you're practicing on Tuesday, because you got a game one Thursday.
And if you're the away team, you're flying on Wednesday.
So you know your body gets disrupted. You get that
that not sensation. I'm trying to figure out how to
(37:23):
your body gets shocked into believing it's better than it
really is. And so the quality of the product that
you put out there, because you have a lot of
guys that are at different points in their career, different recovery
methods and habits, and if.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
You plan poorly, you will get exposed.
Speaker 5 (37:40):
And so you know, just how Matt talked about how
you know in the beginning, if you got an early
Thursday night game, you know it's a shock to the system.
You're sluggish, your body hasn't adjusted properly to Now I'm older,
I've looked at the schedule all the way back in
training camp. I know how to kind to ramp myself
(38:01):
up and get ready for when that Thursday night game
is going to be. So your preparation and your recovery
is a lot different. And he's learned that through trial
and errow. But you can only get that through experience.
So you try and impart wisdom and at the same time,
sometimes you just you got to go through things to
know how to do them better, and that's what you get.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
You know, you get a lot of young guys trial
and error.
Speaker 5 (38:22):
They think they know better and they get exposed and
they're like, oh crap, I can't do that. So next
time we have this come around, I got to make sure.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
I do this, this, this, and this and this.
Speaker 5 (38:31):
And then you go back and you retool it the
next year. You're so lucky to have that opportunity. But
the longer you play, the more adjusted you become to it.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
Right. Uh do you as a fan you like it? Yep?
I think we lost maths. Oh no, there you are. Sorry,
I'm here.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
I was just I was just I was just in
deep reflective thoughts.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
You're contemplative. I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
Yes, it's very contemplative. I don't know if I necessarily
like it this early in the year. I mean, I
thought it was.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
A privilege to have Thursday Night Football when you got it,
which usually meant after Thanksgiving. You had to be a
good team, just like Monday Football to get the honor
to play on primetime. Even though it's shorter earlier in
the week, it's still primetime. It's still a special time
where only two teams get to play. There's nothing else
to take away your attention, there's nothing else to do,
(39:29):
there's no other game to watch. You are the prime show.
So it kind of loses that luster to me because
you usually had to earn it, and when I played,
we earned every one of them. I played in Thursday
Night Football every year. It was usually the first weekend
after Thanksgiving, just like the Cowboys get it every Thanksgiving.
The Steelers and Browns usually was a team because the
(39:51):
Steelers earned a Thursday night Football game, right, So it
becomes more necessity than privilege. So I don't necessarily like it,
especially this early. I think it's something you got to
earn later in the year, and it should be a
privilege to be on Thursda Night Football, not a mandate.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Right, So big game tonight.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Lots more news to get to around the NFL, including
what is the latest on Lamar Jackson, what is the
Ravens outlook right now? Where do the Steelers sit in
the latest NFL dot Com team rankings. Lots to get to,
which we will get to when we continue in the
Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the
(40:36):
Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio. Apart of the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
This is given the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at Shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
And thank you very much for being with us in
the locker Room.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Still have our AFC preview coming up in just a
little bit, so I'm gonna try to dance around a
little bit the injury to Lamar Jackson and what it
means for the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
We'll get into that. Do you think Max that.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Teams will begin to think about making trades so and again,
I know this is part of the AFC, and we'll
get into their game this week. But you know, somebody
floated out there, hey that you know, maybe the Bengals
should be interested in Russell Wilson, And I thought that
makes a lot of sense, man, a lot of sense.
(41:49):
No telling whether Joe Burrow will be able to get
back from his turf toe surgery. You know, possibly he
could be back for the team by December.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
And if you're a team that thinks you're a super
Bowl contender, and the Bengals think they're a super Bowl contender,
right or wrong, that's what they think. And you think
that Russell Wilson can help you win games. I mean,
just think about that shootout last year in Cincinnati in
which Russell performed so well and helped the Steelers defeat
(42:21):
the Cincinnati Bengals. The more I think about that, the
more I think that makes a lot of sense for
both teams. If you're the Giants, Okay, move on from Russ,
move on from the salary, get something back, go all
in on Jackson Dart. You know you're one and three
and I think you're one to out with Jackson Dart
(42:42):
as a starter. Let's just go ahead and move on
and if you're the Bengals, you've got to be thinking
that's an upgrade and a guy that can at least
help you stay in the race till Joe Burrow potentially
comes back in December.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Yeah, I think you have to give it a realistic
thought because do you have no other option? Jake Browning
is your option. Jake Browning is not the answer. And
you saw this play out a year ago to no avail,
and do you really want to I'm sorry two years ago?
(43:18):
And do you really want this to be kind of
another year? You waste that one year that you fought
with Trey Henderson about to finally get him back, and
you're paying all this money to Jamar Chase t Higgins
and you can't really get the ball to them, So
you got.
Speaker 4 (43:36):
To kick the tires on someone like they have to
make a trade.
Speaker 5 (43:41):
Russell Wilson just seems like the easiest one because he's
the first disavowed starter.
Speaker 3 (43:46):
Right, disavowed starter? Max Ye there was a land of
Shakespeare and Chaucer kind of you know, is he getting there?
Speaker 4 (43:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (43:58):
Well, you know I was at the Globe earlier on
my hop on hop off bus store, so.
Speaker 4 (44:03):
A little bit of that thesbian you know, creeped in so.
Speaker 5 (44:07):
Well, while while I while I am simply pontificating about
these various enumerated subjects, figure I might as well.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
Just add a little sophistication to the broadcast, you know.
Speaker 5 (44:21):
But no, I think I think you do have to
consider whether it's him, whether or even like I said,
like a mac Jones getting a preview. Maybe you look
and see, well, what does mac Jones have? Once brock
Party comes back? You know, a lot of these backups
become more valuable, Wentz, when JJ comes back, you start
looking around.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
You're like, hey, wait a second.
Speaker 5 (44:41):
You know, I don't know if you knows, Sary go
Anthony Richardson is a backup to Daniel Jones because Daniel Jones,
Indiana Jones looks like he just found a pit.
Speaker 4 (44:49):
Of snakes, and we know how much he loves snakes.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
So well that continue.
Speaker 4 (44:54):
You may have to still make a change there.
Speaker 5 (44:56):
But you're now looking at every backup and every murder
back of what if? Because what you have right now
is not the answer of your Cincinnati right.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
It is uh, It's it's gonna be interesting, man. I
You know, generally speaking, I'm just you know, like, okay,
so you know that those are rumors. But the more
I thought about that, the more that's one team. So
let's say you were the Giants and you had, you know,
(45:28):
you had an injury to your quarterback. Are you really
going anywhere this year?
Speaker 3 (45:33):
Are you?
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Are you really a contender if you're wanted the lesser lights?
Are you really a contender?
Speaker 3 (45:40):
But you're the.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
Bengals and you're built for Joe Burrow, which means you're
built for quarterback play. It means you have weapons that
you can take advantage of, and you do not. You
just flushed the season a year ago, and you don't
want to do that again. That's where a rumor to
me a rumor. You know, there's so many rumors out there, Oh,
(46:02):
they should trade for this receiver that receiver. You know,
there's a lot of receiver injuries, and so there are
teams like, hey, the Giant's gonna go find a replacement
for Malik Neighbors. It might not make sense Max in
a in a weird here to contend, but it might
make sense in a Hey let's give this guy some weapons.
Let's give this guy Jackson Dart an opportunity. Although I
(46:25):
think with Wandale Robinson and Slayton, they're at least in
decent shape.
Speaker 3 (46:28):
But you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
I think that, you know, a team's ability and desire
to make a trade is dependent upon any number of factors,
including where you think you're gonna go. But if Cincinnati
doesn't believe Jake Browning can win them enough football games,
it's incumbent upon them, isn't it to go out and
try and explore the trade market?
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (46:51):
Behoo's that.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
To get somebody in there that's viable, somebody in there
that has experience and this knows what success looks like,
so that you can almost shepherd, you know what I'm saying,
in between the valleys, shepherd in between the Joe Burrows,
the pre Joe Burrow injury to the post Joe Burrow iny.
(47:14):
You need somebody to shepherd you in between those two
lulls before Joe Burrow was back healthy.
Speaker 4 (47:20):
And so.
Speaker 5 (47:23):
I watched it. We both watched it. Jake Browning, even
with Jamar Chase T. Higgins, Yoshavash and everybody else that
they have on that roster, it's not enough. Like Joe
Burrow even a year ago. Joe Burrow had one of
his best statistical seasons ever.
Speaker 4 (47:44):
And it wasn't good enough to get him in the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (47:47):
So when you know that even your starting quarterback at
his best, absolute best is not enough, then when you
lose him, you know that you're gonna fall even further
behind at the best case Anario.
Speaker 4 (48:00):
So why not try and curb the drop off?
Speaker 5 (48:03):
And I think that's where it comes with looking at it,
can or can you not get a quarterback that can
be better than Jake Browning in there for the Bengals
to compete.
Speaker 2 (48:14):
Interesting stuff, And you know, we'll see what they do
because they are going to be loath to take another
season and just say, hey, listen, our guys hurt. There's
nothing we can do about it. I can't believe they
would accept that. And again, well, you know we're basing
this on some reports.
Speaker 3 (48:33):
They may be.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
They may think Jake Browning is the guy and he's
going to lead him to victory. But boy, that sure
does make that one intriguing.
Speaker 3 (48:40):
We have a lot to get too.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
Still, we have a whole weekend of football to look
forward to, a whole lot of stuff going around the NFL,
the sort of the state of the Steelers will give
it over you on that as well when we continue
inside the locker Room, presented by your neighborhood, Ford Stour
and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a
part of the Steelers Audio Network
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