December 10, 2025 • 47 mins
Rob and Max begin to preview the Steelers' Monday night matchup against Miami coming up and discuss other notes from across the NFL.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward 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
don Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
And we thank you for being with us in the
locker room as we get for this hump Day Wednesday,
as we kind of put the big victory over the
Ravens behind us a little bit. Might talk a little
bit about that with Jim Wexel coming up in just
a little bit. It's a wex Wednesday, hump Day Wednesday,
so he'll be joining us coming up in a little bit.
We have a special guest coming up for you on Friday,
(00:47):
but we'll tell you about that when we get closer. Course,
your dulec tomorrow and Missy Matthews coming up on Friday
as well as that special guest that I just alluded to, So.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
You know, there's a there's a lot to get to.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So again, a little bit of the Ravens still to
inform us of what to expect here in this game
against the Miami Dolphins. But let's get to what the
Miami Dolphins are all about. By the way, Max Start's
gonna be joining us shortly. He is in transit in Chicago.
Max has been flying all over the country and heading
(01:19):
back soon to Arizona before he goes and does another
game and then comes and joins just Monday night in Pittsburgh.
I think, actually, I think he's got two games Friday night. Sorry, yeah,
I think it's Friday night, Sunday and Monday, or Saturday night,
Sunday and Monday. Of course, the most important game being
our game on Monday, right, that's the one we're looking
(01:39):
forward to. So yesterday when west Uler Field then for Max,
we sort of broke down the different playoffs scenarios for
each team, where teams sit. It's hard to imagine the
Dolphins at six and seven making the playoffs, but they
got a couple of things working against him. They have
a three and six conference record. That wouldn't be great,
(02:01):
you know, if you get to that tiebreaker. But there's
head to head, there's different various other things. There's a
lot of different tiebreakers. We're not going to get into
that specifically, but yesterday we broke down the respective remaining
records for all the teams that are in the playoff hunt.
That includes, of course, the Steelers and Ravens in the AFC.
Northing kind of concluded that, you know, for a team
(02:24):
like the Steelers, you know, maybe winning the division is
really the only way to get there. It might be
the only way for the Steelers to make it. And
if you're the Dolphins, you have to get to ten
and seven and then you have to hope that you
get some help. They still do have a chance, though,
they have an opportunity, and they've been playing very good football.
So we're gonna give you a thumbnail, you know, sort
(02:45):
of overview of the Dolphins. So first, the Dolphins got
off to just a terrible start to the season. They
lost to Indianapolis. Now again, at the time, you know,
thirty three to eight. It's a bad loss for sure.
At the time, we didn't know Indianapolis was going to
be good right up to the moment Daniel Jones broke
his leg. They're obviously a different team. They signed Philip Rivers.
That's an interesting story.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
So Indianapolis, you know, that looks you know a little
better in.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Retrospect, although still thirty three to eight is is a beatdown.
Then you have New England. You lose thirty three to
twenty seven. At the time, again, we didn't know New
England was going to be this juggernaut, so that doesn't
look quite as bad in the lost column. Then thirty
one to twenty one at Buffalo. So at this point
you're zero to three and everybody's already calling for Mike
(03:36):
McDaniel's head, and the Dolphins didn't make any changes yet.
They were going to make some changes later in the season.
Then they beat the Jets twenty seven to twenty one
to improve to one to three. At Carolina, again, they
lose this game twenty seven to twenty four. It doesn't
look like a good loss, but it doesn't look quite
(03:56):
as bad now considering where Carolina is and what they've done.
You lose by a field goal there, you lose to
Los Angeles the Chargers at home twenty nine to twenty seven.
Really a mistake field game for the Dolphins or the
missed field goal. They had every opportunity to win that
game that drops them to one and five, And then
(04:16):
they played the one truly truly other than the Colts
game they won, truly bad game. They played all year
was against the Browns and they lost thirty one to six.
They were absolutely awful in that game. That dropped them
to one and six on the season. But then since
then they've won five of their last six games. They
(04:37):
beat Atlanta, they lost to Baltimore, then they beat Buffalo,
they beat Washington, they beat the Saints, they beat the Jets.
Not exactly a murderer's row, particularly those last three games.
Very impressive victory over Buffalo. And as Max joins us, now, Max,
this Dolphins team is a team that has some hope.
And I kind of laid this out. I started to
(04:59):
think about this more more over the last couple of days.
When you think about the Steelers schedule, you know a
lot of times it's when do you play somebody? So,
for example, you played the Bengals right after they got
Joe Flacco, right and he got a game under his
belt and suddenly they're a different offense.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
You didn't get.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Them in the in between trough between Burrow and Flacco,
and of course now back to Burrow in which the
Bengals could do nothing offensively. That's bad timing. Plus it
was a Dolphins team that was desperate. You got a
Colts team that was on a roll, although you of
course defeated the Colts. You got a Bears team that
was desperate for a victory. You got a Chargers team
(05:37):
that was desperate.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
For a victory. They've really kind of been playing teams
who were mostly I mean, there's a difference between Burrow
and Flacco. I get that.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
But whether it is because of urgency or because they're
playing their best football at the time, they are not,
they're getting everybody's best shot. It feels like, and I
think they're gonna get the Dolphins best shot on Monday Night.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
It's one of those things where I think the Steelers' name,
the Steelers history, the Steelers mystique leads to a.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Lot of the you know, those quote unquote best shots
or they play their best against us, and the Dolphins
are no different, right, I mean, this is one of
those things when you think about historically, right, you know,
the Dolphins and the Steelers, especially in the seventies, you know,
(06:33):
used to go back and forth about who was, you know,
the team that was gonna, more often than not end
up in the AFC Championship game, the team that was
going to end up winning a super Bowl, you know,
because you also had you know, in the seventies, you
had that perfect uh, you had that perfect Dolphins team,
(06:54):
right the last team to win it all and never
lose in an entire season. That happened, you know, right
before the Steelers got their you know, got their got
on their run. So these are those type of things
where you talk about like historically, these two franchises have
a history that goes back and that kind of steeps through,
(07:18):
you know, to current times. Even though they don't play
each other the same The teams haven't been equal at
those times, but the history of the franchises kind of
plays into the expectations of these type of games and
and for and for this current office, and you're right,
ration of injuries, and they thought that they were gonna
(07:39):
be firing their coach and that you were gonna that
they were gonna have this massive like overhaul, fire selling players,
and that's not the case. You know, they they they've
played some of their best football in like you said,
the last five five to six weeks, and from they
(08:03):
are team that now is like, Okay, if everything goes
perfect at the end here, there might be a shot
for us in the wildcard. Now they're now they're categorially
ruled out for winning their division because the Patriots are
just so good. But from the ore team, who can
sneak in if they can upset and keep their momentum
(08:26):
going and potentially be a team that they see make
it as a wildcard potentially. But that's our job. We've
got to stop that process right Golden its tracks and
that's what that's what the challenge is going to be.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yeah, I mean we were talking about last year, it
felt like this Steelers did get some breaks in the schedule.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
They did get, you know, the.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
First game back for Kirk Cousins, and as it turned out,
remembery coming off the injury, it turned out Kirk Cousins
doesn't look like he's really the Kirk Cousins of old.
So so you know, that timing was actually pretty good.
And there are other games throughout the course of the
season when you're getting the backup and you know, when
you when you talk about look, you are what you are.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
And I'm not excusing things.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I'm just saying I find it very interesting that you're
you're constantly having to get up and yes, you're right
to see there's name the Steeers.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Mystique adds to that.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
But you know, if you get Jake Browning instead of
Joe Flacco, I mean, are you one win better and
one loss better in the in the column? You know,
instead of being seven and six, are you eight and
four right now? I mean that's you know, and thinking about, hey,
what seed can we grab in the playoffs? Not just
are we going to win the division? Or can we
win the division and can we get in the playoffs.
(09:41):
So I just thought that was kind of interesting because
and I bring that up because it's in light of
the Dolphins, who now, as you mentioned Max, you know,
giving up sort of for dead. And again we're just
kind of giving a brief overview of the Dolphins. We'll
get into more specific stuff as you know, the week
goes on and as we get into the key matchups
to the game. But you know, they've won, as we mentioned,
(10:02):
kind of going through their schedule a little bit and
what they've done, and you know, the howling for people
to be fired. I thought they were going to be
moves made for sure. You beat Atlanta, you lose to
Baltimore twenty eight to six, and then you go on
a roll. As I mentioned, this team has come in
and they've won four games in a row, and again
we'll dive into some of the specifics, but when you
(10:24):
look at what they've done over the last four weeks,
their defense has been fantastic. You know, that's not something
you normally think about with the Dolphins. The running game
has been outstanding.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
There.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
They do have a good running game. They're eighth in
the league in rushing yards, but they've leaned more and
more on that and less and less on two A
Tounge Bailoa. You look at a chan his numbers. He
ran for one to seventy four against Buffalo, then one
hundred and twenty against Washington, then one hundred and thirty
(10:55):
four against the Saints. He gets hurt early in the
game against the Jets, Jalen Wright, who's listed as their
third string running back to second year guy out of Tennessee,
listed behind Oli Gordon. He comes off the bench, he
runs for one hundred and seven yards. So four consecutive
games they've had one hundred yard rushers. So, you know,
when I think when a lot of people think of
(11:16):
the Dolphins, and there is a lot of you know,
pre snap movement and different things designed to try to
confuse people and all that. I think a lot of
people when they think of the Dolphins, they think of Finesse.
But this team has run the ball effectively and played
terrific defense over their four game winning streak.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
Yeah, and like you said, I mean having the number
three running back in the league in total yards lashing
in Daylon h Chain only behind Jonathan Taylor leading the
league and James Cook. And guess who we've already seen
Jonathan Taylor and James Cook. So this is just another
one in the string for them. And you're right, I
(11:58):
mean they are a heavy run team that sets up
the play action gives you know, the easiest window for
Tuatinola loa to where if you if you drop into
any type of man schein trying to drop trying to
play the run, that's what That's what you're going to
try and hurt you through the air, right, And their
main target is going to be Jaylen Waddle because you
(12:21):
have no Tyreek Hill lost him earlier this year and
you know, and really after that, who is it that?
So that's why I think those passing numbers have been
kind of depressed for them and why they've had to
lean on the run was because you know, a you
got his career talent and devon a chain who can
run very well. But once again, he's he's a lighter
(12:45):
type of guy. So it gives you Alvin Kamara type
of vibes when you watch him play because there's so
many different ways to figure out how to get him
the football, because he's such an explosive playmaker on the out,
you know, on on this level outside of us that
we look at, so you know, and his injury status
(13:09):
will be monitoring that. I mean, we've got to report that.
You know, it seems well that he'll play. So he's
a guy you're gonna have to emphasize in this game.
And because there is a rib injury, why not go
test it? Right? I'm hey, but hey, let's keep it real, right,
(13:29):
you want to win? Now, here's the other funny status
to a tongue of Ailoa. When the kickoff temperature is
below forty do you want to know what their record is?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
It's not good.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Yeah, it's abysmal. It's zero and five. They have not
won a game when they play and weather below forty
degrees first.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Us, Oh, and it's going to be well below forty
and by the way, first want first victory for him.
When the temperature is below forty six degrees when they
beat the Jets, it is going to be half of
that and maybe even lower on Monday night. It is
going to be cold on Monday night. And you know
you mentioned that the top runners that the Steers have faced,
(14:10):
and look, you know they face top rushing teams. You know,
for example, Chicago, DeAndre Swift is fourteenth, well Manungui is
twenty third. Like it's a dual headed monster, you know.
Kenneth Walker they faced tim they face Chase Brown. Walker's eighteenth.
Brown is twentieth. Okay, so everybody Breize Hall is eleventh. Right, See,
(14:31):
everybody gets those teams. Everybody gets those guys. But here's
here's who they face or are going to face. Number
one in rushing, Jonathan Taylor, number two in rushing, James Cook.
They get eight Chan number three in rushing, who, by
the way, leads the NFL in yards per carry at
five point eight yards per carry. So keep in mind
(14:51):
what you're getting there with a Chan who is just improving.
You know, the numbers have gone up week after week.
You don't get Jon Robinson. Congratulations We'll see Jimmy Gibbs
coming up next week. He's fifth in the league in rushing,
Derrick Henry six in the league in rushing. Five of
the top six running backs in the league the Steelers
are going to be facing or have already faced, and
(15:12):
that includes a Chan coming up this week. So the
running defense max is is going to be challenged. And
they're all a little bit different. You know, I was
trying to think about how to categorize these guys. You know,
Taylor has got like a combination of kind of everything.
James Cook kind of reminds me of that, Like he
can run inside, but he'll bounce it outside. You know,
(15:33):
Gibbs and a Chan are absolute flyers.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
You know, two of the.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Fastest running backs in the league. Derreck Henry of course
is a fast running but he needs to get more
up to speed. We know all about Dereck Henry. So
it's not just five of the top six running backs,
it's guys with different styles that you have to deal with.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. I mean, you know, you
have guys who can turn on the jets and short
neck corner that that that that you're trying to defend
or that they're trying to hook on you, and that's
sometimes other thing is just a piece just to slow
him up just a little bit and kind of create
the wall. And each hands that guy, they move him
(16:15):
around a whole lot because they know they need to
get him the ball in space and let him do
what he can do professionally, whether it's swing passes, whether
it's delay checkdowns. You know, he's he's got the full
compliment and he's got the focus of the team on him.
So Mike Daniel to to as well, like, Okay, well
(16:36):
what can we do to put this guy on another level?
And so it's going to be imperative that I believe
you stop him because after him, all the other numbers
kind of look pedestrian rob you know when you think
about it, because you know, to his numbers aren't that great,
(16:59):
you know, because in that win streak he's only averaging
about one hundred and fifty seven pass yards a.
Speaker 6 (17:04):
Game, yep, and and so you know, now great and
also his touchdown interceptional ratio three to three, so zero.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
You know, he's even as much as he will throw
it in the air. Score. He also realizes that we
put to the air that the other team can actually
go after it as well. So the idea is to
try and throw it, you know, to your guys what
you throw to the other team, and so that's gonna
be a challenge as well. This is another opportunity you're
(17:37):
talking about for steels, high per second and overall takeaways
in the entire league. You know, the Bears lead them overall.
So you're talking about, well, it's we've got twenty three takeaways.
The Bears have had twenty seven takeaways before this game,
so you know, he's a knack for the football. And
(18:01):
then to his records, not that great. He throws one
plus interception. So that's what you're trying to do. You
try to make sure you get them out of the
run game early and the forces that have to pass
and then that's where good things have it.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Yeah, and and by the way, they have been.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Very very good. I think they're the league leader. During
this winning streak. They're plus seven in the turnover margins,
so they've done a very very good job of taking
care of the football and creating turnovers during this four
game stretch. Not the season as a whole, where they're
minus one, but just in this winning streak. They've done
a lot of the things that you know, you you
(18:43):
kind of want to it. It sort of reminds you of
you know, you have tu who's a high draft chress.
But it kind of reminds you what the students have
been trying to do prior to Aaron Rodgers. Don't turn
the ball over, run the football if you can, and
and find a way to win a game. And and
they've found ways to win games, and that that.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
That's what it's all about. I mean, really only two
of them were just absolute boat races, right, I mean,
Falcons and the Bills were the only two games where
you're like, whoa like high performance, high octane, get it going,
how you feel and you know, when the clock strikes zero,
that's when you assess. And like you said, they've been
(19:25):
in that position and they've understand how to how to
how to get that out. So it was so we
knew it was inevitable, but you know, you can't continue
to have such good players and not get the success results.
Right now, we're facing a team in a mine of
those success results again, and and we're also playing at
(19:46):
night again. But I did check. There's no Brady Monica
concerts sometimes thirday, so there's that, But yes, it's it's
gonna be it tough situation. You hope that this is
something that could use to build for the Steelers team
and not you know, kind of kind of put it
(20:10):
aside or not treat it as a priority because I
think you know in December the football that you are
amathing and that you're gonna be playing. You want everybody
to be good because that makes the victory feel that
much better. Right And this is the last opportunity right
now for the Steelers to have a home primetime game.
(20:32):
Obviously a Monday night game different from a Sunday night
at Thursday night. And Mike Tomlin is one of those
guys that Cad could set some history aside the video
on how he played, how he calls a game. But
for the team, it's like, you have to continue the
pace of that one gameling that you established and you
(20:53):
just pulled away from on Sunday against the Ravens. So
that's what we're gonna have to try and channel mojo
and remember Rob, it's not a streak until you get too.
They need to go streaking.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
That sounds good to me, streaking in the freezing cold.
I think it's a great idea. Max, I think it's
a great idea. He's Max Starks, I'm Rob King, and
we thank you for being along with us today as
we're gonna continue again to get you ready buy and larger.
Jim Wexel coming up a little bit, by and large,
you're gonna be spending time talking about the Dolphins. Another
big game here for the Steelers against the team that
(21:29):
is streaking itself. The Dolphins have won four in a row.
We'll have much more as we continue in the locker Room,
presented our neighborhood Ford Store in the Steelers Pro Shop
on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
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 3 (22:07):
Well, thanks again for being with us in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Max, I have to tell you know, my wife and
I were talking this morning. We have our Irish setter Stella,
My beloved dog Stella, and we're trying to figure out
let's see, is she five ors she's six? Did we
get her in COVID? What year was COVID? Was COVID
twenty or twenty one? The reason I bring that up,
I'm trying to remember, like that was a while ago,
(22:32):
five years ago? When when was that? Exactly? That's the
last time Philip Rivers played in a football game, twenty twenty,
twenty twenty, Max, and he is coming out of retirement.
I mean, you talk about, you know, desperation for the Colts,
and look, I don't blame them. I don't blame him
for being desperate. I don't blame them for turning to
(22:53):
Philip Rivers and trying to find something. I mean, they
they are out their top two quarterback. Daniel Jones, you know,
was in the MVP discussion when the Colts came to Pittsburgh,
as was Jonathan Taylor, and he got hurt. Prior to that,
Anthony Richardson had been hurt, you know, he was hobbling
around for a couple of games. Jones wasn't a broken leg,
(23:15):
I mean, you know, and now he's out for the year.
And then your backup got hurt and you've lost three
in a row, and you know, suddenly you've gone from hey,
look the culture number one in the power rankings to it.
I don't think the Culture going to make the playoffs.
In all fairness, we said that when Jones was healthy
and they were eight and two, we thought they would
have a tough road because their schedule was just viciously brutal.
(23:36):
But Max, your thoughts on Philip rivers potentially, you know,
getting some snaps in an NFL game when his last
snapster in twenty twenty.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
I mean, this was giving you Vinnie Testa verdie off
the couch vibes. Right. This is crazy to think a
quarterback that is forty three years old. And the reason
why I know that is because we're the exact same age.
And you know, he was my He was my Senior
(24:10):
Bowl quarterback when I came out, when I came out
in the draft, Rob, Wow, Philip, Philip was Philip was
my quarterback if Philip was my teammate briefly at San
Diego when I went there. Tremendous athlete, tremendous football player,
tremendous quarterback. But yeah, this is wild to think he's
(24:32):
I think he's been coaching high school football. I think
that's what he's been doing because you know, that's what
his dad did and he's a coach's kid, so you know,
just a natural ascension. You know, hey, go back, he's
got he's got like sixteen kids, I mean, so you know,
he's definitely not He definitely has been a guy working
on his golf swing or anything. So it's going to
(24:54):
be really interesting to see how this plays out. And
you know, he he he's been He retired a year
before Ben did. So it's wild to just think that
we're at this age, all these quarterbacks that come out
and this is where we're at. We went and we
(25:14):
and and they turned back the dial way for far back.
I mean, we thought we're dealing with uh, you know,
Aaron being being an older quarterback. Yeah, they went and
they and they went and got him, uh from from
the annals of history. And Shane Siger didn't even coach him.
So I'm like, he's gonna have to learn that entire offense. Yeah,
(25:37):
you know, because this isn't a situation you know, well,
who was it was it Chuck Pugano was the head coach.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
He must have been in twenty twenty, Like, I can't imagine.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
How do I remember who's the coach?
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Yeah? Exactly, yeah, exactly. So I'm like, I'm like, I'm
sitting here trying to scratch my head right now to see.
But I think it had the Pigano was that?
Speaker 7 (26:00):
So?
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Yeah? This is this is crazy.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Frank Frank Reich was the.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
That's right, Frank was there. I'm sorry my fault.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
And they were five that year, right, Uh had a
good team, had a good team, you know there?
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Yeah, they really.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Are, you know, and I feel badly for them in
some way that you know, they they and the Daniel
Jones story was such a great story.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
And was Indiana Jones, right.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Indiana Jones. They were. I guess he didn't like the nickname,
but that's too bad. It was a great nickname. You know.
I think that.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Like a movie franchise.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Yeah, I mean you hearkening back to the first and
best of the Raiders of the Lost arc Ah trilogy.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
What what they have?
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Five? Now?
Speaker 3 (26:49):
They made a fourth? I think did they make a fifth? One?
Does it matter?
Speaker 4 (26:55):
One? It was one?
Speaker 3 (26:56):
It's one and three, right, those are the two way
I know.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
It's one in three and five was like kind of
like a goodbye, and number four they definitely jumped the
shark with those crystal skull things.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Yes, and the alien for those of you knew the
program were just dropping in and out. Max and I
have a little disagreement as to what is what is
the best of the Raiders of the Lost Ark movies.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
But we do have an agreement that Indiana Jones is awesome.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yes, and one to agree on that.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
One and three, two, four and five you can you
can take probably.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Feel good closure, you know. So it doesn't quite it's not.
It's that it doesn't go in the bad category like
five is like four like bad, but I mean get yeah,
two wasn't great, but like you said, it falls behind
one and three and then five. I felt like, okay,
(27:54):
they did a good job of just buttoning up the series, right.
You had to end it some how, and so they
ended it. But yeah, four was yeah there. I mean,
Temple of Doom was okay, but you're weighing it against
the first and the third one. I mean, Raiders of
the Lost Arc was excellent, and last last Crusade was
(28:18):
just you know, the great almost gooise.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Almost as good, almost as good as the Lost Dark.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
But now now, now I have to ask you a question.
So Max and I our friendship is beginning. I predict
a long and lovely friendship between the.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Two of us.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
We're we're still finding out those things that you find
out about friends that you don't necessarily know early on.
Are you a James Bond fan?
Speaker 4 (28:46):
I I am a Bond fan.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Okay, So I'm gonna ask you. I'm gonna ask you
a questions. I'm just gonna say. I'm gonna come out
and make my statement, and then you can disagree or
agree as you as.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
You see fit. I believe Daniel Craig is the best Bond.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
I am not going to disagree with you on that.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
One, all right, Okay.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
I was worried you were going to give me like
the Pierce Brosnan nonsense.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Okay, Sean Connery would be number two, but for me,
Daniel Craig is number one. I thought he did a
great job, you know, So I would I actually read
all those books when I was a kid, not not that,
not that I was a kid when they came out.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I don't wanna. I don't want to get any I
don't an even thinking I'm quite that old. But I
read them all. They're great books. There are lots of fun.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
You know, Ian Fleming was in the Secret Service in
World War Two, uh, for Great Britain, and so he
you know, he knew from whence he spoke. Of course
he used his imagination and other things, but you know,
he had some background in it. So I read the
books and I thought Daniel Craig was the most like
the bond in the books and uh, and I just
thought he was terrific. And I think that, you know,
(29:58):
the two of the bonds, that two of the four
bonds he made are the two best bonds of all time.
That's my opinion.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
So there, so we agree on that.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Agree. But but you you said Sean is number two
over Roger Moore. That's that's a tough one. I feel
like that's a toss up there.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Okay, all right, I'll give you that. I'm gonna I
won't I won't die. I won't die on that hill.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
Yeah exactly. No, it's all good. And yeah, you know,
we all agree that Pierce Brosden was the lesser of
all of them, even though I did like Licensed to
Kill from a nostalgic camp standpoint.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Forget Timothy Dalton was in some bonds and in one.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
Yeah, yeah, don't yeah, but once again, you know, I
felt like there's only really been three really good bonds.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Okay, all right, yeah, so we're discounting Timothy Dalton, then
we're discounting George and we're discounting Pierce bros.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
Yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
That's okay with me.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
So which, of course is is circling us back. I
don't know how to the Colts, but you know, I
would say this, Max, I think there are I think
the Colts. I think highly of them as an organization.
I think they're one of the organizations. You know, the
Steelers would become a model for a lot of organizations.
(31:22):
I truly, I don't know if the Ravens would admit this,
but I believe the Steelers are the model for the Ravens.
Which is why you have, as Mike Tomlin said, you know,
two trains, one track, right, It's because they they value stability,
they value physical football, they value winning. Of course, other
(31:43):
organizations go up and down. I think that, you know,
whether you wanted to consider New England as just a
Belichick run or something more than that. San Francisco, you know,
has been you know, has had it seems few down years.
I think the Colts are really good organization. You know,
they've they've run different coaches throughout there. They got really
(32:05):
really bad luck and no pun intended when Andrew Luck
just suddenly you know, you got a franchise quarterback and
you're building everything around him, and he suddenly retires, and
so you know, to have a to have an organization
that I think is just a terrific organization, very very good,
very solid organization, very consistent. You know under Shane Stich
(32:27):
and they were they were a five hundred football team
as they were searching for a quarterback in his first
two years, running through guys as we saw last year,
and then you know, to uh to to have you know,
to to finally sort of get your legs underneath you. Yeah,
it's gonna be difficult, you know, season down the stretch,
(32:48):
but I've got to believe at eight and two, no
matter how vicious the schedule is, if Daniel Jones is healthy,
they find a way to win two or three of
those games and get themselves in the playoffs. And now
you know, sort of reaching for the Rivers, they're in
some trouble.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
Yeah, yeah, they are definitely in some deep water and
uncharted territory because even though a how long is it
go it take to get him up to speed, right
because I think they signed him to the practice squad
if I'm not in the stake and then try to
get him up to me to see what he can play.
So right now you have to assume an emergency at
(33:29):
best off of a week's worth of practice is and then,
like you said, see if this guy could elevate and
what Phil still has it to take. You know, that's
going to be a question because at the end of
that twenty twenty run, you know, he started falling off
a little bit, I think, which.
Speaker 7 (33:49):
Led ultimately to his you know, retirement. But yeah, that
is a truly truly interesting take right there.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
It is. It is, Yeah, but that's where they're going.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
And you know, I again, I think the only true
way they could factor into the Steelers' plans is if
they somehow are ten and seven and the Steelers are
ten and seven and thinking wild card, because that's the
only team head to head. But so much would have
to happen, including the Colts winning two games for that
to be a scenario we concluded yesterday Max that it's
(34:26):
win the division, right, that's what you got to do.
Win the division that gets you into the playoffs. And
if you don't win the division, you're probably gonna have
a hard time getting in.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
The playoffs because you know, giving up games to the Chargers,
you don't have that head to head value there in
front of you. Jacksonville is one of those tricky ones
because yes, you haven't went over the Colts, but if
Jacksonville beatsa there's no tiebreaker there because you didn't play
(34:56):
of this year. And you know, I'm trying to think
of who else in fact, and then the Texas. You
didn't play the Texans, but yet common opponent Texas absolutely
boat raced Baltimore, so and you barely want to get Baltimore.
So maybe that edge still goes to the Texans in
(35:19):
that moment as well. So you know, that's where it's
going to be kind of crazy to think. And then
you know that's your main kind of pool is you
lost to the Chargers and you haven't played any of
the other teams that are up there, and it's between
(35:42):
you know, we'll see what happens. Charges Broncos. But I
think you know, the Broncos right now are sitting at
a very comfortable position. Them and the Patriots are tied
for their records. They only have two losses a piece,
so so you have that and I don't think that.
So I think that's where the Charges cover to play
(36:03):
as a wildcard team. And like I said, Jacksonville Houston, however,
you want to parse it up like they're right there
in that hunt mixed territory of being actual playoff team.
And then in the hunt has you know, has Buffalo
who you lost to, so you don't definitely don't want
Buffalo jumping back into it. You you also have the Ravens,
(36:27):
who you've eaten once, still got another time you got
seat them at the end of the year. And then
then that's where your Dolphins fall in, right there in
that range with them. So you know, that's why this
game is so important. You beat them, you effectively knock
them out of the race. And you also don't have
(36:48):
the threat of them being able to be Elite Frog
if you lose to them and you are coming down
to that seventh seed. You don't want that division supremacyts
division domination presees all of that. So that's why you
gotta win these games, so you don't leave it up
to chance or something arbitrary. Is worried about how many
(37:09):
rocks were in their shoes, you know, five weeks ago.
You know what I'm saying. Like that, that's that's where
you get into those type of type of scenarios that
in the in game scenarios, and that's where it starts
to get rough and semantics. So just make it easy.
Just win, and then you went to your division, your
your secure spot. You get a willy want a golden
(37:30):
take it to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
It's exactly right. Will we want to let us in? Man?
Come on, Uh, students have to take a big game.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Come again, plugged worth any any any insider stuff? Okay,
come on?
Speaker 2 (37:43):
So uh the uh the Students and Dolphins matchup. We're
gonna be breaking that down at considerable length over the
next couple of days. Wex is gonna be joining us.
We've already kind of started to outline who the Dolphins
are and what they're all about as they get ready
to take on the Steelers on Monday night here at
Akroshuer Stadium in Pittsburgh. I want to remind you you
can gear up with the latest game they necessities at
(38:03):
the official Students Pro shops.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Maybe get something warm, Maybe think warm.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Get the latest Sideline apparel, jerseys, Terrible towels, authentic memorabilia
and custom exclusives that you can only find directly from
the team. Visit one of the official Students Pro shops
located at Akrosher Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets or Tanger Outlets.
Or gear up online of Shop dot Studers dot com.
Get it direct from the team at the Steers Pro
Shop at Shop dot steerers dot com.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
Back with more in the Locker Room.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the Students Pro
Shop on Students Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
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 (39:01):
And thank you very much for being with us in
the locker room alongside Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
I'm Rob King. You know, Max, I have to ask
you why teams like the.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Dolphins struggle so much in cold weather?
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Why is that?
Speaker 2 (39:20):
I mean, you are from Orlando, you played at the
University of Florida. I don't know if you guys had
too many cold weather games. Is it that big of
a shock to the system. So Tua is now one
in seven, having just finally won a game that was
below forty six degrees, and they've lost a number of
(39:45):
games in which the temperatures below forty It's going to
be far colder than that. But as a Florida guy
who played at Florida, was it that big of a
shocker to play in the cold? I mean, obviously you
wind up playing for the Steelers. A lot of these
guys aren't from my you know, they're not from Florida
playing for the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
They've played in cold weather before. Why do you think
it is.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
Well, I think it it comes out of like acclamation, right,
I mean, you know for the Miami Doghins. I mean
you're in Miami year round, so fifties sixties is windbreaker,
and you know, heavier coat weather down there, always sunshine,
always breezy. Not a lot of adverse weather unless you're
(40:32):
talking about like thunderstorms and hurricanes. Right, Once again, nothing
that drops the weather significantly, like playing up north and
for them where you're so used to that humidity, you're
used to that type of weather. It's it's an advantage
(40:53):
when northern teams come down there to Miami and have
to play in that weather. Right, there's hot, sticky, muggy,
and just intense heat wise. The opposite is when you
go up north in the wintertime in December and for
the Dolphins day, just there's no way to simulate it
(41:16):
for them, right, I mean, at least in a cold weathertown,
you can. You can go into the indoor facility. You
can simulate the weather if you close the doors or
let it heat up for a while, and you can
get ready to combat a heat. But the problem is
when it's cold, it is cold, and if you're used
to loose muscles or the game warming you up, Yeah,
(41:38):
the only way you're gonna do that is if you
just stay in like a hot tub the entire time. Right,
And the last time I checked, they don't put hot
tubs on the sideline for football games, So I really
think that's just an acclamation type of deal. Now for me,
I came up there, but also I came to Pittsburgh
in the summer and then and transitioned into the cold
(42:03):
right over the course of the season. And so when
you kind of do that, it yields a little bit
better results from everyone involved, right, I mean, and I
think that's where Miami has struggled, like you know, and
this is one of those things. It goes back well
before this iteration of them, but we're talking about even
(42:27):
you know, other teams in the state of Florida, not
just them, but.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Horrible records, horrible for years.
Speaker 4 (42:36):
And it's still not great either. But you know, that's
just kind of what happens when you're a warm weather team,
or you're a dome team that then plays outside, right
like if like the Viking's going on the road, you know,
and and having to deal with that New Orleans Saints
when it gets cold and they're outside. You know, those
(42:58):
are just some of the famous ones, I think. But yeah,
it's one of those things where you play in elements
you're not used to. It is a rough transition because
you haven't experienced it. There's no way to rep it
or simulate it. And you get out there, and you know,
you don't know what you're doing, and you're very quick
to say, oh man, it's super cold out here today. Yeah. Right,
(43:21):
you start making.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
Up really quick, you know, and I guess you know
part of me. So so just think about this.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
If you're you know, you're listening to this and you're
not an NFL player, and that's.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
Probably most of you.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
Right, forty degrees rolls around in Miami in November, you've
had kind of a warm like this year, we had
kind of a warm year, and all of a sudden,
the temperature just plummeted and it gets into your bones. Now,
take that same forty degree day in March when it's
been freezing cold, and I mean you're you're walking around
the T shirt on, you know, because you're so used
(43:56):
to the cold that forty degrees feels warm, whereas several
months before, you've been so used to the warm that
forty degrees feels cold. So you can understand that. I
just you know, I it's interesting because you know, you
think about the Dolphins in particular, and a lot of
those games, not all they go up and they play
the Jets, and they play New England and those teams
haven't always been good, but you know, you play Buffalo,
(44:19):
that's probably a loss, you know, the last several years,
that's a loss of no matter what the weather is.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
Up in Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
But there does appear to be something to this less
than forty degrees.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
That isn't just the.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Opponents, it's the acclamation process, right, and you are right.
I mean, you know, if the students are going down
to play Miami in September, we're asking the same questions
about how's the heat can affect you, how's the humidity
going to affect you?
Speaker 3 (44:43):
And those sort of things.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
Yep, I mean, and that's just kind of the case
of it. You know, until you can, you know, for
better intentsive purposes, standardize the venues that the NFL like
this is what you're gonna get, right and tea and
teams have a choice and have an option, and a
(45:06):
lot of teams opt to want to have a non dome.
They want, you know, for for autism purposes, natural grass
out there if they can help it down. There's a
couple of teams that necessity yields them to put the
turf out. But it's something that you do take into account.
Speaker 8 (45:26):
You know, and if dome versus open real versus artificial
hot versus cold that you know, there's all these different elements,
but like regionality really matters about how you're equipped.
Speaker 4 (45:43):
I mean, you think about the AFC North and you
know you're you're closer to cold weather, especially Cleveland because
you're right there on a great lake.
Speaker 9 (45:53):
But yeah, that's why there's there's a frosty glass only
you know, around certain places, and and the access is
different because you're in a different environment, that's right, And
it can be advantageous for the home team, which is
you know, what you're trying to create, trying to create
(46:13):
what is my home team advantage?
Speaker 4 (46:15):
You know? Is it? Is it weather? You know, geographic location,
is it time of year that you play US fans
and how the fan sentiment is around it? Those are
all factors into that success.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (46:31):
And this is a factor that the Dolphins are gonna
have to be dealing with when it's expected to be
eighteen degrees and Monday Night Football eighteen degrees and two
zero to six, when it's under forty in an NFL game.
So that's something that hopefully the students can use to
their advantage coming up next Jim Wexel is going to
be joining us. It's a Wednesday with wex hump Day
(46:52):
headlines with Wexel when we continue in the locker room,
present of our Neighborhood for Word Store and the Students
Pro Shop on Students Nation Radio, part of the Steelers
Audi Your Network.
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward 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
don Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
And we thank you for being with us in the
locker room as we get for this hump Day Wednesday,
as we kind of put the big victory over the
Ravens behind us a little bit. Might talk a little
bit about that with Jim Wexel coming up in just
a little bit. It's a wex Wednesday, hump Day Wednesday,
so he'll be joining us coming up in a little bit.
We have a special guest coming up for you on Friday,
(00:47):
but we'll tell you about that when we get closer. Course,
your dulec tomorrow and Missy Matthews coming up on Friday
as well as that special guest that I just alluded to, So.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
You know, there's a there's a lot to get to.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So again, a little bit of the Ravens still to
inform us of what to expect here in this game
against the Miami Dolphins. But let's get to what the
Miami Dolphins are all about. By the way, Max Start's
gonna be joining us shortly. He is in transit in Chicago.
Max has been flying all over the country and heading
(01:19):
back soon to Arizona before he goes and does another
game and then comes and joins just Monday night in Pittsburgh.
I think, actually, I think he's got two games Friday night. Sorry, yeah,
I think it's Friday night, Sunday and Monday, or Saturday night,
Sunday and Monday. Of course, the most important game being
our game on Monday, right, that's the one we're looking
(01:39):
forward to. So yesterday when west Uler Field then for Max,
we sort of broke down the different playoffs scenarios for
each team, where teams sit. It's hard to imagine the
Dolphins at six and seven making the playoffs, but they
got a couple of things working against him. They have
a three and six conference record. That wouldn't be great,
(02:01):
you know, if you get to that tiebreaker. But there's
head to head, there's different various other things. There's a
lot of different tiebreakers. We're not going to get into
that specifically, but yesterday we broke down the respective remaining
records for all the teams that are in the playoff hunt.
That includes, of course, the Steelers and Ravens in the AFC.
Northing kind of concluded that, you know, for a team
(02:24):
like the Steelers, you know, maybe winning the division is
really the only way to get there. It might be
the only way for the Steelers to make it. And
if you're the Dolphins, you have to get to ten
and seven and then you have to hope that you
get some help. They still do have a chance, though,
they have an opportunity, and they've been playing very good football.
So we're gonna give you a thumbnail, you know, sort
(02:45):
of overview of the Dolphins. So first, the Dolphins got
off to just a terrible start to the season. They
lost to Indianapolis. Now again, at the time, you know,
thirty three to eight. It's a bad loss for sure.
At the time, we didn't know Indianapolis was going to
be good right up to the moment Daniel Jones broke
his leg. They're obviously a different team. They signed Philip Rivers.
That's an interesting story.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
So Indianapolis, you know, that looks you know a little
better in.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Retrospect, although still thirty three to eight is is a beatdown.
Then you have New England. You lose thirty three to
twenty seven. At the time, again, we didn't know New
England was going to be this juggernaut, so that doesn't
look quite as bad in the lost column. Then thirty
one to twenty one at Buffalo. So at this point
you're zero to three and everybody's already calling for Mike
(03:36):
McDaniel's head, and the Dolphins didn't make any changes yet.
They were going to make some changes later in the season.
Then they beat the Jets twenty seven to twenty one
to improve to one to three. At Carolina, again, they
lose this game twenty seven to twenty four. It doesn't
look like a good loss, but it doesn't look quite
(03:56):
as bad now considering where Carolina is and what they've done.
You lose by a field goal there, you lose to
Los Angeles the Chargers at home twenty nine to twenty seven.
Really a mistake field game for the Dolphins or the
missed field goal. They had every opportunity to win that
game that drops them to one and five, And then
(04:16):
they played the one truly truly other than the Colts
game they won, truly bad game. They played all year
was against the Browns and they lost thirty one to six.
They were absolutely awful in that game. That dropped them
to one and six on the season. But then since
then they've won five of their last six games. They
(04:37):
beat Atlanta, they lost to Baltimore, then they beat Buffalo,
they beat Washington, they beat the Saints, they beat the Jets.
Not exactly a murderer's row, particularly those last three games.
Very impressive victory over Buffalo. And as Max joins us, now, Max,
this Dolphins team is a team that has some hope.
And I kind of laid this out. I started to
(04:59):
think about this more more over the last couple of days.
When you think about the Steelers schedule, you know a
lot of times it's when do you play somebody? So,
for example, you played the Bengals right after they got
Joe Flacco, right and he got a game under his
belt and suddenly they're a different offense.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
You didn't get.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Them in the in between trough between Burrow and Flacco,
and of course now back to Burrow in which the
Bengals could do nothing offensively. That's bad timing. Plus it
was a Dolphins team that was desperate. You got a
Colts team that was on a roll, although you of
course defeated the Colts. You got a Bears team that
was desperate for a victory. You got a Chargers team
(05:37):
that was desperate.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
For a victory. They've really kind of been playing teams
who were mostly I mean, there's a difference between Burrow
and Flacco. I get that.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
But whether it is because of urgency or because they're
playing their best football at the time, they are not,
they're getting everybody's best shot. It feels like, and I
think they're gonna get the Dolphins best shot on Monday Night.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
It's one of those things where I think the Steelers' name,
the Steelers history, the Steelers mystique leads to a.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Lot of the you know, those quote unquote best shots
or they play their best against us, and the Dolphins
are no different, right, I mean, this is one of
those things when you think about historically, right, you know,
the Dolphins and the Steelers, especially in the seventies, you know,
(06:33):
used to go back and forth about who was, you know,
the team that was gonna, more often than not end
up in the AFC Championship game, the team that was
going to end up winning a super Bowl, you know,
because you also had you know, in the seventies, you
had that perfect uh, you had that perfect Dolphins team,
(06:54):
right the last team to win it all and never
lose in an entire season. That happened, you know, right
before the Steelers got their you know, got their got
on their run. So these are those type of things
where you talk about like historically, these two franchises have
a history that goes back and that kind of steeps through,
(07:18):
you know, to current times. Even though they don't play
each other the same The teams haven't been equal at
those times, but the history of the franchises kind of
plays into the expectations of these type of games and
and for and for this current office, and you're right,
ration of injuries, and they thought that they were gonna
(07:39):
be firing their coach and that you were gonna that
they were gonna have this massive like overhaul, fire selling players,
and that's not the case. You know, they they they've
played some of their best football in like you said,
the last five five to six weeks, and from they
(08:03):
are team that now is like, Okay, if everything goes
perfect at the end here, there might be a shot
for us in the wildcard. Now they're now they're categorially
ruled out for winning their division because the Patriots are
just so good. But from the ore team, who can
sneak in if they can upset and keep their momentum
(08:26):
going and potentially be a team that they see make
it as a wildcard potentially. But that's our job. We've
got to stop that process right Golden its tracks and
that's what that's what the challenge is going to be.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yeah, I mean we were talking about last year, it
felt like this Steelers did get some breaks in the schedule.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
They did get, you know, the.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
First game back for Kirk Cousins, and as it turned out,
remembery coming off the injury, it turned out Kirk Cousins
doesn't look like he's really the Kirk Cousins of old.
So so you know, that timing was actually pretty good.
And there are other games throughout the course of the
season when you're getting the backup and you know, when
you when you talk about look, you are what you are.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
And I'm not excusing things.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I'm just saying I find it very interesting that you're
you're constantly having to get up and yes, you're right
to see there's name the Steeers.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Mystique adds to that.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
But you know, if you get Jake Browning instead of
Joe Flacco, I mean, are you one win better and
one loss better in the in the column? You know,
instead of being seven and six, are you eight and
four right now? I mean that's you know, and thinking about, hey,
what seed can we grab in the playoffs? Not just
are we going to win the division? Or can we
win the division and can we get in the playoffs.
(09:41):
So I just thought that was kind of interesting because
and I bring that up because it's in light of
the Dolphins, who now, as you mentioned Max, you know,
giving up sort of for dead. And again we're just
kind of giving a brief overview of the Dolphins. We'll
get into more specific stuff as you know, the week
goes on and as we get into the key matchups
to the game. But you know, they've won, as we mentioned,
(10:02):
kind of going through their schedule a little bit and
what they've done, and you know, the howling for people
to be fired. I thought they were going to be
moves made for sure. You beat Atlanta, you lose to
Baltimore twenty eight to six, and then you go on
a roll. As I mentioned, this team has come in
and they've won four games in a row, and again
we'll dive into some of the specifics, but when you
(10:24):
look at what they've done over the last four weeks,
their defense has been fantastic. You know, that's not something
you normally think about with the Dolphins. The running game
has been outstanding.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
There.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
They do have a good running game. They're eighth in
the league in rushing yards, but they've leaned more and
more on that and less and less on two A
Tounge Bailoa. You look at a chan his numbers. He
ran for one to seventy four against Buffalo, then one
hundred and twenty against Washington, then one hundred and thirty
(10:55):
four against the Saints. He gets hurt early in the
game against the Jets, Jalen Wright, who's listed as their
third string running back to second year guy out of Tennessee,
listed behind Oli Gordon. He comes off the bench, he
runs for one hundred and seven yards. So four consecutive
games they've had one hundred yard rushers. So, you know,
when I think when a lot of people think of
(11:16):
the Dolphins, and there is a lot of you know,
pre snap movement and different things designed to try to
confuse people and all that. I think a lot of
people when they think of the Dolphins, they think of Finesse.
But this team has run the ball effectively and played
terrific defense over their four game winning streak.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
Yeah, and like you said, I mean having the number
three running back in the league in total yards lashing
in Daylon h Chain only behind Jonathan Taylor leading the
league and James Cook. And guess who we've already seen
Jonathan Taylor and James Cook. So this is just another
one in the string for them. And you're right, I
(11:58):
mean they are a heavy run team that sets up
the play action gives you know, the easiest window for
Tuatinola loa to where if you if you drop into
any type of man schein trying to drop trying to
play the run, that's what That's what you're going to
try and hurt you through the air, right, And their
main target is going to be Jaylen Waddle because you
(12:21):
have no Tyreek Hill lost him earlier this year and
you know, and really after that, who is it that?
So that's why I think those passing numbers have been
kind of depressed for them and why they've had to
lean on the run was because you know, a you
got his career talent and devon a chain who can
run very well. But once again, he's he's a lighter
(12:45):
type of guy. So it gives you Alvin Kamara type
of vibes when you watch him play because there's so
many different ways to figure out how to get him
the football, because he's such an explosive playmaker on the out,
you know, on on this level outside of us that
we look at, so you know, and his injury status
(13:09):
will be monitoring that. I mean, we've got to report that.
You know, it seems well that he'll play. So he's
a guy you're gonna have to emphasize in this game.
And because there is a rib injury, why not go
test it? Right? I'm hey, but hey, let's keep it real, right,
(13:29):
you want to win? Now, here's the other funny status
to a tongue of Ailoa. When the kickoff temperature is
below forty do you want to know what their record is?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
It's not good.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Yeah, it's abysmal. It's zero and five. They have not
won a game when they play and weather below forty
degrees first.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Us, Oh, and it's going to be well below forty
and by the way, first want first victory for him.
When the temperature is below forty six degrees when they
beat the Jets, it is going to be half of
that and maybe even lower on Monday night. It is
going to be cold on Monday night. And you know
you mentioned that the top runners that the Steers have faced,
(14:10):
and look, you know they face top rushing teams. You know,
for example, Chicago, DeAndre Swift is fourteenth, well Manungui is
twenty third. Like it's a dual headed monster, you know.
Kenneth Walker they faced tim they face Chase Brown. Walker's eighteenth.
Brown is twentieth. Okay, so everybody Breize Hall is eleventh. Right, See,
(14:31):
everybody gets those teams. Everybody gets those guys. But here's
here's who they face or are going to face. Number
one in rushing, Jonathan Taylor, number two in rushing, James Cook.
They get eight Chan number three in rushing, who, by
the way, leads the NFL in yards per carry at
five point eight yards per carry. So keep in mind
(14:51):
what you're getting there with a Chan who is just improving.
You know, the numbers have gone up week after week.
You don't get Jon Robinson. Congratulations We'll see Jimmy Gibbs
coming up next week. He's fifth in the league in rushing,
Derrick Henry six in the league in rushing. Five of
the top six running backs in the league the Steelers
are going to be facing or have already faced, and
(15:12):
that includes a Chan coming up this week. So the
running defense max is is going to be challenged. And
they're all a little bit different. You know, I was
trying to think about how to categorize these guys. You know,
Taylor has got like a combination of kind of everything.
James Cook kind of reminds me of that, Like he
can run inside, but he'll bounce it outside. You know,
(15:33):
Gibbs and a Chan are absolute flyers.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
You know, two of the.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Fastest running backs in the league. Derreck Henry of course
is a fast running but he needs to get more
up to speed. We know all about Dereck Henry. So
it's not just five of the top six running backs,
it's guys with different styles that you have to deal with.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. I mean, you know, you
have guys who can turn on the jets and short
neck corner that that that that you're trying to defend
or that they're trying to hook on you, and that's
sometimes other thing is just a piece just to slow
him up just a little bit and kind of create
the wall. And each hands that guy, they move him
(16:15):
around a whole lot because they know they need to
get him the ball in space and let him do
what he can do professionally, whether it's swing passes, whether
it's delay checkdowns. You know, he's he's got the full
compliment and he's got the focus of the team on him.
So Mike Daniel to to as well, like, Okay, well
(16:36):
what can we do to put this guy on another level?
And so it's going to be imperative that I believe
you stop him because after him, all the other numbers
kind of look pedestrian rob you know when you think
about it, because you know, to his numbers aren't that great,
(16:59):
you know, because in that win streak he's only averaging
about one hundred and fifty seven pass yards a.
Speaker 6 (17:04):
Game, yep, and and so you know, now great and
also his touchdown interceptional ratio three to three, so zero.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
You know, he's even as much as he will throw
it in the air. Score. He also realizes that we
put to the air that the other team can actually
go after it as well. So the idea is to
try and throw it, you know, to your guys what
you throw to the other team, and so that's gonna
be a challenge as well. This is another opportunity you're
(17:37):
talking about for steels, high per second and overall takeaways
in the entire league. You know, the Bears lead them overall.
So you're talking about, well, it's we've got twenty three takeaways.
The Bears have had twenty seven takeaways before this game,
so you know, he's a knack for the football. And
(18:01):
then to his records, not that great. He throws one
plus interception. So that's what you're trying to do. You
try to make sure you get them out of the
run game early and the forces that have to pass
and then that's where good things have it.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Yeah, and and by the way, they have been.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Very very good. I think they're the league leader. During
this winning streak. They're plus seven in the turnover margins,
so they've done a very very good job of taking
care of the football and creating turnovers during this four
game stretch. Not the season as a whole, where they're
minus one, but just in this winning streak. They've done
a lot of the things that you know, you you
(18:43):
kind of want to it. It sort of reminds you of
you know, you have tu who's a high draft chress.
But it kind of reminds you what the students have
been trying to do prior to Aaron Rodgers. Don't turn
the ball over, run the football if you can, and
and find a way to win a game. And and
they've found ways to win games, and that that.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
That's what it's all about. I mean, really only two
of them were just absolute boat races, right, I mean,
Falcons and the Bills were the only two games where
you're like, whoa like high performance, high octane, get it going,
how you feel and you know, when the clock strikes zero,
that's when you assess. And like you said, they've been
(19:25):
in that position and they've understand how to how to
how to get that out. So it was so we
knew it was inevitable, but you know, you can't continue
to have such good players and not get the success results.
Right now, we're facing a team in a mine of
those success results again, and and we're also playing at
(19:46):
night again. But I did check. There's no Brady Monica
concerts sometimes thirday, so there's that, But yes, it's it's
gonna be it tough situation. You hope that this is
something that could use to build for the Steelers team
and not you know, kind of kind of put it
(20:10):
aside or not treat it as a priority because I
think you know in December the football that you are
amathing and that you're gonna be playing. You want everybody
to be good because that makes the victory feel that
much better. Right And this is the last opportunity right
now for the Steelers to have a home primetime game.
(20:32):
Obviously a Monday night game different from a Sunday night
at Thursday night. And Mike Tomlin is one of those
guys that Cad could set some history aside the video
on how he played, how he calls a game. But
for the team, it's like, you have to continue the
pace of that one gameling that you established and you
(20:53):
just pulled away from on Sunday against the Ravens. So
that's what we're gonna have to try and channel mojo
and remember Rob, it's not a streak until you get too.
They need to go streaking.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
That sounds good to me, streaking in the freezing cold.
I think it's a great idea. Max, I think it's
a great idea. He's Max Starks, I'm Rob King, and
we thank you for being along with us today as
we're gonna continue again to get you ready buy and larger.
Jim Wexel coming up a little bit, by and large,
you're gonna be spending time talking about the Dolphins. Another
big game here for the Steelers against the team that
(21:29):
is streaking itself. The Dolphins have won four in a row.
We'll have much more as we continue in the locker Room,
presented our neighborhood Ford Store in the Steelers Pro Shop
on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
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 3 (22:07):
Well, thanks again for being with us in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Max, I have to tell you know, my wife and
I were talking this morning. We have our Irish setter Stella,
My beloved dog Stella, and we're trying to figure out
let's see, is she five ors she's six? Did we
get her in COVID? What year was COVID? Was COVID
twenty or twenty one? The reason I bring that up,
I'm trying to remember, like that was a while ago,
(22:32):
five years ago? When when was that? Exactly? That's the
last time Philip Rivers played in a football game, twenty twenty,
twenty twenty, Max, and he is coming out of retirement.
I mean, you talk about, you know, desperation for the Colts,
and look, I don't blame them. I don't blame him
for being desperate. I don't blame them for turning to
(22:53):
Philip Rivers and trying to find something. I mean, they
they are out their top two quarterback. Daniel Jones, you know,
was in the MVP discussion when the Colts came to Pittsburgh,
as was Jonathan Taylor, and he got hurt. Prior to that,
Anthony Richardson had been hurt, you know, he was hobbling
around for a couple of games. Jones wasn't a broken leg,
(23:15):
I mean, you know, and now he's out for the year.
And then your backup got hurt and you've lost three
in a row, and you know, suddenly you've gone from hey,
look the culture number one in the power rankings to it.
I don't think the Culture going to make the playoffs.
In all fairness, we said that when Jones was healthy
and they were eight and two, we thought they would
have a tough road because their schedule was just viciously brutal.
(23:36):
But Max, your thoughts on Philip rivers potentially, you know,
getting some snaps in an NFL game when his last
snapster in twenty twenty.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
I mean, this was giving you Vinnie Testa verdie off
the couch vibes. Right. This is crazy to think a
quarterback that is forty three years old. And the reason
why I know that is because we're the exact same age.
And you know, he was my He was my Senior
(24:10):
Bowl quarterback when I came out, when I came out
in the draft, Rob, Wow, Philip, Philip was Philip was
my quarterback if Philip was my teammate briefly at San
Diego when I went there. Tremendous athlete, tremendous football player,
tremendous quarterback. But yeah, this is wild to think he's
(24:32):
I think he's been coaching high school football. I think
that's what he's been doing because you know, that's what
his dad did and he's a coach's kid, so you know,
just a natural ascension. You know, hey, go back, he's
got he's got like sixteen kids, I mean, so you know,
he's definitely not He definitely has been a guy working
on his golf swing or anything. So it's going to
(24:54):
be really interesting to see how this plays out. And
you know, he he he's been He retired a year
before Ben did. So it's wild to just think that
we're at this age, all these quarterbacks that come out
and this is where we're at. We went and we
(25:14):
and and they turned back the dial way for far back.
I mean, we thought we're dealing with uh, you know,
Aaron being being an older quarterback. Yeah, they went and
they and they went and got him, uh from from
the annals of history. And Shane Siger didn't even coach him.
So I'm like, he's gonna have to learn that entire offense. Yeah,
(25:37):
you know, because this isn't a situation you know, well,
who was it was it Chuck Pugano was the head coach.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
He must have been in twenty twenty, Like, I can't imagine.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
How do I remember who's the coach?
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Yeah? Exactly, yeah, exactly. So I'm like, I'm like, I'm
sitting here trying to scratch my head right now to see.
But I think it had the Pigano was that?
Speaker 7 (26:00):
So?
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Yeah? This is this is crazy.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Frank Frank Reich was the.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
That's right, Frank was there. I'm sorry my fault.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
And they were five that year, right, Uh had a
good team, had a good team, you know there?
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Yeah, they really.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Are, you know, and I feel badly for them in
some way that you know, they they and the Daniel
Jones story was such a great story.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
And was Indiana Jones, right.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Indiana Jones. They were. I guess he didn't like the nickname,
but that's too bad. It was a great nickname. You know.
I think that.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Like a movie franchise.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Yeah, I mean you hearkening back to the first and
best of the Raiders of the Lost arc Ah trilogy.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
What what they have?
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Five? Now?
Speaker 3 (26:49):
They made a fourth? I think did they make a fifth? One?
Does it matter?
Speaker 4 (26:55):
One? It was one?
Speaker 3 (26:56):
It's one and three, right, those are the two way
I know.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
It's one in three and five was like kind of
like a goodbye, and number four they definitely jumped the
shark with those crystal skull things.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Yes, and the alien for those of you knew the
program were just dropping in and out. Max and I
have a little disagreement as to what is what is
the best of the Raiders of the Lost Ark movies.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
But we do have an agreement that Indiana Jones is awesome.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yes, and one to agree on that.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
One and three, two, four and five you can you
can take probably.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Feel good closure, you know. So it doesn't quite it's not.
It's that it doesn't go in the bad category like
five is like four like bad, but I mean get yeah,
two wasn't great, but like you said, it falls behind
one and three and then five. I felt like, okay,
(27:54):
they did a good job of just buttoning up the series, right.
You had to end it some how, and so they
ended it. But yeah, four was yeah there. I mean,
Temple of Doom was okay, but you're weighing it against
the first and the third one. I mean, Raiders of
the Lost Arc was excellent, and last last Crusade was
(28:18):
just you know, the great almost gooise.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Almost as good, almost as good as the Lost Dark.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
But now now, now I have to ask you a question.
So Max and I our friendship is beginning. I predict
a long and lovely friendship between the.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
Two of us.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
We're we're still finding out those things that you find
out about friends that you don't necessarily know early on.
Are you a James Bond fan?
Speaker 4 (28:46):
I I am a Bond fan.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Okay, So I'm gonna ask you. I'm gonna ask you
a questions. I'm just gonna say. I'm gonna come out
and make my statement, and then you can disagree or
agree as you as.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
You see fit. I believe Daniel Craig is the best Bond.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
I am not going to disagree with you on that.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
One, all right, Okay.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
I was worried you were going to give me like
the Pierce Brosnan nonsense.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Okay, Sean Connery would be number two, but for me,
Daniel Craig is number one. I thought he did a
great job, you know, So I would I actually read
all those books when I was a kid, not not that,
not that I was a kid when they came out.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I don't wanna. I don't want to get any I
don't an even thinking I'm quite that old. But I
read them all. They're great books. There are lots of fun.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
You know, Ian Fleming was in the Secret Service in
World War Two, uh, for Great Britain, and so he
you know, he knew from whence he spoke. Of course
he used his imagination and other things, but you know,
he had some background in it. So I read the
books and I thought Daniel Craig was the most like
the bond in the books and uh, and I just
thought he was terrific. And I think that, you know,
(29:58):
the two of the bonds, that two of the four
bonds he made are the two best bonds of all time.
That's my opinion.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
So there, so we agree on that.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Agree. But but you you said Sean is number two
over Roger Moore. That's that's a tough one. I feel
like that's a toss up there.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Okay, all right, I'll give you that. I'm gonna I
won't I won't die. I won't die on that hill.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
Yeah exactly. No, it's all good. And yeah, you know,
we all agree that Pierce Brosden was the lesser of
all of them, even though I did like Licensed to
Kill from a nostalgic camp standpoint.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Forget Timothy Dalton was in some bonds and in one.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
Yeah, yeah, don't yeah, but once again, you know, I
felt like there's only really been three really good bonds.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Okay, all right, yeah, so we're discounting Timothy Dalton, then
we're discounting George and we're discounting Pierce bros.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
Yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
That's okay with me.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
So which, of course is is circling us back. I
don't know how to the Colts, but you know, I
would say this, Max, I think there are I think
the Colts. I think highly of them as an organization.
I think they're one of the organizations. You know, the
Steelers would become a model for a lot of organizations.
(31:22):
I truly, I don't know if the Ravens would admit this,
but I believe the Steelers are the model for the Ravens.
Which is why you have, as Mike Tomlin said, you know,
two trains, one track, right, It's because they they value stability,
they value physical football, they value winning. Of course, other
(31:43):
organizations go up and down. I think that, you know,
whether you wanted to consider New England as just a
Belichick run or something more than that. San Francisco, you know,
has been you know, has had it seems few down years.
I think the Colts are really good organization. You know,
they've they've run different coaches throughout there. They got really
(32:05):
really bad luck and no pun intended when Andrew Luck
just suddenly you know, you got a franchise quarterback and
you're building everything around him, and he suddenly retires, and
so you know, to have a to have an organization
that I think is just a terrific organization, very very good,
very solid organization, very consistent. You know under Shane Stich
(32:27):
and they were they were a five hundred football team
as they were searching for a quarterback in his first
two years, running through guys as we saw last year,
and then you know, to uh to to have you know,
to to finally sort of get your legs underneath you. Yeah,
it's gonna be difficult, you know, season down the stretch,
(32:48):
but I've got to believe at eight and two, no
matter how vicious the schedule is, if Daniel Jones is healthy,
they find a way to win two or three of
those games and get themselves in the playoffs. And now
you know, sort of reaching for the Rivers, they're in
some trouble.
Speaker 4 (33:04):
Yeah, yeah, they are definitely in some deep water and
uncharted territory because even though a how long is it
go it take to get him up to speed, right
because I think they signed him to the practice squad
if I'm not in the stake and then try to
get him up to me to see what he can play.
So right now you have to assume an emergency at
(33:29):
best off of a week's worth of practice is and then,
like you said, see if this guy could elevate and
what Phil still has it to take. You know, that's
going to be a question because at the end of
that twenty twenty run, you know, he started falling off
a little bit, I think, which.
Speaker 7 (33:49):
Led ultimately to his you know, retirement. But yeah, that
is a truly truly interesting take right there.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
It is. It is, Yeah, but that's where they're going.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
And you know, I again, I think the only true
way they could factor into the Steelers' plans is if
they somehow are ten and seven and the Steelers are
ten and seven and thinking wild card, because that's the
only team head to head. But so much would have
to happen, including the Colts winning two games for that
to be a scenario we concluded yesterday Max that it's
(34:26):
win the division, right, that's what you got to do.
Win the division that gets you into the playoffs. And
if you don't win the division, you're probably gonna have
a hard time getting in.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
The playoffs because you know, giving up games to the Chargers,
you don't have that head to head value there in
front of you. Jacksonville is one of those tricky ones
because yes, you haven't went over the Colts, but if
Jacksonville beatsa there's no tiebreaker there because you didn't play
(34:56):
of this year. And you know, I'm trying to think
of who else in fact, and then the Texas. You
didn't play the Texans, but yet common opponent Texas absolutely
boat raced Baltimore, so and you barely want to get Baltimore.
So maybe that edge still goes to the Texans in
(35:19):
that moment as well. So you know, that's where it's
going to be kind of crazy to think. And then
you know that's your main kind of pool is you
lost to the Chargers and you haven't played any of
the other teams that are up there, and it's between
(35:42):
you know, we'll see what happens. Charges Broncos. But I
think you know, the Broncos right now are sitting at
a very comfortable position. Them and the Patriots are tied
for their records. They only have two losses a piece,
so so you have that and I don't think that.
So I think that's where the Charges cover to play
(36:03):
as a wildcard team. And like I said, Jacksonville Houston, however,
you want to parse it up like they're right there
in that hunt mixed territory of being actual playoff team.
And then in the hunt has you know, has Buffalo
who you lost to, so you don't definitely don't want
Buffalo jumping back into it. You you also have the Ravens,
(36:27):
who you've eaten once, still got another time you got
seat them at the end of the year. And then
then that's where your Dolphins fall in, right there in
that range with them. So you know, that's why this
game is so important. You beat them, you effectively knock
them out of the race. And you also don't have
(36:48):
the threat of them being able to be Elite Frog
if you lose to them and you are coming down
to that seventh seed. You don't want that division supremacyts
division domination presees all of that. So that's why you
gotta win these games, so you don't leave it up
to chance or something arbitrary. Is worried about how many
(37:09):
rocks were in their shoes, you know, five weeks ago.
You know what I'm saying. Like that, that's that's where
you get into those type of type of scenarios that
in the in game scenarios, and that's where it starts
to get rough and semantics. So just make it easy.
Just win, and then you went to your division, your
your secure spot. You get a willy want a golden
(37:30):
take it to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
It's exactly right. Will we want to let us in? Man?
Come on, Uh, students have to take a big game.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Come again, plugged worth any any any insider stuff? Okay,
come on?
Speaker 2 (37:43):
So uh the uh the Students and Dolphins matchup. We're
gonna be breaking that down at considerable length over the
next couple of days. Wex is gonna be joining us.
We've already kind of started to outline who the Dolphins
are and what they're all about as they get ready
to take on the Steelers on Monday night here at
Akroshuer Stadium in Pittsburgh. I want to remind you you
can gear up with the latest game they necessities at
(38:03):
the official Students Pro shops.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
Maybe get something warm, Maybe think warm.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Get the latest Sideline apparel, jerseys, Terrible towels, authentic memorabilia
and custom exclusives that you can only find directly from
the team. Visit one of the official Students Pro shops
located at Akrosher Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets or Tanger Outlets.
Or gear up online of Shop dot Studers dot com.
Get it direct from the team at the Steers Pro
Shop at Shop dot steerers dot com.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
Back with more in the Locker Room.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the Students Pro
Shop on Students Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
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 (39:01):
And thank you very much for being with us in
the locker room alongside Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
I'm Rob King. You know, Max, I have to ask
you why teams like the.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Dolphins struggle so much in cold weather?
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Why is that?
Speaker 2 (39:20):
I mean, you are from Orlando, you played at the
University of Florida. I don't know if you guys had
too many cold weather games. Is it that big of
a shock to the system. So Tua is now one
in seven, having just finally won a game that was
below forty six degrees, and they've lost a number of
(39:45):
games in which the temperatures below forty It's going to
be far colder than that. But as a Florida guy
who played at Florida, was it that big of a
shocker to play in the cold? I mean, obviously you
wind up playing for the Steelers. A lot of these
guys aren't from my you know, they're not from Florida
playing for the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
They've played in cold weather before. Why do you think
it is.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
Well, I think it it comes out of like acclamation, right,
I mean, you know for the Miami Doghins. I mean
you're in Miami year round, so fifties sixties is windbreaker,
and you know, heavier coat weather down there, always sunshine,
always breezy. Not a lot of adverse weather unless you're
(40:32):
talking about like thunderstorms and hurricanes. Right, Once again, nothing
that drops the weather significantly, like playing up north and
for them where you're so used to that humidity, you're
used to that type of weather. It's it's an advantage
(40:53):
when northern teams come down there to Miami and have
to play in that weather. Right, there's hot, sticky, muggy,
and just intense heat wise. The opposite is when you
go up north in the wintertime in December and for
the Dolphins day, just there's no way to simulate it
(41:16):
for them, right, I mean, at least in a cold weathertown,
you can. You can go into the indoor facility. You
can simulate the weather if you close the doors or
let it heat up for a while, and you can
get ready to combat a heat. But the problem is
when it's cold, it is cold, and if you're used
to loose muscles or the game warming you up, Yeah,
(41:38):
the only way you're gonna do that is if you
just stay in like a hot tub the entire time. Right,
And the last time I checked, they don't put hot
tubs on the sideline for football games, So I really
think that's just an acclamation type of deal. Now for me,
I came up there, but also I came to Pittsburgh
in the summer and then and transitioned into the cold
(42:03):
right over the course of the season. And so when
you kind of do that, it yields a little bit
better results from everyone involved, right, I mean, and I
think that's where Miami has struggled, like you know, and
this is one of those things. It goes back well
before this iteration of them, but we're talking about even
(42:27):
you know, other teams in the state of Florida, not
just them, but.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Horrible records, horrible for years.
Speaker 4 (42:36):
And it's still not great either. But you know, that's
just kind of what happens when you're a warm weather team,
or you're a dome team that then plays outside, right
like if like the Viking's going on the road, you know,
and and having to deal with that New Orleans Saints
when it gets cold and they're outside. You know, those
(42:58):
are just some of the famous ones, I think. But yeah,
it's one of those things where you play in elements
you're not used to. It is a rough transition because
you haven't experienced it. There's no way to rep it
or simulate it. And you get out there, and you know,
you don't know what you're doing, and you're very quick
to say, oh man, it's super cold out here today. Yeah. Right,
(43:21):
you start making.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
Up really quick, you know, and I guess you know
part of me. So so just think about this.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
If you're you know, you're listening to this and you're
not an NFL player, and that's.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
Probably most of you.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
Right, forty degrees rolls around in Miami in November, you've
had kind of a warm like this year, we had
kind of a warm year, and all of a sudden,
the temperature just plummeted and it gets into your bones. Now,
take that same forty degree day in March when it's
been freezing cold, and I mean you're you're walking around
the T shirt on, you know, because you're so used
(43:56):
to the cold that forty degrees feels warm, whereas several
months before, you've been so used to the warm that
forty degrees feels cold. So you can understand that. I
just you know, I it's interesting because you know, you
think about the Dolphins in particular, and a lot of
those games, not all they go up and they play
the Jets, and they play New England and those teams
haven't always been good, but you know, you play Buffalo,
(44:19):
that's probably a loss, you know, the last several years,
that's a loss of no matter what the weather is.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
Up in Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
But there does appear to be something to this less
than forty degrees.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
That isn't just the.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Opponents, it's the acclamation process, right, and you are right.
I mean, you know, if the students are going down
to play Miami in September, we're asking the same questions
about how's the heat can affect you, how's the humidity
going to affect you?
Speaker 3 (44:43):
And those sort of things.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
Yep, I mean, and that's just kind of the case
of it. You know, until you can, you know, for
better intentsive purposes, standardize the venues that the NFL like
this is what you're gonna get, right and tea and
teams have a choice and have an option, and a
(45:06):
lot of teams opt to want to have a non dome.
They want, you know, for for autism purposes, natural grass
out there if they can help it down. There's a
couple of teams that necessity yields them to put the
turf out. But it's something that you do take into account.
Speaker 8 (45:26):
You know, and if dome versus open real versus artificial
hot versus cold that you know, there's all these different elements,
but like regionality really matters about how you're equipped.
Speaker 4 (45:43):
I mean, you think about the AFC North and you
know you're you're closer to cold weather, especially Cleveland because
you're right there on a great lake.
Speaker 9 (45:53):
But yeah, that's why there's there's a frosty glass only
you know, around certain places, and and the access is
different because you're in a different environment, that's right, And
it can be advantageous for the home team, which is
you know, what you're trying to create, trying to create
(46:13):
what is my home team advantage?
Speaker 4 (46:15):
You know? Is it? Is it weather? You know, geographic location,
is it time of year that you play US fans
and how the fan sentiment is around it? Those are
all factors into that success.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (46:31):
And this is a factor that the Dolphins are gonna
have to be dealing with when it's expected to be
eighteen degrees and Monday Night Football eighteen degrees and two
zero to six, when it's under forty in an NFL game.
So that's something that hopefully the students can use to
their advantage coming up next Jim Wexel is going to
be joining us. It's a Wednesday with wex hump Day
(46:52):
headlines with Wexel when we continue in the locker room,
present of our Neighborhood for Word Store and the Students
Pro Shop on Students Nation Radio, part of the Steelers
Audi Your Network.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!