November 10, 2025 • 48 mins
Rob and Max share their thoughts and reactions to a very tough loss suffered by the Steelers Sunday night in Los Angeles.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
This is in the locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one P 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 Sweet.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
This is Darius Davis and Davis is hitting it.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
He is upended by James Pierre and slammed to the
turf at Sofi Stadium and the towels are out and waving.
The Pittsburgh fans love that tackle. Yeah, there was a
lot of Steelers fans there, Thanks for being with us
in the locker room, and a lot of them, you know,
early on in the second half, Max some opportunities to
(00:52):
get you know, cheering and waving the towels and a
little bit of hope after a not very good first half.
But unfortunately the Steelers followed up are not very first
half of the not very good second half and wind
up losing by the final score of twenty five to ten.
I know you are still in la I am back
in Pittsburgh, justin Miller's at the Controls and our Heart
(01:13):
Studios who are bringing you today's show following up a
very very disappointing loss last night.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Yeah, and when you think about just how this game
went down, it was just yeah, there were there was there.
There was so much build up for this, There was
so much excitement, anticipation, opportunity that could have went kinger,
(01:52):
that could have went in the Steelers face because this
was a huge game. Yep, big game RECORDO teams are
needing this victory. One team is leading their division, the
other ones right there in the hunt. They were leading
it for the first part of this season, and one
(02:15):
game behind the team that overtook them in the Denver Broncos. Right,
but this is a team that was three to zero
in the division to start the season.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So this was a titanic matchup of the week, you know,
in the NFL, this.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Was one of the hot games that was going to
be played. And two teams very similarly matched. Two teams
that want to run the ball effectively and I want
to use that to set up their play action pass
and their passing game.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Too.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Very tenacious, eager, blitzing, sacking type of defenses. And you know,
there's there's a team that you know has always these
games have always been closer games than you anticipate. And man,
(03:21):
this game, you know had, you know, had all the
makings of a historic game, and it ended up being historic,
but not not in the way that you would think
it to be historic. But man, I mean, I'm just
I'm still trying to figure it out. You know, this
(03:45):
team was down multiple starters and having to bring in
multiple guys, you know, to replace Repleinish restock your team,
and at a lot of positions where they're the covered
(04:05):
is pretty dog on bear. They just the Steelers did
not answer the call. It was there for the taking,
That victory was there for the taking, and the Steelers
office just could not get it together for whatever reason.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
And I know Aaron last night, you know, got on.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
The podium and you know he wore it like a
leader should. Right to whom much is given, much is expected.
And quarterback has a high boom, high high risk, high
reward aspect and component to it. And he took it
(04:47):
on the gin right. You know, he stood there, delivered
and said, hey, listen, I was not doing my best.
I did not get the ball down on a I
loved them, you know, I was off our receivers were off,
but you know, it ultimately falls down on me, And yeah,
(05:10):
it sucks to put that performance out there. And I
mean I can't blame him. I can't fault him. I mean,
you know, I just kicked the cap. But you know,
it's still still kind of unfathomable that they lost the game,
and to that degree score wise, that they lost the game.
(05:32):
Don't let the twenty five to ten fool you. That
was a twenty five to three game that that last
touchdown came and in those waning moments and teams already
knew the game was in hand, So it wasn't a
competitive ten points. Three of those points of those ten
(05:53):
points were competitive.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
But yeah, no, I mean feast or.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Famine, you know, not only for the devas, but for
the offense as well.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah. You know, there's the word.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
It's a couple of words put together for one word lackluster.
And this game lacked luster from an offensive perspective. It
was truly a lackluster performance because it just nothing happened offensively.
And Max, you know, I think that this year's effectiveness
(06:29):
against the Jets putting up big points, effectiveness against the
Bengals putting up big points. The ability to capitalize on
turnovers and do what is necessary to score the necessary
points to win the game might have been masking. You know,
(06:49):
a glaring stat in one of these stats you kind
of look at with your eyebrow raised and think, hmm,
you know, hopefully this is this is not something that's
going to haunt the Steelers, and that is the number
of three and outs, the percentages of three and outs,
and the Steelers being among the highest teams offensively to
(07:11):
go three and out. I thought that was a big
part of their issues at the end of last year.
You know, you start the Eagles game with five consecutive
three and outs, so that when you battle back in
late in the game and you get the Naja Harris
fumble and you're down a touchdown, the defense is gassed,
(07:33):
by the way. That's one problem. The other problem is
the other guys get paid too. They're pretty good. And
whether you're whether it's because your defense is gassed and
can't make the splash plays, whether it's because you're not
ahead because you've been going three and out and you
can't dictate terms to the other team. And even though
(07:53):
the Steelers sacked Justin Herbert five times. They didn't dictate
terms to Justin Herbert. They didn't make him desperate, and
therefore they didn't turn him over. That's not the only
way you turn teams over, but it is certainly a
big component of why you turn teams over. Because they
are desperate. You get to the quarterback, you get the
strip sack. He's got a hold of a beat longer
(08:14):
to make a play down the field because he's desperate,
and you make plays in that regard, you know. So
what I'm referring to is he's three and outs and
there you just you can't have them. And they were
an issue last year and it's it's an issue this year.
They've been able to get around for the most part.
They were five and three coming into this game. They're
(08:35):
still in first place in the AFC North. And you know,
Aaron Rodgers said it after the game last night, They've
got to find a way. I thought his postgame comments,
by the way, right on board, right on the nail
or the nail right in the head. We're all a
little groggy today. They I don't he's you know, he's asked,
did you step up into some sacks? He said, I
(08:55):
don't know. I got to look at the film and
and you know what, that's what it felt like. Maybe
once or twice, but I would have to look at
the film before I definitively made that that assessment. Receivers
weren't open a lot. I didn't see a lot of
guys running free. He's got to be sharper, for sure.
I think that's probably number one. And I think that
(09:16):
he kind of said that too, like this is not
I think Aaron Rodgers has been fantastic all season long,
I mean just excellent. Last night wasn't his best, but
nobody helped him out either. And when I say nobody
helped him out, I don't think the offensive line helped
him out. We you know, receivers had catches they could
have made and didn't, So I don't think they helped
him out. Regardless of you know, pointing fingers and you know,
(09:41):
blame or whatever. Just go back to the draw. They've
got to find a way, Max to get more first downs.
They just have to. They cannot keep going three and.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Out, No they can't.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
They can't.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
I mean it is it's feast or famine, you know
for this offense, and you can't be in that world
where it's scarcity, where it's a buffet, you can't. You can't,
can't live in those places.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Trust me.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
You know I've experienced that. You know, you know you
can't sit there and just rely on somebody else to
do it, I think. And that's the other thing I
think that makes this like everybody's waiting for somebody else
to make a play. Go make it yourself. Don't look
for somebody else to do it. When given the opportunity,
you've got to snatch it.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
And man, I.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Mean I listen, I get it, you know, hey, listen
two to tango right. You know, if a quarterbacks going
to pass, he obviously has to pass it successfully and
put it in a place where the receiver can go
get it, and vice versa. The receiver has to be
in a position to catch it and run with the quarterback.
It's thinking they're supposed to be running in that freestyle
it and be able to get to the sticks.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
However that looks, And so.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
You know, I was just I was just frustrated. I
couldn't believe they went oh for nine kinger before they
got their first third down conversion.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Yep, that's the problem that that right there. If you
clean that up.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
That changes about sixty percent of your issues right there.
That's because it's staining the ball, sustaining the drive right,
and sustaining the momentum.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
And they they they never had momentum in this game.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
They had the opportunity to have momentum several times. Yes, yes,
And that's what's difficult. You know, we were we talk
about this a lot, and it just feels like every
game hinges on a few plays, even twenty five to ten,
(11:59):
even lopsided. And you're right, this was more like twenty
five to three than twenty five to ten. You know,
they eked out a late touchdown and you know, as
they call it in garbage time. You know, I'm sure
Bowman Wilson doesn't feel that well. I'm sure he's glad
he got in the end zone. But you know, this
was a twenty five to three loss. This is a
twenty You got beat by three touchdowns. But man, oh man,
(12:21):
you know the throw across the field to DK Metcalf,
if you hit that one, you know, if you catch
John hu Smith with the ball a little bit lower,
maybe he turns around and sprints into the end zone there,
maybe you have fourteen points. On the board. Maybe you,
you know, begin to dictate to the Chargers what they
(12:41):
have to do and be able to make those plays.
Even going back to the Packers game, I mean, I
think that the Packers game hinged on a couple of plays. Now,
you don't get an off side call, and in this game,
you didn't get a pass interference call with James on Metcalf. Okay,
that happens. You didn't get the off side call in
(13:04):
the game against the Packers, and yet Aaron Rodgers threw
the ball down the field. Then Roman Wilson had an
opportunity to make a tough catch, but a catch, and
you didn't make it. You know, like in this game,
you had an opportunity to make catches. Was Aaron Rodgers sharp? No,
But can maybe you make some plays for him once
in a while? Yeah, you know, So the Packers game,
you don't get that call, you don't make the catch.
(13:24):
That's one play. And then that you know, lofted ball
up the right sideline just you know, on a third
and long, one of the few times they got to
love and hit him. Then Craft makes the fifty nine
yard play Like that changed the momentum completely. Those two
plays completely changed the momentum. The Steelers had the chance
to seize the momentum a couple of times last night
(13:44):
and just couldn't do it. They just they just didn't
do it. And you know, I'm I'm laying this one,
you know, but I was asked on the DV Morning
Show about the defense. I thought the defense was fine, Max,
I thought they did a fine job. You come up
with five sacks in a game, probably gonna win most
of those games. It just the offense has got to
find a way to play that complimentary football if I'm looking.
(14:07):
You know, we're not trying to play the blame game
here necessarily because it's a team game. But man, they've
just got to find a way to make some plays
and they've got to find a way to keep some
drives going.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Yeah. No, I completely agree.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
And like you said, I mean, it wasn't it wasn't
lights out by the defense, but the lights were dimmed
really low.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Yeah, you know that's right, it right?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
I mean effort, Yeah, yeah, I mean there was some right.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Yeah, you gave him a couple explosive runs, but still
held the guy under one hundred yards in Kamani Vidal,
you did give up one hundred yard receiver in lab McConkie.
But that fifty eight yarder, you know, it was literally
over half of his yards on that one play, and
you know it did you did?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
You kind of?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
You lose Darius Lay at the course of this game,
You lose Joey Porter for a little bit. Luckily he
comes back, but you know, you bounce the patrician throughout
the game.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
I thought they fought, they battled.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
They you know, they allowed two total touchdowns and the
one in the second half.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Really was a tough one.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
And that was just being tired at that point because
you'd been on the field almost twenty five minutes of
that game where the Steelers were only able to muster
twenty two total minutes, and you know it was like, hey,
offense did not help us. We have room, you know
(15:28):
for for a little bit more improvement. But I thought
it was good enough to win the game. The offense
was matching their energy and was able to come up.
I think you actually could have made elevated your defense,
right because if they're playing well, at least the other
side play you're getting. I mean, they got here's the thing.
(15:50):
The Steelers got good field position that was the other thing.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Rob. It wasn't like we were pinned on our own
sixth all night.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Like we got mid issue field positioning on multiple occasions,
and even when we started like still had an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
But guys like you said there has to be.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Separation in the receiving corps, there was no separation to night.
They were able to hang with every receiver stride for
stride and the one where the one with Calvin Austin
that had the separation just a little bit underthrown was
(16:33):
just a microcosm of the entire night. And it's my assessment.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
You think about that play, right, and you know he's
got a yard and a half a separation, and it's
not the easiest throw in the world. You know, it's
a long flag pattern towards the sideline. That's not the
easiest throw in the world. But Aaron Rodgers is the
best throw over football I've ever seen, and he probably
makes that throw more often than he does right, and
(17:01):
then and then flipped that and then that I believe
it was on the touchdown drive. I know it was
on a scoring drive for the Chargers, but I think
it was on the touchdown drive. You know, you need
one more stop. You're desperate, you have to have a stop.
And it was a third down play. There was the
mconkey play of fifty eight yards. Eccles was right with him,
McConkey was not open, and the ball whistled right past
(17:23):
eckles ear and McConkie was able to hang on to it.
I think it was Eckles who was in coverage on
that play, and it was great coverage. And they hit
that play and it's fifty eight yards and they wind
up scoring a touchdown. This year's missed the other play
by you know, a foot right. That ball is a
foot further thrown. Calvin Austin makes the grab. I think
(17:44):
he probably goes out of bounds there but still has
the catch and and and you know you have the
ball deep in charges territory. It was just it was
frustrating to watch. And you know, again, the coverage on
McConkie was outstanding and they still made a play. And
on the other side to see this couldn't make a play.
It was it was. It was a tough watch last night.
It was really a tough watch.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
No, I mean I can't even tough as being kind,
you know, I mean I mean they were both we
were just staring at each other, right, you know it
was it wasn't a good stare, No, it was it was.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
It was. It was.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
It was that it was that, you know, it's Scooby
Doo when they when they get to the Haunted House.
Type of scare, you know, pre pre Scooby snacks, you know, it.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
Was type of scare.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Yeah, there was pure fear.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
You know, we had our in all uh, in all fairness,
to let people know we did have our Scooby snacks.
We went out and got we had a little box
of chocolate M and M peanut covered m and ms,
and we put it on the sill of the press
box and we said, when the Steelers get it going,
we're gonna bust that open and we're gonna keep the
(19:04):
mojo going. And and you know what, as far as
I know, that box is still sitting in that press box, unopened.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
And I sat there afterwards when I did the post
game hit, and I made sure I just stared at
the box.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
No, Scoop, I didn't move it.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Yeah, we didn't earn the Scooby snack, no, you know,
and who would have know? We might have needed a scrappy.
Do we needed a scrappy.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Oh no, you never did, dude, you never need scrappy
dear never, yeah, never, He's never needed.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
I mean, but you need somebody to start the action, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
But that's when Scooby jumped. They jumped the shark. It's crappy,
I think.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
I mean, yeah, they did, they did, but I mean,
but we did. We never found Shaggy, you know. There
there was definitely no Fred or Wilma. Uh you know
that was there or Vilma.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
I'm sorry Vilma. That Wilma. Yeah, a flint stone. But
I mean but that's kind of where we were, right.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It was just it was it was one of those
things that I looked at it and you know, nobody
really I mean, you get like they took ownership retroactively
and when things went wrong the blame, but nobody took
the initiative to say, no, we're not gonna take this.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
I think Jalen Warren kind of did.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I was going to say that.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
Yeah, I mean, but you know, you could only do
as much as they allow you to do, right, you know,
if you don't get the ball put in your gut
or they don't tap past you the ball. There's only
such you could do. And I thought he made the
most out of every opportunity, but.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
It was just.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
It felt flat, It felt uninspired, and Mike, and Mike
Tomlin was very fired up. I mean he was disappointed,
and you know, it was the first time in a
while I've heard coach tomain, you know, kind of upset
because he knew what his team was and he knew
the capable You just turned down the number one offense
(21:06):
in the league a week ago and you beat them
handedly with a less than stellar performance.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
And he wasn't asking for Steller.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
He wanted less than stellar at the minimum, because this
team was capable of it. This team was capable of
winning tough games, tight games, close games, and we just
never quite got out the starting blocks.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I mean, you just think about it.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
The past field goal was a fifty nine yarder and
they got the ball to start that drive on their
own forty seven yard line and they literally moved it.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Not even ten yards.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Yeah, they didn't pick up a first down.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
They didn't pick up a first because we did not
pick up a first We only had one first down
the entire first half.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
That's crazy, absolutely crazy.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
Just zero first downs in the entire first quarter and
we tested U ball I think three times in that quarter.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yep, not not the performances students wanted, clearly, very disappointing
loss and what was a very big game. And now
you look up, you're only a game ahead of the Ravens.
We're gonna get to our AFC recap. Of course, we
have plenty more to talk about with this game as well.
As the Students go down to defeat to the Chargers
(22:40):
on Sunday Night Football by the final score of twenty
five to ten, hey can geared up with the latest
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(23:02):
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Back in the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood Ford
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Nation Radio a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
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 (23:43):
And thanks for being back with us in the locker room.
As we uh oh boy, we don't want to We
don't want to keep talking about this one for too
much longer, although I know fans want to vent their frustrations.
And you know, after the game, Aaron Rodgers just said,
the team, you know, energy, and a team can be
(24:05):
made to lack energy, to look like they lack energy
or feel like they lack energy by either their own
ineptitude or by something that the opponent is doing. And
I do think, you know, Mike tom Win always starts
out saying, Hey, credit the other team, and credit the
game plan and all that stuff, and I do think
there's truth to it. I think one of the things
(24:26):
that makes the Chargers defense effective and it's not you know,
a blistering in your face incredible defense. They have Derwin James.
We talked about, you know, ad infinitum last week and
what a great player he was, although it didn't feel
like he had a huge impact on this game, but
their ability to rush for and not have to blitz.
(24:50):
You know, we talked about guys not being open. Well,
when you bring four and you get pressure, there's not
a lot of room back there. When they're seven, guys
drop back, so you don't have a lot of time
to throw. And that was the case I thought for
Aaron Rodgers last night. And they're bringing four and they're
(25:11):
getting pressure, that's tough.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
You know.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
The Steelers have one of the highest percentages, I think
it was number two in the league of six bringing
six in pressure and that's part of helping them to
get home. They get home with four two, but they
bring six and disrupt timing and Chargers don't do that.
They vary very rarely. They only bring six three percent
(25:34):
of the time, the lowest percentage in the NFL. And
rushing six and when you can get home with four
and they came in with you know, a solid number
of sacks and pressures and that sort of things, and
some talented guys. When you can do that and drop seven,
that's gonna make you look lackluster. It's gonna make you
look like you lack energy. And I think that the charge,
(25:58):
you know, certainly the Steelers not being able to convert
some opportunities that they had. There were opportunities, but just
the fact that you go back and there's nobody open
and now the pocket is kind of crumbling around you.
It makes it look like you're playing without energy because
you can't find that spark to get you going.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah, because Mike Thomas at halftime like they were playing
like they were like they were like they were working
out on the beach or running on the beach or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Running, yeah, running on the beach, right.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Yeah, like they were running on the beach. I was
trying to remember exactly what Missy said.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Yeah, yeah, and it spot on, right, spot on.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
That was exactly what it felt like, you know, because
we were watching them kind of be in slow motion,
and you know, that was a half of football where
no drives were sustained, no drives were brought the first downs,
no drives were even in like the threatening zone, you
know what I'm saying, Kinger, And that was what was
(27:00):
just immensely frustrating because you know, if anything, you know, yeah,
our numbers eye popping offensively as far as yards game, no,
you know what like eighteenth in the league or something
like that, and that was just kind of a microcosmonist game.
It would just happen to be a tight game, but
(27:23):
they could get nothing going. And you said, the Chargers
pass rush, you know, was in question. I mean they
had to trade for a Dafa oh way to get
another body in that rotation. And you know, Khalil Mack
wasn't having this high production day. I mean the one
guy that was having a high production day that you
(27:44):
know added to that in the end was was tu
Ley two y Polow to the rookie.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
And you know.
Speaker 4 (27:56):
It's like, but man, where was everybody else? Offensively? They
were getting pushed around, they were getting out physical. You know,
Tierre Tart, you know, was able to get in the
backfield and affect some of the run plays and definitely
the pass pressure. And not to take anything away from
(28:22):
you know, Bud Dupree and and Khalil Mack and all
these other guys, But I mean, Khalil Mack has been
a league a long time, been a league a long time, and.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Then did not have.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
You know, a lot of success as of late, you know,
since the post Joey Bosa trade. And they're like, okay,
I mean he's got a couple of sacks, but really
start the momentum on that second drive and you're backed
up football, Aaron tries to retreat, gets hit, ball fumbled,
(29:02):
he falls on it. It happens to be in the
LA end zone. And I mean, granted, hey, he prevented
seven from happening, but you gave up two in the process.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
So you'd say, you know, kudos.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Steelers for being at plus five on that play, potentially
five less you know, five less points you gave up.
But I mean there was just zero fight and a
lot of that and I and I get you know,
you're you're not in your traditional situation, right, you know,
Isaac ci Amalu is out. Well, you did have to
(29:38):
use Spencer Anderson. You always know the next play that
he wasn't going to be in. He had to sit
out and then he would come back in and reassume
the right guard role. Left guard I would love the pressure. Yeah,
I'm sorry, Yeah, the guard role. And you know he would,
he would, he would, he would do admirably. But sometimes
(30:01):
a situational you know, a guy like Andrews Pete thinking
about if you don't run that jumbo package gimmick at
the beginning of it, you don't get the five yard
loss from a false start by Andrews Pete who hadn't
played all season, right, and maybe you stay on track
(30:21):
for that first drive, but maybe that changes everything. Obviously
there's a lot to hinge on one play, but you
just wonder did that add to the lack of self
confidence as the game progressed and trying to fight from
behind literally and figuratively mentally. They couldn't fight themselves out
(30:44):
of the slow start yet again. And I guess you
gotta get through that top fifteen play call sheet. But man,
it's like, if we could have just been been og style,
put two tight ends out there. You got Jonath Smith,
you got Pat Bridle, both willing blockers, or Connor Heyward
(31:06):
if you if you just want somebody to just to
hammer but to go with that, think he is going
to work. And then, like I said, it doesn't work.
And then you don't see the adjustment off of it
that makes it tough.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Yeah, I mean we both thought that. Well, I shouldn't
speak for you. I certainly thought we were kind of
asking the question, Hey, who's going to be who's going
to be the guy in on the jumbo set? Right?
And we figured maybe Rob McCollum, maybe Andres Pete. Well,
they decided to go in a different direction with that, and.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
I thought, I thought Calvin Anderson too.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Right, could be Calvin Anderson. They wind they wound up
doing you know, the mixing and matching thing that you're
talking about. You put you bring Spencer Anderson in, he's eligible,
then he has to go out for a play right
before you can put him in at left guard. So
that's two plays in a row. He's not playing left guard.
And I understand that jumbo package has been effective and
(32:04):
you're trying to weigh you know, Okay, we want to
keep the jumbo package. Spencer Anderson has been a big
part of that. It has been a very very effective
weapon for us. But that's with Isaac ciamala win. So
what's your best way to do that moving forward? Get
somebody else ready for the jumbo package? Do what they
did last night. I don't know whether they'll reassess that
(32:26):
whether Isaac cmala is going to be out for another week,
but you know that that just you know, it wasn't.
It didn't. The approach they used there did not. I
don't think give them the results they were hoping for.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
No I would a kicker would. I would exactly say
that it did not. And you do need to reassess
how that is. So, I mean for Isaac ciamalo, is
he injured or is he hurt? There's two different ways
of looking at that, and.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
You know you have to find a longer term fixed
for that.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
What is more important Spencer Anderson playing a lot of
reps at his natural position, which is a guard in
this team, because that's what he did all preseason when
I think was given you know, the rest, as a
lot of vets did on the Steelers squad during the preseason,
(33:31):
or you know, do you get somebody else ready? Because
the Spencer Anderson run game or jumbo package equivalent is
more valuable for the continuity of explosives because you have
to think that he when he's in there are explosive
(33:54):
plays that happen more often than not as opposed to, man,
I just really wanted to run this once and then
you know, sit Spencer Anderson down, you know, until it
was time for him to go in, and.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
He's already in game. Now he has to.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
Step out the huddle, declare himself, get back in the huddle,
and I was going to a different position. And then
the max they ran that was two times in a row,
just because they're like, man, we don't want to make
this opportunity waste away, so we got to run it
back to back and then he's still gonna have to
sit out for playing before coming in. So that was
(34:36):
just it's a lot of thinking for Arthur Smith, a
lot of thinking for this offense about how they can
evolve with the absence of literally one guy and the
value of the other guy coming in for him because
he has he has dual roles, and that's that's something
(34:56):
I hope they get figured out, you know, as the
coaches watch tape, as they review this and get prepared
to deliver that to the team today. Like you know,
we always call this detail of the good to bad
and the ugly, right, well, how do we erase bad
and ugly and just get nothing but good?
Speaker 3 (35:17):
Out of it.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
It's it's something that I just they're gonna have to
think about it, and they're gonna have to be really
intentional about changing, adjusting or moving forward in some type
of way with it. That's just it has to happen, because, well,
you have a performance that literally had not happened in
(35:43):
a regular season game since the NFL merger, And the
last time we hit all of these lows was technically
we forced another team to do it, and the Minnesota
Vikings is Super Bowl nine.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
So those numbers are just so people understand what you're
referring to the Steelers. This came from we saw it
on the internet last night and we're talking about it.
The Steelers are the first team, according to the statistic,
to allow a safety miss a field goal, have a
minus free or worst turnover margin, have under seventy five
(36:23):
yards rushing, have under one hundred and fifty net yards
passing in the same game, regular season or postseason since Now,
warm up those warm memories right now for you. Super
Bowl nine, when the Steelers did that to the Vikings,
when the first points YEA scored in NFL and Steelers'
Super Bowl history was Dwight White right coming off the
(36:46):
sick bed and getting the safety against the Vikings. It's
and you know, you think of a dominant defensive effort
by the Steelers, and that was a dominant defensive effort
by the Steelers. I didn't I thought it was a
good defensive performance by the Chargers. I didn't think it
was dominant. I think the Steelers. I think it was
(37:07):
a combination of the Chargers played well Max, and the
Steelers just just didn't. They just didn't.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Yeah, and the Chargers played well in spurts.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
It wasn't a consistent effort by the chart because you
have to remember at the end of the first half,
there was only one third down conversion and it was
it was it was the Chargers, and you know, going
into the red zone they got they got turned away
(37:42):
once and then you know when the lat McConkey touchdown
happened at the end of the first half, he was
outside of the red zone. And so you know, the
defense would hold on first down, would hold on second
and so just like you know most of the year,
like they were turning away on third down for the
most for the most part, and they were dealing with
(38:05):
less than ideal field position. For a majority of those
you know, startup drive type of plays, but that was
one that you.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Just sat there.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
He's just like, man, okay, defense is holding up. I
mean there's an opportunity, there's a window. Guys, we just
need to drive the ball down the field. And the
ball never drove downfield, whether it was an overthrow and underthrow,
whether it hit the guy in the hands, they dropped it,
tried to double catch it. You were trying to find
some little spark to just get it to go right
(38:42):
for them. Like that was one of those that was
like the Murphy's law, right, you know, anything wrong, anything
that can't go wrong will go wrong. And that's what
I felt like it was Washington Steelers offense last night.
It was all the culmination of all the bad plays
that they had ran a huge relatively over this season
as an offense like came and just super concentrated itself
(39:06):
within this game. And I would like to think that
the front wasn't that original, it wasn't that stimy, but
they just couldn't keep a hat on.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
A hat and the man looked on the first level.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
And when they did rush, they had a rush plan
and our tackles did not have a rush plan, it
looked like. And that was very frustrating to watch because
you're used to them a individually adjusting but be nationally
adjusting deal with the flow of the game, and they
just kind of, we have our cult sheet and that's
(39:40):
what we're going to run, not really left up to interpretation,
just it is what it is. And that was just
You're like, man, because how many I can't remember the
average down in distance.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
I want to say it was like third and six
was the average.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
But they had a couple of third and two, third
and ones mixed in their Kinger.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
Yeah, it there was an opportunity there for them.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
It's uh, it was a just again you hope and
we'll look around in the league a little bit. You
hope that this was just one of those games. Unfortunately,
you know, there there have been you know, trends that
I don't think were really trends, right, things that were well,
(40:30):
look at the defense. You gave up all these points
in the Bengals, and you gave up all these points
to the Packers. Yeah you did, but I think they
were mitigating circumstances in both those games. I didn't feel
like I thought that the four games Prior to that,
they were starting to establish a positive trend as far
as what they were doing defensively and what they were
doing offensively. But I think underlying in this trend, uh
(40:53):
if for me, I'm going to call what I'm going
to call a trend is that, you know, the Steelers
have got to find a way to get more first downs.
And Aaron Rodgers said it last night, Mike Thomlins said
it last night. They've got to find more ways to
get first downs. It's really max that is if you
(41:15):
scrape everything away, and the offense has been opportunistic and everything,
and maybe that's masking some things, maybe that's hiding some things.
They've had a couple of explosive games and you score
more than thirty points, you're I don't know, I think
they were thirteenth in the league or eleventh in the league, whatever,
it was something along those lines in points per game
at twenty five point three coming in. But the underlying
(41:36):
issue has been they have too many three and outs,
too many of their drives and too quickly. And that's
something that's been there all season long and something that
needs This isn't a game to game thing. This isn't
a well, you know, uh, you know this game and
(41:56):
that game. You know, we didn't do this. That's been
in every game deal in which so it's not something
that is just a little mini trend. It's it's to me,
a season long thing. To students have got to find
a way to be better on third down than they've been.
Speaker 4 (42:10):
Well, and we talked about it right now. You had
to avoid the lull as an away team. You can't
you can't waste the first drive of the game, and
you can't waste the first drive in the second half,
like those have to be your We've got to throw
our best stuff at them type of type of type
(42:31):
of drives because we got to re establish the momentum
in an awayte stadium, or we have to establish it
when it comes to the beginning of the game because
you get the ball first and they've just got as
good as they were at the beginning of the year.
Right we were having that we're tracking like before out
of five first game it was in a score on
(42:52):
the first opening drives and then you have the lull
like in the middle of the game, and then you
come roaring back in the in the fourth quarter. But
the problem was it was stagnant at the beginning and
it was staggnant at the end, and you have to
figure out those in.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Between times as well.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
But usually you should have something scripted up for the
first time, and I thought that was where it was
just a giantic miscalculation on what was going to work,
what was going to play well for the squad against
this defense. And I don't know if you know, because
(43:33):
at the end of the day, players play coaches coach,
So you can overcome a bad play if you have
good players or you have locked in, focused players, but
you can't overcome a good play with you know, a
good play call with bad performance and execution. And that's
where they're at. I think they're they're in they're in
(43:54):
the bad execution zone.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Yeah, there's there's more to get to in that regard,
and we're going to get to it when we continue.
In the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store
and the Steelers Pro Shop on Stears Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
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 (44:43):
And it is a Monday, as I'm sure you are
no doubt aware, and with that in mind, we are
back to take your phone calls on Mondays. So I'm
sure there's going to be I talked about couplets of
words lackluster. The game lacked luster yesterday, so I thought
it was is you know, that's a good word to
(45:03):
describe it, lackluster. There there's gonna be some fans who
are disgruntled. I don't think we're gonna get many gruntled
fans today. I think we're gonna have some discgruntled fans
after what happened yesterday in a game that looked lackluster
because the Steelers just could not possessed the ball and
keep drives going and find any kind of spark.
Speaker 3 (45:27):
You know.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
One of the things that I think you know too
going into this game, the Chargers were minus four in
the turnover department to Steelers were plus eight. The Chargers
were susceptible the big returns, and when you look up
you know, because of the muff punt at the end
in particular, I think you have to go you have
to give the edge to special teams, to the chargers
(45:49):
that has been you know, there there's a chart. Matt
Williamson has his chart and he's such so great with
his stats, and he found this chart where you know,
it's like a graph, right, and where where do teams
rank well with the combined turnovers and special teams? The
students are way up in the top right hand corner
and the chargers are down in the bottom left hand corner.
(46:10):
And that's not the way it worked out yesterday. It's
not the way it worked.
Speaker 3 (46:15):
Now did that? Did that work that way? In?
Speaker 4 (46:18):
Like you said, we're used to be the one turning
guys over and finding a special team splash play, and
we didn't find it and they ended up finding it.
We usually get people too muffed or mess up, and
we were the ones that muffed and messed up. So
it was definitely a tables are turned table flip there
uh for for specialties, which is always solid. So I
(46:41):
know Danny Smith is pissed and he's gonna he's gonna
get it fixed immediately because that's not a hallmark. That's
not a trait that their Special Teas has had, and
they've been really good. Minus I think now two messed
up plays that Caleb Johnson kicked return decision that led
to a touchdow on the Seattle game, and then now
the muff punt that led to the touchdown and points
(47:05):
scored by the LA Chargers, you know, offense. So yeah,
it's it's not great, but I mean that's been one
of our more solid things, and you wonder if that's
due to injuries.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
No mouth killer brew.
Speaker 4 (47:26):
Your Special Teams Captain Peyton Wilson have an extended role
on top of his role on defense, you know, no
Deshaun Elliott, so that kind of hurts it too. And
you know guys playing extended roles, you know, whereas you
have an ace and James Pierre is a gunner, he
(47:46):
can't do that because he's he's the starting corner because
of the absence of Darius Slay. So you know, there's
a lot of elements we could point to it, but
no excuses.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
Next man up is kind of the.
Speaker 4 (47:56):
Mentality you have to have, and you got to play
Special Teams is all about effort and want to in
those moments, but you know, we don't have the right
energy to provide said effort. Maybe there's some things that
fall by the wayside, like it did last night.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
Our phone number is four one two three one six.
I'm sorry. Four one two nine one nine one three
one six four one two. There we go, nine one
nine one three one six. We're going to be getting
to your phone calls next hour. We still have our
AFC recap to look at, and UH and plenty to
(48:31):
get to, including our Steelers drive of the game, probably
only one that we can really look at there, but
still much to get to when we continue in the
locker room. Presented our Neighborhood, Ford Story and the Steers
Pro Shop on Steers Nation Radio, a part of the
Steelers Audio Network.
This is in the locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one P 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 Sweet.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
This is Darius Davis and Davis is hitting it.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
He is upended by James Pierre and slammed to the
turf at Sofi Stadium and the towels are out and waving.
The Pittsburgh fans love that tackle. Yeah, there was a
lot of Steelers fans there, Thanks for being with us
in the locker room, and a lot of them, you know,
early on in the second half, Max some opportunities to
(00:52):
get you know, cheering and waving the towels and a
little bit of hope after a not very good first half.
But unfortunately the Steelers followed up are not very first
half of the not very good second half and wind
up losing by the final score of twenty five to ten.
I know you are still in la I am back
in Pittsburgh, justin Miller's at the Controls and our Heart
(01:13):
Studios who are bringing you today's show following up a
very very disappointing loss last night.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Yeah, and when you think about just how this game
went down, it was just yeah, there were there was there.
There was so much build up for this, There was
so much excitement, anticipation, opportunity that could have went kinger,
(01:52):
that could have went in the Steelers face because this
was a huge game. Yep, big game RECORDO teams are
needing this victory. One team is leading their division, the
other ones right there in the hunt. They were leading
it for the first part of this season, and one
(02:15):
game behind the team that overtook them in the Denver Broncos. Right,
but this is a team that was three to zero
in the division to start the season.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So this was a titanic matchup of the week, you know,
in the NFL, this.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Was one of the hot games that was going to
be played. And two teams very similarly matched. Two teams
that want to run the ball effectively and I want
to use that to set up their play action pass
and their passing game.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Too.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Very tenacious, eager, blitzing, sacking type of defenses. And you know,
there's there's a team that you know has always these
games have always been closer games than you anticipate. And man,
(03:21):
this game, you know had, you know, had all the
makings of a historic game, and it ended up being historic,
but not not in the way that you would think
it to be historic. But man, I mean, I'm just
I'm still trying to figure it out. You know, this
(03:45):
team was down multiple starters and having to bring in
multiple guys, you know, to replace Repleinish restock your team,
and at a lot of positions where they're the covered
(04:05):
is pretty dog on bear. They just the Steelers did
not answer the call. It was there for the taking,
That victory was there for the taking, and the Steelers
office just could not get it together for whatever reason.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
And I know Aaron last night, you know, got on.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
The podium and you know he wore it like a
leader should. Right to whom much is given, much is expected.
And quarterback has a high boom, high high risk, high
reward aspect and component to it. And he took it
(04:47):
on the gin right. You know, he stood there, delivered
and said, hey, listen, I was not doing my best.
I did not get the ball down on a I
loved them, you know, I was off our receivers were off,
but you know, it ultimately falls down on me, And yeah,
(05:10):
it sucks to put that performance out there. And I
mean I can't blame him. I can't fault him. I mean,
you know, I just kicked the cap. But you know,
it's still still kind of unfathomable that they lost the game,
and to that degree score wise, that they lost the game.
(05:32):
Don't let the twenty five to ten fool you. That
was a twenty five to three game that that last
touchdown came and in those waning moments and teams already
knew the game was in hand, So it wasn't a
competitive ten points. Three of those points of those ten
(05:53):
points were competitive.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
But yeah, no, I mean feast or.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Famine, you know, not only for the devas, but for
the offense as well.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah. You know, there's the word.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
It's a couple of words put together for one word lackluster.
And this game lacked luster from an offensive perspective. It
was truly a lackluster performance because it just nothing happened offensively.
And Max, you know, I think that this year's effectiveness
(06:29):
against the Jets putting up big points, effectiveness against the
Bengals putting up big points. The ability to capitalize on
turnovers and do what is necessary to score the necessary
points to win the game might have been masking. You know,
(06:49):
a glaring stat in one of these stats you kind
of look at with your eyebrow raised and think, hmm,
you know, hopefully this is this is not something that's
going to haunt the Steelers, and that is the number
of three and outs, the percentages of three and outs,
and the Steelers being among the highest teams offensively to
(07:11):
go three and out. I thought that was a big
part of their issues at the end of last year.
You know, you start the Eagles game with five consecutive
three and outs, so that when you battle back in
late in the game and you get the Naja Harris
fumble and you're down a touchdown, the defense is gassed,
(07:33):
by the way. That's one problem. The other problem is
the other guys get paid too. They're pretty good. And
whether you're whether it's because your defense is gassed and
can't make the splash plays, whether it's because you're not
ahead because you've been going three and out and you
can't dictate terms to the other team. And even though
(07:53):
the Steelers sacked Justin Herbert five times. They didn't dictate
terms to Justin Herbert. They didn't make him desperate, and
therefore they didn't turn him over. That's not the only
way you turn teams over, but it is certainly a
big component of why you turn teams over. Because they
are desperate. You get to the quarterback, you get the
strip sack. He's got a hold of a beat longer
(08:14):
to make a play down the field because he's desperate,
and you make plays in that regard, you know. So
what I'm referring to is he's three and outs and
there you just you can't have them. And they were
an issue last year and it's it's an issue this year.
They've been able to get around for the most part.
They were five and three coming into this game. They're
(08:35):
still in first place in the AFC North. And you know,
Aaron Rodgers said it after the game last night, They've
got to find a way. I thought his postgame comments,
by the way, right on board, right on the nail
or the nail right in the head. We're all a
little groggy today. They I don't he's you know, he's asked,
did you step up into some sacks? He said, I
(08:55):
don't know. I got to look at the film and
and you know what, that's what it felt like. Maybe
once or twice, but I would have to look at
the film before I definitively made that that assessment. Receivers
weren't open a lot. I didn't see a lot of
guys running free. He's got to be sharper, for sure.
I think that's probably number one. And I think that
(09:16):
he kind of said that too, like this is not
I think Aaron Rodgers has been fantastic all season long,
I mean just excellent. Last night wasn't his best, but
nobody helped him out either. And when I say nobody
helped him out, I don't think the offensive line helped
him out. We you know, receivers had catches they could
have made and didn't, So I don't think they helped
him out. Regardless of you know, pointing fingers and you know,
(09:41):
blame or whatever. Just go back to the draw. They've
got to find a way, Max to get more first downs.
They just have to. They cannot keep going three and.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Out, No they can't.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
They can't.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
I mean it is it's feast or famine, you know
for this offense, and you can't be in that world
where it's scarcity, where it's a buffet, you can't. You can't,
can't live in those places.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Trust me.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
You know I've experienced that. You know, you know you
can't sit there and just rely on somebody else to
do it, I think. And that's the other thing I
think that makes this like everybody's waiting for somebody else
to make a play. Go make it yourself. Don't look
for somebody else to do it. When given the opportunity,
you've got to snatch it.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
And man, I.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Mean I listen, I get it, you know, hey, listen
two to tango right. You know, if a quarterbacks going
to pass, he obviously has to pass it successfully and
put it in a place where the receiver can go
get it, and vice versa. The receiver has to be
in a position to catch it and run with the quarterback.
It's thinking they're supposed to be running in that freestyle
it and be able to get to the sticks.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
However that looks, And so.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
You know, I was just I was just frustrated. I
couldn't believe they went oh for nine kinger before they
got their first third down conversion.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Yep, that's the problem that that right there. If you
clean that up.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
That changes about sixty percent of your issues right there.
That's because it's staining the ball, sustaining the drive right,
and sustaining the momentum.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
And they they they never had momentum in this game.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
They had the opportunity to have momentum several times. Yes, yes,
And that's what's difficult. You know, we were we talk
about this a lot, and it just feels like every
game hinges on a few plays, even twenty five to ten,
(11:59):
even lopsided. And you're right, this was more like twenty
five to three than twenty five to ten. You know,
they eked out a late touchdown and you know, as
they call it in garbage time. You know, I'm sure
Bowman Wilson doesn't feel that well. I'm sure he's glad
he got in the end zone. But you know, this
was a twenty five to three loss. This is a
twenty You got beat by three touchdowns. But man, oh man,
(12:21):
you know the throw across the field to DK Metcalf,
if you hit that one, you know, if you catch
John hu Smith with the ball a little bit lower,
maybe he turns around and sprints into the end zone there,
maybe you have fourteen points. On the board. Maybe you,
you know, begin to dictate to the Chargers what they
(12:41):
have to do and be able to make those plays.
Even going back to the Packers game, I mean, I
think that the Packers game hinged on a couple of plays. Now,
you don't get an off side call, and in this game,
you didn't get a pass interference call with James on Metcalf. Okay,
that happens. You didn't get the off side call in
(13:04):
the game against the Packers, and yet Aaron Rodgers threw
the ball down the field. Then Roman Wilson had an
opportunity to make a tough catch, but a catch, and
you didn't make it. You know, like in this game,
you had an opportunity to make catches. Was Aaron Rodgers sharp? No,
But can maybe you make some plays for him once
in a while? Yeah, you know, So the Packers game,
you don't get that call, you don't make the catch.
(13:24):
That's one play. And then that you know, lofted ball
up the right sideline just you know, on a third
and long, one of the few times they got to
love and hit him. Then Craft makes the fifty nine
yard play Like that changed the momentum completely. Those two
plays completely changed the momentum. The Steelers had the chance
to seize the momentum a couple of times last night
(13:44):
and just couldn't do it. They just they just didn't
do it. And you know, I'm I'm laying this one,
you know, but I was asked on the DV Morning
Show about the defense. I thought the defense was fine, Max,
I thought they did a fine job. You come up
with five sacks in a game, probably gonna win most
of those games. It just the offense has got to
find a way to play that complimentary football if I'm looking.
(14:07):
You know, we're not trying to play the blame game
here necessarily because it's a team game. But man, they've
just got to find a way to make some plays
and they've got to find a way to keep some
drives going.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Yeah. No, I completely agree.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
And like you said, I mean, it wasn't it wasn't
lights out by the defense, but the lights were dimmed
really low.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Yeah, you know that's right, it right?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
I mean effort, Yeah, yeah, I mean there was some right.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Yeah, you gave him a couple explosive runs, but still
held the guy under one hundred yards in Kamani Vidal,
you did give up one hundred yard receiver in lab McConkie.
But that fifty eight yarder, you know, it was literally
over half of his yards on that one play, and
you know it did you did?
Speaker 3 (14:51):
You kind of?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
You lose Darius Lay at the course of this game,
You lose Joey Porter for a little bit. Luckily he
comes back, but you know, you bounce the patrician throughout
the game.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
I thought they fought, they battled.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
They you know, they allowed two total touchdowns and the
one in the second half.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Really was a tough one.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
And that was just being tired at that point because
you'd been on the field almost twenty five minutes of
that game where the Steelers were only able to muster
twenty two total minutes, and you know it was like, hey,
offense did not help us. We have room, you know
(15:28):
for for a little bit more improvement. But I thought
it was good enough to win the game. The offense
was matching their energy and was able to come up.
I think you actually could have made elevated your defense,
right because if they're playing well, at least the other
side play you're getting. I mean, they got here's the thing.
(15:50):
The Steelers got good field position that was the other thing.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Rob. It wasn't like we were pinned on our own
sixth all night.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Like we got mid issue field positioning on multiple occasions,
and even when we started like still had an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
But guys like you said there has to be.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Separation in the receiving corps, there was no separation to night.
They were able to hang with every receiver stride for
stride and the one where the one with Calvin Austin
that had the separation just a little bit underthrown was
(16:33):
just a microcosm of the entire night. And it's my assessment.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
You think about that play, right, and you know he's
got a yard and a half a separation, and it's
not the easiest throw in the world. You know, it's
a long flag pattern towards the sideline. That's not the
easiest throw in the world. But Aaron Rodgers is the
best throw over football I've ever seen, and he probably
makes that throw more often than he does right, and
(17:01):
then and then flipped that and then that I believe
it was on the touchdown drive. I know it was
on a scoring drive for the Chargers, but I think
it was on the touchdown drive. You know, you need
one more stop. You're desperate, you have to have a stop.
And it was a third down play. There was the
mconkey play of fifty eight yards. Eccles was right with him,
McConkey was not open, and the ball whistled right past
(17:23):
eckles ear and McConkie was able to hang on to it.
I think it was Eckles who was in coverage on
that play, and it was great coverage. And they hit
that play and it's fifty eight yards and they wind
up scoring a touchdown. This year's missed the other play
by you know, a foot right. That ball is a
foot further thrown. Calvin Austin makes the grab. I think
(17:44):
he probably goes out of bounds there but still has
the catch and and and you know you have the
ball deep in charges territory. It was just it was
frustrating to watch. And you know, again, the coverage on
McConkie was outstanding and they still made a play. And
on the other side to see this couldn't make a play.
It was it was. It was a tough watch last night.
It was really a tough watch.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
No, I mean I can't even tough as being kind,
you know, I mean I mean they were both we
were just staring at each other, right, you know it
was it wasn't a good stare, No, it was it was.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
It was. It was.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
It was that it was that, you know, it's Scooby
Doo when they when they get to the Haunted House.
Type of scare, you know, pre pre Scooby snacks, you know, it.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
Was type of scare.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Yeah, there was pure fear.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
You know, we had our in all uh, in all fairness,
to let people know we did have our Scooby snacks.
We went out and got we had a little box
of chocolate M and M peanut covered m and ms,
and we put it on the sill of the press
box and we said, when the Steelers get it going,
we're gonna bust that open and we're gonna keep the
(19:04):
mojo going. And and you know what, as far as
I know, that box is still sitting in that press box, unopened.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
And I sat there afterwards when I did the post
game hit, and I made sure I just stared at
the box.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
No, Scoop, I didn't move it.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Yeah, we didn't earn the Scooby snack, no, you know,
and who would have know? We might have needed a scrappy.
Do we needed a scrappy.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Oh no, you never did, dude, you never need scrappy
dear never, yeah, never, He's never needed.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
I mean, but you need somebody to start the action, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
But that's when Scooby jumped. They jumped the shark. It's crappy,
I think.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
I mean, yeah, they did, they did, but I mean,
but we did. We never found Shaggy, you know. There
there was definitely no Fred or Wilma. Uh you know
that was there or Vilma.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
I'm sorry Vilma. That Wilma. Yeah, a flint stone. But
I mean but that's kind of where we were, right.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It was just it was it was one of those
things that I looked at it and you know, nobody
really I mean, you get like they took ownership retroactively
and when things went wrong the blame, but nobody took
the initiative to say, no, we're not gonna take this.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
I think Jalen Warren kind of did.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I was going to say that.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
Yeah, I mean, but you know, you could only do
as much as they allow you to do, right, you know,
if you don't get the ball put in your gut
or they don't tap past you the ball. There's only
such you could do. And I thought he made the
most out of every opportunity, but.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
It was just.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
It felt flat, It felt uninspired, and Mike, and Mike
Tomlin was very fired up. I mean he was disappointed,
and you know, it was the first time in a
while I've heard coach tomain, you know, kind of upset
because he knew what his team was and he knew
the capable You just turned down the number one offense
(21:06):
in the league a week ago and you beat them
handedly with a less than stellar performance.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
And he wasn't asking for Steller.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
He wanted less than stellar at the minimum, because this
team was capable of it. This team was capable of
winning tough games, tight games, close games, and we just
never quite got out the starting blocks.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I mean, you just think about it.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
The past field goal was a fifty nine yarder and
they got the ball to start that drive on their
own forty seven yard line and they literally moved it.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Not even ten yards.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Yeah, they didn't pick up a first down.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
They didn't pick up a first because we did not
pick up a first We only had one first down
the entire first half.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
That's crazy, absolutely crazy.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
Just zero first downs in the entire first quarter and
we tested U ball I think three times in that quarter.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yep, not not the performances students wanted, clearly, very disappointing
loss and what was a very big game. And now
you look up, you're only a game ahead of the Ravens.
We're gonna get to our AFC recap. Of course, we
have plenty more to talk about with this game as well.
As the Students go down to defeat to the Chargers
(22:40):
on Sunday Night Football by the final score of twenty
five to ten, hey can geared up with the latest
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(23:02):
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Back in the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood Ford
Store and the doer Thiss Pro Shop and Steer. This
Nation Radio a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
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
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Speaker 2 (23:43):
And thanks for being back with us in the locker room.
As we uh oh boy, we don't want to We
don't want to keep talking about this one for too
much longer, although I know fans want to vent their frustrations.
And you know, after the game, Aaron Rodgers just said,
the team, you know, energy, and a team can be
(24:05):
made to lack energy, to look like they lack energy
or feel like they lack energy by either their own
ineptitude or by something that the opponent is doing. And
I do think, you know, Mike tom Win always starts
out saying, Hey, credit the other team, and credit the
game plan and all that stuff, and I do think
there's truth to it. I think one of the things
(24:26):
that makes the Chargers defense effective and it's not you know,
a blistering in your face incredible defense. They have Derwin James.
We talked about, you know, ad infinitum last week and
what a great player he was, although it didn't feel
like he had a huge impact on this game, but
their ability to rush for and not have to blitz.
(24:50):
You know, we talked about guys not being open. Well,
when you bring four and you get pressure, there's not
a lot of room back there. When they're seven, guys
drop back, so you don't have a lot of time
to throw. And that was the case I thought for
Aaron Rodgers last night. And they're bringing four and they're
(25:11):
getting pressure, that's tough.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
You know.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
The Steelers have one of the highest percentages, I think
it was number two in the league of six bringing
six in pressure and that's part of helping them to
get home. They get home with four two, but they
bring six and disrupt timing and Chargers don't do that.
They vary very rarely. They only bring six three percent
(25:34):
of the time, the lowest percentage in the NFL. And
rushing six and when you can get home with four
and they came in with you know, a solid number
of sacks and pressures and that sort of things, and
some talented guys. When you can do that and drop seven,
that's gonna make you look lackluster. It's gonna make you
look like you lack energy. And I think that the charge,
(25:58):
you know, certainly the Steelers not being able to convert
some opportunities that they had. There were opportunities, but just
the fact that you go back and there's nobody open
and now the pocket is kind of crumbling around you.
It makes it look like you're playing without energy because
you can't find that spark to get you going.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah, because Mike Thomas at halftime like they were playing
like they were like they were like they were working
out on the beach or running on the beach or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
Running, yeah, running on the beach, right.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Yeah, like they were running on the beach. I was
trying to remember exactly what Missy said.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Yeah, yeah, and it spot on, right, spot on.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
That was exactly what it felt like, you know, because
we were watching them kind of be in slow motion,
and you know, that was a half of football where
no drives were sustained, no drives were brought the first downs,
no drives were even in like the threatening zone, you
know what I'm saying, Kinger, And that was what was
(27:00):
just immensely frustrating because you know, if anything, you know, yeah,
our numbers eye popping offensively as far as yards game, no,
you know what like eighteenth in the league or something
like that, and that was just kind of a microcosmonist game.
It would just happen to be a tight game, but
(27:23):
they could get nothing going. And you said, the Chargers
pass rush, you know, was in question. I mean they
had to trade for a Dafa oh way to get
another body in that rotation. And you know, Khalil Mack
wasn't having this high production day. I mean the one
guy that was having a high production day that you
(27:44):
know added to that in the end was was tu
Ley two y Polow to the rookie.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
And you know.
Speaker 4 (27:56):
It's like, but man, where was everybody else? Offensively? They
were getting pushed around, they were getting out physical. You know,
Tierre Tart, you know, was able to get in the
backfield and affect some of the run plays and definitely
the pass pressure. And not to take anything away from
(28:22):
you know, Bud Dupree and and Khalil Mack and all
these other guys, But I mean, Khalil Mack has been
a league a long time, been a league a long time, and.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Then did not have.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
You know, a lot of success as of late, you know,
since the post Joey Bosa trade. And they're like, okay,
I mean he's got a couple of sacks, but really
start the momentum on that second drive and you're backed
up football, Aaron tries to retreat, gets hit, ball fumbled,
(29:02):
he falls on it. It happens to be in the
LA end zone. And I mean, granted, hey, he prevented
seven from happening, but you gave up two in the process.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
So you'd say, you know, kudos.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Steelers for being at plus five on that play, potentially
five less you know, five less points you gave up.
But I mean there was just zero fight and a
lot of that and I and I get you know,
you're you're not in your traditional situation, right, you know,
Isaac ci Amalu is out. Well, you did have to
(29:38):
use Spencer Anderson. You always know the next play that
he wasn't going to be in. He had to sit
out and then he would come back in and reassume
the right guard role. Left guard I would love the pressure. Yeah,
I'm sorry, Yeah, the guard role. And you know he would,
he would, he would, he would do admirably. But sometimes
(30:01):
a situational you know, a guy like Andrews Pete thinking
about if you don't run that jumbo package gimmick at
the beginning of it, you don't get the five yard
loss from a false start by Andrews Pete who hadn't
played all season, right, and maybe you stay on track
(30:21):
for that first drive, but maybe that changes everything. Obviously
there's a lot to hinge on one play, but you
just wonder did that add to the lack of self
confidence as the game progressed and trying to fight from
behind literally and figuratively mentally. They couldn't fight themselves out
(30:44):
of the slow start yet again. And I guess you
gotta get through that top fifteen play call sheet. But man,
it's like, if we could have just been been og style,
put two tight ends out there. You got Jonath Smith,
you got Pat Bridle, both willing blockers, or Connor Heyward
(31:06):
if you if you just want somebody to just to
hammer but to go with that, think he is going
to work. And then, like I said, it doesn't work.
And then you don't see the adjustment off of it
that makes it tough.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Yeah, I mean we both thought that. Well, I shouldn't
speak for you. I certainly thought we were kind of
asking the question, Hey, who's going to be who's going
to be the guy in on the jumbo set? Right?
And we figured maybe Rob McCollum, maybe Andres Pete. Well,
they decided to go in a different direction with that, and.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
I thought, I thought Calvin Anderson too.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Right, could be Calvin Anderson. They wind they wound up
doing you know, the mixing and matching thing that you're
talking about. You put you bring Spencer Anderson in, he's eligible,
then he has to go out for a play right
before you can put him in at left guard. So
that's two plays in a row. He's not playing left guard.
And I understand that jumbo package has been effective and
(32:04):
you're trying to weigh you know, Okay, we want to
keep the jumbo package. Spencer Anderson has been a big
part of that. It has been a very very effective
weapon for us. But that's with Isaac ciamala win. So
what's your best way to do that moving forward? Get
somebody else ready for the jumbo package? Do what they
did last night. I don't know whether they'll reassess that
(32:26):
whether Isaac cmala is going to be out for another week,
but you know that that just you know, it wasn't.
It didn't. The approach they used there did not. I
don't think give them the results they were hoping for.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
No I would a kicker would. I would exactly say
that it did not. And you do need to reassess
how that is. So, I mean for Isaac ciamalo, is
he injured or is he hurt? There's two different ways
of looking at that, and.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
You know you have to find a longer term fixed
for that.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
What is more important Spencer Anderson playing a lot of
reps at his natural position, which is a guard in
this team, because that's what he did all preseason when
I think was given you know, the rest, as a
lot of vets did on the Steelers squad during the preseason,
(33:31):
or you know, do you get somebody else ready? Because
the Spencer Anderson run game or jumbo package equivalent is
more valuable for the continuity of explosives because you have
to think that he when he's in there are explosive
(33:54):
plays that happen more often than not as opposed to, man,
I just really wanted to run this once and then
you know, sit Spencer Anderson down, you know, until it
was time for him to go in, and.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
He's already in game. Now he has to.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
Step out the huddle, declare himself, get back in the huddle,
and I was going to a different position. And then
the max they ran that was two times in a row,
just because they're like, man, we don't want to make
this opportunity waste away, so we got to run it
back to back and then he's still gonna have to
sit out for playing before coming in. So that was
(34:36):
just it's a lot of thinking for Arthur Smith, a
lot of thinking for this offense about how they can
evolve with the absence of literally one guy and the
value of the other guy coming in for him because
he has he has dual roles, and that's that's something
(34:56):
I hope they get figured out, you know, as the
coaches watch tape, as they review this and get prepared
to deliver that to the team today. Like you know,
we always call this detail of the good to bad
and the ugly, right, well, how do we erase bad
and ugly and just get nothing but good?
Speaker 3 (35:17):
Out of it.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
It's it's something that I just they're gonna have to
think about it, and they're gonna have to be really
intentional about changing, adjusting or moving forward in some type
of way with it. That's just it has to happen, because, well,
you have a performance that literally had not happened in
(35:43):
a regular season game since the NFL merger, And the
last time we hit all of these lows was technically
we forced another team to do it, and the Minnesota
Vikings is Super Bowl nine.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
So those numbers are just so people understand what you're
referring to the Steelers. This came from we saw it
on the internet last night and we're talking about it.
The Steelers are the first team, according to the statistic,
to allow a safety miss a field goal, have a
minus free or worst turnover margin, have under seventy five
(36:23):
yards rushing, have under one hundred and fifty net yards
passing in the same game, regular season or postseason since Now,
warm up those warm memories right now for you. Super
Bowl nine, when the Steelers did that to the Vikings,
when the first points YEA scored in NFL and Steelers'
Super Bowl history was Dwight White right coming off the
(36:46):
sick bed and getting the safety against the Vikings. It's
and you know, you think of a dominant defensive effort
by the Steelers, and that was a dominant defensive effort
by the Steelers. I didn't I thought it was a
good defensive performance by the Chargers. I didn't think it
was dominant. I think the Steelers. I think it was
(37:07):
a combination of the Chargers played well Max, and the
Steelers just just didn't. They just didn't.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Yeah, and the Chargers played well in spurts.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
It wasn't a consistent effort by the chart because you
have to remember at the end of the first half,
there was only one third down conversion and it was
it was it was the Chargers, and you know, going
into the red zone they got they got turned away
(37:42):
once and then you know when the lat McConkey touchdown
happened at the end of the first half, he was
outside of the red zone. And so you know, the
defense would hold on first down, would hold on second
and so just like you know most of the year,
like they were turning away on third down for the
most for the most part, and they were dealing with
(38:05):
less than ideal field position. For a majority of those
you know, startup drive type of plays, but that was
one that you.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Just sat there.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
He's just like, man, okay, defense is holding up. I
mean there's an opportunity, there's a window. Guys, we just
need to drive the ball down the field. And the
ball never drove downfield, whether it was an overthrow and underthrow,
whether it hit the guy in the hands, they dropped it,
tried to double catch it. You were trying to find
some little spark to just get it to go right
(38:42):
for them. Like that was one of those that was
like the Murphy's law, right, you know, anything wrong, anything
that can't go wrong will go wrong. And that's what
I felt like it was Washington Steelers offense last night.
It was all the culmination of all the bad plays
that they had ran a huge relatively over this season
as an offense like came and just super concentrated itself
(39:06):
within this game. And I would like to think that
the front wasn't that original, it wasn't that stimy, but
they just couldn't keep a hat on.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
A hat and the man looked on the first level.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
And when they did rush, they had a rush plan
and our tackles did not have a rush plan, it
looked like. And that was very frustrating to watch because
you're used to them a individually adjusting but be nationally
adjusting deal with the flow of the game, and they
just kind of, we have our cult sheet and that's
(39:40):
what we're going to run, not really left up to interpretation,
just it is what it is. And that was just
You're like, man, because how many I can't remember the
average down in distance.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
I want to say it was like third and six
was the average.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
But they had a couple of third and two, third
and ones mixed in their Kinger.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
Yeah, it there was an opportunity there for them.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
It's uh, it was a just again you hope and
we'll look around in the league a little bit. You
hope that this was just one of those games. Unfortunately,
you know, there there have been you know, trends that
I don't think were really trends, right, things that were well,
(40:30):
look at the defense. You gave up all these points
in the Bengals, and you gave up all these points
to the Packers. Yeah you did, but I think they
were mitigating circumstances in both those games. I didn't feel
like I thought that the four games Prior to that,
they were starting to establish a positive trend as far
as what they were doing defensively and what they were
doing offensively. But I think underlying in this trend, uh
(40:53):
if for me, I'm going to call what I'm going
to call a trend is that, you know, the Steelers
have got to find a way to get more first downs.
And Aaron Rodgers said it last night, Mike Thomlins said
it last night. They've got to find more ways to
get first downs. It's really max that is if you
(41:15):
scrape everything away, and the offense has been opportunistic and everything,
and maybe that's masking some things, maybe that's hiding some things.
They've had a couple of explosive games and you score
more than thirty points, you're I don't know, I think
they were thirteenth in the league or eleventh in the league, whatever,
it was something along those lines in points per game
at twenty five point three coming in. But the underlying
(41:36):
issue has been they have too many three and outs,
too many of their drives and too quickly. And that's
something that's been there all season long and something that
needs This isn't a game to game thing. This isn't
a well, you know, uh, you know this game and
(41:56):
that game. You know, we didn't do this. That's been
in every game deal in which so it's not something
that is just a little mini trend. It's it's to me,
a season long thing. To students have got to find
a way to be better on third down than they've been.
Speaker 4 (42:10):
Well, and we talked about it right now. You had
to avoid the lull as an away team. You can't
you can't waste the first drive of the game, and
you can't waste the first drive in the second half,
like those have to be your We've got to throw
our best stuff at them type of type of type
(42:31):
of drives because we got to re establish the momentum
in an awayte stadium, or we have to establish it
when it comes to the beginning of the game because
you get the ball first and they've just got as
good as they were at the beginning of the year.
Right we were having that we're tracking like before out
of five first game it was in a score on
(42:52):
the first opening drives and then you have the lull
like in the middle of the game, and then you
come roaring back in the in the fourth quarter. But
the problem was it was stagnant at the beginning and
it was staggnant at the end, and you have to
figure out those in.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Between times as well.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
But usually you should have something scripted up for the
first time, and I thought that was where it was
just a giantic miscalculation on what was going to work,
what was going to play well for the squad against
this defense. And I don't know if you know, because
(43:33):
at the end of the day, players play coaches coach,
So you can overcome a bad play if you have
good players or you have locked in, focused players, but
you can't overcome a good play with you know, a
good play call with bad performance and execution. And that's
where they're at. I think they're they're in they're in
(43:54):
the bad execution zone.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Yeah, there's there's more to get to in that regard,
and we're going to get to it when we continue.
In the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store
and the Steelers Pro Shop on Stears Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
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 (44:43):
And it is a Monday, as I'm sure you are
no doubt aware, and with that in mind, we are
back to take your phone calls on Mondays. So I'm
sure there's going to be I talked about couplets of
words lackluster. The game lacked luster yesterday, so I thought
it was is you know, that's a good word to
(45:03):
describe it, lackluster. There there's gonna be some fans who
are disgruntled. I don't think we're gonna get many gruntled
fans today. I think we're gonna have some discgruntled fans
after what happened yesterday in a game that looked lackluster
because the Steelers just could not possessed the ball and
keep drives going and find any kind of spark.
Speaker 3 (45:27):
You know.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
One of the things that I think you know too
going into this game, the Chargers were minus four in
the turnover department to Steelers were plus eight. The Chargers
were susceptible the big returns, and when you look up
you know, because of the muff punt at the end
in particular, I think you have to go you have
to give the edge to special teams, to the chargers
(45:49):
that has been you know, there there's a chart. Matt
Williamson has his chart and he's such so great with
his stats, and he found this chart where you know,
it's like a graph, right, and where where do teams
rank well with the combined turnovers and special teams? The
students are way up in the top right hand corner
and the chargers are down in the bottom left hand corner.
(46:10):
And that's not the way it worked out yesterday. It's
not the way it worked.
Speaker 3 (46:15):
Now did that? Did that work that way? In?
Speaker 4 (46:18):
Like you said, we're used to be the one turning
guys over and finding a special team splash play, and
we didn't find it and they ended up finding it.
We usually get people too muffed or mess up, and
we were the ones that muffed and messed up. So
it was definitely a tables are turned table flip there
uh for for specialties, which is always solid. So I
(46:41):
know Danny Smith is pissed and he's gonna he's gonna
get it fixed immediately because that's not a hallmark. That's
not a trait that their Special Teas has had, and
they've been really good. Minus I think now two messed
up plays that Caleb Johnson kicked return decision that led
to a touchdow on the Seattle game, and then now
the muff punt that led to the touchdown and points
(47:05):
scored by the LA Chargers, you know, offense. So yeah,
it's it's not great, but I mean that's been one
of our more solid things, and you wonder if that's
due to injuries.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
No mouth killer brew.
Speaker 4 (47:26):
Your Special Teams Captain Peyton Wilson have an extended role
on top of his role on defense, you know, no
Deshaun Elliott, so that kind of hurts it too. And
you know guys playing extended roles, you know, whereas you
have an ace and James Pierre is a gunner, he
(47:46):
can't do that because he's he's the starting corner because
of the absence of Darius Slay. So you know, there's
a lot of elements we could point to it, but
no excuses.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
Next man up is kind of the.
Speaker 4 (47:56):
Mentality you have to have, and you got to play
Special Teams is all about effort and want to in
those moments, but you know, we don't have the right
energy to provide said effort. Maybe there's some things that
fall by the wayside, like it did last night.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
Our phone number is four one two three one six.
I'm sorry. Four one two nine one nine one three
one six four one two. There we go, nine one
nine one three one six. We're going to be getting
to your phone calls next hour. We still have our
AFC recap to look at, and UH and plenty to
(48:31):
get to, including our Steelers drive of the game, probably
only one that we can really look at there, but
still much to get to when we continue in the
locker room. Presented our Neighborhood, Ford Story and the Steers
Pro Shop on Steers Nation Radio, a part of the
Steelers Audio Network.
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