October 22, 2025 • 44 mins
Max and Rob begin to preview Steelers Packers and discuss the impact Aaron has had and will have on the team as well as what the defense needs to establish.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
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
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dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
And we thank you very much for being with us
in the locker room on this hump Day Wednesday. As
you know, hump Day meets Jim Wexel. He's going to
be joining us in a little bit. But before we
get too far down the line, Max, my friend, how
you doing today?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I am wonderful, Rob, I mean, polk String's eternal is
the middle of the week is the hump day.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
We are going to push.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Through, be excited, empowered and have a great time.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Everything's great.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
That's that's the way to go, my friend. That's the
way to get us started on the show. You know,
we on Wednesdays, we kind of we look at the
the overview of the NFL and we turn our attention
to the game that's upcoming, you know, as we go
up to you know, considered a parabola, right, we'll be
(01:20):
getting into the matchups against the Packers. We'll be spending
two and a half shows doing that. The first half
of this show talking about other stuff around the NFL.
And so Max, I was in the dentist chair this morning.
That's how my day began. And they had music playing,
but up on the screen they had the I believe
it was the NFL network. It might have been ESPN.
(01:42):
I think actually, now that I think about it, I
think was an ESPN NFL talk show on and they
were one of the questions they posed and I had
to read it, so I didn't hear what they were
talking about. Is the Steelers defense the most disappointing it
in the NFL? Now, I know they're trying to get headlines,
(02:04):
and I understand that, and I understand that nobody in
Steelers Land is happy with what happened against Cincinnati. It
especially when it felt like after the sluggish started, it
was trending in the right direction. You know, the games
leading up to this game. Obviously we know what happened
in the Jets game at the beginning of the season,
(02:24):
and then Seattle hanks thirty one on you. But you
held New England to fourteen points? You really, I mean,
you know you had Minnesota throttle ball game except for
the last few minutes. You gave up that long past
datus and everybody got hurt. And Minnesota scored some touchdowns
to make it a little little Harry at the end
of that game. But you really kind of stuck it
(02:47):
to him. Then you stuck it to the Browns, and
then the Bengals kind of stuck it to you. And
now all of a sudden, the narrative changes. As we know,
happens quickly. So I understand the question. I understand that
the Steelers and Steelers Nation aren't thrilled with their performance
last Thursday night, to put it mildly, but I don't
know if that was more of a headline grabber or
(03:08):
more something that.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Is that is on the nose.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I think it's more of a headline grabber, but we're
gonna find out because the Steelers have a very difficult
schedule coming up beginning on Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
They do have a very difficult schedule, and know they
are not by the way, that Texas offense might be
the most disappointing thing I've ever seen in football this
season or really any season that the Seahawks, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, can I just say quickly, I just as I
turned on that game, just I turned the volume up
of that game, they were saying, because I was flipping
over from the previous game. They said, So that game
started on ESPN two. I think CJ. Stroud. I think
they said c J. Stroud wanted to show everybody that
(03:58):
he is an elite quarterback in the NFL, uh in
this game against Seattle.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
And I thought, oh, if.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I got that quote right, that's not what I want
would want to be saying going against first of all,
I wouldn't want to put it out there right. Yeah,
you know, I remember I remember talking to my uh
to uh to Dick Groat, the great two sports star,
you know, he a college basketball All American, five time
(04:27):
All start and and MVP and baseball one of the
great two sport athletes in American history. Really, and he
said he told me, yes, somebody once told me, if
you're good, you don't have to talk about it. Everybody
knows it. So I I when see when I heard
those words, I thought, oh, I wish CJ hadn't said
that if in fact he said that, because again I
(04:48):
did catch the tail end of it, especially against that
defense Max that defense for you for Seattle is really good.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Man. Yeah, it's a really good crew.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
And you know, they work really hard hard and I
mean that defensive line, especially up front. I mean Byron Murphy,
DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams and Jaron Reid or Jaron Reid.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Wow. That that that that that's the heck of a crew, right, yeah,
the heck of a crew.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Pro bowlers right there, man, right down the line exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
And then you know, interviewed Byron after that game too,
and you know, he was he was a little more gracious,
but he was like he's like, yeah, man, we just
we just wanted to go out there. We wanted to dominate.
Coach said, dominate and you know, good things will happen.
And I think, you know, for the most part, good
things happened up until the end. But we held on
and I was like, yeah, that's just good things. I mean,
(05:44):
they looked they looked they looked like the revolving doors
at the hotel, except for what it's not. It's not
since when people get near it. It's one that just
keeps going constantly and didn't stop.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
That's what it felt like. On the house. It's like
CJ s back forty seven times.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
He got I want to say he got hit or
pressured at least forty forty nine times out of the
forty seven.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
That's how often. It's like, elf, he was getting pressured. Yeah, exactly,
around and around and round. Yeah, that was a d
line like oh, next play, Oh, next play? All right,
it's like are they running a screen? At some point
they probably felt like they were running screen game.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
That's how that's right. Yeah, they kept looking over their shoulder.
But yeah, but I mean so I think it's a
sexy thing to say. Right when it's the number one,
you know, paid defense, you expect them to be ranked
number one because they're paid number one, even though we
all know in reality that is not true. And it's
(06:44):
about where the spind is on average per position group
that got them up there. But with that being said,
you can't allow the league's when the league's worst rushing
teams to rush for three times their after that's where
it opens the eyes up. And then you brought this
secondary in and revamped this entire secondary to defend and
(07:10):
go up against that wide receiving group. Like specifically mentioned
Cincinnati in the off season plans about how you have
to construct your defense, and that was what we got
the first time. So I get why people want to
put that type of headline out there because I think
(07:32):
it comes with a cachet and.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
On the heels of.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
This was your best shot, and look what happened a
type of deal versus This was a tight game and
they end up winning it. Jamar Chase got half the
receptions that he got in the game. I think it
would have been acceptable given the amount of targets. Te
Higgins doesn't make two significant plays in the game, namely
(08:00):
the touchdown and the one that that really ice the
game at the end and him sliding at the seven
yard line. If you don't have some of those things
that you might say it was a success, but you didn't.
And they scored on seven or nine drives, right So
it's the most obvious thing right now, and I think
(08:20):
that's that's what it is that's brought all this attention
to it.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
But I don't I don't buy that by far.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
They are not the most disappointing unit in football in
the NFL, YEP.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So I think Max that you know, when you look
at the other factors we've talked about, right which is,
you know, the desperation for the Bengals and Thursday night
football and being on the road and all these things
that are sort of conspiring against you, and no matter
(08:54):
how good of a defense you are, you're occasionally gonna
get lit up. I think that if the Steelers defense
goes back to performing the way they had the previous
three weeks, we'll look at those things as factors which
led to a subpar performance. It really reminds me. I
(09:18):
love the tie in hockey for this reason.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
So, let's say you lose a game, right and then
you have three ties in a row. Right now, you
have a four game winless streak. Okay, you following me,
you have a four game Now you win the fifth game.
Right now, you count those ties differently. Now you have
(09:43):
a four game point streak. You know, So those games
are nothing's happened. The results of those games haven't changed.
It's just the perspective with which you view those games.
So that always cracks me up. In hockey, Oh we
got a four game winless streak. Oh wait a minute,
we we won, we eked one out. Now we have
a four game point streak. So I think that as
(10:07):
we look at this performance on Thursday night is going
to either be a blip on the radar and we're
going to look back and say, ah, you know what,
that's that's the outlier. It's really more of a streak of,
you know, three good games defensively leading into that game.
That's a blip in the radar and now we can say, Okay,
(10:27):
seven of the last eight have been really good defensive performances,
or we're gonna say, hey, that was a harbinger. You know,
and you talked about this before, Max. When you have
a performance like that, you gotta own it. You know,
there's there's nothing else you can do. The performance is
the performance, and and that's part of what is on
your resume. That's part of your record. And now you
(10:49):
have to go about trying to expunge that as much
as you can by having better performances. And and so
that's where the Steelers defense kind of is right now.
I'm sure mping at the bit thinking about this game
on Sunday night.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Well, you have to be. You have to be.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I mean, you know, when you put on that you
want to get to the very next performance because you know,
you need to wash the stink off right, you go,
you you you go out, you go out and work
a job and you go, you know, you go, you go,
and you have this opportunity, right, and and you mess
(11:28):
it up, you mess up the first interview, but they
call you back for a second interview. Right, You're like, oh, man,
I can I cannot wait to redeem myself, right, you know,
because I know it's a job that you want, it's
a job you desire, and you just got nervous for
whatever reason.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
You know, you didn't sleep that well.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
You know, bus was late, you know, got got got
you know, got stuck in traffic. However, it comes about
and you're not fully prepared for the moment because you're
dishoveled some way or another. Right, that is what this
kind of feels like. You have that disappointment, you have
that kind of setback, but yet you still get another opportunity.
(12:14):
And that's how that's the type of nervous energy anxiety
that you have to get back out there and either
a prove people wrong in the case of the Steelers,
or b prove people right in the case of the Steelers,
which is defense and offense, right, you know, because nobody
(12:35):
thought the offense was going to do what they did.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
And yet this isn't.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
This isn't the Steelers of yesteryear or the last couple
of years. This Steelers team can score points. This Steelers
team can take opening drives down and score touchdowns. Right,
No more twenty two game droughts without doing that. It's
more the commonplace than it is the outlier that they
(13:03):
don't score that they do score. And I think that's
what is kind of funny about this, because you have
a tale of two coins on the same team, a
difference between two units, and that's and that's why it's
important for this defense to lock in, get ready, and
go to work, because that is what's required, and that
(13:27):
is what you want. You want to be seen. You're
only as good as your last game, and that's an
opportunity to be seen. And you're gonna do it on primetime.
Guess what, everybody's gonna see you.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
You the only game on.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
You know, Chris Collinsworth and Mike Turco and the crew
are rolling into town and you got to prove them right.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Right, Yes you do. Uh?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
And you know there was another question posed on that
same exact show, which is and again I didn't see it,
and you know, you get your teeth cleaned, and.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
You got the glass.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
And I just saw the headline, which is, are the
Ravens finished? Do they have a chance to win the division?
And they put up the remaining strength of schedule. This
student's strength of schedule is tenth, the Ravens is twenty four.
So the Ravens have already played a bunch of their
tough games. And we talked about this Max that that
(14:21):
loss on Thursday night clearly brings the Bengals back in it.
Right now they're three and four, yeah, and they're two
and zero in the division, so they're two games behind
you in the lost column. But from their perspective, hey,
they got one game with you. They've already played some
difficult games. They've got, you know, a guy that can
come in and unlock the keys to their offense and
(14:42):
Joe Flacco. They're suddenly alive. And if you're the and
if you're the Ravens, you're thinking you're alive now too, right.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Well, you have to think that, right, you have to
think that you are still in the driver's seat. All
you need to do is just get you know, Lamar
back and everything will be good. Now granted, talk about
bad defense. That Ravens defense is pretty bad too.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Yes, they are. Yep, they have a lot.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
They are a lot of guys missing that are gone
for the year and everything else. That defense is struggling.
And even with Lamar, they weren't looking that great, right.
You know, Lamar scores forty the defense gives up forty one.
So we talk about bad performances and they've had they
have multiple forty point giver uppers on their resume already
(15:39):
this year. Because you look at what the ineptitude of
the Texas on Monday Night football and the fact that
they hung forty on on their defense. I mean, let's
just let's just say it what it is, that that
was horrible, right, So they've got they've got some issues
as well.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
It's a big problems.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
So that's where I think when you look at it,
you say, hey, Lamar doesn't cure everything. I mean, heck,
even with Dereck Henry, Derek Hearry couldn't get going with Lamar.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
So there's a lot of buggaboos.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
But yes, technically, buy numerical things, they are not out
of the division race. I mean, heck, you can say
the same thing for Cleveland Browns. But guess who's in
fourth right now. It would be the Baltimore Ravens. So
you know there are a couple of things that you
have to do.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
So I did want to ask you this Max, because
you know, at the beginning of the season, I asked you,
how long do you think, in your experience of a
guy that switched sides on the offensive line, did you
feel like it would take Broderick Jones and Troy Foutanu.
Jones a right tackle moving to left tackle, Foutanu a
(16:50):
left tackle in college moving to right tackle. I know
both guys had preseasons and practices. How long would it take?
And your answer was five to six weeks? And I'm
going to ask you about the offensive lineman coming up
and what you've seen. But I'm trying to put in
context this next question, which is that with new guys
(17:11):
coming in, you've revamped the defensive line. Let's not forget that.
You have a first time starter in Peyton Wilson inside linebacker.
Yes he has experienced, but now he's a first time starter.
Let's not forget that. And you have what three new
starters in the secondary, Let's not forget that.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
How long.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
And I know there's a great deal of variance. Sometimes
a team just hits the ground running and that's that.
But generally speaking, what kind of adjustment period should there be?
Should they have been terrific in week one? Are we
expecting too much too early? Is it mid season before
they're hitting their stride. Look, as long as they're winning games,
I don't care if they hit their stride till December.
(17:55):
But what do you think is a realistic expectation for
people to say, Aha, that's the defense that we're looking for.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I would say that with the experience and the age
of the defenders, it should come together pretty consistently by now.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Okay, and usually most defenses.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Now, you have to remember at the beginning of the year,
they were not full strength, right, so you had some
guys out, you had some.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
You know, minor issues.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
With them being gone, and you can kind of excuse
that part of it, right, But I think when you
are at full strength, you are in mid season form
quote unquote, that's when you should really see the progress,
and especially after the three weeks that you've had, you know,
that's where I think the frustration is that we saw
(18:57):
three weeks of really great defense.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
So it was I think, isn't it so funny how
one game changes the perspective? Are they the most And look,
now you look at the yards because the first two
weeks weren't great, right, they weren't great, And then you
see three games you're like, oh my goodness, wait a minute,
now look what we got here. And by the way,
New England's one of the better offenses in the NFL
(19:22):
in terms of points per game, So now we're look
at all the sacks. This is the defense we expected.
Then one game turns back the clock, right like that
tie in hockey. Now, all of a sudden, you're like, well,
wait a minute, what about those two games before? This
is really the Steelers defense, this game in the first two,
not the last three.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
That we saw. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
And and right now, because of that, you're half and half,
so we don't know what to make. You've literally had
three great games and three bad games. So that's why
the question mark still hangs. And usually at this point
something usually gives. But like you said, you can break
(20:04):
that time breaker by what you do on Sunday night,
and I think people will start to make more decisions
about you afterwards because they'll have, you know, information that
favors one versus the other. Are you good or are
you bad? And that's where it has to be. And
even if and when we say bad, let let's let's
(20:29):
be clear, the bad is still.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Not that bad, right.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
I mean, you know, you look at it and you're like, Okay,
there hasn't been a you know, a terrible performance, Like
they haven't been blown out. I think that's the biggest thing.
So when people make all these statements like these games
have been close and they just haven't pulled it out, right,
they just didn't figure out the Rubik's cube because you
look at it from week one to what we saw
(20:58):
Thursday night, Right, it was the difference of two points
each game two points four two points against. So two
of those three games feel like a wash, right, because
you won thirty four thirty two, and then you lost
thirty three to thirty one. So in both events, yeah,
your defense gave up thirty plus points, but look at
(21:20):
what it did with the offense, right, the difference between
turnovers and non turnovers offensively, so it still could have
been considered a you know, a complimentary football game. If
they turn away the last field goal of the game
and you win by one, right, Yep, it still would
have been great, but you would have been like, Okay,
you gave up a lot of rushing yards, but you
(21:41):
guys held.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
When it was necessary.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
And that's the difference of really two plays in the
game that you that you say, if you don't have
those two plays, we're not talking about this. And I
think that's what the frustration is. And that's why it's
so fickle, because it's not like they're truly off It's
not like the defense gave up forty points and the
offense could only muster twenty or less. And I think
(22:08):
that's where we have to be cognizant of it and
not read those headlines, you know, the clickbait, so to speak.
Like you said with that headline, are they the most
disappointing group of football?
Speaker 4 (22:18):
No? No, no, no, no.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Now it was disappointing in the moment because you didn't win,
but we're still a four and two football team, still
number one in the AFC North, and that defense still
churned out a lot of production in that three game
stretch and yes, short week everything else. I mean, we
could find the excuses if we wanted to. We're not
an excuse making business, but still there's reasoning behind it,
(22:45):
and history has proven that no matter how good this
team was going to be, the record on Thursday night
away is the record on Thursday night and away for
Mike Tomalin that that's just it, and I think that's
what you have to kind of come to reality that
they didn't overcome that. But we're at home Sunday night
football game. I think you have to be encouraged that
(23:06):
this team is rested because look what they did when
they came off the last rest break. You know, they
stymied the Cleveland Browns, who went and put thirty four
points up on Miami. By the way, the entire Miami
football team should be the disappointment as well this season.
You know, now that I'm talking about it, you know,
Rob now is starting to get my legs under me.
I know, I know we're I know we're twenty seven
(23:29):
minutes into this segment.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
But I am pushed you. I amused.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Both Miami offensively and defensively should be on the chopping block.
Is the most disappointing group in football. I mean, come on,
let's be honest here. Texas offense, Miami offense, defense, however,
you want to slate one but in front of the other.
But they're right next to each other, you know, at
the bottom of production. I mean, there's a lot of
(23:55):
other teams that the Steelers know can't cannot do that,
you know, and say that so early, because Wow, it
is bad down there. I'm surprised Mike McDaid still has
a job. I mean, honestly, I really thought they were
going to fire him on the tarmac in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Don't disagree. And look, I'm not rooting any old will
and the guy.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
I just know that surprises me. I just need him
to take those dark shades off. That's just coming. So
it was raining right outside.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Lots to get to the First Place. Steelers hosting the
First Place Packers on Sunday Night. Football will continue with
more in the Locker Room presented by your Neighborhood Ford
Store and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
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 get it direct from
the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop dot
Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
And we thank you very much for being with us.
So Max, before we get too far down the line,
I wanted to ask you to to sort of check
in on where Broderick Jones and Troy faut taniwar. Look,
they're facing a big matchup, big matchups this weekend against
for Sean Gary and Michaeh Parsons. They're facing big matchups
(25:31):
every week. You know, they're they're elite guys coming every week.
Michaeh Parsons at a different level. He's in that same
conversation with the elite guys when we think about you know,
t J. Watt, Max Crosby, Miles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson. He's
that sort of elite pass rusher. We'll talk about their
(25:52):
specific matchups maybe a little bit later in a week,
but you know, you talked about five to six weeks, uh,
these guys to kind of start getting their footing and
and getting into a groove and working together with the
rest of the offensive line. We have seen the running
game really take hold. We you have seen Aaron Rodgers
and I understand that Spencer Anderson is an extra blocker
(26:15):
has part to do with that. Aaron Rodgers lightning quick
release has part to do with that. But in three
out of the last four games, Aaron Rodgers has not
been sacked.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
So how much?
Speaker 2 (26:25):
So I'm not going to ask even how much of
that goes on the tackles because there's a lot of factors.
What have you seen from those guys? Are they starting
to find their footing?
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Is there? Are they both arrow pointed upward? Guys? Are there?
Are there? You know?
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Is there still some trajectory remaining in their seasons?
Speaker 3 (26:43):
There's still trajectory remaining, but Arrow has pointed out And
you know, people are like, oh, well, you know, Air's
getting the ball out super quick. That doesn't matter, that
doesn't matter. He's getting out quick. Tom Brady got it
out quick. And guess what, guys went to the Pro Bowl. Yeah,
you know what I'm saying. So I'm like, really that
(27:04):
that whole adage of oh he's getting the ball out quick,
that's what the offense dictates, and you play to the
strengths of what your offense can do, and that's when
they're the most effective. So when I hear you know,
people trying to argue that. I'm like, what I'm seeing
from Broderick is is a lot of great things. And
(27:24):
you know, I said as much, you know when we
came on the show Monday, and I'll reiterate this again.
I mean, he he is getting comfortable and the experience,
and he's looking good doing it. He's getting a lot better.
People wanted to blame it. Oh baby looked terrible at
the beginning of the year. Well, I mean anybody looks good.
I mean, heck, we've been talking about the defense and
how many Pro Bowls and all proses that side have, right, So,
(27:48):
you know, patience is the key, and I think you
know this is we want a player to be good
for the next five to seven years, not good for
the first five to seven games. And that's what I
think we're getting with Broderick. We're seeing the maturity, We're
seeing the growth week in and week out. And he's
had he's had those tough roles. And I think that's
(28:09):
where you had to say it. Now the run game,
everybody has a part of that. Spencer Anderson being it.
That doesn't that's not a uniquely tackle issue. That's just
an offensive line maturity. Issue being able to run the
ball out of eleven versus twelve or twenty one personnel.
So you know, I look at it and I say, yes,
Ero pointed up and Troy Faltanu, Troy's been doing a
(28:30):
great job. Because Troy, Troy's also begin to lie and
share of guys you know as well. You know, it's
not like Broderick, like there's only one good guy back
like back in the day when I played, and that
guy always.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Went to the left side.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Is no, there are there are great guys on both
sides that you have to be worried about. And Green
Bay is no exception to that. Yeah, you had no
Trey Henderson last week, but you know you had you
had a very prideful wounded animal, and you know you
held them at Bay. Cleveland had a guy by the
name of Miles Garrett. We didn't call his name really
at all at all that entire game. And he played
(29:02):
both sides, yep. And and even when you look at
the New England defense, that New England defense beat up
on quote unquote Josh Allen and his superior offensive line.
So when you think about it, yes, there is a
lot of good stuff that's happening on the offensive line,
especially with the young tackles. And you heard the word right,
(29:24):
I didn't just say tackles. They are young tackles at
that and they're both really getting their first shot at
their perspective positions this season, and they've answered the call.
I think that's something you have to say. That's a
bright spot. They are growing as a unit and this
team has not been stymied like in years past. You know,
they're putting up points, they are they are driving upon it.
(29:47):
I don't care about a Spencer Edersy.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
That's awesome. I was a jumbo tackle, you know, back
in the day.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
I remember when we had we had to run the
ball with an extra tight end. I had some games,
I had a lot of plays. Some games I didn't
have a lot of plays. And this has been the
formula right now, So why not work with it. That
position on the other side, the defense side of the ball,
has evolved so much more than the offensive line, you know,
and I have these I've had this conversation for the
last five to seven years about how do you how
(30:13):
do you evolve that position when every other position around
you has evolved? Right think about where we're at Now. Defensively,
you now in the draft have edge rusher or edge
rush specialist as a category. It's not just a defensive end.
It's not just an outside linebacker. These guys are considered
edge rushers.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
Right. That's a very highly specified position group.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
We didn't have that when I got when I came
out in the draft, it was you had a d
N and then if you're three to four, you had
an outside linebacker that was your edge rush specialist or
your edge rusher, and the guy had to do everything.
Now you have guys who could come in specifically four
pass rushing assignments and that you know they're a liability
in the run game, and you know you have tweener
size guys. Now you have guys who are really big
(30:58):
safeties that play a small lineback and small linebackers that
also play like a big safety of dollar backers.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
You have all these different position groups.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
To justify the tweeners size and the specialty of what
this defense wants to of what defenses want to be.
But yet offensive line still tackle, guard, center, right and left.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
That's it, guys.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Still, there's only so many ways you can you can
you can run a pass set only so many ways
you can run block, and you know, that's been kind
of the constant frustration. You know, my good buddy Charles Bentley,
who happens to also be the senior Advisor to the
NFL for Human Performance, and we've had these we've had
these discussions. How do you grow this position? You know,
(31:41):
even from the paths that we use, how do you
evolve that? Like the drill work, you know, some of
the technical there's so many things that are so antiquated
for the position. And then you expect these guys to
just be able to go and do this and do
that job. There's only so many quote unquote land mammals
walking on this earth that can be over three hundred
(32:03):
pounds play every snap of the game. When the other
side is rotating guys in and out fresh bodies, you
can't do that the offensive line position, right, you know,
offensive line and quarterback really they have to stay on
the field. We're amazed when defensive players get seventy percent
of the snaps, right, but yet the offensive line has
(32:24):
to be there for one hundred percent of the snaps
when you get out right, I mean, let's let's just
think about that aspect of it. And the margin of
error that we judge an offensive line on versus what
we judge a defensive player.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Let's just put this in. Let's go in baseball terms. Right,
it's a world series.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
We got Mariners, we got Blue Jays, right, you know, sorry,
we got blue Jays.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
And who's the other team I forgot dodge was Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
I'm sorry, I'm still thinking about that Monday night game
that was That was a great final Championship series game.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
We got Dodgers and we got Blue Jays.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
What is a great batting average? Rob, Since you're in
the baseball world, it gives me a great bat Three
hundred is amazing? Right if you are Miles Garrett, TJ. Watt,
Micah pars isn't you get two sacks.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
In one game? What do they consider you a great elite? Right? Right?
Speaker 3 (33:25):
There are sixty plus plays per game, and you're saying
they make two plays.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
They're amazing. Think about that, right, that's less than three
hundred right.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
On the field opportunities versus actual success rate. But yet,
if a tackle gives up two sacks out of sixty
plus plays, but he has fifty eight other great plays, he's.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
A bum, Right, No, it's true. It's true, right, It's true.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
I'm just saying so, So I think I think that's
where we have to kind of look at this and
for an offensive line like that, going up to that talent,
and you haven't given up a sack, you know, in
three games this season, that's pretty freaking fantastic. Half the
games of the season, you've pitched shutouts, and that's over
one hundred and eighty opportunities at least. So that's where
(34:22):
I kind of get frustrated with it because it's such
a curve and it's such a slight for an offensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
But I mean, you know, you're like, man.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
An offensive tackle gives up ten sacks in the season. Man,
what type of terrible players is? Replace him? Get somebody new,
hard feather that guy, right, I mean, but yet he's
played over a thousand plays and had ten bad ones.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
Right, Well, that showed me any job that where that is,
where that where that is a bad thing.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
You have ten bad out of a thousand plus, It's like, ah, shoot,
this dude's hitting on a ninety eight percent success rate
and that's a bad thing offensive lineman.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
So then and then then think about how many other
factors are involved, right, So you're playing with Aaron Rodgers
getting rid of the ball quickly. You're playing with Ben Roethlisberger.
Ben's not getting rid of the ball quickly. He's trying
to make plays down Now.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
On the other hand, on his career, he did, he
got the ball out quick.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
It's just happen to be the half that I was
a present for. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yes, But but here's the other thing too. You know,
incomes a rusher and if it's Joe Flacco or somebody else,
he's probably going down. If it's Ben, Ben might just
shrugged that off. And you know he might save you
a department too, you know.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Yeah, exactly. So.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
So I mean, so there's so many different factors. And
and that's why I said where the grading and the
expectations of offensive lineman is just absolutely insane. If you
actually sit down and think it's it's like grading a
super model, you know what I'm saying, Like it's ridiculous,
like back in the day. Oh man, you know, she
(36:05):
looks a little bit, she's a double zero, like she
went to a she went to a normal zero.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Like what are we talking about here? Oh man? You
know you got you can't eat as much.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
I'm like, the average defensive lineman, like defensive end outside
linebacker type is anywhere from two hundred and fifty pounds
to two hundred and seventy pounds. The average offensive line
weight is about three ten three oh five, right, you
know what I'm saying, Like we're already dealing with a
weight discrepancy, so there's an endurance discrepancy.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
But yet we play every down.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
The defensive lineman don't play every down, Like when the
snap's logged is just skewed so far in the offensive
lines favor, and then you need them to be perfect
all the time. On top of that, when you're going
up against apex predators on the other side that you know,
look at a carb and scoff at a carb and
we we look at a carb and we gain weight.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
You know, it's just like come on, like like what
are we talking about?
Speaker 3 (37:03):
And we get And on top of that, you're the
bigger guy and you have to go backwards. The other
team gets to go forward, like when they go backwards
it's something bad, but for us it's a necessity. Right,
you know, That's the other part. It's like there's so
many different small minute things we could argue about the
difference between the two and just the way that it's
not even rose colored glasses when you look.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
At offensive lineman.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
I mean they're like the dark funeral goggles, you know
what I'm saying. Like every time you look at it,
it's like a dark shade, and it's like it's negative
until it's not as negative. It's never it's never rosy
and sunshiny, you know. And I think that's like think like,
just think about this, and and this is not a
negative or a slight against defensive lineman, even though it
might seem like that.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
But TJ.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Watt has had a tremendous career. We'd argue this is
yellow jacket type of career.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Right, Oh, no, no question he has.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Yeah, he has how many sacks? About one hund one
hundred and ten and a half hundred and eleven. Right,
he has played over ten thousand snaps, rob Just think
about that, right, easily over ten thousand snaps of his career.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
And that and that and that is gold jacket.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
If an offensive lineman who played for for twenty years
and had given up that many sacks, he wouldn't he
wouldn't have even made it that far in his career,
you know what I'm saying, Like like he would have
been he would have been chopped off at the these
long ago if he gave up one hundred sacks of
his career, even though he'd also have ten thousand plus plays.
Speaker 5 (38:41):
Yeah like that. Yeah, by the way, are okay? No no, no, no, no, no, no, no, nope.
I want to reel you back. I just want to
mention this quickly. And I know we were way overdue
for a break. But Ginger Rogers, the Great Dancer was
asked about dancing with Fred Astaire who was your dance partner,
and was asked, Hey, is you know Fred might be
(39:02):
the greatest dancer in the world, And she said, We'll
keep in mind that I do everything Fred does, except
I do it do it moving backwards and in high heels. So, uh,
that's a little bit of what the offensivelignment is going through,
having to move backwards and uh and deal with these
these apex predators coming at him. Gear up with the
latest Game day nesassities at the official Steers Pro shops.
(39:22):
Get the latest Sideline apparel, jerseys, terrible towels, authentic memorabilia
and custom exclusives. You can only find directly from the team.
Visit one of the officials Steelers.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
Pro Shops located at Akroschuer Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets
or Tang Route Let's or gear up online at shop
dot Steelers dot com. Get it direct from the team
at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop dot Steers dot com.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Back in the.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Locker room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the
Steers Pro Shop. When we continue on Steelers Nation Radio
apart of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
This is in the locker room with Kenyon Starks on
Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The
F one point fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shot at Shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
And thank you very much for being with us.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
You know, Max, this this game coming up on Sunday
night is like, you know, reading a novel. If you
read novels, there's always the main plot and then there's
always at least one very important subplot. The main plot
is we have two division leaders playing on Sunday night.
(40:43):
The main subplot is Aaron Rodgers are going against his
former team. Another interesting subplot is too long standing NFL
franchises going at it with rich histories. And we'll get
into the Aaron Rodgers against his old team. But you know,
as we get ready to join in Jim Wexel and
we're gonna look at the the NFL dot Com power ranking.
(41:04):
Is not going to spend a ton of time on that,
because we did some power rankings yesterday, but just to
get a feel for where everybody ranks and what the
expectations are as it relates to this game and the
game's upcoming this weekend. But there's a lot of plots
in this game. The big one though, is two division leaders,
and if you're this Jeers, trying to make sure you
get back on track Sunday night against Green Bay.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
That's that's the only goal.
Speaker 4 (41:28):
Talk about keeping the main thing the main thing. That's
the main thing.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
The main thing is getting back to the next contest,
proving that you can play with a good team and
that you deserve to.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
Be counted amongst the top of your division. That's what's
at stake.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
It's most importantly it's the next game, and that's the approach.
You know, the rearview mirror is now is now tucked
away for right now like like this, you know, and
I make the the kind of kind of assessment like this,
I look at it and say, how many NASCAR cars
(42:09):
have rear view mirrors?
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Right? None? Right? None.
Speaker 3 (42:16):
It's like it's like, stop, stop looking at your rear view.
This is a this is like this is like a
five hundred lap race. Right, You've got to keep eyes forward,
windshield in front, and that's all. That's all that matters.
That's the only view you need to worry about is
the one right in front of you, you know, And
make sure that you're not that that there's not more
(42:36):
cars getting in front of you in this race.
Speaker 4 (42:40):
Try and keep pace.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
You know, you want to open clear field because that
means you're at you're near the top of you're right
at the front. You know, you don't want to see
twenty five cars in front of you. You don't want
to see ten cars in front of you. You maybe
you know there's a car to your left and you're right,
maybe there's one that's edging you right now, but right
now you're still squarely and in that pace car seat
(43:01):
and You've got to make sure that you are leading
the way and dictating the terms and not having the
terms dictated.
Speaker 4 (43:08):
To you like it has been the last couple of years.
Speaker 2 (43:10):
And another way of putting that, the great Satchel Page,
since Max brought up baseball, never a problem with me,
as I love the great American game of baseball. Satchel
Page once said, don't look over your shoulder, because whatever's
back there might be gaining on you. Eyes ahead and
eyes ahead for the Steelers means the Green Bay Packers.
(43:32):
Eyes ahead for us means that we have Jim Wexel
coming up on a hump day as we will begin
our serious preparations now turning the corner the hump of
the show, five hours behind us, five hours still the
go this week as we get ready for the Packers
and the Steelers Jim Wexel will join us next when
we continue in the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood
(43:54):
Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood 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
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
And we thank you very much for being with us
in the locker room on this hump Day Wednesday. As
you know, hump Day meets Jim Wexel. He's going to
be joining us in a little bit. But before we
get too far down the line, Max, my friend, how
you doing today?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I am wonderful, Rob, I mean, polk String's eternal is
the middle of the week is the hump day.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
We are going to push.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Through, be excited, empowered and have a great time.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Everything's great.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
That's that's the way to go, my friend. That's the
way to get us started on the show. You know,
we on Wednesdays, we kind of we look at the
the overview of the NFL and we turn our attention
to the game that's upcoming, you know, as we go
up to you know, considered a parabola, right, we'll be
(01:20):
getting into the matchups against the Packers. We'll be spending
two and a half shows doing that. The first half
of this show talking about other stuff around the NFL.
And so Max, I was in the dentist chair this morning.
That's how my day began. And they had music playing,
but up on the screen they had the I believe
it was the NFL network. It might have been ESPN.
(01:42):
I think actually, now that I think about it, I
think was an ESPN NFL talk show on and they
were one of the questions they posed and I had
to read it, so I didn't hear what they were
talking about. Is the Steelers defense the most disappointing it
in the NFL? Now, I know they're trying to get headlines,
(02:04):
and I understand that, and I understand that nobody in
Steelers Land is happy with what happened against Cincinnati. It
especially when it felt like after the sluggish started, it
was trending in the right direction. You know, the games
leading up to this game. Obviously we know what happened
in the Jets game at the beginning of the season,
(02:24):
and then Seattle hanks thirty one on you. But you
held New England to fourteen points? You really, I mean,
you know you had Minnesota throttle ball game except for
the last few minutes. You gave up that long past
datus and everybody got hurt. And Minnesota scored some touchdowns
to make it a little little Harry at the end
of that game. But you really kind of stuck it
(02:47):
to him. Then you stuck it to the Browns, and
then the Bengals kind of stuck it to you. And
now all of a sudden, the narrative changes. As we know,
happens quickly. So I understand the question. I understand that
the Steelers and Steelers Nation aren't thrilled with their performance
last Thursday night, to put it mildly, but I don't
know if that was more of a headline grabber or
(03:08):
more something that.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Is that is on the nose.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I think it's more of a headline grabber, but we're
gonna find out because the Steelers have a very difficult
schedule coming up beginning on Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
They do have a very difficult schedule, and know they
are not by the way, that Texas offense might be
the most disappointing thing I've ever seen in football this
season or really any season that the Seahawks, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, can I just say quickly, I just as I
turned on that game, just I turned the volume up
of that game, they were saying, because I was flipping
over from the previous game. They said, So that game
started on ESPN two. I think CJ. Stroud. I think
they said c J. Stroud wanted to show everybody that
(03:58):
he is an elite quarterback in the NFL, uh in
this game against Seattle.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
And I thought, oh, if.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
I got that quote right, that's not what I want
would want to be saying going against first of all,
I wouldn't want to put it out there right. Yeah,
you know, I remember I remember talking to my uh
to uh to Dick Groat, the great two sports star,
you know, he a college basketball All American, five time
(04:27):
All start and and MVP and baseball one of the
great two sport athletes in American history. Really, and he
said he told me, yes, somebody once told me, if
you're good, you don't have to talk about it. Everybody
knows it. So I I when see when I heard
those words, I thought, oh, I wish CJ hadn't said
that if in fact he said that, because again I
(04:48):
did catch the tail end of it, especially against that
defense Max that defense for you for Seattle is really good.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Man. Yeah, it's a really good crew.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
And you know, they work really hard hard and I
mean that defensive line, especially up front. I mean Byron Murphy,
DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams and Jaron Reid or Jaron Reid.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Wow. That that that that that's the heck of a crew, right, yeah,
the heck of a crew.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Pro bowlers right there, man, right down the line exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
And then you know, interviewed Byron after that game too,
and you know, he was he was a little more gracious,
but he was like he's like, yeah, man, we just
we just wanted to go out there. We wanted to dominate.
Coach said, dominate and you know, good things will happen.
And I think, you know, for the most part, good
things happened up until the end. But we held on
and I was like, yeah, that's just good things. I mean,
(05:44):
they looked they looked they looked like the revolving doors
at the hotel, except for what it's not. It's not
since when people get near it. It's one that just
keeps going constantly and didn't stop.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
That's what it felt like. On the house. It's like
CJ s back forty seven times.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
He got I want to say he got hit or
pressured at least forty forty nine times out of the
forty seven.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
That's how often. It's like, elf, he was getting pressured. Yeah, exactly,
around and around and round. Yeah, that was a d
line like oh, next play, Oh, next play? All right,
it's like are they running a screen? At some point
they probably felt like they were running screen game.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
That's how that's right. Yeah, they kept looking over their shoulder.
But yeah, but I mean so I think it's a
sexy thing to say. Right when it's the number one,
you know, paid defense, you expect them to be ranked
number one because they're paid number one, even though we
all know in reality that is not true. And it's
(06:44):
about where the spind is on average per position group
that got them up there. But with that being said,
you can't allow the league's when the league's worst rushing
teams to rush for three times their after that's where
it opens the eyes up. And then you brought this
secondary in and revamped this entire secondary to defend and
(07:10):
go up against that wide receiving group. Like specifically mentioned
Cincinnati in the off season plans about how you have
to construct your defense, and that was what we got
the first time. So I get why people want to
put that type of headline out there because I think
(07:32):
it comes with a cachet and.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
On the heels of.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
This was your best shot, and look what happened a
type of deal versus This was a tight game and
they end up winning it. Jamar Chase got half the
receptions that he got in the game. I think it
would have been acceptable given the amount of targets. Te
Higgins doesn't make two significant plays in the game, namely
(08:00):
the touchdown and the one that that really ice the
game at the end and him sliding at the seven
yard line. If you don't have some of those things
that you might say it was a success, but you didn't.
And they scored on seven or nine drives, right So
it's the most obvious thing right now, and I think
(08:20):
that's that's what it is that's brought all this attention
to it.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
But I don't I don't buy that by far.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
They are not the most disappointing unit in football in
the NFL, YEP.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So I think Max that you know, when you look
at the other factors we've talked about, right which is,
you know, the desperation for the Bengals and Thursday night
football and being on the road and all these things
that are sort of conspiring against you, and no matter
(08:54):
how good of a defense you are, you're occasionally gonna
get lit up. I think that if the Steelers defense
goes back to performing the way they had the previous
three weeks, we'll look at those things as factors which
led to a subpar performance. It really reminds me. I
(09:18):
love the tie in hockey for this reason.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
So, let's say you lose a game, right and then
you have three ties in a row. Right now, you
have a four game winless streak. Okay, you following me,
you have a four game Now you win the fifth game.
Right now, you count those ties differently. Now you have
(09:43):
a four game point streak. You know, So those games
are nothing's happened. The results of those games haven't changed.
It's just the perspective with which you view those games.
So that always cracks me up. In hockey, Oh we
got a four game winless streak. Oh wait a minute,
we we won, we eked one out. Now we have
a four game point streak. So I think that as
(10:07):
we look at this performance on Thursday night is going
to either be a blip on the radar and we're
going to look back and say, ah, you know what,
that's that's the outlier. It's really more of a streak of,
you know, three good games defensively leading into that game.
That's a blip in the radar and now we can say, Okay,
(10:27):
seven of the last eight have been really good defensive performances,
or we're gonna say, hey, that was a harbinger. You know,
and you talked about this before, Max. When you have
a performance like that, you gotta own it. You know,
there's there's nothing else you can do. The performance is
the performance, and and that's part of what is on
your resume. That's part of your record. And now you
(10:49):
have to go about trying to expunge that as much
as you can by having better performances. And and so
that's where the Steelers defense kind of is right now.
I'm sure mping at the bit thinking about this game
on Sunday night.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Well, you have to be. You have to be.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I mean, you know, when you put on that you
want to get to the very next performance because you know,
you need to wash the stink off right, you go,
you you you go out, you go out and work
a job and you go, you know, you go, you go,
and you have this opportunity, right, and and you mess
(11:28):
it up, you mess up the first interview, but they
call you back for a second interview. Right, You're like, oh, man,
I can I cannot wait to redeem myself, right, you know,
because I know it's a job that you want, it's
a job you desire, and you just got nervous for
whatever reason.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
You know, you didn't sleep that well.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
You know, bus was late, you know, got got got
you know, got stuck in traffic. However, it comes about
and you're not fully prepared for the moment because you're
dishoveled some way or another. Right, that is what this
kind of feels like. You have that disappointment, you have
that kind of setback, but yet you still get another opportunity.
(12:14):
And that's how that's the type of nervous energy anxiety
that you have to get back out there and either
a prove people wrong in the case of the Steelers,
or b prove people right in the case of the Steelers,
which is defense and offense, right, you know, because nobody
(12:35):
thought the offense was going to do what they did.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
And yet this isn't.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
This isn't the Steelers of yesteryear or the last couple
of years. This Steelers team can score points. This Steelers
team can take opening drives down and score touchdowns. Right,
No more twenty two game droughts without doing that. It's
more the commonplace than it is the outlier that they
(13:03):
don't score that they do score. And I think that's
what is kind of funny about this, because you have
a tale of two coins on the same team, a
difference between two units, and that's and that's why it's
important for this defense to lock in, get ready, and
go to work, because that is what's required, and that
(13:27):
is what you want. You want to be seen. You're
only as good as your last game, and that's an
opportunity to be seen. And you're gonna do it on primetime.
Guess what, everybody's gonna see you.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
You the only game on.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
You know, Chris Collinsworth and Mike Turco and the crew
are rolling into town and you got to prove them right.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Right, Yes you do. Uh?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
And you know there was another question posed on that
same exact show, which is and again I didn't see it,
and you know, you get your teeth cleaned, and.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
You got the glass.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
And I just saw the headline, which is, are the
Ravens finished? Do they have a chance to win the division?
And they put up the remaining strength of schedule. This
student's strength of schedule is tenth, the Ravens is twenty four.
So the Ravens have already played a bunch of their
tough games. And we talked about this Max that that
(14:21):
loss on Thursday night clearly brings the Bengals back in it.
Right now they're three and four, yeah, and they're two
and zero in the division, so they're two games behind
you in the lost column. But from their perspective, hey,
they got one game with you. They've already played some
difficult games. They've got, you know, a guy that can
come in and unlock the keys to their offense and
(14:42):
Joe Flacco. They're suddenly alive. And if you're the and
if you're the Ravens, you're thinking you're alive now too, right.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Well, you have to think that, right, you have to
think that you are still in the driver's seat. All
you need to do is just get you know, Lamar
back and everything will be good. Now granted, talk about
bad defense. That Ravens defense is pretty bad too.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Yes, they are. Yep, they have a lot.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
They are a lot of guys missing that are gone
for the year and everything else. That defense is struggling.
And even with Lamar, they weren't looking that great, right.
You know, Lamar scores forty the defense gives up forty one.
So we talk about bad performances and they've had they
have multiple forty point giver uppers on their resume already
(15:39):
this year. Because you look at what the ineptitude of
the Texas on Monday Night football and the fact that
they hung forty on on their defense. I mean, let's
just let's just say it what it is, that that
was horrible, right, So they've got they've got some issues
as well.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
It's a big problems.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
So that's where I think when you look at it,
you say, hey, Lamar doesn't cure everything. I mean, heck,
even with Dereck Henry, Derek Hearry couldn't get going with Lamar.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
So there's a lot of buggaboos.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
But yes, technically, buy numerical things, they are not out
of the division race. I mean, heck, you can say
the same thing for Cleveland Browns. But guess who's in
fourth right now. It would be the Baltimore Ravens. So
you know there are a couple of things that you
have to do.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
So I did want to ask you this Max, because
you know, at the beginning of the season, I asked you,
how long do you think, in your experience of a
guy that switched sides on the offensive line, did you
feel like it would take Broderick Jones and Troy Foutanu.
Jones a right tackle moving to left tackle, Foutanu a
(16:50):
left tackle in college moving to right tackle. I know
both guys had preseasons and practices. How long would it take?
And your answer was five to six weeks? And I'm
going to ask you about the offensive lineman coming up
and what you've seen. But I'm trying to put in
context this next question, which is that with new guys
(17:11):
coming in, you've revamped the defensive line. Let's not forget that.
You have a first time starter in Peyton Wilson inside linebacker.
Yes he has experienced, but now he's a first time starter.
Let's not forget that. And you have what three new
starters in the secondary, Let's not forget that.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
How long.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
And I know there's a great deal of variance. Sometimes
a team just hits the ground running and that's that.
But generally speaking, what kind of adjustment period should there be?
Should they have been terrific in week one? Are we
expecting too much too early? Is it mid season before
they're hitting their stride. Look, as long as they're winning games,
I don't care if they hit their stride till December.
(17:55):
But what do you think is a realistic expectation for
people to say, Aha, that's the defense that we're looking for.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I would say that with the experience and the age
of the defenders, it should come together pretty consistently by now.
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Okay, and usually most defenses.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Now, you have to remember at the beginning of the year,
they were not full strength, right, so you had some
guys out, you had some.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
You know, minor issues.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
With them being gone, and you can kind of excuse
that part of it, right, But I think when you
are at full strength, you are in mid season form
quote unquote, that's when you should really see the progress,
and especially after the three weeks that you've had, you know,
that's where I think the frustration is that we saw
(18:57):
three weeks of really great defense.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
So it was I think, isn't it so funny how
one game changes the perspective? Are they the most And look,
now you look at the yards because the first two
weeks weren't great, right, they weren't great, And then you
see three games you're like, oh my goodness, wait a minute,
now look what we got here. And by the way,
New England's one of the better offenses in the NFL
(19:22):
in terms of points per game, So now we're look
at all the sacks. This is the defense we expected.
Then one game turns back the clock, right like that
tie in hockey. Now, all of a sudden, you're like, well,
wait a minute, what about those two games before? This
is really the Steelers defense, this game in the first two,
not the last three.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
That we saw. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
And and right now, because of that, you're half and half,
so we don't know what to make. You've literally had
three great games and three bad games. So that's why
the question mark still hangs. And usually at this point
something usually gives. But like you said, you can break
(20:04):
that time breaker by what you do on Sunday night,
and I think people will start to make more decisions
about you afterwards because they'll have, you know, information that
favors one versus the other. Are you good or are
you bad? And that's where it has to be. And
even if and when we say bad, let let's let's
(20:29):
be clear, the bad is still.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Not that bad, right.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
I mean, you know, you look at it and you're like, Okay,
there hasn't been a you know, a terrible performance, Like
they haven't been blown out. I think that's the biggest thing.
So when people make all these statements like these games
have been close and they just haven't pulled it out, right,
they just didn't figure out the Rubik's cube because you
look at it from week one to what we saw
(20:58):
Thursday night, Right, it was the difference of two points
each game two points four two points against. So two
of those three games feel like a wash, right, because
you won thirty four thirty two, and then you lost
thirty three to thirty one. So in both events, yeah,
your defense gave up thirty plus points, but look at
(21:20):
what it did with the offense, right, the difference between
turnovers and non turnovers offensively, so it still could have
been considered a you know, a complimentary football game. If
they turn away the last field goal of the game
and you win by one, right, Yep, it still would
have been great, but you would have been like, Okay,
you gave up a lot of rushing yards, but you
(21:41):
guys held.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
When it was necessary.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
And that's the difference of really two plays in the
game that you that you say, if you don't have
those two plays, we're not talking about this. And I
think that's what the frustration is. And that's why it's
so fickle, because it's not like they're truly off It's
not like the defense gave up forty points and the
offense could only muster twenty or less. And I think
(22:08):
that's where we have to be cognizant of it and
not read those headlines, you know, the clickbait, so to speak.
Like you said with that headline, are they the most
disappointing group of football?
Speaker 4 (22:18):
No? No, no, no, no.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Now it was disappointing in the moment because you didn't win,
but we're still a four and two football team, still
number one in the AFC North, and that defense still
churned out a lot of production in that three game
stretch and yes, short week everything else. I mean, we
could find the excuses if we wanted to. We're not
an excuse making business, but still there's reasoning behind it,
(22:45):
and history has proven that no matter how good this
team was going to be, the record on Thursday night
away is the record on Thursday night and away for
Mike Tomalin that that's just it, and I think that's
what you have to kind of come to reality that
they didn't overcome that. But we're at home Sunday night
football game. I think you have to be encouraged that
(23:06):
this team is rested because look what they did when
they came off the last rest break. You know, they
stymied the Cleveland Browns, who went and put thirty four
points up on Miami. By the way, the entire Miami
football team should be the disappointment as well this season.
You know, now that I'm talking about it, you know,
Rob now is starting to get my legs under me.
I know, I know we're I know we're twenty seven
(23:29):
minutes into this segment.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
But I am pushed you. I amused.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Both Miami offensively and defensively should be on the chopping block.
Is the most disappointing group in football. I mean, come on,
let's be honest here. Texas offense, Miami offense, defense, however,
you want to slate one but in front of the other.
But they're right next to each other, you know, at
the bottom of production. I mean, there's a lot of
(23:55):
other teams that the Steelers know can't cannot do that,
you know, and say that so early, because Wow, it
is bad down there. I'm surprised Mike McDaid still has
a job. I mean, honestly, I really thought they were
going to fire him on the tarmac in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Don't disagree. And look, I'm not rooting any old will
and the guy.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
I just know that surprises me. I just need him
to take those dark shades off. That's just coming. So
it was raining right outside.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Lots to get to the First Place. Steelers hosting the
First Place Packers on Sunday Night. Football will continue with
more in the Locker Room presented by your Neighborhood Ford
Store and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
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 get it direct from
the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop dot
Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
And we thank you very much for being with us.
So Max, before we get too far down the line,
I wanted to ask you to to sort of check
in on where Broderick Jones and Troy faut taniwar. Look,
they're facing a big matchup, big matchups this weekend against
for Sean Gary and Michaeh Parsons. They're facing big matchups
(25:31):
every week. You know, they're they're elite guys coming every week.
Michaeh Parsons at a different level. He's in that same
conversation with the elite guys when we think about you know,
t J. Watt, Max Crosby, Miles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson. He's
that sort of elite pass rusher. We'll talk about their
(25:52):
specific matchups maybe a little bit later in a week,
but you know, you talked about five to six weeks, uh,
these guys to kind of start getting their footing and
and getting into a groove and working together with the
rest of the offensive line. We have seen the running
game really take hold. We you have seen Aaron Rodgers
and I understand that Spencer Anderson is an extra blocker
(26:15):
has part to do with that. Aaron Rodgers lightning quick
release has part to do with that. But in three
out of the last four games, Aaron Rodgers has not
been sacked.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
So how much?
Speaker 2 (26:25):
So I'm not going to ask even how much of
that goes on the tackles because there's a lot of factors.
What have you seen from those guys? Are they starting
to find their footing?
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Is there? Are they both arrow pointed upward? Guys? Are there?
Are there? You know?
Speaker 2 (26:38):
Is there still some trajectory remaining in their seasons?
Speaker 3 (26:43):
There's still trajectory remaining, but Arrow has pointed out And
you know, people are like, oh, well, you know, Air's
getting the ball out super quick. That doesn't matter, that
doesn't matter. He's getting out quick. Tom Brady got it
out quick. And guess what, guys went to the Pro Bowl. Yeah,
you know what I'm saying. So I'm like, really that
(27:04):
that whole adage of oh he's getting the ball out quick,
that's what the offense dictates, and you play to the
strengths of what your offense can do, and that's when
they're the most effective. So when I hear you know,
people trying to argue that. I'm like, what I'm seeing
from Broderick is is a lot of great things. And
(27:24):
you know, I said as much, you know when we
came on the show Monday, and I'll reiterate this again.
I mean, he he is getting comfortable and the experience,
and he's looking good doing it. He's getting a lot better.
People wanted to blame it. Oh baby looked terrible at
the beginning of the year. Well, I mean anybody looks good.
I mean, heck, we've been talking about the defense and
how many Pro Bowls and all proses that side have, right, So,
(27:48):
you know, patience is the key, and I think you
know this is we want a player to be good
for the next five to seven years, not good for
the first five to seven games. And that's what I
think we're getting with Broderick. We're seeing the maturity, We're
seeing the growth week in and week out. And he's
had he's had those tough roles. And I think that's
(28:09):
where you had to say it. Now the run game,
everybody has a part of that. Spencer Anderson being it.
That doesn't that's not a uniquely tackle issue. That's just
an offensive line maturity. Issue being able to run the
ball out of eleven versus twelve or twenty one personnel.
So you know, I look at it and I say, yes,
Ero pointed up and Troy Faltanu, Troy's been doing a
(28:30):
great job. Because Troy, Troy's also begin to lie and
share of guys you know as well. You know, it's
not like Broderick, like there's only one good guy back
like back in the day when I played, and that
guy always.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Went to the left side.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Is no, there are there are great guys on both
sides that you have to be worried about. And Green
Bay is no exception to that. Yeah, you had no
Trey Henderson last week, but you know you had you
had a very prideful wounded animal, and you know you
held them at Bay. Cleveland had a guy by the
name of Miles Garrett. We didn't call his name really
at all at all that entire game. And he played
(29:02):
both sides, yep. And and even when you look at
the New England defense, that New England defense beat up
on quote unquote Josh Allen and his superior offensive line.
So when you think about it, yes, there is a
lot of good stuff that's happening on the offensive line,
especially with the young tackles. And you heard the word right,
(29:24):
I didn't just say tackles. They are young tackles at
that and they're both really getting their first shot at
their perspective positions this season, and they've answered the call.
I think that's something you have to say. That's a
bright spot. They are growing as a unit and this
team has not been stymied like in years past. You know,
they're putting up points, they are they are driving upon it.
(29:47):
I don't care about a Spencer Edersy.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
That's awesome. I was a jumbo tackle, you know, back
in the day.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
I remember when we had we had to run the
ball with an extra tight end. I had some games,
I had a lot of plays. Some games I didn't
have a lot of plays. And this has been the
formula right now, So why not work with it. That
position on the other side, the defense side of the ball,
has evolved so much more than the offensive line, you know,
and I have these I've had this conversation for the
last five to seven years about how do you how
(30:13):
do you evolve that position when every other position around
you has evolved? Right think about where we're at Now. Defensively,
you now in the draft have edge rusher or edge
rush specialist as a category. It's not just a defensive end.
It's not just an outside linebacker. These guys are considered
edge rushers.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
Right. That's a very highly specified position group.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
We didn't have that when I got when I came
out in the draft, it was you had a d
N and then if you're three to four, you had
an outside linebacker that was your edge rush specialist or
your edge rusher, and the guy had to do everything.
Now you have guys who could come in specifically four
pass rushing assignments and that you know they're a liability
in the run game, and you know you have tweener
size guys. Now you have guys who are really big
(30:58):
safeties that play a small lineback and small linebackers that
also play like a big safety of dollar backers.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
You have all these different position groups.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
To justify the tweeners size and the specialty of what
this defense wants to of what defenses want to be.
But yet offensive line still tackle, guard, center, right and left.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
That's it, guys.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Still, there's only so many ways you can you can
you can run a pass set only so many ways
you can run block, and you know, that's been kind
of the constant frustration. You know, my good buddy Charles Bentley,
who happens to also be the senior Advisor to the
NFL for Human Performance, and we've had these we've had
these discussions. How do you grow this position? You know,
(31:41):
even from the paths that we use, how do you
evolve that? Like the drill work, you know, some of
the technical there's so many things that are so antiquated
for the position. And then you expect these guys to
just be able to go and do this and do
that job. There's only so many quote unquote land mammals
walking on this earth that can be over three hundred
(32:03):
pounds play every snap of the game. When the other
side is rotating guys in and out fresh bodies, you
can't do that the offensive line position, right, you know,
offensive line and quarterback really they have to stay on
the field. We're amazed when defensive players get seventy percent
of the snaps, right, but yet the offensive line has
(32:24):
to be there for one hundred percent of the snaps
when you get out right, I mean, let's let's just
think about that aspect of it. And the margin of
error that we judge an offensive line on versus what
we judge a defensive player.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Let's just put this in. Let's go in baseball terms. Right,
it's a world series.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
We got Mariners, we got Blue Jays, right, you know, sorry,
we got blue Jays.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
And who's the other team I forgot dodge was Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
I'm sorry, I'm still thinking about that Monday night game
that was That was a great final Championship series game.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
We got Dodgers and we got Blue Jays.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
What is a great batting average? Rob, Since you're in
the baseball world, it gives me a great bat Three
hundred is amazing? Right if you are Miles Garrett, TJ. Watt,
Micah pars isn't you get two sacks.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
In one game? What do they consider you a great elite? Right? Right?
Speaker 3 (33:25):
There are sixty plus plays per game, and you're saying
they make two plays.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
They're amazing. Think about that, right, that's less than three
hundred right.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
On the field opportunities versus actual success rate. But yet,
if a tackle gives up two sacks out of sixty
plus plays, but he has fifty eight other great plays, he's.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
A bum, Right, No, it's true. It's true, right, It's true.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
I'm just saying so, So I think I think that's
where we have to kind of look at this and
for an offensive line like that, going up to that talent,
and you haven't given up a sack, you know, in
three games this season, that's pretty freaking fantastic. Half the
games of the season, you've pitched shutouts, and that's over
one hundred and eighty opportunities at least. So that's where
(34:22):
I kind of get frustrated with it because it's such
a curve and it's such a slight for an offensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
But I mean, you know, you're like, man.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
An offensive tackle gives up ten sacks in the season. Man,
what type of terrible players is? Replace him? Get somebody new,
hard feather that guy, right, I mean, but yet he's
played over a thousand plays and had ten bad ones.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
Right, Well, that showed me any job that where that is,
where that where that is a bad thing.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
You have ten bad out of a thousand plus, It's like, ah, shoot,
this dude's hitting on a ninety eight percent success rate
and that's a bad thing offensive lineman.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
So then and then then think about how many other
factors are involved, right, So you're playing with Aaron Rodgers
getting rid of the ball quickly. You're playing with Ben Roethlisberger.
Ben's not getting rid of the ball quickly. He's trying
to make plays down Now.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
On the other hand, on his career, he did, he
got the ball out quick.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
It's just happen to be the half that I was
a present for. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yes, But but here's the other thing too. You know,
incomes a rusher and if it's Joe Flacco or somebody else,
he's probably going down. If it's Ben, Ben might just
shrugged that off. And you know he might save you
a department too, you know.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Yeah, exactly. So.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
So I mean, so there's so many different factors. And
and that's why I said where the grading and the
expectations of offensive lineman is just absolutely insane. If you
actually sit down and think it's it's like grading a
super model, you know what I'm saying, Like it's ridiculous,
like back in the day. Oh man, you know, she
(36:05):
looks a little bit, she's a double zero, like she
went to a she went to a normal zero.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Like what are we talking about here? Oh man? You
know you got you can't eat as much.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
I'm like, the average defensive lineman, like defensive end outside
linebacker type is anywhere from two hundred and fifty pounds
to two hundred and seventy pounds. The average offensive line
weight is about three ten three oh five, right, you
know what I'm saying, Like we're already dealing with a
weight discrepancy, so there's an endurance discrepancy.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
But yet we play every down.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
The defensive lineman don't play every down, Like when the
snap's logged is just skewed so far in the offensive
lines favor, and then you need them to be perfect
all the time. On top of that, when you're going
up against apex predators on the other side that you know,
look at a carb and scoff at a carb and
we we look at a carb and we gain weight.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
You know, it's just like come on, like like what
are we talking about?
Speaker 3 (37:03):
And we get And on top of that, you're the
bigger guy and you have to go backwards. The other
team gets to go forward, like when they go backwards
it's something bad, but for us it's a necessity. Right,
you know, That's the other part. It's like there's so
many different small minute things we could argue about the
difference between the two and just the way that it's
not even rose colored glasses when you look.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
At offensive lineman.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
I mean they're like the dark funeral goggles, you know
what I'm saying. Like every time you look at it,
it's like a dark shade, and it's like it's negative
until it's not as negative. It's never it's never rosy
and sunshiny, you know. And I think that's like think like,
just think about this, and and this is not a
negative or a slight against defensive lineman, even though it
might seem like that.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
But TJ.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Watt has had a tremendous career. We'd argue this is
yellow jacket type of career.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Right, Oh, no, no question he has.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Yeah, he has how many sacks? About one hund one
hundred and ten and a half hundred and eleven. Right,
he has played over ten thousand snaps, rob Just think
about that, right, easily over ten thousand snaps of his career.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
And that and that and that is gold jacket.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
If an offensive lineman who played for for twenty years
and had given up that many sacks, he wouldn't he
wouldn't have even made it that far in his career,
you know what I'm saying, Like like he would have
been he would have been chopped off at the these
long ago if he gave up one hundred sacks of
his career, even though he'd also have ten thousand plus plays.
Speaker 5 (38:41):
Yeah like that. Yeah, by the way, are okay? No no, no, no, no, no, no, no, nope.
I want to reel you back. I just want to
mention this quickly. And I know we were way overdue
for a break. But Ginger Rogers, the Great Dancer was
asked about dancing with Fred Astaire who was your dance partner,
and was asked, Hey, is you know Fred might be
(39:02):
the greatest dancer in the world, And she said, We'll
keep in mind that I do everything Fred does, except
I do it do it moving backwards and in high heels. So, uh,
that's a little bit of what the offensivelignment is going through,
having to move backwards and uh and deal with these
these apex predators coming at him. Gear up with the
latest Game day nesassities at the official Steers Pro shops.
(39:22):
Get the latest Sideline apparel, jerseys, terrible towels, authentic memorabilia
and custom exclusives. You can only find directly from the team.
Visit one of the officials Steelers.
Speaker 2 (39:31):
Pro Shops located at Akroschuer Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets
or Tang Route Let's or gear up online at shop
dot Steelers dot com. Get it direct from the team
at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop dot Steers dot com.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
Back in the.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
Locker room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the
Steers Pro Shop. When we continue on Steelers Nation Radio
apart of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
This is in the locker room with Kenyon Starks on
Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store. The
F one point fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shot at Shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
And thank you very much for being with us.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
You know, Max, this this game coming up on Sunday
night is like, you know, reading a novel. If you
read novels, there's always the main plot and then there's
always at least one very important subplot. The main plot
is we have two division leaders playing on Sunday night.
(40:43):
The main subplot is Aaron Rodgers are going against his
former team. Another interesting subplot is too long standing NFL
franchises going at it with rich histories. And we'll get
into the Aaron Rodgers against his old team. But you know,
as we get ready to join in Jim Wexel and
we're gonna look at the the NFL dot Com power ranking.
(41:04):
Is not going to spend a ton of time on that,
because we did some power rankings yesterday, but just to
get a feel for where everybody ranks and what the
expectations are as it relates to this game and the
game's upcoming this weekend. But there's a lot of plots
in this game. The big one though, is two division leaders,
and if you're this Jeers, trying to make sure you
get back on track Sunday night against Green Bay.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
That's that's the only goal.
Speaker 4 (41:28):
Talk about keeping the main thing the main thing. That's
the main thing.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
The main thing is getting back to the next contest,
proving that you can play with a good team and
that you deserve to.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
Be counted amongst the top of your division. That's what's
at stake.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
It's most importantly it's the next game, and that's the approach.
You know, the rearview mirror is now is now tucked
away for right now like like this, you know, and
I make the the kind of kind of assessment like this,
I look at it and say, how many NASCAR cars
(42:09):
have rear view mirrors?
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Right? None? Right? None.
Speaker 3 (42:16):
It's like it's like, stop, stop looking at your rear view.
This is a this is like this is like a
five hundred lap race. Right, You've got to keep eyes forward,
windshield in front, and that's all. That's all that matters.
That's the only view you need to worry about is
the one right in front of you, you know, And
make sure that you're not that that there's not more
(42:36):
cars getting in front of you in this race.
Speaker 4 (42:40):
Try and keep pace.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
You know, you want to open clear field because that
means you're at you're near the top of you're right
at the front. You know, you don't want to see
twenty five cars in front of you. You don't want
to see ten cars in front of you. You maybe
you know there's a car to your left and you're right,
maybe there's one that's edging you right now, but right
now you're still squarely and in that pace car seat
(43:01):
and You've got to make sure that you are leading
the way and dictating the terms and not having the
terms dictated.
Speaker 4 (43:08):
To you like it has been the last couple of years.
Speaker 2 (43:10):
And another way of putting that, the great Satchel Page,
since Max brought up baseball, never a problem with me,
as I love the great American game of baseball. Satchel
Page once said, don't look over your shoulder, because whatever's
back there might be gaining on you. Eyes ahead and
eyes ahead for the Steelers means the Green Bay Packers.
(43:32):
Eyes ahead for us means that we have Jim Wexel
coming up on a hump day as we will begin
our serious preparations now turning the corner the hump of
the show, five hours behind us, five hours still the
go this week as we get ready for the Packers
and the Steelers Jim Wexel will join us next when
we continue in the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood
(43:54):
Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
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