December 2, 2025 • 47 mins
Max and Rob share their final thoughts on last week's game and speak with Alvaro Martin.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one point fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
And thank you for being with us in the locker
room alongside Max Stark's Justin Miller at our controls in
the iHeart Studio. I'm Rob King on this Tuesday, trying
to put a Sunday's performance behind us in the rearview mirror.
Of course, we'll use that to inform our preparation for
the game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Some injury news
(00:51):
coming out of Baltimore, which we will get to in
a little bit. We have our AFL or a bigger
party AFL that's only fifty five years ago. Our NFL
recap presented by your Neighborhood Forts that are coming up
in a little bit. We'll also have Alvro Martine joining
us in about seventeen minutes or so. Bob Labriola, it's
(01:14):
a Tuesday with Labs. He's going to be joining us
at eleven o'clock as well, so plenty to get to
as we get you ready for this game between the
Steelers and the Ravens. It seems like this is what
it is every year, coming down to these two great
rivals battling for the AFC North title. And you know,
(01:36):
the Steelers had an opportunity obviously to kind of make
this thing a game with a lot of cushion. Two
three game lead, even a one game lead going into
the game on Sunday, those things have all dissipated. They're
out the window. You are now tied, and it's a
matter of these head to head games and then what
you do with the remaining three games in your schedule
(01:57):
as well, which for the Steelers are the Jets, the Browns,
and the Detroit Lions. They also have two games against
the Ravens, this one of course coming up against Baltimore
in Baltimore on Sunday, one pm kickoff schedule for that game.
And it's a big one, right it is the AFC North.
It's kind of like what you think it always should be. Unfortunately, again,
(02:22):
as we said before, you know, as they said just
a moment ago when the Ravens are starting out one
to five. You had a great opportunity to seaz this
even though they've ripped off. They ripped off five consecutive
wins before they're loss against the Bengals. As for the Ravens, schedule,
not exactly easy. They have the Steelers at home, then
they're at the Bengals. Keep in mind they lost at
(02:43):
home to the Bengals just last week. Last Thursday. It
is the Patriots at home, then they're at green Bay
and at the Steelers to conclude the regular season. So
they don't have an easy schedule either. In fact, you
might say their schedules a little bit tougher because they
still have the Patriots and the Packers. The Steelers have
the Lions as their premier team and then the other
(03:06):
team for Baltimore as the Bengals, while the Steelers have
the Browns and the Dolphins. But as the Steelers well known,
and as the Ravens found out, you know, they had
a tussle in Cleveland, won that game by a touchdown
a few weeks ago, and then they lost to Cincinnati.
So these division matchups can't be taken for granted. And
the Miami Dolphins are on a roll right now. So
(03:28):
what looked like it might be an easier game for
the Steelers does not look that does not look that easy,
you know. Clearly by the way the Ravens, we mentioned
their schedule coming up, they do have some injuries. Justice
Hill is out. That is a big loss for that team.
(03:49):
He is their third down back, a guy that has
been very productive for them over the years, has been
the person they bring in.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Is the change up.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
These their fourth leading rusher ninety three yards rushing behind
behind Keaton Mitchell. But he's a guy that they use,
you know, quite a bit in the passing game, twenty
one receptions in the ten games that he's played, eight
yards per reception. He's got a touchdown. Of the running backs,
he is clearly the best receiver.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
He's the guy they.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Want out there on those third downs. So someone who's
gonna have to take that role. We don't know yet,
whether that will be Keaton Mitchell, whether it will be
Rashein Ali, whether Derrick Henry will get more carries. At
this stage of the game, we don't know, because you know,
we still those things still have to play themselves out.
We want to remind you that you can gear up
(04:40):
with the latest game day necessities at the official Steelers
Pro shops. 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 official Students pro
shops located at Akroshur Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets, or
Tanker out Let's, or gear up online at shop dots
Steelers dot com. Get it direct from the team at
(05:02):
the Steers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com. Max,
Are you ready to kind of wash away Sunday's game?
The way I laid it out is we're washing it away,
but we're using it to inform us as we prepare
for Sunday's game in Baltimore against the Ravens.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Yes, I'm ready to be baptized in the in the
waters of the Noongahela and you know, or the confluence
or the confluence of all three. Maybe maybe I do
need a little bit of all three of the Alleghany
and the Ohio to wash this game off. But I
know we got to get through it one last day
before we can fully be devoid of it. The Mike
(05:40):
Tomlin press conference obviously coming up at noon, and I'm
sure that's going to be a big tune in today,
not only for the injuries, but you know, just answering
a lot of the questions that Steeler fans have out there,
and it's going to be very interesting, you know, the
hear how that press conference goes. So yeah, yeah, I know,
(06:04):
we got dissected one more day. You know, it's just
like just like you know, the fifth day of leftovers,
Like are you you think, can I really eat this
another day? Or you know, or do I just gotta
throw it in the trash? And you know you want
to throw it in the trash. There's no more turkey gravy,
rob the turkey's gotten dry. It's been in the fridge
(06:24):
for the last four days, you know. But you know
it's like, man, I don't want to waste. Don't want
to waste, but you know, we we we have to
we have to get through it and then we start
and then we start with a new week. And uh,
I think that's the best way to do it. You know,
this was not the result, This was not the moment,
and you know, a lot lott a lot of a
(06:46):
lot of feelings.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Came out of this loss, so I know, I know
we have to.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Kind of develop it, you know, by the way I
just wanted to you know, we're gonna go more thoroughly
around the NFL as we do every Tuesday, kind of
wrapping up what happened this past weekend, maybe taking a
glimpse forward to the key matchups coming up on Thursday
and this weekend. I did not watch any of the
game last night with New England. By the time I
(07:09):
got around to turning on the TV, it felt like
it was already academic and I think, you know, the
team that is clearly the better team won easily.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
So very.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
What's that is that?
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Very easily?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Very easily? Yeah, very easily. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
So you know, I keep wanting to say the Bengals
are finished, but I think that if they beat Buffalo
this weekend, I think nine and eight at this stage
of the game, two teams are six and six squaring
(07:48):
off against each other. I just think nine and eight
might win the division.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Max.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
You know, I thought it was gonna take ten or eleven. Heck,
I thought the Steelers were going to get to eleven.
I really did, and they could still, But I don't
actually they can't. No, yes they can. They could be
eleven and six. I don't see it. I see nine
as the most likely figure. Now it could be ten.
But if it's nine, that drags the Bengals back into play,
(08:16):
and yeah, I think that. You know, obviously they cannot
afford a loss, but they have Joe Burrow back. With
Joe Burrow, they've been very, very good and they're at
Buffalo on Sunday. And if they can do with this,
yeelers could not do at home, which is defeat Buffalo.
You know, you've got you've got to have a different,
(08:38):
you know, feeling about this Bengals team and whether they
are a possible contender for the AFC North.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
And isn't that a heck of a thing, right, just
just to even make that statement and know that there
is a possibility that they could still be in this
because of what, you know, let's just face what we
did not do as as as as as a team
and as an organization. We did not get them out
(09:07):
of contention because they were ready for the knockout shot.
They were ready for the knockout shot, and we did
not deliver the knockout shot. And that's the frustrating part
about it that they could still be in this. Like
I said, they have to be perfect, but that perfection,
you know, is not as is not as far fetched
(09:29):
as it has been because you have to remember also
the raven heck, the Ravens went on what a six
game win streak before they lost. Yep, it's it's not
out of the realm of possibility. And like you said,
you have new hope with Joe Burrow, who we know
is a guy who has been an MVP candidate, has
taken a team to a Super Bowl. So it's not
(09:51):
out of the realm of possibility to ask Joe Burrow
to go do do what he's doing. And he has
and he has the firepower offensively to do and he
just needs his defense to kick in a little bit.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
So his last eight starts, the last eight starts for
Joe Burrow, well, I'm not going to include the game
in which he started and they won. Okay, he started
and won, Yeah, I am, and I will include that game.
So his last just just just make it easy. It's
not pars things up. His last eight starts the Bengals
(10:24):
are eight. No, he's won his last eight starts, so
that I mean, that's Joe burrow Man. You cannot count
him out, right.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Cannot count him out. And you're not asking him to
win eight in a row right now, right, you're asking
him to win five.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Right well, if you tag on to Baltimore that would
be six. But yes, I agree from this point on
you're asking him here, I have.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Parson it up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, So I mean he's
eight no right now, but you're asking him to go
win you five more games. And by the way, possibility.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Those games are at Buffalo, then they get Baltimore at home, right,
those are the two toughest games. Then they're at Miami,
and again Miami's playing better, okay, And then it's at
Miami at that time of year, although with the with
the Bengals pass attack, I don't think they'll be too
unhappy going there. Then they have Arizona and Cleveland at home.
(11:25):
So if we're gonna you know, I mean, look, they
will be if they win the next two games, they're
gonna be favored in those last three games for sure. Now,
all of a sudden, you're seven and eighteen. It needs
to find a way to win two ball games, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (11:38):
I mean if you back it again at Cleveland and Arizona, right.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Right, So if you can be if you can win
these next two, and you're Cincinnati, and don't forget too
A lot of people really like Cincinnati going into this year. Yes,
they had the defensive woes, but pretty much everybody had
the Bengals ahead of the Steelers in the AFC North
when it came to selecting.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
The pecking order.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
So they're still alive, and they are still they still
have an opportunity, and you know we so as we
get ready for this game against the Ravens, and again,
the Steelers are a six and six football team, we
can point fingers a blame. We can say they deserve this.
They deserve that. You deserve what your record is. They
(12:21):
are a six and six ball club. It doesn't matter
that they started four and one. It doesn't matter that
they had all these halftime leads we keep talking about
that have dissipated. They are a six and six team.
The Ravens are a six and six team, and the
Bengals are four and eight and still at least lurking
(12:42):
on the outside, kind of on the periphery. They don't
have their hands over the fire. As we have a
nice snowy day here in Pittsburgh. But they're on the
outskirts of the fire, right they're feeling a little warmth
coming off that blaze. So no matter what happens, barring
a tie, no matter what happens on Sunday in Baltimore,
if they beat the Bills, there are one game behind somebody, right,
(13:07):
I mean, yeah, they're knocking onder the work.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yeah, that and that that That's a wild proposition to
have right now, that you have a team in this
position that you know still technically controls their fate, but
you know, there's a lot that has to be done.
A lot has to be done, a lot of a
lot of self reflection and a lot of self motivation
(13:34):
has to go. Has to go from this from this
point forward. If they want what what they what? What
what they desire? And you know, you have to take
that down to a man, to a man, each individual
has to look and reconcile. And I'm not just talking
about players. I am not just talking about players. Let's
(13:54):
let's let's be clear. This is a coaching. Coaching has
to take account too. Like it's it's everybody is ten
toes in everybody needs to be accounted for in this
and especially after the way that that game devolved. I'm
not going to say unfolded. It devolved on Sunday. You know, everybody,
(14:18):
everybody needs to be put on notice because that's that
that's just not going to be tolerated or accepted. And
you know, you know, listen, we heard the chance and
by now it's all over social media. We heard the
booze for Renegade, which is a rallying cry song. I've
(14:40):
never in my years would have ever thought that would
have occurred in that stadium. Yeah, the loudness was deafening,
and so you know, you have you I hope they
take it personal.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I hope that.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
I know a lot of my former teammates have been
all over social media, you since the game on Sunday,
some even while the game was going.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
On, and.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
You know, you have you have to take that into
account and that had that that that that cannot you
cannot put that product on the field Sunday again or
you are going to get dog walked out of the
building in Baltimore. And that's what and that that's what
needs to be prevented.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
That's a fact.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
That is a fact for sure, so much much much
much much to get to what is coming up next
is the great Alvao Martin as we break down as
he always does. Uh, the Students game against Sunday against
the Bills on Sunday, very very disappointing loss. We'll get
to that a little later on Bob Labriola when we
(15:46):
continue in the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood for
Word Store and the Students Pro Shop on Steers Nation Radio,
a part of the Steer There's Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
This is in the lock of 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 4 (16:20):
Gona be ink, did I pay for it? Look Jean Pierre.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Along keepau Iloase and Dajada what practica.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Those the Dulcin zones and more than Dulcon wonderful tones,
layered tones of Alvaro Martin, our good friend who joins
us now. Alvaro, thank you for being with us on
this Tuesday, and I have to say day that other
than the excitement of a few calls, that there wasn't
(17:03):
a whole lot to get excited about, particularly in the
second half against Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
Good morning, Row. I think the producers had a great time.
You know, there wasn't a lot of choice. Just pick
the one play and move on.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
I wanted to.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
I just want to make sure this morning, the last
couple of mornings when I woke up, I thought I
just picked out and said is the sun coming up today?
Because I wasn't sure, I know, is the sun coming
up today? I think people have to have a little
bit more perspective, you know, good batter indifferent. As bad
as they played, and they played now two stinkers of
games in terms of the Chargers game and now this
(17:37):
game against Buffalo, that they really have to win three
games to get themselves in and the other teams are
buying for the same spot, the Steeds are are essentially
in the same boat.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
So you know, let's put it this way.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
The only saber line I can think of this game
is there's going to be a lot of motivated people.
I'm not sure how effective the people to get a
lot of motivated people coming going into Baltimore for Sunday's game,
because you just want to race what you just saw
on tape and live at after shure and you cannot
wait for the next chance.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
I'm a big believer in that.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
When I prepare for games, Rob, I always look at
who had a bad game the week before, and I
keep an eye on them during the game the following game,
because there's always a bounce back effective to a.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Greater or lesser degree. So I would think and.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Hope that because it's Baltimore, because of what's at stake,
and because of what you just the egg you just
laid at home in front of the fans, that everybody's
going to be at their best.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Let's hope it's enough.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
No, You're absolutely right, Alvaro. I mean, it was a stinker.
We saw a lot of things uncharacteristic of what we
had seeing this year. We knew what the task was,
we knew what was in front of us. You know,
as a team, you know that's the first thing you
want to do, is, hey, I need I need to
I need to rid myself of some of this. And
(19:04):
like you said, and it wasn't you know, I mean,
it wasn't what we expected. There was a certain level
of kind of you know, I don't want to call it,
I guess you'd have to say it's now false confidence
now this particular juncture. But there was a lot of
confidence going into this game about what this team could
(19:25):
do because we had seen it. We'd seen what going
up against the number one running back in the league
looked like in Jonathan Taylor and the Colts game, forcing
the game into a quarterback's hands that wasn't necessarily feeling
up to it. You know, you had one of your
big challenges. The top tight end for that team was out.
(19:51):
But you know, the run game and the repeated nature
of that run game I think was the most kind
of damning evidence of it because they did the same
thing repeatedly. That was what the frustration was. And the
(20:12):
adjustment level in the second half for this team once
again just goes to show that they're not prepared to
make those adjustments. I think that's the toughest thing Alvar
when I look at this, is what are your second
half adjustment Because we've come out with leads. We've come
out with leads, and that that has not mattered. It's
(20:38):
almost like teams are like we'll just fend off the
wave for right now, guys, you know, like we'll just
fend off the wave and things will come in. I mean,
what are your thoughts as far as about where they
are with the preparation and what you see coming from
halftime into the set, because that's really been the biggest issue.
If we play thirty minutes of football, this team, this
(21:00):
team is sitting at nine and three.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Let's start with the duo play.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
Duo is a play where the double t but typically
no one in the line pulls. Everybody stays in their lane.
You can run out of shotgun or pistol, which is
what Buffalo did. And if you remember the first play
of the game, that nineteen yarder by Cook was exactly
the first of twenty nine duo plays in this game
(21:29):
that netted one hundred and eighty three yards.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Wow for Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
That is over six yards to carry, but the first
one was a nineteen yarder. They use eleven personnel, meaning
only one tight end. They take away a dozen knocks,
although in a couple of those places they did use
twelve personnel with knocks. But they used this rookie name
Jackson Hawes. He would line up right in front of
TJ Watt and one on one took him out all
(21:54):
twenty nine times took him out. TJ was absolutely neutered.
The other thing they do is they had this kid,
Alec Anderson, the who's a guard playing right tackle.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
So what did he do? He's not very good at
pass blocking.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
So part of what Joe Barry did is said, you know,
we're just gonna hammer the nail with the hammer we got,
So let's make him run block. Let's get him away
from situations where he pass blocked, and so he would
then along with Torrents, the key to the whole play
was to really target Keano Benton because those two against Benton.
(22:31):
Benton can't hold it. The point of attack not his fault,
I don't think. I just consistently he won't be able to,
at least not.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
We've talked about it. Max.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
There's some refashion of his body and redistributing his weight
that he could do between seasons, but at this point,
you know that's not going to happen this season. They
just took him out and then they took out with
the center kind of mc government who took takeout Cam
Hayward one on one. But There's another element here that
(23:01):
was noticeable here, which is a lesson for Pittsburg as well.
They had two of their lightest receivers on the right side,
that's Kalilstrak here.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
And Terrell Shavers.
Speaker 5 (23:13):
Those two guys, all they had to do was basically
focus on douggers and just seal off that side. The
plane didn't always come to the right, but mostly came
to the right, and all they had to do was
seal that and they did very effectively. That's a lesson
for Roman Wilson. That's a lesson for Kevin Austin. No excuses.
They're lighter than you are in some cases, but they
(23:35):
were blocking their tails off and they brand that play
over and over and over again.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
I mean, in those two long series.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
Of the fourteen play series in the second half and
then the fifteen one that followed, I thought they'd played
that same play endlessly, same play, same personnel.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Nobody got tired. Why would anybody get tired?
Speaker 4 (23:57):
And that we go back to James maybe James Cook
that time, maybe a couple of times. Yeah, oh he
I'm very happy. But that was only that was the
only tire guy in the entire building.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
And so The thing is that we talk about half
the adjustments.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
Look, they were up at the half because they had
to take aways and they made something out of them.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
But why the problem for Pittsburgh. This is the first
play of the game.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
They gave you a look, nineteen yards, joe Ber goes, okay,
I'm going to play that one again. And then in
the second half, after after the turnovers and their scores,
they said, you know what, let's just kill the game
that way. They can't stop it now, would Patrick Queen
in the second half made a difference in terms of
alignment because I think the Milake Harrison and a lot
(24:45):
of linebackers a little bit biting too hard on the
initial direction of the play. Sure, sure, maybe, but it
was just a collective inability and a and a you
can you can simply point to the coach and say, well,
what what else you got? Because what we've got is
not working. I'm not surely have the personnel for it.
(25:06):
But it was humiliating. Same play, same personnel, same result,
just a little difference. Did you cut through the middle
or did you bounce out to the outside. You know,
I thought Joey Porter had the most effort that I've
seen him put on tackling, and remember he's dinged up,
(25:26):
he's hurt like everybody is, but he really is hurt
and need a great job of tackling in terms of
knowing that the play could bounce on the outside and
he had to face Cook and take him down one
on one, and so he has to be committed for that,
but he would overcommit a lot, and so he wouldn't
be in position to really make make men Crook cut
(25:47):
inside instead of just bounce outside. And so for every plus,
there's a bit of a minus even when you see pluses.
And that's the kind of game it was. But I
think that's one of the worrying aspects for Pittsburgh. You know,
take away any series that ended up in a Steeler
takeaway that they forced a turnover. Just the standard defensive
(26:10):
series for Pittsburgh in terms of points allowed in those
sorts of drives, only the Washington Commanders and the Cincinnati
Bengals are worse than the Pittsford steel defense. So if
you don't take away the ball, you're the third worst
defense in the league. That's that's that's trouble. That's that's
(26:35):
that's really and again Derek Harmon would have made a
difference as well, without a doubt. When he came back,
that Jets game became sort of the rear mirror, can't
wait to get him back.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
I don't know when that will happen, but you know
this is football.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
People will There's going to be attrition and you gotta
figure out a way to do to work around issues.
They couldn't in that part. I think really bothered everyone.
Bothered players, bother the coaches, bother the fans. Just to
watch that over and over again. You can't do anything
about it, same play, same personnel.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
That was just terrible. And so that was only half.
I think the other half is Aaron Rodgers. You know
the TQBR, which is.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
His ESPN metric that I remember when when it first
came out, I thought it was a little complicated, and
it is complicated. But the way I asked them to
simplify is what does that number mean? It's from zero
to one hundred, And the way they told me was
think of it as a percentage, the percentage chance the
team has to win with that quarterbacks performance that day. Well, Rogers'
(27:42):
performance on Sunday was six point two. It's gotta be
one of the lowest in his career. Ten first downs
in ten possessions one hundred and sixty.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Five yards I think, the third lowest yard.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
Total on offense for Mike Tomlin coach team in his
tenure in Pittsburgh and the worst performance by at Pittsburgh
quarter ck since Mason Rulf lost to the Browns in
twenty nineteen, and before that, you have to go under
Tomblin to Charlie Batch in twenty twelve. So it's almost
historic historically bad. Now he's got the three borough and bones,
(28:14):
and we'll find out that after the season exactly how
bad that risk is broken. That limits you tremendously when
you don't have when you're not under center. The greatest offenses,
the most efficient offices in the NFL, I named the
Shanahan offenses and mcveigh's offenses typically do under center between
(28:35):
twenty and thirty times. Play action is a different thing
when you're under center. It's much less effective. The impetus,
the momentum when downhill is a runner from the shotgun
or the pistol is just not the same. You start
from a standing start, so it doesn't help you. So
power plays are a little bit kind of out of
(28:56):
it and just bootlegging by the quarterback, which in this
case won't happen much. He's about to turn forty two
and he's banged up. It is almost out of the
question as well. So this is a very predictable quarterback.
There's a reason why he ended up in such a
bad grade. He's very predictable. The other effect of it,
it's you can't hand off the ball to your right.
(29:17):
I'm sorry to your that's right to your right.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Yeah, right, you're right, because it's it's awkward hand.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
If you want to have your left hand, put the
ball on the butt in the belly of the running
back and when he's going right. Pittsford is a right
handed running team, and their best rush rushing blockers are
on that right side, center, right guard, right tackle. So now, okay,
so fifty two percent of the place typically go left
(29:44):
for Pittsford. In this game, it was sixty percent. They
just didn't have a choice. And Andrews Pete's pretty good
at pass blocking, but at least for this one game,
he wasn't very good at run blocking. So now, because
of the injury, you have to do the second worst
rushing and so that may explain why a team that
(30:04):
was the second worst team in the NFL in terms
of rushing defense in terms of yards per carry all out,
only the Giants were worse. The question I have the
entire game is why aren't they running?
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Why aren't they running? But I think there's a little
bit of the answer with that.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
It's just the injury makes Pitchford run with their weakest blockers,
and so it's just a it's a tough and I
don't think that's gonna go away. Although Rogers talks about
potentially coming back and being able to play under center,
Tomlin said that there was at least one play in
practice this week in which he was under center. I'm
(30:42):
sure they try it out, so we'll see. But if
if he's not gonna be under center, you're gonna get
this again. You have to be more creative, do things
a little bit differently, and you did against the Buffalo,
but you're gonna be severely limited, and it's gonna show
in terms of the offense and its performance.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
I think too. Alvaro, you know they're hand in glove,
and certainly the offenses has not looked good over the
latter half of the season. For the most part, that's
an issue, and I think it's I think it's been
a big issue, and I think it's affected the defense
because they have not been able to control the clock.
They've kept the defense out there way too long. Eventually
(31:22):
that is going to to, you know, to affect the defense.
That wasn't the case in this game, as you may.
Certainly it was a contributing factor, I'm sure, but as
you mentioned, the Bills were running right from the very
first play of the game. And I think for fans
who see their team kind of give a bit of
a fight. Hey, the Steelers were still up at halftime,
(31:44):
but ultimately wind up having the ball pretty much run
right at them all game long. This is bringing back
bad memories of Philadelphia last year, both the Baltimore games
down the stretch, and you know the notion and can
they stop this on Sunday against the Ravens, because I'm
sure the Ravens are looking at this, you know, and
(32:06):
you try to shore up the defense. You went out
the defensive line, you went out and drafted Harmon in
the first round, You signed a qualite. Aqualite's out. Harmon
missed this last game. We don't know what his status
is going to be for Sunday, but this is going
to be worrisome. If the steerers can't stop the run.
I don't see Baltimore doing anything other than trying to
pile up as many rushing yards as they possibly can.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
I'm just going to add one thing to that gloomy scenario,
which is gloomy since the hamstring issue. Lamar Jackson really
hasn't run well, and that means the frequency with which
he runs or tries to run I design, is way down,
and so I don't know if it's him or just.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
The offense trying to protect them.
Speaker 5 (32:46):
Maybe the adrenaline will be such that they'll he'll run
much more than he does because I think they're rushing
at back.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Just Derrek Henry is great, but he's stoppable.
Speaker 5 (32:57):
When you put him together with Lamar Jackson, they're both
on st and so one half of that tandem so far,
that's the critical you know, Caveat so far is a
little down. Really, it's just he's not doing that, and
then the line isn't the same. You know, Ifi Lele
is a guy that was a tackle thrown into a
(33:18):
guard situation. It's to play guard and he's just not
doing it, and so it's not exactly the same line,
and Ronnie Stanley's not s getting up in years and
it's showing, and so, you know, a lot of it
had to do with a line, and so I don't
expect to see that for a lot of reasons, including
(33:39):
the fact that they just absorbed one hundred and forty
nine yards rushing by Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
So I would think that they're going to be.
Speaker 5 (33:46):
Super prepared and sharp and alert to that, maybe to
the detriment of something else.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
But I think that may not be the issue. I
hope not.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
Anyway, it is scary to go back in there with
the two fifty five in the playoffs and then with
a two forty nine the the week before.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
It's just it's scary.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
But I would think that because of all these factors,
we may not see exactly a repeat. Now, we may
get two hundred yards, so big deal, big whoopee. Do
you know it'll be the same result. But I just
get the feeling that there are a lot of things
now that internally in Baltimore where they're not exactly what
they were at the end of last season.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Let's hope Alvaro, thank you my friend. Appreciate it. We
look forward to seeing you in Baltimore as the Steelers
get ready to take on the Ravens in a critical
matchup coming up on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Thanks my friend, Thank you. The sun will come up tomorrow, right,
promise it did?
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Okay, you heard it here first, A guarantee, A guarantee
the sun ranking news from Alvaro Martin. We're going to
continue in the locker Room, presented our neighborhood Ford Story
and the Steers Pro Shop on steel The Nation Radio Park,
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
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 (35:26):
And thank you very much for being one of us.
We certainly appreciate it. I did want to tell you Max.
You know, Alvaro Martine who just joined us, said the
sun will come up tomorrow. You you know you mentioned
the Turkey's dry.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Got to throw it away.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
But I have to tell you I kind of went,
I got a little in between, I got a little sunshine.
I went downstairs only to find that, unbeknownst to me,
there was some leftover apple pie from Thanksgiving.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
That's still fair game. That's still adam, that is fair game.
That that that's leg that's legal.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
We can allow it. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:03):
Uh, dessert, desserts can hold a lot longer.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
It feels like a little bit of sunshine, right, it
feels like a little bit of sunshine. So you know, uh, Max,
I think that Alvarro brought up a lot of really
great points, and I don't know what else you can do.
I think the most is you know they're there, and
both points are are interesting. We haven't really seen the
(36:31):
same Aaron Rodgers since Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
I think.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
I think at the beginning of the season, he looked
really good in Cincinnati. He looked fantastic, turn back the
clock arm strength. We saw the arm strength on display
against Seattle. You know, he played a number of excellent
games in a row, championship winning, you know, playoff winning
(36:57):
caliber football. Something that has been acting in Pittsburgh on
a consistent basis. He was showing that and you know, again, look,
I do I think that it's not there anymore. No,
I don't think that, because you know, he's been he's
he had a rough game and then he played he's
been playing with a broken wrist.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
You know, he missed the game.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
So but that he needs to get back to that,
you know, for for this to be a difference a
difference maker, he needs to get back to that form
that he was showing. You know, he looked solid in
the Green Bay game, you know, and uh, and and
again you know the second Cincinnati game. You know, we
know what happened there, right, Uh, he only had to
(37:39):
throw it fifteen times, and then what happens after that?
But you know, and even the Indianapolis game, you know,
it wasn't tremendous, but it certainly wasn't terrible. Twenty five
to thirty five, two hundred and three yards touchdown, had
a ninety five point three rating.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
But the game against the Chargers and this one against Buffalo,
they need more from that. And then you know, again
we talked about this a little bit yesterday. Well let's
first talk about that, because this offense needs to find
a way to get it going. I mean, you score
ten points against the Chargers, you score seven points against
the Bills. That's you know, that's two out of your
(38:16):
last four games. Yeah, you scored points against Cincinnati, A
you scored points against Buffalo, but or against Chicago but
Man ten points against LA, seven points against Buffalo. They're
gonna need more than that, Max, And I don't know
what the answer is, because again, we've seen elements. We've
seen Aaron Rodgers have some terrific games. We've seen Jalen
(38:37):
Warren have excellent games. We've seen game will have excellent
games if you go deep back in your memory banks,
because that's what it takes. We've seen DK Metcalf have
some excellent games, but it has.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Been a while.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
They need to find a way to get some of
the elements that we've seen together and performing at the
same time. And I don't know what the issue is,
but maybe it's just simply running the ball more. Whatever
it is, what's going on now has not been working
for most of the last you know, four weeks of
the season.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
Well.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
And I think also just because you know, we've put
so much I think on Aaron's plate right to make
the right decision to give him the cart blanche. Sometimes
you just have to go in and say Hey, this
is the play we're running, right, and you know, take
a little bit of the autonomy out of his hands.
(39:33):
But I think you laid it out perfectly. I mean
what we saw at the beginning of the season obviously
is that what we're seeing right now because you know,
like you said, injury adaptability, But I think there's a
little bit of also ego in there that Hey, if
you know, if I'm going to dress, I'm playing, Like,
(39:53):
only way I don't I don't dress is if I
can't play. And I think that properly position in itself
is harrows it. But I think it's deserving of his title, right.
You know, Aaron Rodgers has done a lot of a
lot of great things in this league, so you trust
that he has the football IQ to get it accomplished.
(40:15):
But this team is one that you have to run
and play action. And you heard Alvaro and you know,
I talked with Charlie.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Like it's.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
It's not as easy as one would think to just
plug and expect, you know, good things to happen. You know,
just plug in and you'll be fine. It's like when
I was, like when I plugged my phone in the wall,
Like with the charger attached. It's like, I expect this
to work. I expect the battery to fill up. I
(40:48):
expect it to be full and ready to go when
I take it off, right, That's the expectation I have
for it. I think we put the same expectation on
Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Ramsey, right, guys that we got in
free agency too. You know, to come and be the
(41:09):
difference maker and be a differentiator. But at some point
you have to also say, hey, players, you have to
take some responsibility. And for Aaron, like I think it
would have been a nature gesture if he just said,
you know what, I'm gonna sit this one out.
Speaker 3 (41:27):
I want another week of my wrist. I know, we
got to win three out of the next five.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
Let me just try and heal as much as I
can because the rest of the way is the gauntlet.
It is, let's just face it. You know, one of
two Baltimore games coming up next week. We still have Miami,
still have Detroit, and then we got Cleveland, who you know,
for all in tens of purposes, you know, kind of
(41:57):
is a nuisance to us. And you know, Joe was
Cincinnati for the year, so whatever Cincinnati does. It's going
to be independent of what uh what the Steelers kind
of want in that plan. For me, I wish, you know,
he would have taken that moment to just sit aside
(42:19):
realize it. Because the thing I didn't get to mention
about to Alvaro was remember a couple of those funny,
funky spinning, pure wet handoffs.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
Do you remember that rob during the game? Yep? Like
that was because of the wrist.
Speaker 4 (42:30):
That was a direct byproduct of the risk why you
can't go under center. I've already detailed that at nauseum
about the aminemity that you lose by having some other,
you know, modality to keep you in the game, and
you knew it was gonna be a botle.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
So so but I get it.
Speaker 4 (42:50):
You're a competitor and I can appreciate that hustle and
it means that much to him because, let's just face it,
there's moments where you questioned the design hire factor because
the desire to win take over control that game was
not a great response, I guess you should say. And
(43:14):
so that's where I think it's really important for this
team to take that introspection because there's no it's no,
it's no time to step aside.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
Woe is me? Figure it out? Blah blah blah.
Speaker 4 (43:30):
It's no.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
We gotta get this fix. We have to get this
fix right now. We do the Steelers do, and they've
got to find a way to do that. And I
think I'm gonna save the running attack for Bob Labriola
because he had something in his asked and answered about
teams running against the Steelers and how it hasn't been consistent.
It was consistent throughout the course of that game, not
(43:53):
only consistent to the Bills in the very first play
we're able to run it, but consistent from the fact
that they continue to run essentially the same play over
and over again, and the Steelers just couldn't do anything
to stop it, which I think is just an absolute uh,
it just uh, it's gotta be just a horrendous feeling.
(44:16):
I mean horrendous, you know, and you know, unfortunately it
is what it is. As they say, I'm not a
big fan of that expression, but you understand what it means.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
You know, they they couldn't stop it.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Now do other teams see that, Max d You know,
from a from a philosophical standpoint, from a from a
schematic standpoint, whatever you want to call it. When when
it when you are weak in an area, do you
expect a team to do more of that to you
(44:51):
the next week, or do you expect that team to
stay sort of true to themselves.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
I I generally anticipate that people will do the easiest
thing right, and the easiest thing is they haven't stopped it.
Let's just keep doing it right, like that's that's the
easiest thing to say. Or it's like, hmm, this really
(45:19):
did work. Okay, let's see what it does again. Oh,
this really did work. And it was then on you
know Buffalo that said, you know what, We're just gonna
keep doing this until you stop us. Just let's just
see what happens. And what happened was they hung a
(45:40):
lot of yards, over two hundred yards on our defense,
essentially doing the same thing. I mean, Alvro kind of
said more double. I think it looked a little bit
more like zoned and double with with with with a cutback.
But you know double I could see that too, because
a couple of inside moves had the ability for him
(46:02):
to straight back as well. You know, you put two
double teams at the point and then let that running
back make the decision to shoot at play side, shoot
it narrow backside, or bounce it all the way wide.
The frustrating part was the fact that he could bounce
it wide, that you did not have any edge presence
(46:22):
or setting of the edge to deter the cutback lane,
and that's where the frustration is. So yeah, no, I
definitely do think that once you put it on, you
are who you put on tape. So why am I
gonna Why am I gonna overthink this? And a team
has success, guess what, I'm gonna try it too to
see if I can get some success as well, because.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
That's just what the nature of this business is.
Speaker 4 (46:46):
It's looking at it and assessing and figuring out what
we can do versus you know, versus kind of what
we have personnel wise to get that accomplished, and if
we can get that accomplished. Until otherwise noted, that's literally how.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
You have to take it, yep, so plenty to get
to Bob Labriol is going to join us, we need
to get around the NFL too and take a look
at what happened around the league how it relates to
the Steelers, where the teams are trending. All that stuff
still to come when we continue in the Locker Room,
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro
Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers
(47:22):
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 point fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
And thank you for being with us in the locker
room alongside Max Stark's Justin Miller at our controls in
the iHeart Studio. I'm Rob King on this Tuesday, trying
to put a Sunday's performance behind us in the rearview mirror.
Of course, we'll use that to inform our preparation for
the game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Some injury news
(00:51):
coming out of Baltimore, which we will get to in
a little bit. We have our AFL or a bigger
party AFL that's only fifty five years ago. Our NFL
recap presented by your Neighborhood Forts that are coming up
in a little bit. We'll also have Alvro Martine joining
us in about seventeen minutes or so. Bob Labriola, it's
(01:14):
a Tuesday with Labs. He's going to be joining us
at eleven o'clock as well, so plenty to get to
as we get you ready for this game between the
Steelers and the Ravens. It seems like this is what
it is every year, coming down to these two great
rivals battling for the AFC North title. And you know,
(01:36):
the Steelers had an opportunity obviously to kind of make
this thing a game with a lot of cushion. Two
three game lead, even a one game lead going into
the game on Sunday, those things have all dissipated. They're
out the window. You are now tied, and it's a
matter of these head to head games and then what
you do with the remaining three games in your schedule
(01:57):
as well, which for the Steelers are the Jets, the Browns,
and the Detroit Lions. They also have two games against
the Ravens, this one of course coming up against Baltimore
in Baltimore on Sunday, one pm kickoff schedule for that game.
And it's a big one, right it is the AFC North.
It's kind of like what you think it always should be. Unfortunately, again,
(02:22):
as we said before, you know, as they said just
a moment ago when the Ravens are starting out one
to five. You had a great opportunity to seaz this
even though they've ripped off. They ripped off five consecutive
wins before they're loss against the Bengals. As for the Ravens, schedule,
not exactly easy. They have the Steelers at home, then
they're at the Bengals. Keep in mind they lost at
(02:43):
home to the Bengals just last week. Last Thursday. It
is the Patriots at home, then they're at green Bay
and at the Steelers to conclude the regular season. So
they don't have an easy schedule either. In fact, you
might say their schedules a little bit tougher because they
still have the Patriots and the Packers. The Steelers have
the Lions as their premier team and then the other
(03:06):
team for Baltimore as the Bengals, while the Steelers have
the Browns and the Dolphins. But as the Steelers well known,
and as the Ravens found out, you know, they had
a tussle in Cleveland, won that game by a touchdown
a few weeks ago, and then they lost to Cincinnati.
So these division matchups can't be taken for granted. And
the Miami Dolphins are on a roll right now. So
(03:28):
what looked like it might be an easier game for
the Steelers does not look that does not look that easy,
you know. Clearly by the way the Ravens, we mentioned
their schedule coming up, they do have some injuries. Justice
Hill is out. That is a big loss for that team.
(03:49):
He is their third down back, a guy that has
been very productive for them over the years, has been
the person they bring in.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Is the change up.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
These their fourth leading rusher ninety three yards rushing behind
behind Keaton Mitchell. But he's a guy that they use,
you know, quite a bit in the passing game, twenty
one receptions in the ten games that he's played, eight
yards per reception. He's got a touchdown. Of the running backs,
he is clearly the best receiver.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
He's the guy they.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Want out there on those third downs. So someone who's
gonna have to take that role. We don't know yet,
whether that will be Keaton Mitchell, whether it will be
Rashein Ali, whether Derrick Henry will get more carries. At
this stage of the game, we don't know, because you know,
we still those things still have to play themselves out.
We want to remind you that you can gear up
(04:40):
with the latest game day necessities at the official Steelers
Pro shops. 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 official Students pro
shops located at Akroshur Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets, or
Tanker out Let's, or gear up online at shop dots
Steelers dot com. Get it direct from the team at
(05:02):
the Steers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com. Max,
Are you ready to kind of wash away Sunday's game?
The way I laid it out is we're washing it away,
but we're using it to inform us as we prepare
for Sunday's game in Baltimore against the Ravens.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Yes, I'm ready to be baptized in the in the
waters of the Noongahela and you know, or the confluence
or the confluence of all three. Maybe maybe I do
need a little bit of all three of the Alleghany
and the Ohio to wash this game off. But I
know we got to get through it one last day
before we can fully be devoid of it. The Mike
(05:40):
Tomlin press conference obviously coming up at noon, and I'm
sure that's going to be a big tune in today,
not only for the injuries, but you know, just answering
a lot of the questions that Steeler fans have out there,
and it's going to be very interesting, you know, the
hear how that press conference goes. So yeah, yeah, I know,
(06:04):
we got dissected one more day. You know, it's just
like just like you know, the fifth day of leftovers,
Like are you you think, can I really eat this
another day? Or you know, or do I just gotta
throw it in the trash? And you know you want
to throw it in the trash. There's no more turkey gravy,
rob the turkey's gotten dry. It's been in the fridge
(06:24):
for the last four days, you know. But you know
it's like, man, I don't want to waste. Don't want
to waste, but you know, we we we have to
we have to get through it and then we start
and then we start with a new week. And uh,
I think that's the best way to do it. You know,
this was not the result, This was not the moment,
and you know, a lot lott a lot of a
(06:46):
lot of feelings.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Came out of this loss, so I know, I know
we have to.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Kind of develop it, you know, by the way I
just wanted to you know, we're gonna go more thoroughly
around the NFL as we do every Tuesday, kind of
wrapping up what happened this past weekend, maybe taking a
glimpse forward to the key matchups coming up on Thursday
and this weekend. I did not watch any of the
game last night with New England. By the time I
(07:09):
got around to turning on the TV, it felt like
it was already academic and I think, you know, the
team that is clearly the better team won easily.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
So very.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
What's that is that?
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Very easily?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Very easily? Yeah, very easily. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
So you know, I keep wanting to say the Bengals
are finished, but I think that if they beat Buffalo
this weekend, I think nine and eight at this stage
of the game, two teams are six and six squaring
(07:48):
off against each other. I just think nine and eight
might win the division.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Max.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
You know, I thought it was gonna take ten or eleven. Heck,
I thought the Steelers were going to get to eleven.
I really did, and they could still, But I don't
actually they can't. No, yes they can. They could be
eleven and six. I don't see it. I see nine
as the most likely figure. Now it could be ten.
But if it's nine, that drags the Bengals back into play,
(08:16):
and yeah, I think that. You know, obviously they cannot
afford a loss, but they have Joe Burrow back. With
Joe Burrow, they've been very, very good and they're at
Buffalo on Sunday. And if they can do with this,
yeelers could not do at home, which is defeat Buffalo.
You know, you've got you've got to have a different,
(08:38):
you know, feeling about this Bengals team and whether they
are a possible contender for the AFC North.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
And isn't that a heck of a thing, right, just
just to even make that statement and know that there
is a possibility that they could still be in this
because of what, you know, let's just face what we
did not do as as as as as a team
and as an organization. We did not get them out
(09:07):
of contention because they were ready for the knockout shot.
They were ready for the knockout shot, and we did
not deliver the knockout shot. And that's the frustrating part
about it that they could still be in this. Like
I said, they have to be perfect, but that perfection,
you know, is not as is not as far fetched
(09:29):
as it has been because you have to remember also
the raven heck, the Ravens went on what a six
game win streak before they lost. Yep, it's it's not
out of the realm of possibility. And like you said,
you have new hope with Joe Burrow, who we know
is a guy who has been an MVP candidate, has
taken a team to a Super Bowl. So it's not
(09:51):
out of the realm of possibility to ask Joe Burrow
to go do do what he's doing. And he has
and he has the firepower offensively to do and he
just needs his defense to kick in a little bit.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
So his last eight starts, the last eight starts for
Joe Burrow, well, I'm not going to include the game
in which he started and they won. Okay, he started
and won, Yeah, I am, and I will include that game.
So his last just just just make it easy. It's
not pars things up. His last eight starts the Bengals
(10:24):
are eight. No, he's won his last eight starts, so
that I mean, that's Joe burrow Man. You cannot count
him out, right.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Cannot count him out. And you're not asking him to
win eight in a row right now, right, you're asking
him to win five.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Right well, if you tag on to Baltimore that would
be six. But yes, I agree from this point on
you're asking him here, I have.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Parson it up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, So I mean he's
eight no right now, but you're asking him to go
win you five more games. And by the way, possibility.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Those games are at Buffalo, then they get Baltimore at home, right,
those are the two toughest games. Then they're at Miami,
and again Miami's playing better, okay, And then it's at
Miami at that time of year, although with the with
the Bengals pass attack, I don't think they'll be too
unhappy going there. Then they have Arizona and Cleveland at home.
(11:25):
So if we're gonna you know, I mean, look, they
will be if they win the next two games, they're
gonna be favored in those last three games for sure. Now,
all of a sudden, you're seven and eighteen. It needs
to find a way to win two ball games, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (11:38):
I mean if you back it again at Cleveland and Arizona, right.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Right, So if you can be if you can win
these next two, and you're Cincinnati, and don't forget too
A lot of people really like Cincinnati going into this year. Yes,
they had the defensive woes, but pretty much everybody had
the Bengals ahead of the Steelers in the AFC North
when it came to selecting.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
The pecking order.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
So they're still alive, and they are still they still
have an opportunity, and you know we so as we
get ready for this game against the Ravens, and again,
the Steelers are a six and six football team, we
can point fingers a blame. We can say they deserve this.
They deserve that. You deserve what your record is. They
(12:21):
are a six and six ball club. It doesn't matter
that they started four and one. It doesn't matter that
they had all these halftime leads we keep talking about
that have dissipated. They are a six and six team.
The Ravens are a six and six team, and the
Bengals are four and eight and still at least lurking
(12:42):
on the outside, kind of on the periphery. They don't
have their hands over the fire. As we have a
nice snowy day here in Pittsburgh. But they're on the
outskirts of the fire, right they're feeling a little warmth
coming off that blaze. So no matter what happens, barring
a tie, no matter what happens on Sunday in Baltimore,
if they beat the Bills, there are one game behind somebody, right,
(13:07):
I mean, yeah, they're knocking onder the work.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yeah, that and that that That's a wild proposition to
have right now, that you have a team in this
position that you know still technically controls their fate, but
you know, there's a lot that has to be done.
A lot has to be done, a lot of a
lot of self reflection and a lot of self motivation
(13:34):
has to go. Has to go from this from this
point forward. If they want what what they what? What
what they desire? And you know, you have to take
that down to a man, to a man, each individual
has to look and reconcile. And I'm not just talking
about players. I am not just talking about players. Let's
(13:54):
let's let's be clear. This is a coaching. Coaching has
to take account too. Like it's it's everybody is ten
toes in everybody needs to be accounted for in this
and especially after the way that that game devolved. I'm
not going to say unfolded. It devolved on Sunday. You know, everybody,
(14:18):
everybody needs to be put on notice because that's that
that's just not going to be tolerated or accepted. And
you know, you know, listen, we heard the chance and
by now it's all over social media. We heard the
booze for Renegade, which is a rallying cry song. I've
(14:40):
never in my years would have ever thought that would
have occurred in that stadium. Yeah, the loudness was deafening,
and so you know, you have you I hope they
take it personal.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I hope that.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
I know a lot of my former teammates have been
all over social media, you since the game on Sunday,
some even while the game was going.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
On, and.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
You know, you have you have to take that into
account and that had that that that that cannot you
cannot put that product on the field Sunday again or
you are going to get dog walked out of the
building in Baltimore. And that's what and that that's what
needs to be prevented.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
That's a fact.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
That is a fact for sure, so much much much
much much to get to what is coming up next
is the great Alvao Martin as we break down as
he always does. Uh, the Students game against Sunday against
the Bills on Sunday, very very disappointing loss. We'll get
to that a little later on Bob Labriola when we
(15:46):
continue in the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood for
Word Store and the Students Pro Shop on Steers Nation Radio,
a part of the Steer There's Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
This is in the lock of 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 4 (16:20):
Gona be ink, did I pay for it? Look Jean Pierre.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Along keepau Iloase and Dajada what practica.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Those the Dulcin zones and more than Dulcon wonderful tones,
layered tones of Alvaro Martin, our good friend who joins
us now. Alvaro, thank you for being with us on
this Tuesday, and I have to say day that other
than the excitement of a few calls, that there wasn't
(17:03):
a whole lot to get excited about, particularly in the
second half against Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
Good morning, Row. I think the producers had a great time.
You know, there wasn't a lot of choice. Just pick
the one play and move on.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
I wanted to.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
I just want to make sure this morning, the last
couple of mornings when I woke up, I thought I
just picked out and said is the sun coming up today?
Because I wasn't sure, I know, is the sun coming
up today? I think people have to have a little
bit more perspective, you know, good batter indifferent. As bad
as they played, and they played now two stinkers of
games in terms of the Chargers game and now this
(17:37):
game against Buffalo, that they really have to win three
games to get themselves in and the other teams are
buying for the same spot, the Steeds are are essentially
in the same boat.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
So you know, let's put it this way.
Speaker 5 (17:56):
The only saber line I can think of this game
is there's going to be a lot of motivated people.
I'm not sure how effective the people to get a
lot of motivated people coming going into Baltimore for Sunday's game,
because you just want to race what you just saw
on tape and live at after shure and you cannot
wait for the next chance.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
I'm a big believer in that.
Speaker 5 (18:16):
When I prepare for games, Rob, I always look at
who had a bad game the week before, and I
keep an eye on them during the game the following game,
because there's always a bounce back effective to a.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Greater or lesser degree. So I would think and.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Hope that because it's Baltimore, because of what's at stake,
and because of what you just the egg you just
laid at home in front of the fans, that everybody's
going to be at their best.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Let's hope it's enough.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
No, You're absolutely right, Alvaro. I mean, it was a stinker.
We saw a lot of things uncharacteristic of what we
had seeing this year. We knew what the task was,
we knew what was in front of us. You know,
as a team, you know that's the first thing you
want to do, is, hey, I need I need to
I need to rid myself of some of this. And
(19:04):
like you said, and it wasn't you know, I mean,
it wasn't what we expected. There was a certain level
of kind of you know, I don't want to call it,
I guess you'd have to say it's now false confidence
now this particular juncture. But there was a lot of
confidence going into this game about what this team could
(19:25):
do because we had seen it. We'd seen what going
up against the number one running back in the league
looked like in Jonathan Taylor and the Colts game, forcing
the game into a quarterback's hands that wasn't necessarily feeling
up to it. You know, you had one of your
big challenges. The top tight end for that team was out.
(19:51):
But you know, the run game and the repeated nature
of that run game I think was the most kind
of damning evidence of it because they did the same
thing repeatedly. That was what the frustration was. And the
(20:12):
adjustment level in the second half for this team once
again just goes to show that they're not prepared to
make those adjustments. I think that's the toughest thing Alvar
when I look at this, is what are your second
half adjustment Because we've come out with leads. We've come
out with leads, and that that has not mattered. It's
(20:38):
almost like teams are like we'll just fend off the
wave for right now, guys, you know, like we'll just
fend off the wave and things will come in. I mean,
what are your thoughts as far as about where they
are with the preparation and what you see coming from
halftime into the set, because that's really been the biggest issue.
If we play thirty minutes of football, this team, this
(21:00):
team is sitting at nine and three.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Let's start with the duo play.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
Duo is a play where the double t but typically
no one in the line pulls. Everybody stays in their lane.
You can run out of shotgun or pistol, which is
what Buffalo did. And if you remember the first play
of the game, that nineteen yarder by Cook was exactly
the first of twenty nine duo plays in this game
(21:29):
that netted one hundred and eighty three yards.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Wow for Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
That is over six yards to carry, but the first
one was a nineteen yarder. They use eleven personnel, meaning
only one tight end. They take away a dozen knocks,
although in a couple of those places they did use
twelve personnel with knocks. But they used this rookie name
Jackson Hawes. He would line up right in front of
TJ Watt and one on one took him out all
(21:54):
twenty nine times took him out. TJ was absolutely neutered.
The other thing they do is they had this kid,
Alec Anderson, the who's a guard playing right tackle.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
So what did he do? He's not very good at
pass blocking.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
So part of what Joe Barry did is said, you know,
we're just gonna hammer the nail with the hammer we got,
So let's make him run block. Let's get him away
from situations where he pass blocked, and so he would
then along with Torrents, the key to the whole play
was to really target Keano Benton because those two against Benton.
(22:31):
Benton can't hold it. The point of attack not his fault,
I don't think. I just consistently he won't be able to,
at least not.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
We've talked about it. Max.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
There's some refashion of his body and redistributing his weight
that he could do between seasons, but at this point,
you know that's not going to happen this season. They
just took him out and then they took out with
the center kind of mc government who took takeout Cam
Hayward one on one. But There's another element here that
(23:01):
was noticeable here, which is a lesson for Pittsburg as well.
They had two of their lightest receivers on the right side,
that's Kalilstrak here.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
And Terrell Shavers.
Speaker 5 (23:13):
Those two guys, all they had to do was basically
focus on douggers and just seal off that side. The
plane didn't always come to the right, but mostly came
to the right, and all they had to do was
seal that and they did very effectively. That's a lesson
for Roman Wilson. That's a lesson for Kevin Austin. No excuses.
They're lighter than you are in some cases, but they
(23:35):
were blocking their tails off and they brand that play
over and over and over again.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
I mean, in those two long series.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
Of the fourteen play series in the second half and
then the fifteen one that followed, I thought they'd played
that same play endlessly, same play, same personnel.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Nobody got tired. Why would anybody get tired?
Speaker 4 (23:57):
And that we go back to James maybe James Cook
that time, maybe a couple of times. Yeah, oh he
I'm very happy. But that was only that was the
only tire guy in the entire building.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
And so The thing is that we talk about half
the adjustments.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
Look, they were up at the half because they had
to take aways and they made something out of them.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
But why the problem for Pittsburgh. This is the first
play of the game.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
They gave you a look, nineteen yards, joe Ber goes, okay,
I'm going to play that one again. And then in
the second half, after after the turnovers and their scores,
they said, you know what, let's just kill the game
that way. They can't stop it now, would Patrick Queen
in the second half made a difference in terms of
alignment because I think the Milake Harrison and a lot
(24:45):
of linebackers a little bit biting too hard on the
initial direction of the play. Sure, sure, maybe, but it
was just a collective inability and a and a you
can you can simply point to the coach and say, well,
what what else you got? Because what we've got is
not working. I'm not surely have the personnel for it.
(25:06):
But it was humiliating. Same play, same personnel, same result,
just a little difference. Did you cut through the middle
or did you bounce out to the outside. You know,
I thought Joey Porter had the most effort that I've
seen him put on tackling, and remember he's dinged up,
(25:26):
he's hurt like everybody is, but he really is hurt
and need a great job of tackling in terms of
knowing that the play could bounce on the outside and
he had to face Cook and take him down one
on one, and so he has to be committed for that,
but he would overcommit a lot, and so he wouldn't
be in position to really make make men Crook cut
(25:47):
inside instead of just bounce outside. And so for every plus,
there's a bit of a minus even when you see pluses.
And that's the kind of game it was. But I
think that's one of the worrying aspects for Pittsburgh. You know,
take away any series that ended up in a Steeler
takeaway that they forced a turnover. Just the standard defensive
(26:10):
series for Pittsburgh in terms of points allowed in those
sorts of drives, only the Washington Commanders and the Cincinnati
Bengals are worse than the Pittsford steel defense. So if
you don't take away the ball, you're the third worst
defense in the league. That's that's that's trouble. That's that's
(26:35):
that's really and again Derek Harmon would have made a
difference as well, without a doubt. When he came back,
that Jets game became sort of the rear mirror, can't
wait to get him back.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
I don't know when that will happen, but you know
this is football.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
People will There's going to be attrition and you gotta
figure out a way to do to work around issues.
They couldn't in that part. I think really bothered everyone.
Bothered players, bother the coaches, bother the fans. Just to
watch that over and over again. You can't do anything
about it, same play, same personnel.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
That was just terrible. And so that was only half.
I think the other half is Aaron Rodgers. You know
the TQBR, which is.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
His ESPN metric that I remember when when it first
came out, I thought it was a little complicated, and
it is complicated. But the way I asked them to
simplify is what does that number mean? It's from zero
to one hundred, And the way they told me was
think of it as a percentage, the percentage chance the
team has to win with that quarterbacks performance that day. Well, Rogers'
(27:42):
performance on Sunday was six point two. It's gotta be
one of the lowest in his career. Ten first downs
in ten possessions one hundred and sixty.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Five yards I think, the third lowest yard.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
Total on offense for Mike Tomlin coach team in his
tenure in Pittsburgh and the worst performance by at Pittsburgh
quarter ck since Mason Rulf lost to the Browns in
twenty nineteen, and before that, you have to go under
Tomblin to Charlie Batch in twenty twelve. So it's almost
historic historically bad. Now he's got the three borough and bones,
(28:14):
and we'll find out that after the season exactly how
bad that risk is broken. That limits you tremendously when
you don't have when you're not under center. The greatest offenses,
the most efficient offices in the NFL, I named the
Shanahan offenses and mcveigh's offenses typically do under center between
(28:35):
twenty and thirty times. Play action is a different thing
when you're under center. It's much less effective. The impetus,
the momentum when downhill is a runner from the shotgun
or the pistol is just not the same. You start
from a standing start, so it doesn't help you. So
power plays are a little bit kind of out of
(28:56):
it and just bootlegging by the quarterback, which in this
case won't happen much. He's about to turn forty two
and he's banged up. It is almost out of the
question as well. So this is a very predictable quarterback.
There's a reason why he ended up in such a
bad grade. He's very predictable. The other effect of it,
it's you can't hand off the ball to your right.
(29:17):
I'm sorry to your that's right to your right.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Yeah, right, you're right, because it's it's awkward hand.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
If you want to have your left hand, put the
ball on the butt in the belly of the running
back and when he's going right. Pittsford is a right
handed running team, and their best rush rushing blockers are
on that right side, center, right guard, right tackle. So now, okay,
so fifty two percent of the place typically go left
(29:44):
for Pittsford. In this game, it was sixty percent. They
just didn't have a choice. And Andrews Pete's pretty good
at pass blocking, but at least for this one game,
he wasn't very good at run blocking. So now, because
of the injury, you have to do the second worst
rushing and so that may explain why a team that
(30:04):
was the second worst team in the NFL in terms
of rushing defense in terms of yards per carry all out,
only the Giants were worse. The question I have the
entire game is why aren't they running?
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Why aren't they running? But I think there's a little
bit of the answer with that.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
It's just the injury makes Pitchford run with their weakest blockers,
and so it's just a it's a tough and I
don't think that's gonna go away. Although Rogers talks about
potentially coming back and being able to play under center,
Tomlin said that there was at least one play in
practice this week in which he was under center. I'm
(30:42):
sure they try it out, so we'll see. But if
if he's not gonna be under center, you're gonna get
this again. You have to be more creative, do things
a little bit differently, and you did against the Buffalo,
but you're gonna be severely limited, and it's gonna show
in terms of the offense and its performance.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
I think too. Alvaro, you know they're hand in glove,
and certainly the offenses has not looked good over the
latter half of the season. For the most part, that's
an issue, and I think it's I think it's been
a big issue, and I think it's affected the defense
because they have not been able to control the clock.
They've kept the defense out there way too long. Eventually
(31:22):
that is going to to, you know, to affect the defense.
That wasn't the case in this game, as you may.
Certainly it was a contributing factor, I'm sure, but as
you mentioned, the Bills were running right from the very
first play of the game. And I think for fans
who see their team kind of give a bit of
a fight. Hey, the Steelers were still up at halftime,
(31:44):
but ultimately wind up having the ball pretty much run
right at them all game long. This is bringing back
bad memories of Philadelphia last year, both the Baltimore games
down the stretch, and you know the notion and can
they stop this on Sunday against the Ravens, because I'm
sure the Ravens are looking at this, you know, and
(32:06):
you try to shore up the defense. You went out
the defensive line, you went out and drafted Harmon in
the first round, You signed a qualite. Aqualite's out. Harmon
missed this last game. We don't know what his status
is going to be for Sunday, but this is going
to be worrisome. If the steerers can't stop the run.
I don't see Baltimore doing anything other than trying to
pile up as many rushing yards as they possibly can.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
I'm just going to add one thing to that gloomy scenario,
which is gloomy since the hamstring issue. Lamar Jackson really
hasn't run well, and that means the frequency with which
he runs or tries to run I design, is way down,
and so I don't know if it's him or just.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
The offense trying to protect them.
Speaker 5 (32:46):
Maybe the adrenaline will be such that they'll he'll run
much more than he does because I think they're rushing
at back.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Just Derrek Henry is great, but he's stoppable.
Speaker 5 (32:57):
When you put him together with Lamar Jackson, they're both
on st and so one half of that tandem so far,
that's the critical you know, Caveat so far is a
little down. Really, it's just he's not doing that, and
then the line isn't the same. You know, Ifi Lele
is a guy that was a tackle thrown into a
(33:18):
guard situation. It's to play guard and he's just not
doing it, and so it's not exactly the same line,
and Ronnie Stanley's not s getting up in years and
it's showing, and so, you know, a lot of it
had to do with a line, and so I don't
expect to see that for a lot of reasons, including
(33:39):
the fact that they just absorbed one hundred and forty
nine yards rushing by Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
So I would think that they're going to be.
Speaker 5 (33:46):
Super prepared and sharp and alert to that, maybe to
the detriment of something else.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
But I think that may not be the issue. I
hope not.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
Anyway, it is scary to go back in there with
the two fifty five in the playoffs and then with
a two forty nine the the week before.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
It's just it's scary.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
But I would think that because of all these factors,
we may not see exactly a repeat. Now, we may
get two hundred yards, so big deal, big whoopee. Do
you know it'll be the same result. But I just
get the feeling that there are a lot of things
now that internally in Baltimore where they're not exactly what
they were at the end of last season.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Let's hope Alvaro, thank you my friend. Appreciate it. We
look forward to seeing you in Baltimore as the Steelers
get ready to take on the Ravens in a critical
matchup coming up on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Thanks my friend, Thank you. The sun will come up tomorrow, right,
promise it did?
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Okay, you heard it here first, A guarantee, A guarantee
the sun ranking news from Alvaro Martin. We're going to
continue in the locker Room, presented our neighborhood Ford Story
and the Steers Pro Shop on steel The Nation Radio Park,
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
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 (35:26):
And thank you very much for being one of us.
We certainly appreciate it. I did want to tell you Max.
You know, Alvaro Martine who just joined us, said the
sun will come up tomorrow. You you know you mentioned
the Turkey's dry.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
Got to throw it away.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
But I have to tell you I kind of went,
I got a little in between, I got a little sunshine.
I went downstairs only to find that, unbeknownst to me,
there was some leftover apple pie from Thanksgiving.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
That's still fair game. That's still adam, that is fair game.
That that that's leg that's legal.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
We can allow it. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:03):
Uh, dessert, desserts can hold a lot longer.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
It feels like a little bit of sunshine, right, it
feels like a little bit of sunshine. So you know, uh, Max,
I think that Alvarro brought up a lot of really
great points, and I don't know what else you can do.
I think the most is you know they're there, and
both points are are interesting. We haven't really seen the
(36:31):
same Aaron Rodgers since Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
I think.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
I think at the beginning of the season, he looked
really good in Cincinnati. He looked fantastic, turn back the
clock arm strength. We saw the arm strength on display
against Seattle. You know, he played a number of excellent
games in a row, championship winning, you know, playoff winning
(36:57):
caliber football. Something that has been acting in Pittsburgh on
a consistent basis. He was showing that and you know, again, look,
I do I think that it's not there anymore. No,
I don't think that, because you know, he's been he's
he had a rough game and then he played he's
been playing with a broken wrist.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
You know, he missed the game.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
So but that he needs to get back to that,
you know, for for this to be a difference a
difference maker, he needs to get back to that form
that he was showing. You know, he looked solid in
the Green Bay game, you know, and uh, and and
again you know the second Cincinnati game. You know, we
know what happened there, right, Uh, he only had to
(37:39):
throw it fifteen times, and then what happens after that?
But you know, and even the Indianapolis game, you know,
it wasn't tremendous, but it certainly wasn't terrible. Twenty five
to thirty five, two hundred and three yards touchdown, had
a ninety five point three rating.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
But the game against the Chargers and this one against Buffalo,
they need more from that. And then you know, again
we talked about this a little bit yesterday. Well let's
first talk about that, because this offense needs to find
a way to get it going. I mean, you score
ten points against the Chargers, you score seven points against
the Bills. That's you know, that's two out of your
(38:16):
last four games. Yeah, you scored points against Cincinnati, A
you scored points against Buffalo, but or against Chicago but
Man ten points against LA, seven points against Buffalo. They're
gonna need more than that, Max, And I don't know
what the answer is, because again, we've seen elements. We've
seen Aaron Rodgers have some terrific games. We've seen Jalen
(38:37):
Warren have excellent games. We've seen game will have excellent
games if you go deep back in your memory banks,
because that's what it takes. We've seen DK Metcalf have
some excellent games, but it has.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Been a while.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
They need to find a way to get some of
the elements that we've seen together and performing at the
same time. And I don't know what the issue is,
but maybe it's just simply running the ball more. Whatever
it is, what's going on now has not been working
for most of the last you know, four weeks of
the season.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
Well.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
And I think also just because you know, we've put
so much I think on Aaron's plate right to make
the right decision to give him the cart blanche. Sometimes
you just have to go in and say Hey, this
is the play we're running, right, and you know, take
a little bit of the autonomy out of his hands.
(39:33):
But I think you laid it out perfectly. I mean
what we saw at the beginning of the season obviously
is that what we're seeing right now because you know,
like you said, injury adaptability, But I think there's a
little bit of also ego in there that Hey, if
you know, if I'm going to dress, I'm playing, Like,
(39:53):
only way I don't I don't dress is if I
can't play. And I think that properly position in itself
is harrows it. But I think it's deserving of his title, right.
You know, Aaron Rodgers has done a lot of a
lot of great things in this league, so you trust
that he has the football IQ to get it accomplished.
(40:15):
But this team is one that you have to run
and play action. And you heard Alvaro and you know,
I talked with Charlie.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Like it's.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
It's not as easy as one would think to just
plug and expect, you know, good things to happen. You know,
just plug in and you'll be fine. It's like when
I was, like when I plugged my phone in the wall,
Like with the charger attached. It's like, I expect this
to work. I expect the battery to fill up. I
(40:48):
expect it to be full and ready to go when
I take it off, right, That's the expectation I have
for it. I think we put the same expectation on
Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Ramsey, right, guys that we got in
free agency too. You know, to come and be the
(41:09):
difference maker and be a differentiator. But at some point
you have to also say, hey, players, you have to
take some responsibility. And for Aaron, like I think it
would have been a nature gesture if he just said,
you know what, I'm gonna sit this one out.
Speaker 3 (41:27):
I want another week of my wrist. I know, we
got to win three out of the next five.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
Let me just try and heal as much as I
can because the rest of the way is the gauntlet.
It is, let's just face it. You know, one of
two Baltimore games coming up next week. We still have Miami,
still have Detroit, and then we got Cleveland, who you know,
for all in tens of purposes, you know, kind of
(41:57):
is a nuisance to us. And you know, Joe was
Cincinnati for the year, so whatever Cincinnati does. It's going
to be independent of what uh what the Steelers kind
of want in that plan. For me, I wish, you know,
he would have taken that moment to just sit aside
(42:19):
realize it. Because the thing I didn't get to mention
about to Alvaro was remember a couple of those funny,
funky spinning, pure wet handoffs.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
Do you remember that rob during the game? Yep? Like
that was because of the wrist.
Speaker 4 (42:30):
That was a direct byproduct of the risk why you
can't go under center. I've already detailed that at nauseum
about the aminemity that you lose by having some other,
you know, modality to keep you in the game, and
you knew it was gonna be a botle.
Speaker 3 (42:50):
So so but I get it.
Speaker 4 (42:50):
You're a competitor and I can appreciate that hustle and
it means that much to him because, let's just face it,
there's moments where you questioned the design hire factor because
the desire to win take over control that game was
not a great response, I guess you should say. And
(43:14):
so that's where I think it's really important for this
team to take that introspection because there's no it's no,
it's no time to step aside.
Speaker 3 (43:25):
Woe is me? Figure it out? Blah blah blah.
Speaker 4 (43:30):
It's no.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
We gotta get this fix. We have to get this
fix right now. We do the Steelers do, and they've
got to find a way to do that. And I
think I'm gonna save the running attack for Bob Labriola
because he had something in his asked and answered about
teams running against the Steelers and how it hasn't been consistent.
It was consistent throughout the course of that game, not
(43:53):
only consistent to the Bills in the very first play
we're able to run it, but consistent from the fact
that they continue to run essentially the same play over
and over again, and the Steelers just couldn't do anything
to stop it, which I think is just an absolute uh,
it just uh, it's gotta be just a horrendous feeling.
(44:16):
I mean horrendous, you know, and you know, unfortunately it
is what it is. As they say, I'm not a
big fan of that expression, but you understand what it means.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
You know, they they couldn't stop it.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Now do other teams see that, Max d You know,
from a from a philosophical standpoint, from a from a
schematic standpoint, whatever you want to call it. When when
it when you are weak in an area, do you
expect a team to do more of that to you
(44:51):
the next week, or do you expect that team to
stay sort of true to themselves.
Speaker 4 (44:58):
I I generally anticipate that people will do the easiest
thing right, and the easiest thing is they haven't stopped it.
Let's just keep doing it right, like that's that's the
easiest thing to say. Or it's like, hmm, this really
(45:19):
did work. Okay, let's see what it does again. Oh,
this really did work. And it was then on you
know Buffalo that said, you know what, We're just gonna
keep doing this until you stop us. Just let's just
see what happens. And what happened was they hung a
(45:40):
lot of yards, over two hundred yards on our defense,
essentially doing the same thing. I mean, Alvro kind of
said more double. I think it looked a little bit
more like zoned and double with with with with a cutback.
But you know double I could see that too, because
a couple of inside moves had the ability for him
(46:02):
to straight back as well. You know, you put two
double teams at the point and then let that running
back make the decision to shoot at play side, shoot
it narrow backside, or bounce it all the way wide.
The frustrating part was the fact that he could bounce
it wide, that you did not have any edge presence
(46:22):
or setting of the edge to deter the cutback lane,
and that's where the frustration is. So yeah, no, I
definitely do think that once you put it on, you
are who you put on tape. So why am I
gonna Why am I gonna overthink this? And a team
has success, guess what, I'm gonna try it too to
see if I can get some success as well, because.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
That's just what the nature of this business is.
Speaker 4 (46:46):
It's looking at it and assessing and figuring out what
we can do versus you know, versus kind of what
we have personnel wise to get that accomplished, and if
we can get that accomplished. Until otherwise noted, that's literally how.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
You have to take it, yep, so plenty to get
to Bob Labriol is going to join us, we need
to get around the NFL too and take a look
at what happened around the league how it relates to
the Steelers, where the teams are trending. All that stuff
still to come when we continue in the Locker Room,
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro
Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers
(47:22):
Audio Network
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.