October 28, 2025 • 44 mins
Max and Rob chat with Alvaro Martin and address the state of the team and what is to come.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
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 (00:25):
And we thank you for being with us on this Tuesday,
as we're still sort of licking our wounds a little
bit from the Steelers' performance on Sunday night against Green Bay.
Looking forward to hearing from head coach Mike Tomlin today
about oh some injury updates, all kinds of news on
the Steelers team of relevance that he'll be talking to
how they plan to bounce back when they get ready
to host the once beaten Indian Aplis Colts with the
(00:50):
best record in the NFL. So lots to get to
as as we bring you this show and bring you
the show all week long to get you ready for
that game. Alvro Martine is going to be joining us.
It is a Tuesday with lab So Bob Labriola will
be with us as well. Max. First of all, safe
travels back to Phoenix. I assume.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I am here and present and accounted for, so that
is all I can ask for now.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
I would be a little bit remiss.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I probably tad greedy in my statement and saying it
would be nice to actually leave when you're supposed to
and arrive at the place that.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
You're supposed to again at the same time.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
No, no, literally, every.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Original flight I've booked to fly domestically in the United
States because obviously the flight to Ireland was not late.
My flight leaving Ireland was not late. So any domestic
bound or domestic originating flight that I've taken.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
This season literally has been delayed or canceled.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Since college football season, which is only a week before
the NFL season.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Since college football.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
We were eight eight nine weeks in, not gotten single
one some time. That's problematic that I originally booked. Now
when I've gotten rebooked, when I've had to switch my
flight because of the delays, those flights have been on time,
but those don't count because I didn't originate with those flights.
So that's why I'm making the distinction the ones that
I had picked and planned to fly on, had they've
(02:38):
all been it was crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So yesterday was no exception, yuh more par for the course.
But I'm here, I'm here, I'm alive, I'm well.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And you know what, right, I wanted to get one
thing off of my chest before we got into our show.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Of course.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Uh some people were kind of you know, on on
on on the media's as we call, you know, the
media is the outletas you know, out and about, and
they were, you know, got got some messages sent to
(03:20):
me and it was it was it was.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Addressed, you know, to me.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
So I assumed, okay, this is you know about me,
and I guess they were listening to the show yesterday
and they were kind of making a remark about, oh,
you know, Max and Kinger aren't really are trying to
tell the sky is falling. It's not as bad as
it thinks, but it is. It's like, uh no, it's
(03:45):
not as bad as you think. I mean, you have
to think about this, right, Kinsey started season zero and two,
they were atrocious two game losing streak. Was your thrown
the towel in on them? No, in Lamar we trust, Lamarrow,
we trust. Defense is terrible, but in Lamar we trust
(04:07):
and speaking of that same Lamar Ravens. What I mean,
they had what four they had four losses in a row,
m four in a row before they snap their they're
they're losing streak. Carolina I think finished on four before
they got their first victory.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Oh three, and they got their first victory.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, there's a lot of examples of zero win teams. Heck,
we didn't think the New York just are gonna win
the game all season. Look what they did.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
So when I.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Say the sky is not falling, this is what I mean.
Like anything can happen. Anybody can catch fire, and it's
spread from week to week. Right now, the Colts have fire.
It's now spreading from week to week. Giants trying to
(05:09):
figure out that flame. But it's weak to week. The
Ravens think they finally unlocked the Rosetta Stone for actually
winning a football game in Baltimore.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
We shall see.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But I don't want people being uncharacteristically optimistic, like outside
of your nature to be optimistic. But at the same time,
understand this is a human business. There are human players
that play human positions that do human and sometimes extraordinary
(05:47):
extra human things. But at the end of the day's
still human and anybody can go on a streak, anybody
can lose. It doesn't matter about being the best team
in the country or the world, and man is about
being the better team that day. So however, crafty, skillful,
whatever you know they need to do, they're gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
We're gonna keep talking about it.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
So I think that's what I kind of wanted to
get off my chest before we got started.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Kinger was, I'm absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
The sky is not falling, chicken little so that you
have to do it and let me And let me
just follow that up by saying this. I had a
lot of conversations with a friend of mine who is
very prominent in the business, and we talked about our
approaches and we had very different styles, and he loved
(06:41):
the idea of shaping people's opinions. Frankly, that is that
does not interest me. It's not what I want to do.
What I want to do is present the facts, ask
questions that I think are relevant, and let you who
are listening to this program, who have your own your
own brain, take those facts and opinions. Maybe there is
(07:05):
something that you haven't thought of. I hope there's something
that you haven't thought of that makes you think about
something differently, But I am not trying to shape your opinions.
We went through the game on Sunday night, play by
play and did it with a reason. There was a
reason behind why we did it so that you could
and by the way, it reminded me that the Steelers
(07:27):
at one point looked like they were going to win
the game. At several points looked like they were going
to win the game, and we were left with a
bad feeling in our mouth and trying to look Feelings
are always part of it, and I think it's a
big part of it. It's part of what makes a
fan a fan is to have those feelings. But if
you think I'm going to try to tell you how
you should think, you're wrong, I'm not gonna That's not
(07:50):
my goal. It's never been my goal to be that
kind of of a broadcaster. I want to present the
facts and ask the questions that I believe. That's what
I believe my job is, and let you make up
your own mind, so you know, I don't need adjectives
to point out the fact that the Steelers defense has
given up thirty or more points in four out of
(08:11):
seven games. You can supply your own adjectives to that.
You can decide that that is a defense that just
hasn't found its way yet. You can decide whether you
think that's a defense that is in deep trouble. You
can make your you can make your own decisions about that.
But the fact is that they've played seven games and
given up thirty or more points. I'm not going to
(08:33):
tell you how to think about that. I'm just gonna
give you the facts, so uh, and we will try
to explore some of those reasons why, certainly to try
to give you a better understanding and maybe a different
perspective on things. Is that Is that fair enough?
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Max? I think that is fair enough. I think I
think you. I think you lay it out very nicely.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah, that does, you know, and other people have different approaches.
That's my approach, and that's the way it's actually that's
the way. That's way I'm gonna do the show as
long as we're having me do the show. So actual, Yeah,
that's two things. And believe me, man, believe me. For
those of you, for those of you who are hot
blooded old foreigners, I think it was Foridner. Yeah, I
(09:14):
think it was forder I get that way too. Man.
You know, I'm not a robot. I have my emotions
as well, but my job on these airwaves and when
I'm calling the game is to present the facts and
present what's going on. So we're presented with Indianapolis Colts
this week, and we're certainly going to be spending some
time thinking about that. I'm glad you mentioned the Chiefs
(09:36):
because two weeks ago, Max, even last week, I think
our thoughts on the NFL was that it was as
wildly unpredictable and as crazy as we've ever seen it, right,
Like who is the super team? I posed a question
(09:58):
a couple of weeks ago, Who's good? What the the
Lions are good? Then the Lions promptly go out and lose.
You know, we've been laughingly talking about that top spot
in the in the power rankings. You know, we usually
get into that today and tomorrow and then, you know,
just to get a sense of where the entirety of
the NFL is sitting. And now I think, you know,
(10:18):
this is the this is the time of the season,
and usually I give it another couple of weeks, but
I think it's interesting now what's happened the last couple
of weeks because the teams that we thought were going
to be good are back to being good, and some
other teams are emerging as good contenders. Everybody thought the
Eagles are going to be good. Well, they've won two
(10:40):
in a row and they look great doing it. Everybody
thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would at least be pretty good.
They're leading your division. I think the Packers and the Lions,
everybody figured they were the top, the cream of the
crop in the NFC North. Guess what, they're the cream
of the crop in the NFC North. Now the NFC
West a little crazy because I think we all thought
it was going to be a little crazy. And I'm
(11:00):
still you know, I've still got an open mind about
the Rams and the Seahawks, but it kind of looks
like they're pulling away from the rest of the pack.
Although we'll see how the forty nine ers do when
they get Purty back. And in the AFC, Broncos are good.
That's no surprise. Maybe they're a little better than we thought.
They've won five in a row. I would say they're
probably a little bit better than I thought they were
(11:20):
gonna be. I thought they'd be good. But I don't
know if I thought they'd be six and two. The Chargers,
the Chiefs are suddenly back to being the Chiefs. The
culture a huge surprise. But the point is that we
are getting to we are starting to, I think, get
a little bit of clarity, whereas two weeks ago I
had zero clarity.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah, I think that's that's the tough part about it, right.
Every time we've we've read that number one power ranking, right,
that team goes out and promptly loses. It changes the
balance and then you start having to rethink, well, dang,
I know they lost last week, but now they've won,
so how far do I move them up against the field?
And you know what I mean. But but that's the
(12:01):
beauty of the parody in this league right this year,
is that you do have open options to good teams.
You know, I'm sure Colts fans are very ecstatic about
the fact that their team is, you know, is sitting
there with one loss before coming in into acroshure.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
You know, we look at what the Broncos are and
what they've done. That's the one team of the of
those kind of top teams that I've actually seen actually
play and called their games and you're like, okay, they
kind of mats and even for them, they're not a big, fast,
physical team. They dink and dunk and then you know
(12:44):
they they manage the game properly. They avoid the long
yardage situations and they just they play sound football and
there's nothing wrong with it, right because that is their style.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
They stick to their style.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
And I think for a lot of people, you want
to perceive the Steelers one way as opposed to accepting
who they are in another way. And this is a
team that's going to have to be a lot more
consistent and time and time consuming if they want to
have success.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So we're going to talk over the state of the
Steelers with our buddy Alvarro Martin, who's going to be
joining us here in just a cope of moments in
the Locker Room presented by your Neighborhood Ford Store and
the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, part of
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your Neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one P fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Oop god hoquities the Galla. But I got down the
Klan metcap. Then I touched down on base. I love
it with it. De kalin and is posing the DK.
That's wonderful. Avarro Martine is joining us. Now I've cowed
(14:17):
Alvarro and gone back to DK.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
UH.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I think if he if he comes up with a
big player, I go back to the Kalen. For those
UH fans who are just listening for the first time
don't know what we're talking about. To Kaleen, he prefers
to Kalen, but he said everybody mispronounces it, so he
just goes with DK. So now we're toggling back and
forth between DK and De Kalen. But when we have
an opportunity to talk to Alvarro, we never toggle back
(14:42):
and forth. We just toggle forth because we love having
our friend on. Alvaro. Thank you very much for being
with us. Appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
Rob. Of course you never mentioned that you were the
one who told me that story, and so after the
kaling from you and yeah, yeah, what's that? Empathize because
I totally understand Metcalf because you know, my friends call
me Alvro, but everybody else calls me al So I
know exactly how that feels when no one can pronounce
your name. So I'm gonna go Kaling from now on.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (15:14):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
We'll start a trend. Uh yeah, maybe maybe between the
two of us we can get the rest of the
league calling and what he actually wants to be called. Uh,
but we'll uh, we'll work on it. You've taken you've
taken up the standard and gone, you know, Alvaro, we
were we were going through the drive uh yesterday morning,
(15:36):
all the drive charts and what happened in the game.
And it's funny, you know, you leave a game and
you leave with such a bad taste in your mouth
because the Packers it was just an avalanche in that
you know, it's from about late in the third quarter
to the end of the game, it felt like and
at one time, you know, the students kind of scored
a late touchdown to make the score look better, but
(15:57):
it just felt like, uh, you know, in some ways,
like the Steelers had just been annihilated in the game,
just just an absolute blowout and then you go back
through the drive chart and remember, well, shoot, we were
all feeling pretty good at halftime. They did exactly what
they wanted to do. They limited the Packers on third down,
They ran the football, they had to lead, they were
gonna get the ball to begin the second half. Even
(16:19):
when that didn't go well, they were able to rally
and kick a field goal, and late in the third quarter,
and even before the first play the fourth quarter, the
Steelers were leading in the game. How do you what
is your takeaway from from a game that just seemed
to turn on a dime and left us with that.
I can't speak for you, but left me with a
(16:40):
bad feeling when I was walking out to my car,
You and everybody.
Speaker 5 (16:45):
Else, and everybody else except those wearing green at that
right at the same thought. I will tell you that
I think the thought in the book and Jordan Love
has always been, you know, pressure him a bit or
just let him be, and he'll throw the ball your
way instead of his teammate and you'll get a ball
or two out of him. And I think those days
are over. This team has only three turnovers all year.
(17:07):
All three were his in a way. Two interceptions don't fumble,
but really he's past that. He's passed that test. And
so when I saw Pittsburgh blitz heavily in the second half,
I thought to myself, I think they want to I
think they want to turnover, but I'm not sure this
kid's going to give it to them. And he was
splendid against the Blitz. Not just good splendid. I think
(17:32):
there were twenty two drop backs in which he threw
the ball against the Blitz. Sixteen were complete, two hundred
and forty some yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, And so
I think part of it you have to recognize that
we had a really, really good quarterback. On the other side,
he's grown up a lot. He threw two picks the
(17:53):
last time he was in Pittsburgh. Those days are over.
And then, most importantly, how do you throw those picks
by throwing the ball early, which is atypical for him.
The Packers' offense is the closest thing in the NFL
today to the Al Davids vertical throw the ball down
the field. They love that, and they do that against
the Blitz. By the way, Bob, they they went against
(18:14):
their instinct because they knew they just saw the video
they're seeing the video, the Flacco video. It's like, you know,
the basement tapes around the NFL, how do you beat
the Steelers?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
And are you a bob doing finn? I gotta ask,
come on the basement tapes.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
Yeah, it's it's some people call it coaches porn. It's
that you watch something that is so good that you
got to hide. You can't watch it in front of people, right,
And so to me, that's exactly what's happened here. There's
a there's a template on how to neutralize E J. Watt,
the pressure, the turnovers, and you you need to be patient,
you need to be anticipatory, you need to be quick.
(18:52):
And all these all these quarterbacktors being sold, and I
think the next one who's also gonna wear all white,
it's gonna be reading off the same playbook. And until
Pittsford figures out a different way it may compete to happen.
And it's really breathed. I mean, as you said, it
was just tough to watch in that second half, very
difficult to watch, the yards being piled on, seemingly, receivers
(19:17):
being wide open, not just catching the ball in traffic,
but just wide open and just getting yards after the
catch as well. Something's gonna have to give. I think
it's schematically maybe maybe perhaps in terms of personnel as
well for this to happen, because they're in a real
funk right now, and I think that the leak has
figured them out.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Nah, I think, Alvaro, I think you're I think you're right.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
I mean, it is something that's tough, and like you said,
the second half was just dink and dunk and move
the ball methodically down the field, or as Hank Stram
would once say, matriculate the football down the field.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
And there's no need for the home run ball.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
The home run ball come and it came in the
form of it of just a duck Prayer Dynasty type
of ball that went up in the air right just
hung in the air. And Tucker Craft, even though a
lot of people say he did not push off, looked
a lot different live and comes down with that fifty
nine yarder, but they just kind of sent the spiral
(20:20):
already further into the tailspin just accelerated.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
You know.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
I was asked, I was asked by people, you know,
as I was in the airport yesterday flying back.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Man.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
It was row and Steels, and I'm like, I'm like,
players play.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
They have to play.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
They have to play within the scheme, they have to
trust each other, and they have to be able to
communicate cleanly about what their job is. And it's frustrating
when you look at it because you say, well, we're
seven games in, eight weeks into the season, and I think, Alvro,
you can't tell a team win to peak, right. You
(21:00):
can't tell them when when to get better as a unit.
You could tell an individual to get better on its own,
but that's also the gift of the curse of playing
team sports, right. I gotta rely with how many other
guys are on the playing surface on my side against
the number of guys on the opposite playing service that
(21:24):
I don't necessarily have a direct connection and responsibility to.
And you're telling two different groups, Hey, you got to
be ready, you got to be better, you got to
do this. Because the Steelers have been averaging twenty five
points a game. Guess what they scored on Sunday, twenty
five point twenty five points exactly on the nose, So
we know who.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
We had to drop and had a drop in the
end zone. Could have been more right, Yeah, right, the game.
You never feel you're out of the game. Any game
with Aaron Rodgers, that's a quarterback, even if you're down
to ten, you never feel out of the game. What's
this hardening? It's to see the kind of hemorrhaging on
defense and the sense that no one can stop the opponent,
(22:07):
and it's just a bad feeling. It doesn't matter, you know,
how much money has been spent on that side of
the ball, whatever, it's just it's unexpected. It's not what
you thought they were. And it's not, by the way,
what you saw in week three and four as well,
you saw a complete completely different team, aggressive right near
(22:28):
the point of attack. Nothing you know, if a play
was run, they wouldn't add too many yards. They were
on top of things. This team needs to be reacting,
and I think it's the other Again. Credit the opponent.
They figured out, Okay, they're taking this stuff away from us.
They're very good at this stuff. Let's not put ourselves
in that situation because it's going to be a very
(22:49):
long game for us. And so that's why I'm saying
there's gotta be some adjustment on our part, because I
think the league has figured this out and they're telling
every quarterback that basis severs, here's the way to beat it.
Let me give example the Ackers. I think we're the
third or fourth team in the NFL that uses the
most play action. They really did not. This post is
(23:09):
the one game in which they use play action the least,
partly because there's no time to set up that play,
partly because the run game. Really they really rely on it,
but it's not particularly productive. They just do a lot
of reps to keep the defense thinking of thinking run,
and then they do a play action so they didn't
even need to use that. They went against their character
(23:31):
in this game to the two or thirty five points,
so it worked for them. And that's my point. People
are beginning to if offenses can change their physiognomy to
adjust the Steelers that much and be successful at it,
the Steelers have to find a way to change their
physiognomy to throw off whatever adjustment they have and be
(23:52):
ready for the counter to the counter. Easy for me
to say, trust, be easy for me to say, but
I think that's what's happening on the other side. Me
on the other side's doing that successfully. Well, it's our
turn that makes some adjustments.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I think you're right in the money, and I think
what's what's been a little discouraging Alvarro to me is
that when you got to four and one and the
offense looked like they were starting to okay, the running
game is starting to go dow. Remember they weren't able
to run the ball the first couple of weeks, and
(24:26):
you know, you're able to start putting up some points
and the offenses look better than it's looked for quite
some time. And right now it's the offense is twelfth
in the league in points per game at twenty five points. Unfortunately,
they're also allowing twenty five points, which puts them up
as eleventh worst in the league. And you know, I
was talking to somebody about the state of this Yeatherers
(24:48):
right now, and I said, you know, listen, if they
were just getting average defense, like if they weren't, they didn't,
they don't need to get great defense right now, but
they need to go well, no, I'm sorry, average is
that is not the word I was looking for.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Good.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
If you got good defense, and the hopes for that
this was going to be a great defense, and we'll
see what happens over the rest of the season. Thus far,
it has not been a good defense. It was a
good defense for about three weeks. And I think that
if the defense can get back to just simply being
a good defense, doesn't have to be great, doesn't have
(25:20):
to be all world, this team will win its share
of games down the stretch. But this notion that, this
comment that you said, that that teams know what they're doing,
it does look that way, Alvarro, from the naked eye,
because even when they start bringing those heavy blitzes, which
they've done more this year than they've done in the past,
and which were effective, wildly effective. Think about New England
(25:43):
and other games, it just has not gotten home. It
hasn't even really disrupted the opposing quarterback over the last
couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
There's another way to look at exactly what you're saying,
and I'm going to throw it out there. I'm not
sure I necessarily agree with what I'm about to say.
There's just another point of view on this, which is
the defense was and always was this season what it
is right now. The difference is we're not taking the
ball away, so you're still hamorrhaging yards. You're just not
taking the ball away and finishing opponents offensive drives with
(26:17):
a takeaway, which makes a huge difference. That's not happening
in the last couple of games. You're still letting the
yards file up. You're just not taking the ball away
and taking some points away in the process. And so
that may be the difference here that while you were winning,
you were still allowing a lot of yards, although less
in the second pair of games after the first a
(26:39):
couple of games, but simply you're not taking balls away.
And when you're not doing that, this is what happens.
Instead of limiting to twenty three, they're going to score
thirty and you're gonna put a lot of pressure on
you to try to win that game. And on the offense, So,
like I said, they blitz, I think on forty six
percent of the play. They blitz a lot in the
(27:01):
second half. And you may say, well, that is great,
that's what blitzberg is that we're about. Well, it's just
not working. For whatever reason. There are a lot of
different reasons. The end result is not satisfying. It's not working.
Maybe they say, you know, keep the faith, We're gonna
tip some balls, we're gonna get some interceptions. We're gonna
(27:22):
force some fumbles. Just keep the faith. This is just
a bad stretch of games. Maybe they know more than
I do. They've seen a lot more football than I have,
but it just seems like the patterns there. We're just
not taking the ball away the way they were doing
that earlier in the year, and you're seeing the extra seven, ten,
fourteen points a game, and that's the difference. It's just very,
(27:44):
very tough to watch because you know those guys are good,
and you know those guys are committed, and you just
know that right now whatever it is they're doing is
not perfect and it has a change. It has to change.
The urgency has to be there.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
You know.
Speaker 5 (27:58):
We also knew that Packers in the and Chargers before
the game against the Packers started, had a combined record
of fifteen to four and one. So this is the
tougher stretch of the season. We weren't expecting Cincinnati, but
we knew that we're gonna meet good teams. As matter
of fact, the team with the best record in the
NFC just beat us, So that's saying something. We have
(28:19):
to put everything in perspective. But I think that everybody
in every person in that room has to be thinking
we're better than this, and we have to show it,
and there's no more thinking about it. It has to
be shown. And so let's hope there's some sort of
spark in that sense and inspiration meanings for something a
(28:40):
little different coming up next against the Colts and the Chargers.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Yeah, that's that's gonna be a tough one out of brow,
you know, because you have a week, you know, to
get things together. And like you said, I mean it's
not only that you're facing these three good opponents in
this stretch in three good run games, and the play
accent that's used off of it, and like you said,
you put on this this tape for the last two
(29:07):
weeks that you're averaging thirty four points a game, you're
giving up and your offense is averaging about twenty seven
of the last two games.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
It's it's daunting.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
But I also say they have the personnel because I've
seen Tea and the reason why I can say that
because I've seen teas with lesser do more with it,
because they can figure out a way and the and
the offense. And here's the other thing, Alva, the offense
must possess the ball for long swaths of time if
they must win the time of possession battle to rest
(29:40):
that defense, because let's face it, the defense isn't as
young as it could be, right, I Mean, the average
age shifts down drastically because of Ya Black and Derek Harmon,
along with Jack Sawyer, you know, and Peyton Wilson. But
that doesn't excuse it completely about how to handle your
(30:03):
job defensively. I mean, perimeter tackling has been an issue
the last two weeks, right, I mean just even started
as early as Darius lay On to the Malik Heath
sideline play, Like you've got to be ready to handle
those type of things and you can't. There's no use
to fall down. And I'm saying that was one. I'm
(30:23):
just pointing out one of many plays in that moment.
But that's the type of thing this also means is
that to get back to complimentary style football, and complimentary
is chewing up clock and then putting seven on the board,
not praying for three as soon as you cross the
fifty yard line, like that's just I know that's the
BA zone, but that just you can't play and win
(30:47):
effectively that way, and you know, hopefully they get to
figure it out between today and Sunday.
Speaker 5 (30:53):
When I see a team that spends a lot of
time a phase of the team defensive, offensive, spends a
lot of time on the field, particularly the defense, I
tend to see two things. I take a look at
their legs. Are they moving as quickly as they normally do?
And for example, against Cincinnati on offense, you can tell
that Darnell Washington was just not as quick as he was.
(31:16):
He had just come off a game in which he
ha play almost one hundred percent of snaps five days earlier,
and you can just see it in his legs. He
just doesn't have the juicing normally has. Displacements have the same.
The second thing is you're supposed to be physical, and
when you're in the field thirty some minutes, someone's being
physical to you. And I think it shows in the tackling.
(31:37):
It shows at the point of attack. You know someone's
been hammering. You've got a set amount of bullets. You know, tackles,
hits you can give somebody else, but you're now in
the receiving end of those. And more so, what do
you got what's left in the holster? It's a tough one.
So I agree with you. I think the next evolution
I've said it now for a couple of games, the
next evolution of the offense not just to score what
(31:58):
they do. Don't change that, police, we need every point,
but I need to start thinking of let's give this
defense as much of a rest as we can. Yeah,
we can score with a lightning pass. Yep, we can
get a little flashy and do chunk plays. But let's
just use the running backs, which have been one of
the assets of the team, to just keep the other
(32:20):
team's defense on the field, keep our own defense off
the field, and see what happens.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Now.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
The other thing that happened to this game, and I
wanted to ask maxim particulars he's been in the locker room.
Teams have MVPs, right, you know, Aaron on the offense,
tj on defense, Sam Hayward's a captain, right, But there
are guys that are so important that no one names
them and then you miss them when you miss them,
(32:45):
and Somalow on offense and Elliott on defense. Boy, here
they're going to be missed.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
Yeah, And I think that's that's what it is. Alvaroa.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
You know, as I think about it, that veteran leadership,
that experience, and that accountability. I think that really would
it comes down to the accountability I think is probably
the best word to describe that. When you're talking about
the veteran leadership.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
You have to.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Demand and expect the same standard that you set for
yourself as a leader, right, And you've got to and
sometimes you got to be demonstrative. You know, TJ's not
a big, raw raw guy, never has been, and I
don't expect him to all of a sudden become that guy.
Speaker 5 (33:34):
Right.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
He could be frustrated. He can give his input, but
he's one that.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Leads by example, and right now he doesn't really have
an example to show guys.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
Right. I think that's the other tough part about this.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
And then for cam cam can cam can can can
yell or get upset and you have a meeting with
the guys, but you know he's also he's struggling himself. Hey,
keep the physicality, keep it, keep your your levels for
performance as high as you can give it giving you
(34:09):
giving your time in this league.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
And you know the production isn't there.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
To back up the words, and so therefore, who is
that next person that's going to step in and make
the play as opposed to sit there and wait for someone.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Else to do it. Right, Yep, And I think that's
what it is. And for Aaron, Aaron's got it and
Aaron has has I.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Would say, elevated the play of those around him when
he steps on the field because he demands it, he
talks about it, but also he gives opportunities.
Speaker 4 (34:44):
I mean, think about this.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
He threw through the nine different receivers, by the way,
one of those guys just having to be an offensive
tackle as well, you know, on the game on Sunday,
by the way, that gatah, I mean long overdue, but
it was it was like, yep, that that that's a.
Speaker 4 (34:59):
Guy and that's yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
You knew that they had been practicing that play for
a three weeks and they didn't feel comfortable and they
one day said, you know what, let's start. But what
I like about Arthur he will use his chest piece
in every way. You know, the Knight's supposed to move
this way. Ah, I'm gonna make the Night move this
way because I'm gonna throw the other team team off.
But then to see that in the first play of
(35:22):
the game with Darnell first, and then with Spencer, it's
just great. It's just keeping the other seat team guessing,
keeping your own team focused. Now Spencer now moves to
somemolol spot. Now we get to get a replacement who
I don't think is a pass catcher or is dextrous
as Spence maradisonal So, I think that aspect of the
game is gonna have to be purtailed. But you never
(35:43):
know where Arthur will try to work on in the
lab over the next few weeks. But no, to me,
that's that's great creativity, and I think this is what's
gonna happen now. I mean, we're still gonna go with
the six eligible receiver alignment, still gonna be heavy dose
of Darnell blocking. We may turn out to be more
of a running team from now on because of the
(36:04):
Sumalo injury and because of what I said that you
need to give that defense a rest. It's just been
burnt out a lot over the last first six games,
and so I think that that that we'll see some
changes in that respect, and maybe what we need for
a better defense is a ball control offense. It still scores,
(36:24):
that's gonna be a challenge it's again easier for us
to talk about it very difficult to change that. And
one more thing, what a beautiful thing it was to
see the Roman Emperor show up and finally you know,
hell people, you know I'm an option. One of the
things when you see a broken play for Pittsburgh and
you see Rogers escape the pocket and roll out, is
(36:46):
his off hand. His left hand is like directing prefit.
No over there, no nor no no, and the guys
are looking at him and they see the hand and
then know is it me or is it the guy
next to me? Is the guy on the other side
of the field. Romans instinctively decided to go deep and
then he'll fear out the direction and that's exactly all
(37:06):
that Aaron needed. And so you began to see that.
Then you see the touchdown. You know, this kid just
needs reps and confidence and knowledge, and it's you're beginning
to see the sparks of that unbroken plays I should
have meaning not you're not necessarily part of the progression,
(37:27):
and that's the genius of that sort of chemistry. So
to me, that was really one of the few bright
spots in this game, was to begin to see that
spark and that confidence, confidence on both sides. Confidence that
the kid knows what's what he's doing on the field.
Confidence for Aaron Rodgers say no, he's I'm looking for him.
Now he gets it. He gets it, and so to me,
(37:49):
that's a great, great development for the team as well.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Alvaro, thank you very much of the time, love the
input and always enjoy talking to you, my friend, and
we look forward to seeing you on Sunday when the
Indianapolis Colts comes down.
Speaker 5 (38:04):
Thank you for another team dressed in white than dressed
in white. They're all your ghosts coming in around Thanksgiving time.
Speaker 4 (38:11):
Absolutely Halloween.
Speaker 2 (38:13):
Yeah, Alvaro, thank you very much, appreciate it. Alvaro Martine
the great play by play voice for the Steelers on
Spanish speaking radio and of course you hear them on
NBA broadcast and all over the place. A wonderful man
and a great great broadcaster as well. We will continue
with more in the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood
Ford S. Join the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
(38:34):
part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
And thanks for being with us back in the locker room,
and our thanks to Alvarro Martin for joining us. And
one of the things that he mentioned, and one of
the things you were talking about Max with you know,
getting across midfield and starting to think in terms of
touchdown also in terms of you know, you know, hopefully
possessing the ball for longer periods of time. You know,
(39:23):
when you think about fast, aggressive defenses that are trying
to and that's what the Steelers are trying to be.
And obviously, you know Alvro said they've looked slower as
they've been on in the field longer. But you know,
you want to have a lead, you want to make
the other team one dimensional, you want to be rested,
you want all those things you to think about when
Max was playing guys, you know, Jerome Bettis and Ben
(39:44):
Roethlisberger possessing the ball and making plays and getting first
downs and pounding it at him. And now the defense
can get out there and you got a lead and
you're fresh, and you're you're making the other team is
a game wears on there getting more and more one dimensional.
Here comes one of those big pass rushers off the
edge or the strip sack and it's a turnover, and
you you know, all these things build on each other.
(40:04):
It does make me wonder max with the state of
this dealers right now, and maybe the offense needing to
help the defense more at present, and this trend of
going teams more and more going for it on fourth down.
It's a double edged sword because on the one hand,
you have the great Chris Boswell. Hey man, just if
(40:26):
you are you know inside the you know, at the
forty or inside the forty, it's three points, right, and
you don't want to give that away by the same token,
do you. You know, is one of the adjustments you
might need to think about, especially with the high scoring
team like the Colts, just maybe trying to possess the
ball longer, maybe going for it, maybe trying to get
(40:48):
seven instead of three. I don't know, it's it's certainly
one of the things I think is we talk about,
you know, presenting facts and ideas to people and to
fans and the listeners of the show. It's something that
I think at least has to be put on the table,
doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Listen, no stone, no stone can be unturned.
Speaker 5 (41:06):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
That's that's that's what it comes down to. And you're right,
and I would give let's give bas a little bit
more cred let's.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
Say forty five and in It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
He's just like, like, we really just need you to
get across the fifty, really, but you know, you play
this game to score touchdowns and then the consolation at
the minimum should be Boss the Golden Toe, the Wizard
of Boz as we affectually call him in Pittsburgh. But
(41:38):
for this offense, like it has to develop that constant
run identity, and that kind of gets hampered right now
as we don't know the state of Isaac c Milo.
So you sue Spencer Edison, who is the sixth man
off the offensive line, now has to assume that role.
So it takes away a good portion of the success
(41:58):
you've had over the last number of weeks has been
that jumbo six offensive lineman run game. And to the
tune of five point two a clip right on Sunday alone.
You know, Jalen warning kids game, Well, we're getting the
yards they needed and they were keeping the pace for
the offense. But the problem is once you get behind, right,
(42:24):
you don't have that luxury of running the football. You
don't have that because time is of the essence. And
when you're sitting there and trying to figure out, okay,
well what's wrong with them?
Speaker 5 (42:35):
You know?
Speaker 4 (42:35):
And but yet you see all.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
Of all of this stuff about, you know, moving fast,
pushing the ball down the field, the emphasis over the
last couple of years about how offenses need to be
more explosive.
Speaker 4 (42:51):
But yet we saw a career day for James Cook, right,
we saw.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Consistency of Jonathan Taylor, who's having an amazing Saquon barkley
s year this year for the Colts. You're seeing the
return to the run game. It's not all about the
aerial game. Let'sten listen. You know, quarterbacks are gonna throw
the ball. They get paid a lot of money. Of course,
they want to see the ball in their hands and
(43:19):
decisions that they make. But when you're looking at the
success of this team, I should say this iteration of
NFL teams, the successful ones can do what run the football.
When we look at that top five, tell me which
one doesn't run the football effectively. Kansy Chiefs might be
(43:39):
the only one. There was a coach who was asked
at the beginning of the year. I can't remember which
coach it was at a press conference.
Speaker 5 (43:46):
And the.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Reporter said, hey, with it being a throwing league, and
the coach stopped them offen said, are you sure about that?
Is it a throwing league? I think we are seeing
teams run the ball effectively. Look at the Lions now
they can do both. But that's a potent running game.
Speaker 5 (44:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Somebody was somebody's talking about how good they were against
the run, and I think it was Dan Campbell, one
of the Lions players, who said, well, they haven't seen
our run game yet. You know, there is I agree
with you, Max, there's and you know what I'm gonna
before we launch into more of this conversation, I I
think we need to take a break because we have
Bob Labriola coming up at the top of the hour.
(44:29):
So but I think it's a great conversation, a great conversation,
and maybe we'll dive into that when we go around
the NFL, which we do on every Tuesday, a little
bit later on in the program. For now, let's take
a break because Bob Labriola is coming up. You're in
the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store and
the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
(44:50):
of the Steelers Audio Network.
This is in the locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one 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 (00:25):
And we thank you for being with us on this Tuesday,
as we're still sort of licking our wounds a little
bit from the Steelers' performance on Sunday night against Green Bay.
Looking forward to hearing from head coach Mike Tomlin today
about oh some injury updates, all kinds of news on
the Steelers team of relevance that he'll be talking to
how they plan to bounce back when they get ready
to host the once beaten Indian Aplis Colts with the
(00:50):
best record in the NFL. So lots to get to
as as we bring you this show and bring you
the show all week long to get you ready for
that game. Alvro Martine is going to be joining us.
It is a Tuesday with lab So Bob Labriola will
be with us as well. Max. First of all, safe
travels back to Phoenix. I assume.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I am here and present and accounted for, so that
is all I can ask for now.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
I would be a little bit remiss.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I probably tad greedy in my statement and saying it
would be nice to actually leave when you're supposed to
and arrive at the place that.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
You're supposed to again at the same time.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
No, no, literally, every.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Original flight I've booked to fly domestically in the United
States because obviously the flight to Ireland was not late.
My flight leaving Ireland was not late. So any domestic
bound or domestic originating flight that I've taken.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
This season literally has been delayed or canceled.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Since college football season, which is only a week before
the NFL season.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Since college football.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
We were eight eight nine weeks in, not gotten single
one some time. That's problematic that I originally booked. Now
when I've gotten rebooked, when I've had to switch my
flight because of the delays, those flights have been on time,
but those don't count because I didn't originate with those flights.
So that's why I'm making the distinction the ones that
I had picked and planned to fly on, had they've
(02:38):
all been it was crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
So yesterday was no exception, yuh more par for the course.
But I'm here, I'm here, I'm alive, I'm well.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And you know what, right, I wanted to get one
thing off of my chest before we got into our show.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Of course.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Uh some people were kind of you know, on on
on on the media's as we call, you know, the
media is the outletas you know, out and about, and
they were, you know, got got some messages sent to
(03:20):
me and it was it was it was.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Addressed, you know, to me.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
So I assumed, okay, this is you know about me,
and I guess they were listening to the show yesterday
and they were kind of making a remark about, oh,
you know, Max and Kinger aren't really are trying to
tell the sky is falling. It's not as bad as
it thinks, but it is. It's like, uh no, it's
(03:45):
not as bad as you think. I mean, you have
to think about this, right, Kinsey started season zero and two,
they were atrocious two game losing streak. Was your thrown
the towel in on them? No, in Lamar we trust, Lamarrow,
we trust. Defense is terrible, but in Lamar we trust
(04:07):
and speaking of that same Lamar Ravens. What I mean,
they had what four they had four losses in a row,
m four in a row before they snap their they're
they're losing streak. Carolina I think finished on four before
they got their first victory.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Oh three, and they got their first victory.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, there's a lot of examples of zero win teams. Heck,
we didn't think the New York just are gonna win
the game all season. Look what they did.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
So when I.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Say the sky is not falling, this is what I mean.
Like anything can happen. Anybody can catch fire, and it's
spread from week to week. Right now, the Colts have fire.
It's now spreading from week to week. Giants trying to
(05:09):
figure out that flame. But it's weak to week. The
Ravens think they finally unlocked the Rosetta Stone for actually
winning a football game in Baltimore.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
We shall see.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But I don't want people being uncharacteristically optimistic, like outside
of your nature to be optimistic. But at the same time,
understand this is a human business. There are human players
that play human positions that do human and sometimes extraordinary
(05:47):
extra human things. But at the end of the day's
still human and anybody can go on a streak, anybody
can lose. It doesn't matter about being the best team
in the country or the world, and man is about
being the better team that day. So however, crafty, skillful,
whatever you know they need to do, they're gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
We're gonna keep talking about it.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
So I think that's what I kind of wanted to
get off my chest before we got started.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Kinger was, I'm absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
The sky is not falling, chicken little so that you
have to do it and let me And let me
just follow that up by saying this. I had a
lot of conversations with a friend of mine who is
very prominent in the business, and we talked about our
approaches and we had very different styles, and he loved
(06:41):
the idea of shaping people's opinions. Frankly, that is that
does not interest me. It's not what I want to do.
What I want to do is present the facts, ask
questions that I think are relevant, and let you who
are listening to this program, who have your own your
own brain, take those facts and opinions. Maybe there is
(07:05):
something that you haven't thought of. I hope there's something
that you haven't thought of that makes you think about
something differently, But I am not trying to shape your opinions.
We went through the game on Sunday night, play by
play and did it with a reason. There was a
reason behind why we did it so that you could
and by the way, it reminded me that the Steelers
(07:27):
at one point looked like they were going to win
the game. At several points looked like they were going
to win the game, and we were left with a
bad feeling in our mouth and trying to look Feelings
are always part of it, and I think it's a
big part of it. It's part of what makes a
fan a fan is to have those feelings. But if
you think I'm going to try to tell you how
you should think, you're wrong, I'm not gonna That's not
(07:50):
my goal. It's never been my goal to be that
kind of of a broadcaster. I want to present the
facts and ask the questions that I believe. That's what
I believe my job is, and let you make up
your own mind, so you know, I don't need adjectives
to point out the fact that the Steelers defense has
given up thirty or more points in four out of
(08:11):
seven games. You can supply your own adjectives to that.
You can decide that that is a defense that just
hasn't found its way yet. You can decide whether you
think that's a defense that is in deep trouble. You
can make your you can make your own decisions about that.
But the fact is that they've played seven games and
given up thirty or more points. I'm not going to
(08:33):
tell you how to think about that. I'm just gonna
give you the facts, so uh, and we will try
to explore some of those reasons why, certainly to try
to give you a better understanding and maybe a different
perspective on things. Is that Is that fair enough?
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Max? I think that is fair enough. I think I
think you. I think you lay it out very nicely.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah, that does, you know, and other people have different approaches.
That's my approach, and that's the way it's actually that's
the way. That's way I'm gonna do the show as
long as we're having me do the show. So actual, Yeah,
that's two things. And believe me, man, believe me. For
those of you, for those of you who are hot
blooded old foreigners, I think it was Foridner. Yeah, I
(09:14):
think it was forder I get that way too. Man.
You know, I'm not a robot. I have my emotions
as well, but my job on these airwaves and when
I'm calling the game is to present the facts and
present what's going on. So we're presented with Indianapolis Colts
this week, and we're certainly going to be spending some
time thinking about that. I'm glad you mentioned the Chiefs
(09:36):
because two weeks ago, Max, even last week, I think
our thoughts on the NFL was that it was as
wildly unpredictable and as crazy as we've ever seen it, right,
Like who is the super team? I posed a question
(09:58):
a couple of weeks ago, Who's good? What the the
Lions are good? Then the Lions promptly go out and lose.
You know, we've been laughingly talking about that top spot
in the in the power rankings. You know, we usually
get into that today and tomorrow and then, you know,
just to get a sense of where the entirety of
the NFL is sitting. And now I think, you know,
(10:18):
this is the this is the time of the season,
and usually I give it another couple of weeks, but
I think it's interesting now what's happened the last couple
of weeks because the teams that we thought were going
to be good are back to being good, and some
other teams are emerging as good contenders. Everybody thought the
Eagles are going to be good. Well, they've won two
(10:40):
in a row and they look great doing it. Everybody
thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would at least be pretty good.
They're leading your division. I think the Packers and the Lions,
everybody figured they were the top, the cream of the
crop in the NFC North. Guess what, they're the cream
of the crop in the NFC North. Now the NFC
West a little crazy because I think we all thought
it was going to be a little crazy. And I'm
(11:00):
still you know, I've still got an open mind about
the Rams and the Seahawks, but it kind of looks
like they're pulling away from the rest of the pack.
Although we'll see how the forty nine ers do when
they get Purty back. And in the AFC, Broncos are good.
That's no surprise. Maybe they're a little better than we thought.
They've won five in a row. I would say they're
probably a little bit better than I thought they were
(11:20):
gonna be. I thought they'd be good. But I don't
know if I thought they'd be six and two. The Chargers,
the Chiefs are suddenly back to being the Chiefs. The
culture a huge surprise. But the point is that we
are getting to we are starting to, I think, get
a little bit of clarity, whereas two weeks ago I
had zero clarity.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah, I think that's that's the tough part about it, right.
Every time we've we've read that number one power ranking, right,
that team goes out and promptly loses. It changes the
balance and then you start having to rethink, well, dang,
I know they lost last week, but now they've won,
so how far do I move them up against the field?
And you know what I mean. But but that's the
(12:01):
beauty of the parody in this league right this year,
is that you do have open options to good teams.
You know, I'm sure Colts fans are very ecstatic about
the fact that their team is, you know, is sitting
there with one loss before coming in into acroshure.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
You know, we look at what the Broncos are and
what they've done. That's the one team of the of
those kind of top teams that I've actually seen actually
play and called their games and you're like, okay, they
kind of mats and even for them, they're not a big, fast,
physical team. They dink and dunk and then you know
(12:44):
they they manage the game properly. They avoid the long
yardage situations and they just they play sound football and
there's nothing wrong with it, right because that is their style.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
They stick to their style.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
And I think for a lot of people, you want
to perceive the Steelers one way as opposed to accepting
who they are in another way. And this is a
team that's going to have to be a lot more
consistent and time and time consuming if they want to
have success.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So we're going to talk over the state of the
Steelers with our buddy Alvarro Martin, who's going to be
joining us here in just a cope of moments in
the Locker Room presented by your Neighborhood Ford Store and
the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, part of
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your Neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one P fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Oop god hoquities the Galla. But I got down the
Klan metcap. Then I touched down on base. I love
it with it. De kalin and is posing the DK.
That's wonderful. Avarro Martine is joining us. Now I've cowed
(14:17):
Alvarro and gone back to DK.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
UH.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I think if he if he comes up with a
big player, I go back to the Kalen. For those
UH fans who are just listening for the first time
don't know what we're talking about. To Kaleen, he prefers
to Kalen, but he said everybody mispronounces it, so he
just goes with DK. So now we're toggling back and
forth between DK and De Kalen. But when we have
an opportunity to talk to Alvarro, we never toggle back
(14:42):
and forth. We just toggle forth because we love having
our friend on. Alvaro. Thank you very much for being
with us. Appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (14:49):
Rob. Of course you never mentioned that you were the
one who told me that story, and so after the
kaling from you and yeah, yeah, what's that? Empathize because
I totally understand Metcalf because you know, my friends call
me Alvro, but everybody else calls me al So I
know exactly how that feels when no one can pronounce
your name. So I'm gonna go Kaling from now on.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (15:14):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
We'll start a trend. Uh yeah, maybe maybe between the
two of us we can get the rest of the
league calling and what he actually wants to be called. Uh,
but we'll uh, we'll work on it. You've taken you've
taken up the standard and gone, you know, Alvaro, we
were we were going through the drive uh yesterday morning,
(15:36):
all the drive charts and what happened in the game.
And it's funny, you know, you leave a game and
you leave with such a bad taste in your mouth
because the Packers it was just an avalanche in that
you know, it's from about late in the third quarter
to the end of the game, it felt like and
at one time, you know, the students kind of scored
a late touchdown to make the score look better, but
(15:57):
it just felt like, uh, you know, in some ways,
like the Steelers had just been annihilated in the game,
just just an absolute blowout and then you go back
through the drive chart and remember, well, shoot, we were
all feeling pretty good at halftime. They did exactly what
they wanted to do. They limited the Packers on third down,
They ran the football, they had to lead, they were
gonna get the ball to begin the second half. Even
(16:19):
when that didn't go well, they were able to rally
and kick a field goal, and late in the third quarter,
and even before the first play the fourth quarter, the
Steelers were leading in the game. How do you what
is your takeaway from from a game that just seemed
to turn on a dime and left us with that.
I can't speak for you, but left me with a
(16:40):
bad feeling when I was walking out to my car,
You and everybody.
Speaker 5 (16:45):
Else, and everybody else except those wearing green at that
right at the same thought. I will tell you that
I think the thought in the book and Jordan Love
has always been, you know, pressure him a bit or
just let him be, and he'll throw the ball your
way instead of his teammate and you'll get a ball
or two out of him. And I think those days
are over. This team has only three turnovers all year.
(17:07):
All three were his in a way. Two interceptions don't fumble,
but really he's past that. He's passed that test. And
so when I saw Pittsburgh blitz heavily in the second half,
I thought to myself, I think they want to I
think they want to turnover, but I'm not sure this
kid's going to give it to them. And he was
splendid against the Blitz. Not just good splendid. I think
(17:32):
there were twenty two drop backs in which he threw
the ball against the Blitz. Sixteen were complete, two hundred
and forty some yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, And so
I think part of it you have to recognize that
we had a really, really good quarterback. On the other side,
he's grown up a lot. He threw two picks the
(17:53):
last time he was in Pittsburgh. Those days are over.
And then, most importantly, how do you throw those picks
by throwing the ball early, which is atypical for him.
The Packers' offense is the closest thing in the NFL
today to the Al Davids vertical throw the ball down
the field. They love that, and they do that against
the Blitz. By the way, Bob, they they went against
(18:14):
their instinct because they knew they just saw the video
they're seeing the video, the Flacco video. It's like, you know,
the basement tapes around the NFL, how do you beat
the Steelers?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
And are you a bob doing finn? I gotta ask,
come on the basement tapes.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
Yeah, it's it's some people call it coaches porn. It's
that you watch something that is so good that you
got to hide. You can't watch it in front of people, right,
And so to me, that's exactly what's happened here. There's
a there's a template on how to neutralize E J. Watt,
the pressure, the turnovers, and you you need to be patient,
you need to be anticipatory, you need to be quick.
(18:52):
And all these all these quarterbacktors being sold, and I
think the next one who's also gonna wear all white,
it's gonna be reading off the same playbook. And until
Pittsford figures out a different way it may compete to happen.
And it's really breathed. I mean, as you said, it
was just tough to watch in that second half, very
difficult to watch, the yards being piled on, seemingly, receivers
(19:17):
being wide open, not just catching the ball in traffic,
but just wide open and just getting yards after the
catch as well. Something's gonna have to give. I think
it's schematically maybe maybe perhaps in terms of personnel as
well for this to happen, because they're in a real
funk right now, and I think that the leak has
figured them out.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Nah, I think, Alvaro, I think you're I think you're right.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
I mean, it is something that's tough, and like you said,
the second half was just dink and dunk and move
the ball methodically down the field, or as Hank Stram
would once say, matriculate the football down the field.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
And there's no need for the home run ball.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
The home run ball come and it came in the
form of it of just a duck Prayer Dynasty type
of ball that went up in the air right just
hung in the air. And Tucker Craft, even though a
lot of people say he did not push off, looked
a lot different live and comes down with that fifty
nine yarder, but they just kind of sent the spiral
(20:20):
already further into the tailspin just accelerated.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
You know.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
I was asked, I was asked by people, you know,
as I was in the airport yesterday flying back.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
Man.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
It was row and Steels, and I'm like, I'm like,
players play.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
They have to play.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
They have to play within the scheme, they have to
trust each other, and they have to be able to
communicate cleanly about what their job is. And it's frustrating
when you look at it because you say, well, we're
seven games in, eight weeks into the season, and I think, Alvro,
you can't tell a team win to peak, right. You
(21:00):
can't tell them when when to get better as a unit.
You could tell an individual to get better on its own,
but that's also the gift of the curse of playing
team sports, right. I gotta rely with how many other
guys are on the playing surface on my side against
the number of guys on the opposite playing service that
(21:24):
I don't necessarily have a direct connection and responsibility to.
And you're telling two different groups, Hey, you got to
be ready, you got to be better, you got to
do this. Because the Steelers have been averaging twenty five
points a game. Guess what they scored on Sunday, twenty
five point twenty five points exactly on the nose, So
we know who.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
We had to drop and had a drop in the
end zone. Could have been more right, Yeah, right, the game.
You never feel you're out of the game. Any game
with Aaron Rodgers, that's a quarterback, even if you're down
to ten, you never feel out of the game. What's
this hardening? It's to see the kind of hemorrhaging on
defense and the sense that no one can stop the opponent,
(22:07):
and it's just a bad feeling. It doesn't matter, you know,
how much money has been spent on that side of
the ball, whatever, it's just it's unexpected. It's not what
you thought they were. And it's not, by the way,
what you saw in week three and four as well,
you saw a complete completely different team, aggressive right near
(22:28):
the point of attack. Nothing you know, if a play
was run, they wouldn't add too many yards. They were
on top of things. This team needs to be reacting,
and I think it's the other Again. Credit the opponent.
They figured out, Okay, they're taking this stuff away from us.
They're very good at this stuff. Let's not put ourselves
in that situation because it's going to be a very
(22:49):
long game for us. And so that's why I'm saying
there's gotta be some adjustment on our part, because I
think the league has figured this out and they're telling
every quarterback that basis severs, here's the way to beat it.
Let me give example the Ackers. I think we're the
third or fourth team in the NFL that uses the
most play action. They really did not. This post is
(23:09):
the one game in which they use play action the least,
partly because there's no time to set up that play,
partly because the run game. Really they really rely on it,
but it's not particularly productive. They just do a lot
of reps to keep the defense thinking of thinking run,
and then they do a play action so they didn't
even need to use that. They went against their character
(23:31):
in this game to the two or thirty five points,
so it worked for them. And that's my point. People
are beginning to if offenses can change their physiognomy to
adjust the Steelers that much and be successful at it,
the Steelers have to find a way to change their
physiognomy to throw off whatever adjustment they have and be
(23:52):
ready for the counter to the counter. Easy for me
to say, trust, be easy for me to say, but
I think that's what's happening on the other side. Me
on the other side's doing that successfully. Well, it's our
turn that makes some adjustments.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
I think you're right in the money, and I think
what's what's been a little discouraging Alvarro to me is
that when you got to four and one and the
offense looked like they were starting to okay, the running
game is starting to go dow. Remember they weren't able
to run the ball the first couple of weeks, and
(24:26):
you know, you're able to start putting up some points
and the offenses look better than it's looked for quite
some time. And right now it's the offense is twelfth
in the league in points per game at twenty five points. Unfortunately,
they're also allowing twenty five points, which puts them up
as eleventh worst in the league. And you know, I
was talking to somebody about the state of this Yeatherers
(24:48):
right now, and I said, you know, listen, if they
were just getting average defense, like if they weren't, they didn't,
they don't need to get great defense right now, but
they need to go well, no, I'm sorry, average is
that is not the word I was looking for.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Good.
Speaker 2 (25:00):
If you got good defense, and the hopes for that
this was going to be a great defense, and we'll
see what happens over the rest of the season. Thus far,
it has not been a good defense. It was a
good defense for about three weeks. And I think that
if the defense can get back to just simply being
a good defense, doesn't have to be great, doesn't have
(25:20):
to be all world, this team will win its share
of games down the stretch. But this notion that, this
comment that you said, that that teams know what they're doing,
it does look that way, Alvarro, from the naked eye,
because even when they start bringing those heavy blitzes, which
they've done more this year than they've done in the past,
and which were effective, wildly effective. Think about New England
(25:43):
and other games, it just has not gotten home. It
hasn't even really disrupted the opposing quarterback over the last
couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
There's another way to look at exactly what you're saying,
and I'm going to throw it out there. I'm not
sure I necessarily agree with what I'm about to say.
There's just another point of view on this, which is
the defense was and always was this season what it
is right now. The difference is we're not taking the
ball away, so you're still hamorrhaging yards. You're just not
taking the ball away and finishing opponents offensive drives with
(26:17):
a takeaway, which makes a huge difference. That's not happening
in the last couple of games. You're still letting the
yards file up. You're just not taking the ball away
and taking some points away in the process. And so
that may be the difference here that while you were winning,
you were still allowing a lot of yards, although less
in the second pair of games after the first a
(26:39):
couple of games, but simply you're not taking balls away.
And when you're not doing that, this is what happens.
Instead of limiting to twenty three, they're going to score
thirty and you're gonna put a lot of pressure on
you to try to win that game. And on the offense, So,
like I said, they blitz, I think on forty six
percent of the play. They blitz a lot in the
(27:01):
second half. And you may say, well, that is great,
that's what blitzberg is that we're about. Well, it's just
not working. For whatever reason. There are a lot of
different reasons. The end result is not satisfying. It's not working.
Maybe they say, you know, keep the faith, We're gonna
tip some balls, we're gonna get some interceptions. We're gonna
(27:22):
force some fumbles. Just keep the faith. This is just
a bad stretch of games. Maybe they know more than
I do. They've seen a lot more football than I have,
but it just seems like the patterns there. We're just
not taking the ball away the way they were doing
that earlier in the year, and you're seeing the extra seven, ten,
fourteen points a game, and that's the difference. It's just very,
(27:44):
very tough to watch because you know those guys are good,
and you know those guys are committed, and you just
know that right now whatever it is they're doing is
not perfect and it has a change. It has to change.
The urgency has to be there.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
You know.
Speaker 5 (27:58):
We also knew that Packers in the and Chargers before
the game against the Packers started, had a combined record
of fifteen to four and one. So this is the
tougher stretch of the season. We weren't expecting Cincinnati, but
we knew that we're gonna meet good teams. As matter
of fact, the team with the best record in the
NFC just beat us, So that's saying something. We have
(28:19):
to put everything in perspective. But I think that everybody
in every person in that room has to be thinking
we're better than this, and we have to show it,
and there's no more thinking about it. It has to
be shown. And so let's hope there's some sort of
spark in that sense and inspiration meanings for something a
(28:40):
little different coming up next against the Colts and the Chargers.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
Yeah, that's that's gonna be a tough one out of brow,
you know, because you have a week, you know, to
get things together. And like you said, I mean it's
not only that you're facing these three good opponents in
this stretch in three good run games, and the play
accent that's used off of it, and like you said,
you put on this this tape for the last two
(29:07):
weeks that you're averaging thirty four points a game, you're
giving up and your offense is averaging about twenty seven
of the last two games.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
It's it's daunting.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
But I also say they have the personnel because I've
seen Tea and the reason why I can say that
because I've seen teas with lesser do more with it,
because they can figure out a way and the and
the offense. And here's the other thing, Alva, the offense
must possess the ball for long swaths of time if
they must win the time of possession battle to rest
(29:40):
that defense, because let's face it, the defense isn't as
young as it could be, right, I Mean, the average
age shifts down drastically because of Ya Black and Derek Harmon,
along with Jack Sawyer, you know, and Peyton Wilson. But
that doesn't excuse it completely about how to handle your
(30:03):
job defensively. I mean, perimeter tackling has been an issue
the last two weeks, right, I mean just even started
as early as Darius lay On to the Malik Heath
sideline play, Like you've got to be ready to handle
those type of things and you can't. There's no use
to fall down. And I'm saying that was one. I'm
(30:23):
just pointing out one of many plays in that moment.
But that's the type of thing this also means is
that to get back to complimentary style football, and complimentary
is chewing up clock and then putting seven on the board,
not praying for three as soon as you cross the
fifty yard line, like that's just I know that's the
BA zone, but that just you can't play and win
(30:47):
effectively that way, and you know, hopefully they get to
figure it out between today and Sunday.
Speaker 5 (30:53):
When I see a team that spends a lot of
time a phase of the team defensive, offensive, spends a
lot of time on the field, particularly the defense, I
tend to see two things. I take a look at
their legs. Are they moving as quickly as they normally do?
And for example, against Cincinnati on offense, you can tell
that Darnell Washington was just not as quick as he was.
(31:16):
He had just come off a game in which he
ha play almost one hundred percent of snaps five days earlier,
and you can just see it in his legs. He
just doesn't have the juicing normally has. Displacements have the same.
The second thing is you're supposed to be physical, and
when you're in the field thirty some minutes, someone's being
physical to you. And I think it shows in the tackling.
(31:37):
It shows at the point of attack. You know someone's
been hammering. You've got a set amount of bullets. You know, tackles,
hits you can give somebody else, but you're now in
the receiving end of those. And more so, what do
you got what's left in the holster? It's a tough one.
So I agree with you. I think the next evolution
I've said it now for a couple of games, the
next evolution of the offense not just to score what
(31:58):
they do. Don't change that, police, we need every point,
but I need to start thinking of let's give this
defense as much of a rest as we can. Yeah,
we can score with a lightning pass. Yep, we can
get a little flashy and do chunk plays. But let's
just use the running backs, which have been one of
the assets of the team, to just keep the other
(32:20):
team's defense on the field, keep our own defense off
the field, and see what happens.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Now.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
The other thing that happened to this game, and I
wanted to ask maxim particulars he's been in the locker room.
Teams have MVPs, right, you know, Aaron on the offense,
tj on defense, Sam Hayward's a captain, right, But there
are guys that are so important that no one names
them and then you miss them when you miss them,
(32:45):
and Somalow on offense and Elliott on defense. Boy, here
they're going to be missed.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
Yeah, And I think that's that's what it is. Alvaroa.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
You know, as I think about it, that veteran leadership,
that experience, and that accountability. I think that really would
it comes down to the accountability I think is probably
the best word to describe that. When you're talking about
the veteran leadership.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
You have to.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Demand and expect the same standard that you set for
yourself as a leader, right, And you've got to and
sometimes you got to be demonstrative. You know, TJ's not
a big, raw raw guy, never has been, and I
don't expect him to all of a sudden become that guy.
Speaker 5 (33:34):
Right.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
He could be frustrated. He can give his input, but
he's one that.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Leads by example, and right now he doesn't really have
an example to show guys.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
Right. I think that's the other tough part about this.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
And then for cam cam can cam can can can
yell or get upset and you have a meeting with
the guys, but you know he's also he's struggling himself. Hey,
keep the physicality, keep it, keep your your levels for
performance as high as you can give it giving you
(34:09):
giving your time in this league.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
And you know the production isn't there.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
To back up the words, and so therefore, who is
that next person that's going to step in and make
the play as opposed to sit there and wait for someone.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Else to do it. Right, Yep, And I think that's
what it is. And for Aaron, Aaron's got it and
Aaron has has I.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Would say, elevated the play of those around him when
he steps on the field because he demands it, he
talks about it, but also he gives opportunities.
Speaker 4 (34:44):
I mean, think about this.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
He threw through the nine different receivers, by the way,
one of those guys just having to be an offensive
tackle as well, you know, on the game on Sunday,
by the way, that gatah, I mean long overdue, but
it was it was like, yep, that that that's a.
Speaker 4 (34:59):
Guy and that's yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
You knew that they had been practicing that play for
a three weeks and they didn't feel comfortable and they
one day said, you know what, let's start. But what
I like about Arthur he will use his chest piece
in every way. You know, the Knight's supposed to move
this way. Ah, I'm gonna make the Night move this
way because I'm gonna throw the other team team off.
But then to see that in the first play of
(35:22):
the game with Darnell first, and then with Spencer, it's
just great. It's just keeping the other seat team guessing,
keeping your own team focused. Now Spencer now moves to
somemolol spot. Now we get to get a replacement who
I don't think is a pass catcher or is dextrous
as Spence maradisonal So, I think that aspect of the
game is gonna have to be purtailed. But you never
(35:43):
know where Arthur will try to work on in the
lab over the next few weeks. But no, to me,
that's that's great creativity, and I think this is what's
gonna happen now. I mean, we're still gonna go with
the six eligible receiver alignment, still gonna be heavy dose
of Darnell blocking. We may turn out to be more
of a running team from now on because of the
(36:04):
Sumalo injury and because of what I said that you
need to give that defense a rest. It's just been
burnt out a lot over the last first six games,
and so I think that that that we'll see some
changes in that respect, and maybe what we need for
a better defense is a ball control offense. It still scores,
(36:24):
that's gonna be a challenge it's again easier for us
to talk about it very difficult to change that. And
one more thing, what a beautiful thing it was to
see the Roman Emperor show up and finally you know,
hell people, you know I'm an option. One of the
things when you see a broken play for Pittsburgh and
you see Rogers escape the pocket and roll out, is
(36:46):
his off hand. His left hand is like directing prefit.
No over there, no nor no no, and the guys
are looking at him and they see the hand and
then know is it me or is it the guy
next to me? Is the guy on the other side
of the field. Romans instinctively decided to go deep and
then he'll fear out the direction and that's exactly all
(37:06):
that Aaron needed. And so you began to see that.
Then you see the touchdown. You know, this kid just
needs reps and confidence and knowledge, and it's you're beginning
to see the sparks of that unbroken plays I should
have meaning not you're not necessarily part of the progression,
(37:27):
and that's the genius of that sort of chemistry. So
to me, that was really one of the few bright
spots in this game, was to begin to see that
spark and that confidence, confidence on both sides. Confidence that
the kid knows what's what he's doing on the field.
Confidence for Aaron Rodgers say no, he's I'm looking for him.
Now he gets it. He gets it, and so to me,
(37:49):
that's a great, great development for the team as well.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Alvaro, thank you very much of the time, love the
input and always enjoy talking to you, my friend, and
we look forward to seeing you on Sunday when the
Indianapolis Colts comes down.
Speaker 5 (38:04):
Thank you for another team dressed in white than dressed
in white. They're all your ghosts coming in around Thanksgiving time.
Speaker 4 (38:11):
Absolutely Halloween.
Speaker 2 (38:13):
Yeah, Alvaro, thank you very much, appreciate it. Alvaro Martine
the great play by play voice for the Steelers on
Spanish speaking radio and of course you hear them on
NBA broadcast and all over the place. A wonderful man
and a great great broadcaster as well. We will continue
with more in the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood
Ford S. Join the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
(38:34):
part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
And thanks for being with us back in the locker room,
and our thanks to Alvarro Martin for joining us. And
one of the things that he mentioned, and one of
the things you were talking about Max with you know,
getting across midfield and starting to think in terms of
touchdown also in terms of you know, you know, hopefully
possessing the ball for longer periods of time. You know,
(39:23):
when you think about fast, aggressive defenses that are trying
to and that's what the Steelers are trying to be.
And obviously, you know Alvro said they've looked slower as
they've been on in the field longer. But you know,
you want to have a lead, you want to make
the other team one dimensional, you want to be rested,
you want all those things you to think about when
Max was playing guys, you know, Jerome Bettis and Ben
(39:44):
Roethlisberger possessing the ball and making plays and getting first
downs and pounding it at him. And now the defense
can get out there and you got a lead and
you're fresh, and you're you're making the other team is
a game wears on there getting more and more one dimensional.
Here comes one of those big pass rushers off the
edge or the strip sack and it's a turnover, and
you you know, all these things build on each other.
(40:04):
It does make me wonder max with the state of
this dealers right now, and maybe the offense needing to
help the defense more at present, and this trend of
going teams more and more going for it on fourth down.
It's a double edged sword because on the one hand,
you have the great Chris Boswell. Hey man, just if
(40:26):
you are you know inside the you know, at the
forty or inside the forty, it's three points, right, and
you don't want to give that away by the same token,
do you. You know, is one of the adjustments you
might need to think about, especially with the high scoring
team like the Colts, just maybe trying to possess the
ball longer, maybe going for it, maybe trying to get
(40:48):
seven instead of three. I don't know, it's it's certainly
one of the things I think is we talk about,
you know, presenting facts and ideas to people and to
fans and the listeners of the show. It's something that
I think at least has to be put on the table,
doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Listen, no stone, no stone can be unturned.
Speaker 5 (41:06):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
That's that's that's what it comes down to. And you're right,
and I would give let's give bas a little bit
more cred let's.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
Say forty five and in It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
He's just like, like, we really just need you to
get across the fifty, really, but you know, you play
this game to score touchdowns and then the consolation at
the minimum should be Boss the Golden Toe, the Wizard
of Boz as we affectually call him in Pittsburgh. But
(41:38):
for this offense, like it has to develop that constant
run identity, and that kind of gets hampered right now
as we don't know the state of Isaac c Milo.
So you sue Spencer Edison, who is the sixth man
off the offensive line, now has to assume that role.
So it takes away a good portion of the success
(41:58):
you've had over the last number of weeks has been
that jumbo six offensive lineman run game. And to the
tune of five point two a clip right on Sunday alone.
You know, Jalen warning kids game, Well, we're getting the
yards they needed and they were keeping the pace for
the offense. But the problem is once you get behind, right,
(42:24):
you don't have that luxury of running the football. You
don't have that because time is of the essence. And
when you're sitting there and trying to figure out, okay,
well what's wrong with them?
Speaker 5 (42:35):
You know?
Speaker 4 (42:35):
And but yet you see all.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
Of all of this stuff about, you know, moving fast,
pushing the ball down the field, the emphasis over the
last couple of years about how offenses need to be
more explosive.
Speaker 4 (42:51):
But yet we saw a career day for James Cook, right,
we saw.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Consistency of Jonathan Taylor, who's having an amazing Saquon barkley
s year this year for the Colts. You're seeing the
return to the run game. It's not all about the
aerial game. Let'sten listen. You know, quarterbacks are gonna throw
the ball. They get paid a lot of money. Of course,
they want to see the ball in their hands and
(43:19):
decisions that they make. But when you're looking at the
success of this team, I should say this iteration of
NFL teams, the successful ones can do what run the football.
When we look at that top five, tell me which
one doesn't run the football effectively. Kansy Chiefs might be
(43:39):
the only one. There was a coach who was asked
at the beginning of the year. I can't remember which
coach it was at a press conference.
Speaker 5 (43:46):
And the.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
Reporter said, hey, with it being a throwing league, and
the coach stopped them offen said, are you sure about that?
Is it a throwing league? I think we are seeing
teams run the ball effectively. Look at the Lions now
they can do both. But that's a potent running game.
Speaker 5 (44:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Somebody was somebody's talking about how good they were against
the run, and I think it was Dan Campbell, one
of the Lions players, who said, well, they haven't seen
our run game yet. You know, there is I agree
with you, Max, there's and you know what I'm gonna
before we launch into more of this conversation, I I
think we need to take a break because we have
Bob Labriola coming up at the top of the hour.
(44:29):
So but I think it's a great conversation, a great conversation,
and maybe we'll dive into that when we go around
the NFL, which we do on every Tuesday, a little
bit later on in the program. For now, let's take
a break because Bob Labriola is coming up. You're in
the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store and
the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
(44:50):
of the Steelers Audio Network.
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