November 4, 2025 • 45 mins
As he does every Tuesday, Bob Labriola joins the guys to chat about the state of the team. Later on, Rob and Max go around the league and touching upon all the worthwhile news and notes.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This ski is in the locker room with King and
Starks on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
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dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Oh yeah, rolling through Tuesday here and of course we
are inside the power hour, second hour here inside the
locker room. Of course, want to remind everybody please stay
tuned to this very station wherever you tune to it
because of my time and fresh Council will be coming
(00:48):
up right after this at the twelve o'clock hour, straight
up to the top at noon. And of course no
Tuesday would be complete without talking to demand the myth editor.
That's right, Steelers did ess editor chief mister Bob Labriola,
of course, joining us each and every Tuesday. And of course,
(01:08):
how are we doing today, Labs?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Pretty good? God, would admit I was very pleasantly surprised
with the outcome on Sunday against you know what I
would have called the best team in the NFL to
this point. Certainly their record and statistics, you know, would
(01:32):
support that contention. And you know, I thought the team
played really well. The defense really stepped up against a
very tough challenge. And hey, and Jonathan Taylor is the
best running back in the NFL. So and he finished
with forty five yards. A lot to like about that
(01:56):
five and three. Time to go to the West Coast
and start stacking these wins.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, you need to Bob because you know, again, no
such thing as I always says, yeah it's a must
win game. Well, that gets bandied around a little too much.
But man, this felt more important than most, just for
a number of reasons, stemming a tide, you know, maybe
getting you know, people off your case a little bit.
You know, I mentioned this before. We're gonna hear from
Mike Tomin in an hour. One of the questions to
(02:23):
him last week early was, you know, do you need
to make a change of defensive coordinator? Maybe this takes
a little bit of the pressure off, you know, at
least hearing about that. Not that I, you know, thought
any change was imminent. I don't know the inner workings
one way or the other, but at least it takes
some pressure off. It gets you back in the win column,
you know. Baltimore is coming hard up behind you. There's
(02:47):
any number of reasons that this was a really timely
win for the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Yeah, you know the ones that you mentioned, And you know,
sometimes I just think that, you know, one in a row.
You know, there's a curse in the NFL, And by that,
I mean, you know, if you do something once, you know,
really big deal. Uh. There's a lot of teams that
(03:14):
you know, miss the playoffs that have a lot of
one game winning streaks. But on the flip side of that,
you know, you never want the losing streaks to grow
very long. Steelers had lost too in a row coming
into the game against the Colts. You know, I don't
think you want to have a three game losing streak
(03:34):
already on. You know that you're carrying around in terms
of your one loss record in the first week going
into the first week in November. Uh, And you know,
as as you you mentioned, you kind of stop the
bleeding there. You know, maybe you know a lot of
the noise that goes on around players and teams now
(03:57):
with social media and all of that stuff. You know
what impact it has, I really don't know, but it
certainly oftentimes fuels a lot of questions that players and
coaches are posed and asked to answer. And you know,
(04:18):
I'm sure that can get really old, really quick and
frey on your nerves. As someone who writes asked and
answered three times a week during the season, you know,
I just have to read some of these and sometimes
they make me a little bit. I won't say angry,
that's that's way too serious of a word, but you know, annoyed.
(04:42):
Some of it is annoying, repetitive, midpicking. There's all kind
of adjectives that you can use, and so I just
I can only imagine what players have to go through
when they are asked a lot of these questions and
then a live microphone is placed, you know, in front
of them, and you know there might be things they
(05:04):
want to say, but hopefully they refrain. You know, as
I said, it's it's just probably a little bit of
a relief to maybe get a respect from some of that,
even for a few days. But hey, go out to
Los Angeles play poorly. Let the Chargers running backs by
(05:26):
committee run all over you again, and all that stuff
will be.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Back, Yeah, absolutely will. You're absolutely right. I mean, it's
gonna be tough for the Chargers to do that, you know,
down some more offensive linemen after Sunday's game. But las
you know, as we kind of look at, you know,
this Colts game and the defensive I don't know, reawakening, resurgence,
(05:49):
I mean, what what what words are we using to
describe this defensive performance? You know, I definitely don't want to,
you know, overstate it, but I feel like I don't
want it to go understated as well. Just how dynamic
of a performance it was for them, like you said,
doing it against the league's perceived best team and really
(06:12):
having no answer for the Steelers defense, but you know,
just the kind of the musical chairs and pieces that
went on. And of course we sit here at the
trade deadline. Do you you know, in your mind, do
you do you get any tingling sensation about anything else
the Steelers might do before the deadline this afternoon, I
believe comes at four o'clock today, And you know, do
(06:34):
you think there's anything that is necessary?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Well? I mean I don't know what's possible to do,
you know. I mean, because you know, this is kind
of the rule me and my wife have around here,
which is, you know, all we can talk about anything,
you know, any kind of improvements or purchases or do
you want to do this or get that or But
(06:57):
the thing that you always have to talk about is
the call lost. How much does it cost? And sure
it would be great to add depth on the defensive line,
or a number two wide receiver or you know, another
cover corner. I love that one, as if you know
that there's just so many of those out there available,
(07:17):
But you know, what's the price? You know, My opinion
is I don't think uh as the Steelers as a
team will want to. You know, supposedly there's going to
be a bounty of compensatory picks that come their way
because of the free agents that they lost and versus
(07:40):
the free agents that they signed. And you know, when
you're looking at where you might have to go in
the first round of the twenty twenty six NFL Draft
to get a quarterback, you know those kinds of trades.
You know, you have your own first round pick, and
then there's the team that you're trying to swap places with. Okay,
(08:02):
so you swap, you have to give your number one
pick to them, you know, in the swap, and then
to move up in the first round. I think that
costs you at least you know, another number one pick,
so that's say the twenty twenty seven number one pick,
and then maybe some other stuff, so you don't want
to give away too much of the other stuff. And
(08:24):
by that, I mean, if you know second third's force
in the twenty twenty sixth draft in a trade now,
because you might need it for the quarterback you know,
next April. So you know, what can you legitimately get
at this deadline that you're not going to have to,
(08:46):
you know, mortgage too much of your immediate future that
might handcuff you next April. Because you know, Aaron Rodgers
has said this is probably his last season in the league,
So let's just take him at his word and pretend
that it is. I don't know that it is, but
just for the purpose of this conversation, let's pretend that
it is. You know, what do you do at quarterback?
(09:09):
Then you're going to have to pick a guy and start,
you know the process of grooming your own hopefully next
to be franchise quarterback.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
And so you know, I just don't think you want
to handcuff yourself or eliminate the possibility of being able
to do that, because I don't believe the Steelers would
want us, say, as an example, give a trade away
twenty twenty seven number one, twenty twenty eight number one
(09:42):
to move up in the twenty twenty six first round
to pick a quarterback. You know, you don't want to
go back into the you know, Buddy Parker days when
you know, he was a coach who believed that, you know,
draft picks were like disease carriers or something into your
locker room, and he traded them all the way and
Parker traded them away for veteran players. But there were
(10:04):
drafts you know where this in the you know, fifties,
early sixties, where the Steelers didn't have a draft pick
until the eighth round. They traded all the other ones away.
You can't go back to that, so, you know, that's why, sure,
there would be a lot of nice things you would
you might want to do today. I just don't know
(10:26):
what's reasonably accomplishable to make up a word. Uh So
I don't know, Uh, you know, we'll have to see
what happens.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
You know, by the way, uh, you know is going
through some steerlish historical stuff and the other guys that
got traded away and everybody talks all the time about uh,
you know, Johnny Nitis, and they had a chance, and
that is a shame when that happens. But they also
had Len Dawson, they had Jack Kemp. There was another
(11:01):
quarterback who escapes me right now, that they had.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
But Dawson went to the Hall of Fame, of course, So.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
You know, draft picks young players out, you go give
me the veterans. I agree with you, Bob. And you know,
the other thing is is that I think with the
advent of probably a fantasy football and there are more
trades and it is exciting.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
You know, everybody wants to make a trade.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
And I remember being in a fantasy football league or
business baseball league back in the day and the guy said,
you can't deal with that guy because he always wants
to give you a pork chop and he wants a
pig in return. So you know, the other the other
side's got to trade you something that you want and
you can't just give up nothing to get them. So
it'll be fascinating though, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.
(11:47):
I did wanna I did want to go point that
out that that trades whereas they are more common.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
There's just a lot of factors that go into it.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Beside besides, hey, this can give us you know, maybe
a little bit of and upgrade at a certain position.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah, and you know you have to look at, you know,
guys on where the what the contract situation is. As
an example, I believe Jacoby Myers as a receiver who
is often linked, you know, in a in a trade
to the Steelers. And you know, I don't I'm not.
I have no idea whether that is going to happen,
(12:22):
if it's possible or whatever. But I'm just using him
as an example for what you just said, Rob. You've
got to look at you know, Jacoby Myers is going
into the this is his final year of his contract. Okay,
so what you acquire in him. You know, he's an
unrestricted free agent here in March, so you know you're
(12:43):
only getting them for this is the eighth game, you know,
nine more regular season games and playoff games. So you
know what are you going to give for that? It's
a rental, you know, And is Jacoby Myers going to
be a disgruntled individual going to a team a new
(13:03):
team without a contract extension? On top of that, I
mean there's a lot of other moving parts involved in this.
You know, again, as I always say, this isn't you know,
this isn't fantasy football where you just go out and
get somebody and you add them to your team and
there's you know, there's no human elements involved. Like the
(13:23):
guy isn't disgruntled, It isn't like he doesn't want to
come to your team. You know, it's just a name
on a sheet and everything works out great. But that's
not the real world. That's not the way it works
with real life flesh and blood, human beings and their
issues and wants and thoughts and you know, all of
(13:45):
that stuff. You have to consider that as well, So
you know, it's it's difficult. I mean, I I don't
I don't for a minute envy Omar Kahn's situation in today.
You know, Mike Tomlins said, a lot of times you
get like a Black Friday rush as the deadline approaches.
(14:09):
You know, people get all excited about, you know, buying
things or selling things, and the deadline comes up, and
a lot of times that will spur activity. But you know,
you don't want to be loading your cart up with
Black Friday things that you wish you could return when
(14:30):
the weekend's over.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
But by the way, yeah, yeah, you want you want
guys that are gruntled, Max, not disgruntled.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Yeah yeah. The third yeah pro grundled.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
The third quarterback was Earl Moral.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Think about that, Well, Dealers had Len Dawson, Earl Moral,
and Jack Kemp.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
And there's.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Here's one for you. If the Steelers, the Buddy Parker
traded picks, if they had stayed there and picked in
those drafts, they could had Jim Brown and Dick Budkins.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, you don't want to be trading away those draft picks.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
But how's that washing machine going now? Just joking? That
was a semi pro joke. Well, I think and also Labs,
you know, as we kind of look at this, I
think also some people are just like you said, that Thursday,
that that Black Friday, that rush like that fomo. Like
some people get fomo fear of missing out on something
if they don't do something right. And I think a
(15:31):
lot of these teams, you know, there's a lot of retaliate,
you know, retaliatory type of picks that we've seen before,
Like I mean, you know, the Bengals trading away Logan Wilson,
and you know Jalen Phillips getting traded away from Philly,
and and you know Baltimore trading and picking up in
the process. You know, you see some of some of
those seems strategic, but a lot of them just seem
(15:53):
like impulse control. Right. They're trying to quiet something a
crowd or somebody else and make them and make you know,
the masses happy, as opposed to actually systematically trying to
change the culture of your locker room. Like you know,
I think you know, people are like, oh, well you
made the trade for Kyle Dugart. It was like we
were losing safeties. We need healthy safeties. So he was available.
(16:18):
I mean, his was out of necessity. It wasn't like
a preferential thing like oh, there's a luxury to do it.
And I think that's what I think a lot of
people get caught up in in this last minute trade thing.
And you know, I pose that question to you, but honestly,
I'm like, you know, unless there was something that was
just super intriguing or something that just was a clear
(16:38):
deficit gap, I don't know why you trade away those things, because,
like you said, you want to have as many you know,
quote unquote, you know, ducats in your pocket to wheel
and deal when it comes draft time. And Steelers have
a boatload of picks. I think we're sitting at twelve
currently right now. So it's like, you know, how many
(16:59):
picks is too many picks? And also but also how
many pictures are going to take? And you know when
you trade up at a draft, you know, every organization that
does it says enough enough. They don't say it's too much,
it's too rich, It's just it's enough. It's enough. I
got the deal done, I got who I wanted, and
that's how I move in. For the Steelers, we haven't
really been in that position to be able to do that,
(17:19):
and I think this will be a first year really
seeing them deal with a ton of picks and how
they manage that and how they move around the chessboard
that is the NFL Draft. So I'm really intrigued to
see that.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Yeah, and during the trading deadline as well. I mean,
like for example, in Miami, their GM Chris Greer was
just fired. Okay, so all right now, because he's the
guy that the Steelers worked with to with the Jalen
Ramsey trade. I mean Fitzpatrick, Jalen Ramsey, and John new Smith. Okay,
so he's gone. So the new guy, I don't even
(17:53):
know who it is, but I'm just saying, so the
dynamic changes in Miami. So it's the new guy in
Miami trying to impress Stephen Ross that he is a
wheeler and dealer. Howie Roseman, you know, give me the
job full time? Or does he look at the Steelers
(18:13):
and say, you know, you hosed us on the two
for one that we just did with you. So I'm
not doing anything with you guys, just on a spit.
So again, I don't know which way that wind is blowing.
I'm just using that as an example of some of
the other things, you know, beyond the pro gruntled or
(18:34):
disgruntled players. What does that? What does that other team
think of you, you know, as a business partner, as
a dance partner in a potential trade. Do they have
good feelings about the last business dealing? Do they have
bad feelings about the last business dealing? Are there people
(18:56):
who are making their the decision on their end, securing
their job, worried about their job, new in their job,
auditioning for their job. I mean there's there's a lot
of things involved besides just we need a receiver. You
have one. Uh, let's make a deal. So yeah, like
(19:21):
Rob said, you know, they want to give you a
pork chop, but they want you to give them a
whole pig. You know, there's that too. And fans love
to propose trades that, you know, to say they're one
sided in the Steelers favor is being kind. Uh. You know,
I'd love to get some of these deals done that
(19:43):
that I see proposed, you know, as an exeg you know,
Jalen Waddle for a seventh round pick or something ridiculous. Sure.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
And then and by the way, you eat the salary too, Miami.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, how much you a salary you're going
to pay?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Yeah, Well it's just a few hours away, so we'll
see if the students do anything. We always look forward
to our time spent Tuesdays with Labs, which is presented
by UPMC, the official healthcare provider and health plan of
the Pittsburgh Students. Labs thank you, my friend, appreciate it
and we will see you soon.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Yeah. Let me just dash Max one thing real quick.
You're not coming out of retirement. I won't see you
in uniform and a Chargers uniform lined up and left
tackle on Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
No, sorry, number seventy's taken.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
That was my number.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
And then San Diego. So I don't have any plans.
The only plans I have of going to Los Angeles
is to call the game Sunday night, not participate in it.
I don't want to block TJ. Watt, who wants to
do that, like, I'm not volunteering for that, or Alex
high Smooth for that matter, I'm not. I don't want
to block anybody anymore. The only I want to block
(20:50):
is people going to the buffet and and and clearing
the plate that I wanted to get. So that's the
only thing I've been doing. And blocking my kids from
asking for more stuff.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Labs.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
I would say I would change Max's ankle to mine,
but I think Max could walk around dragging me behind
him and not even limp, you know, So I'll just
have to assume Max is goot to show up.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Okay, Well, you guys behave out there on the West Coast.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
You got it, thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
They have a great press box food. By the way,
two labs, I hate you to do that. Spread out
there yes they do. Okay, that's right, Rob. You haven't
been treated to this. Oh it's good. It's two separate ones.
So yeah, I'll show you the ropes.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
So go go go light on breakfast at the hotel.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Go light up, well, go light on the pregame meal.
You can still go normal on breakfast. This a night game.
Speaker 6 (21:37):
Oh that's right.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Yeah, but that's yeah, but it's a three. That's time change.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Max five times five. That's why I told go light
for the pregame. You know, go brun normal. I could
go decent brunt. You you can, you can brunch it. Okay, Okay,
we'll figure this out.
Speaker 6 (21:53):
Labs, thank you, my friend. Appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
All right, post have a good one.
Speaker 6 (21:57):
I'll want to remind you before we had to break.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
You can gear up with the latest GAID necessities at
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(22:21):
the Students Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Back with more in the Locker Room presented by our
neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers
Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
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 6 (22:58):
And thank you very much for being one of us.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
The old expression max is that necessity is the mother
of invention. And a couple of things happened in the game.
We've already talked a little bit about Jalen Ramsey but
having to move to free safety because you had guys.
Speaker 6 (23:15):
Deshaun Elliott gets hurt.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
But then you know, Chuck Clark's out of the game,
Jabill Peppers is out of the game. Suddenly you don't
have any other options. Well, jan Thornhill looked like he
just didn't play for whatever reason.
Speaker 6 (23:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
It was coaching's decision or something that was going on.
There's some illness spreading throughout the team last week, so
is that there to stay? And then the other thing
we saw was for to three defense Max I can't remember.
It's probably happened, but I can't remember the last time
we've seen a four to three setup. They put in
(23:49):
Malik Harrison, they left in both Queen and Peyton Wilson,
and they didn't do it a ton, but they played
a little four to three And I'm wondering if that
was game specific, it was injury specific. You know, Cole
Holcombe wasn't out there, like you know, there are a
lot of injuries to the secondary. Again, I don't know
whether that was game plan specific or or whether it's
(24:13):
possibly here to stay. Because both things Ramsey get free
safety and that four to three look were effective.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
I'm just gonna go with I don't want to know.
I just need more of it. I think that's the
best way of putting it. And I love the fact
that they varied things up. Things Like you said, you're
going outside the norm. You're doing something that you ordinarily
would not see done by the Steelers, and I love
that unconventional approach, because it just goes to show that, Okay,
(24:46):
they can be varied, they can step outside of the box,
they can do things in a way that teams can't
put a beat on them, which which you could always
appreciate because I think that was always one of the
biggest knox was oh the Steelers are so predictable. Oh
they can't run this, Oh they can't do that. And
it was like, Nope, just when you think you got
(25:08):
us pegged down as a one trick pony, here's our
newest act. You know, here's our newest feet, almost like
being under the big top. And I believe that that
was just a great thing that you know, a lot
of teams just hadn't prepared for. They just always said, hey,
they're three four or their four to two nickel, and
(25:28):
that's it. That's what Steelers have done, you know, goes
back to the beginning of time, which beenning a time
means like the twenty first century. You know, as I
as I found out my age, when my daughter was like, oh, Dad,
you were born in the nineteen hundreds, I was like,
oh god, oh that's true. But do you have to
say it like that? You know, right, you know, it
(25:48):
was like, oh god, really really yes a matter of perspective,
yeah so, but I but I think you know is
one one of those guys. And I just I really
loved the fact that they were so creative and like
you said, you didn't have to blitz because you were
(26:11):
so varied and your pass rush is now hitting home
and you had confused them so much because it wasn't
what they were used to seeing that you were able
to take them off guard. You were able to take
them off their game. And I would love to say
it's here to stay. I thought Mallie Carrison did a
great job coming in and freed up Peyton Wilson do
a lot more. Like think about this, Peyton Wilson didn't
have as much responsibility directly tied to a man per se.
(26:35):
He could play the area. That hence why he was
able to drop drop into the zone and kind of
be the underneath check down guy and pick the pass
off because he's not having to play the dive that's
malle Harrison now you know, or you're playing the curl
flat that's Patrick Queen now you know. It was just
it was so nice to see that freeing of responsibility,
whether it was out of necessity or whether it was creativity,
(26:57):
I don't care. Just give me more of that because
it looked good.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
And the other thing is Queen and Wilson can run
sideline to sideline. I'm not saying they're defensive backs, but
they've got that kind of ability that.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
You know, it's a nickel world in the NFL. We
understand that.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
And when the students, you know, the students base defense
is a fifty two essentially with with four defensive backs,
and then you can go nickel or dime or other
things you can go. But fifty two forty three, I
don't know. It's kind of fun, Max, It's kind of fun.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Now. It is a great place to be in because
it spurs this type of conversation but also gets everybody
else talking. I mean, I got Good Morning Football on
the background, and you know, doing a feature on Jalen Ramsey,
you know, and of course the job that he that
he did at that free safety position was magnificent. So
(27:54):
I'm happy about that, and like the guys are getting
the attention, and you know, TJ. Watt was featured in
another segment on on Get Up and the buzz is
back there around this team, because you know, we knew
who the guys are. We have the known suspects. We
have a lot of guys that will be considered for
that place just west of US and in Ohio that
(28:18):
tends to put bron a lot of bronze. They like
a lot of bronze and like gold jackets. We'll have
plenty of guys who will be up for consideration there.
Speaker 6 (28:26):
And so Jerome wore his on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Yeah, Jerome wore his, and I thought didn't did did
Alan wear his as well?
Speaker 6 (28:35):
I didn't see. I didn't see.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Okay, okay, okay, you did not see, mister Finnica.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I hope he did. I hope he did. Well, there's
there's no way you don't. I don't know. I'm mystified.
I think of all the Hall of Fames, the the
pro football Hall Famous, the most difficult to figure out.
And I've said before, I'm a really the really happy guy.
(29:01):
I'm I'm just an upbeat by It's just my nature.
I'm an upbeat guy. I'm an optimistic guy. But I
don't think I'll truly reach one hundred percent happiness until
everybody gets off the road. When I'm behind the wheel.
Just pull over and get to my destination. Then you
can go proceed behind me, go on your business, and
until I get to choose everybody who's elected into all
(29:22):
the Hall of Fames. If those two things happen, sheer
one hundred percent happiness in my life.
Speaker 6 (29:28):
I'm not asking about I mean, I'm not asking I.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
I think I think you're You're perfectly well within your
rights to fantasize about both those things happening.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Concurrently, Alan Faniccas should have been a first ballot Hall
of Famer first bout the way that the fact that
we wait around is ridiculous. Okay, so it is time
to go around the NFL presented by your neighborhood. For so,
the F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh stee Theres. I do want to get back to
the divisions, but that may have to wait because we
have a power ranking. Matt Max, you want to hear
(29:58):
you want to hear the athletic. No, we go back
to where they still, Yes, the athletic. The athletics got
a power ranking. And where do your steerers sit? And
what's this is the weirdest season in NFL history that
I can remember anyway. There's just who's good. It changes
from week to week. So are you ready?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Who do you.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
Think I'm gonna I'm gonna. I'm gonna see if you
can get two out of the top three.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Okay, all right, okay.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
This is according to the Athletic, which was which was
quite a bit different.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
I can say this in any order. Just get the
top anywhere.
Speaker 6 (30:35):
Just get to get two.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
I'm gonna give you two out of the top three,
and you get a gold star.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Okay, all right, I'm gonna go Seattle.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Nope, And that's that's exactly who I would have chosen, Max.
I think I might have them number one right now. Yeah,
they are not. They are not. It's a trick question, man,
because because I would have had the same thing, it's
not fair of me to do this to you. I
would add the same, but I brought it in so
I was trying to make a point. I think they're not. Anyway,
(31:05):
go ahead, sorry.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
All right, I'm gonna go with Buffalo.
Speaker 6 (31:12):
Number three, so you get it, you get it, one right,
one more guests.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
One more guests to get one more out of two positions,
and I'm gonna go with Detroit.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
So they have the Eagles number one. Oh, come on,
they're Rams number two.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Oh wow?
Speaker 6 (31:39):
Really okay, I don't mind that one.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I don't mind that one either, But Seattle number three
over the Rams when the Seattle's leading the division and
has more. Okay, anyways, Yeah, I'm with you.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
I'm with you. I would have Seattle number one. I'm
totally with you.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Max.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
And then and and this is just this is just
a way of framing this. I probably could have done
better by my partner in the frame it that way.
Tampa Bay they still have Tampa Bay four. I just man,
I don't know, Man, I'm I can't.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
I can't. I could have gotten I got. I definitely
got got behind it two weeks ago, but not now,
not now.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
That's the way I feel about it. Colts number five,
we knew they would drop Seattle number six.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
I I.
Speaker 6 (32:24):
I don't know what I'm missing. I don't understand.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Yeah, yeah, no, no, I think who did who did?
Who did this?
Speaker 6 (32:32):
This is the athletic I think that would have them.
They had them eleventh last week. Eleventh. That's why they're
only up to six.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
You know why, because I swear that it's because they
don't like Sam Darnold, I'm just gonna go out there
and put it out there. Well, I feel like that's
the only way you make that decision.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
So in the revolving who's going to be the m
v P. You know this, The MVP thing changes as
much as the teams. Baker Mayfield m VP. Wait, okay,
you lose a game or two. How about Jonathan Taylor?
Jonathan Taylor, Well, no, we're gonna hear that calm after
the loss. And now it's Sam Darnold. Maybe a little momentum,
(33:13):
Matthew Stafford, maybe a little momentum. We'll see how those
things change. Detroit is at seven after the loss to
the Vikings. They went from two to seven. The Broncos
stay even at eight after they went over the Texans team.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
I don't know how they're so far down.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
Denver, Yeah, I'm becoming a believer in Denver, and I'm
becoming a believer in the Patriots. Denver's eight and the
Patriots are nine.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Now.
Speaker 6 (33:45):
The Patriots will play at the Buccaneers on Sunday. That's see.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
Let me know, I gotta wrap my head around Midwest time,
so that'll be nine, am right. I can watch that
flat back with my remote in my.
Speaker 6 (34:04):
Ten o'clock. Ten o'clock.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yes, so I can actually kick your feet up. Yeah,
you can go get brunch and then work out.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
Early workout, Go get a brunch, watch the game with
the remote in my hand at ten am. How good
is that? If we can get it, will that be
the game? It's got to be the game of the week, right,
I mean I would think, well, but but it's regional
at one o'clock. It's based on the market, so there's
(34:33):
a possibility.
Speaker 5 (34:34):
Okay, let's see. Let me shuttle back up here, and
you hear the Rams are playing. The Rams are at
the forty nine ers. That's the game.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
That's four PM or nine.
Speaker 6 (34:48):
We have. We have the night game, Max.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Okay, we have Yeah Jesus, yes.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Yes, I'm rubbing off on you, my friend.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
I sit here.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
We said, you said the late game, that's my night.
I was like, well, we get flexed. I didn't know it.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
Kansas City is number ten after their loss to the Bills.
They were number four last week, and man did they
look every bit of it. I wouldn't have been surprised
if they were number one. In my heart of hearts,
I thought they were back, and the Bills got them.
Man Packers dropped from six to eleven after the loss
to the Panthers. Number twelve, your and mine and everybody
(35:35):
listenings Pittsburgh Steelers up two spots from fourteen to twelve.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
By the way, we have we have, we haven't flowed,
we haven't we haven't cracked past twelve.
Speaker 6 (35:44):
No, I think that's about our high water mark.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
So let me say that, like, hey, but we were
still in the top fourteen, which is which means playoff contenders.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
Our playoff predictors, So here we go. They get a
B plus mid season grade. The era the era, by
the way mid seas and isn until halftime of the
of the show on.
Speaker 6 (36:02):
The game on Sunday night. That's technical.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
U lets you play over time way then he might
have to add, you know, a minute here or there.
So the Aaron Rodgers experiment has worked out pretty well.
Speaker 6 (36:12):
They say this.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
Tou Is knew they needed more from their defense, and
then they forced six takeaways against the Colts in one
of the biggest upsets of Week nine. Our playoff predictor
gives them a forty seven percent chance of winning the
AFC north forty seven percent I have to scroll down
and see if they have their playoff predictor on the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah, because I wanted. Is it Ravens fifty three percent?
Speaker 6 (36:37):
I don't know, because nobody.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Else, because there's no way, there's no there's no way
you have the Bengals or the Browns in any percent.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
Maybe one percent for the Bengalsers, I don't know. Maybe
San Francisco is number thirteen at six and three, number fourteen.
Also at six and three is the Chargers fifteen? The Raiders,
Uh they are I beg your pardon the jack beating.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
The Raiders er whoa, whoa, whoa? Hey throw this entire
If the Raiders made it that high out after.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
The Bears, it's the Jaguars at fifteen, and then then
you get into know a little bit of no man's land.
To me, I think that's a pretty good top fifteen.
And I think there could be and will be some fluxtion.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
We we could shuffle the number of the teams around,
but I feel like we have those are the fifteen best.
Speaker 6 (37:29):
I think there's a line there.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
There might even be a line after the Chargers at fourteen,
but we'll put the Jaguars in there fifteen. Carolina, I
gotta admit I thought they were toast. I was wrong.
They beat the Packers. They are number sixteen. The Bears
beat the Bengals. They were sixteen. They moved to seventeen.
(37:51):
I don't know why you moved back at spot after
you rebound with it five and three, Vikings at four
and four, the Ravens at three and five. Playoff predictor
gives them a fifty five percent chance of reaching the postseason.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Okay, okay, I was about to say, okay, I could
buy that.
Speaker 4 (38:12):
Because that would add it up as one and yeah,
which I mean I get giving one hundred and two
percent effort, but not when it comes to this type
of an animals. I think that group of teams Carolina, Chicago, Minnesota,
and Baltimore all could and I have probably less faith
(38:32):
in Carolina than the other teams in my opinion, I
think they could all nudge themselves up to that top
fifteen area. I think they're all playoff contenders, including Baltimore, including.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Yep, I agree Baltimore is definitely one of those. Because
you look at the rest of quote unquote the field
right the field of guys that you need to have
and you know Baltimore, I think because you take your
division leaders, right, you got the Patriots, you have Us,
you have Indianapolis, and you have quote unquote the Chargers. Right,
(39:07):
those are the four teams the division leader Denver. Sorry,
oh that's right, Defint Denver took the charge. Sorry my bad, Denver.
But when you look at the other ones, I mean,
Kansas City is still in there, Buffalo is still in there,
Baltimore is still in there. And I feel like you're right,
you know, competing for those three playoff spots in the
Wildcard very very very likely that of those, you know,
(39:31):
you'll get there's probably about five teams that they have
a real shot at those three spots.
Speaker 6 (39:34):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
And we're going to get to those division looks really quickly.
Arizona at twenty, Houston at twenty one, Dallas at twenty two,
all big time disappointments. Can say the same thing about
the Falcons at twenty three, the Bengals at twenty four.
All those teams are really dangerous. And then you get
(39:55):
to the Commanders. You know, no, Jaden Daniels now twenty
six is the Raiders, twenty seven, twenty eight, the Browns
twenty nine to Dolphins thirty the Jets thirty one, the
Saints thirty two, the Titans. I think we're starting to
get some separation to the bottom. We're beginning to find
out who the bottom teams are and what they might
do at the trade deadline. A couple of trades have
been consummated. We'll get to that when we continue. In
(40:17):
the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and
the Students Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
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 (40:47):
All right, oh my goodness, do it? You get it again?
I knew you were gonna do it, but you know,
all's right in the universe because when you did it
last week all week, we ended up winning on Sunday.
So freep it up, keep up the effort, but it's
time for the ball up.
Speaker 6 (41:07):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Early once Morning System engaged. Make sure making a quick
lunch today because we do have the Mike Town with
press conference coming up right at twelve o'clock. He right
here on this very station on Steelers Nation Radio, So
make sure you stay locked in for that. And Rob,
Now I pass it off to you, sir. I'm sorry.
I apologize. It's good because it is.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
It's becoming I'm gonna have to start doing it on
purpose now, so and I'm not doing it on purpose,
I just because I knew we didn't have a lot
of time. So Jacoby Myers, he was a guy that
you know, reports or the students were interested in trading
for him, the wide receiver from the Raiders Jaguars getting
for a fourth and a sixth round pick. Travis Hunter
(41:52):
on ir Brian Thomas Juniors had a kind of a
rough season, has has not had a great second year
comparative to what people thought he was going to do.
Suffered an ankle injury last week against Raiders. So Jacoby
Myers is off the board. He's not available. He's going
to Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Your thoughts, I mean, you know, if this was a possibility,
I mean, I don't know necessarily how Jacoby would fit in.
You know, he hasn't necessarily had the best of years
uh this season, So I'm not necessarily too high or
too low on on that decision being made. I think
(42:29):
it was more necessity for Jacksonville just because they have
they have to deal with that, to deal with doing
some different things with with their team, with the with
the issue of what's his name, trying to think of
his name, Travis Hunter, Travis.
Speaker 6 (42:46):
They're just trying to look production.
Speaker 4 (42:49):
We talk about this all the time, Max. Everybody's in
a different stage of their development. People around here say,
what all the time, just getting into the playoffs isn't
good enough. Well, if you're Jacksonville, just getting into the
playoffs is a really, really nice year. So you give
up a fourth and a sixth for a rental, that's
what you've gone to try to get you, to try
(43:11):
to push you into the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
That's exactly trying trying to make trying to make something
happen in year one for Liam Cullen.
Speaker 6 (43:18):
Yeah, all things, I get it.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
Yeah, all things remaining equal, six two three, big body type.
I'd love to have Jacoby Myers, but he's he's off
to Jacksonville. The Jalen Phillips, by the way, pass rusher
trader from from Miami. And these are teams that are
are starting to show. You know, we just did the
power ranking to try to put everything in context. These
(43:42):
are teams that are now saying, Okay, you're the Raiders,
we're thinking about next year. You're the Dolphins. You trade
Jalen Phillips to excuse me, to the Eagles, you're thinking
about next year. So the Eagles at a pass rusher
Logan Wilson, who pretty much been supplanted in Cincinnati. He
(44:03):
has been traded to the Cowboys. It'll be interesting to
see between now and four o'clock whether Cincinnati goes deeper
and trades, for example, Trey Hendrickson. But I thought this
was interesting. It is in the division. Earlier this year,
the Ravens traded a Dafe Oway. They got back Alti Gilman.
(44:23):
We're gonna see it Oway. He's been fantastic for the Chargers.
They go out and they get Draymont Jones to to
backfill that void they now have at the pass rushing position.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
Max.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
So the Ravens have improved themselves a little bit at
the trade deadline already.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
Yeah, I think that that's you know, kind of where
we're at. And you know, you see Baltimore very active
trying to improve their defense and trying to figure out,
you know, how they can help you know, Lamar and
his comeback, and the defense is kind of one of
those airs has been lacking. I mean, we also saw
the Logan Wilson trade in Dallas to help their defense,
(45:01):
but I think that's a little too little too late
that one.
Speaker 6 (45:04):
Yeah, but I am happy.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
I am happy he's leaving uh Cincinnati anyway.
Speaker 4 (45:10):
And yeah, and Gilman, by the way, has helped improve
the Ravens defense just has always improved the Chargers defense.
We'll see away coming up this week. Up next, you
can hear from head coach Mike tom and our thanks
to Alvarro Martin, our thanks to Bob Labrielle, to Justin
Miller back in our iHeart Studios for Max Starks, I'm
Rob King. We thank you as always for being with
us in the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood, Fords
(45:31):
Tour and the Students Pro Shop on ste Nation Radio,
part of the Steelers Audio Network.
This ski is in the locker room with King and
Starks on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Oh yeah, rolling through Tuesday here and of course we
are inside the power hour, second hour here inside the
locker room. Of course, want to remind everybody please stay
tuned to this very station wherever you tune to it
because of my time and fresh Council will be coming
(00:48):
up right after this at the twelve o'clock hour, straight
up to the top at noon. And of course no
Tuesday would be complete without talking to demand the myth editor.
That's right, Steelers did ess editor chief mister Bob Labriola,
of course, joining us each and every Tuesday. And of course,
(01:08):
how are we doing today, Labs?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Pretty good? God, would admit I was very pleasantly surprised
with the outcome on Sunday against you know what I
would have called the best team in the NFL to
this point. Certainly their record and statistics, you know, would
(01:32):
support that contention. And you know, I thought the team
played really well. The defense really stepped up against a
very tough challenge. And hey, and Jonathan Taylor is the
best running back in the NFL. So and he finished
with forty five yards. A lot to like about that
(01:56):
five and three. Time to go to the West Coast
and start stacking these wins.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, you need to Bob because you know, again, no
such thing as I always says, yeah it's a must
win game. Well, that gets bandied around a little too much.
But man, this felt more important than most, just for
a number of reasons, stemming a tide, you know, maybe
getting you know, people off your case a little bit.
You know, I mentioned this before. We're gonna hear from
Mike Tomin in an hour. One of the questions to
(02:23):
him last week early was, you know, do you need
to make a change of defensive coordinator? Maybe this takes
a little bit of the pressure off, you know, at
least hearing about that. Not that I, you know, thought
any change was imminent. I don't know the inner workings
one way or the other, but at least it takes
some pressure off. It gets you back in the win column,
you know. Baltimore is coming hard up behind you. There's
(02:47):
any number of reasons that this was a really timely
win for the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Yeah, you know the ones that you mentioned, And you know,
sometimes I just think that, you know, one in a row.
You know, there's a curse in the NFL, And by that,
I mean, you know, if you do something once, you know,
really big deal. Uh. There's a lot of teams that
(03:14):
you know, miss the playoffs that have a lot of
one game winning streaks. But on the flip side of that,
you know, you never want the losing streaks to grow
very long. Steelers had lost too in a row coming
into the game against the Colts. You know, I don't
think you want to have a three game losing streak
(03:34):
already on. You know that you're carrying around in terms
of your one loss record in the first week going
into the first week in November. Uh, And you know,
as as you you mentioned, you kind of stop the
bleeding there. You know, maybe you know a lot of
the noise that goes on around players and teams now
(03:57):
with social media and all of that stuff. You know
what impact it has, I really don't know, but it
certainly oftentimes fuels a lot of questions that players and
coaches are posed and asked to answer. And you know,
(04:18):
I'm sure that can get really old, really quick and
frey on your nerves. As someone who writes asked and
answered three times a week during the season, you know,
I just have to read some of these and sometimes
they make me a little bit. I won't say angry,
that's that's way too serious of a word, but you know, annoyed.
(04:42):
Some of it is annoying, repetitive, midpicking. There's all kind
of adjectives that you can use, and so I just
I can only imagine what players have to go through
when they are asked a lot of these questions and
then a live microphone is placed, you know, in front
of them, and you know there might be things they
(05:04):
want to say, but hopefully they refrain. You know, as
I said, it's it's just probably a little bit of
a relief to maybe get a respect from some of that,
even for a few days. But hey, go out to
Los Angeles play poorly. Let the Chargers running backs by
(05:26):
committee run all over you again, and all that stuff
will be.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Back, Yeah, absolutely will. You're absolutely right. I mean, it's
gonna be tough for the Chargers to do that, you know,
down some more offensive linemen after Sunday's game. But las
you know, as we kind of look at, you know,
this Colts game and the defensive I don't know, reawakening, resurgence,
(05:49):
I mean, what what what words are we using to
describe this defensive performance? You know, I definitely don't want to,
you know, overstate it, but I feel like I don't
want it to go understated as well. Just how dynamic
of a performance it was for them, like you said,
doing it against the league's perceived best team and really
(06:12):
having no answer for the Steelers defense, but you know,
just the kind of the musical chairs and pieces that
went on. And of course we sit here at the
trade deadline. Do you you know, in your mind, do
you do you get any tingling sensation about anything else
the Steelers might do before the deadline this afternoon, I
believe comes at four o'clock today, And you know, do
(06:34):
you think there's anything that is necessary?
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Well? I mean I don't know what's possible to do,
you know. I mean, because you know, this is kind
of the rule me and my wife have around here,
which is, you know, all we can talk about anything,
you know, any kind of improvements or purchases or do
you want to do this or get that or But
(06:57):
the thing that you always have to talk about is
the call lost. How much does it cost? And sure
it would be great to add depth on the defensive line,
or a number two wide receiver or you know, another
cover corner. I love that one, as if you know
that there's just so many of those out there available,
(07:17):
But you know, what's the price? You know, My opinion
is I don't think uh as the Steelers as a
team will want to. You know, supposedly there's going to
be a bounty of compensatory picks that come their way
because of the free agents that they lost and versus
(07:40):
the free agents that they signed. And you know, when
you're looking at where you might have to go in
the first round of the twenty twenty six NFL Draft
to get a quarterback, you know those kinds of trades.
You know, you have your own first round pick, and
then there's the team that you're trying to swap places with. Okay,
(08:02):
so you swap, you have to give your number one
pick to them, you know, in the swap, and then
to move up in the first round. I think that
costs you at least you know, another number one pick,
so that's say the twenty twenty seven number one pick,
and then maybe some other stuff, so you don't want
to give away too much of the other stuff. And
(08:24):
by that, I mean, if you know second third's force
in the twenty twenty sixth draft in a trade now,
because you might need it for the quarterback you know,
next April. So you know, what can you legitimately get
at this deadline that you're not going to have to,
(08:46):
you know, mortgage too much of your immediate future that
might handcuff you next April. Because you know, Aaron Rodgers
has said this is probably his last season in the league,
So let's just take him at his word and pretend
that it is. I don't know that it is, but
just for the purpose of this conversation, let's pretend that
it is. You know, what do you do at quarterback?
(09:09):
Then you're going to have to pick a guy and start,
you know the process of grooming your own hopefully next
to be franchise quarterback.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
And so you know, I just don't think you want
to handcuff yourself or eliminate the possibility of being able
to do that, because I don't believe the Steelers would
want us, say, as an example, give a trade away
twenty twenty seven number one, twenty twenty eight number one
(09:42):
to move up in the twenty twenty six first round
to pick a quarterback. You know, you don't want to
go back into the you know, Buddy Parker days when
you know, he was a coach who believed that, you know,
draft picks were like disease carriers or something into your
locker room, and he traded them all the way and
Parker traded them away for veteran players. But there were
(10:04):
drafts you know where this in the you know, fifties,
early sixties, where the Steelers didn't have a draft pick
until the eighth round. They traded all the other ones away.
You can't go back to that, so, you know, that's why, sure,
there would be a lot of nice things you would
you might want to do today. I just don't know
(10:26):
what's reasonably accomplishable to make up a word. Uh So
I don't know, Uh, you know, we'll have to see
what happens.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
You know, by the way, uh, you know is going
through some steerlish historical stuff and the other guys that
got traded away and everybody talks all the time about uh,
you know, Johnny Nitis, and they had a chance, and
that is a shame when that happens. But they also
had Len Dawson, they had Jack Kemp. There was another
(11:01):
quarterback who escapes me right now, that they had.
Speaker 6 (11:05):
But Dawson went to the Hall of Fame, of course, So.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
You know, draft picks young players out, you go give
me the veterans. I agree with you, Bob. And you know,
the other thing is is that I think with the
advent of probably a fantasy football and there are more
trades and it is exciting.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
You know, everybody wants to make a trade.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
And I remember being in a fantasy football league or
business baseball league back in the day and the guy said,
you can't deal with that guy because he always wants
to give you a pork chop and he wants a
pig in return. So you know, the other the other
side's got to trade you something that you want and
you can't just give up nothing to get them. So
it'll be fascinating though, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.
(11:47):
I did wanna I did want to go point that
out that that trades whereas they are more common.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
There's just a lot of factors that go into it.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Beside besides, hey, this can give us you know, maybe
a little bit of and upgrade at a certain position.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yeah, and you know you have to look at, you know,
guys on where the what the contract situation is. As
an example, I believe Jacoby Myers as a receiver who
is often linked, you know, in a in a trade
to the Steelers. And you know, I don't I'm not.
I have no idea whether that is going to happen,
(12:22):
if it's possible or whatever. But I'm just using him
as an example for what you just said, Rob. You've
got to look at you know, Jacoby Myers is going
into the this is his final year of his contract. Okay,
so what you acquire in him. You know, he's an
unrestricted free agent here in March, so you know you're
(12:43):
only getting them for this is the eighth game, you know,
nine more regular season games and playoff games. So you
know what are you going to give for that? It's
a rental, you know, And is Jacoby Myers going to
be a disgruntled individual going to a team a new
(13:03):
team without a contract extension? On top of that, I
mean there's a lot of other moving parts involved in this.
You know, again, as I always say, this isn't you know,
this isn't fantasy football where you just go out and
get somebody and you add them to your team and
there's you know, there's no human elements involved. Like the
(13:23):
guy isn't disgruntled, It isn't like he doesn't want to
come to your team. You know, it's just a name
on a sheet and everything works out great. But that's
not the real world. That's not the way it works
with real life flesh and blood, human beings and their
issues and wants and thoughts and you know, all of
(13:45):
that stuff. You have to consider that as well, So
you know, it's it's difficult. I mean, I I don't
I don't for a minute envy Omar Kahn's situation in today.
You know, Mike Tomlins said, a lot of times you
get like a Black Friday rush as the deadline approaches.
(14:09):
You know, people get all excited about, you know, buying
things or selling things, and the deadline comes up, and
a lot of times that will spur activity. But you know,
you don't want to be loading your cart up with
Black Friday things that you wish you could return when
(14:30):
the weekend's over.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
But by the way, yeah, yeah, you want you want
guys that are gruntled, Max, not disgruntled.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Yeah yeah. The third yeah pro grundled.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
The third quarterback was Earl Moral.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Think about that, Well, Dealers had Len Dawson, Earl Moral,
and Jack Kemp.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
And there's.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Here's one for you. If the Steelers, the Buddy Parker
traded picks, if they had stayed there and picked in
those drafts, they could had Jim Brown and Dick Budkins.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, you don't want to be trading away those draft picks.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
But how's that washing machine going now? Just joking? That
was a semi pro joke. Well, I think and also Labs,
you know, as we kind of look at this, I
think also some people are just like you said, that Thursday,
that that Black Friday, that rush like that fomo. Like
some people get fomo fear of missing out on something
if they don't do something right. And I think a
(15:31):
lot of these teams, you know, there's a lot of retaliate,
you know, retaliatory type of picks that we've seen before,
Like I mean, you know, the Bengals trading away Logan Wilson,
and you know Jalen Phillips getting traded away from Philly,
and and you know Baltimore trading and picking up in
the process. You know, you see some of some of
those seems strategic, but a lot of them just seem
(15:53):
like impulse control. Right. They're trying to quiet something a
crowd or somebody else and make them and make you know,
the masses happy, as opposed to actually systematically trying to
change the culture of your locker room. Like you know,
I think you know, people are like, oh, well you
made the trade for Kyle Dugart. It was like we
were losing safeties. We need healthy safeties. So he was available.
(16:18):
I mean, his was out of necessity. It wasn't like
a preferential thing like oh, there's a luxury to do it.
And I think that's what I think a lot of
people get caught up in in this last minute trade thing.
And you know, I pose that question to you, but honestly,
I'm like, you know, unless there was something that was
just super intriguing or something that just was a clear
(16:38):
deficit gap, I don't know why you trade away those things, because,
like you said, you want to have as many you know,
quote unquote, you know, ducats in your pocket to wheel
and deal when it comes draft time. And Steelers have
a boatload of picks. I think we're sitting at twelve
currently right now. So it's like, you know, how many
(16:59):
picks is too many picks? And also but also how
many pictures are going to take? And you know when
you trade up at a draft, you know, every organization that
does it says enough enough. They don't say it's too much,
it's too rich, It's just it's enough. It's enough. I
got the deal done, I got who I wanted, and
that's how I move in. For the Steelers, we haven't
really been in that position to be able to do that,
(17:19):
and I think this will be a first year really
seeing them deal with a ton of picks and how
they manage that and how they move around the chessboard
that is the NFL Draft. So I'm really intrigued to
see that.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Yeah, and during the trading deadline as well. I mean,
like for example, in Miami, their GM Chris Greer was
just fired. Okay, so all right now, because he's the
guy that the Steelers worked with to with the Jalen
Ramsey trade. I mean Fitzpatrick, Jalen Ramsey, and John new Smith. Okay,
so he's gone. So the new guy, I don't even
(17:53):
know who it is, but I'm just saying, so the
dynamic changes in Miami. So it's the new guy in
Miami trying to impress Stephen Ross that he is a
wheeler and dealer. Howie Roseman, you know, give me the
job full time? Or does he look at the Steelers
(18:13):
and say, you know, you hosed us on the two
for one that we just did with you. So I'm
not doing anything with you guys, just on a spit.
So again, I don't know which way that wind is blowing.
I'm just using that as an example of some of
the other things, you know, beyond the pro gruntled or
(18:34):
disgruntled players. What does that? What does that other team
think of you, you know, as a business partner, as
a dance partner in a potential trade. Do they have
good feelings about the last business dealing? Do they have
bad feelings about the last business dealing? Are there people
(18:56):
who are making their the decision on their end, securing
their job, worried about their job, new in their job,
auditioning for their job. I mean there's there's a lot
of things involved besides just we need a receiver. You
have one. Uh, let's make a deal. So yeah, like
(19:21):
Rob said, you know, they want to give you a
pork chop, but they want you to give them a
whole pig. You know, there's that too. And fans love
to propose trades that, you know, to say they're one
sided in the Steelers favor is being kind. Uh. You know,
I'd love to get some of these deals done that
(19:43):
that I see proposed, you know, as an exeg you know,
Jalen Waddle for a seventh round pick or something ridiculous. Sure.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
And then and by the way, you eat the salary too, Miami.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, how much you a salary you're going
to pay?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Yeah, Well it's just a few hours away, so we'll
see if the students do anything. We always look forward
to our time spent Tuesdays with Labs, which is presented
by UPMC, the official healthcare provider and health plan of
the Pittsburgh Students. Labs thank you, my friend, appreciate it
and we will see you soon.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Yeah. Let me just dash Max one thing real quick.
You're not coming out of retirement. I won't see you
in uniform and a Chargers uniform lined up and left
tackle on Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
No, sorry, number seventy's taken.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
That was my number.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
And then San Diego. So I don't have any plans.
The only plans I have of going to Los Angeles
is to call the game Sunday night, not participate in it.
I don't want to block TJ. Watt, who wants to
do that, like, I'm not volunteering for that, or Alex
high Smooth for that matter, I'm not. I don't want
to block anybody anymore. The only I want to block
(20:50):
is people going to the buffet and and and clearing
the plate that I wanted to get. So that's the
only thing I've been doing. And blocking my kids from
asking for more stuff.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Labs.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
I would say I would change Max's ankle to mine,
but I think Max could walk around dragging me behind
him and not even limp, you know, So I'll just
have to assume Max is goot to show up.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
Okay, Well, you guys behave out there on the West Coast.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
You got it, thank you.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
They have a great press box food. By the way,
two labs, I hate you to do that. Spread out
there yes they do. Okay, that's right, Rob. You haven't
been treated to this. Oh it's good. It's two separate ones.
So yeah, I'll show you the ropes.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
So go go go light on breakfast at the hotel.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Go light up, well, go light on the pregame meal.
You can still go normal on breakfast. This a night game.
Speaker 6 (21:37):
Oh that's right.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Yeah, but that's yeah, but it's a three. That's time change.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Max five times five. That's why I told go light
for the pregame. You know, go brun normal. I could
go decent brunt. You you can, you can brunch it. Okay, Okay,
we'll figure this out.
Speaker 6 (21:53):
Labs, thank you, my friend. Appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
All right, post have a good one.
Speaker 6 (21:57):
I'll want to remind you before we had to break.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
You can gear up with the latest GAID necessities at
the official Students Pro shops. Get the latest Sideline apparel, jerseys,
terrible towles, authentic memorabilia, and custom exclusives you can only
find directly from the team. Visit one of the official
Students Pro shops located at Akroscher Stadium, Grove City Premium Outlets,
or Tanger Outlets, or gear up online at shop dot
Steelers dot com. Get it direct from the team at
(22:21):
the Students Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Back with more in the Locker Room presented by our
neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers
Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
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 6 (22:58):
And thank you very much for being one of us.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
The old expression max is that necessity is the mother
of invention. And a couple of things happened in the game.
We've already talked a little bit about Jalen Ramsey but
having to move to free safety because you had guys.
Speaker 6 (23:15):
Deshaun Elliott gets hurt.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
But then you know, Chuck Clark's out of the game,
Jabill Peppers is out of the game. Suddenly you don't
have any other options. Well, jan Thornhill looked like he
just didn't play for whatever reason.
Speaker 6 (23:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
It was coaching's decision or something that was going on.
There's some illness spreading throughout the team last week, so
is that there to stay? And then the other thing
we saw was for to three defense Max I can't remember.
It's probably happened, but I can't remember the last time
we've seen a four to three setup. They put in
(23:49):
Malik Harrison, they left in both Queen and Peyton Wilson,
and they didn't do it a ton, but they played
a little four to three And I'm wondering if that
was game specific, it was injury specific. You know, Cole
Holcombe wasn't out there, like you know, there are a
lot of injuries to the secondary. Again, I don't know
whether that was game plan specific or or whether it's
(24:13):
possibly here to stay. Because both things Ramsey get free
safety and that four to three look were effective.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
I'm just gonna go with I don't want to know.
I just need more of it. I think that's the
best way of putting it. And I love the fact
that they varied things up. Things Like you said, you're
going outside the norm. You're doing something that you ordinarily
would not see done by the Steelers, and I love
that unconventional approach, because it just goes to show that, Okay,
(24:46):
they can be varied, they can step outside of the box,
they can do things in a way that teams can't
put a beat on them, which which you could always
appreciate because I think that was always one of the
biggest knox was oh the Steelers are so predictable. Oh
they can't run this, Oh they can't do that. And
it was like, Nope, just when you think you got
(25:08):
us pegged down as a one trick pony, here's our
newest act. You know, here's our newest feet, almost like
being under the big top. And I believe that that
was just a great thing that you know, a lot
of teams just hadn't prepared for. They just always said, hey,
they're three four or their four to two nickel, and
(25:28):
that's it. That's what Steelers have done, you know, goes
back to the beginning of time, which beenning a time
means like the twenty first century. You know, as I
as I found out my age, when my daughter was like, oh, Dad,
you were born in the nineteen hundreds, I was like,
oh god, oh that's true. But do you have to
say it like that? You know, right, you know, it
(25:48):
was like, oh god, really really yes a matter of perspective,
yeah so, but I but I think you know is
one one of those guys. And I just I really
loved the fact that they were so creative and like
you said, you didn't have to blitz because you were
(26:11):
so varied and your pass rush is now hitting home
and you had confused them so much because it wasn't
what they were used to seeing that you were able
to take them off guard. You were able to take
them off their game. And I would love to say
it's here to stay. I thought Mallie Carrison did a
great job coming in and freed up Peyton Wilson do
a lot more. Like think about this, Peyton Wilson didn't
have as much responsibility directly tied to a man per se.
(26:35):
He could play the area. That hence why he was
able to drop drop into the zone and kind of
be the underneath check down guy and pick the pass
off because he's not having to play the dive that's
malle Harrison now you know, or you're playing the curl
flat that's Patrick Queen now you know. It was just
it was so nice to see that freeing of responsibility,
whether it was out of necessity or whether it was creativity,
(26:57):
I don't care. Just give me more of that because
it looked good.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
And the other thing is Queen and Wilson can run
sideline to sideline. I'm not saying they're defensive backs, but
they've got that kind of ability that.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
You know, it's a nickel world in the NFL. We
understand that.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
And when the students, you know, the students base defense
is a fifty two essentially with with four defensive backs,
and then you can go nickel or dime or other
things you can go. But fifty two forty three, I
don't know. It's kind of fun, Max, It's kind of fun.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Now. It is a great place to be in because
it spurs this type of conversation but also gets everybody
else talking. I mean, I got Good Morning Football on
the background, and you know, doing a feature on Jalen Ramsey,
you know, and of course the job that he that
he did at that free safety position was magnificent. So
(27:54):
I'm happy about that, and like the guys are getting
the attention, and you know, TJ. Watt was featured in
another segment on on Get Up and the buzz is
back there around this team, because you know, we knew
who the guys are. We have the known suspects. We
have a lot of guys that will be considered for
that place just west of US and in Ohio that
(28:18):
tends to put bron a lot of bronze. They like
a lot of bronze and like gold jackets. We'll have
plenty of guys who will be up for consideration there.
Speaker 6 (28:26):
And so Jerome wore his on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Yeah, Jerome wore his, and I thought didn't did did
Alan wear his as well?
Speaker 6 (28:35):
I didn't see. I didn't see.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Okay, okay, okay, you did not see, mister Finnica.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
I hope he did. I hope he did. Well, there's
there's no way you don't. I don't know. I'm mystified.
I think of all the Hall of Fames, the the
pro football Hall Famous, the most difficult to figure out.
And I've said before, I'm a really the really happy guy.
(29:01):
I'm I'm just an upbeat by It's just my nature.
I'm an upbeat guy. I'm an optimistic guy. But I
don't think I'll truly reach one hundred percent happiness until
everybody gets off the road. When I'm behind the wheel.
Just pull over and get to my destination. Then you
can go proceed behind me, go on your business, and
until I get to choose everybody who's elected into all
(29:22):
the Hall of Fames. If those two things happen, sheer
one hundred percent happiness in my life.
Speaker 6 (29:28):
I'm not asking about I mean, I'm not asking I.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
I think I think you're You're perfectly well within your
rights to fantasize about both those things happening.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Concurrently, Alan Faniccas should have been a first ballot Hall
of Famer first bout the way that the fact that
we wait around is ridiculous. Okay, so it is time
to go around the NFL presented by your neighborhood. For so,
the F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh stee Theres. I do want to get back to
the divisions, but that may have to wait because we
have a power ranking. Matt Max, you want to hear
(29:58):
you want to hear the athletic. No, we go back
to where they still, Yes, the athletic. The athletics got
a power ranking. And where do your steerers sit? And
what's this is the weirdest season in NFL history that
I can remember anyway. There's just who's good. It changes
from week to week. So are you ready?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Who do you.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
Think I'm gonna I'm gonna. I'm gonna see if you
can get two out of the top three.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Okay, all right, okay.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
This is according to the Athletic, which was which was
quite a bit different.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
I can say this in any order. Just get the
top anywhere.
Speaker 6 (30:35):
Just get to get two.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
I'm gonna give you two out of the top three,
and you get a gold star.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Okay, all right, I'm gonna go Seattle.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Nope, And that's that's exactly who I would have chosen, Max.
I think I might have them number one right now. Yeah,
they are not. They are not. It's a trick question, man,
because because I would have had the same thing, it's
not fair of me to do this to you. I
would add the same, but I brought it in so
I was trying to make a point. I think they're not. Anyway,
(31:05):
go ahead, sorry.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
All right, I'm gonna go with Buffalo.
Speaker 6 (31:12):
Number three, so you get it, you get it, one right,
one more guests.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
One more guests to get one more out of two positions,
and I'm gonna go with Detroit.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
So they have the Eagles number one. Oh, come on,
they're Rams number two.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Oh wow?
Speaker 6 (31:39):
Really okay, I don't mind that one.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I don't mind that one either, But Seattle number three
over the Rams when the Seattle's leading the division and
has more. Okay, anyways, Yeah, I'm with you.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
I'm with you. I would have Seattle number one. I'm
totally with you.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Max.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
And then and and this is just this is just
a way of framing this. I probably could have done
better by my partner in the frame it that way.
Tampa Bay they still have Tampa Bay four. I just man,
I don't know, Man, I'm I can't.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
I can't. I could have gotten I got. I definitely
got got behind it two weeks ago, but not now,
not now.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
That's the way I feel about it. Colts number five,
we knew they would drop Seattle number six.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
I I.
Speaker 6 (32:24):
I don't know what I'm missing. I don't understand.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Yeah, yeah, no, no, I think who did who did?
Who did this?
Speaker 6 (32:32):
This is the athletic I think that would have them.
They had them eleventh last week. Eleventh. That's why they're
only up to six.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
You know why, because I swear that it's because they
don't like Sam Darnold, I'm just gonna go out there
and put it out there. Well, I feel like that's
the only way you make that decision.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
So in the revolving who's going to be the m
v P. You know this, The MVP thing changes as
much as the teams. Baker Mayfield m VP. Wait, okay,
you lose a game or two. How about Jonathan Taylor?
Jonathan Taylor, Well, no, we're gonna hear that calm after
the loss. And now it's Sam Darnold. Maybe a little momentum,
(33:13):
Matthew Stafford, maybe a little momentum. We'll see how those
things change. Detroit is at seven after the loss to
the Vikings. They went from two to seven. The Broncos
stay even at eight after they went over the Texans team.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
I don't know how they're so far down.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
Denver, Yeah, I'm becoming a believer in Denver, and I'm
becoming a believer in the Patriots. Denver's eight and the
Patriots are nine.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Now.
Speaker 6 (33:45):
The Patriots will play at the Buccaneers on Sunday. That's see.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
Let me know, I gotta wrap my head around Midwest time,
so that'll be nine, am right. I can watch that
flat back with my remote in my.
Speaker 6 (34:04):
Ten o'clock. Ten o'clock.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Yes, so I can actually kick your feet up. Yeah,
you can go get brunch and then work out.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
Early workout, Go get a brunch, watch the game with
the remote in my hand at ten am. How good
is that? If we can get it, will that be
the game? It's got to be the game of the week, right,
I mean I would think, well, but but it's regional
at one o'clock. It's based on the market, so there's
(34:33):
a possibility.
Speaker 5 (34:34):
Okay, let's see. Let me shuttle back up here, and
you hear the Rams are playing. The Rams are at
the forty nine ers. That's the game.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
That's four PM or nine.
Speaker 6 (34:48):
We have. We have the night game, Max.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Okay, we have Yeah Jesus, yes.
Speaker 6 (34:55):
Yes, I'm rubbing off on you, my friend.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
I sit here.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
We said, you said the late game, that's my night.
I was like, well, we get flexed. I didn't know it.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
Kansas City is number ten after their loss to the Bills.
They were number four last week, and man did they
look every bit of it. I wouldn't have been surprised
if they were number one. In my heart of hearts,
I thought they were back, and the Bills got them.
Man Packers dropped from six to eleven after the loss
to the Panthers. Number twelve, your and mine and everybody
(35:35):
listenings Pittsburgh Steelers up two spots from fourteen to twelve.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
By the way, we have we have, we haven't flowed,
we haven't we haven't cracked past twelve.
Speaker 6 (35:44):
No, I think that's about our high water mark.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
So let me say that, like, hey, but we were
still in the top fourteen, which is which means playoff contenders.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
Our playoff predictors, So here we go. They get a
B plus mid season grade. The era the era, by
the way mid seas and isn until halftime of the
of the show on.
Speaker 6 (36:02):
The game on Sunday night. That's technical.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
U lets you play over time way then he might
have to add, you know, a minute here or there.
So the Aaron Rodgers experiment has worked out pretty well.
Speaker 6 (36:12):
They say this.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
Tou Is knew they needed more from their defense, and
then they forced six takeaways against the Colts in one
of the biggest upsets of Week nine. Our playoff predictor
gives them a forty seven percent chance of winning the
AFC north forty seven percent I have to scroll down
and see if they have their playoff predictor on the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah, because I wanted. Is it Ravens fifty three percent?
Speaker 6 (36:37):
I don't know, because nobody.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Else, because there's no way, there's no there's no way
you have the Bengals or the Browns in any percent.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
Maybe one percent for the Bengalsers, I don't know. Maybe
San Francisco is number thirteen at six and three, number fourteen.
Also at six and three is the Chargers fifteen? The Raiders,
Uh they are I beg your pardon the jack beating.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
The Raiders er whoa, whoa, whoa? Hey throw this entire
If the Raiders made it that high out after.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
The Bears, it's the Jaguars at fifteen, and then then
you get into know a little bit of no man's land.
To me, I think that's a pretty good top fifteen.
And I think there could be and will be some fluxtion.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
We we could shuffle the number of the teams around,
but I feel like we have those are the fifteen best.
Speaker 6 (37:29):
I think there's a line there.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
There might even be a line after the Chargers at fourteen,
but we'll put the Jaguars in there fifteen. Carolina, I
gotta admit I thought they were toast. I was wrong.
They beat the Packers. They are number sixteen. The Bears
beat the Bengals. They were sixteen. They moved to seventeen.
(37:51):
I don't know why you moved back at spot after
you rebound with it five and three, Vikings at four
and four, the Ravens at three and five. Playoff predictor
gives them a fifty five percent chance of reaching the postseason.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Okay, okay, I was about to say, okay, I could
buy that.
Speaker 4 (38:12):
Because that would add it up as one and yeah,
which I mean I get giving one hundred and two
percent effort, but not when it comes to this type
of an animals. I think that group of teams Carolina, Chicago, Minnesota,
and Baltimore all could and I have probably less faith
(38:32):
in Carolina than the other teams in my opinion, I
think they could all nudge themselves up to that top
fifteen area. I think they're all playoff contenders, including Baltimore, including.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Yep, I agree Baltimore is definitely one of those. Because
you look at the rest of quote unquote the field
right the field of guys that you need to have
and you know Baltimore, I think because you take your
division leaders, right, you got the Patriots, you have Us,
you have Indianapolis, and you have quote unquote the Chargers. Right,
(39:07):
those are the four teams the division leader Denver. Sorry,
oh that's right, Defint Denver took the charge. Sorry my bad, Denver.
But when you look at the other ones, I mean,
Kansas City is still in there, Buffalo is still in there,
Baltimore is still in there. And I feel like you're right,
you know, competing for those three playoff spots in the
Wildcard very very very likely that of those, you know,
(39:31):
you'll get there's probably about five teams that they have
a real shot at those three spots.
Speaker 6 (39:34):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
And we're going to get to those division looks really quickly.
Arizona at twenty, Houston at twenty one, Dallas at twenty two,
all big time disappointments. Can say the same thing about
the Falcons at twenty three, the Bengals at twenty four.
All those teams are really dangerous. And then you get
(39:55):
to the Commanders. You know, no, Jaden Daniels now twenty
six is the Raiders, twenty seven, twenty eight, the Browns
twenty nine to Dolphins thirty the Jets thirty one, the
Saints thirty two, the Titans. I think we're starting to
get some separation to the bottom. We're beginning to find
out who the bottom teams are and what they might
do at the trade deadline. A couple of trades have
been consummated. We'll get to that when we continue. In
(40:17):
the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and
the Students Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
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Speaker 2 (40:47):
All right, oh my goodness, do it? You get it again?
I knew you were gonna do it, but you know,
all's right in the universe because when you did it
last week all week, we ended up winning on Sunday.
So freep it up, keep up the effort, but it's
time for the ball up.
Speaker 6 (41:07):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Early once Morning System engaged. Make sure making a quick
lunch today because we do have the Mike Town with
press conference coming up right at twelve o'clock. He right
here on this very station on Steelers Nation Radio, So
make sure you stay locked in for that. And Rob,
Now I pass it off to you, sir. I'm sorry.
I apologize. It's good because it is.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
It's becoming I'm gonna have to start doing it on
purpose now, so and I'm not doing it on purpose,
I just because I knew we didn't have a lot
of time. So Jacoby Myers, he was a guy that
you know, reports or the students were interested in trading
for him, the wide receiver from the Raiders Jaguars getting
for a fourth and a sixth round pick. Travis Hunter
(41:52):
on ir Brian Thomas Juniors had a kind of a
rough season, has has not had a great second year
comparative to what people thought he was going to do.
Suffered an ankle injury last week against Raiders. So Jacoby
Myers is off the board. He's not available. He's going
to Jacksonville.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Your thoughts, I mean, you know, if this was a possibility,
I mean, I don't know necessarily how Jacoby would fit in.
You know, he hasn't necessarily had the best of years
uh this season, So I'm not necessarily too high or
too low on on that decision being made. I think
(42:29):
it was more necessity for Jacksonville just because they have
they have to deal with that, to deal with doing
some different things with with their team, with the with
the issue of what's his name, trying to think of
his name, Travis Hunter, Travis.
Speaker 6 (42:46):
They're just trying to look production.
Speaker 4 (42:49):
We talk about this all the time, Max. Everybody's in
a different stage of their development. People around here say,
what all the time, just getting into the playoffs isn't
good enough. Well, if you're Jacksonville, just getting into the
playoffs is a really, really nice year. So you give
up a fourth and a sixth for a rental, that's
what you've gone to try to get you, to try
(43:11):
to push you into the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
That's exactly trying trying to make trying to make something
happen in year one for Liam Cullen.
Speaker 6 (43:18):
Yeah, all things, I get it.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
Yeah, all things remaining equal, six two three, big body type.
I'd love to have Jacoby Myers, but he's he's off
to Jacksonville. The Jalen Phillips, by the way, pass rusher
trader from from Miami. And these are teams that are
are starting to show. You know, we just did the
power ranking to try to put everything in context. These
(43:42):
are teams that are now saying, Okay, you're the Raiders,
we're thinking about next year. You're the Dolphins. You trade
Jalen Phillips to excuse me, to the Eagles, you're thinking
about next year. So the Eagles at a pass rusher
Logan Wilson, who pretty much been supplanted in Cincinnati. He
(44:03):
has been traded to the Cowboys. It'll be interesting to
see between now and four o'clock whether Cincinnati goes deeper
and trades, for example, Trey Hendrickson. But I thought this
was interesting. It is in the division. Earlier this year,
the Ravens traded a Dafe Oway. They got back Alti Gilman.
(44:23):
We're gonna see it Oway. He's been fantastic for the Chargers.
They go out and they get Draymont Jones to to
backfill that void they now have at the pass rushing position.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
Max.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
So the Ravens have improved themselves a little bit at
the trade deadline already.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
Yeah, I think that that's you know, kind of where
we're at. And you know, you see Baltimore very active
trying to improve their defense and trying to figure out,
you know, how they can help you know, Lamar and
his comeback, and the defense is kind of one of
those airs has been lacking. I mean, we also saw
the Logan Wilson trade in Dallas to help their defense,
(45:01):
but I think that's a little too little too late
that one.
Speaker 6 (45:04):
Yeah, but I am happy.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
I am happy he's leaving uh Cincinnati anyway.
Speaker 4 (45:10):
And yeah, and Gilman, by the way, has helped improve
the Ravens defense just has always improved the Chargers defense.
We'll see away coming up this week. Up next, you
can hear from head coach Mike tom and our thanks
to Alvarro Martin, our thanks to Bob Labrielle, to Justin
Miller back in our iHeart Studios for Max Starks, I'm
Rob King. We thank you as always for being with
us in the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood, Fords
(45:31):
Tour and the Students Pro Shop on ste Nation Radio,
part of the Steelers Audio Network.
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