November 20, 2025 • 48 mins
Max and Rob continue to preview this weekend's matchup against the Bears and cover specific matchups between the two rosters. The guys also break down the play of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one 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
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Speaker 2 (00:25):
All right, yeah, you know what time it is, you
hear optimists. You know what we're doing here. It's the
power hour here inside the locker room. And you know
our number two. We always get a little bit deeper
of a dive into all things for this matchup on
(00:49):
a football Thursday. So I turned it beck over to
you Ravoto.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
You know, uh, Maximilian, what would be the Spanish?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
We are going full governments here? Well you went Robert, though,
So I was trying. I was trying to go, and
I don't know where I would go with.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Max in in the Spanish language.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Yeah, Maxo, Uh so Max. A couple of matchups I
am really looking forward to, and I'm going to start
on the Bears offensive line Steeers defensive line. I love
these matchups. You know, we had the the big one
in Indianapolis. Uh right, Uh, you know along the offensive
(01:29):
line with Cam Hayward. Now he gets another guy in
Joe Toney, who is been to three straight Pro Bowls
of course with Kansas City Bears pick him up in
a trade. Uh, they get touny at two times. He's
been an All Pro the last three years, so he's
playing some of his best football. And he and Cam Hayward.
(01:52):
I just, you know, if I was at home and
I could take my eyes off the ball instead of
calling the game, I would be focusing on that matchup
quite a bit because it's just look, obviously it's gonna
be important, right, it's important to the to the game,
but more than that, it's just two great players going
(02:14):
at it.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
And a lot of times, you know.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
We'll see, Okay, hey, how's Sauce Gardener gonna do against
Jamar Chase. Let's watch that matchup because the ball is
gonna go there, and it's exciting. I'd be excited about
watching this matchup. I mean, Toney is very very good obviously,
and Cam Hayward is great. I just I can't wait
to watch or see how this matchup is going to evolve.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah, And I think I think, you know, when we
look at matchups when we look at history, we look
at time. You know, we can extrapolate certain parts of it.
But this is where huh man, you know, the future
versus kind of the old guard, Right. I think that's
kind of you know, where we're at, and our guy
(03:00):
is ready to assume that responsibility, assume the mantle, so
to speak, you know, passing on in a generation. There there,
there is there is a significant overtone of this game,
but like you said that, that's more of the undertone
of this game. Right, it's how are you going to
(03:21):
do this? Because the overtone is keep first place of
your respective divisions, right that that because the teams that
are in number two, namely Detroit, namely Baltimore, right, known suspects,
known commodities that have developed this sort of consistency and
success model. I mean, I'll never forget you know, my
(03:45):
sorry about that. You hear me? I thought you lost me?
So I was like, should drop you know? Uh? Because
there is and and and this is this is what
I love about football. When you're when you're on, when
you play on a good team, right, every game is
important because there is always something on the line, right,
(04:08):
you know, you have something to lose. In the process.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
So let a little bit of that cage control, uh
fear and propel you in the right direction, because it
can be.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It's already a long and daunting season, right, it's already
a time where it's uneasy because none of it is easy.
And for the Steelers specifically, it's creating consistency. It's keeping
(04:46):
the first place lead that you work so hard to
establish at the beginning of the year. It's also the
pride of looking each man that's to your left or
your right, eye to eye and meeting them where there are,
where they are, and trying to elevate everyone around you
because you know, there there's been generations of players that
(05:11):
can't win in Chicago, right, I mean, I think that's
that's what you have to kind of go with. And
and you know, for Chicago playing the Steelers, like, we
only do this once every four years, so you've got
to make it count because you're not going to see
this team again potentially until twenty twenty nine season, you know,
(05:35):
I mean at the earliest. So what are we going
to do to wait and stem off this tide of
momentum offensively buy Chicago? And what are you going to
do defensively to affect Caleb Williams. That's really what this
comes down to. Is it the pass rush? Is it
(05:56):
the secondary shutting down the timing routes? What is it?
Is it linebackers fast flowing and fast filling on the outside,
Like you have to figure out that storyline, I think,
and I think we will as a group and by
us as a group of me and you and Missy, right,
(06:17):
you know, we will figure out what that looks like
because I think that's gonna be my other intriguing thing. Obviously,
Aaron is number one, right, He's earned that. Right, he's
earned that cachet, and his resume speaks for itself, especially
its Chicago Bears. But what about everybody else where? Do
(06:38):
they stand and what are they going to do to
keep their legacy that they that they're building alive? What
are they going to do to take pride in the work.
And I'm not saying they don't, but I'm just saying
these are the questions I'm posing because it helps answer. Right,
(07:00):
these are like word prompts in a journal. You know,
it's like, hey, my day went well because right, well
say they can be aplaied for football. My day went well,
because what and you got to answer that as not
only a man and a competitor, but a member of
this team because that's what it takes. The work is
(07:23):
the work, and there is no free rise. There is
no easy process to this. It's just it's a concert
in unison and can you all get on the same page.
One person, you know, needs to take off that additional
left shoe, put the right shoe back on, and you
know what what is defense going to do to answer?
(07:44):
And really play this game with each other offense versus defense,
and this happens to be the Bears are stand ins.
But that's what that's really what you want to see
and that's what I'm hoping I'm going to see.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Yeah, So you know Quentin Nelson I mentioned Indiana, was
Quentin Nelson who is building a potential case for Canton
throughout the course of his career.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
He and Cam Hayward have gone at it before.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Cam's really done a pretty nice job against him. The
Joe Tooney matchup I think they played when Tuney for sure,
when Tony was in New England. And my recollection is
that Cam had a pretty good game against Tony and
has performed well against him in the past, and the
other matchup. I'm looking forward to just a long in
the trenches Max, and again we'll get wider. A lot
(08:32):
of times we start wide and go narrow. But I
was so excited about these matchups along the offensive line
that I wanted to get to you with them. So
keep in mind. Now, Chicago, they had a really interesting offseason.
So obviously everybody knows where. Fans of the show will know,
fans of the NFL will know. They selected Caleb Williams
with the overall number one pick in last year's draft.
(08:54):
You get a Doonesa at the wide receiver position to
give him some guys. You get Dj Moore to give
him some guys to throw to. You pick up Zakias
Alamode Zakias in free agency to add another target. You
spend a second round pick this year on Luther Burden. Okay, great, Uh,
what else? How are you going to make sure that
(09:14):
he isn't getting killed back there? Well, so you already
got a second round tight end and Cole Comett. You
had another one a first round or this year in
Coleston Lovelin. And they went out in free agency they
got a new center and two new guards, and both
those guards, Jonah Jackson and Tooney, they traded picks for
and then signed to contract extensions. They went out and
(09:36):
they rebuilt their offensive line. And the other guy who
I think is widely perceived as a rising star in
the NFL, the guy Darnell Right, the right tackle, first
round picked a couple of years ago. This year, he
really seems to have taken hold and really seems to
be have become a force. And I will be very
(09:58):
interested Max to see whether they have enough confidence in
Darnell Wright to leave him one on one with TJ.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Watt, because most teams do not. TJ.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Watt is by far the most chipped player in the NFL,
meaning somebody will come up and hit him and now
the tackle can set and have a chance to try
to block him after that. So you know, a running
back or a tight end or somebody will chip block TJ. Watt,
which you know makes life hard to get home to
the passer. It's amazing that he's got the amount of
sacks he's got when you consider that he's the most
(10:33):
chipped player in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Will they leave.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Darnell Wright on on his own against TJ.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Watt?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
So first of all, I want to ask you about
that matchup, and then I'm going to ask you something
about getting ready for a matchup like that. But first,
what's your thoughts on Darnell Wright and and the way
he's progressed and whether they might.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Possibly leave him on an island against TJ.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Watt And And it wouldn't be the first on that
somebody's felt confidence in their player to to leave TJ.
Watt alone. And I mean we saw that in the
in the Innneapolis game, right, you know it was it
was a lot of one on one and release chips
by the tight end. And you know, I have to
think that Caroline's gonna do something very similar because you know, there, there, there, there, there,
(11:20):
There is no other opportunity to see how good your
tackle is and to see how he stacks up, and
going up against one of the most elite Now, I
think that sounds great in theory in the first half,
but the second half, when you're trying to win, and
especially if TJ has any success early, it is going
to put is going to put him Darnel Wright in
the dumps. And I love Darnel right. He was one
(11:41):
of my favorite tackles coming out, but he was only
a right tackle. I didn't have him slated for any
flex or left tackle abilities. And he's he's a bright
spot on that offensive line, he would say, I would say,
would be kind of one of their emotional and physical leaders.
That's growing with Caleb Williams as well. Right, you talk
about sembling this young nucleus for success in the future.
(12:03):
But you know that's gonna be a prime befeeder matchup.
What versus right? Is right? Is right correct? Or is right? Wrong? Boy?
I tell you what, if I was writing in the newspapers,
I would have some I would have some great headlines.
But but I think that's.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
He's the right don't forget that.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah, the right tackle, the right guy. But is he
the right guy for teaching a lot? Can he neutralize him?
You know? Now, now it's starting to go into like, uh,
I don't even know. I felt like Baine in the
in the Batman movie just now. But yeah, but I mean,
you know, you're absolutely right. I think that matchup is
gonna be gonna be very crucial. You know how our
(12:49):
interior pass rush we talked about how Keanu Bitton, Cam Hayward,
Derek Harmon and y A. Black are all kind of
getting in this nice rotation with each other on the interior.
Can they can they affect the interior of this squad,
because you know what's funny is when the Bears got
rid of Justin Fields, it was all about Justin and
(13:13):
not about the accountability that offensive line. And then last
year they stayed with the same offensive line and they
gave Justin and you saw what happened. This year they
really went and we're earnest about upgrading the position, I
mean of making it to where you have got to
you know, you got to have it. And what I
(13:35):
want to see. What I'm what I'm going to be
looking for are all those matchups on the old line,
but then and then and then it's gonna shift to
our offensive side, but we're staying on the defense side
of the ball. I really want to see the interior
of that defensive line. Get get some push and force
them if they do start to double TJ, get the
(13:57):
interior push going and allow them a flush out to
to TJ and make good things happen. And I think
that's I'm excited about that prospect as well.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
So Max, you're a young offensive lineman, right, and I
know you both you played both on the inside of
the offensive line and the outside of the offensive line.
Uh so forgetting you know too, he's a veteran, right,
So Tony's going against Cam Hayward. And as a veteran,
I'm sure you're gonna be asked to go against a
certain guy. So both as a as a young guy
(14:30):
with Darnell Wright, you know, going against TJ. Watt and
with you know, also as a veteran guy going against
a player like a Cam Heyward who's you know, still
playing great football.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
What was your sort of what was your did your mentality.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Change at all in the week leading up knowing you
were going against a great one? And what a scheme
and TJ. Watt and Cam Heyward are both great ones?
What a scheme change at all? Even a little bit
in which somebody might say, Okay, here's what we're gonna
do to help you, because not that we don't trust you,
(15:08):
but it's a big ask. So take me through the
mental part and whether there are actually little tweaks to
what would what you would do scheme.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Wise to block up a great player?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
So as a young guy, you have to build your
book and by build your book. I mean that's watching
film and then taking notes on said film because you
need to know what the tendencies are of said defender
that you're going against as a young guy. And this
is where Barrett Brooks comes in for me in my
story of my journey as offensive lineman, because I thought
(15:44):
I knew how to take notes. I thought I knew
how to watch film. And Barrett was like, Max, I'm
gonna show you how this really goes and this should
help you forward. So we sat, we watched film, and
he just pointed out different things that I hadn't thought of. Right,
He's like, oh up up, see see inside foots back,
(16:05):
inside foots back. Guess what he could do? He can
cross faces zero two or four, you know, and you
kind of put that in there, you know, right hand down,
left foot back, and the ability is such and such.
You know. You you you build that and you watch
all the third down film, you watch all the known
(16:27):
passing play film, and then you watch you know, chicken
nuggets mix somewhere in there, right and what I like
to call it, the chicken nuggets are those little those
little nuggets of information, and you put those in there,
like so if he likes to tilt, you know, versus
(16:47):
versus playing straight up, straight up with the line of
scrimmage perpendicularly to the line of scrimmage. If he's a
guy who likes to tilt either way, and what does
he do off of that tilt? So you build a tilt,
you build a tilt profile, you build you build a
head up profile, and then you build detached profile. So
these are all the kind of things that you go
(17:08):
through as a young guy that you have that you
have to take into your mind because all of that information,
by you writing it down, by you visually consuming it
and watching it, you're now ready when you see it
live to just react. And then that also helps with
the preparation. During the week, you talk to your defensive
line whoever's on the show team, and you say, oh, hey,
(17:32):
A says he Oda Maywell. I would hope that the
teammates have have a have an easier name for him.
But you say, hey, if this is one where you're
taking the contained rush, can you can you do it
this way? You know, I'm not asking you to tell
me what play you're running at that time, because you
know I want to be you need to be prepared
(17:53):
as much as you can to assume you're in a
game time situation and how much time it takes to process.
Can you make sure that you tilt tilt five. I
know what the card says, but can you just give
me tilt five? And this is what he likes to do,
so just vary it up for me. That's actually what
you do as a young guy getting ready for a game.
(18:14):
That's how you should get ready for it. That's how
I would I would always tell guys how to do
that because you could ask Willie Cologne treyas. I did
the same thing that Barrett Brooks did for me. I
paid it forward and we all sat down Jonathan Scott
when he was here and I was on IR with
my neck, you know, we watched film every day to
(18:36):
get him ready, and I told him exactly what he
needed to write, how he needed to look at every
single play. And then you understand when it comes game day, boom,
I am here to react. Only like the faster processing
speeds happened while the plays are getting called in the huddle,
what you're working with and then how you're going to
(18:57):
execute against said guy, and then you build that for
each player and then what you do is at the
end of every year, you save that so that you
could go back to it, and you're building your library.
The notebook is your library and living, breathing library of
your thoughts, your skills, abilities, went right, what went wrong?
(19:18):
All there in your notebook and you can access that
at any time. And that's what I enjoyed for a
long time. I'd be like, oh yeah, let me go
back to year three, you know, and pull out Okay, well,
who are the guys then? What are they doing now
versus what they could have done? And that's really how
I go about the process of getting ready for an
opponent is going through that. That's why I watched a
(19:40):
ton of film at home. I mean, listen, Mac in
the video department, guys. Is back in the era where
we had VHS's and DVDs, I know, kids, back in
the late nineteen hundreds, there was a technology that was
invented called the television h No, just joking, but that's
how I did. I go in there and say, hey,
can I get a cut up of just all third
(20:01):
down long, long, and medium? Can I get third down
and short? Can I get first down? Past plays? Because
now you're this deep in the season, you have a
lot to go off of, You have a lot of snaps.
You have over ten games that you can go draw
from and look at and start to make informed decisions
(20:21):
about how you're going to attack combat and overcome. What
is the opponent.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
So by the way we talk about, you know, young
guys and veterans and helping each other along the offensive line,
you know, every game, I'm sure is a little bit different.
Every opponent's a little bit different. Yesterday, Jerry mentioned that
we saw each other at a luncheon and John Coleb
was there, and John Coleb told a story with Craig
(20:50):
Wolfley that Wolf came in replaced the left guard for
the Steelers, who had been Colb's long time running mate,
and was what's that.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Sam Adam No, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Sam Adams, Yeah no,
Sam something Sam Sam, Sam Davis, Sam Dave Davis. Yeah, yeah,
there we go, Sam, Sam Adams.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Sam Sam Davis and uh and Wolf was coming in
and making a lot of line calls and and uh,
you know, John had been used to playing with Sam
Davis and so they didn't even need any line calls,
and so he was.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
He was driving him crazy.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
He said, you're driving me crazy, kid, and Wolf just
kept making the line calls and uh, they're playing against
Tampa and Leroy Some and the Great Hall of Famer
just totally blew by John Coleb and Cob turned around
expecting to see, you know, Terry Bradshaw flat on his
back instead Bradshaws jumping up and down because he's just
(21:49):
throwing a touchdown pass. And Wolf was standing over the
top of the Great Leroy Some and the Hall of
Famer who blown past Colb, and Colb looked at Wolf,
and Wolf look back at Coleby and said, I got.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Your back, old man.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
So uh, you know, you never know how it's gonna
how it's gonna wind up. But h but the key
is to get those guys blocked. And those are just
two matchups I really can't wait to see, you know.
Will they leave Darnell Wright, who is really emerging as
a top tier Pro Bowl maybe even All Pro caliber
(22:24):
right tackle.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Will they leave them alone on TJ.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Watt?
Speaker 4 (22:26):
And what is that match up with Toney and Cam
Hayward gonna look like? Because there's another one. Look they
they might other teams might double Cam Hayward, and Cam
might get some single up on Tony and might have
some opportunities to make some places as well.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Max. Yeah, No, I I think that's that's kind of
the opportunity, right is is how do you neutralize one
side and listen, Like I said, I like Darnell Wright.
I think I think he's an excellent young player. You know,
I think him Paris Johnson with the Cardinals are two
(23:05):
very high level young tackles that are making a difference.
But you could you you could literally ruin their confidence
with a bad day. And TJ. Watt is that bad
day kind of like how I look outside right now
and it's gray and we're going to like our fourth
day of rain. It feels like in a row, which
(23:26):
is crazy, but you know, everything I had in my
plan of what I want to do, how I want
to do it, I got a great day going. And
then you look outside and you're like, ugh, you know
that's how I kind of feel. You can do that
if you're like, hey, Darnelle, you got them by yourself.
This is going to prove who you are. And he
(23:47):
starts to struggle, you know, That's that's where it is.
And T J. Watt is a skilled and crafty dude,
you just can't put one guy on him, and and
how is he going to respond if you put one
guy on him? You know, I think that's where it's
going to be very intriguing how he gets pressure. But
you open the door for you know, a lot of
(24:08):
other guys because I wonder defensively, because you can't really
blitz if it's Aaron or or Mason because your second
level is is what's going to be a differentiator. You know,
(24:29):
I think, you know, if if we deploy a three linebacker,
look right, if we use Malle Harrison again and then
you leave Pat and Peyton on the outsides, Now, I
think those guys can flourish against against Caleb Willis because
they're they're they're the ones that are really going to
confuse and disrupt him. You know. I think the pass
rush is going to hurry up the process of Caleb
(24:52):
Bulls because he's not gonna want to get sacked. But
when you put that pressure on him, you force him
to make some bad decisions or he holds onto the foot. Well,
remember he's had some of the worst sacks. Also, remember
he took that twenty yard sack. Yeah, oh my god,
you know it was like last year and he still
takes like ten and eleven yard sacks, but he will
(25:13):
literally run backwards for like twenty yards and that's not
going to help your young right tackle. That's going to
kill him. Yeah, so so yeah, but I know we're
running along on this segment, but they're Peyton Wilson, Pat Queen.
If you deploy Malik Wilson, Malik Harrison, that's going to
also do it because they're there for Kyle ma Nung
Guy and DeAndre Swift. They can have some excellent games
(25:36):
as well.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Yeah. I can't wait.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
And Caleb Williams, we haven't even tackled him yet. He
is tough to tackle, by the way, and we'll get
to that when we continue. In the Locker Room, presented
our Neighborhood Ford Store and this year's Pro Shop on
Steere's Nation Radio, a part of the Steers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Star
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your Neighborhood Ford 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.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Com and we thank you very much for being with
us in the locker room and Max, as we get
ready for this game against Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
I think that KILEB.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Williams is really an interesting guy. And you know, so
as we look at the Steelers defense, and you know,
if you look at the overall numbers, this is again
where we talk about trends and we talk about numbers
and statistics and what do they mean. Weeks one through eight,
the Steelers defense gave up twenty five points per game,
three hundred and eighty six yards per game, and they
(26:50):
had one point four takeaways per game in the game.
Since Week nine on, they've allowed only nineteen points per game.
They've allowed three hundred twenty six yards per game, so
six fewer points and sixty fewer yards per game, and
they've doubled their takeaways one point four roughly one point
four to two point seven.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
So that's that's good.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
As we look at numbers trending in the right direction,
and I bring up numbers because Caleb Williams numbers are
they're really interesting. Like there's a couple of games where
he has been spectacular and has been a huge reason
that they've won the games.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
There's also been games that they've won and he hasn't
been great.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Now, he does bring the element of being able to
throw the not only well, he's got a great arm,
although his throwing can be inconsistent. He's also a terrific runner,
and he's been running more this year than last year.
He also had a game earlier this year. He was
sacked every single game last year. First couple of games
this year he was sacked and he finally had a
game I think it was Week three in which he
(27:55):
wasn't sacked for the first time. But he's still a
little bit of an up and down guy. Can you
do something to make him more down than up in
this game or as a young talented guy like this,
just one day he's going to be hot and one
day he's going to be cold, and and you just
(28:15):
have to hope for the best.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Well, I think, you know, one of the main things
that there's there's a difference in his performance when he
is in gun versus under center in a passing situation.
So really, I think one of the biggest things that
I'm looking at and how I'm assessing it is I
need to make him uncomfortable in his timing when he
(28:42):
when he drops back from under center and he's more
in rhythm from under center and getting the ball out.
But if you can hold up and jam at the
line of scrimmage, allow the pass rush to kind of
get to him a little bit. Now it forces him
in the shotgun right because now I need to create
space as is now tendency. That's what it's been in Oklahoma,
(29:02):
this has been in usc But he tends to hold
the ball longer and shotgun because the timing and the
rhythm of it all is thrown off for him. You know,
he could read he could not read safeties and secondaries
a year ago. He's getting better. Ben Johnson's really pressing
the issue and trying to create less I was, I
(29:25):
would say, less thinking, more reacting to what's presented when
he gets in that. But it's still been an adjustment.
So it's hot and cold there. But that's where he
struggles a lot more. When I look at that first
Minnesota game, you know what was the difference from the
dominance in the first half to the uncertainty in the
second half. It was him being a shotgun and him
(29:48):
trying to find the guys Minnesota, Brian Floydes did a
really good job of confusing the coverages for him, so
he held the ball, started padding. That's when the sacks came.
And you kind of saw that kind of creeping its
head in in games to where you know he had
he kind of almost either speeds up too quick and
that his overthrows or he's holding the ball too long.
(30:11):
And we talked about those long sacks that he'll take,
trying to trying to beat guys with his feet because
he's tough to go down like. That's when that starts
to come into play. But once you get to him,
you got you got to affect him. You've got to
get him on the ground. You've got to hit him,
you've got to make him feel jittery. And that stars,
I believe, really with the shotgun versus more so when
he's under center and things aren't in line rhythm. That's
(30:34):
just that's that's just my early preliminary watching and understanding
the difference between a tale of two calybse.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
You know, one of the things that the Bears do
schematically is they do a lot of pre snap movement
and they involve those guys. So first of all, Dj
Moore gets gets rushes, kind of like I'm on Saint
Brown does. Remember Ben Johnson was in Detroit, he was
the offensive coordinator for the Lions. He's now his in
(31:03):
his first season as a head coach for the Bears,
and clearly by the record, and even if just the
record alone, is doing an excellent job. Part of the
reason he was brought in supposed to be very good
with quarterbacks as well. He has Caleb Williams. He's trying
to get Caleb Williams to, you know, eliminate some of
the mistakes that plague young quarterbacks. And you know, uses
(31:26):
legs more running the football doing other things. And he's
certainly capable, extremely capable of running. He's fast, he can
really move. Probably, oh, I was gonna make a comparison.
Maybe reminded me of Jade and Daniels. Regardless, he can
really run, but they do so much movement and they do,
(31:47):
you know, they they It's like if you're ever a
high school player who played against a wing tea right,
and you don't see it very often, and all of
a sudden, you know, guys are running and as the
ball is being snapped, the guy who's running is getting
the ball, and all of a sudden, you're like, whoa
holy macre, this is happening fast.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You know.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
They'll do they'll do jet sweeps, they'll do guys will
run a motion and they'll get a handoff, but they'll
cut it inside. They'll give it to somebody in a reverse,
but that guy will then.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Throw the football. I mean they do.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
It's not just Hey, we're gonna show you some motion
to see what you're doing, right, Like a lot of motion. Okay,
we're gonna bring this guy in motion. That's gonna be
the telltale. Are you playing cover two? Cover three?
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Is it? Man?
Speaker 4 (32:26):
What are you trying to disguise? We're gonna suss that
out by putting a guy in motion. They're using those
guys in motion a lot, and they run a lot
of trick plays, a lot of misdirection stuff, a lot
of stuff that's intended to get you on your heels,
and then all of a sudden, boom, they'll get it
to somebody moving fast. They present a lot of difficulties
(32:47):
for a defense just by all the misdirection and speed
with which they're trying to play.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Yeah. No, they want pace. They want to rhythm, and
they want to make sure that they're not allowing you
to get set or get a beat on them, because,
like I said, when you're when you're in more of
a hurry up style and you're trying to spread and
move guys around pre snap so you can give your
quarterback every single tail possible. Right that that's why you move.
(33:16):
That's what Andy Reid does so much pre snap movement
with Patrick Mahomes because he's given Patrick Mahomes information and
that information is coming in zone versus man, is coming
too high versus single high. It's okay, this is the
dog in blitz. This is not how What did the
(33:37):
linebackers do when I shifted the running back from one
side to the other side of me in the shotgun? Right?
Is it showing that it's a man concept or is
that a zone concept too? What are their tendencies in
the zone concept? What are their tendencies in the man concept?
Like all of that, that's all that smoke and mirrors does.
And it creates just information. But when it you know
(34:00):
how to disseminate and how to read that information very valuable. Uh,
Caleb Williams, I think is still learning that. And I
think it's just trying to clear the picture up for
him for disguises, because he doesn't do well with disguise.
So if I know that as the Steelers, I'm planning
for that. I'm planning for that, and how could I
(34:21):
how could I disguise it? Maybe maybe I rock the
safety down when a guy comes across the formation as
a wide receiver tight end and you switch from strength
left to strength right. But yet at reality it's a
zone and now those guys are going to really kind
of bump it over or he's going to be late
(34:41):
trail and play play inside out. Those are the things
that I'm that that that I'm hoping our defense will
be ready to combat after watching the film, because that
is something that they're very good at rob or I
should say intentional because technically YEH to be good at
reading that it is a skill of itself, and I
think for kle Williams, it's just it's to eliminate the potential,
(35:05):
and they do it early enough to guess what the
mic is still hot in his ear from Ben Johnson
or whoever's calling the place. I believe it's still Ben Johnson.
So it's imperative that if you are disguising. If you
are going that that you don't give him anything as
(35:25):
early as possible, hold it until after that microphone goes off,
hold it till right before the snap, and then just
get into position. That's gonna be Really the key is
how well can you disguise with a team that likes
to motion and move guys around a.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
Lot, right, And it's it's gonna be interesting because that's
part of it. So when you see the game, and
hopefully you'll you'll if you're watching it on TV, of
course you'll listen to us.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
That's what we're hoping for, but yes, and then turn
the volume up. That's right.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
A lot of pre movement, a ton of it designed
to confuse, but also designed to play with pace and
a very very interesting attack. And at the heart of
that is their ability still to run the football, which
is something we were to talk about next. First, before
we head to break, we want to remind you that
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(36:22):
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team at shop dot Steelers dot com. Back with more
(36:42):
in the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood Forward Stour
and the Steers Pro Shop. One Steeers Nation Radio, a
part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
This is in the locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
All right, back inside the locker room. Last segment of
the day, but most importantly, Rob, we know what time
it is. It's the bell lap, that's right. Early lunch
warning system is engaged out there Steeler Nation fourteen minutes
tea minus fourteen minutes before it is top o'clock at noon,
(37:39):
and of course foraging time will be in full effect.
Go enjoy something something lunches, because what's what's the weather
like out there today, Rob, it's a little chili little
chilly today.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
Is it is a good day for a chili Use
the word chili.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
It's a good day for chili or bowl soup. Woke
up this morning itty two degrees.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Supposed to get an overnight freeze, I'm told so, yeah,
it's it is November.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Yep. Okay, so full effect here. And I will say
this unseasonably cold here in Arizona. It is fifty one
degrees in rainy and the high is only fifty eight today,
so very breezy, very cold. There was hail last night. Hail.
We got hail with the rainstorm, so it dropped out
(38:29):
like in the forties. So yeah, So I mean we're
we're experiencing almost similar weather to Pittsburgh out here.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
We caught a little sleek this morning.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
Now I have to ask you this because you know,
if people are down in Florida and it gets to
be in the forties, let's say the forties right in March,
so the air is already a little bit damp, and
now you get that.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
I don't know if it's the wind, I don't.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
Know what it is, but forty five degrees and breezy
in Florida, that would be welcome. Forty five degrees in
breezy in March in Pittsburgh, Like, bring it on. Man,
you're outside with a maybe a long sleeved shirt, no
jacket because you've been so used to the cold. But
if you're down in Florida, it is I mean, it
(39:18):
is a degree of cold. It's like five degrees here.
I mean, I'm not even exaggerating it. Just that wind.
It doesn't mean it matter how many layers you get on.
I don't know if it's the damp wind, the sea air,
I don't know what it is. Does fifty eight feel
horrendously cold in Arizona when you're used to warmer weather
or is it just hey, throwing a jacket and keep moving.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
I feel like throwing a jacket and keep moving. You know,
we don't have ocean water and those breezes and everything.
That's what I wondered if it was here. Yeah, I
wonder if that was the desert. So yeah, I mean Florida, Yeah,
I mean and growing up as a native Florida kid,
like you know, people are in like full like you
winter goose downs, you know, when it gets in the fifties,
(40:03):
which is hilarious, right, because you're just not used to
that type of cold out here. You know, you're already
wearing jeans, so you already wear pants more often than not,
just because it's the dustier conditions and everything else. But yeah,
you just throw the jacket on and keep it moving. Now.
Now that now, I will say this Arizona driving in
wet weather is not that great. They they're not conditioned
(40:25):
to do that as as natives. But you know, I
lived in Pittsburgh, so I'm used to driving in that
type of weather. So it did bother me. You know,
rain or snow or anything. So you know how to
act accordingly, right. You know, you see a puddle on
a freeway, you don't just flow it through there, right,
You don't want a hydroplane or anything or loose control,
(40:46):
you know. But people out here will just drive so
super cautiously snow slow. But yet when a haboob comes
a dust doorm, people are flying in this dust storm
with their emergency with their flashers on. So it's it's
always that conundrum. But you know, as far as the
dress and dealing and combating with the cold, I mean,
for the most part. Everybody's well adjusted, well equipped.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
To deal with that.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
I feel like, you know out here, because you know
it's never gonna get bad enough that's really going to snow,
So you never have that fear. It's just it gets chilly,
and then it usually warms up during the day because
more often that the sun pokes out and gives you
about fifteen to twenty degrees more warmth when that happens.
Speaker 4 (41:29):
So we've got that sussed out. Go get yourself a
nice lunch today, right, take your.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Time at the end of the day. Joyote is get
good lunch, get good food. Yes, do both.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
So I wanted to ask you Max about this running
attack for the Bears. You know, I think when you
see a young quarterback and you know, you see all
the weapons that they've gotten, the the high draft picks
they've spent on, you know, tight end in Colston Loveland,
and you know some of the receivers Doune's and players
(42:02):
like that, and just in recent years, you'd expect it
to be kind of maybe a high flying team. It
reminds me a little bit of the Rams, only in
that I think the outside perception, you know, I think
that's changed for the Rams. But years ago they had
Stafford and you think of it as a are they
going to be a finesse team and airing it out
and they got the receivers putting up the big numbers
(42:22):
and all that stuff. But the Rams are happy to
run it down your throat. You know, they have that
inside run and then their receivers can all block and
that sort of thing. But I don't know what people's
perceptions are of the Bears, but it's the number two
rushing attack in the league. And I know Caleb Williams
is part of that rushing attack for sure. But with
(42:43):
Swift and Manungai, you know, two physical runners, they are
more than happy to pound it down your throat. And
by the way, third you know, a team that goes
forward a lot on fourth down, third and eight, they
might run them all and get into a four try
to get into hey pick up six yards. A lot
of times that's teams just saying, okay, we'll pick up
six and we'll punt it on fourth and two and
(43:04):
maybe our guy will break one, but they'll use it
to set up a fourth down play. I mean, this
is a team that is that wants to play a
physical brand of football, all the movement and all the
other stuff, and all the draft picks they've spent. They
want to be able to run the football, and they
do it as well as pretty much anybody in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
No, I think you absolutely hit it on the head.
They are a team that likes to run and they,
like you said, they do it at a high clip.
And you know, just to kind of give you some
of those stats, like you said, third and rushing in
the league one forty six point six yards a game,
total offense fourth in the league, Kinger with almost three
(43:44):
hundred and seventy five yards per game. And you know,
lowest fumbles lost, right, They've only lost two fumbles their
turnover differential this is the big one plus sixteen Kinger.
Speaker 4 (44:00):
They don'ty two takeaways, which is four more than anybody else.
That's a lot more. First of all, it's a lot,
and it's a lot more than anybody else.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
Yeah, because here's the thing. The Steelers are at eighteen
at second so you got the number way, you know,
number one at number two playing each other, Steelers are
at eighteen, but like you said, you know they're they're
at twenty two, and that's four more and that's crazy
because that's us and that so they're very good at
taking care of the football. So how do you affect
(44:32):
the team that is really good at taking care of
the football, your team that's predicated on turning them over?
You got to go find a way, you know, you
have to find a way, and that that's the best
way of saying it. But to be in those places,
I mean, if we just did that from a year ago,
year ago, it seemed like it was inverse, like they were,
you know, back half of the league. Okay, so Ben
(44:55):
Johnson's already come in and made this offense a lot
more efficient than it was a year ago. One of
the areas they do struggle and they're funny enough, you know,
it's it's right in line with us. They're not good
on fourth down conversions, which Steos technically aren't good at
(45:16):
fourth down uh stoppages either defensively, So that's gonna be
a tilt. They're both thirtieth in the league in that
in that respectful side. But but when I kind of
go back to your original question, which was, you know,
how do you slow them down in the run game?
You that's where incertainly, Harrison, right, I kind of talked
about that in the previous segments, like how you deploy
(45:38):
him and how you get to that kind of that
four three look that for the two five look, I
guess is how you would for four guys on the
line of scrimmage three guys on the second level. You've
got you've got to affect. You've got to make sure
that you're not losing guys, and like you said, they're
a team that loves to go with it in that
in that fourth down range if they make it manageable
(46:01):
or short for them so that they can plunge and
run either full back dive, running back dive, the plunge
play with the quarterback the boot out at eight or
nine to try and get you condensed down. That's what
they want to do. And so you've you've got to
(46:23):
keep them in second and long, third and long situations
to make sure that that's not a possibility. But it's
gonna be It's gonna be a tough job because I mean,
you look at DeAndre Swift last game twenty one carries
for him, Kamon Ung Guy last game twelve carries for
him as well, and he got another, you know, opportunity.
(46:47):
Travis Homer had a compensatory carry there in there. So
between that group alone, that is thirty four rushes attempts. Yep.
And that's not including our good buddy Kayler Williams who
had four additional So this is a team that ran
(47:09):
the ball thirty eight times out of their possible dropbacks
and then thirty two passing attempts. Just think about that
thirty eight thirty two, right, and that gave you seventy
offensive plays. That's a lot of offensive plays that they're running.
They're running a high amount of that. So you've got
(47:32):
to be on your p's and qes if you are
the Steelers defense, and you have to turn them away
at third and fourth down. Now they're tied for eleventh
and third down conversion, so you know they don't like
to get the fourth that often because they're not as good,
they're not as solid. But they're a lot more solid
at third down because they get the third and show
some third meetings because they rush the ball so effectively.
(47:52):
So you've got to stop the run against this team.
That's just what it comes down to.
Speaker 4 (47:56):
And we have so much to get to in that
regard and so much to talk about with this matchup,
which we will get to tomorrow. We will continue that
our thanks to Justin Miller and Nathan Osler at the
controls back in our Heart studio for Max Stark time
Rob King, we thank you for being with us in
the Locker Room presented by our neighborhood Ford Store and
the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
(48:17):
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 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 (00:25):
All right, yeah, you know what time it is, you
hear optimists. You know what we're doing here. It's the
power hour here inside the locker room. And you know
our number two. We always get a little bit deeper
of a dive into all things for this matchup on
(00:49):
a football Thursday. So I turned it beck over to
you Ravoto.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
You know, uh, Maximilian, what would be the Spanish?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
We are going full governments here? Well you went Robert, though,
So I was trying. I was trying to go, and
I don't know where I would go with.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Max in in the Spanish language.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Yeah, Maxo, Uh so Max. A couple of matchups I
am really looking forward to, and I'm going to start
on the Bears offensive line Steeers defensive line. I love
these matchups. You know, we had the the big one
in Indianapolis. Uh right, Uh, you know along the offensive
(01:29):
line with Cam Hayward. Now he gets another guy in
Joe Toney, who is been to three straight Pro Bowls
of course with Kansas City Bears pick him up in
a trade. Uh, they get touny at two times. He's
been an All Pro the last three years, so he's
playing some of his best football. And he and Cam Hayward.
(01:52):
I just, you know, if I was at home and
I could take my eyes off the ball instead of
calling the game, I would be focusing on that matchup
quite a bit because it's just look, obviously it's gonna
be important, right, it's important to the to the game,
but more than that, it's just two great players going
(02:14):
at it.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
And a lot of times, you know.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
We'll see, Okay, hey, how's Sauce Gardener gonna do against
Jamar Chase. Let's watch that matchup because the ball is
gonna go there, and it's exciting. I'd be excited about
watching this matchup. I mean, Toney is very very good obviously,
and Cam Hayward is great. I just I can't wait
to watch or see how this matchup is going to evolve.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah, And I think I think, you know, when we
look at matchups when we look at history, we look
at time. You know, we can extrapolate certain parts of it.
But this is where huh man, you know, the future
versus kind of the old guard, Right. I think that's
kind of you know, where we're at, and our guy
(03:00):
is ready to assume that responsibility, assume the mantle, so
to speak, you know, passing on in a generation. There there,
there is there is a significant overtone of this game,
but like you said that, that's more of the undertone
of this game. Right, it's how are you going to
(03:21):
do this? Because the overtone is keep first place of
your respective divisions, right that that because the teams that
are in number two, namely Detroit, namely Baltimore, right, known suspects,
known commodities that have developed this sort of consistency and
success model. I mean, I'll never forget you know, my
(03:45):
sorry about that. You hear me? I thought you lost me?
So I was like, should drop you know? Uh? Because
there is and and and this is this is what
I love about football. When you're when you're on, when
you play on a good team, right, every game is
important because there is always something on the line, right,
(04:08):
you know, you have something to lose. In the process.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
So let a little bit of that cage control, uh
fear and propel you in the right direction, because it
can be.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It's already a long and daunting season, right, it's already
a time where it's uneasy because none of it is easy.
And for the Steelers specifically, it's creating consistency. It's keeping
(04:46):
the first place lead that you work so hard to
establish at the beginning of the year. It's also the
pride of looking each man that's to your left or
your right, eye to eye and meeting them where there are,
where they are, and trying to elevate everyone around you
because you know, there there's been generations of players that
(05:11):
can't win in Chicago, right, I mean, I think that's
that's what you have to kind of go with. And
and you know, for Chicago playing the Steelers, like, we
only do this once every four years, so you've got
to make it count because you're not going to see
this team again potentially until twenty twenty nine season, you know,
(05:35):
I mean at the earliest. So what are we going
to do to wait and stem off this tide of
momentum offensively buy Chicago? And what are you going to
do defensively to affect Caleb Williams. That's really what this
comes down to. Is it the pass rush? Is it
(05:56):
the secondary shutting down the timing routes? What is it?
Is it linebackers fast flowing and fast filling on the outside,
Like you have to figure out that storyline, I think,
and I think we will as a group and by
us as a group of me and you and Missy, right,
(06:17):
you know, we will figure out what that looks like
because I think that's gonna be my other intriguing thing. Obviously,
Aaron is number one, right, He's earned that. Right, he's
earned that cachet, and his resume speaks for itself, especially
its Chicago Bears. But what about everybody else where? Do
(06:38):
they stand and what are they going to do to
keep their legacy that they that they're building alive? What
are they going to do to take pride in the work.
And I'm not saying they don't, but I'm just saying
these are the questions I'm posing because it helps answer. Right,
(07:00):
these are like word prompts in a journal. You know,
it's like, hey, my day went well because right, well
say they can be aplaied for football. My day went well,
because what and you got to answer that as not
only a man and a competitor, but a member of
this team because that's what it takes. The work is
(07:23):
the work, and there is no free rise. There is
no easy process to this. It's just it's a concert
in unison and can you all get on the same page.
One person, you know, needs to take off that additional
left shoe, put the right shoe back on, and you
know what what is defense going to do to answer?
(07:44):
And really play this game with each other offense versus defense,
and this happens to be the Bears are stand ins.
But that's what that's really what you want to see
and that's what I'm hoping I'm going to see.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Yeah, So you know Quentin Nelson I mentioned Indiana, was
Quentin Nelson who is building a potential case for Canton
throughout the course of his career.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
He and Cam Hayward have gone at it before.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Cam's really done a pretty nice job against him. The
Joe Tooney matchup I think they played when Tuney for sure,
when Tony was in New England. And my recollection is
that Cam had a pretty good game against Tony and
has performed well against him in the past, and the
other matchup. I'm looking forward to just a long in
the trenches Max, and again we'll get wider. A lot
(08:32):
of times we start wide and go narrow. But I
was so excited about these matchups along the offensive line
that I wanted to get to you with them. So
keep in mind. Now, Chicago, they had a really interesting offseason.
So obviously everybody knows where. Fans of the show will know,
fans of the NFL will know. They selected Caleb Williams
with the overall number one pick in last year's draft.
(08:54):
You get a Doonesa at the wide receiver position to
give him some guys. You get Dj Moore to give
him some guys to throw to. You pick up Zakias
Alamode Zakias in free agency to add another target. You
spend a second round pick this year on Luther Burden. Okay, great, Uh,
what else? How are you going to make sure that
(09:14):
he isn't getting killed back there? Well, so you already
got a second round tight end and Cole Comett. You
had another one a first round or this year in
Coleston Lovelin. And they went out in free agency they
got a new center and two new guards, and both
those guards, Jonah Jackson and Tooney, they traded picks for
and then signed to contract extensions. They went out and
(09:36):
they rebuilt their offensive line. And the other guy who
I think is widely perceived as a rising star in
the NFL, the guy Darnell Right, the right tackle, first
round picked a couple of years ago. This year, he
really seems to have taken hold and really seems to
be have become a force. And I will be very
(09:58):
interested Max to see whether they have enough confidence in
Darnell Wright to leave him one on one with TJ.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Watt, because most teams do not. TJ.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Watt is by far the most chipped player in the NFL,
meaning somebody will come up and hit him and now
the tackle can set and have a chance to try
to block him after that. So you know, a running
back or a tight end or somebody will chip block TJ. Watt,
which you know makes life hard to get home to
the passer. It's amazing that he's got the amount of
sacks he's got when you consider that he's the most
(10:33):
chipped player in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Will they leave.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Darnell Wright on on his own against TJ.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Watt?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
So first of all, I want to ask you about
that matchup, and then I'm going to ask you something
about getting ready for a matchup like that. But first,
what's your thoughts on Darnell Wright and and the way
he's progressed and whether they might.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Possibly leave him on an island against TJ.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Watt And And it wouldn't be the first on that
somebody's felt confidence in their player to to leave TJ.
Watt alone. And I mean we saw that in the
in the Innneapolis game, right, you know it was it
was a lot of one on one and release chips
by the tight end. And you know, I have to
think that Caroline's gonna do something very similar because you know, there, there, there, there, there,
(11:20):
There is no other opportunity to see how good your
tackle is and to see how he stacks up, and
going up against one of the most elite Now, I
think that sounds great in theory in the first half,
but the second half, when you're trying to win, and
especially if TJ has any success early, it is going
to put is going to put him Darnel Wright in
the dumps. And I love Darnel right. He was one
(11:41):
of my favorite tackles coming out, but he was only
a right tackle. I didn't have him slated for any
flex or left tackle abilities. And he's he's a bright
spot on that offensive line, he would say, I would say,
would be kind of one of their emotional and physical leaders.
That's growing with Caleb Williams as well. Right, you talk
about sembling this young nucleus for success in the future.
(12:03):
But you know that's gonna be a prime befeeder matchup.
What versus right? Is right? Is right correct? Or is right? Wrong? Boy?
I tell you what, if I was writing in the newspapers,
I would have some I would have some great headlines.
But but I think that's.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
He's the right don't forget that.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah, the right tackle, the right guy. But is he
the right guy for teaching a lot? Can he neutralize him?
You know? Now, now it's starting to go into like, uh,
I don't even know. I felt like Baine in the
in the Batman movie just now. But yeah, but I mean,
you know, you're absolutely right. I think that matchup is
gonna be gonna be very crucial. You know how our
(12:49):
interior pass rush we talked about how Keanu Bitton, Cam Hayward,
Derek Harmon and y A. Black are all kind of
getting in this nice rotation with each other on the interior.
Can they can they affect the interior of this squad,
because you know what's funny is when the Bears got
rid of Justin Fields, it was all about Justin and
(13:13):
not about the accountability that offensive line. And then last
year they stayed with the same offensive line and they
gave Justin and you saw what happened. This year they
really went and we're earnest about upgrading the position, I
mean of making it to where you have got to
you know, you got to have it. And what I
(13:35):
want to see. What I'm what I'm going to be
looking for are all those matchups on the old line,
but then and then and then it's gonna shift to
our offensive side, but we're staying on the defense side
of the ball. I really want to see the interior
of that defensive line. Get get some push and force
them if they do start to double TJ, get the
(13:57):
interior push going and allow them a flush out to
to TJ and make good things happen. And I think
that's I'm excited about that prospect as well.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
So Max, you're a young offensive lineman, right, and I
know you both you played both on the inside of
the offensive line and the outside of the offensive line.
Uh so forgetting you know too, he's a veteran, right,
So Tony's going against Cam Hayward. And as a veteran,
I'm sure you're gonna be asked to go against a
certain guy. So both as a as a young guy
(14:30):
with Darnell Wright, you know, going against TJ. Watt and
with you know, also as a veteran guy going against
a player like a Cam Heyward who's you know, still
playing great football.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
What was your sort of what was your did your mentality.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Change at all in the week leading up knowing you
were going against a great one? And what a scheme
and TJ. Watt and Cam Heyward are both great ones?
What a scheme change at all? Even a little bit
in which somebody might say, Okay, here's what we're gonna
do to help you, because not that we don't trust you,
(15:08):
but it's a big ask. So take me through the
mental part and whether there are actually little tweaks to
what would what you would do scheme.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Wise to block up a great player?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
So as a young guy, you have to build your
book and by build your book. I mean that's watching
film and then taking notes on said film because you
need to know what the tendencies are of said defender
that you're going against as a young guy. And this
is where Barrett Brooks comes in for me in my
story of my journey as offensive lineman, because I thought
(15:44):
I knew how to take notes. I thought I knew
how to watch film. And Barrett was like, Max, I'm
gonna show you how this really goes and this should
help you forward. So we sat, we watched film, and
he just pointed out different things that I hadn't thought of. Right,
He's like, oh up up, see see inside foots back,
(16:05):
inside foots back. Guess what he could do? He can
cross faces zero two or four, you know, and you
kind of put that in there, you know, right hand down,
left foot back, and the ability is such and such.
You know. You you you build that and you watch
all the third down film, you watch all the known
(16:27):
passing play film, and then you watch you know, chicken
nuggets mix somewhere in there, right and what I like
to call it, the chicken nuggets are those little those
little nuggets of information, and you put those in there,
like so if he likes to tilt, you know, versus
(16:47):
versus playing straight up, straight up with the line of
scrimmage perpendicularly to the line of scrimmage. If he's a
guy who likes to tilt either way, and what does
he do off of that tilt? So you build a tilt,
you build a tilt profile, you build you build a
head up profile, and then you build detached profile. So
these are all the kind of things that you go
(17:08):
through as a young guy that you have that you
have to take into your mind because all of that information,
by you writing it down, by you visually consuming it
and watching it, you're now ready when you see it
live to just react. And then that also helps with
the preparation. During the week, you talk to your defensive
line whoever's on the show team, and you say, oh, hey,
(17:32):
A says he Oda Maywell. I would hope that the
teammates have have a have an easier name for him.
But you say, hey, if this is one where you're
taking the contained rush, can you can you do it
this way? You know, I'm not asking you to tell
me what play you're running at that time, because you
know I want to be you need to be prepared
(17:53):
as much as you can to assume you're in a
game time situation and how much time it takes to process.
Can you make sure that you tilt tilt five. I
know what the card says, but can you just give
me tilt five? And this is what he likes to do,
so just vary it up for me. That's actually what
you do as a young guy getting ready for a game.
(18:14):
That's how you should get ready for it. That's how
I would I would always tell guys how to do
that because you could ask Willie Cologne treyas. I did
the same thing that Barrett Brooks did for me. I
paid it forward and we all sat down Jonathan Scott
when he was here and I was on IR with
my neck, you know, we watched film every day to
(18:36):
get him ready, and I told him exactly what he
needed to write, how he needed to look at every
single play. And then you understand when it comes game day, boom,
I am here to react. Only like the faster processing
speeds happened while the plays are getting called in the huddle,
what you're working with and then how you're going to
(18:57):
execute against said guy, and then you build that for
each player and then what you do is at the
end of every year, you save that so that you
could go back to it, and you're building your library.
The notebook is your library and living, breathing library of
your thoughts, your skills, abilities, went right, what went wrong?
(19:18):
All there in your notebook and you can access that
at any time. And that's what I enjoyed for a
long time. I'd be like, oh yeah, let me go
back to year three, you know, and pull out Okay, well,
who are the guys then? What are they doing now
versus what they could have done? And that's really how
I go about the process of getting ready for an
opponent is going through that. That's why I watched a
(19:40):
ton of film at home. I mean, listen, Mac in
the video department, guys. Is back in the era where
we had VHS's and DVDs, I know, kids, back in
the late nineteen hundreds, there was a technology that was
invented called the television h No, just joking, but that's
how I did. I go in there and say, hey,
can I get a cut up of just all third
(20:01):
down long, long, and medium? Can I get third down
and short? Can I get first down? Past plays? Because
now you're this deep in the season, you have a
lot to go off of, You have a lot of snaps.
You have over ten games that you can go draw
from and look at and start to make informed decisions
(20:21):
about how you're going to attack combat and overcome. What
is the opponent.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
So by the way we talk about, you know, young
guys and veterans and helping each other along the offensive line,
you know, every game, I'm sure is a little bit different.
Every opponent's a little bit different. Yesterday, Jerry mentioned that
we saw each other at a luncheon and John Coleb
was there, and John Coleb told a story with Craig
(20:50):
Wolfley that Wolf came in replaced the left guard for
the Steelers, who had been Colb's long time running mate,
and was what's that.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Sam Adam No, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Sam Adams, Yeah no,
Sam something Sam Sam, Sam Davis, Sam Dave Davis. Yeah, yeah,
there we go, Sam, Sam Adams.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
Sam Sam Davis and uh and Wolf was coming in
and making a lot of line calls and and uh,
you know, John had been used to playing with Sam
Davis and so they didn't even need any line calls,
and so he was.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
He was driving him crazy.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
He said, you're driving me crazy, kid, and Wolf just
kept making the line calls and uh, they're playing against
Tampa and Leroy Some and the Great Hall of Famer
just totally blew by John Coleb and Cob turned around
expecting to see, you know, Terry Bradshaw flat on his
back instead Bradshaws jumping up and down because he's just
(21:49):
throwing a touchdown pass. And Wolf was standing over the
top of the Great Leroy Some and the Hall of
Famer who blown past Colb, and Colb looked at Wolf,
and Wolf look back at Coleby and said, I got.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Your back, old man.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
So uh, you know, you never know how it's gonna
how it's gonna wind up. But h but the key
is to get those guys blocked. And those are just
two matchups I really can't wait to see, you know.
Will they leave Darnell Wright, who is really emerging as
a top tier Pro Bowl maybe even All Pro caliber
(22:24):
right tackle.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
Will they leave them alone on TJ.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Watt?
Speaker 4 (22:26):
And what is that match up with Toney and Cam
Hayward gonna look like? Because there's another one. Look they
they might other teams might double Cam Hayward, and Cam
might get some single up on Tony and might have
some opportunities to make some places as well.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Max. Yeah, No, I I think that's that's kind of
the opportunity, right is is how do you neutralize one
side and listen, Like I said, I like Darnell Wright.
I think I think he's an excellent young player. You know,
I think him Paris Johnson with the Cardinals are two
(23:05):
very high level young tackles that are making a difference.
But you could you you could literally ruin their confidence
with a bad day. And TJ. Watt is that bad
day kind of like how I look outside right now
and it's gray and we're going to like our fourth
day of rain. It feels like in a row, which
(23:26):
is crazy, but you know, everything I had in my
plan of what I want to do, how I want
to do it, I got a great day going. And
then you look outside and you're like, ugh, you know
that's how I kind of feel. You can do that
if you're like, hey, Darnelle, you got them by yourself.
This is going to prove who you are. And he
(23:47):
starts to struggle, you know, That's that's where it is.
And T J. Watt is a skilled and crafty dude,
you just can't put one guy on him, and and
how is he going to respond if you put one
guy on him? You know, I think that's where it's
going to be very intriguing how he gets pressure. But
you open the door for you know, a lot of
(24:08):
other guys because I wonder defensively, because you can't really
blitz if it's Aaron or or Mason because your second
level is is what's going to be a differentiator. You know,
(24:29):
I think, you know, if if we deploy a three linebacker,
look right, if we use Malle Harrison again and then
you leave Pat and Peyton on the outsides, Now, I
think those guys can flourish against against Caleb Willis because
they're they're they're the ones that are really going to
confuse and disrupt him. You know. I think the pass
rush is going to hurry up the process of Caleb
(24:52):
Bulls because he's not gonna want to get sacked. But
when you put that pressure on him, you force him
to make some bad decisions or he holds onto the foot. Well,
remember he's had some of the worst sacks. Also, remember
he took that twenty yard sack. Yeah, oh my god,
you know it was like last year and he still
takes like ten and eleven yard sacks, but he will
(25:13):
literally run backwards for like twenty yards and that's not
going to help your young right tackle. That's going to
kill him. Yeah, so so yeah, but I know we're
running along on this segment, but they're Peyton Wilson, Pat Queen.
If you deploy Malik Wilson, Malik Harrison, that's going to
also do it because they're there for Kyle ma Nung
Guy and DeAndre Swift. They can have some excellent games
(25:36):
as well.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Yeah. I can't wait.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
And Caleb Williams, we haven't even tackled him yet. He
is tough to tackle, by the way, and we'll get
to that when we continue. In the Locker Room, presented
our Neighborhood Ford Store and this year's Pro Shop on
Steere's Nation Radio, a part of the Steers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Star
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your Neighborhood Ford 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.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Com and we thank you very much for being with
us in the locker room and Max, as we get
ready for this game against Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
I think that KILEB.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Williams is really an interesting guy. And you know, so
as we look at the Steelers defense, and you know,
if you look at the overall numbers, this is again
where we talk about trends and we talk about numbers
and statistics and what do they mean. Weeks one through eight,
the Steelers defense gave up twenty five points per game,
three hundred and eighty six yards per game, and they
(26:50):
had one point four takeaways per game in the game.
Since Week nine on, they've allowed only nineteen points per game.
They've allowed three hundred twenty six yards per game, so
six fewer points and sixty fewer yards per game, and
they've doubled their takeaways one point four roughly one point
four to two point seven.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
So that's that's good.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
As we look at numbers trending in the right direction,
and I bring up numbers because Caleb Williams numbers are
they're really interesting. Like there's a couple of games where
he has been spectacular and has been a huge reason
that they've won the games.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
There's also been games that they've won and he hasn't
been great.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Now, he does bring the element of being able to
throw the not only well, he's got a great arm,
although his throwing can be inconsistent. He's also a terrific runner,
and he's been running more this year than last year.
He also had a game earlier this year. He was
sacked every single game last year. First couple of games
this year he was sacked and he finally had a
game I think it was Week three in which he
(27:55):
wasn't sacked for the first time. But he's still a
little bit of an up and down guy. Can you
do something to make him more down than up in
this game or as a young talented guy like this,
just one day he's going to be hot and one
day he's going to be cold, and and you just
(28:15):
have to hope for the best.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Well, I think, you know, one of the main things
that there's there's a difference in his performance when he
is in gun versus under center in a passing situation.
So really, I think one of the biggest things that
I'm looking at and how I'm assessing it is I
need to make him uncomfortable in his timing when he
(28:42):
when he drops back from under center and he's more
in rhythm from under center and getting the ball out.
But if you can hold up and jam at the
line of scrimmage, allow the pass rush to kind of
get to him a little bit. Now it forces him
in the shotgun right because now I need to create
space as is now tendency. That's what it's been in Oklahoma,
(29:02):
this has been in usc But he tends to hold
the ball longer and shotgun because the timing and the
rhythm of it all is thrown off for him. You know,
he could read he could not read safeties and secondaries
a year ago. He's getting better. Ben Johnson's really pressing
the issue and trying to create less I was, I
(29:25):
would say, less thinking, more reacting to what's presented when
he gets in that. But it's still been an adjustment.
So it's hot and cold there. But that's where he
struggles a lot more. When I look at that first
Minnesota game, you know what was the difference from the
dominance in the first half to the uncertainty in the
second half. It was him being a shotgun and him
(29:48):
trying to find the guys Minnesota, Brian Floydes did a
really good job of confusing the coverages for him, so
he held the ball, started padding. That's when the sacks came.
And you kind of saw that kind of creeping its
head in in games to where you know he had
he kind of almost either speeds up too quick and
that his overthrows or he's holding the ball too long.
(30:11):
And we talked about those long sacks that he'll take,
trying to trying to beat guys with his feet because
he's tough to go down like. That's when that starts
to come into play. But once you get to him,
you got you got to affect him. You've got to
get him on the ground. You've got to hit him,
you've got to make him feel jittery. And that stars,
I believe, really with the shotgun versus more so when
he's under center and things aren't in line rhythm. That's
(30:34):
just that's that's just my early preliminary watching and understanding
the difference between a tale of two calybse.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
You know, one of the things that the Bears do
schematically is they do a lot of pre snap movement
and they involve those guys. So first of all, Dj
Moore gets gets rushes, kind of like I'm on Saint
Brown does. Remember Ben Johnson was in Detroit, he was
the offensive coordinator for the Lions. He's now his in
(31:03):
his first season as a head coach for the Bears,
and clearly by the record, and even if just the
record alone, is doing an excellent job. Part of the
reason he was brought in supposed to be very good
with quarterbacks as well. He has Caleb Williams. He's trying
to get Caleb Williams to, you know, eliminate some of
the mistakes that plague young quarterbacks. And you know, uses
(31:26):
legs more running the football doing other things. And he's
certainly capable, extremely capable of running. He's fast, he can
really move. Probably, oh, I was gonna make a comparison.
Maybe reminded me of Jade and Daniels. Regardless, he can
really run, but they do so much movement and they do,
(31:47):
you know, they they It's like if you're ever a
high school player who played against a wing tea right,
and you don't see it very often, and all of
a sudden, you know, guys are running and as the
ball is being snapped, the guy who's running is getting
the ball, and all of a sudden, you're like, whoa
holy macre, this is happening fast.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You know.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
They'll do they'll do jet sweeps, they'll do guys will
run a motion and they'll get a handoff, but they'll
cut it inside. They'll give it to somebody in a reverse,
but that guy will then.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Throw the football. I mean they do.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
It's not just Hey, we're gonna show you some motion
to see what you're doing, right, Like a lot of motion. Okay,
we're gonna bring this guy in motion. That's gonna be
the telltale. Are you playing cover two? Cover three?
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Is it? Man?
Speaker 4 (32:26):
What are you trying to disguise? We're gonna suss that
out by putting a guy in motion. They're using those
guys in motion a lot, and they run a lot
of trick plays, a lot of misdirection stuff, a lot
of stuff that's intended to get you on your heels,
and then all of a sudden, boom, they'll get it
to somebody moving fast. They present a lot of difficulties
(32:47):
for a defense just by all the misdirection and speed
with which they're trying to play.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Yeah. No, they want pace. They want to rhythm, and
they want to make sure that they're not allowing you
to get set or get a beat on them, because,
like I said, when you're when you're in more of
a hurry up style and you're trying to spread and
move guys around pre snap so you can give your
quarterback every single tail possible. Right that that's why you move.
(33:16):
That's what Andy Reid does so much pre snap movement
with Patrick Mahomes because he's given Patrick Mahomes information and
that information is coming in zone versus man, is coming
too high versus single high. It's okay, this is the
dog in blitz. This is not how What did the
(33:37):
linebackers do when I shifted the running back from one
side to the other side of me in the shotgun? Right?
Is it showing that it's a man concept or is
that a zone concept too? What are their tendencies in
the zone concept? What are their tendencies in the man concept?
Like all of that, that's all that smoke and mirrors does.
And it creates just information. But when it you know
(34:00):
how to disseminate and how to read that information very valuable. Uh,
Caleb Williams, I think is still learning that. And I
think it's just trying to clear the picture up for
him for disguises, because he doesn't do well with disguise.
So if I know that as the Steelers, I'm planning
for that. I'm planning for that, and how could I
(34:21):
how could I disguise it? Maybe maybe I rock the
safety down when a guy comes across the formation as
a wide receiver tight end and you switch from strength
left to strength right. But yet at reality it's a
zone and now those guys are going to really kind
of bump it over or he's going to be late
(34:41):
trail and play play inside out. Those are the things
that I'm that that that I'm hoping our defense will
be ready to combat after watching the film, because that
is something that they're very good at rob or I
should say intentional because technically YEH to be good at
reading that it is a skill of itself, and I
think for kle Williams, it's just it's to eliminate the potential,
(35:05):
and they do it early enough to guess what the
mic is still hot in his ear from Ben Johnson
or whoever's calling the place. I believe it's still Ben Johnson.
So it's imperative that if you are disguising. If you
are going that that you don't give him anything as
(35:25):
early as possible, hold it until after that microphone goes off,
hold it till right before the snap, and then just
get into position. That's gonna be Really the key is
how well can you disguise with a team that likes
to motion and move guys around a.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
Lot, right, And it's it's gonna be interesting because that's
part of it. So when you see the game, and
hopefully you'll you'll if you're watching it on TV, of
course you'll listen to us.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
That's what we're hoping for, but yes, and then turn
the volume up. That's right.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
A lot of pre movement, a ton of it designed
to confuse, but also designed to play with pace and
a very very interesting attack. And at the heart of
that is their ability still to run the football, which
is something we were to talk about next. First, before
we head to break, we want to remind you that
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(36:22):
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(36:42):
in the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood Forward Stour
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part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
This is in the locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
All right, back inside the locker room. Last segment of
the day, but most importantly, Rob, we know what time
it is. It's the bell lap, that's right. Early lunch
warning system is engaged out there Steeler Nation fourteen minutes
tea minus fourteen minutes before it is top o'clock at noon,
(37:39):
and of course foraging time will be in full effect.
Go enjoy something something lunches, because what's what's the weather
like out there today, Rob, it's a little chili little
chilly today.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
Is it is a good day for a chili Use
the word chili.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
It's a good day for chili or bowl soup. Woke
up this morning itty two degrees.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Supposed to get an overnight freeze, I'm told so, yeah,
it's it is November.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Yep. Okay, so full effect here. And I will say
this unseasonably cold here in Arizona. It is fifty one
degrees in rainy and the high is only fifty eight today,
so very breezy, very cold. There was hail last night. Hail.
We got hail with the rainstorm, so it dropped out
(38:29):
like in the forties. So yeah, So I mean we're
we're experiencing almost similar weather to Pittsburgh out here.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
We caught a little sleek this morning.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
Now I have to ask you this because you know,
if people are down in Florida and it gets to
be in the forties, let's say the forties right in March,
so the air is already a little bit damp, and
now you get that.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
I don't know if it's the wind, I don't.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
Know what it is, but forty five degrees and breezy
in Florida, that would be welcome. Forty five degrees in
breezy in March in Pittsburgh, Like, bring it on. Man,
you're outside with a maybe a long sleeved shirt, no
jacket because you've been so used to the cold. But
if you're down in Florida, it is I mean, it
(39:18):
is a degree of cold. It's like five degrees here.
I mean, I'm not even exaggerating it. Just that wind.
It doesn't mean it matter how many layers you get on.
I don't know if it's the damp wind, the sea air,
I don't know what it is. Does fifty eight feel
horrendously cold in Arizona when you're used to warmer weather
or is it just hey, throwing a jacket and keep moving.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
I feel like throwing a jacket and keep moving. You know,
we don't have ocean water and those breezes and everything.
That's what I wondered if it was here. Yeah, I
wonder if that was the desert. So yeah, I mean Florida, Yeah,
I mean and growing up as a native Florida kid,
like you know, people are in like full like you
winter goose downs, you know, when it gets in the fifties,
(40:03):
which is hilarious, right, because you're just not used to
that type of cold out here. You know, you're already
wearing jeans, so you already wear pants more often than not,
just because it's the dustier conditions and everything else. But yeah,
you just throw the jacket on and keep it moving. Now.
Now that now, I will say this Arizona driving in
wet weather is not that great. They they're not conditioned
(40:25):
to do that as as natives. But you know, I
lived in Pittsburgh, so I'm used to driving in that
type of weather. So it did bother me. You know,
rain or snow or anything. So you know how to
act accordingly, right. You know, you see a puddle on
a freeway, you don't just flow it through there, right,
You don't want a hydroplane or anything or loose control,
(40:46):
you know. But people out here will just drive so
super cautiously snow slow. But yet when a haboob comes
a dust doorm, people are flying in this dust storm
with their emergency with their flashers on. So it's it's
always that conundrum. But you know, as far as the
dress and dealing and combating with the cold, I mean,
for the most part. Everybody's well adjusted, well equipped.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
To deal with that.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
I feel like, you know out here, because you know
it's never gonna get bad enough that's really going to snow,
So you never have that fear. It's just it gets chilly,
and then it usually warms up during the day because
more often that the sun pokes out and gives you
about fifteen to twenty degrees more warmth when that happens.
Speaker 4 (41:29):
So we've got that sussed out. Go get yourself a
nice lunch today, right, take your.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
Time at the end of the day. Joyote is get
good lunch, get good food. Yes, do both.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
So I wanted to ask you Max about this running
attack for the Bears. You know, I think when you
see a young quarterback and you know, you see all
the weapons that they've gotten, the the high draft picks
they've spent on, you know, tight end in Colston Loveland,
and you know some of the receivers Doune's and players
(42:02):
like that, and just in recent years, you'd expect it
to be kind of maybe a high flying team. It
reminds me a little bit of the Rams, only in
that I think the outside perception, you know, I think
that's changed for the Rams. But years ago they had
Stafford and you think of it as a are they
going to be a finesse team and airing it out
and they got the receivers putting up the big numbers
(42:22):
and all that stuff. But the Rams are happy to
run it down your throat. You know, they have that
inside run and then their receivers can all block and
that sort of thing. But I don't know what people's
perceptions are of the Bears, but it's the number two
rushing attack in the league. And I know Caleb Williams
is part of that rushing attack for sure. But with
(42:43):
Swift and Manungai, you know, two physical runners, they are
more than happy to pound it down your throat. And
by the way, third you know, a team that goes
forward a lot on fourth down, third and eight, they
might run them all and get into a four try
to get into hey pick up six yards. A lot
of times that's teams just saying, okay, we'll pick up
six and we'll punt it on fourth and two and
(43:04):
maybe our guy will break one, but they'll use it
to set up a fourth down play. I mean, this
is a team that is that wants to play a
physical brand of football, all the movement and all the
other stuff, and all the draft picks they've spent. They
want to be able to run the football, and they
do it as well as pretty much anybody in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
No, I think you absolutely hit it on the head.
They are a team that likes to run and they,
like you said, they do it at a high clip.
And you know, just to kind of give you some
of those stats, like you said, third and rushing in
the league one forty six point six yards a game,
total offense fourth in the league, Kinger with almost three
(43:44):
hundred and seventy five yards per game. And you know,
lowest fumbles lost, right, They've only lost two fumbles their
turnover differential this is the big one plus sixteen Kinger.
Speaker 4 (44:00):
They don'ty two takeaways, which is four more than anybody else.
That's a lot more. First of all, it's a lot,
and it's a lot more than anybody else.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
Yeah, because here's the thing. The Steelers are at eighteen
at second so you got the number way, you know,
number one at number two playing each other, Steelers are
at eighteen, but like you said, you know they're they're
at twenty two, and that's four more and that's crazy
because that's us and that so they're very good at
taking care of the football. So how do you affect
(44:32):
the team that is really good at taking care of
the football, your team that's predicated on turning them over?
You got to go find a way, you know, you
have to find a way, and that that's the best
way of saying it. But to be in those places,
I mean, if we just did that from a year ago,
year ago, it seemed like it was inverse, like they were,
you know, back half of the league. Okay, so Ben
(44:55):
Johnson's already come in and made this offense a lot
more efficient than it was a year ago. One of
the areas they do struggle and they're funny enough, you know,
it's it's right in line with us. They're not good
on fourth down conversions, which Steos technically aren't good at
(45:16):
fourth down uh stoppages either defensively, So that's gonna be
a tilt. They're both thirtieth in the league in that
in that respectful side. But but when I kind of
go back to your original question, which was, you know,
how do you slow them down in the run game?
You that's where incertainly, Harrison, right, I kind of talked
about that in the previous segments, like how you deploy
(45:38):
him and how you get to that kind of that
four three look that for the two five look, I
guess is how you would for four guys on the
line of scrimmage three guys on the second level. You've
got you've got to affect. You've got to make sure
that you're not losing guys, and like you said, they're
a team that loves to go with it in that
in that fourth down range if they make it manageable
(46:01):
or short for them so that they can plunge and
run either full back dive, running back dive, the plunge
play with the quarterback the boot out at eight or
nine to try and get you condensed down. That's what
they want to do. And so you've you've got to
(46:23):
keep them in second and long, third and long situations
to make sure that that's not a possibility. But it's
gonna be It's gonna be a tough job because I mean,
you look at DeAndre Swift last game twenty one carries
for him, Kamon Ung Guy last game twelve carries for
him as well, and he got another, you know, opportunity.
(46:47):
Travis Homer had a compensatory carry there in there. So
between that group alone, that is thirty four rushes attempts. Yep.
And that's not including our good buddy Kayler Williams who
had four additional So this is a team that ran
(47:09):
the ball thirty eight times out of their possible dropbacks
and then thirty two passing attempts. Just think about that
thirty eight thirty two, right, and that gave you seventy
offensive plays. That's a lot of offensive plays that they're running.
They're running a high amount of that. So you've got
(47:32):
to be on your p's and qes if you are
the Steelers defense, and you have to turn them away
at third and fourth down. Now they're tied for eleventh
and third down conversion, so you know they don't like
to get the fourth that often because they're not as good,
they're not as solid. But they're a lot more solid
at third down because they get the third and show
some third meetings because they rush the ball so effectively.
(47:52):
So you've got to stop the run against this team.
That's just what it comes down to.
Speaker 4 (47:56):
And we have so much to get to in that
regard and so much to talk about with this matchup,
which we will get to tomorrow. We will continue that
our thanks to Justin Miller and Nathan Osler at the
controls back in our Heart studio for Max Stark time
Rob King, we thank you for being with us in
the Locker Room presented by our neighborhood Ford Store and
the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
(48:17):
of the Steelers Audio Network
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