HR2: Big Picture

Max and Wes break down the defense heading into the season and take a wide look at the AFC.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is in the Locker Room with Kingon Starks on
Steelers Nation Radio, presented by.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Your neighborhood Forward Store.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
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 3 (00:30):
Ooh, there he was, West, Did you feel it? I
feel like he was on seventy six there. I think
he's getting really close. We are barreling down towards our
showdown at MetLife Stadium on Sunday one o'clock pm Eastern
Standard time as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the New

(00:52):
York Jets.

Speaker 4 (00:54):
And I can't wait for this.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
And of course, the one thing we don't have to
wait any longer for it's the Power Hour hour number
two here inside locker room Wesley, and and it is
one of oh yeah, I mean, it feels like the
Catalina Wine Mixers is rapidly approaching us right now.

Speaker 4 (01:11):
You know what I'm saying. It's just.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
It's always like this. This This week is always a
weird week, isn't it, Max, Because like out of August
into September, so it really starts to feel like, Okay,
you're into the fall in summer's over. You know, you
have the Monday like it's it's the first week of
the NFL season, but everybody has Monday off for Labor Day,
so it's like Tuesday, you're kind of your schedule's kind

(01:38):
of thrown off. It's like, wait, we got a game
in two days on Thursday. The season's underway, Like this
first week is always Yeah, Catalina Wine Mixer is a
very good analogy because it's a it's a big thing
that you know has been on the calendar and has
been you know, been been coming down the track here
for a while. But at the same time, it's like, wait,
I gotta do this all right. We got to make
sure we have the helicopter. Know, we gotta have the

(02:00):
helicopters right now. We gotta have the Joel, we gotta
have the Joel cover band. All these different you know,
teas that we have to cross and i's that we
have to talk before we get there. It's this This
week is always a is always a weird week.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
That's right, That's right, that's right. You know what, Listen,
we need Brendan to come in with the solo. You
know what I'm saying that that will be that that's
where it definitely gets gets to get is the X factor.
I feel like Aaron Rodgers coming in is kind of
that Brendan solo. So you know you're hoping for him
to get in there and and like you said, have
a great showing.

Speaker 4 (02:33):
I think, and I think as teammates.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
You kind of rally around the teammate that you know
this means a lot to right when it's something personal.
I think back to you know when when when we
were gonna make our push and we had we had
our meeting before the Chicago game, and we knew we
were doing this for Jerome Right, and kind of all
efforts focus in I think for the team this week,

(02:58):
this is for Aaron right because it didn't end under
the best terms, and you're happy he's your teammate, but
you also know that you know.

Speaker 4 (03:06):
Let's just face it, it's a case of the X, right.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
You you want to prove to the X that you're
doing better. You know you're doing better, You're doing fine
without them. You know you want to you want to
peacock a little bit in these moments. So the team
kind of wants to rally around that and try to say,
hey man, we got your back. Man, Hey, whatever you
want to Hey, let's do it, bro, Let's get this
done right. And So I think one of the big

(03:30):
piece is going to be the defense and how they
attack and how they put pressure on the new QB
one that just happens to be another one of your
former teammates of Justin Fields, right, and you know you
have to go out there and attack him, Brice Hall,

(03:51):
Garrett Wilson, Right, you have to worry about containing them.
So I look at this defense and I say, man,
they look like they're up to the task.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
Well, they sure do. They sure do, Max, And you know,
we have seen this defense over the last couple of
years have stretches of being elite. Right last year, the
first six or seven games, this was an elite defense.
But what we haven't seen, probably since twenty nineteen ish

(04:21):
twenty twenty ish, is a Steelers defense truly elite from
week one to week eighteen and into the postseason. And Max,
you look at this group and it's like, I think
we would all be surprised if they are not the
best Steelers defense that we've seen in a long time.
If they are not one of the two or three

(04:42):
or four, because there's some other really good defenses around
the league. But if they are not absolutely in that
discussion of the top two or three units in the
National Football League, I think we'd all be surprised. They
have one of the best defensive fronts in the National
Football League already. And that's until we really kind of
you know, sprinkling Derek Harmon and Ya Black, the linebackers

(05:05):
Queen and Wilson, both right in the prime of their career. Really,
you know, a good tandem of skill sets between those two.
What you have in the secondary now with the Super
Bowl rings and future Hall of famers all over the
place and max real depth. You know, I know that
on the defensive line it'll be a little stressed here

(05:25):
until you get Derek Harmon back, but just real strength
and depth everywhere. You know, a guy like James Pierre,
who has been a regular part of this thing, is
on the practice squad. A guy like Beanie Bishop, who
led the team in interceptions last year, is on the
practice squad. They have got talent, they have got pedigree,
they have got depth all over that defense, and I

(05:47):
think rightfully so the expectations for that unit, Max, I
mean they're probably is high amongst Steeler Nation, the team,
the fans, the media, everybody, since you were still wearing
the black gold.

Speaker 4 (06:02):
Yeah. No, I mean, I mean you're absolutely right.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
This this is this is a group that that just
that just it just oozes talent.

Speaker 4 (06:10):
I think, can we say, oohs his talent, you know,
just like.

Speaker 3 (06:15):
Yeah or like Ninja Ninja Turtles too, you know, secret
of the ooze, right, you know what I'm saying like that,
that that was, by the way, that that's like in
the prime of like my my preteen you know.

Speaker 4 (06:27):
Double best age years.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
I wore that VHS out, Max, I wore that VHS out.

Speaker 3 (06:32):
Yeah, Oh my gosh, I'll never forget going in the theater.
And I was down in Miami. I was visiting my
aunt and uh and so we were down there like
on babysitting duty of my cousin because she was she
was a super young baby.

Speaker 4 (06:47):
And I remember my aunt said as a treat. She lived.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
She lived downtown and there was a movie theater attached
like it like you walk through like these walkways attached
to her building right there right there, a biscay at
the cambridge and you could walk through and there's like
a little like indoor mall and there was a movie
theater in there. So she gave us money to go
to go to the movies and get popcorn and a

(07:11):
drink and watch this Ninja Turtles movie. Back back at
a time when you could actually walk and do those
things right as a kid without having to worry about.

Speaker 4 (07:18):
Anything, you know.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
I remember me and my brother were only two in
the theater at this time, and we were like doing
we were like doing, like trying to do backflips and
trying to do cartwheels up and down, up and down
the theater back where it was the ramp style theater.
No stadium seating back then, it was it was you
had a ramp, you know style. It was just on
an angle in the movie theater, old school, and I
just remember that time. So sorry sidebar there that was

(07:42):
a squirrel. Squirrel ran by me. As we talked about
oozing talent. But to get back on track, just you know,
you know, when you acquire the pieces that the Steelers
did this offseason, and we kind of detailed that with Jerry, right,
I mean, just the secondary alone knowing that you went
and you got Darius Slay. You went and you got

(08:04):
Brandon Echoles, You went and you got Juan Thornhill. You
went and you got Jalen Ramsey, And yes, you lost
to Minca Fitzpatrick. And you know, we'll obviously see the
first iteration of this team without Mina Fitzpatrick really at
the as the captain of that back half. Now this
is Deshaun Elliott show. He got an extension during the offseason, right,
Joey Porter Junior has another year under his belt, and

(08:27):
Chuck Clark is now a guy that's that's gonna be
inundated within this system as well. That's a lot of
change just in one position, but all for the better.
Like I can't find a negative, you know, I think
Jay and I think Jerry kind of hit it on
the head when he said that they were on par
to be as good as last year until that Jalen
Ramsey Gihonoh Smith trade and that's what tipped it over

(08:51):
the edge and in the plus category for the Steelers.

Speaker 4 (08:54):
You kind of felt.

Speaker 3 (08:55):
Before apples to apples, this is just another guy that's good.
We made another you know, another play to get another
veteran to go opposite Joey Porter Junior. And you know
you know this, you know, Brandon Neckles, you say apples
and apple is probably like a Dante Jackson, right, that's
kind of the trade off. But Jalen Ramsey just absolutely

(09:17):
just just blows us out the water. And and so
I'm excited about that. Then you go and you get
Malie Harrison at the linebacking position to bolster that group
and put some beef at that position. And honestly think
that Malie Harris is gonna be a guy that you're
gonna see play inside and outside. That's why I think
you kept five inside backers and four outside backers because

(09:39):
I thought it was gonna be flipped that you're gonna
keep five on the outside of four on the inside.
But I think Malik Harris is the one that gives
you that versatility to make a different And you just say, man, like,
what happens when you when you put this all together?
Because seeing the samples here and there and trying to
extrapolate as well. Thing So another thing, when you see

(10:01):
all those bodies lined up on the same side of
the ball come Sunday afternoon.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
It's I mean, it really is like it's a Max,
It's the type of defense that you would build on Madden,
you know what I mean, Like you don't, you don't really,
I mean how often do you see this many? And again,
like on it's a different story if you're talking you know,
maybe the chiefs of this era who have won three

(10:27):
Super Bowls and been to a bunch, right, but for
a team with so many new faces while still having
the main stays of the TJ and Cam and Joey
Porter Junior. But like having so many new faces, so
many Hall of famers, future Hall of famers, so many
Super Bowl champions added to this roster, into this secondary

(10:49):
in particular. You know, like we've barely talked about Alex Highsmith.
It feels like and he might be one of the
top ten in the world at what he does, you know,
like they yeah, they just it is it is a
I'm gonna go on Madden and I'm gonna turn the
salary cap off and I'm gonna I'm gonna build a
butt kicking defense. I mean, like that is what the

(11:10):
Steelers have done here. It is it is a who's
who it is. It has got talent at every level.
And yeah, rightfully, so I think that Steelers fans should
be you know, like I said, is excited about this
group as they have been about a defense, you know
since since around the time that you were still on
the team, Max, because they truly you look around the league,

(11:34):
you know, I think Denver is going to have an
outstanding defense. I think Houston is going to have an
outstanding defense. Philadelphia probably again as well. But like, Man,
that the Steelers should be at the top or towards
the top of that conversation with anybody. And it's just
like I'm like smiling through the microphone here, Max, because
as a Steelers fan, right, that's the way it should be.

(11:56):
That's that's like our birth right and and in Black
and Gold Nation here.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
Yeah, absolutely, And I think it was it was a
very pointed point that you made, Man, I really I
really like that that Alex Heist school has been the
least talked about.

Speaker 2 (12:12):
Like talked about him.

Speaker 4 (12:14):
I know.

Speaker 3 (12:15):
It's it's like, just think about that this team is
so well that, as you say, that side of the
ball is so talented. We've talked about Cam, We've talked
about you know, and probably Keanu Benton, right, Kean is
probably the one that's also in that same category probably
the least talked about.

Speaker 4 (12:34):
Yeah, we talked about y y A. Black, We've talked
about Logan Ly, We've talked about louder Milk during this
of course, Cam TJ.

Speaker 3 (12:44):
Jack, Sawyer, Her Big Queen, Wilson, Harrison, Cole Holcom. I mean,
I mean we're going through We've talked about all these guys,
and it's like Alex and Keano is just kind of like, well,
we know who they are, we know what.

Speaker 4 (13:03):
To expect from them, so they're good. They're good.

Speaker 3 (13:06):
Those kids could go play in the sandbox, you know
what I'm saying, while the rest of the kids are classic.
I don't have to worry about giving them instruction. They're
they're they're they're they're they're.

Speaker 4 (13:14):
The big kids you know in the in the classroom.

Speaker 3 (13:18):
But it's just crazy that that those are quote unquote
the lesser and we know how big and key of
contributors they were, you know, over there since they've been
here as a part of the team. And that's what
you're talking about, man, because it was just so many
splashes acquisition wise that you sometimes forget about the guys

(13:39):
who are the tried, tested and true guys on that team,
and Yep, this is gonna be a great opportunity I
think for Alex to really showcase himself. I think especially Keanu,
especially with Elijah Viraah Tucker being out, him and Cam
are gonna have are going to have some fun and
and you pray you know that the the Jets get

(14:00):
into twelve personnel or twenty one personnel, right because if
he that base, if you get to see the full
base out there, problems problems, and problems will reside on
this team. And so now I'm really excited about where
this defense can go, what this defense can be, and

(14:21):
the depth. I think that's the other thing, Wes. We
talked about this all preseason. The depth of this defense
and the entire team is just something we haven't seen
in the last five years.

Speaker 4 (14:34):
No, it's not.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
I mean Cole Holcombe, you know, I know it's been
it's been almost two years since we've seen Cole Holcomb
in stadium, so I know people have forgotten about him,
but he was quietly one of the Steelers' best defensive
players the last time we saw him on the field.
He's now a depth linebacker. I mean, he's now your
third linebacker. Like it just they they have got we

(14:58):
I feel like we've barely talked about Patrick Queen as
well with Alex high Smith, a pro bowler in his
own right. I mean, Max, they are gonna have so
many ways to attack, so many ways to diagnose and
disguise and confuse posing offensive coordinators and quarterbacks. Like last year, Max,
the Steelers defense was second in the NFL and takeaways

(15:20):
right only behind the Buffalo Bill. Steelers were number two
and sixteenth dead middle dead average in sacks with forty
last year. If the Steelers can stay in the top
three or four and turnovers force, because yeah, there is
an element of randomness to turnovers. We all know that

(15:41):
you can coach it up, you can work on it,
but there you know, it's the ball is not a circle, right,
It bounces, funny and crazy things happen. There is some
randomness to the turnover element. But Max, if they can
stay in the top three or four of turnovers forced,
and they can move from sixteenth in sacks to the
top five, which I think is absolutely possible. If they

(16:02):
would have they had forty last year, if they would
have had forty six or forty seven, that would have
put them sixth so I mean they could you know,
with a with a extra sack every other game, they
could easily be back in the top five.

Speaker 4 (16:14):
There.

Speaker 2 (16:15):
Man, if they are getting after the quarterbacks and getting
sack numbers like they had been until recently, still forcing
turnovers at a high clip, all the ways that they're
gonna be able to deploy those guys in the secondary
and attack quarterbacks and disguise blitzes. That's when you really
start to get excited about what this defense could be
and how they could just just cause issues, just grief

(16:40):
for quarterbacks and coordinators all season long. That sack numbers
another one of those things that I'm looking at too.
If they can go from sixteenth in the league, you know,
back to the top five, cool man, watch out they are.
They are going to be frustrating a lot of offenses
on Sunday afternoons.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
No, they are going to be very, very frustrating. I
think when you're looking at just how they can deploy
multiple personnel units. You know, like you said, if the
Jets actually decide to go into a base personnel grouping

(17:19):
which I'm talking which was you know, in old days,
it was a fullback, running back and a tight end
right that that was your initial like twelve personnel, then
of course two tight ends one running back twenty one personnel.
If they get into anything like that and they allow
three to four base, that's a problem. But here's the thing,
it's still a problem if they operate out of eleven personnel, Wes,

(17:41):
because now now Jalen Ramsey is your nickel off the slot.

Speaker 4 (17:48):
And I don't know if you knew this.

Speaker 3 (17:49):
He really likes contact, which means he likes to blitz,
he likes to get in the face. Yes, he's a
very physical he brings a very physical brand of football.
Now saying if Jalen's now your spy for Justin in
those situations out of the nickel, that's a problem for
the Jets, good problem for us, bad problem for the

(18:10):
Green and White. And that's where it now. And now
you have to you can't iso your receiver. And the
other part is you're you're you. You don't have to
play man press. You can play man press with his
own concept behind it, just because you want to frustrate
Garrett Wilson.

Speaker 4 (18:29):
But you don't have to trolley a guy over.

Speaker 3 (18:31):
And when I say trolley, meaning that's man like if
I have Garrett Wilson, they move him in motion. I
have to run across the formation with him in motion.
That's trolley, right.

Speaker 4 (18:41):
You don't have to trolley.

Speaker 3 (18:42):
You can bump because he's like, I'm going from Darius
Lay to Joey.

Speaker 4 (18:47):
Porter Junior or Jalen Ramsey.

Speaker 3 (18:50):
And we've already heard that Jalen's gonna get first draw
at Garrett Wilson. That's what Mike t said right off
the bit. He's gonna trail number one right now. So
you know, even if you do that and you put
you isolate, you know, Jalen on that and you play
him an outside corner, it doesn't have to stay the
whole game.

Speaker 4 (19:09):
It doesn't have to be the whole game because you
still got Darius and Joey. That's exactly right.

Speaker 3 (19:16):
You don't have this singular island corner by himself and
you know you have to rotate to you know, to
get him out of the play and you hope he
plays on the number two and then you bracket the
number one. You don't have to do any of that.
So that's where it's going to be really, really interesting.
I'm just so excited to watch this defense play.

Speaker 4 (19:35):
Man.

Speaker 3 (19:36):
I know I'm an offensive guy, but you know, you know,
but I love watching defenses when they're on all cylinders
and they have talent do what they do. I can
appreciate the work that goes on that other.

Speaker 4 (19:47):
Side of the ball.

Speaker 3 (19:49):
I don't wish I was on that side of the ball,
not at all, because I like being on the smarter
side of the ball. There's my jabbet at a defensive
guy right now, all right, take it, edit, cut it.
But I can appreciate the work because I know what
it takes on that side of the ball as well.
And so I'm just really excited just to see these
boys turn it loose.

Speaker 4 (20:08):
But you know, well, we are gonna turn loose.

Speaker 3 (20:10):
We're gonna turn loose these commercials west because we need
to go step aside and take a break, and we'll
be back on the other side here with more inside
the locker room, King Stark's of course, the Euler bomb
is here.

Speaker 4 (20:21):
We come back here on SNR Radio.

Speaker 1 (20:30):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one point fifty is the official truck of
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Speaker 3 (20:52):
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(21:14):
or gear up online at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Get it direct from the team at the Steelers Pro
Shop at Shop dot Steelers dot com. All right, back
inside the locker room here, and you know, I just
I want to kind of just flip gears a little bit,
kind of kind of kind of you know, go big picture,

(21:34):
go macro here as you will, West and kind of
kind of look at the AFC as a conference and
kind of the hierarchy and where it is and where,
you know, does do the chips fall? You know, tonight
is is pretty much an NFC fest, right, You got
you got Cowboys, you got Eagles start the season, super

(21:56):
Bowl champs, that Stursday Football, but you know Brazil is
AFC time right Friday night in South follow for year
number two, You've got another division matchup AFC West Road
Show Extravaganza Chiefs Chargers to start the season.

Speaker 4 (22:19):
And you know, just kind of where we're at.

Speaker 3 (22:21):
I mean, I feel like Wes, you know, when you're
thinking about just kind of slotting in the initial part
of this and always I'm cautious about slotting, you know,
preseason rankings or you know, power poles before you've played
a real game. And but when you do run the exercise,

(22:43):
and that's what we're that's what our job is, right,
We run the exercise, We speculate, we forecast, we preview,
and we just talk about the Chiefs.

Speaker 4 (22:56):
I mean, do we even have.

Speaker 3 (23:00):
To have this question about are they everybody wants? It's
almost like a like they have a different kind of
like headline, like the Steelers were always were always waiting
for the below five hundred season with Mike Tomlin, right.

Speaker 2 (23:14):
And.

Speaker 3 (23:16):
For eighteen years everybody's voted against that has lost like
literally zero percent winning percentage on that, right. Will you
think of the Chiefs being one of the top teams
of the AFC everybody wants them to fail. Everybody wants

(23:37):
to but yall, Patrick Mahomes has never not been to
a AFC championship game as a starter.

Speaker 4 (23:48):
It's a number. It's absolute.

Speaker 2 (23:50):
That's an insane stat Like it's it's just ridiculous. They
are there, straight, They're the They're the new Patriot. It's
in that regard. I think it's safe to assume that
they are going to be there until they're not. Right, Like,
I'm gonna I need it proved to me that they're
not a contender. Until then, I'm going to assume they are.
And everyone is sick of them, right, I mean, like

(24:13):
and I mean everyone in general. I do think there
are some like I guess I'm kind of sick of
the Chiefs, but I also really appreciate the greatness and
I think Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are just incredible.
But you know, now the Kelsey and Taylor Swift stuff,
people use that as fuel of like Taylor Swift's taking
over my football here, and it's all the Chief's fault.

Speaker 4 (24:32):
They are.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
I mean, I think they're the most I think they're
the most hated team in all sports right now, Like
I you know, the the like the Lakers and the
Yankees and the Cowboys aren't quite good enough to be that.
I think it's it's probably the Chiefs. But yeah, Max,
I mean like it feels like like a lot of
people keep saying, oh, they're going to take a step back,
They're going to take a step back. I mean, they

(24:54):
went fifteen and two last year, so if they go
thirteen and if they go thirteen and four, okay, that's
still technically a step back, but like that would be
maybe the step back that I could expect them to take.
But they are, like I said, until proven otherwise, I
am not going to doubt or question them.

Speaker 4 (25:14):
I know it's crazy.

Speaker 3 (25:15):
Think about this, seven straight AFC champions wild appearances, five
of the last seven super Bowl appearances.

Speaker 4 (25:27):
That's why three out of those five they won.

Speaker 3 (25:32):
That is insane, this insane number that they have put up.
And let's face it also, I mean, listen, for all
those people there as a conspiracy theorist out there, they
got the ten foil hat society.

Speaker 4 (25:47):
Listen.

Speaker 3 (25:48):
The commissioner went on, was it yesterday or the day before?
On like Today's show or Good Morning America one of
the morning shows, and hinted that Taylor's in could iteration
for the halftime show.

Speaker 4 (26:02):
Yeah, and you know, if if you thought, if you
if you if you thought your.

Speaker 3 (26:08):
Dads and uncles were pissed before about Taylor taking over.

Speaker 4 (26:12):
Their their their their their sport.

Speaker 3 (26:17):
Heard if she gets if she gets announced for that,
But do you know how fast those tickets are going
to sell out and how expensive those things are going
to be on the resale market if the one Taylor
Swift is the headline act of the halftime show.

Speaker 2 (26:30):
Well, that's a great point. I didn't even think about that.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
What good Lord? Yeah, and Levi Stadium out in It's
not San Francisco, it's the San Francisco Bay.

Speaker 2 (26:42):
Area, Santa Clara.

Speaker 4 (26:45):
Santa Clara.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
And I'm like, yeah, exactly, which, which, by the way,
I heard was just like crazy trying to get to
like the event because everything was in San Francisco, and
of course the stadiums like it's Santa Clara.

Speaker 4 (26:57):
The drive and all that kind of stuff is crazy.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
That seems less than ideal.

Speaker 3 (27:02):
Yeah, I don't I want to get into that because
mentally thinking about Super Bowl Week is going to make
me sad because that's going to be that's going to
be crazy like I avoided it last time it was
out there luckily, but I am not going to be
able to avoid it this year.

Speaker 4 (27:17):
And hopefully for good reason. Huh huh, huh.

Speaker 2 (27:20):
You got that exactly right, because we're all gonna we're
all gonna be there. We're all gonna be there in February. Max,
I mean, I'll be it engineering, You'll be on the
you'll be on the on the headset with Kinger and uh,
you know against maybe the Green you know what, We're
gonna get our revenge against the Green Bay Packers.

Speaker 3 (27:36):
You know, we had a full air and revenge tour,
you know what I'm saying. You know, and also and
also a do right by Us tour. You know, it
kind of mixed both of them. It's kind of kind
of like, you know, it's kind of paying exactly and
paying it forward at the same time.

Speaker 2 (27:52):
You know, you know, remember where it first, yes, exactly,
remember where you heard it first? This number four Steelers
beat the Packers. Steelers beat the Packers for the Super
Bowl in February.

Speaker 3 (28:05):
I'm calling it exactly. Yeah, yeah, go take your odds now.
I'm sure Vegas will be very excited to get that one.
In but I think also, but but here's the thing.
I think there are challengers now in the AFC West
for the Chiefs in earnest because I mean, just think
about this. Now that you've added you know, Pete Carroll

(28:26):
to the Raiders, every coach in that division has been
to Super Bowls, right, has been to a super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (28:35):
Because even he lost to his.

Speaker 3 (28:37):
Brother I'm sorry, Jim lost to his brother John, he
still went you know, the Colin Kaepernick era, right, So
all these coaches have that pedigree and you know, and
I know a national championship is not the same as
a Super Bowl, but you went into a league and
you dominated and you finished first place. Right, So these

(28:57):
coaches have championship caliber. And I think the Chargers are
a very unique team. They're very interesting, right. They give
you shades of Pittsburgh and Baltimore and the way that
Jim Harbaugh wants to make this team. He wants to
fashion this team into a physical, hard nosed, run the
football type of team and play stingy defense. So this

(29:21):
game coming up on Friday, I'm just I'm really I'm
really intrigued. I'm not gonna say excited, but I'm intrigued
to see what the Chargers look like, you know, and
what they bring to the table, and can they finally,
you know, kind of usurp the Chiefs in the AFC
West because we know they're the class of not only
that division, but of our entire of our entire conference.

(29:44):
And would that what would what here's my thing, What
would a victory mean? And I'm opposed this to you?
What would a victory mean to the Chargers versus what
a victory would mean to the Chiefs?

Speaker 4 (29:58):
If I had to pose that question to you with.

Speaker 2 (30:02):
Yeah, I and you know what, I think this is
kind of the same answer that you could say for
what happens tonight with Philadelphia in Dallas. I think a
win for the Chiefs is fun and and you know,
we're off and running and we're one and oh and
this is great. Now we got an extra long week
to prepare for Week two. Same you know, same same

(30:23):
thing for the Eagles and when the Super Bowl champions.
We're one and oh, now we got an next week
and for both of those, we just start with a
division win, which is always good as well too. Feeling good.
We're picking up right where we left off last season.
But if you're the Chiefs of the Eagles and you lose,
it's like, okay, fine, no big deal. It's one game.
We've been here before, you know, the Chiefs chief lost.
Chiefs lost one of these opener games to the Detroit

(30:44):
Lions a couple of years ago, right, I was kind
of the Lions arrival party. Was that was that spoiling
that party at Arrowhead? And the Chiefs still went back
to the super Bowl and won it again, you know
a few months later. But for the Chargers, and maybe
the Cowboys to a lesser extent because they're I don't
think there as much in a new era as the

(31:04):
Chargers are. For the Chargers to beat the Chiefs, a
team that has dominated that division just for seven years,
like you mentioned, I think it would mean a whole
bunch to the Chargers. I think that that would be,
you know, kind of the springboard that they need into
the year. They've got to be a little down heading

(31:26):
into this thing without Rashawn Slater, a big, you know,
component of what they thought was going to get them
where they're trying to go this year. You go down
to Brazil, Game one, you take down the AFC Bully,
you take down your AFC West bully and rival. You
do that in the first game without Rashawn Slater and

(31:46):
start to build some confidence amongst Joe Walton the rest
of that group, you know, Like I think for for
for La, for the Chargers, a win Friday would be
a huge kind of springboard into their season. Similar type
of conversation for the Cowboys tonight, but but not to
the same extent, you know. Whereas for the Chiefs. Either way,
if you win, great, nice start. We got some time

(32:09):
to prepare for week two. Now if you lose, no
big deal. It's one game. We're gonna win our next
five in the division and go five and one in
this thing anyways. Right, So it is, it's it's very
much a tale of two different teams and two different
stories in that regard.

Speaker 4 (32:24):
Yeah, No, I think you're absolutely right.

Speaker 3 (32:26):
I mean this, this changes a narrative and this this
infuses confidence into a Chargers team that, like you said,
in this new in this new Harbaugh era for the Chargers,
you know, would be that it's almost like a validation
check for them, right, Like we've made the right decision,
you know, moving on from Brendan Staley and bringing in

(32:49):
coach Harbaugh and all the things that he did with
red rovering Raven's personnel and people over here to change
the culture and identity. And you know, we're tired of
being the second football team in LA. You know, we're
gonna make our statement felt this year.

Speaker 4 (33:04):
And I think, you know, you kind of.

Speaker 3 (33:06):
It's kind of like little brother step brother syndrome kind
of in these moments, and you're looking for a reason
to give everybody else, you know, I think I think
it also gives everybody else confidence that the Chiefs are
a beatable team.

Speaker 1 (33:24):
You know.

Speaker 4 (33:25):
But once again, as long as that.

Speaker 3 (33:27):
That man fifteen is back there, they always have a
shot in games. The way their defense is constructed, Chris
Jones lead the way for that crew, you feel like
there's always a chance, you know, there's always that as
long as we keep it in striking as you know,
I was watching that Dallas documentary and I was, you know,
and they were they were playing in the first NFC
championship game, you know, under Jimmy Johnson against San Francisco

(33:53):
in the forty nine ers, and you know, I feel
like that same type of confidence that like Joe Montana
talked about Steve Young. They were on the documentary talking about,
you know, man, hey, you know we're only down one
score late in the game. We got this man, we'll
kick it in and we'll be San Francisco forty nine
or football.

Speaker 4 (34:13):
Right.

Speaker 3 (34:13):
I feel like the Chiefs have that and I also
have similar colors. They also have that same confidence.

Speaker 4 (34:20):
Right.

Speaker 3 (34:20):
It's like, if we're a more one score game in
the fourth court, Patrick Mahomes is gonna is gonna win
this game for us. He's gonna bring it back to
it And who would doubt that because how many times
has he done that over the last six years? They
went to five Super Bowls? You think he did have
any of those games? He had a whole And they
have no clearly defined number one receiver. Forget a number

(34:43):
two receiver like we're talking about, oh, who's gonna play
opposite DK Metcalf.

Speaker 4 (34:47):
They don't even have a number one.

Speaker 3 (34:49):
You know, the number one is doing serving a six
week suspension and we don't really know because he's only
been one years of number one.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
You know.

Speaker 3 (34:57):
You know, if Hollywood, Brown, Xavier were all these it
doesn't matter, doesn't matter who they put out there, because
as long as the fifteen's at the helm.

Speaker 4 (35:05):
You know, if he has one ankle, he's.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
Going to go out there, because we've seen him spraying
his ankle like seventeen times, I feel like, and he
never misses times, right, all the time out he gets
he gets his ankle wrapped, he's already wearing you know,
high tops, and he's he puts those on, it comes
back out and and then he goes on to have

(35:28):
an amazing game. So so kind of when I look
at that, it's just it's just it's one of those things.
And I remember when we had that confidence too, and
I can't. I hope we get back to that this
season where it was like man on one score game
Ben Rothsbergers got the ball.

Speaker 4 (35:42):
What, yeah, we're good, We're fine, We're good, We're good.

Speaker 3 (35:47):
The fourth the fourth quarter, comeback, King is out of
the is out of the field. Oh by the way,
he wears number seven. You know, that's what I feel like.
They have that kind of swagger. So until you defeat that,
until you beat the king, you got to honor the King,
and and right there, everybody else kind of falls in
a tier below that West, I mean, you know, and

(36:07):
the tier below that is the Baltimore's right.

Speaker 4 (36:11):
You know, we talk about.

Speaker 3 (36:12):
Lamar Jackson year in and year out, this is the year,
this is the year, and he gets to the playoffs
and he just there's a hitch in his gidea up
at the divisional round. You know, sometimes at the wildcard,
but mostly at the divisional there's a hiccup until he
can until they can overcome that. And they lost on
that on Isaiah Likely's toenails, uh a year ago, right,

(36:39):
you know, this very game that was played a Thursday
night just a year ago. You know, it came to that,
and that's just kind of like the microcosm of for
for that, for that Baltimore Ravens is like, man, we
I mean we did everything we can't We gave them
our best punch. I feel like they're a better team
this year. So you know, it's gonna be definitely a challenge,
uh playing them this season. But they're in that almost category, right,

(37:03):
They're they're they're they're the almost you know, almost beat
almost got to the championship, almost got to the game category.
Buffalo another team we talked about, Josh Allen, the team
was just on hard knocks, right, But this is a
team until otherwise proven they are still going to be
in that second tier because they can't go in the

(37:27):
championship and they've gone to that championship game multiple times
and gone to extra time. You have gone to overtime
to to try and defeat this team and couldn't do it.

Speaker 4 (37:37):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (37:38):
You know, we talk about Cincinnati another team because of
Joe Burrow and the offensive attack, but at the same time,
record for how many how many games over thirty and
you still lose because you don't have a defense, And
that's three times, three times. And you only put a
band aid on a bigger issue moving forward because you

(38:00):
only gave Trey Henderson that one year deal extension and
finally got him back because you were crap without him,
and Jamar Stewart sat out your first round draft pick
because he was in solidarity with the other passers because.

Speaker 4 (38:12):
Like, hey, I'm gonna be in his position one day
as well.

Speaker 3 (38:15):
Why not have his back now and hopefully it sets
a precedent that they don't try and pull the same
thing with me later. So there's turmoil there and then
I think and then I think you kind of insert us.
We're kind of in that that fringe area in that
tier where.

Speaker 4 (38:32):
It's we've come close.

Speaker 3 (38:34):
I mean we heck, we did it with five different
starting quarterbacks that still made the playoffs the last two years. Right,
So now if you could gain solidarity at that, how
much better can this team be? And I feel like
that's where it's gonna be. But you still got to
beat the Chiefs. We have not been able to figure
out that that Rubric's cube yet on how to beat
that Chiefs. But I think with the team, with the
pieces that we've amassed, especially defensively, you know, an offense

(38:58):
will take shape. But that's what's gonna be really, I
think an X factor for it and for us.

Speaker 4 (39:05):
And of course.

Speaker 3 (39:08):
I have to wonder, you know, who else do you
say is in the field with that? Because obviously seven
teams get to go to the playoffs and I've I've
named what six, named six of them?

Speaker 4 (39:17):
Right now? Who who are some other teams you think
they can make us splash as well? Denver? Uh, probably
one of them comes right in mind.

Speaker 2 (39:25):
I was gonna say, den Denver, Denver comes to mine
and Houston come to mind as the others that can
kind of make some noise and man like when when
you lay it out that way. It is crazy, like
the AFC is loaded because Denver was ten and seven
and went to the playoffs last year and now has
Bo Nixon year number two and should be much improved
and much more comfortable. And I think their defense got better.

(39:48):
I mean, you know, they stole Drake Greenlaw from the
from the Niners to a defense that was already outstanding.
No one's really no one's really talking about the Broncos
because they're in the Chiefs shadow. And then Houston as
well too. Like I know, they didn't take off last
year like everybody expected, but they've won the division multiple
years in a row. They've been in the playoffs, they've

(40:08):
won playoff games. If you know, if CJ. Stroud becomes
one of those kind of nailed on top seven or
top eight quarterbacks in the league, like I think everybody
expected him to be this time a year ago, they've
got a great defense. They've got some real weapons on
that offense. I think Houston is one of those teams

(40:29):
that you that you have to bring into this conversation
as well too. It feels like the Chiefs are almost
in a stratosphere of their own, but like just on
their heels is the Bills and the Ravens. But then
like who who can join that conversation. Steelers certainly could.
I mean Cincinnati they have the offense too, but they're
gonna really need to prove it on the on defense

(40:50):
without a doubt. But I think Denver definitely could. I
think Houston definitely could. Like it's it's a it's a
very what feels like loaded AFC this season where you
could have, you know, when by the time the playoffs
are roll around, you could feel that all seven, you know,
six or maybe all seven of those teams have a
legitimate shot to go on a run.

Speaker 3 (41:11):
No, I mean, I definitely agree, and I completely forgot
about Houston. And really, I think because you know that
AFC South is just such such a powder keg and
it's so uncertain, and when you think about what Indianapolis
is going through right with their whole quarterback change, you know,
Daniel Jones taking the helm Anthony Richardson looks like a

(41:34):
failed project right now because he just never quite matured
and never quite got that man. Listen, maybe maybe he will,
maybe he will let me not Jinxit, It's a Gator
I'm gonna get I'm gonna give him the Gator benefit
of the doubt right now. But it just hasn't come
together yet. Tennessee starting with a brand new rookie quarterback
and cam Ward and of course they got some rebuilding

(41:55):
to do. New head coach, new GM. So you know it, well,
I say year two for the head coach, put a
new GM but still relatively new there Jacksonville team, we
saw new head coach, new personnel department, a lot of
new things really trying to kick start. You know, Trevor
Lawrence and you put a lot of resources onto the

(42:17):
offense side.

Speaker 4 (42:17):
Of the ball for him.

Speaker 3 (42:18):
He is Brian Thomas and you know you make you
make a crazy trade to get Travis Hunter. So you know,
you look at that division and it's like man, I mean,
you know it's it's depressed but yet still youthful. There's
no true like experience. But you have to give the
nod to Houston because they've done it the last two years.
You know, they've take they've taken and a and a

(42:39):
grab and a and a free for all type of
division like that they've grabbed. They've grabbed the uh, they've
grabbed the victory or grabbed the bull by the Horns,
so to speak. Huh huh, Texas mascot, it's a bull
two horns. Anyways, I know, cheesy dad joke bowment, but yeah,
I mean that that's a team that gets is gonna
get that automatic bid. You know, whoever wins that division,
there's not gonna be multiple as. I feel like the

(43:00):
AFC West, AFC North, it's how many of us are
going to go to the playoffs, right, you know, that's
really and then the AFC East, you know, is like
Buffalo's until otherwise in Miami, right, Miami is one of
those that always shows promise and then for something middle
of the season, the end of the season, the.

Speaker 4 (43:22):
Wheels fall off, right.

Speaker 3 (43:24):
It's it's like the Bugatti who forgot to get an
oil change, you know, and it's like the car.

Speaker 4 (43:29):
The car is not gonna go.

Speaker 3 (43:30):
I mean, it looks pretty, it goes really fast when
you do everything right, but you hit one you hit
one pothole and everything's derailed. So you know, kind of
just looking at that, but I just I just wanted
to preview, felt like we need to preview everything in
the AFC before that. In this segment, we're gonna step

(43:50):
aside again. That AFC preview was presented by UPMC, the
official healthcare provider and health plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When we come back, it'spelled that time, Wesley.

Speaker 4 (44:00):
You know you know what time that is? When we
come back inside the locker room with King of Starks
here on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (44:15):
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.

Speaker 4 (44:23):
The F one fifty is the official truck of the.

Speaker 1 (44:26):
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.

Speaker 4 (44:36):
All right, back in the locker room, and you know
what time it is.

Speaker 3 (44:40):
It's the bell lap, that's right, early lunch warning system
engaged and make sure that you are out on the roads.
And we are gonna go ahead and give you eight
fifty five. You have five minutes to make it to
your location. It will be straight up and down twelve noon.
Get your forging habits out of the way. I know
I'm going to actually technically I'm gonna be a little

(45:02):
delayed in my forging because I west have the Central
Michigan Pit game this weekend, so I'll be an ac
for sure. Well, yes you do, and then I'll travel
over to MetLife and get to New York right after
that or New Jersey.

Speaker 4 (45:17):
Right after that.

Speaker 3 (45:18):
But uh but yeah, I got where in the world.
I know, man, I know, it's it's just one of
those things. You know, it's just you know, it's like
Carmen San Diego, but with football. So I'm happy to
be a part of that that world. Uh but yeah,
I mean, you know, it's kind of just wrapping up Thursday.
You know, first of all, appreciate you coming in West.

(45:41):
It's always fun, buddy, you know, Mischiga on the broadcast,
but uh, we know you had you know, you moving
on up like the Jeffersons man, you know, and your responsibilities.
At least I get to still see you on Sunday's Man,
but not just been a good shown, been a good show,
just so kind of you know, give me your final
thoughts because we obviously don't have that much time, so

(46:03):
you know, final thought from you, final thought for me,
and then we'll be out of here, Bud.

Speaker 2 (46:08):
Final thought. Very excited for football to be back and
dominate our life here for the next four days. Final
thing to mention, am I am very intrigued without Derek Harmon,
with a you know, a Cam Hayward that is is
going to need some ramping up, is not going to
be able to play eighty five ninety percent of the snaps.

(46:28):
What that defensive line rotation looks like against the Jets
and max of all the important things Steelers run game
that we spend a lot of time talking about all
these important things. The Jets are going to want to
run the football justin fields is capable. They've got two
capable running backs. I know Elijah Vera Tucker is out now,
but still they've invested in that offensive line and they
believe in that offensive line. Very very important day for

(46:53):
that defensive front, you know, with no Derek Harmon, with
maybe Cam Hayward not being you know, completely up to
speed if you will, or however you want to phrase it,
I want to I want to see some guys in
that defensive line room step up and make a name
for himself on Sunday.

Speaker 4 (47:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (47:09):
No, I mean, I'm right there with you, Wesley. I
think you know, when you think about who is going
to provide the pressure, where does that pressure come from?
Because you know with Justin Fields, I know they're nameless,
great faces, but we also know he's a known suspect.
We know what Justin Fields offers from a ground perspective,

(47:30):
A very mobile, very physical and strong quarterback. So if
you're going to hit him, you got to hit him
and it can't be any accidents about that. So excited
to see how this defensive line really attacks him and
it also can't wait to see what that what that
secondary looks like, trying to shut down the aerial attack
for Justin Fields, really making it tough for him. But

(47:50):
you know, my biggest thing is going to be offensive line. Baby,
show me what you got, bro to show me what
you got, Troy. I need to see you guys. Oh
the edges lock it down like we're in def Con five.
You know what I'm saying, like, Yeah, I need I
need full martial law on the edges to go ahead

(48:10):
and just show us that put that dispel that myth
for everybody else and let's go out, let's go get
the w and then get ready for week number two.

Speaker 4 (48:19):
All right, I think that's it. I think I think
I think we did it. Did we do It's?

Speaker 3 (48:23):
Yes, we did. That is a show, all right. Thank
you everyone for tuning into the locker room.

Speaker 4 (48:28):
We really appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (48:29):
We want to thank Jerry Dulac once again, uh for
for joining us on the show The Cool Breeze coming
in each and every Thursday.

Speaker 4 (48:36):
Thank you Wesley for filling in admirably as a picture king.

Speaker 3 (48:42):
I will see you Sunday, of course, to our engineer
in the booth, man man in the chair, so to speak,
if we're going with the Marvel reference, mister Justin Miller.
You guys make it a great day. We'll talk to
you tomorrow.