November 7, 2025 • 49 mins
Max and Rob are joined by Missi Matthews to discuss Sunday night's matchup against the Chargers and specifics on different stadiums and playing environments. The guys also discuss Justin Herbert more in depth for this weekend's matchup.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And programs to create Show Your Stripes a one stop
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Speaker 2 (00:13):
Today, 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
(00:35):
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Cruise it down the freeway.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Hey, Optimis, you got a longer way to drive this time,
but you gotta get it all the way to the
Pacific Ocean.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
On this one, we got to go all the way out.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
To LA But I think I think he's probably in
Oklahoma by now making it taking his way towards Sunday
Night football with us, we are in the Power Hour,
that's right, second hour of the radio broadcasts. Of course,
we are joined by the exquisite, the wonderful and awesome
Missy Matthews aka team Mom of the broadcast she completes
(01:18):
the triangle of coolness that we provide on our broadcast.
How are you doing today, Missy.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
I'm doing good to inks. I'm excited to you know,
enjoy some nice weather.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Out in La cautiously.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
You sound cautiously excited about that. It will be nice,
you know.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
I mean there is a canopy, there's a canopy over
the field, so no inclement weather that you have to
endure directly. It might be a byproduct weather, but not
nothing direct. So that is that is a nice change
to be on the sidelines. And that's a pretty cool sideline.
Speaker 6 (01:54):
You know. I have to say, and I don't mean interrupt, well,
actually I do, because I'm interrupting. I'm a little, uh,
a little less concerned about the weather than Missy is. Max.
I think you were probably a little more concerned about
the weather last year than you are this year. Am
I correcting that?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah, you know, but you know this is one where
you don't have to be as concerned. So we look,
we we we seek refuge when we can. We're happy
and that's the beauty of this. We're happy for you
to get clement weather. Yeah, and good and good radio
connection and good radio connection as well, because that was
the issue.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
Yeah, we don't like, yeah, you know what messy. I've
never been there, so uh, tell fans you know who
are going to be watching on TV, and maybe a
few who are going to be flying out there, maybe
a few who were who already lived there listening to
this show Coast to coast in the locker room of
what so far is all about and what we can
expect to.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
See, it will be a Steeler's heavy crowd. I can
promise you that it just seems like these West Coast strips.
We've seen them, you know, through Vegas, different places. It
just feelers fans that are on the West Coast are
right there. I have a friend from high school who
I remember coming to the game at the Soccer Stadium
(03:13):
in twenty nineteen. Twenty twenty one was obviously a different story,
but he was like, yeah, of course I'm coming, you know,
and my cousin and his wife and our friends and
we have the tailgate. It's like he doesn't get to
come home home to Pittsburgh often, so for him, he's like,
let's go super excited about that. But it is ginormous
(03:33):
state of the art. It's very weird when you realize
that you're underground kind of if that makes sense, you know,
just the way that it was built, but it has
every bell and whistle you can think of. I remember
the last time we were there for the Rams game,
Joe Hayden was in the front row and I literally
(03:53):
could hold a conversation with him because that's how close
he was. There's field suites that are legitimately on the field,
almost like Atlanta. Rob You were there, so you would
probably understand that reference. But it's just insane like they
have they built basically like a mini musical, sets stage, lights, camera,
(04:15):
everything for whoever their halftime performers are. I mean, this
is like they go all out put it that way.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Can't wait and and I would agree. And you know
those suites, you know, you know what it reminds me
of MESSI Dallas where the below field level suites they're
kind of dug into the ground. I think they call
them Low's Suites or something like that, but they're.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Like below level. Because I remember when.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
We were there doing a Chargers game, uh you know,
when Ben's when Ben was at the quarterback position and
I remember walking by, yeah, and Marvel Smith was sitting
in there with his son Kingston like in one and
when Biden just gave like.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
A low five and set what's up? Yeah, hey there
you are?
Speaker 6 (04:59):
So yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
So it's It's truly.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
When you think of Hollywood, LA like this is the
quintessential LA Stadium because the LEDs on the roof that
can change the full on light show, especially with Sunday
night footballs, could even be more dramatic. I think actually
the game we played against them last time we were
out there with.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Ben was the same thing.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
It was a night game and it was all of
these theatrics. I mean, the whole place went dark and
they had all the lights and everything, and like you said,
have some type of halftime entertainment on a stage up
top gave me Vegas feels on the stage as far
as you know, having this kind of area where you
you know, this this party deck, so to speak, where
(05:40):
you could do that.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
I felt like that.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
I felt like so if I took a lot of
elements from a lot of other stages like Dallas. You
know that they were before Vegas, so you know they
kind of had the idea and Vegas might have stolen
from them.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I don't know which one came from.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
Atlanta kind of yeah, it gives you Yeah, that's right,
that's right.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I forgot Atlanta has too, so they took a lot
of those you know elements and put it. And then
they also have a full blown theater in there where
you can do you know, plays and musicals and musical acts.
That that's literally on the same complex and separated away,
you know, by a couple hundred feet, but it's still
under the canopy. So yeah, they mate this a true
(06:21):
entertainment complex. So Stan Kronkey, you know, is using the
most out of this. And plus we have two teams
that are housed in that stadium, so it is a
true multi purpose.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Facility for sure.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
And Rob, this is not just your first time. It's
so fi. Aaron Rodgers hasn't.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
Played it so far, right, So that was where I
was going to go next. So yesterday Max, Missy and
Alec were trying once again desperately to drag me into
the twenty first century. I've missed a great deal of
it somehow, living under my rock did not know about
the show Enigma with Aaron Rodgers. So I've watched one
(06:57):
episode since ad Missy, I want you to know I'm
one up episode in one episode, Ina.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Didn't you know I need the other two downloaded for
the plane? Rocke like we have to have a full blown,
like breakfast conversation about it on Sunday.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
I'm ready to go. H It's been very interesting for
sure to watch. Now that having been said, that led
us back to Aaron Rodgers and Justin Herbert and this matchup,
and they have never met, Missy, Yeah, it is kind
of they probably met in person.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
For sure, I'm sure.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Justin Herbert wasn't drafted till twenty twenty, and the last
time that Aaron faced the Chargers was the season before
twenty nineteen. Has never played in so far, which is
kind of crazy when you think about it, but I
think this is his fortieth or forty first different NFL
stadium that he has played in. He played some overseas
ones as well previously with Green Bay and the Jets,
(07:57):
so it'll be interesting to see, you know, coming into
this one on the Chargers. I almost said the Rams,
got to remember which team we're playing in so far,
but the Chargers, interestingly, or one of five teams that
he has never thrown an interception again, So let's you know,
keep that going for sure. But yeah, you know, the
(08:19):
Chargers have won all of their primetime games so far
this year, which is three, and of course the Steelers
are looking to get their first primetime win. So you
know a lot of you know, different things, different variables
coming into this game.
Speaker 6 (08:32):
To look at and easy to forget. Max. By the way,
we had to stop down our taping of the matchup
yesterday because I instantly called them the San Diego Chargers
right out of the show. Probably two.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Jar dollar the swear jar for that one.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
Oh, I'm so glad we don't have the Commanders because
I hate for you to call them the Redskins.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
I think. I don't know if I did that last
year or not. I don't remember. That's a tough one
just because they were around for so long. And same
with the San Diego Chargers. I mean, Oakland was hard
for a while, but Al Davis is you know, he
was moving them all over the West coast. So you know,
I think.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
You d you just say raiders at this bat, and
if you remember the city, good for you to throw
it in there, but you know it's raiders. I mean
that you might as well call them just the West
Coast Raiders.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
Yeah, because at this and that was an interesting ballyard
last year when we went there.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Oh yeah, Allegia is an awesome stadium venue. I've called
a number of games there and it's always fun to
go there.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
And uh, they're they're they're so nice.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
But you know, I the one thing I love about
so far, which you'll get, You'll get the distinct pleasure
of the.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Best press box food I've I've had. And I've been
to a.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Lot of stadiums, been a couple more stadiums. Yeah, yeah,
I do take note. I do take note. That is
one of the plays. When I see that on there,
that's certainly and I just I just I just put.
I just put, you know, the little smiley face with
a little tongue out and you know that that that
lets you know it's yummy. In case you were wondering
what my shorthand looks like, smiley face with with with
(10:13):
that or if you get like the little drool mark
next to the next to the smiley face, that's also
another one that means it's delicious.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
But yeah, they put on a show.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
I mean, it's it's it's it's Los Angeles finest Hollywood's finest.
When it comes to everything's bigger and more ornate and overdone.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
And I can appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
The movie theater candy bar selection.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
Is yes, interesting, yes, okay, save space, yeah you know.
So look, I have to say I I am. I
have a lot of old school tendencies. Like I just
thought the Patriots their home field, I loved it. I
walked in, I just thought, what I love this place.
(10:59):
I can't we to go to Lambeau. I've never been there.
I have been to Soldier Field, so I'm looking forward
to that. Do you get a different feel of the crowd,
Missy when you're walking up and down the sideline if
it's indoors outdoors? I mean, we all have jobs to do, right, Ultimately,
it doesn't matter to me where the game's played. But
(11:19):
I also have kind of a I kind of like
the old school, you know, grass fields, outdoors, that kind
of stuff. Does it feel different? Is it is it
louder indoors when you're out on the down in the field.
Does it matter from venue to venue whether one is
louder or not louder? Does it affect at all what
you're doing out in the field, whether it is a
(11:40):
newer stadium like the one we're going to go to,
or an old school stadium like atro Sure, like the
one we were at in New England, or like the
one we'll be at in Chicago.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
So well, I think like the historic ones. I've been
to Lambeau a few times. I've been to Soldier Field
like those just have like a nostalgic different field to them,
just when you walk in, like you said, even when
you walked into Gillette stadiums. I think the other two
are even more like hard hitting. But the I prefer
(12:12):
grass too. I hate getting the little, you know, turf
pellets my soccer drives me crazy. Not a fan of
that at all. It doesn't matter how tigh my shoes
are tied, I still get them. They still somehow end
up in a sock as well. But I will say
in terms of like indoor so f, it's different because
Max is right, it's like air can flow through it
(12:36):
and there's the Canady. But I will say the Minnesota
Vikings new stadium, Max was there with me. It was
the Thursday night game that Chase Claypole, you know, signaled
the first down, So I think even the ball back
then tried to win that game with all his might.
Everything worked against him. But I will say that place
was so loud that it was like hurting my head
(12:58):
where I couldn't think. And I I typically like to
wear just one of my radio like earpiece IFV things,
but when it gets really loud, like on Sunday against
the Polts, I have to wear both or I can't
hear you guys. So it's a good and bad thing,
you know. I like to be able to not have
like Boswell asking me to move and I can't hear him,
(13:19):
so then he just like physically moves me, which is fine.
He's very nice about it. And I try to be
cognizant of my surroundings. But sometimes when I have both in,
it's just I can only hear you guys talking and
Dan and West and nothing else around because it's just
so loud.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
Dan Quinland by the way, and Wes Euler Dan Quintan
and our producer and Wes Euler operating the boards, and
of course we hear him hosting lots of shows as well.
But Max, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
I was just gonna say, I could confer what Missy
like when you have that game, and I would say,
the other one Chiefs the Chief Stadium, that's another one.
When we played in that playoff game, it was deafening
in there, but minace. So for an indoor it gave
me the closest field of the old RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
(14:07):
And and you know that that that's what makes it tough.
Like you have a loud stadium and as good as
our earbuds are, and you know their pro quality, they're
you know for the noise cancelation and all that kind
of stuff, they foam fit to your ear man. You know,
you're you're combating you know, sixty to eighty thousand to
one hundred thousand fans.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Yeah, I don't care. I don't care how good those
ear muss are. They're not gonna work.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
But you know, but I think so far, because we'll
have such a large Steeler's contingent, I don't know if
SOFI will present that. Because you have the open air
so sound can escape as opposed to Minnesota where it's
housed indoors and just you know, vibrates off of the
metal and the roof and the rafters and everything and
goes back down. And I feel like they they made
(14:54):
it to where the sound funnels right down to the field.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
So I don't know if sound engineering.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Oh god, yeah, those like two story speakers that are
on the sidelines, yeah uh yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
Your entire body vibrated if you tried to walk in
front of one just to get out of the way.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Oh, and and then and then and then it's that,
And then there's that stupid skull horn.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
What it was it called? Is that a horn or whatever?
It is? That hum like that?
Speaker 4 (15:24):
That right there is the worst when they hit that.
Oh yeah, no, I wish it was optimists. I mean,
optimist at least has a little bit of noise.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
This is like a.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Tobler Owne commercial, you know, when when that thing goes
off and and so. But but Missy, I know, I
know we're we're now vexing about about stadium conditions. But
I do want to turn back to the game. Just
kind of in your mind as you look at this.
I mean, we talked about this Aaron's first time playing
and so Fi first time playing against Justin Herbert. I
(15:54):
know that there's potentially some milestones he's chasing through the
seasons of note. I didn't know did you have any
in the in the note cards dialed up.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Yeah, the one that you know, I was kind of
hoping he would get last week is that. And he
has seventeen passing touchdowns, third in the league. You know,
not too bad for an old guy, as you know
some people like to say. But with the next game
where he has two or more passing touchdowns, he breaks
his tie with Peyton Manning moves into third, sole possession
of third for the most games with two or more
(16:30):
passing touchdowns. They're both at one sixty five. Obviously Peyton's
not moving, so Aaron would start inching closer to Drew Brees.
Tom Brady's a decent way away, but you know, he
could definitely touch Breeze for sure.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
He's been remarkable, absolutely incredible Aaron Rodgers this year for
the for the Steelers, and you know, going on the
road and miss you know, there's a lot of moving
parts because of all the injuries for the Steelers. We
don't know yet about isaac'samalo, and you know that's going
to be a big one. We're going to keep it,
you know, be keeping an eye on, uh, does it
(17:06):
does it feel like this sort of you know, next
man up mentality and knowing that, you know, guys who've
got to find a way to get it done. You know,
Kyle Duggar comes in immediately, you know, he had I
talked to him yesterday. I guess it was about, you know,
being thrown in for that many snaps and then preparation
and the guys helping him out, and now more and
more assuming will be heaped on his plate as they
(17:29):
try to open things up for him to do more
so that you know the different, different reads and different
things you have to do when you're adjusting to a
new team. But you know there's some guys now with
opportunities to play. That's a great thing. But the overarching
thing is we got to go find a way to
win a football game against a good football team on
Sunday night.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Yeah, and I think you know the plan that they
came up for defensively against the Colts was outstanding. Due
to the lack of players that you had due to
illness or injuries, but just knowing that they were the
number one offense in every category possible, you stopped the
run successfully. You made Daniel Jones very uncomfortable, make him
(18:11):
force him into a lot of bad decisions, and I
think because they kept Jalen Ramsey almost exclusively at safety,
which is the most he has played in a very
long time, not in the NFL. Has never played that
much in the NFL in one game at that position.
But that stabilized things because he is just so smart
(18:33):
for this being his first year in this system and
you know, new to this team. It's outstanding how well
versed he isn't it. And I think that's what helped
Kyle Duggar. Those two were never separated at any point
in time on the field, off the field, just really
relying on each other, and I think that helped. And
I think it makes sense. You know, Coach Donlin didn't
(18:55):
beat around the bush with it on Tuesday, same plan
this week for Jalen Ramsey, and I think, you know,
they kind of found something and it's going to change
probably week to week after this, hopefully as guys get healthier,
because the teams are going to be different and whatnot.
But I think, you know, it worked and it makes
sense at least to keep him there for this game.
(19:17):
I'm sure you know, we see him all over the
field usually, and I think that's why they coveted him
so much, so they want to get back to him
being versatile and you know, kind of surprising offenses. But
definitely for this week, it makes sense to me. And
I think, you know, Max was there for the game
that the Steelers had nobody in the secondary. I think
(19:39):
it was twenty two or twenty three, they beat Tom
Brady at home, you know what was his like farewell tour.
So I just think that with the right mindset, and
they don't necessarily believe in momentum caring from game to game,
but I think confidence was built after two games that
maybe had some players on that side of the ball
(19:59):
losing confidence, realizing that they can make this work, they
can work better as a team. So I think it's,
you know, two steps forward. Hopefully it's two more steps forward,
not you know, any steps back.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Yeah no, I agree with that ahead.
Speaker 6 (20:16):
Oh no, no, no, no, no, nope. I I thought
we were finished.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 6 (20:20):
I thought it was a well concluded discussion. But Missy,
did you have something you wanted to ad Max?
Speaker 4 (20:26):
I was just going to ask one thing, just about
the addition of Proger Martin Rhades, just a little note
about that.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Adding him to the active roster.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
You know, I thought that was a corresponding move for
for Daniel Aqualae because he's more of a nose type.
You know, have you seen him in practice yet? How
did he look when you did see him? You know,
just kind of a little update on that since we
did have an addition on the D line.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
I didn't really see much yesterday from practice just because
I didn't have enough time with our shooting schedule to
go out for you know, a good chunk of it.
But it does make sense with Daniel Qualley, you know,
going on ir to add some more depth there. You know,
you're you have a successful game of stopping the run.
You don't want to have, God forbid somebody get hurt
(21:18):
and not have enough depth at that position. And I
think you know it was Jerry. Jerry Doulock had tweeted
that the Steelers before the trade deadline were trying to
get somebody and it just wasn't working. So that's why
they went to a practice squad. And obviously when you
poke someone from a practice squad like that, they have
to remain on the fifty three. So whether he's an
active or not, I think that remains to be seen.
(21:40):
They just kind of got him, you know, underway yesterday
his first time in Pittsburgh and with the team, so
you know, we saw Kyle Dugger. They didn't think he
played as much as he did. Who knows, but hopefully
you know he's a very large human that he can
get everything digested as quickly as possible and if they
eat him then he'll be ready to go.
Speaker 6 (22:02):
Missy, thank you very much, appreciate it. Look forward to
seeing you tomorrow for the long plane ride across the countries.
The Students get ready to take on the Chargers.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
Bright and early. Don't forget rob Max will see you
in la I am not thank.
Speaker 6 (22:17):
You, Missy, you appreciate it. We want to remind you
is we had to break to gear up with the
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Visit one of the Officials Students Pro shops located at
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(22:39):
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Speaker 2 (23:04):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Stars
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
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Speaker 6 (23:26):
Well thanks to Missy Matthews for joining us. Of course,
Missy will be with us for the broadcast on Sunday night.
It's so far looking forward to seeing the stadium, looking
forward to seeing the football game. We've talked a little
bit about the Chargers defense, Derwin James and in particular
the pass rush they can bring. Not only with James
and Henley at the middle linebacker position we had three sacks,
(23:47):
James has a sack and a half playing at a
Pro Bowl level once again, but also the fact that
they have a great number of edge rushers experience, young guys,
different guys that can pass rusher. Didn't even mention a
boyd boo, a boyd b who is a guy who
has four sacks out of a defensive line position. So
(24:08):
they have a lot of different ways to rush the passer.
And it's the passer for the Chargers that I want
to get to in a moment. But Max, you mentioned
more playing time for Scott matt Loock, Scott Mattlock, and
Tucker Fisk. So matt Lock is a guy who began
as a defensive tackle. He is a large man. Matt
(24:30):
Lock is He's listed at six four two ninety six.
I think probably like Darnell, that first number might actually
start with a three when he steps on the scale.
Tucker Fisk is listed as a tight end. He's six
four to two eighty five. Because of the injuries on
the offensive line, And make no mistake, this is a
Chargers team that wanted to run the football. They went out,
(24:52):
They signed Najie Harris, they drafted O'maron Hampton in the
first round, big physical runners. They had a pair of
bookend tackles in Slater, and all that I think that
they feel are probably you know, young guys probably the
two best, you know, the best tackle tantem in the league.
That's from their perspective. I'm sure that that's what they're thinking.
(25:14):
You know, some talent on the inside of the offensive
line as well, and some guys you could bring in
like a Fisk or a matt Lock. Well, now with
all the injuries they've had on the offensive line and
the injuries they've had at their running back position, we're
seeing a little bit more of matt Lock and Fisk,
you know, as they're almost like bringing in Spencer Anderson
and Darnell Washington for them and they need them because
(25:37):
of the injuries to the offensive line.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
And the other thing is is that you know, you
look at that and the guys that they have behind them,
like they went very front heavy and drafting front line
guys because also Zion Johnson the first round pick that
they added to the offensive line. And you know Jamari Sawyer,
although filled in admirably at tackle when Sean Saider was
(26:01):
injured a year ago, you know, has had his struggles.
He's he's been more of a guard type and a
backup and now just last week in Tennessee, I mean
he went in and left tackle, and it was a
little bit of tough sledding.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
And then you also.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Had uh wasn't Scott h No, I'm saying Scott Foster
Sirelle who was also in there because of Michai Becton
being injured, who you went and got in free agency
to really bolster that another first round draft pick.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
So, I mean, they felt really good about.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
Bringing a lot of top predigree to this offensive line
and put a lot of resources into it. And right
now you're sitting right now as it stands, down three
of those guys and so, and they didn't really do
much for depth. So to go get Trevor Pinning was
I hate to say it, but necessity because Foster Serell
(26:48):
struggled mightily in that Tennessee game and he gave up
like two sacks in that game from the interior. So
you would think if you could get Trevor Pinning up
to speed in time and that you could put him.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
At one of those tackle positions.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
You know, you can see if he could go left
and keep Trey Pipkins at right or vice versa, swap him,
but try and get Jamari Sawyer to go in at
the right guard position. He's built like a guard and
will probably give you a little bit more stability in
this game, because going against the Steelers defense, this is
not the right time to be guessing and wondering about
what you got. I mean, you had to have all
(27:23):
hands on deck. So I expect to see a lot
of twenty one personnel, a lot of forty two and
forty four in there to help with that run game
and Kamani Vidal to give them something so they can
stay balanced.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
Yep, they're trying to scheme around it. And justin Herbert,
you know, the interceptions are up. He led the NFL
in touchdown to interception ratio smallest amount of interceptions. I
should say that he had a zero point seven interception
rate last year with the twenty three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Well those are up to eight now. But frankly it's
because most of it there's been a little bad luck,
(27:57):
as sometimes happens, and probably a little good luck when
you only throw three I in ts, you know, defensive
backs dropping balls or maybe something called back or what
have you. But he has just been under duress and
it's it's been pretty much all season long for Herbert
that he has had guys in his face, and if
he wasn't so athletic and so strong, you know, he
(28:20):
won the You know, the end of the Miami game
was the Miami game. I think it was where he
gets out of the pocket and they've got him for
a sack. It was the end of the Miami game.
They've got him for a sack, and instead he gets
out of the pocket, rolls out, finds a man Jalen Phillips,
who I think had him, who's subsequently been traded, and
(28:41):
Lad mcconkeey makes a nice move. They go down and
they set up and they kick the game winning field goal.
That play started from Chargers territory. He gets sacked there,
they don't win the game. So I mean, he's you know,
even with that extraordinary, extraordinary athleticism, he's been under a
lot of pressure and sacked a ton and this Steerers
(29:01):
have to find a way to continue to do that
because you know, you have to be able to do
that while also containing him at the same time, because
he is the leading rusher among all quarterbacks in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
Which is not the greatest title for Justin Herbert. But
you also think a year ago they ran the ball
a lot more than.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
They passed it.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
So this year's an uptick in the passing game with
Greg Roman in year two here because you're one, remember
when they played us, we thought Justin Herbert was going
to sling the ball all around the field. I think
he threw the ball like twenty nine times in that game,
and you know we were leading for most of it too,
and it was like, Okay, well when's he going to
turn it on?
Speaker 6 (29:40):
And they never did.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
But now this season, I think they had a talk
in the offseason like, hey, I need a.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
More expanded role. I need to be able to pass.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I mean, you know, you know, first five years, you know,
leading leading NFL history with the most yards thrown in
the first five years of aseas a pretty good thrower, right,
So that but the issue is, like you said, the
injuries to the offensive line, you can't make that philosophy
and that shift and.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Then go through this and you're now down three starters
your offensive line.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
I expect for, you know, a lot of success, and
I think that pressure that he's been going through was
indicative of the fact that you don't have your frontline
guys out there.
Speaker 6 (30:17):
So they still are committed to the run. And you know,
Jerry Dulac was on with U yesterday is saying they've
average one hundred and seventy five yards rushing in the
last two games, and that is without three starters on
the offensive line, that is without Omario Hampton and without
you know, Naji Harris. We know about Nagy and how
Hardy runs in his style of running, Hampton Max, he
(30:41):
looks like he might be a star. I mean, again,
you don't know how much injuries are going to affect
the guy. But you know power, speed, you know some magility.
There's a reason they took him in the first round.
He's a big loss for them because he was he
was really hitting his stride when he got hurt. So
it's a big lost to have those guys. But Vandal
(31:01):
has come in and they've stayed committed to the run,
and Vandal has He's played four games, he's got two
hundred yard games as kind of the lead guy. It
is still a team that at heart wants to be
able to run the football, and the Steers have to
be able to stop that so that they can get
Herbert into obvious passing downs and they can unleash their
(31:23):
pass rush, which was so effective last week against an
offense that frankly didn't give up a lot of sacks.
They'd only given up nine sacks all year long. This
Steelers got him for five more sacks in that game.
If you can make Justin Herbert one dimensional, and we'll
talk about his skill guys in a moment, but if
you can make him one dimensional by stopping the run,
(31:44):
as gifted as Herbert is, I think that's got to
be big time advantage for the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Yeah. Yeah, he is a guy that you have to
pressure him.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
And yes, he is mobile, he's active, and they've changed
the launch points for him. They do some quarterback design
run stuff with him to keep him kind of on
the on the move so that you can't just you know,
give him, you know, one way, or you.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
Think he's just a pocket passer.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
They want to make sure they present a multitude so
you can't get a beat on him. But there is
a lot of opportunity there to put pressure on him
from the edges, to force pressure up the middle and
force him into TJ. Watt, force him into Alex Highsmith
and Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer. But you can get
you can whip him on one on one blocks and
you know they're running backs because it's not Omari and Hampton,
(32:38):
it's not Najie Harris, who are really good at pass protection.
You know, they have smaller running backs in there, so
they can be overwhelmed. So a Peyton Wilson and Patrick
Queen with a timely blitz can also hit home against
this team.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
But you have to contain the run game.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
You have to make sure that you're allowing yourself that
opportunity to put him into that one dimension. And for
Mario Hampton as well, like you said, I just just
to piggyback off of your stuff. I mean in college
he was with Drake May and he was at the UNC,
and he won some of those games. For Drake May
that May look so good, it was because of his running.
(33:15):
So he's used to playing with really good quarterbacks and
knows how to accentuate him and make it flourish.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
But you don't have that.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
And yes they have been running the ball, but they
had to do a lot of creative ways to run
the football in the absence of your top two running
backs and three offensive linemen. I mean, they just are committed.
They haven't necessarily gotten the best defense, I mean, I mean,
how good is Tennessee's.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Defense to keep that average up right?
Speaker 4 (33:42):
And then of course Minnesota was a week before that,
and Minnesota obviously team we played and you know almost
got it. You know, we had what one hundred and
fifty yards against them. So when you kind of look
at that, that's where you say, okay, this isn't like
they went against Cleveland or they went against Houston and
still did this. So there is room for you to
(34:03):
be able to stop them.
Speaker 6 (34:05):
Agreed, Now, if they have their way, and we saw
this happen in Cincinnati in which you know, not only
were they Joe Flacco throwing the ball all over the
field the gifted receivers, but they ran the ball as well.
And this Steelers never did slow down Cincinnati. Now, in fairness,
Cincinnati has done that to everybody since Flacco's has taken
over a quarterback. You know, they scored over what is it,
(34:28):
one hundred and thirteen points in three games with Flacco
at the controls. That's pretty good. But you know, the
Steelers aren't in the business of allowing and doffing the
cap to the other team. They want to win football games.
If you give Herbert time. It is a gifted and
varied group of receivers. So you have Ronde Gadson, who's
(34:50):
really come on at the tight end position, twenty four
receptions over his last four games. He's really become more
and more of a force. But Quentin Johnston, who looked
a couple of years ago first round pick, didn't look
like he was all that then last year, took a
step forward. This year he's taken another step forward. And
when you talk about variety, you have Lad McConkie leads
(35:11):
them in receiving yards. Keenan Allen leads them six time
pro Board, leads them in receptions. He's tenth in the
league with his fifty receptions. Quinton Johnston leads them in
touchdowns and he's tied for fourth and touchdowns. So three
very good receivers. Allen is not probably prime Keenan Allen,
(35:33):
but three very very good receivers who present three different
kinds of problems. And you can't I don't think Max,
you can key on any one guy. You've just got
to be able to find a way to stop those
three guys. And by the way, you have Trey Harris,
who's the second round pick this year, he's got thirteen
receptions on the season, but really it's Johnston, Allen McConkie
(35:55):
and then the tight end Gadston, so troubles all over
the field. If the Charge can get the passing game.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
Going, yeah, and that that's gonna be. That's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
The key is, you know, to make sure that they
can't dink and dunk you to death, which I know
Greg Roman would love to do to control possession and
take over, you know, time, and also not expose his
quarterback to a pass rush if if they're getting the
ball out, I think expect a lot of the Joe
Flacco Cincinnati game plan in in this If you are
going to go into the passing game, quick passing game.
(36:26):
I got elite receivers. Both my guys are six to
two at least and then lambmaconky's at six foot and
ladd Is is that Julian Edelman slot, run after the
catch type of guy. That's why he leads them and
receiving yards because they put him in positions to where
he can catch and run on some of the quick games,
some of the quick slant stuff out of the slot.
(36:47):
Quintin Johnston is your.
Speaker 6 (36:50):
Is your field?
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Stretcher. I mean, this is the guy.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
He's now starting to look like the like the guy
I saw at TCU when they made a playoff run
and they beat Michigan. So you know he's looking like that.
He's a big, tall receiver, fifty to fifty ball guy.
Stretch him down the sidelines, deep deep post routes, deep overs.
And then Keenan Allen mister everything, mister Charger himself. And
(37:12):
Keenan was a rookie when I went to the Chargers.
That's that's how long.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
He's been in the league.
Speaker 4 (37:16):
That's wild to think that. And he just he can
run the entire route tree. You know, whether you want
double moves, you want any of that stuff, this intermediate,
across the middle, any type of drag concepts, curl, flat comebacks,
sideline plays. He's just a guy who who knows ball.
He knows ball and he's a hell of a receiver.
(37:39):
So you've got a savvy vet on the edge as well.
And that trio if given time, Justin Herbert can pick
you apart. And like you said, RONDI Gadsten rookie tight end,
but runs runs like a receiver. Think think John news
Smith like capabilities, just younger. You know, he'll run all
your seam stuff. He'll he'll even he'll even run some
of some of your common bow plays out of the choice,
(38:02):
out of the slot as well. And he just he presents,
he presents a body type that's you know, six foot five,
two thirty six, he's he's slim, fit for a tight end,
and he he can he can burn. So you got
to know where he is. Like Tyler Warren last week,
you had to know where Tyler Warren was. You had
to know where Tucker Craft was the week before that.
Aronde Gaston is kind of in that mole where he
(38:24):
deserves that attention now, especially after how he's come on
strong in the absence of will Disley not being available
to the Chargers.
Speaker 6 (38:32):
You know, and again I just want to you just
sent you just gave me a little football fan goosebumps.
I know it's the other team, but I think you're
you know, if you're looking for young guys that are
emerging as possible stars, you keep an eye on Gadston.
And I know talking to Matt Williamson really loves dayon Henley. Defensively, uh,
(38:57):
converted safety, who's there? Inside linebacker? Talked about him earlier,
who has three sacks. And you know, just as a
football fan, if you're a football fan, you know about
Keenan now and even in the second year, you know
about McConkey and Quentin Johnston, but Henley is a middle linebacker,
kind of an emerging guy. Put your football fan hat
on and and understand they've got some emerging players as well,
(39:20):
and that the Steelers are gonna have to deal with.
And it's not just the big guys it is it's
Henley on defense and it's Gadston on offense, and it's
a formidable challenge Max coming up on on Sunday night
at so.
Speaker 4 (39:33):
Far, Yeah, it is really exciting. And I'd even throw
u tooy Polo two in there, that's right now, also
a third year guy. So think about this. Think about
their draft. The first three rounds, it was Quinton Johnston,
toy Polo two, and dayone Henley. Those our first, second
and third round picks of that draft. Yeah, yeah, that
(39:55):
was a pretty good draft for them. Yeah, that is
pretty good for sure. Okay, So a.
Speaker 6 (40:00):
Couple of last thoughts on what Max thinks the Steelers
need to do to win this game. An important game
the five and three Steelers visiting the six and three Chargers.
It's so far on Sunday night, when we continue in
the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store. And
to do this pro Shop on see this Nation Radio,
a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
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 com and wrap up hope.
Speaker 6 (40:45):
So no, no, no, I did it again, max I
said the end of the week.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
Well, I guess it has to be a good thing.
It has to be a good thing.
Speaker 4 (40:51):
That means, you know, the Steelers will have a good
showing out in Los Angeles at the rate we're going.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
So it's all good. It's all good.
Speaker 4 (40:59):
We could turn the into a positive, rob We could
turn this into a positive.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
But first, before we turned into a positive, we have
to let everybody nose the bell app.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
So full disclosure on the early lunch warning system. I
jumped the gun on it. And I actually ate because
I was hungry this morning. Don't ask me why, but
I made this awesome what we call Mississippi chicken instapot
recipe last night for my girls. My wife went to
a ladies night friends giving pot luck type of deal.
(41:35):
So Dad was charged with the with the with the
option of going out to grab something to eat for
my children or doing the right thing and cooking for
your kids. So I decided to be you know, chef
homeboy r D. And I made Mississippi chicken, did some
sautake cabbage and some and some rice. And I had
to say, the cabbage was so good I had to
(41:56):
go dip into the cabbage early. I had to dip
to the It was just it was calling my name.
It was perfectly seasoned. And uh, I had that with
a little bit of the Mississippi chicken on top, which
when when you make that kind of ajo gravy type
of sauce with the peppercinis and the peppercini juice in there,
it was, you know, the right type of vinegary savoriness
(42:17):
that you look for, and a little bit zesty with
the ranch with the ranch ranch dry powder. So yeah,
so I did that so everybody else go get your
lunch because I already.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Did mine, so that.
Speaker 6 (42:29):
You sent me that max any dead recipe Mississippi Oh.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
Yeah, oh it's so good.
Speaker 6 (42:36):
I'm all for. I had yogurt.
Speaker 4 (42:39):
Okay, there we go. It's good at Mississippi Chicken. Well,
I mean it's healthy. Uh got protein in there?
Speaker 3 (42:47):
Was it flavored or anything?
Speaker 6 (42:49):
So my wife actually makes yogurt at home, if you
can believe that, baker, and then you got to just
put a little bit of honey in there, or if
you're meeting a lot of money, uh, through granola and
some blueberries and you kind of make it like that.
But it doesn't sound like Mississippi Chicken to me.
Speaker 4 (43:06):
Now now foresters would be happy with your choice of
food option.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
By the way, it's definitely Southern bread soup.
Speaker 6 (43:13):
The soup was good yesterday, as always. I had two kinds.
Was there was a pepper soup, a roasted red pepper
soup that had some meat in there, and then there
was a chicken and biscuits soup. So you got the
chicken in it looked like it looked like a dumpling
and they actually gave you little bits of of you know,
(43:36):
of bread, the the dump, you know, the the oh,
come on, you know the the biscuit biscuits, thank you,
my goodness, Gracio put the biscuits in the bottom, dumped
that soup over the top. Phenomenal. So I had some
of you, yeah, some of each, very good. So Max,
I jumped the gun. I'm sorry. I apologize.
Speaker 3 (43:55):
No, it's all good thoughts. Hey, listen, it's more normal
than not normal, so.
Speaker 6 (44:01):
Come that way. Yeah, yeah, I gotta break the habit.
I didn't do it for I didn't do it for
two months, and now for two weeks, I've been I've
been a bad boy. But I've gotten excited about these games,
the Colts and the Chargers. I'm enthusiastic about them. And
give me a key one side of the ball and
the other about what the Steelers are. Just how this
game needs to unfold, in your opinion or the best
(44:23):
case scenario of how it would unfold for the Steelers
to be successful.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
Terrorize the Edges defensively, terrorize the Edges whoever it is,
they're not good enough, not compared to our defensive you
know rushers, That's what I would say.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Whoever it is.
Speaker 4 (44:40):
Penning Pipkins saw your your mama, your daddy, your uncle,
your cousin, whoever it is that's gonna line up on
the edges. Terrorize the edges. If you terrorize the edges,
it is going to be a rough day for the Charger.
It will look more like that Washington Commander's game if
you can do it. And we've seen it, because I mean,
Tennessee almost beat them, and you know, Tennessee doesn't necessarily
(45:04):
have the firepower on the outside. I mean, they've traded
away most of those guys. There's no Harold Landry on
that defense anymore. And they were giving that offensive line
trouble and and I saw more than my fair share
of sacks of Justin Herbert. So terrorize the edges defensively.
That's gonna be the biggest thing. Also, don't forget where
eighty six is. Eighty six eighty six. You understand that,
(45:27):
I do, Okay. I wanted to make sure I didn't
have to go further reination, know anybody, So yeah, you
got eighty six eighty six. And yes, they have some
skilled guys at the wide receiver position. But if you
terrorize the edges, guess what, they can't get the deep drops.
They can't do that, you know, then it's a lot
of you know, Lad McConkie underneath stuff where you're trying
(45:47):
to send Keenan Allen across the middle. And I personally
wouldn't do that because he is he is not as
spry and young as he used to and I don't
want to see my former teammate, you know, destroyed completely.
So you know, I kind of look at that. That's
that's my defensive points. Offensively, keep on coming with the
(46:07):
run game, keep on coming, keep forcing the issue, keep
getting better, keep exploding, and keep working on the fundamentals
of your of your double team blocks. Do not jump
off too soon, especially if you're gonna run anything to
the inside, because these these boys are big in the middle,
So you don't want to sit there and think, oh,
I just gave him a little nudge and I'm going
(46:28):
up to the back or that's undersized. No carry that
defensive lineman two bodies makes everything lighter to carry that
one body back into the lap of those undersized linemen
and control the line of scrimmage and for Aaron, do
what you do Gainsu style, chop them up. Eight to
nine receivers getting catches is perfect anonymity. You can't double DK,
(46:51):
and I thought Arthur Smith said it best yesterday and
when he was talking to the media, he was like,
it was like, we know what what the game plan
is for the defenses, right, you want to double team DK.
And that's why we go to other guys early. That's
why you saw the shot play to John Neus Smith
at the beginning of the game. You saw the Darnell
Washington play to start the game a couple of weeks ago,
Spencer Anderson with the kid right, you're throwing them off,
(47:13):
So you know, hey, just because you take one away,
it's like hydra cut one head off, three other.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
Grow in its place, you know.
Speaker 4 (47:20):
And that's how you have to kind of have that
type of mentality that you have to be able to
spread the ball out at whoever's on the field that's
eligible is eligible. It's not smoking mirrors for Aaron Rodgers.
If you're out there, Ben Scaronic, we're throwing to you.
If you're out there, Scotty Miller, we're throwing to you.
Roman Wilson, we're throwing to you. Calvin Austin, We're throwing
to you. Darnell Washington, Spencer Anderson. Now all four of
(47:43):
our tight now all you know, all four of our
tight ends. I have to include him now since he's
been in it so much. Oh no, sorry, five, I apologize,
John Hu Yeah, yeah, sorry. Four tight ends plus our
fifth one in Spencer. As you have five eligible guys
in that group that can go, so you must be
ready for the spreading of the football. And that's been
(48:05):
one of the greatest strings I think of our team
is when one guy gets shut down, we don't go
dormant ye where we activate other guys into the game plan.
And I think that's what also helps keep teams from
doubling and stacking on DK too often, because like, shoot,
if we double him, guess what, there's a mismatch somewhere
else on the field, and can we handle it? You know,
(48:27):
how do I end up with an outside linebacker on
Calvin Austin right?
Speaker 3 (48:31):
Because we try?
Speaker 4 (48:32):
Because we try, We're trying to bracket Dek on the
opposite side of the field, and the linebacker is the
only other guy that's available, and Calv is way too
fast for that guy. So that's what you have to do.
That's what you have to continue to do. So I
think those are my game, my keys going into this game.
Speaker 6 (48:44):
Max, inquiring minds want to know, and I think there's
only time for you to answer this without a long
explanation because we're getting up to it. Even though I
want a long explanation. You made the hydra reference. Were
you going Hercules? Were you going Captain America or were
you going.
Speaker 4 (49:01):
It was more so Captain America for the phrasing of it,
But Hercules, obviously, you know, yields number one any type
of Greek and Roman mythology. I'm going to pull those
yes you up first, and it happened to put a
pop culture spin on it.
Speaker 6 (49:15):
That's exactly how it felt to me. Well answered our
Thanks to Justin Miller in our iHeart Studio being at
the control Max. I will see you, my friend in
La looking forward to it all right, see you tomorrow
in La bud Hey, safe travels. Yeah, same to you
for Max starks On, Rob King, thanks for being with
us in the Locker Room, presented by our neighborhood Ford
Store and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
(49:36):
part of the Steelers Audio Network.
And programs to create Show Your Stripes a one stop
destination for veterans in their families to find the resources
they need. If you're a veteran facing challenges, or if
you're looking out for the well being of a veteran,
you know, visits Show your Stripes dot org.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Today, 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
(00:35):
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Cruise it down the freeway.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Hey, Optimis, you got a longer way to drive this time,
but you gotta get it all the way to the
Pacific Ocean.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
On this one, we got to go all the way out.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
To LA But I think I think he's probably in
Oklahoma by now making it taking his way towards Sunday
Night football with us, we are in the Power Hour,
that's right, second hour of the radio broadcasts. Of course,
we are joined by the exquisite, the wonderful and awesome
Missy Matthews aka team Mom of the broadcast she completes
(01:18):
the triangle of coolness that we provide on our broadcast.
How are you doing today, Missy.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
I'm doing good to inks. I'm excited to you know,
enjoy some nice weather.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Out in La cautiously.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
You sound cautiously excited about that. It will be nice,
you know.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
I mean there is a canopy, there's a canopy over
the field, so no inclement weather that you have to
endure directly. It might be a byproduct weather, but not
nothing direct. So that is that is a nice change
to be on the sidelines. And that's a pretty cool sideline.
Speaker 6 (01:54):
You know. I have to say, and I don't mean interrupt, well,
actually I do, because I'm interrupting. I'm a little, uh,
a little less concerned about the weather than Missy is. Max.
I think you were probably a little more concerned about
the weather last year than you are this year. Am
I correcting that?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah, you know, but you know this is one where
you don't have to be as concerned. So we look,
we we we seek refuge when we can. We're happy
and that's the beauty of this. We're happy for you
to get clement weather. Yeah, and good and good radio
connection and good radio connection as well, because that was
the issue.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
Yeah, we don't like, yeah, you know what messy. I've
never been there, so uh, tell fans you know who
are going to be watching on TV, and maybe a
few who are going to be flying out there, maybe
a few who were who already lived there listening to
this show Coast to coast in the locker room of
what so far is all about and what we can
expect to.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
See, it will be a Steeler's heavy crowd. I can
promise you that it just seems like these West Coast strips.
We've seen them, you know, through Vegas, different places. It
just feelers fans that are on the West Coast are
right there. I have a friend from high school who
I remember coming to the game at the Soccer Stadium
(03:13):
in twenty nineteen. Twenty twenty one was obviously a different story,
but he was like, yeah, of course I'm coming, you know,
and my cousin and his wife and our friends and
we have the tailgate. It's like he doesn't get to
come home home to Pittsburgh often, so for him, he's like,
let's go super excited about that. But it is ginormous
(03:33):
state of the art. It's very weird when you realize
that you're underground kind of if that makes sense, you know,
just the way that it was built, but it has
every bell and whistle you can think of. I remember
the last time we were there for the Rams game,
Joe Hayden was in the front row and I literally
(03:53):
could hold a conversation with him because that's how close
he was. There's field suites that are legitimately on the field,
almost like Atlanta. Rob You were there, so you would
probably understand that reference. But it's just insane like they
have they built basically like a mini musical, sets stage, lights, camera,
(04:15):
everything for whoever their halftime performers are. I mean, this
is like they go all out put it that way.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Can't wait and and I would agree. And you know
those suites, you know, you know what it reminds me
of MESSI Dallas where the below field level suites they're
kind of dug into the ground. I think they call
them Low's Suites or something like that, but they're.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Like below level. Because I remember when.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
We were there doing a Chargers game, uh you know,
when Ben's when Ben was at the quarterback position and
I remember walking by, yeah, and Marvel Smith was sitting
in there with his son Kingston like in one and
when Biden just gave like.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
A low five and set what's up? Yeah, hey there
you are?
Speaker 6 (04:59):
So yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
So it's It's truly.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
When you think of Hollywood, LA like this is the
quintessential LA Stadium because the LEDs on the roof that
can change the full on light show, especially with Sunday
night footballs, could even be more dramatic. I think actually
the game we played against them last time we were
out there with.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Ben was the same thing.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
It was a night game and it was all of
these theatrics. I mean, the whole place went dark and
they had all the lights and everything, and like you said,
have some type of halftime entertainment on a stage up
top gave me Vegas feels on the stage as far
as you know, having this kind of area where you
you know, this this party deck, so to speak, where
(05:40):
you could do that.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
I felt like that.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
I felt like so if I took a lot of
elements from a lot of other stages like Dallas. You
know that they were before Vegas, so you know they
kind of had the idea and Vegas might have stolen
from them.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I don't know which one came from.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
Atlanta kind of yeah, it gives you Yeah, that's right,
that's right.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I forgot Atlanta has too, so they took a lot
of those you know elements and put it. And then
they also have a full blown theater in there where
you can do you know, plays and musicals and musical acts.
That that's literally on the same complex and separated away,
you know, by a couple hundred feet, but it's still
under the canopy. So yeah, they mate this a true
(06:21):
entertainment complex. So Stan Kronkey, you know, is using the
most out of this. And plus we have two teams
that are housed in that stadium, so it is a
true multi purpose.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Facility for sure.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
And Rob, this is not just your first time. It's
so fi. Aaron Rodgers hasn't.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
Played it so far, right, So that was where I
was going to go next. So yesterday Max, Missy and
Alec were trying once again desperately to drag me into
the twenty first century. I've missed a great deal of
it somehow, living under my rock did not know about
the show Enigma with Aaron Rodgers. So I've watched one
(06:57):
episode since ad Missy, I want you to know I'm
one up episode in one episode, Ina.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Didn't you know I need the other two downloaded for
the plane? Rocke like we have to have a full blown,
like breakfast conversation about it on Sunday.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
I'm ready to go. H It's been very interesting for
sure to watch. Now that having been said, that led
us back to Aaron Rodgers and Justin Herbert and this matchup,
and they have never met, Missy, Yeah, it is kind
of they probably met in person.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
For sure, I'm sure.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Justin Herbert wasn't drafted till twenty twenty, and the last
time that Aaron faced the Chargers was the season before
twenty nineteen. Has never played in so far, which is
kind of crazy when you think about it, but I
think this is his fortieth or forty first different NFL
stadium that he has played in. He played some overseas
ones as well previously with Green Bay and the Jets,
(07:57):
so it'll be interesting to see, you know, coming into
this one on the Chargers. I almost said the Rams,
got to remember which team we're playing in so far,
but the Chargers, interestingly, or one of five teams that
he has never thrown an interception again, So let's you know,
keep that going for sure. But yeah, you know, the
(08:19):
Chargers have won all of their primetime games so far
this year, which is three, and of course the Steelers
are looking to get their first primetime win. So you
know a lot of you know, different things, different variables
coming into this game.
Speaker 6 (08:32):
To look at and easy to forget. Max. By the way,
we had to stop down our taping of the matchup
yesterday because I instantly called them the San Diego Chargers
right out of the show. Probably two.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Jar dollar the swear jar for that one.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
Oh, I'm so glad we don't have the Commanders because
I hate for you to call them the Redskins.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
I think. I don't know if I did that last
year or not. I don't remember. That's a tough one
just because they were around for so long. And same
with the San Diego Chargers. I mean, Oakland was hard
for a while, but Al Davis is you know, he
was moving them all over the West coast. So you know,
I think.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
You d you just say raiders at this bat, and
if you remember the city, good for you to throw
it in there, but you know it's raiders. I mean
that you might as well call them just the West
Coast Raiders.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
Yeah, because at this and that was an interesting ballyard
last year when we went there.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Oh yeah, Allegia is an awesome stadium venue. I've called
a number of games there and it's always fun to
go there.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
And uh, they're they're they're so nice.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
But you know, I the one thing I love about
so far, which you'll get, You'll get the distinct pleasure
of the.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Best press box food I've I've had. And I've been
to a.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Lot of stadiums, been a couple more stadiums. Yeah, yeah,
I do take note. I do take note. That is
one of the plays. When I see that on there,
that's certainly and I just I just I just put.
I just put, you know, the little smiley face with
a little tongue out and you know that that that
lets you know it's yummy. In case you were wondering
what my shorthand looks like, smiley face with with with
(10:13):
that or if you get like the little drool mark
next to the next to the smiley face, that's also
another one that means it's delicious.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
But yeah, they put on a show.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
I mean, it's it's it's it's Los Angeles finest Hollywood's finest.
When it comes to everything's bigger and more ornate and overdone.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
And I can appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
The movie theater candy bar selection.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
Is yes, interesting, yes, okay, save space, yeah you know.
So look, I have to say I I am. I
have a lot of old school tendencies. Like I just
thought the Patriots their home field, I loved it. I
walked in, I just thought, what I love this place.
(10:59):
I can't we to go to Lambeau. I've never been there.
I have been to Soldier Field, so I'm looking forward
to that. Do you get a different feel of the crowd,
Missy when you're walking up and down the sideline if
it's indoors outdoors? I mean, we all have jobs to do, right, Ultimately,
it doesn't matter to me where the game's played. But
(11:19):
I also have kind of a I kind of like
the old school, you know, grass fields, outdoors, that kind
of stuff. Does it feel different? Is it is it
louder indoors when you're out on the down in the field.
Does it matter from venue to venue whether one is
louder or not louder? Does it affect at all what
you're doing out in the field, whether it is a
(11:40):
newer stadium like the one we're going to go to,
or an old school stadium like atro Sure, like the
one we were at in New England, or like the
one we'll be at in Chicago.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
So well, I think like the historic ones. I've been
to Lambeau a few times. I've been to Soldier Field
like those just have like a nostalgic different field to them,
just when you walk in, like you said, even when
you walked into Gillette stadiums. I think the other two
are even more like hard hitting. But the I prefer
(12:12):
grass too. I hate getting the little, you know, turf
pellets my soccer drives me crazy. Not a fan of
that at all. It doesn't matter how tigh my shoes
are tied, I still get them. They still somehow end
up in a sock as well. But I will say
in terms of like indoor so f, it's different because
Max is right, it's like air can flow through it
(12:36):
and there's the Canady. But I will say the Minnesota
Vikings new stadium, Max was there with me. It was
the Thursday night game that Chase Claypole, you know, signaled
the first down, So I think even the ball back
then tried to win that game with all his might.
Everything worked against him. But I will say that place
was so loud that it was like hurting my head
(12:58):
where I couldn't think. And I I typically like to
wear just one of my radio like earpiece IFV things,
but when it gets really loud, like on Sunday against
the Polts, I have to wear both or I can't
hear you guys. So it's a good and bad thing,
you know. I like to be able to not have
like Boswell asking me to move and I can't hear him,
(13:19):
so then he just like physically moves me, which is fine.
He's very nice about it. And I try to be
cognizant of my surroundings. But sometimes when I have both in,
it's just I can only hear you guys talking and
Dan and West and nothing else around because it's just
so loud.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
Dan Quinland by the way, and Wes Euler Dan Quintan
and our producer and Wes Euler operating the boards, and
of course we hear him hosting lots of shows as well.
But Max, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
I was just gonna say, I could confer what Missy
like when you have that game, and I would say,
the other one Chiefs the Chief Stadium, that's another one.
When we played in that playoff game, it was deafening
in there, but minace. So for an indoor it gave
me the closest field of the old RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
(14:07):
And and you know that that that's what makes it tough.
Like you have a loud stadium and as good as
our earbuds are, and you know their pro quality, they're
you know for the noise cancelation and all that kind
of stuff, they foam fit to your ear man. You know,
you're you're combating you know, sixty to eighty thousand to
one hundred thousand fans.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Yeah, I don't care. I don't care how good those
ear muss are. They're not gonna work.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
But you know, but I think so far, because we'll
have such a large Steeler's contingent, I don't know if
SOFI will present that. Because you have the open air
so sound can escape as opposed to Minnesota where it's
housed indoors and just you know, vibrates off of the
metal and the roof and the rafters and everything and
goes back down. And I feel like they they made
(14:54):
it to where the sound funnels right down to the field.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
So I don't know if sound engineering.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Oh god, yeah, those like two story speakers that are
on the sidelines, yeah uh yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
Your entire body vibrated if you tried to walk in
front of one just to get out of the way.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Oh, and and then and then and then it's that,
And then there's that stupid skull horn.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
What it was it called? Is that a horn or whatever?
It is? That hum like that?
Speaker 4 (15:24):
That right there is the worst when they hit that.
Oh yeah, no, I wish it was optimists. I mean,
optimist at least has a little bit of noise.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
This is like a.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Tobler Owne commercial, you know, when when that thing goes
off and and so. But but Missy, I know, I
know we're we're now vexing about about stadium conditions. But
I do want to turn back to the game. Just
kind of in your mind as you look at this.
I mean, we talked about this Aaron's first time playing
and so Fi first time playing against Justin Herbert. I
(15:54):
know that there's potentially some milestones he's chasing through the
seasons of note. I didn't know did you have any
in the in the note cards dialed up.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Yeah, the one that you know, I was kind of
hoping he would get last week is that. And he
has seventeen passing touchdowns, third in the league. You know,
not too bad for an old guy, as you know
some people like to say. But with the next game
where he has two or more passing touchdowns, he breaks
his tie with Peyton Manning moves into third, sole possession
of third for the most games with two or more
(16:30):
passing touchdowns. They're both at one sixty five. Obviously Peyton's
not moving, so Aaron would start inching closer to Drew Brees.
Tom Brady's a decent way away, but you know, he
could definitely touch Breeze for sure.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
He's been remarkable, absolutely incredible Aaron Rodgers this year for
the for the Steelers, and you know, going on the
road and miss you know, there's a lot of moving
parts because of all the injuries for the Steelers. We
don't know yet about isaac'samalo, and you know that's going
to be a big one. We're going to keep it,
you know, be keeping an eye on, uh, does it
(17:06):
does it feel like this sort of you know, next
man up mentality and knowing that, you know, guys who've
got to find a way to get it done. You know,
Kyle Duggar comes in immediately, you know, he had I
talked to him yesterday. I guess it was about, you know,
being thrown in for that many snaps and then preparation
and the guys helping him out, and now more and
more assuming will be heaped on his plate as they
(17:29):
try to open things up for him to do more
so that you know the different, different reads and different
things you have to do when you're adjusting to a
new team. But you know there's some guys now with
opportunities to play. That's a great thing. But the overarching
thing is we got to go find a way to
win a football game against a good football team on
Sunday night.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Yeah, and I think you know the plan that they
came up for defensively against the Colts was outstanding. Due
to the lack of players that you had due to
illness or injuries, but just knowing that they were the
number one offense in every category possible, you stopped the
run successfully. You made Daniel Jones very uncomfortable, make him
(18:11):
force him into a lot of bad decisions, and I
think because they kept Jalen Ramsey almost exclusively at safety,
which is the most he has played in a very
long time, not in the NFL. Has never played that
much in the NFL in one game at that position.
But that stabilized things because he is just so smart
(18:33):
for this being his first year in this system and
you know, new to this team. It's outstanding how well
versed he isn't it. And I think that's what helped
Kyle Duggar. Those two were never separated at any point
in time on the field, off the field, just really
relying on each other, and I think that helped. And
I think it makes sense. You know, Coach Donlin didn't
(18:55):
beat around the bush with it on Tuesday, same plan
this week for Jalen Ramsey, and I think, you know,
they kind of found something and it's going to change
probably week to week after this, hopefully as guys get healthier,
because the teams are going to be different and whatnot.
But I think, you know, it worked and it makes
sense at least to keep him there for this game.
(19:17):
I'm sure you know, we see him all over the
field usually, and I think that's why they coveted him
so much, so they want to get back to him
being versatile and you know, kind of surprising offenses. But
definitely for this week, it makes sense to me. And
I think, you know, Max was there for the game
that the Steelers had nobody in the secondary. I think
(19:39):
it was twenty two or twenty three, they beat Tom
Brady at home, you know what was his like farewell tour.
So I just think that with the right mindset, and
they don't necessarily believe in momentum caring from game to game,
but I think confidence was built after two games that
maybe had some players on that side of the ball
(19:59):
losing confidence, realizing that they can make this work, they
can work better as a team. So I think it's,
you know, two steps forward. Hopefully it's two more steps forward,
not you know, any steps back.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Yeah no, I agree with that ahead.
Speaker 6 (20:16):
Oh no, no, no, no, no, nope. I I thought
we were finished.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 6 (20:20):
I thought it was a well concluded discussion. But Missy,
did you have something you wanted to ad Max?
Speaker 4 (20:26):
I was just going to ask one thing, just about
the addition of Proger Martin Rhades, just a little note
about that.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Adding him to the active roster.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
You know, I thought that was a corresponding move for
for Daniel Aqualae because he's more of a nose type.
You know, have you seen him in practice yet? How
did he look when you did see him? You know,
just kind of a little update on that since we
did have an addition on the D line.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
I didn't really see much yesterday from practice just because
I didn't have enough time with our shooting schedule to
go out for you know, a good chunk of it.
But it does make sense with Daniel Qualley, you know,
going on ir to add some more depth there. You know,
you're you have a successful game of stopping the run.
You don't want to have, God forbid somebody get hurt
(21:18):
and not have enough depth at that position. And I
think you know it was Jerry. Jerry Doulock had tweeted
that the Steelers before the trade deadline were trying to
get somebody and it just wasn't working. So that's why
they went to a practice squad. And obviously when you
poke someone from a practice squad like that, they have
to remain on the fifty three. So whether he's an
active or not, I think that remains to be seen.
(21:40):
They just kind of got him, you know, underway yesterday
his first time in Pittsburgh and with the team, so
you know, we saw Kyle Dugger. They didn't think he
played as much as he did. Who knows, but hopefully
you know he's a very large human that he can
get everything digested as quickly as possible and if they
eat him then he'll be ready to go.
Speaker 6 (22:02):
Missy, thank you very much, appreciate it. Look forward to
seeing you tomorrow for the long plane ride across the countries.
The Students get ready to take on the Chargers.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
Bright and early. Don't forget rob Max will see you
in la I am not thank.
Speaker 6 (22:17):
You, Missy, you appreciate it. We want to remind you
is we had to break to gear up with the
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Visit one of the Officials Students Pro shops located at
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(22:39):
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Speaker 2 (23:04):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Stars
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Speaker 6 (23:26):
Well thanks to Missy Matthews for joining us. Of course,
Missy will be with us for the broadcast on Sunday night.
It's so far looking forward to seeing the stadium, looking
forward to seeing the football game. We've talked a little
bit about the Chargers defense, Derwin James and in particular
the pass rush they can bring. Not only with James
and Henley at the middle linebacker position we had three sacks,
(23:47):
James has a sack and a half playing at a
Pro Bowl level once again, but also the fact that
they have a great number of edge rushers experience, young guys,
different guys that can pass rusher. Didn't even mention a
boyd boo, a boyd b who is a guy who
has four sacks out of a defensive line position. So
(24:08):
they have a lot of different ways to rush the passer.
And it's the passer for the Chargers that I want
to get to in a moment. But Max, you mentioned
more playing time for Scott matt Loock, Scott Mattlock, and
Tucker Fisk. So matt Lock is a guy who began
as a defensive tackle. He is a large man. Matt
(24:30):
Lock is He's listed at six four two ninety six.
I think probably like Darnell, that first number might actually
start with a three when he steps on the scale.
Tucker Fisk is listed as a tight end. He's six
four to two eighty five. Because of the injuries on
the offensive line, And make no mistake, this is a
Chargers team that wanted to run the football. They went out,
(24:52):
They signed Najie Harris, they drafted O'maron Hampton in the
first round, big physical runners. They had a pair of
bookend tackles in Slater, and all that I think that
they feel are probably you know, young guys probably the
two best, you know, the best tackle tantem in the league.
That's from their perspective. I'm sure that that's what they're thinking.
(25:14):
You know, some talent on the inside of the offensive
line as well, and some guys you could bring in
like a Fisk or a matt Lock. Well, now with
all the injuries they've had on the offensive line and
the injuries they've had at their running back position, we're
seeing a little bit more of matt Lock and Fisk,
you know, as they're almost like bringing in Spencer Anderson
and Darnell Washington for them and they need them because
(25:37):
of the injuries to the offensive line.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
And the other thing is is that you know, you
look at that and the guys that they have behind them,
like they went very front heavy and drafting front line
guys because also Zion Johnson the first round pick that
they added to the offensive line. And you know Jamari Sawyer,
although filled in admirably at tackle when Sean Saider was
(26:01):
injured a year ago, you know, has had his struggles.
He's he's been more of a guard type and a
backup and now just last week in Tennessee, I mean
he went in and left tackle, and it was a
little bit of tough sledding.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
And then you also.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Had uh wasn't Scott h No, I'm saying Scott Foster
Sirelle who was also in there because of Michai Becton
being injured, who you went and got in free agency
to really bolster that another first round draft pick.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
So, I mean, they felt really good about.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
Bringing a lot of top predigree to this offensive line
and put a lot of resources into it. And right
now you're sitting right now as it stands, down three
of those guys and so, and they didn't really do
much for depth. So to go get Trevor Pinning was
I hate to say it, but necessity because Foster Serell
(26:48):
struggled mightily in that Tennessee game and he gave up
like two sacks in that game from the interior. So
you would think if you could get Trevor Pinning up
to speed in time and that you could put him.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
At one of those tackle positions.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
You know, you can see if he could go left
and keep Trey Pipkins at right or vice versa, swap him,
but try and get Jamari Sawyer to go in at
the right guard position. He's built like a guard and
will probably give you a little bit more stability in
this game, because going against the Steelers defense, this is
not the right time to be guessing and wondering about
what you got. I mean, you had to have all
(27:23):
hands on deck. So I expect to see a lot
of twenty one personnel, a lot of forty two and
forty four in there to help with that run game
and Kamani Vidal to give them something so they can
stay balanced.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
Yep, they're trying to scheme around it. And justin Herbert,
you know, the interceptions are up. He led the NFL
in touchdown to interception ratio smallest amount of interceptions. I
should say that he had a zero point seven interception
rate last year with the twenty three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Well those are up to eight now. But frankly it's
because most of it there's been a little bad luck,
(27:57):
as sometimes happens, and probably a little good luck when
you only throw three I in ts, you know, defensive
backs dropping balls or maybe something called back or what
have you. But he has just been under duress and
it's it's been pretty much all season long for Herbert
that he has had guys in his face, and if
he wasn't so athletic and so strong, you know, he
(28:20):
won the You know, the end of the Miami game
was the Miami game. I think it was where he
gets out of the pocket and they've got him for
a sack. It was the end of the Miami game.
They've got him for a sack, and instead he gets
out of the pocket, rolls out, finds a man Jalen Phillips,
who I think had him, who's subsequently been traded, and
(28:41):
Lad mcconkeey makes a nice move. They go down and
they set up and they kick the game winning field goal.
That play started from Chargers territory. He gets sacked there,
they don't win the game. So I mean, he's you know,
even with that extraordinary, extraordinary athleticism, he's been under a
lot of pressure and sacked a ton and this Steerers
(29:01):
have to find a way to continue to do that
because you know, you have to be able to do
that while also containing him at the same time, because
he is the leading rusher among all quarterbacks in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
Which is not the greatest title for Justin Herbert. But
you also think a year ago they ran the ball
a lot more than.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
They passed it.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
So this year's an uptick in the passing game with
Greg Roman in year two here because you're one, remember
when they played us, we thought Justin Herbert was going
to sling the ball all around the field. I think
he threw the ball like twenty nine times in that game,
and you know we were leading for most of it too,
and it was like, Okay, well when's he going to
turn it on?
Speaker 6 (29:40):
And they never did.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
But now this season, I think they had a talk
in the offseason like, hey, I need a.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
More expanded role. I need to be able to pass.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I mean, you know, you know, first five years, you know,
leading leading NFL history with the most yards thrown in
the first five years of aseas a pretty good thrower, right,
So that but the issue is, like you said, the
injuries to the offensive line, you can't make that philosophy
and that shift and.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Then go through this and you're now down three starters
your offensive line.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
I expect for, you know, a lot of success, and
I think that pressure that he's been going through was
indicative of the fact that you don't have your frontline
guys out there.
Speaker 6 (30:17):
So they still are committed to the run. And you know,
Jerry Dulac was on with U yesterday is saying they've
average one hundred and seventy five yards rushing in the
last two games, and that is without three starters on
the offensive line, that is without Omario Hampton and without
you know, Naji Harris. We know about Nagy and how
Hardy runs in his style of running, Hampton Max, he
(30:41):
looks like he might be a star. I mean, again,
you don't know how much injuries are going to affect
the guy. But you know power, speed, you know some magility.
There's a reason they took him in the first round.
He's a big loss for them because he was he
was really hitting his stride when he got hurt. So
it's a big lost to have those guys. But Vandal
(31:01):
has come in and they've stayed committed to the run,
and Vandal has He's played four games, he's got two
hundred yard games as kind of the lead guy. It
is still a team that at heart wants to be
able to run the football, and the Steers have to
be able to stop that so that they can get
Herbert into obvious passing downs and they can unleash their
(31:23):
pass rush, which was so effective last week against an
offense that frankly didn't give up a lot of sacks.
They'd only given up nine sacks all year long. This
Steelers got him for five more sacks in that game.
If you can make Justin Herbert one dimensional, and we'll
talk about his skill guys in a moment, but if
you can make him one dimensional by stopping the run,
(31:44):
as gifted as Herbert is, I think that's got to
be big time advantage for the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Yeah. Yeah, he is a guy that you have to
pressure him.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
And yes, he is mobile, he's active, and they've changed
the launch points for him. They do some quarterback design
run stuff with him to keep him kind of on
the on the move so that you can't just you know,
give him, you know, one way, or you.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
Think he's just a pocket passer.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
They want to make sure they present a multitude so
you can't get a beat on him. But there is
a lot of opportunity there to put pressure on him
from the edges, to force pressure up the middle and
force him into TJ. Watt, force him into Alex Highsmith
and Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer. But you can get
you can whip him on one on one blocks and
you know they're running backs because it's not Omari and Hampton,
(32:38):
it's not Najie Harris, who are really good at pass protection.
You know, they have smaller running backs in there, so
they can be overwhelmed. So a Peyton Wilson and Patrick
Queen with a timely blitz can also hit home against
this team.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
But you have to contain the run game.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
You have to make sure that you're allowing yourself that
opportunity to put him into that one dimension. And for
Mario Hampton as well, like you said, I just just
to piggyback off of your stuff. I mean in college
he was with Drake May and he was at the UNC,
and he won some of those games. For Drake May
that May look so good, it was because of his running.
(33:15):
So he's used to playing with really good quarterbacks and
knows how to accentuate him and make it flourish.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
But you don't have that.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
And yes they have been running the ball, but they
had to do a lot of creative ways to run
the football in the absence of your top two running
backs and three offensive linemen. I mean, they just are committed.
They haven't necessarily gotten the best defense, I mean, I mean,
how good is Tennessee's.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Defense to keep that average up right?
Speaker 4 (33:42):
And then of course Minnesota was a week before that,
and Minnesota obviously team we played and you know almost
got it. You know, we had what one hundred and
fifty yards against them. So when you kind of look
at that, that's where you say, okay, this isn't like
they went against Cleveland or they went against Houston and
still did this. So there is room for you to
(34:03):
be able to stop them.
Speaker 6 (34:05):
Agreed, Now, if they have their way, and we saw
this happen in Cincinnati in which you know, not only
were they Joe Flacco throwing the ball all over the
field the gifted receivers, but they ran the ball as well.
And this Steelers never did slow down Cincinnati. Now, in fairness,
Cincinnati has done that to everybody since Flacco's has taken
over a quarterback. You know, they scored over what is it,
(34:28):
one hundred and thirteen points in three games with Flacco
at the controls. That's pretty good. But you know, the
Steelers aren't in the business of allowing and doffing the
cap to the other team. They want to win football games.
If you give Herbert time. It is a gifted and
varied group of receivers. So you have Ronde Gadson, who's
(34:50):
really come on at the tight end position, twenty four
receptions over his last four games. He's really become more
and more of a force. But Quentin Johnston, who looked
a couple of years ago first round pick, didn't look
like he was all that then last year, took a
step forward. This year he's taken another step forward. And
when you talk about variety, you have Lad McConkie leads
(35:11):
them in receiving yards. Keenan Allen leads them six time
pro Board, leads them in receptions. He's tenth in the
league with his fifty receptions. Quinton Johnston leads them in
touchdowns and he's tied for fourth and touchdowns. So three
very good receivers. Allen is not probably prime Keenan Allen,
(35:33):
but three very very good receivers who present three different
kinds of problems. And you can't I don't think Max,
you can key on any one guy. You've just got
to be able to find a way to stop those
three guys. And by the way, you have Trey Harris,
who's the second round pick this year, he's got thirteen
receptions on the season, but really it's Johnston, Allen McConkie
(35:55):
and then the tight end Gadston, so troubles all over
the field. If the Charge can get the passing game.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
Going, yeah, and that that's gonna be. That's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
The key is, you know, to make sure that they
can't dink and dunk you to death, which I know
Greg Roman would love to do to control possession and
take over, you know, time, and also not expose his
quarterback to a pass rush if if they're getting the
ball out, I think expect a lot of the Joe
Flacco Cincinnati game plan in in this If you are
going to go into the passing game, quick passing game.
(36:26):
I got elite receivers. Both my guys are six to
two at least and then lambmaconky's at six foot and
ladd Is is that Julian Edelman slot, run after the
catch type of guy. That's why he leads them and
receiving yards because they put him in positions to where
he can catch and run on some of the quick games,
some of the quick slant stuff out of the slot.
(36:47):
Quintin Johnston is your.
Speaker 6 (36:50):
Is your field?
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Stretcher. I mean, this is the guy.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
He's now starting to look like the like the guy
I saw at TCU when they made a playoff run
and they beat Michigan. So you know he's looking like that.
He's a big, tall receiver, fifty to fifty ball guy.
Stretch him down the sidelines, deep deep post routes, deep overs.
And then Keenan Allen mister everything, mister Charger himself. And
(37:12):
Keenan was a rookie when I went to the Chargers.
That's that's how long.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
He's been in the league.
Speaker 4 (37:16):
That's wild to think that. And he just he can
run the entire route tree. You know, whether you want
double moves, you want any of that stuff, this intermediate,
across the middle, any type of drag concepts, curl, flat comebacks,
sideline plays. He's just a guy who who knows ball.
He knows ball and he's a hell of a receiver.
(37:39):
So you've got a savvy vet on the edge as well.
And that trio if given time, Justin Herbert can pick
you apart. And like you said, RONDI Gadsten rookie tight end,
but runs runs like a receiver. Think think John news
Smith like capabilities, just younger. You know, he'll run all
your seam stuff. He'll he'll even he'll even run some
of some of your common bow plays out of the choice,
(38:02):
out of the slot as well. And he just he presents,
he presents a body type that's you know, six foot five,
two thirty six, he's he's slim, fit for a tight end,
and he he can he can burn. So you got
to know where he is. Like Tyler Warren last week,
you had to know where Tyler Warren was. You had
to know where Tucker Craft was the week before that.
Aronde Gaston is kind of in that mole where he
(38:24):
deserves that attention now, especially after how he's come on
strong in the absence of will Disley not being available
to the Chargers.
Speaker 6 (38:32):
You know, and again I just want to you just
sent you just gave me a little football fan goosebumps.
I know it's the other team, but I think you're
you know, if you're looking for young guys that are
emerging as possible stars, you keep an eye on Gadston.
And I know talking to Matt Williamson really loves dayon Henley. Defensively, uh,
(38:57):
converted safety, who's there? Inside linebacker? Talked about him earlier,
who has three sacks. And you know, just as a
football fan, if you're a football fan, you know about
Keenan now and even in the second year, you know
about McConkey and Quentin Johnston, but Henley is a middle linebacker,
kind of an emerging guy. Put your football fan hat
on and and understand they've got some emerging players as well,
(39:20):
and that the Steelers are gonna have to deal with.
And it's not just the big guys it is it's
Henley on defense and it's Gadston on offense, and it's
a formidable challenge Max coming up on on Sunday night
at so.
Speaker 4 (39:33):
Far, Yeah, it is really exciting. And I'd even throw
u tooy Polo two in there, that's right now, also
a third year guy. So think about this. Think about
their draft. The first three rounds, it was Quinton Johnston,
toy Polo two, and dayone Henley. Those our first, second
and third round picks of that draft. Yeah, yeah, that
(39:55):
was a pretty good draft for them. Yeah, that is
pretty good for sure. Okay, So a.
Speaker 6 (40:00):
Couple of last thoughts on what Max thinks the Steelers
need to do to win this game. An important game
the five and three Steelers visiting the six and three Chargers.
It's so far on Sunday night, when we continue in
the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store. And
to do this pro Shop on see this Nation Radio,
a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
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 com and wrap up hope.
Speaker 6 (40:45):
So no, no, no, I did it again, max I
said the end of the week.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
Well, I guess it has to be a good thing.
It has to be a good thing.
Speaker 4 (40:51):
That means, you know, the Steelers will have a good
showing out in Los Angeles at the rate we're going.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
So it's all good. It's all good.
Speaker 4 (40:59):
We could turn the into a positive, rob We could
turn this into a positive.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
But first, before we turned into a positive, we have
to let everybody nose the bell app.
Speaker 4 (41:11):
So full disclosure on the early lunch warning system. I
jumped the gun on it. And I actually ate because
I was hungry this morning. Don't ask me why, but
I made this awesome what we call Mississippi chicken instapot
recipe last night for my girls. My wife went to
a ladies night friends giving pot luck type of deal.
(41:35):
So Dad was charged with the with the with the
option of going out to grab something to eat for
my children or doing the right thing and cooking for
your kids. So I decided to be you know, chef
homeboy r D. And I made Mississippi chicken, did some
sautake cabbage and some and some rice. And I had
to say, the cabbage was so good I had to
(41:56):
go dip into the cabbage early. I had to dip
to the It was just it was calling my name.
It was perfectly seasoned. And uh, I had that with
a little bit of the Mississippi chicken on top, which
when when you make that kind of ajo gravy type
of sauce with the peppercinis and the peppercini juice in there,
it was, you know, the right type of vinegary savoriness
(42:17):
that you look for, and a little bit zesty with
the ranch with the ranch ranch dry powder. So yeah,
so I did that so everybody else go get your
lunch because I already.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Did mine, so that.
Speaker 6 (42:29):
You sent me that max any dead recipe Mississippi Oh.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
Yeah, oh it's so good.
Speaker 6 (42:36):
I'm all for. I had yogurt.
Speaker 4 (42:39):
Okay, there we go. It's good at Mississippi Chicken. Well,
I mean it's healthy. Uh got protein in there?
Speaker 3 (42:47):
Was it flavored or anything?
Speaker 6 (42:49):
So my wife actually makes yogurt at home, if you
can believe that, baker, and then you got to just
put a little bit of honey in there, or if
you're meeting a lot of money, uh, through granola and
some blueberries and you kind of make it like that.
But it doesn't sound like Mississippi Chicken to me.
Speaker 4 (43:06):
Now now foresters would be happy with your choice of
food option.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
By the way, it's definitely Southern bread soup.
Speaker 6 (43:13):
The soup was good yesterday, as always. I had two kinds.
Was there was a pepper soup, a roasted red pepper
soup that had some meat in there, and then there
was a chicken and biscuits soup. So you got the
chicken in it looked like it looked like a dumpling
and they actually gave you little bits of of you know,
(43:36):
of bread, the the dump, you know, the the oh,
come on, you know the the biscuit biscuits, thank you,
my goodness, Gracio put the biscuits in the bottom, dumped
that soup over the top. Phenomenal. So I had some
of you, yeah, some of each, very good. So Max,
I jumped the gun. I'm sorry. I apologize.
Speaker 3 (43:55):
No, it's all good thoughts. Hey, listen, it's more normal
than not normal, so.
Speaker 6 (44:01):
Come that way. Yeah, yeah, I gotta break the habit.
I didn't do it for I didn't do it for
two months, and now for two weeks, I've been I've
been a bad boy. But I've gotten excited about these games,
the Colts and the Chargers. I'm enthusiastic about them. And
give me a key one side of the ball and
the other about what the Steelers are. Just how this
game needs to unfold, in your opinion or the best
(44:23):
case scenario of how it would unfold for the Steelers
to be successful.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
Terrorize the Edges defensively, terrorize the Edges whoever it is,
they're not good enough, not compared to our defensive you
know rushers, That's what I would say.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Whoever it is.
Speaker 4 (44:40):
Penning Pipkins saw your your mama, your daddy, your uncle,
your cousin, whoever it is that's gonna line up on
the edges. Terrorize the edges. If you terrorize the edges,
it is going to be a rough day for the Charger.
It will look more like that Washington Commander's game if
you can do it. And we've seen it, because I mean,
Tennessee almost beat them, and you know, Tennessee doesn't necessarily
(45:04):
have the firepower on the outside. I mean, they've traded
away most of those guys. There's no Harold Landry on
that defense anymore. And they were giving that offensive line
trouble and and I saw more than my fair share
of sacks of Justin Herbert. So terrorize the edges defensively.
That's gonna be the biggest thing. Also, don't forget where
eighty six is. Eighty six eighty six. You understand that,
(45:27):
I do, Okay. I wanted to make sure I didn't
have to go further reination, know anybody, So yeah, you
got eighty six eighty six. And yes, they have some
skilled guys at the wide receiver position. But if you
terrorize the edges, guess what, they can't get the deep drops.
They can't do that, you know, then it's a lot
of you know, Lad McConkie underneath stuff where you're trying
(45:47):
to send Keenan Allen across the middle. And I personally
wouldn't do that because he is he is not as
spry and young as he used to and I don't
want to see my former teammate, you know, destroyed completely.
So you know, I kind of look at that. That's
that's my defensive points. Offensively, keep on coming with the
(46:07):
run game, keep on coming, keep forcing the issue, keep
getting better, keep exploding, and keep working on the fundamentals
of your of your double team blocks. Do not jump
off too soon, especially if you're gonna run anything to
the inside, because these these boys are big in the middle,
So you don't want to sit there and think, oh,
I just gave him a little nudge and I'm going
(46:28):
up to the back or that's undersized. No carry that
defensive lineman two bodies makes everything lighter to carry that
one body back into the lap of those undersized linemen
and control the line of scrimmage and for Aaron, do
what you do Gainsu style, chop them up. Eight to
nine receivers getting catches is perfect anonymity. You can't double DK,
(46:51):
and I thought Arthur Smith said it best yesterday and
when he was talking to the media, he was like,
it was like, we know what what the game plan
is for the defenses, right, you want to double team DK.
And that's why we go to other guys early. That's
why you saw the shot play to John Neus Smith
at the beginning of the game. You saw the Darnell
Washington play to start the game a couple of weeks ago,
Spencer Anderson with the kid right, you're throwing them off,
(47:13):
So you know, hey, just because you take one away,
it's like hydra cut one head off, three other.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
Grow in its place, you know.
Speaker 4 (47:20):
And that's how you have to kind of have that
type of mentality that you have to be able to
spread the ball out at whoever's on the field that's
eligible is eligible. It's not smoking mirrors for Aaron Rodgers.
If you're out there, Ben Scaronic, we're throwing to you.
If you're out there, Scotty Miller, we're throwing to you.
Roman Wilson, we're throwing to you. Calvin Austin, We're throwing
to you. Darnell Washington, Spencer Anderson. Now all four of
(47:43):
our tight now all you know, all four of our
tight ends. I have to include him now since he's
been in it so much. Oh no, sorry, five, I apologize,
John Hu Yeah, yeah, sorry. Four tight ends plus our
fifth one in Spencer. As you have five eligible guys
in that group that can go, so you must be
ready for the spreading of the football. And that's been
(48:05):
one of the greatest strings I think of our team
is when one guy gets shut down, we don't go
dormant ye where we activate other guys into the game plan.
And I think that's what also helps keep teams from
doubling and stacking on DK too often, because like, shoot,
if we double him, guess what, there's a mismatch somewhere
else on the field, and can we handle it? You know,
(48:27):
how do I end up with an outside linebacker on
Calvin Austin right?
Speaker 3 (48:31):
Because we try?
Speaker 4 (48:32):
Because we try, We're trying to bracket Dek on the
opposite side of the field, and the linebacker is the
only other guy that's available, and Calv is way too
fast for that guy. So that's what you have to do.
That's what you have to continue to do. So I
think those are my game, my keys going into this game.
Speaker 6 (48:44):
Max, inquiring minds want to know, and I think there's
only time for you to answer this without a long
explanation because we're getting up to it. Even though I
want a long explanation. You made the hydra reference. Were
you going Hercules? Were you going Captain America or were
you going.
Speaker 4 (49:01):
It was more so Captain America for the phrasing of it,
But Hercules, obviously, you know, yields number one any type
of Greek and Roman mythology. I'm going to pull those
yes you up first, and it happened to put a
pop culture spin on it.
Speaker 6 (49:15):
That's exactly how it felt to me. Well answered our
Thanks to Justin Miller in our iHeart Studio being at
the control Max. I will see you, my friend in
La looking forward to it all right, see you tomorrow
in La bud Hey, safe travels. Yeah, same to you
for Max starks On, Rob King, thanks for being with
us in the Locker Room, presented by our neighborhood Ford
Store and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
(49:36):
part of the Steelers Audio Network.
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