December 1, 2025 • 48 mins
The guys share more of their thoughts and takeaways from the game, go around the AFC, highlight the drive of the game, and take listener calls from Steeler Nation.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
All right, you know what that sound is? That is
the power hour. That's right Optimist rolling through. I mean
he's keeping the same intensity and energy since week one,
you know, I mean the speed, the RPMs is still there.
The horn still sounds the same because it's also it's
(00:49):
a predetermined clip. But anyways, I appreciate the energy that
Optimist brings every second hour here inside.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
The lock Consistency. Yeah, he's very consistent. And let you
like consistency.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Love consistency on a consistent basis, you know, I mean
I would, I would really prefer that. But here we are, here, here,
we are, here, we are.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
By the way, it is time for our AFC recap
presented by UPMC, the official health care provider and health
plan of the Pittsburgh Schee. If you're on hold, stay
there because this won't take long. Uh So, the the
Cowboys beat the Chiefs on Thursday. We were happy about that.
We were very happy. The Bengals beat the Ravens on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
We were ecstatic. We were very happy about that, very extening.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
And the Browns lost. We didn't really care about that.
The Jaguars still had Titans. We were still we knew
that was going to happen. The Texans beat the Colts.
Man I said this a couple of week. The Colts,
they are, you know, for a team.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That was where they were.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
They they were in a little bit of trouble because
Daniel Jones is hurt, and their schedule is absolutely brutal.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I mean brutal. It is tough. But you know, and
after yesterday, right, the Texans take first place in the division,
and you know the Ulter sitting now at the wildcard spot.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Did they catch them yesterday?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I thought they did.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I thought they still had one more game on them,
but I'm checking this right now.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
That one game, but I think the the division record
is why they I thought they so.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah, So it's Jacksonville's in first.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Oh sorry, jackson You're right, Jacksonville's in first over Indianapolis
and Andy's Now, yeah, that's right, And they're still in
the hunt because they still have one more game to
catch them because Jacksonville beat Houston.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
So I'm getting the Colt schedule up here and is
it is very, very difficult, and we thought it would
be right, and we talked about like, I don't think
they're going to go eight nine, but I mean I
wouldn't be completely flabbergast if they.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
If they did.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I mean, they're their schedule. Okay, So I'm calling it
up here. Sorry, the service is moving slowly. I don't
have them at the at the forefront of my mind.
By the way, the Patriots playing tonight, Monday Night Football
against the Giants, right, So we talked about this. Coming
out of the bye week. They were at Kansas City,
lost a late lead, lost that game in overtime, Houston
(03:04):
at home. Then they're at Jacksonville at Seattle, San Francisco
at home, Jacksonville at home at Houston. That has to be,
beginning with that Chiefs game, the toughest schedule in the
NFL down the stretch has to be.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
It has to be because everybody that they're playing is
a playoff team or currently as it says, right, yep, right,
Because you had.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And you begin that with the Chiefs come on, man.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, and the mahomes maagage kicked in in overtime yep,
that's right, and beat them. And like you said, the
tech Texas are starting. That defense for the Texans is
just ridiculous. I mean, think about think about what the
Texas did to the team that we played yesterday.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Eight sacks, eight twelve quarterback hits, twelve hits.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Howby did we have zero sacks? I believe? And one hit?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
We nudged him a couple of times. He's hard to
bring down.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
We pushed hard, we pushed him at but the Texas
defense had eight sacks of it. They brought him down
eight times and hit him twelve more and hit him
twelve more times yep.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
And they didn't stop James Cook.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Nope, nope. So talk about comparison.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Literally, you know what this is right here? I had
an itch on the top of my head. Yeah, but
it was literally a head scratcher for me. Yeah, how
do you allow him to get over one hundred yards?
And that was literally like that was the manifestation. You
don't see that very often.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
You do, you know?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
But it happened live. I mean, I was here to
see it and witness it in person. I didn't have
to hyperbolize it.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
A couple of years ago when I had my old
dog Buster, it was a great dog. I was taking
him for a walk and he stopped on the side
of a hill kind of in the woods, and he pooped.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Right, that's what dogs do. Yeah, that's what they do
on walks.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And it rolled downhill and I'm like, there it is, man.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
There it is it manifestation. It does roll downhill, right.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
People say that all the time, but you don't see it.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Very of Yeah, but you actually got to see the
literal representation you just saw.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I did a head scratcher over the fact that Cook
ran for one hundred yards and you still hit Josh
Allen twenty times and sacked him eight times. Yeah, Dolphins
beat the Saints. Suddenly that Dolphins game, it's like, oh,
wait a minute, but wait a minute, is that the
walk in the park we thought it was going.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
To be well And also, is that walk in the
park still going to be a Monday night football game?
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yeah, we'll find out tomorrow, I believe.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Yeah, Tuesday is a cutoff date for that one.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Jets defeated the Falcons twenty seven to twenty four. Good
for the Jets to pick up a victory. The Panthers
beat the Rams, no how, no way, even though it's
not an AFC game, it's not part of our AFC recap.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
I just.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I saw that coming.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Nope, and they played and they played lights out. That
Panthers defense picked off you know, Matthew Stafford turned him over,
and Bryce Young just absolutely was playing a great game.
Even though he didn't throw the ball that much, he
was he was playing a great game. And that and
that offense was given short fields and they took advantage
of it.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Chargers beat the Raiders thirty one to fourteen. Of course,
we know what happened with the bill Steelers and last
night the Broncos in overtime that defeating the Commander caught the.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
End of that game when I got back to my
hotel room. And let me tell you, Marcus Mariota played
a heck of a game and for it to come
down to the two point conversion because they wanted to
win that game. Because Broncos went down and overtime scored
kicked the extra point and then the new rule, everybody
gets a possession, right, so they were going down, They're like,
we're gonna win this. We're not gonna kick the extra
(06:36):
point to go back to another drive because everybody's exhausted.
And here's something that we will not say about the Steelers' office.
You know they they have not gotten exhausted yet because
you know the thing about this is the Commanders ran
eighty six offensive plays last night, and including overtime, I.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Believe that'd be exactly twice the amount of sea.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
That was double. That was double the plays that. Yeah,
so they were like, there's no way we're gonna be
able to stop them. They're not gonna be able to
stop us, and literally threw the ball right into the
hands of Nick Benito, who batted it down. But the
tight end wide open, wide open. It's like he could
have fluttered that one, like just just throw a skyball
(07:16):
and that still would have been fine. But it didn't happen.
So it was a fantastic finish to that game that
nobody thought was going to be a competitive game.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Still the craziest year in the NFL I can ever remember. Yeah, absolutely,
I really I can't remember the parody. This season has
been amazing and I'm not ready to I'm not ready
to get out of my malaise.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yeah, you know, I want to stay in my malays.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
But the fact that the Dolphins just pounded the Bills
boat raced, pounded them, boat race, the Dolphins pounded the Bills.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah, Falcons also a team that just lost to the
Jets pounded at heart the Bills Again, it's hard to imagine.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
That's our AFC recap presented by UPMCD health Care Provider
and health plan at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Back to the
phone lines, Todd and Daytona. Todd, thanks for being with
us in the locker room.
Speaker 6 (08:08):
Hey guys, how are you can hear me?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Okay, we can, Todd, thank you for being with us.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
Hey good, good good, Hey, great to be on. I
just want to run through a couple of bullet points
about the frustration with with the team and and kind
of you know, I'll title and together at the end
about you know, Tomlin and his coaching and his history.
I'm not sure if you guys are hearing some of
the numbers that are coming out about you know, the Steelers,
(08:35):
with their recent games and playoff performances. We're on the
wrong side of history here. I think we're at now
sixty one straight games without more than seven points scored
in the.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
First quarter or Todd sixty two ton Anyway sixty.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
Two policy that going on. That's the most than fifty years.
Last six playoff games, oh and six cumulative first quarter
score seventy three to zero. Seventy three to zero.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
That was the old nineteen forty championship game between the
then Washington Redskins and the Chicago Bears, in which the
Bears won seventy three to nothing.
Speaker 6 (09:21):
Well, I'm saying that, yeah, yeah, yeah, this is our
you know, first quarter scores at the end of the
last six playoff games for the Steelers, the first quarter,
if you added up the score of the first quarters,
it's opponent's seventy three Steelers zero.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
I only interrupted because that's such a famous score in
football history anyway, So continue, please continue.
Speaker 6 (09:45):
Yes, yeah, you know, you're right. So just running through
the numbers here, I guess my overarching point here is,
you know, it's not about just yesterday or this game
or this season. Look, Mike Commlin's a good man, but
just from an offensive standpoint, more than ever, it's an
offensive league and this is a consistent issue going on
(10:09):
ten years. I mean, it just at some point, maybe
it's just better to everybody just kind of take a
look and just see, maybe it's just time to move on.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
It just is.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
You know, then we had the one I think it
ended it a year or two ago. We had a
streak of not getting three hundred yards of offense and
I think that was the longest in history in the NFL.
I mean, we're on the wrong side of history with
some of this ineptitude, And at what point is just
(10:47):
enough enough? And I know you guys, listen, you probably
have personal relationships with coach Tomlin. I can appreciate that,
but you know it's probably I just think it's better
for him, it's better for us. Something has got to
change here that you know. Again, it's it's just not
this game or this year. It's you know, I go
(11:10):
back to that Jaguars game playoff game. You know, you
had Blake Bortles roll in here and start blowing you
out off of a bye. The guy was out of
the league in two years. You know, there's just a
very substantial history of some really bad performances and I
(11:31):
just yeah, love the Steelers, but I just it's just enough.
It's just kind for a change, and I just wanted
to see what you guys thought of that. I know
it's kind of a common theme these days, but.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
All right, Todd, thank you very much. By the way,
our phone numbers are four, one, two six, going to
continue to take your phone calls here in the locker
room over the next forty five minutes or so that
remained in the show. And that is going to be
a theme. It was somewhat of a theme is some
of the fans. Last night, actor Sure who broke into
a chant. Mike Tomlin was asked about it after the game.
(12:07):
He said, he understands the friend the fans frustration, so
that it's gonna be something.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
We're gonna hear about.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
We were wondering when we're gonna hear about that, and
when we're gonna hear about Will Howard.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Started out, we had over under how long we will
take after today? And like you said, rightfully, so listen,
and I don't want to discredit any fans feelings in
this process, right because I mean, you know, we we
we live through it just as much as the fans do, right,
I mean, we're essentially our job, we're glorified fans.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
You know, we are, like we always talk about, we're
the historian, uh, historians of the oral history of of
this game and this iteration of the Steelers, And you know,
you do have to ask that question. It's a rightful
question to ask. But I've always contended that, you know,
players play coaches coach, and you can coach up and
(13:00):
and have the best schemes in place, but the players
have to execute. And you know, as much as I
want to say that on coach Tomlin, but at the
same time, it's the player's responsibility to answer the call
when asked, right, It's to stand and be accounted for,
like make the play when the play can be made.
(13:22):
You know, we talked about some of the foolish penalties
that hurt them. You know everybody it was a lack
of discipline from the coaches. I mean, it's the player's
responsibility too. These are grown men. You know, we are
not talking about high school or college football here where
you have young men trying to figure it out that
don't know. These are highly skilled, highly you know, highly intelligent,
and highly compensated individuals as well. So I mean we
(13:45):
put that blame on the head coach, right, just like
we just like we put a win and a loss
on a quarterback shoulders, right, you know, high risk, high reward,
right to whom much is given, much is expected in
those moments. But I think I think it's a combination
of those things. I don't think this falls exclusively on time.
Like Talin has outperformed some of the rosters that he's had,
(14:06):
and he's been able to tap that resource. And I
think for this year, you know, in some years, this
has probably been the most talented roster. And we kind
of talked about this, Yeah, you know off air like
talent wise, it's talented, but it's old, you know, and
when you don't do a full rebuild, you know, this
is kind of where you get these lulls in the season.
(14:28):
And you know this, this is also the same team
that went out and beat the New England Patriots, right
and the Colts and beat the Colts, and so you've
seen them be able to take on the top running
back in the league. You've seen them take one of
the top teams in the league. Because you can argue
it's it's between Denver and New England and we have
we don't play Denver, but we went toe to toe
(14:52):
in one. A team that's been highly successful turning the
football over and then an offense, it's been opportunistic at
taking advantage of those points. I mean the points off
a turnover. I believe the Steelers are still leading the
league in points off turnovers, and we've generated a bunch
of those. But like you said, it's not it's not together,
it's two segmented when those successes happened.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
I think this is for Steelers fans. If you thought
like I did, I could see where this would be
the most frustrating season they've had in quite some time
because I thought I thought they improved the roster in
the offseason. Now did they rework it entirely, No, But
they went out and I thought they were an improved roster,
proved done the defensive line, which was a big issue.
You bring in Jalen Ramsey, you're hoping to coach another
(15:36):
year out of Darius Sleigh. You know, you get fau
Tanu back from last year, didn't even play. You get
Roman Wilson back from last year, didn't even play. You
trade for DK Metcalf, you upgraded the quarterback position. I
just saw this as a better team than the one
that went ten and seven a year ago, and we
have seen it in spurts. And this is the part
(15:57):
that I think for me, it's just a again figuratively
not literally. Figuratively has me scratching my head because, you know,
Matt Williamson had a great quote last week we talked
about the third quarter woes. There are four teams going
into this weekend. There were four teams who had led
in every game. Only four.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
The Steelers were one of them. The other three were
twenty five and eight. The other three were basically eight
and two football teams. Yeah, you know, even better than that, actually,
actually better than that. Yeah, the Steelers are six and five. Now,
how can you be in the same company of those
teams and have that happen? How can you be leading
(16:36):
some of the best teams in the NFL at halftime
the Bills, the Bears, the Packers and the Seahawks and
lose them all, yeah, and get the ball first to
begin the second half. I don't it is. This has
been a mystifying season because at times they've looked like
they can beat anybody in the league, and they have.
(16:57):
They've beaten the Patriots and the Colts, they've beaten two
of the top teams, and at other times they just
it just doesn't has For whatever reason, it hasn't all
fit together, Max, And I don't know what that reason is.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Yeah, I mean, and you know the easiest thing, you say, well,
second time halftime adjustments are not great because you look
at what the third quarter is, right, and that's everybody
taking stock and going in and retooling the game plan
and going with what we think is best. So that
falls on coordinators at that point, right, But players still
have to go execute and still have to figure it out. Now,
(17:31):
we could argue the semantics of hey, we can run
the football and we don't run the football, and then
you know what, two out of the three plays of
that third quarter that we had, we literally passed and
we lost the ball both.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Oh yeah, yeah right, and came out throwing against I
think it was the Bears too, or maybe the Packers. Yeah,
real quick question for you. This was brought up to me,
and I don't know the answer to this. Is it
more difficult? So Aaron Rodgers was in the shotgun the
entire time, yeah, and had to actually pitch it to
most of the running plays going right, because it was
left wrist could hand it off going left because or
(18:07):
because of the left wrist, I should say, can run,
can't run, can't hand off going right because the left wrist,
can't hand off left going with the right wrist. So
is it more difficult to constantly be in the shotgun
and effectively run the football?
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It is? It is okay because half your plays are
off the table. Right. When you're a shotgun and you
present a clear you push it in a clean, clean
picture to the defense. That's right. Yeah, that's the other
part too, it's too clean of a picture. It gets
muddied when you have to turn your back hand off,
fake roll out. You lose all of that. And a
(18:42):
couple of times, I don't know if you noticed it,
like when he like when he had to hand it
off with his left hand, he did that kind of
pirouette spin and reversed it on the spin to the
right hand to hand it off. So, I mean, there
was there was a There was a bunch of tells
and this. As you're watching it, you're just like, man,
why do we put ourselves in this situation? I know
(19:03):
we wanted to get air and out there because of
the the IQ in the passing game, but this was
a game that dictated the run. This is a game
that dictated the roud, just like last week, and we
tried to outsmart ourselves on what we thought we could
do as opposed to sometimes the best answer is the
easiest one.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Our phone numbers are four, one, two, nine, one six.
Will continue with more of your calls in the Locker
Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store in the Steers
Pro Shop on Citizen Nation Radio, a part of the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one P fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
The handoff warn't straight up the middle, following Anderson into
the end zone. Touchdown, Pittsburgh Steelers and that is our
drive of the game, presented by your neighborhood Ford Story.
The F one fifties the official truck of the Pittsburgh
See there's six plays, thirty nine yards. That's your drive
of the game. Six plays thirty nine yards.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Off the James Cook fumble forced by Nick herbig cover
by Patrick Queene.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Only points. Not a good not a good game.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Second half. Five drives.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Don't say this again.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I have to, I have to, Okay, I have to
five drives, five drives.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
How many of those five drives? How many of those
drives went over ninety seconds max?
Speaker 2 (20:44):
One? And that was a turnover on downs. That's tough.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
The fumble interception three and out?
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, and the funnel interception was all of the third
quarter by the that's three plays. Wow, that's three plays
in the third quarter. That's tough. So just one.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Three yards last two last two weeks in the third quarter,
a combined total of sixteen yards. And you got the
ball first both games. Yeah, it's I think it's not
like they got it. Yeah, went on an eight minute drive,
then you went three and out and then won on
another six minute drive. You got it.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
You got to dictate terms. Ball was kicked to you unabated.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Let's go to the phone lines. Jim in Southern California, Jim,
thanks for being with us in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Jim, Hey, guys, Hi, Jim, I gotta tell you I'm
here in California, as there are a lot of feather
fans lamenting what we saw yesterday on TV of Tough Watch.
But I just want to ask a few questions real
quick and just I'll let you guys, you know, take
them off when I'm off the air. But TJ Watt,
I mean, I'm a huge CJ. Watt fan, but I
gotta be honest with you. The money we paid him
this year, I expected a lot more out of him.
(21:58):
And you know, I the fact that he tries to
take accountability when he's on the podium after the games.
But TJ is not setting the edge on those runs.
He's not set in the hard edge that cut back
every single time is the TJ. Watts side. And I've
seen that this this year in multiple games where TJ
is not setting that edge and not holding up his
own and they're getting outside him. It just is what
(22:20):
it is. I mean, for a guy like that to
get paid like that, he's he's he is a future
Hall of Famer, but this year, for whatever reason, he's
not playing that way. Just that's just where I's at
And it'd be interesting to see what your guys just take
on his performance. Uh In those runs because the cutback
every time was the TJ. Watts side. The run game, guys,
(22:40):
I'm telling you, we stopped, we stopped, we stopped the
run in some of the games this year. We stopped,
We stopped Chicago's run, and then all of a sudden,
we just forget how to stop the run. I think
that's coaching. I think that's Terra Austin not being able
to on the sidelines. Uh coach up his guys and
say hey, we got to get back to the basics here.
(23:02):
I blamed jerryl Astin for that run game yesterday because
we have the players. I just don't think we have
the coaching. Quite frankly, Aaron Rodgers, It's it's just simple, Aaron.
I love you, but you can't hold the ball that long.
You just can't at forty two years old. You gotta,
you gotta, you gotta be in rhythm, you gotta you
gotta get rid of that ball. You got to check
it outside the hash parks and get rid of it.
(23:22):
You got to throw it away. But you can't hold
onto it because if you give these guys a half
second against a forty two year old, they're gonna find
him and that's what happens when he gets sacked. He
just holds onto the ball too long. I gotta be
honest with you guys. For for the Bills to have
forty two minutes of possession and we'd have less than twenty.
You know, I don't know what the offensive scheme is,
(23:44):
but it seemed like at some point in the second half,
was was was was was? Was? Was number thirty hurt?
I mean, I didn't see him get the ball very
much in the second half. I mean, did we forget
about him? He just he just went away, you know. Uh,
you know, obviously obviously we got fourteen to run the ball,
but it just seemed like we we forgot about about
(24:04):
Jaylen Moore in the in the in the second half,
and I saw some good things that he was doing
in the first half, and it just seems like we
it seems like week after week we just kind of
forget what has got us to the table and in
the second half, and or we just don't do what
the other side does and we just don't coach up
our players and adapt to what's going on. You've got
(24:26):
to buy all in and stop that run and force
in a Wendy in a windy environment to force Josh
Allen to thread the needle on some on some throws,
which yes should It really wasn't a very good game
to throw, so you got to you got to stack
the box and stop the run. And that's just it's disappointing.
I mean, I like Tom Mike Tom. I think he's
a great human being, a great individual. But if you
(24:49):
were to tell me that he's going to fire one
of his coordinators today, I'd like him even more. But
I don't see that happening. So guys, you're the best.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Lett me lament and and just vent a little bit.
But on the next week, take care, all.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Right, Jim, thank you very much. You know, it's not
like the Steelers weren't trying to stop the run. Yeah,
you know, and they put in Hawes a lot of
it felt like they were running a lot of two
tight ends more than they traditionally they have been well.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Came out right and both their tackles were down right.
So you're trying to protect against the pass rush off
the edge, so you run a lot more too tight,
a lot of compressed formations as well. That's right, they
weren't I mean they spread it out a couple of times,
but I mean tight end. I mean, if it wasn't
the tight end, it was, it was the receivers. Receivers
were lining up a yard away from the tackles on
(25:37):
the edges right. A lot of that run game they
were pinning with their wide receivers on the edges as well.
So just as much, I mean, we can we can
go here, got the paper here, got the paper here.
Let's just go through the run the run game of
the Bills. First play of the game, James Cook right in,
(26:01):
pushed out of bounds at the buffalo forty two for
nineteen yards. Second play, you know, in completion, but Cook
up the middle of the buffalo two yards. Cook right
tackle fort Why a, you're blackming both of those tackles, by
the way, Cook left in for five yards. That was
That was the one drive in of course, the interception,
(26:22):
all right, next one we get up there, James Cook
left guard off the left side, eight yards. James Cook
over the left guard again five yards. Its thirteen yards.
It's the first down. Two plays right and then Ray
Davis fifteen yards off the left guard. Ray Davis off
the right guard twelve yards that's twenty seven yards. Also
(26:45):
first down, okay, still going, Ray Davis then left tackle,
boom minus two yards. You know you had boo boom,
pass pass incompletion, Buffalo delay game, punt boom. All right,
Now we go again short right past then James Cook
right tackle two yards, and then the punt again. Okay,
(27:07):
that's the end of it. Boom. That was the first quarter.
So some good yard is there, right, all right, buff Bills,
here we go. James Cook left guard one yard, James
Cook up the middle two yards, and then James Cook
left in for Buffalo minus three yards. That was a fumble.
(27:28):
We'll get the possession, all right, Buffalo. Then again, Now
this is this is this is a this is a
very long drive. This is the sixteen play drive. So
we're gonna try and get through this. James Cook right tackle,
fourteen yards, James Cook right tackle three yards, James Cook
left tackle two yards, and James Cook left guard seven yards.
(27:52):
And this one was Josh Allen scrambling got a yard
and got two yards. James Cook right in five yards,
James Cook right in eight yards, James Cook right in
eight yards, James Cook up the middle two yards past
past time out time out. Then of course, then they
(28:15):
kicked the field goal. This halftime stop stopped me when
one hundred and twenty five yards rushing. That was one
hundred and twenty five yards right there. That was just
the first half, right then of course you get to
the second half of this game, and that's when things started.
No but, but but but how many run plays?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
It's just real off, Yeah, and it was. And it
was right guard, left guard, right guard, left guard, break
to the outside of the right, couple of it, left right, left, right,
out to the right, out to them out to the right.
It just it was it was like you said, I
oversimplified it, but it looked like No that but that
it looked like what it was.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
And it looked like the transcript reading the transcript here
that it sounds exactly how you said it.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Uh tough, very discouraging. Let's go to Mike in Canton, Ohio. Mike,
you're with us in the locker room. Thanks for being
with us today.
Speaker 7 (29:07):
Hi, fellas are you today? Well? I was driving home
from the game last night. Excuse me. I was relatively
convinced that the sun was not going to come out
today here in Canton. I was so frustrated and embarrassed
by that performance. Then I got up this morning the
sun came out. So there's that anyway right by.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
By the way, before you get started, can I do
you you live in Canton? Are you from Canton?
Speaker 7 (29:37):
Yes, sir, I live here and I am actually from Akron,
but I'm a transplant.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Okay, So so you've you've been to Swinson's obviously being
at so let me have it. Which is which is
a great place, Hamburger place for those that don't know.
So let me let me ask you a question because
we went. I went to the Hall of Fame with
my son a few years.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Ago, and.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
As I was leaving, I saw signs for the President
McKinley Presidential Library. Have you ever been there?
Speaker 2 (30:05):
No? Okay, all right, I live here.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
Why would I go?
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yeah, exactly exactly. Why would do in his own city?
Speaker 3 (30:14):
When I get to the Hall of Fame? Less that
I should. I get to the Baseball Hall of Fame,
less that I should, So I get it. I just
didn't know if that was next time I go up
to the Hall of Fame, I should leave a little
extra time.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Hey, Max, you live in Arizona. How many times have
you been in the Grand Canyon once because I live there.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
I believe the Inventors Hall of Fame is also in Canton, Ohio. Anyway,
I digress.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
What's that?
Speaker 7 (30:36):
Uh, the there's a science there's a science thing in Akron,
and there's also the Inventors Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Okay, okay, So if you plant it right, you go
to Sweinton's right for a late breakfast and then Sweaton's
for for for dinner on the way home.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Two burgers. Okay.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
So I'm sorry, Mike, what's on your.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Well?
Speaker 7 (31:02):
My best friend growing up in late high school in
our early college days, I was in the Army, but
he they borked his way through Afternew Well, he worked
at Swinson's and when I got out of the army
came home, he was still working there. So we had
Swinson's many, many, many times, and I still love it.
It's the great best burgers ever. Anyway, So what I
(31:24):
was getting to was that, Yeah, the sun came up
today and I'm still upset. I'm not a big fire
everybody guy. I know everybody thinks I think things should
be examined. I'm not over reaction to a particular loss.
It was very frustrating. We've gone from mediocre to putrid,
seems to be in a couple of games. The only
(31:49):
guy I really think that should be fired as a
guy that played Renegade after that debacle of an offensive
series towards the end of the game, is if we're
if we want to fire somebody, that the guy that
should get fired because that was and then that we
everybody booed because it was so bad. The guy needs
to read the room a little bit better, just saying.
(32:12):
And my other take is this, Mike Tomlin used the
phrase thoughts thoughtful to me, but what thoughtfully dis rhythmic?
Thoughtfully non rhythmic. We've been consistently inconsistent, and I think
I heard maybe it was you Kinger talking with Matt
(32:32):
Williamson about the fact that you know, you can almost
accept some things when it's popcorn. But now we've shown
a couple of things and that you know, the tape
doesn't lie. You know, we we can't, we can't. I
don't understand how we have three tight ends and somehow
there's kryptonite in the middle of the field. We can't,
(32:53):
we don't use them. You know, we've paid pat Firemouth
a lot of money we don't utilize, and me, it
gets no tar gets in this game. I don't It's
just maybe they have a Maybe they know the l professionals,
they know far more than I do. I'm just looking
at it. I'm just a guy, you know, I'm just
a guy pretending to be I know something about football,
but it just seems to me it doesn't make a
(33:14):
lot of sense. And that is my take. I'll just hang.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Up and listen, all right, thanks very much. I don't
remember saying what what might contributed to me? But your thoughts, Max,
I mean, it doesn't it doesn't it Just like I said,
I see these statistics. One of four teams to be
leading every game. I see we've talked about this, coming
(33:39):
out of the tunnel for the third quarter up in
all these games, getting the ball first, feeling like you're just,
you know, one or two plays away from I mean
it open right. You know, you could say you're one
or two plays away from losing that Jets game and
being five and seven. Okay, you can say that, but
I think they've I just I don't know. I don't
(34:03):
know what to make of it, Max, I just don't.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Yeah, I mean you know. Yeah, it's they're consistently inconsistent.
I think is the best with Yeah, I know he
said inconsistently inconsistent, but it's inconsistently consistent. And consistently inconsistent
are the key phrases for that. And you know, like
I said, I mean on paper, on paper, you have
(34:28):
you have all the answers, you know, And I go
back to what Wolf used to always say, was that,
you know, for for for this team, it's you have
all the answers, but you don't know. It's like having
a fifteen hundred piece puzzle in front of you but
(34:50):
no picture to go off of, right, Like, I don't
know what I'm looking at and it's just a bunch
of jigsaw puzzle people. That's what it feels like every
second half.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
That's that's the analogy I always use Maxers. Yeah, I
see the puzzle pieces and I think they should all
fit together to something better. That's why I say, I think,
if you're a Steelers fan, this has to be a
frustrating season because.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Well because because you're because and we could always and
here's the thing, it could always be worse than it is.
But I think the expectations that we have, you know,
make it frustrating, yes, because you want to believe it.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
Now.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
At the beginning of the season, we remember this team
was supposed to be fourth in the division. Remember that
was what our preseason ranking was, and we're not. So
that's the other thing, you know, we talk about that,
but a lot of people saw this and said, naw,
this team is is the third best. Looking at the roster,
it's the third or fourth best team in the division.
(35:51):
We've led it for a majority of this season. So
have we outperformed what everybody thought it was going to
be to.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
A degree, I thought everybody was wrong. But here at
the end of the ye we've got five more games left.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
But we're still proving them wrong, right because we're not
the worst team in the division. No, but six and six,
we're the second best team in the division. I understand
that not trending, but I'm just saying, just like he
talked about, the sun came out today when we didn't
think the someone's gonna come out. We do have to
keep this in perspective, like they can change this because
they have done it. They have proven to us that
(36:25):
they can do it. But it's going to take a
full fledged effort and commitment to doing what's right. We
heard what Aaron Rodgers said, right, I heard it loud
and clear. Hey, if there's a film session show up, right.
I think about my teams that I played on, and
the onus was on us to get things right. Like
I remember, everybody was talking crap about our offensive line.
(36:48):
We were the worst offensive line in the league. Right,
But guess what we decided as a unit, you know what,
we need extra film session together. So every Thursday night,
guess what we did. I rented a dang projector from
from mac in the video department, got a computer, and
we watched film for two hours as a unit. We
invited the running backs over, we had we had dinner together,
(37:12):
and we got closer as a unit. And guess what,
by process of elimination, we figured it out. We figured
it out. And that's why Ben made the statement at
the Super Bowl parade. Who's laughing now? O line? Right?
But it took that type of determination, and for a man,
you have to make that decision that you are going
(37:32):
to stand and be accounted for. And that's what those
guys have to have in that locker room. Whatever leader
is going to show This is where leaders show up.
These are those tough moments where you have to take
it upon yourself and say if nobody else is gonna
say it, I'm gonna say it, and I'm gonna make
sure that we're not the weak link. Come next Sunday
and make sure that we are in position if you
(37:54):
need to, if you need to have extra tackling. Guess
what all there is a space and opportunity right you
know when somebody wasn't getting to a fight, Hey, ain't
none but space and opportunity in here. You got all
the time that you got, twenty four hours in a day,
figure it out as a man, as a professional, figure
that out. Because you can do it. We've seen you
do it. Make a commitment to do it. Thank you. Max.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
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(38:40):
dot com. Back with more in the Locker Room, presented
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ste There's Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
This is in the Locker Room with kingon Starks on
Steelers Nation Rate, presented by your Neighborhood Forward Store. The
F one fifty is the official truck of the Pittsburgh
Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct from
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Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
All right, you know what time it is when this
is the final segment of it is the bell Lap
early lunch warning system engaged. And yes it is not
a victory donut Monday, you know, but you could make
a case for it being donut whole Monday, because that's
all you deserve, is the little part that's yeah, exactly
(39:38):
there in the kitchen. I looked at them, and even
then I still I still had to go to stainings.
You got to I abstained till at least noon, Yeah,
till lunch. You know, I feel like I feel like,
you know, it's like loser eggplant Monday parmesan. You know
what I'm saying. Like, it's not chicken parm parm it's
like eggplant parmesan. Now, some people might say, oh, man,
well that's that's a treat if you're a vegetar.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
We had somebody last week and say that that's what
they wanted for Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Exactly, So technically that's still a treat to most. It
would not be for me. I agree.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Okay, let's go to one in South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
One.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Thanks, I think we got you back. Hopefully we can
hear you. Thanks for being with us in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Hey, can you hear me?
Speaker 5 (40:17):
Guy?
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Oh you were allowed and clear? There we go one Niho,
let's go.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Hey.
Speaker 8 (40:22):
Just want to say, oh, it was ugly yesterday. I
just want to say, I'll be honest. I was one
of the first ones saying I didn't like the signings
of Rodgers. As you can see why I'm.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Thinking like that.
Speaker 8 (40:35):
I mean, that's reminded me of the San Diego game
when he tried to run with the ball and what
happened he spot them on the safety.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
That remind me of that game.
Speaker 8 (40:46):
And they also, just nobody's talking about it, but I'm
gonna see it right now, George Pickens, that's all. We
missed that guy. I missed that guy so much because
could he imagine if he was on the team with
DK with what we could have do. We said to
just try to figure it out for one year with
those two guys and see what it could what we
could have do with that. And then also, like you
(41:07):
guys mentioned earlier, with the penalties, those just this stupid penalties.
I mean, I know you angry and everything, but let
the Rams catch the guys who started the match, the team.
We can spart get we can get y'alls on the penalties.
So that's yeah, that's just ridiculous with that. And also
I'm with you guys though. We got a good, big
(41:28):
game of Baltimore, but I'm looking at the future. Let's
see it doesn't work out against Baltimore. A Mission is
not the guy, So why not just go and just
throw a real Howard in the game and see what
we can do with that. What you guys think about.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
That, well, on, thank you very much, appreciate the call.
Uh Will Howard hasn't even had a snap.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
In the preseason an NFL snap period. Let's not even
call it ever ever had a stat That's a tough
one to uh to try and bring him the speed
in the middle of a playoff hunt or whatever, because
even if you know here, let's just be worst case,
even if you lose to Baltimore on Sunday, you're still
(42:13):
in a playoff hunt. Right, it's gonna be.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
You have to This is your team, Yeah, this is
the team you put together. Yeah, you got a roching staff,
got a team everything. You got to play through the
end of the season. Yeah, and give it your best shot. Now,
if you fall out of contention, maybe you start thinking
about different decisions. Let's squeeze in another call. Let's go
to Myron to Texas, Myron, thanks for being with us
in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Hey, how you guys doing, man? Hi Iron doing good?
Speaker 5 (42:40):
Yeah, I say I'm sick of hearing the firing stuff
and people. You know, the Steelers used the Steelers used
to be the laughingstock in the NFL for years. Chuck
Nole got there, took him some time, he won, and
he won good because he had good system. And then
they started.
Speaker 7 (42:56):
Then he had a mashed down fall.
Speaker 5 (42:58):
Before he lost, you know, or it was over a
lot of people was yelling the same thing.
Speaker 7 (43:02):
He needed to be fire blah blah blah.
Speaker 5 (43:05):
But the whole point is this is still even though
they got a lot of talent on this team, this
team is still kind of new because none of these
guys that are played with each other. It's not like
a plug and play.
Speaker 7 (43:16):
You just take a guy in.
Speaker 5 (43:17):
Place and then he gets in there and he's gonna know. No,
they still have time to jail. And it as bad
as we have been, We've had our great moments, we
had our bad moments, and this one of the bad moments.
We're still six and six. We still have a chance.
It's still five games remaining. But all these fans want
us to throw away the season because they do it
every year. And the thing is, if you want to
(43:39):
blame the Steelers for anything, blame the Steelers for being
physical because what we did in.
Speaker 6 (43:43):
Two thousand and eight, what Hines Ward and those guys.
Speaker 5 (43:46):
Did, changes the way that they call the game and
we and for years the Steelers had to adjust their
plates and that physicality to what it is now. Because
you can't touch anybody anymore, you can't do a whole
lot of things anymore. So this team has changed and
has defined a lot in this league, and now that
(44:06):
they're not doing so well, y'all want to blame and
fire everybody. And once you do that, we're going to
lose for a while and we're going to become like
Cleveland for a moment until we can win. And you
have to understand that's not always a solution.
Speaker 6 (44:21):
Just hang in there, We'll stale six and six.
Speaker 8 (44:23):
We still got a shot.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Well, give it some time, Myron.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
We needed some positivity because we are Myron, thank you,
we are we are.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
We're down here.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
Because this was just just not a good performance at all.
And Myron does bring up a good point, by the way,
it took this Steelers forty years to win a playoff game. Yeah,
four decades to win their first playoff game. And of
course now we all think it's a birthright for the
Steelers to march to the super Bowl. That's a difficult
thing to do. They are trying to get back to
(44:57):
playing a more physical style. It's something that with.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
The construct of the current NFL.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
Right that it is something that you know, they've talked
about in the draft. Omar Con and Andy Widel. You know,
they're they didn't have Derek Harmon in this game, but
they're trying to Harmon and they drafted Benton recently, and
they're they're drafting offensive lineman.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
I suspect Black they had a solid game.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
Yes, I think when they get to a certain point
in their in their development and they're trying again to
underneath these veteran players, rebuild through the draft with young guys,
that's what they're trying to do. They're trying to churn
this so that when we come up, it's like a
you know, a butterfly, you know, you know, they come.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
Out of the chrystalis right.
Speaker 3 (45:42):
So they're trying to get this built up. A couple
more drafts is probably what they're going to need to
have this be a you know, of course, a quarterback,
a young quarterback, to be a worked over roster where
it is the young.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
Guys where also where you didn't tear it down to
get there. That's right.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
When they get to that point and they're hopefully getting closer,
I think they'll draft an offensive lineman and a defensive
lineman every single year.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Yeah, but but you have to get you have to
get your roster to that. That's right, where you have
that comfortability to do right, yep, you know, because even
when Ben was drafted, right, everything else was in place.
That's right, everything else is you had an offensive line,
you had Pro bowlers on the offense, so you had
Pro bowlers on the defensive line. You had awesome outside backers. Right,
(46:27):
you had a young safety by the name of Troy
Polamalu emerging over that time. Troy Palamalo wasn't the same
Troy Palamalo in year two that he was a year ten.
You know, James Harrison had to get cut six times
before he made it on his team finally, you know,
and you look at that Hines Ward was was an
established guy, but he wasn't a Super Bowl MVP until
(46:50):
Ben got here, right, you know. He was a physical guy,
and Plexico Burris was your guy. And then you you
you got rid of Plexicoe Burris and Heines became your
number one by being a two for so long, right,
and you were still like, oh, who's the number two receiver?
I mean, we brought in to Cedric Wilson. Hello, do
people remember that name? Yep? Who had a hell of
a playoff run, right, and when you think about that,
(47:12):
we had tight ends, but it took a Heath Miller
in year two to bring him along to go with
the Jeremy Twoman for and taking a taking a flyer
on a Willie Parker who was a free agent running
back to pair with Duce Staley and your own bettis right,
and then still to this day still stands the longest
rush of Super Bowl history for a touchdown. Right, you
(47:34):
have to get those caster care, but you have to
have the things in place. You already had a Casey Hampton,
you had, you had Aaron Smith on this roster. You
had a Chemo von Ollhoffen that you brought over from Cincinnati. Right.
It takes time to build those teams, and that's what
they're trying to do, and the patience has to be there.
Speaker 3 (47:53):
He's Max Star, Don rob King, for our producer, Justin Miller,
and for you for commiserating after what was just a
poor performance from the Steelers and they're lost yesterday against
the Bills. We thank you for being with us in
the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood, Ford Sewer and
the Students Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
of the Steelers Audio Network
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
All right, you know what that sound is? That is
the power hour. That's right Optimist rolling through. I mean
he's keeping the same intensity and energy since week one,
you know, I mean the speed, the RPMs is still there.
The horn still sounds the same because it's also it's
(00:49):
a predetermined clip. But anyways, I appreciate the energy that
Optimist brings every second hour here inside.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
The lock Consistency. Yeah, he's very consistent. And let you
like consistency.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Love consistency on a consistent basis, you know, I mean
I would, I would really prefer that. But here we are, here, here,
we are, here, we are.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
By the way, it is time for our AFC recap
presented by UPMC, the official health care provider and health
plan of the Pittsburgh Schee. If you're on hold, stay
there because this won't take long. Uh So, the the
Cowboys beat the Chiefs on Thursday. We were happy about that.
We were very happy. The Bengals beat the Ravens on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
We were ecstatic. We were very happy about that, very extening.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
And the Browns lost. We didn't really care about that.
The Jaguars still had Titans. We were still we knew
that was going to happen. The Texans beat the Colts.
Man I said this a couple of week. The Colts,
they are, you know, for a team.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That was where they were.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
They they were in a little bit of trouble because
Daniel Jones is hurt, and their schedule is absolutely brutal.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I mean brutal. It is tough. But you know, and
after yesterday, right, the Texans take first place in the division,
and you know the Ulter sitting now at the wildcard spot.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Did they catch them yesterday?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I thought they did.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I thought they still had one more game on them,
but I'm checking this right now.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
That one game, but I think the the division record
is why they I thought they so.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Yeah, So it's Jacksonville's in first.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Oh sorry, jackson You're right, Jacksonville's in first over Indianapolis
and Andy's Now, yeah, that's right, And they're still in
the hunt because they still have one more game to
catch them because Jacksonville beat Houston.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
So I'm getting the Colt schedule up here and is
it is very, very difficult, and we thought it would
be right, and we talked about like, I don't think
they're going to go eight nine, but I mean I
wouldn't be completely flabbergast if they.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
If they did.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I mean, they're their schedule. Okay, So I'm calling it
up here. Sorry, the service is moving slowly. I don't
have them at the at the forefront of my mind.
By the way, the Patriots playing tonight, Monday Night Football
against the Giants, right, So we talked about this. Coming
out of the bye week. They were at Kansas City,
lost a late lead, lost that game in overtime, Houston
(03:04):
at home. Then they're at Jacksonville at Seattle, San Francisco
at home, Jacksonville at home at Houston. That has to be,
beginning with that Chiefs game, the toughest schedule in the
NFL down the stretch has to be.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
It has to be because everybody that they're playing is
a playoff team or currently as it says, right, yep, right,
Because you had.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And you begin that with the Chiefs come on, man.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, and the mahomes maagage kicked in in overtime yep,
that's right, and beat them. And like you said, the
tech Texas are starting. That defense for the Texans is
just ridiculous. I mean, think about think about what the
Texas did to the team that we played yesterday.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Eight sacks, eight twelve quarterback hits, twelve hits.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Howby did we have zero sacks? I believe? And one hit?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
We nudged him a couple of times. He's hard to
bring down.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
We pushed hard, we pushed him at but the Texas
defense had eight sacks of it. They brought him down
eight times and hit him twelve more and hit him
twelve more times yep.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
And they didn't stop James Cook.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
Nope, nope. So talk about comparison.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Literally, you know what this is right here? I had
an itch on the top of my head. Yeah, but
it was literally a head scratcher for me. Yeah, how
do you allow him to get over one hundred yards?
And that was literally like that was the manifestation. You
don't see that very often.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
You do, you know?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
But it happened live. I mean, I was here to
see it and witness it in person. I didn't have
to hyperbolize it.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
A couple of years ago when I had my old
dog Buster, it was a great dog. I was taking
him for a walk and he stopped on the side
of a hill kind of in the woods, and he pooped.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Right, that's what dogs do. Yeah, that's what they do
on walks.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
And it rolled downhill and I'm like, there it is, man.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
There it is it manifestation. It does roll downhill, right.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
People say that all the time, but you don't see it.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Very of Yeah, but you actually got to see the
literal representation you just saw.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I did a head scratcher over the fact that Cook
ran for one hundred yards and you still hit Josh
Allen twenty times and sacked him eight times. Yeah, Dolphins
beat the Saints. Suddenly that Dolphins game, it's like, oh,
wait a minute, but wait a minute, is that the
walk in the park we thought it was going.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
To be well And also, is that walk in the
park still going to be a Monday night football game?
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yeah, we'll find out tomorrow, I believe.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Yeah, Tuesday is a cutoff date for that one.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Jets defeated the Falcons twenty seven to twenty four. Good
for the Jets to pick up a victory. The Panthers
beat the Rams, no how, no way, even though it's
not an AFC game, it's not part of our AFC recap.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
I just.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
I saw that coming.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Nope, and they played and they played lights out. That
Panthers defense picked off you know, Matthew Stafford turned him over,
and Bryce Young just absolutely was playing a great game.
Even though he didn't throw the ball that much, he
was he was playing a great game. And that and
that offense was given short fields and they took advantage
of it.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Chargers beat the Raiders thirty one to fourteen. Of course,
we know what happened with the bill Steelers and last
night the Broncos in overtime that defeating the Commander caught the.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
End of that game when I got back to my
hotel room. And let me tell you, Marcus Mariota played
a heck of a game and for it to come
down to the two point conversion because they wanted to
win that game. Because Broncos went down and overtime scored
kicked the extra point and then the new rule, everybody
gets a possession, right, so they were going down, They're like,
we're gonna win this. We're not gonna kick the extra
(06:36):
point to go back to another drive because everybody's exhausted.
And here's something that we will not say about the Steelers' office.
You know they they have not gotten exhausted yet because
you know the thing about this is the Commanders ran
eighty six offensive plays last night, and including overtime, I.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Believe that'd be exactly twice the amount of sea.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
That was double. That was double the plays that. Yeah,
so they were like, there's no way we're gonna be
able to stop them. They're not gonna be able to
stop us, and literally threw the ball right into the
hands of Nick Benito, who batted it down. But the
tight end wide open, wide open. It's like he could
have fluttered that one, like just just throw a skyball
(07:16):
and that still would have been fine. But it didn't happen.
So it was a fantastic finish to that game that
nobody thought was going to be a competitive game.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Still the craziest year in the NFL I can ever remember. Yeah, absolutely,
I really I can't remember the parody. This season has
been amazing and I'm not ready to I'm not ready
to get out of my malaise.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yeah, you know, I want to stay in my malays.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
But the fact that the Dolphins just pounded the Bills
boat raced, pounded them, boat race, the Dolphins pounded the Bills.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah, Falcons also a team that just lost to the
Jets pounded at heart the Bills Again, it's hard to imagine.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
That's our AFC recap presented by UPMCD health Care Provider
and health plan at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Back to the
phone lines, Todd and Daytona. Todd, thanks for being with
us in the locker room.
Speaker 6 (08:08):
Hey guys, how are you can hear me?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Okay, we can, Todd, thank you for being with us.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
Hey good, good good, Hey, great to be on. I
just want to run through a couple of bullet points
about the frustration with with the team and and kind
of you know, I'll title and together at the end
about you know, Tomlin and his coaching and his history.
I'm not sure if you guys are hearing some of
the numbers that are coming out about you know, the Steelers,
(08:35):
with their recent games and playoff performances. We're on the
wrong side of history here. I think we're at now
sixty one straight games without more than seven points scored
in the.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
First quarter or Todd sixty two ton Anyway sixty.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
Two policy that going on. That's the most than fifty years.
Last six playoff games, oh and six cumulative first quarter
score seventy three to zero. Seventy three to zero.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
That was the old nineteen forty championship game between the
then Washington Redskins and the Chicago Bears, in which the
Bears won seventy three to nothing.
Speaker 6 (09:21):
Well, I'm saying that, yeah, yeah, yeah, this is our
you know, first quarter scores at the end of the
last six playoff games for the Steelers, the first quarter,
if you added up the score of the first quarters,
it's opponent's seventy three Steelers zero.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
I only interrupted because that's such a famous score in
football history anyway, So continue, please continue.
Speaker 6 (09:45):
Yes, yeah, you know, you're right. So just running through
the numbers here, I guess my overarching point here is,
you know, it's not about just yesterday or this game
or this season. Look, Mike Commlin's a good man, but
just from an offensive standpoint, more than ever, it's an
offensive league and this is a consistent issue going on
(10:09):
ten years. I mean, it just at some point, maybe
it's just better to everybody just kind of take a
look and just see, maybe it's just time to move on.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
It just is.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
You know, then we had the one I think it
ended it a year or two ago. We had a
streak of not getting three hundred yards of offense and
I think that was the longest in history in the NFL.
I mean, we're on the wrong side of history with
some of this ineptitude, And at what point is just
(10:47):
enough enough? And I know you guys, listen, you probably
have personal relationships with coach Tomlin. I can appreciate that,
but you know it's probably I just think it's better
for him, it's better for us. Something has got to
change here that you know. Again, it's it's just not
this game or this year. It's you know, I go
(11:10):
back to that Jaguars game playoff game. You know, you
had Blake Bortles roll in here and start blowing you
out off of a bye. The guy was out of
the league in two years. You know, there's just a
very substantial history of some really bad performances and I
(11:31):
just yeah, love the Steelers, but I just it's just enough.
It's just kind for a change, and I just wanted
to see what you guys thought of that. I know
it's kind of a common theme these days, but.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
All right, Todd, thank you very much. By the way,
our phone numbers are four, one, two six, going to
continue to take your phone calls here in the locker
room over the next forty five minutes or so that
remained in the show. And that is going to be
a theme. It was somewhat of a theme is some
of the fans. Last night, actor Sure who broke into
a chant. Mike Tomlin was asked about it after the game.
(12:07):
He said, he understands the friend the fans frustration, so
that it's gonna be something.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
We're gonna hear about.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
We were wondering when we're gonna hear about that, and
when we're gonna hear about Will Howard.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Started out, we had over under how long we will
take after today? And like you said, rightfully, so listen,
and I don't want to discredit any fans feelings in
this process, right because I mean, you know, we we
we live through it just as much as the fans do, right,
I mean, we're essentially our job, we're glorified fans.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
You know, we are, like we always talk about, we're
the historian, uh, historians of the oral history of of
this game and this iteration of the Steelers, And you know,
you do have to ask that question. It's a rightful
question to ask. But I've always contended that, you know,
players play coaches coach, and you can coach up and
(13:00):
and have the best schemes in place, but the players
have to execute. And you know, as much as I
want to say that on coach Tomlin, but at the
same time, it's the player's responsibility to answer the call
when asked, right, It's to stand and be accounted for,
like make the play when the play can be made.
(13:22):
You know, we talked about some of the foolish penalties
that hurt them. You know everybody it was a lack
of discipline from the coaches. I mean, it's the player's
responsibility too. These are grown men. You know, we are
not talking about high school or college football here where
you have young men trying to figure it out that
don't know. These are highly skilled, highly you know, highly intelligent,
and highly compensated individuals as well. So I mean we
(13:45):
put that blame on the head coach, right, just like
we just like we put a win and a loss
on a quarterback shoulders, right, you know, high risk, high reward,
right to whom much is given, much is expected in
those moments. But I think I think it's a combination
of those things. I don't think this falls exclusively on time.
Like Talin has outperformed some of the rosters that he's had,
(14:06):
and he's been able to tap that resource. And I
think for this year, you know, in some years, this
has probably been the most talented roster. And we kind
of talked about this, Yeah, you know off air like
talent wise, it's talented, but it's old, you know, and
when you don't do a full rebuild, you know, this
is kind of where you get these lulls in the season.
(14:28):
And you know this, this is also the same team
that went out and beat the New England Patriots, right
and the Colts and beat the Colts, and so you've
seen them be able to take on the top running
back in the league. You've seen them take one of
the top teams in the league. Because you can argue
it's it's between Denver and New England and we have
we don't play Denver, but we went toe to toe
(14:52):
in one. A team that's been highly successful turning the
football over and then an offense, it's been opportunistic at
taking advantage of those points. I mean the points off
a turnover. I believe the Steelers are still leading the
league in points off turnovers, and we've generated a bunch
of those. But like you said, it's not it's not together,
it's two segmented when those successes happened.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
I think this is for Steelers fans. If you thought
like I did, I could see where this would be
the most frustrating season they've had in quite some time
because I thought I thought they improved the roster in
the offseason. Now did they rework it entirely, No, But
they went out and I thought they were an improved roster,
proved done the defensive line, which was a big issue.
You bring in Jalen Ramsey, you're hoping to coach another
(15:36):
year out of Darius Sleigh. You know, you get fau
Tanu back from last year, didn't even play. You get
Roman Wilson back from last year, didn't even play. You
trade for DK Metcalf, you upgraded the quarterback position. I
just saw this as a better team than the one
that went ten and seven a year ago, and we
have seen it in spurts. And this is the part
(15:57):
that I think for me, it's just a again figuratively
not literally. Figuratively has me scratching my head because, you know,
Matt Williamson had a great quote last week we talked
about the third quarter woes. There are four teams going
into this weekend. There were four teams who had led
in every game. Only four.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
The Steelers were one of them. The other three were
twenty five and eight. The other three were basically eight
and two football teams. Yeah, you know, even better than that, actually,
actually better than that. Yeah, the Steelers are six and five. Now,
how can you be in the same company of those
teams and have that happen? How can you be leading
(16:36):
some of the best teams in the NFL at halftime
the Bills, the Bears, the Packers and the Seahawks and
lose them all, yeah, and get the ball first to
begin the second half. I don't it is. This has
been a mystifying season because at times they've looked like
they can beat anybody in the league, and they have.
(16:57):
They've beaten the Patriots and the Colts, they've beaten two
of the top teams, and at other times they just
it just doesn't has For whatever reason, it hasn't all
fit together, Max, And I don't know what that reason is.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Yeah, I mean, and you know the easiest thing, you say, well,
second time halftime adjustments are not great because you look
at what the third quarter is, right, and that's everybody
taking stock and going in and retooling the game plan
and going with what we think is best. So that
falls on coordinators at that point, right, But players still
have to go execute and still have to figure it out. Now,
(17:31):
we could argue the semantics of hey, we can run
the football and we don't run the football, and then
you know what, two out of the three plays of
that third quarter that we had, we literally passed and
we lost the ball both.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Oh yeah, yeah right, and came out throwing against I
think it was the Bears too, or maybe the Packers. Yeah,
real quick question for you. This was brought up to me,
and I don't know the answer to this. Is it
more difficult? So Aaron Rodgers was in the shotgun the
entire time, yeah, and had to actually pitch it to
most of the running plays going right, because it was
left wrist could hand it off going left because or
(18:07):
because of the left wrist, I should say, can run,
can't run, can't hand off going right because the left wrist,
can't hand off left going with the right wrist. So
is it more difficult to constantly be in the shotgun
and effectively run the football?
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It is? It is okay because half your plays are
off the table. Right. When you're a shotgun and you
present a clear you push it in a clean, clean
picture to the defense. That's right. Yeah, that's the other
part too, it's too clean of a picture. It gets
muddied when you have to turn your back hand off,
fake roll out. You lose all of that. And a
(18:42):
couple of times, I don't know if you noticed it,
like when he like when he had to hand it
off with his left hand, he did that kind of
pirouette spin and reversed it on the spin to the
right hand to hand it off. So, I mean, there
was there was a There was a bunch of tells
and this. As you're watching it, you're just like, man,
why do we put ourselves in this situation? I know
(19:03):
we wanted to get air and out there because of
the the IQ in the passing game, but this was
a game that dictated the run. This is a game
that dictated the roud, just like last week, and we
tried to outsmart ourselves on what we thought we could
do as opposed to sometimes the best answer is the
easiest one.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Our phone numbers are four, one, two, nine, one six.
Will continue with more of your calls in the Locker
Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store in the Steers
Pro Shop on Citizen Nation Radio, a part of the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one P fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
The handoff warn't straight up the middle, following Anderson into
the end zone. Touchdown, Pittsburgh Steelers and that is our
drive of the game, presented by your neighborhood Ford Story.
The F one fifties the official truck of the Pittsburgh
See there's six plays, thirty nine yards. That's your drive
of the game. Six plays thirty nine yards.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Off the James Cook fumble forced by Nick herbig cover
by Patrick Queene.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Only points. Not a good not a good game.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Second half. Five drives.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Don't say this again.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I have to, I have to, Okay, I have to
five drives, five drives.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
How many of those five drives? How many of those
drives went over ninety seconds max?
Speaker 2 (20:44):
One? And that was a turnover on downs. That's tough.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
The fumble interception three and out?
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Yeah, and the funnel interception was all of the third
quarter by the that's three plays. Wow, that's three plays
in the third quarter. That's tough. So just one.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Three yards last two last two weeks in the third quarter,
a combined total of sixteen yards. And you got the
ball first both games. Yeah, it's I think it's not
like they got it. Yeah, went on an eight minute drive,
then you went three and out and then won on
another six minute drive. You got it.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
You got to dictate terms. Ball was kicked to you unabated.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Let's go to the phone lines. Jim in Southern California, Jim,
thanks for being with us in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Jim, Hey, guys, Hi, Jim, I gotta tell you I'm
here in California, as there are a lot of feather
fans lamenting what we saw yesterday on TV of Tough Watch.
But I just want to ask a few questions real
quick and just I'll let you guys, you know, take
them off when I'm off the air. But TJ Watt,
I mean, I'm a huge CJ. Watt fan, but I
gotta be honest with you. The money we paid him
this year, I expected a lot more out of him.
(21:58):
And you know, I the fact that he tries to
take accountability when he's on the podium after the games.
But TJ is not setting the edge on those runs.
He's not set in the hard edge that cut back
every single time is the TJ. Watts side. And I've
seen that this this year in multiple games where TJ
is not setting that edge and not holding up his
own and they're getting outside him. It just is what
(22:20):
it is. I mean, for a guy like that to
get paid like that, he's he's he is a future
Hall of Famer, but this year, for whatever reason, he's
not playing that way. Just that's just where I's at
And it'd be interesting to see what your guys just take
on his performance. Uh In those runs because the cutback
every time was the TJ. Watts side. The run game, guys,
(22:40):
I'm telling you, we stopped, we stopped, we stopped the
run in some of the games this year. We stopped,
We stopped Chicago's run, and then all of a sudden,
we just forget how to stop the run. I think
that's coaching. I think that's Terra Austin not being able
to on the sidelines. Uh coach up his guys and
say hey, we got to get back to the basics here.
(23:02):
I blamed jerryl Astin for that run game yesterday because
we have the players. I just don't think we have
the coaching. Quite frankly, Aaron Rodgers, It's it's just simple, Aaron.
I love you, but you can't hold the ball that long.
You just can't at forty two years old. You gotta,
you gotta, you gotta be in rhythm, you gotta you
gotta get rid of that ball. You got to check
it outside the hash parks and get rid of it.
(23:22):
You got to throw it away. But you can't hold
onto it because if you give these guys a half
second against a forty two year old, they're gonna find
him and that's what happens when he gets sacked. He
just holds onto the ball too long. I gotta be
honest with you guys. For for the Bills to have
forty two minutes of possession and we'd have less than twenty.
You know, I don't know what the offensive scheme is,
(23:44):
but it seemed like at some point in the second half,
was was was was was? Was? Was number thirty hurt?
I mean, I didn't see him get the ball very
much in the second half. I mean, did we forget
about him? He just he just went away, you know. Uh,
you know, obviously obviously we got fourteen to run the ball,
but it just seemed like we we forgot about about
(24:04):
Jaylen Moore in the in the in the second half,
and I saw some good things that he was doing
in the first half, and it just seems like we
it seems like week after week we just kind of
forget what has got us to the table and in
the second half, and or we just don't do what
the other side does and we just don't coach up
our players and adapt to what's going on. You've got
(24:26):
to buy all in and stop that run and force
in a Wendy in a windy environment to force Josh
Allen to thread the needle on some on some throws,
which yes should It really wasn't a very good game
to throw, so you got to you got to stack
the box and stop the run. And that's just it's disappointing.
I mean, I like Tom Mike Tom. I think he's
a great human being, a great individual. But if you
(24:49):
were to tell me that he's going to fire one
of his coordinators today, I'd like him even more. But
I don't see that happening. So guys, you're the best.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
Lett me lament and and just vent a little bit.
But on the next week, take care, all.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Right, Jim, thank you very much. You know, it's not
like the Steelers weren't trying to stop the run. Yeah,
you know, and they put in Hawes a lot of
it felt like they were running a lot of two
tight ends more than they traditionally they have been well.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Came out right and both their tackles were down right.
So you're trying to protect against the pass rush off
the edge, so you run a lot more too tight,
a lot of compressed formations as well. That's right, they
weren't I mean they spread it out a couple of times,
but I mean tight end. I mean, if it wasn't
the tight end, it was, it was the receivers. Receivers
were lining up a yard away from the tackles on
(25:37):
the edges right. A lot of that run game they
were pinning with their wide receivers on the edges as well.
So just as much, I mean, we can we can
go here, got the paper here, got the paper here.
Let's just go through the run the run game of
the Bills. First play of the game, James Cook right in,
(26:01):
pushed out of bounds at the buffalo forty two for
nineteen yards. Second play, you know, in completion, but Cook
up the middle of the buffalo two yards. Cook right
tackle fort Why a, you're blackming both of those tackles, by
the way, Cook left in for five yards. That was
That was the one drive in of course, the interception,
(26:22):
all right, next one we get up there, James Cook
left guard off the left side, eight yards. James Cook
over the left guard again five yards. Its thirteen yards.
It's the first down. Two plays right and then Ray
Davis fifteen yards off the left guard. Ray Davis off
the right guard twelve yards that's twenty seven yards. Also
(26:45):
first down, okay, still going, Ray Davis then left tackle,
boom minus two yards. You know you had boo boom,
pass pass incompletion, Buffalo delay game, punt boom. All right,
Now we go again short right past then James Cook
right tackle two yards, and then the punt again. Okay,
(27:07):
that's the end of it. Boom. That was the first quarter.
So some good yard is there, right, all right, buff Bills,
here we go. James Cook left guard one yard, James
Cook up the middle two yards, and then James Cook
left in for Buffalo minus three yards. That was a fumble.
(27:28):
We'll get the possession, all right, Buffalo. Then again, Now
this is this is this is a this is a
very long drive. This is the sixteen play drive. So
we're gonna try and get through this. James Cook right tackle,
fourteen yards, James Cook right tackle three yards, James Cook
left tackle two yards, and James Cook left guard seven yards.
(27:52):
And this one was Josh Allen scrambling got a yard
and got two yards. James Cook right in five yards,
James Cook right in eight yards, James Cook right in
eight yards, James Cook up the middle two yards past
past time out time out. Then of course, then they
(28:15):
kicked the field goal. This halftime stop stopped me when
one hundred and twenty five yards rushing. That was one
hundred and twenty five yards right there. That was just
the first half, right then of course you get to
the second half of this game, and that's when things started.
No but, but but but how many run plays?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
It's just real off, Yeah, and it was. And it
was right guard, left guard, right guard, left guard, break
to the outside of the right, couple of it, left right, left, right,
out to the right, out to them out to the right.
It just it was it was like you said, I
oversimplified it, but it looked like No that but that
it looked like what it was.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
And it looked like the transcript reading the transcript here
that it sounds exactly how you said it.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Uh tough, very discouraging. Let's go to Mike in Canton, Ohio. Mike,
you're with us in the locker room. Thanks for being
with us today.
Speaker 7 (29:07):
Hi, fellas are you today? Well? I was driving home
from the game last night. Excuse me. I was relatively
convinced that the sun was not going to come out
today here in Canton. I was so frustrated and embarrassed
by that performance. Then I got up this morning the
sun came out. So there's that anyway right by.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
By the way, before you get started, can I do
you you live in Canton? Are you from Canton?
Speaker 7 (29:37):
Yes, sir, I live here and I am actually from Akron,
but I'm a transplant.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Okay, So so you've you've been to Swinson's obviously being
at so let me have it. Which is which is
a great place, Hamburger place for those that don't know.
So let me let me ask you a question because
we went. I went to the Hall of Fame with
my son a few years.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Ago, and.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
As I was leaving, I saw signs for the President
McKinley Presidential Library. Have you ever been there?
Speaker 2 (30:05):
No? Okay, all right, I live here.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
Why would I go?
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Yeah, exactly exactly. Why would do in his own city?
Speaker 3 (30:14):
When I get to the Hall of Fame? Less that
I should. I get to the Baseball Hall of Fame,
less that I should, So I get it. I just
didn't know if that was next time I go up
to the Hall of Fame, I should leave a little
extra time.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Hey, Max, you live in Arizona. How many times have
you been in the Grand Canyon once because I live there.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
I believe the Inventors Hall of Fame is also in Canton, Ohio. Anyway,
I digress.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
What's that?
Speaker 7 (30:36):
Uh, the there's a science there's a science thing in Akron,
and there's also the Inventors Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Okay, okay, So if you plant it right, you go
to Sweinton's right for a late breakfast and then Sweaton's
for for for dinner on the way home.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Two burgers. Okay.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
So I'm sorry, Mike, what's on your.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Well?
Speaker 7 (31:02):
My best friend growing up in late high school in
our early college days, I was in the Army, but
he they borked his way through Afternew Well, he worked
at Swinson's and when I got out of the army
came home, he was still working there. So we had
Swinson's many, many, many times, and I still love it.
It's the great best burgers ever. Anyway, So what I
(31:24):
was getting to was that, Yeah, the sun came up
today and I'm still upset. I'm not a big fire
everybody guy. I know everybody thinks I think things should
be examined. I'm not over reaction to a particular loss.
It was very frustrating. We've gone from mediocre to putrid,
seems to be in a couple of games. The only
(31:49):
guy I really think that should be fired as a
guy that played Renegade after that debacle of an offensive
series towards the end of the game, is if we're
if we want to fire somebody, that the guy that
should get fired because that was and then that we
everybody booed because it was so bad. The guy needs
to read the room a little bit better, just saying.
(32:12):
And my other take is this, Mike Tomlin used the
phrase thoughts thoughtful to me, but what thoughtfully dis rhythmic?
Thoughtfully non rhythmic. We've been consistently inconsistent, and I think
I heard maybe it was you Kinger talking with Matt
(32:32):
Williamson about the fact that you know, you can almost
accept some things when it's popcorn. But now we've shown
a couple of things and that you know, the tape
doesn't lie. You know, we we can't, we can't. I
don't understand how we have three tight ends and somehow
there's kryptonite in the middle of the field. We can't,
(32:53):
we don't use them. You know, we've paid pat Firemouth
a lot of money we don't utilize, and me, it
gets no tar gets in this game. I don't It's
just maybe they have a Maybe they know the l professionals,
they know far more than I do. I'm just looking
at it. I'm just a guy, you know, I'm just
a guy pretending to be I know something about football,
but it just seems to me it doesn't make a
(33:14):
lot of sense. And that is my take. I'll just hang.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Up and listen, all right, thanks very much. I don't
remember saying what what might contributed to me? But your thoughts, Max,
I mean, it doesn't it doesn't it Just like I said,
I see these statistics. One of four teams to be
leading every game. I see we've talked about this, coming
(33:39):
out of the tunnel for the third quarter up in
all these games, getting the ball first, feeling like you're just,
you know, one or two plays away from I mean
it open right. You know, you could say you're one
or two plays away from losing that Jets game and
being five and seven. Okay, you can say that, but
I think they've I just I don't know. I don't
(34:03):
know what to make of it, Max, I just don't.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Yeah, I mean you know. Yeah, it's they're consistently inconsistent.
I think is the best with Yeah, I know he
said inconsistently inconsistent, but it's inconsistently consistent. And consistently inconsistent
are the key phrases for that. And you know, like
I said, I mean on paper, on paper, you have
(34:28):
you have all the answers, you know, And I go
back to what Wolf used to always say, was that,
you know, for for for this team, it's you have
all the answers, but you don't know. It's like having
a fifteen hundred piece puzzle in front of you but
(34:50):
no picture to go off of, right, Like, I don't
know what I'm looking at and it's just a bunch
of jigsaw puzzle people. That's what it feels like every
second half.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
That's that's the analogy I always use Maxers. Yeah, I
see the puzzle pieces and I think they should all
fit together to something better. That's why I say, I think,
if you're a Steelers fan, this has to be a
frustrating season because.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Well because because you're because and we could always and
here's the thing, it could always be worse than it is.
But I think the expectations that we have, you know,
make it frustrating, yes, because you want to believe it.
Speaker 6 (35:28):
Now.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
At the beginning of the season, we remember this team
was supposed to be fourth in the division. Remember that
was what our preseason ranking was, and we're not. So
that's the other thing, you know, we talk about that,
but a lot of people saw this and said, naw,
this team is is the third best. Looking at the roster,
it's the third or fourth best team in the division.
(35:51):
We've led it for a majority of this season. So
have we outperformed what everybody thought it was going to
be to.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
A degree, I thought everybody was wrong. But here at
the end of the ye we've got five more games left.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
But we're still proving them wrong, right because we're not
the worst team in the division. No, but six and six,
we're the second best team in the division. I understand
that not trending, but I'm just saying, just like he
talked about, the sun came out today when we didn't
think the someone's gonna come out. We do have to
keep this in perspective, like they can change this because
they have done it. They have proven to us that
(36:25):
they can do it. But it's going to take a
full fledged effort and commitment to doing what's right. We
heard what Aaron Rodgers said, right, I heard it loud
and clear. Hey, if there's a film session show up, right.
I think about my teams that I played on, and
the onus was on us to get things right. Like
I remember, everybody was talking crap about our offensive line.
(36:48):
We were the worst offensive line in the league. Right,
But guess what we decided as a unit, you know what,
we need extra film session together. So every Thursday night,
guess what we did. I rented a dang projector from
from mac in the video department, got a computer, and
we watched film for two hours as a unit. We
invited the running backs over, we had we had dinner together,
(37:12):
and we got closer as a unit. And guess what,
by process of elimination, we figured it out. We figured
it out. And that's why Ben made the statement at
the Super Bowl parade. Who's laughing now? O line? Right?
But it took that type of determination, and for a man,
you have to make that decision that you are going
(37:32):
to stand and be accounted for. And that's what those
guys have to have in that locker room. Whatever leader
is going to show This is where leaders show up.
These are those tough moments where you have to take
it upon yourself and say if nobody else is gonna
say it, I'm gonna say it, and I'm gonna make
sure that we're not the weak link. Come next Sunday
and make sure that we are in position if you
(37:54):
need to, if you need to have extra tackling. Guess
what all there is a space and opportunity right you
know when somebody wasn't getting to a fight, Hey, ain't
none but space and opportunity in here. You got all
the time that you got, twenty four hours in a day,
figure it out as a man, as a professional, figure
that out. Because you can do it. We've seen you
do it. Make a commitment to do it. Thank you. Max.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
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(38:40):
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Speaker 1 (38:54):
This is in the Locker Room with kingon Starks on
Steelers Nation Rate, presented by your Neighborhood Forward Store. The
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Speaker 2 (39:15):
All right, you know what time it is when this
is the final segment of it is the bell Lap
early lunch warning system engaged. And yes it is not
a victory donut Monday, you know, but you could make
a case for it being donut whole Monday, because that's
all you deserve, is the little part that's yeah, exactly
(39:38):
there in the kitchen. I looked at them, and even
then I still I still had to go to stainings.
You got to I abstained till at least noon, Yeah,
till lunch. You know, I feel like I feel like,
you know, it's like loser eggplant Monday parmesan. You know
what I'm saying. Like, it's not chicken parm parm it's
like eggplant parmesan. Now, some people might say, oh, man,
well that's that's a treat if you're a vegetar.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
We had somebody last week and say that that's what
they wanted for Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Exactly, So technically that's still a treat to most. It
would not be for me. I agree.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Okay, let's go to one in South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
One.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Thanks, I think we got you back. Hopefully we can
hear you. Thanks for being with us in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Hey, can you hear me?
Speaker 5 (40:17):
Guy?
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Oh you were allowed and clear? There we go one Niho,
let's go.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Hey.
Speaker 8 (40:22):
Just want to say, oh, it was ugly yesterday. I
just want to say, I'll be honest. I was one
of the first ones saying I didn't like the signings
of Rodgers. As you can see why I'm.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Thinking like that.
Speaker 8 (40:35):
I mean, that's reminded me of the San Diego game
when he tried to run with the ball and what
happened he spot them on the safety.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
That remind me of that game.
Speaker 8 (40:46):
And they also, just nobody's talking about it, but I'm
gonna see it right now, George Pickens, that's all. We
missed that guy. I missed that guy so much because
could he imagine if he was on the team with
DK with what we could have do. We said to
just try to figure it out for one year with
those two guys and see what it could what we
could have do with that. And then also, like you
(41:07):
guys mentioned earlier, with the penalties, those just this stupid penalties.
I mean, I know you angry and everything, but let
the Rams catch the guys who started the match, the team.
We can spart get we can get y'alls on the penalties.
So that's yeah, that's just ridiculous with that. And also
I'm with you guys though. We got a good, big
(41:28):
game of Baltimore, but I'm looking at the future. Let's
see it doesn't work out against Baltimore. A Mission is
not the guy, So why not just go and just
throw a real Howard in the game and see what
we can do with that. What you guys think about.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
That, well, on, thank you very much, appreciate the call.
Uh Will Howard hasn't even had a snap.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
In the preseason an NFL snap period. Let's not even
call it ever ever had a stat That's a tough
one to uh to try and bring him the speed
in the middle of a playoff hunt or whatever, because
even if you know here, let's just be worst case,
even if you lose to Baltimore on Sunday, you're still
(42:13):
in a playoff hunt. Right, it's gonna be.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
You have to This is your team, Yeah, this is
the team you put together. Yeah, you got a roching staff,
got a team everything. You got to play through the
end of the season. Yeah, and give it your best shot. Now,
if you fall out of contention, maybe you start thinking
about different decisions. Let's squeeze in another call. Let's go
to Myron to Texas, Myron, thanks for being with us
in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Hey, how you guys doing, man? Hi Iron doing good?
Speaker 5 (42:40):
Yeah, I say I'm sick of hearing the firing stuff
and people. You know, the Steelers used the Steelers used
to be the laughingstock in the NFL for years. Chuck
Nole got there, took him some time, he won, and
he won good because he had good system. And then
they started.
Speaker 7 (42:56):
Then he had a mashed down fall.
Speaker 5 (42:58):
Before he lost, you know, or it was over a
lot of people was yelling the same thing.
Speaker 7 (43:02):
He needed to be fire blah blah blah.
Speaker 5 (43:05):
But the whole point is this is still even though
they got a lot of talent on this team, this
team is still kind of new because none of these
guys that are played with each other. It's not like
a plug and play.
Speaker 7 (43:16):
You just take a guy in.
Speaker 5 (43:17):
Place and then he gets in there and he's gonna know. No,
they still have time to jail. And it as bad
as we have been, We've had our great moments, we
had our bad moments, and this one of the bad moments.
We're still six and six. We still have a chance.
It's still five games remaining. But all these fans want
us to throw away the season because they do it
every year. And the thing is, if you want to
(43:39):
blame the Steelers for anything, blame the Steelers for being
physical because what we did in.
Speaker 6 (43:43):
Two thousand and eight, what Hines Ward and those guys.
Speaker 5 (43:46):
Did, changes the way that they call the game and
we and for years the Steelers had to adjust their
plates and that physicality to what it is now. Because
you can't touch anybody anymore, you can't do a whole
lot of things anymore. So this team has changed and
has defined a lot in this league, and now that
(44:06):
they're not doing so well, y'all want to blame and
fire everybody. And once you do that, we're going to
lose for a while and we're going to become like
Cleveland for a moment until we can win. And you
have to understand that's not always a solution.
Speaker 6 (44:21):
Just hang in there, We'll stale six and six.
Speaker 8 (44:23):
We still got a shot.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Well, give it some time, Myron.
Speaker 3 (44:28):
We needed some positivity because we are Myron, thank you,
we are we are.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
We're down here.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
Because this was just just not a good performance at all.
And Myron does bring up a good point, by the way,
it took this Steelers forty years to win a playoff game. Yeah,
four decades to win their first playoff game. And of
course now we all think it's a birthright for the
Steelers to march to the super Bowl. That's a difficult
thing to do. They are trying to get back to
(44:57):
playing a more physical style. It's something that with.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
The construct of the current NFL.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
Right that it is something that you know, they've talked
about in the draft. Omar Con and Andy Widel. You know,
they're they didn't have Derek Harmon in this game, but
they're trying to Harmon and they drafted Benton recently, and
they're they're drafting offensive lineman.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
I suspect Black they had a solid game.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
Yes, I think when they get to a certain point
in their in their development and they're trying again to
underneath these veteran players, rebuild through the draft with young guys,
that's what they're trying to do. They're trying to churn
this so that when we come up, it's like a
you know, a butterfly, you know, you know, they come.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
Out of the chrystalis right.
Speaker 3 (45:42):
So they're trying to get this built up. A couple
more drafts is probably what they're going to need to
have this be a you know, of course, a quarterback,
a young quarterback, to be a worked over roster where
it is the young.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
Guys where also where you didn't tear it down to
get there. That's right.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
When they get to that point and they're hopefully getting closer,
I think they'll draft an offensive lineman and a defensive
lineman every single year.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Yeah, but but you have to get you have to
get your roster to that. That's right, where you have
that comfortability to do right, yep, you know, because even
when Ben was drafted, right, everything else was in place.
That's right, everything else is you had an offensive line,
you had Pro bowlers on the offense, so you had
Pro bowlers on the defensive line. You had awesome outside backers. Right,
(46:27):
you had a young safety by the name of Troy
Polamalu emerging over that time. Troy Palamalo wasn't the same
Troy Palamalo in year two that he was a year ten.
You know, James Harrison had to get cut six times
before he made it on his team finally, you know,
and you look at that Hines Ward was was an
established guy, but he wasn't a Super Bowl MVP until
(46:50):
Ben got here, right, you know. He was a physical guy,
and Plexico Burris was your guy. And then you you
you got rid of Plexicoe Burris and Heines became your
number one by being a two for so long, right,
and you were still like, oh, who's the number two receiver?
I mean, we brought in to Cedric Wilson. Hello, do
people remember that name? Yep? Who had a hell of
a playoff run, right, and when you think about that,
(47:12):
we had tight ends, but it took a Heath Miller
in year two to bring him along to go with
the Jeremy Twoman for and taking a taking a flyer
on a Willie Parker who was a free agent running
back to pair with Duce Staley and your own bettis right,
and then still to this day still stands the longest
rush of Super Bowl history for a touchdown. Right, you
(47:34):
have to get those caster care, but you have to
have the things in place. You already had a Casey Hampton,
you had, you had Aaron Smith on this roster. You
had a Chemo von Ollhoffen that you brought over from Cincinnati. Right.
It takes time to build those teams, and that's what
they're trying to do, and the patience has to be there.
Speaker 3 (47:53):
He's Max Star, Don rob King, for our producer, Justin Miller,
and for you for commiserating after what was just a
poor performance from the Steelers and they're lost yesterday against
the Bills. We thank you for being with us in
the Locker Room, presented by your neighborhood, Ford Sewer and
the Students Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
of the Steelers Audio Network
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