November 26, 2025 • 47 mins
Max and Rob are joined by Gerry Dulac to discuss the upcoming matchup against the Buffalo Bills, as well as some of the Thanksgiving plans that Dulac has. The guys continue to take calls from Steelers nation, as well as preview the upcoming slate of games.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
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 (00:28):
Oh that sounds awkward, but you know what, when you
have a holiday and you have a man that is
willing to give his time to you, you make sure
you make it work.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
So Optimists step aside.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
The cool breeze.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
The catamaran is coming through.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
This the end of the road.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
But hello to the open wide oceans of the cool Breeze,
and we welcome them.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Mister Jered Dulach in the locker ro beer. How are
you doing today, Jered.
Speaker 5 (00:57):
Max, my friend, I am doing well. I will start
by saying Happy Thanksgiving to you and your cohort there
and always a pleasure for me to join you whatever
day of the week.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
It entails, and this is a day early, Jerry.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
That's right.
Speaker 6 (01:14):
Happy thanks you before we get there, because we know
we have to let you go here in about thirteen minutes,
thirteen minutes of the Great Jerry do you let Jerry
your favorite Thanksgiving a portion of the meal.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
Well, Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving to me without turkey, And nobody
ever mentions turkey. They mentioned all the other sides, dressings
and desserts. So obviously I'll say turkey. But then as
one of the asides, I will say the pumpkin pie
(01:50):
with cool whip.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Okay, I like that. I like that. Listen another and
the cool whip is key. It can't be ready whip. Right.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
There's something about when you when you take that spoon
and you get.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
That bowl of it and that dollup.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
That dollup is very It's a specific feeling and there's
a certain weight and density to it when you get
the dollar whip, Max.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
I will tell you I won't complain about ready whip
as long as there is a topping. Yes, I will
prefer the cool whip. And Rob, because we're talking about Thanksgiving,
I'll give you a couple more minutes on that backside
here today.
Speaker 6 (02:32):
So just so you know, Oh, we are thankful for you, Jerry.
Do a hey, Jerry. Uh you know a lot of
injury news yesterday. Uh you know, I don't know. I'd
love to have you sort out. You know, Harmon and
and Broderick Jones being out of this game and what
it could mean longer term.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I mean, you know, there's no we're leaving the door
open for you.
Speaker 6 (02:57):
There's no they're out, and so you wonder if that's
right longer term issue. And then of course the return
of Aaron Rodgers the quarterback position.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Yeah, you know, rub I can't sit here and tell
you the extent of their injuries, but you were right
about that. When Mike Tomlin pronounces them out on Tuesday,
that's usually some form of quote significant injury, and I
don't mean something that's gone. Of course, there's only six
games left, but that tells me it's something more than
(03:27):
just you know, we'll leave the light on for him.
So I think losing Derek Harmon probably hurts more, except
that that is Aaron Rodgers blindsided. Broderick Jones has been
very good. You don't hear many people sniping about them
that they do they pick out an isolated play. He's
(03:48):
been very good. So, but you know, we have seen
Spencer Anderson play quite a bit, so it's not like
he's coming in out of the cold. Same with Calvin
Anderson and so you lose some of that chemistry that
exists that seems that obviously is so important on the
(04:08):
offensive line because those guys play every snap, so there's
no rotation with offensive linemen, so losing one of them
actually hurts, just like as it did with Isaac Saamalo
and he miss but they've been fortunate not to have
any significant injuries along that line. But I think losing
Derek Harmon, you don't have yes why a Black will
(04:32):
play a little bit more, and he has been playing,
But I think it hurts losing Derek Harmon just a
little bit more than it does losing Broderick Jones.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
No, And I think I could agree with that when
you look at just the rotation and the significance and
Derek Harmon also his interior pass rush and his ability
to disengage from blocks is also something.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
You know that will be missed.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Ya Black still learning in that in those aspects, Jara,
I do want to also before we go any further,
I forgot to say, you know you're you're sponsored by
Palmadoro in Wexford and you can get three dollars bud
Lights sixteen ounce draft variety. You know you'll need to
go with the can, go with the draft. It comes
better out the tap during all Steeler games, especially the
(05:23):
one that's coming up this Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
But I just you know, with Buffalo coming to town
with that run defense or or that run offense that
they bring with James Cook, Josh Allen, you know, the
Steelers obviously did not allow one hundred yard rusher last week,
(05:43):
but there was still some opportune rushes and we saw
some leakiness. Now, obviously we've dealt with great rushing offenses before,
so this is not something new. Is just they're the
flavor of the week, right. It just it's ups and
downs on that. So we've dealt with our number of
tough rushing I mean, what is the feel in this one?
(06:06):
Like you said, you don't have a Derek Harmon, a
guy who obviously helps a lot in that rush defense.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
You know, when you're looking at Buffalo, what.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Has kind of been kind of the talk as far
as what they see about how how you kind of
slow this offense to try and seal a victory.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Well, you know, Max a couple of things, and we
have seen three unlikely teams and I'm hesitant to call
the Texans unlikely because of their defense. But we have
seen three teams, you know, Atlanta, Miami and the Texans,
you wouldn't expect somewhat manhandle the Bills. And you know,
(06:51):
they certainly don't look so unbeatable anymore. That is, that
is for sure. And and I thought this Deelers overall.
You know, you look at the Bears with Caleb Williams
first in the NFC and rush offfense one hundred and
fifty six yards, Steelers held them fifty seven yards below
(07:12):
the average their average, which is pretty good. We saw
what they did against John Van Taylor, we saw what
they did against Josh Jacobs. So I think if they
are intent on stopping James Cook, based on what we've
seen recently, I think there's probably a pretty good chance
that that will happen. But the X factor then is
(07:35):
how much does Josh Allen hurt you with his running around,
his power runs and everything else.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
And so.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
You know what, where I've seen the Bill struggle this
year makes me think that the Steelers shouldn't be shaking
in their boots and trying to stop these guys, even
though you know they do present that formidable task. And
yet that's why I think losing Derek Harmon hurts a
(08:08):
little bit more in this game. And if Josh Allen
looks like Josh Allen typically does, then yeah, they're gonna
have their hands full, but particularly in the secondary. And
I think I'm just curious to see which Bills team
shows up, because that's why I don't have a great
(08:30):
feel for what I think you know is going to
happen or could happen Sunday.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
So I think you bring up a lot of good
points and as you usually do. Of course, that's why
we have you on Jerry, so the I think that
Allen presents a unique problem to a lot of defense.
Now we're seeing more and more mobile quarterbacks. They don't
do quite as much design run with Josh Allen as
they used to. But they not only face Caleb Williams,
(08:59):
they face Lamar Jackson all the time. You know, a
different challenge in getting Allen down. He's athletic, obviously, but
he's also huge, you know, so getting into the ground
is not easy. And he enters this game tied with
Cam Newton for the most games in a career in
which a player has run for a touchdown and thrown
(09:19):
a touchdown. And you know, Cam Newton was one of
the great running quarterbacks of all time. So I say
that because it is truly, as you mentioned, Allan a
dual threat. But the Steelers have had pretty good success
against guys like that over the years.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Robers, so the words out of my mouth, and I
was going to text Max's memory. I can't remember a
running quarterback hurting them to the point that he cost
them the game or won the game for the opposing team.
They do a really good job. Whether it's somebody as
elusive as Lamar Jackson or who can run like Caleb
(09:57):
Williams and he's elusive to I understand, and or Josh
Allen and those types of quarterbacks, they do a pretty
good job. And that's to be to Mike Tomlin's credit.
He gets bashed enough. But they have always done a
pretty good job against those types of quarterbacks, uh that
to the point where they haven't really hurt them. And
(10:20):
yet oh sure occasionally it happens, but look at the
job they've done against Lamar Jackson, who to me is
the best of them all. With that, and he of
course he's not running right now as much more like
he used to. Probably result of that injury, I'm guessing
he hasn't been the same Lamar Jackson if you watch him.
But they've always been pretty good at that, and so
(10:40):
I expect them to be pretty good against Josh Allen
as well.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And I agree, I agree Jerry, the preparedness for the
mobility aspect of a lot of these quarterbacks. They they
tend to corral them in pretty good. And I think
it's usually the chase of those outside linebackers and really
funneling that I think they've got a little undisciplined last week,
But you know, I expect them to kind of lock
(11:08):
in this week and be and be on their screws
for it, Jerry, as we kind of look at the offense,
obviously Aaron Rodgers coming back in the fold, obviously it
wasn't you know. Mason Rudolph did a serviceable job like
he always does, always prepared, always ready to go, and
uh and came in and filled in. But you know,
(11:29):
there's something different about the starting quarterback versus your favorite
backup quarterback, which I mean, I think everybody's favorite quarterback
is always a backup quarterback, right because he doesn't really
play that much. So you know, he's he's the guy
who's gonna rah rah. He's friends with everybody in the locker.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Room, and.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
You know, just just kind of the expectation now with
Aaron back in this lineup in the fold and leading
the charge.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
At you know, on the offense side of the ball.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
You know, Max, I told not what you're saying, but
I don't share this this concern or problems that a
lot of people seem to have with the offense. And
I say that, you know, like last week, I mean, yeah,
do they are they not? Do they miss? Do they
(12:18):
not have explosive pass plays? No, they don't. They had
eight in the first two games of the year, and
they have twenty four total, which is, you know, the
the fourth fewest in the league. And most of their
quote explosive pass plays are five or eight yard passes
where the guys you know have turned them in the
(12:40):
longer games. I think they have six plays of twenty
yards or longer in the last four games, and one
of them is is Darnell Washington's short pass where he
runs over three bangle and two others are Kenny gain Weell.
So that is what's missing from the offense, But you
look at what they did in Chicago. Know, I thought
(13:01):
they did a really good job of answering each of
the Bears touchdowns, including two of which came as a
result of Mason Rudolph turnovers. Now, I'm not going to
sit here and say take away the turnovers, and maybe
it's a different game, and it probably is, but my
point is I thought Mason Rudolph did a good job
(13:21):
of answering and the offense did of answering the Bears touchdowns.
I mean, that's a pretty good Bears team. And yeah,
I know people are going to say, well, their defense
isn't very good. Now, we've seen issues of that where
teams don't run the ball very well and then come
in and run the ball very well, or vice versa,
whatever the case may be. So I didn't have a
huge issue with the offense that everybody seems to have
(13:46):
this week after that game, especially considering that you know,
it wasn't your starting quarterback, and those two turnovers hurt
because the Bears turned them in the touchdowns. But I thought,
again the way Steelers responded, yeah, that they have their
law in the third quarter that they seem to have
every game but even at the end, even at the
(14:08):
end they came back with that big drive, got to
three points and couldn't finish it off on the last drack.
But I don't think the offense has a lot of
terrible issues, especially when you look. They ran for one
hundred and eighty six yards, so they're obviously doing something right.
I don't know, this is no defense, so some of
(14:28):
the issues they might be having. But I'm not in
that camp where you know, their offense isn't you know,
you know, isn't producing, or isn't very good, or is
struggling because they don't attack the middle of the field.
I think all in all, they've been pretty good.
Speaker 6 (14:45):
So Jerry du Lac is also by the way, a
man so big he needs two sponsors is brought to
you by a neighborhood fortune, the F one fifties, the
official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers. You know, I think
one of Mike tomlins strengths over the years has been
managing the game, aim to try to win it right,
you know. So they're an example of that is the
statistics in which they're twenty seventh in yards, but they're
(15:07):
eleventh in points, right, let's let's play and let's win
the game in front of us. And sure you get
some defensive scores, but do what is required to win
the game. And the Steelers didn't do enough in this game.
And Jerry, you got to one thing that that has
been kind of in my craw for a while, and
that's this third quarter thing right now. So look, you
(15:28):
did a lot of the things you need to do
to win a game. But this is the third time
this year that the Steelers against top quality teams Seattle,
Green Bay and Chicago, had a lead at halftime, got
the ball to begin the second half. And Jerry, are
they're opening drives of the game, They've been excellent. Seven touchdowns,
three field goals. I think whatever ten scores, I think
(15:50):
out of their eleven first or whatever it is, it's excellent.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
I think it's five. I think it's I think it's
five touchdowns and three and.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Three field goals in ten drives. Yes, thank you, I
got confused, but thank you very much. That's exactly what
it is that hasn't been replicated in the third quarter.
And when you talk about different things that are costing
you games, I mean, think about if you go up
two scores on Seattle, if you go up three scores
on Green Bay, if you go up two scores on
(16:20):
Chicago by taking the ball down, marching down and scoring.
It is I don't know why that has been an issue,
but to me it is. You know, I'm seeing I
keep talking it like I think for whatever reason, I
just think there's more to this team than what we've
seen in six and five. I might be looking at
it the wrong way, but if they're going to get there,
(16:42):
one of the things they have to do is clear
up this third quarter thing.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
You know.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Rob Typically, historically, I would say they have been pretty
good at doing that, especially when they score at the
end of the first half and double down to start
the second half. They always look at that as a
key part of the game, being able to do that. Now,
I could be wrong about this in those three instances,
(17:07):
but certainly in one of them against Green Bay where
they ran for eighty one yards in the first half.
They come out in the second half, get the ball
and they go throw, throw, throw, punt, and you know,
you had success running the ball against Green Bay. And
I know Arthur Smith has an aggressive mentality, and his
(17:29):
feeling is we're not going to sit still here, we
are going to attack. I get that. I applaud that,
but sometimes maybe you have to just curtail that a
little bit when you understand what it is that allowed
you to build the lead against Green Bay, for example.
And I believe in the other game too, and I'm
(17:49):
not sure which, maybe Seattle the one you referenced. I
think that's the same thing. They came out and throw
throw through and when they were running the ball, and
so that was kind of the issue I had. I
know that sticks out to me in the Green Bay game.
And then you know, you go three and out and
(18:10):
you punt, and then I think I think the Packers
answered that right away with a score of their own.
So those kinds of things, yeah, they become a nuisance.
And they've had these halftime leads, as they did in
Chicago and they failed to protect it. And you know,
you can make you can say, oh, yeah, well, if
(18:31):
the offense would have done this, the defense could have
could have wouldn't have to be on the field. The
bottom line is the defense isn't stopping them because you
know what they're allowed to, and they haven't been doing
that when they've had to.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
Jerry do Lack. Jerry, thank you very much. Happy Thanksgiving
to you. Appreciate your coming on and.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
We will see you in a little bit over in
the south Side.
Speaker 5 (18:54):
You got it, rob Max. Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend,
and I will see you at the ball yard on Sundays.
Big Game, Big Game four twenty five, National TV, Nansen Romo.
That's always big. But they're in.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
Town it is Jerry, Thank you very much, see a
little bit. Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I want to mind you.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
Europe at the latest Yeah, thanks Jerry, Europe the latest
game the necessities At official Steadish pro shops get the
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(19:37):
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dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Is given the locker room with Kenyon Stars Steers presented
by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F one fifty is
the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro.
Get it direct from the team at the Steelers Pro
Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
And welcome back on this day before Thanksgiving. Uh So,
by the way, uh and we're gonna take some of
your phone calls if you want to get him in
between now and the top of the r I forgot
to mention that four one one six if you want
to join us here in the locker room asking steers
questions and also telling us what you're thankful for and what.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Your favorite feast is for the holidays.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
Another bit of news yesterday Matt the Max the the
Bills signed Brandon Cooks, and I know some fans thought, oh,
you know, maybe we should sign Brandon Cooks.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
He's with the Bills.
Speaker 6 (20:43):
I don't know if they can get him up to
speed quick enough. They probably can to potentially be a
factor in their passing game on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah, that's gonna be a good question whether they could
get Brandon Cooks up to speed, I mean, or just
have a limited package for him as of right now.
I mean now he is an experienced veteran, so who
knows you throw him out there a couple of times
and see what he can do.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
But it will be a challenge.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
And at least they're signing him on a Tuesday, so
he will get a full week of practice with the team.
So stranger things have happened, Guys have started on shorter
notice Kyle Duggar, you know, right, So it's not the
craziest of things, but you know, you do have to
prepare for him because he is a savvy and crafty
veteran that that will obviously, you know, has some experience
(21:32):
playing against Jalen Ramsey, has some experience, you know, playing
against some various guys.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
On our team.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So it's going to be another weapon to add for
Josh Allen to see.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
What he can do with another toy.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
Yeah, it's been a while since he's been one of those,
you know, really solid number two type receivers. I mean
he's got you know, even a one. He's got four
thousand yard receiver. He's never made a Pro Bowl, but
he's got four one thousand are receiving seasons in his career.
Twelve oh four was his tops back in twenty eighteen
(22:06):
with the Rams. Was a Houston, was with New Orleans,
was with Dallas and then most recently with New Orleans. Again,
his last sort of impactful season was twenty twenty three,
when he had fifty four receptions. He had twenty six
catches last year in ten games, nineteen in ten games
this year with the Saints. So interesting to see if
(22:28):
he will make an impact, what kind of impact he
can possibly make, and whether he will be even dressed
in this game. But it's again, it's not like you know,
Mike Tom was asked about a Sante Samuel and he's
got to get himself back in football shape. Brandon Cooks
has been playing, so it's not like he's not in
football shape.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
He's in football shape.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
It's a question of whether they feel like he's better
than the other receivers that they have, you know, out
on the.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Out on that roster. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
No, I mean challenge, And this is going to be
said for just a steady Eddy type of type of
guy who would come in and you know, make an impact.
And I think that's what you kind of have to
look at and say, all right, this is a challenge.
This is gonna be tough. But you know, he is
a veteran. He does want to play. That's why he
(23:21):
signed with this team, and I'm sure they're gonna they're
gonna do their best to get him up to speed.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
So you know, better to be prepared, right, You just
got to be prepared.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
That's right.
Speaker 6 (23:31):
So Nathan, I'm sorry you said we have a phone call.
We have Rob in Texas. Rob, thanks for being with
us in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
Hey, how go on, guys?
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Good?
Speaker 3 (23:42):
How you doing? Happy Thanksgiving to you?
Speaker 7 (23:45):
Hey, thank to you guys. Man, Happy Thanksgiving to you
and your family the Hostealers nation.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
I'll make this quick.
Speaker 7 (23:53):
Man, I'm kind of kind of went blank, but anyway,
I'm pretty thankful for our family and friends. By hell,
my job, uh Pittsburgh Steelers. Man, when I came across
a tounch of Wolf years ago, that was something that
really that really changed me.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Man.
Speaker 7 (24:11):
And you could be having the worst day of all,
but man, when you get in the locker room, things
just turn around and put a smile on your face.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
So I'm very.
Speaker 7 (24:20):
Very grateful for that, and I'm very very grateful for
you guys. And boy do I miss Wolf and all
his antics in the locker room?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Man?
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Yeah, yeah, you're you're not as far.
Speaker 7 (24:30):
As yeah, as far as food, goes. I'm not really
a Thanksgiving guy. I could just do a cheeseburger, you know,
but I would have to say some ham, dressy, gravy,
green bean, castle role and maybe a slice of apple pie.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
That's about it for me.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Okay, okay, hey, still very very solid choices, you know,
and when you think about it, I mean those are
those are very very good combos.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
You know.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Not everybody does a Turkey, and Jerry Doulet kind of
laid that out.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Turkey is a tough one. Uh some people kind of
overlook it. They like they like the co stars and
not the main attraction. And I think Ham is also
one of those that's very underrated in the Thanksgiving category.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
So I could appreciate that.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
Oh yeah, hey, before before I go, man, I got
I got a confession to make.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Max.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
I'm Rob.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
I'm not sure if you know about this one last
year there was a sad game about this time of
the year, and I have a snow globe in front
of my TV and that I bought the stadium.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Max, you know where I'm going.
Speaker 7 (25:37):
So when this game was coming up, I shook that
snow globe up three or four times a day, up
until that game and then guess what happened the snow
globe game.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Yeah it did.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Yeah, I do remember that all too well.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
All, well, don't shake it this year.
Speaker 6 (25:56):
I remember the game before A wolf and I were
comfortable and warm up in the in the in the
booth calling the game, and Max and Missy were downstairs
braving the elements, and it was It was a really
really really cool environment, but not a great result. So
we don't want we don't want anything that might bring
a similar result to the game on someone.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
Well, I hate to say this, but me and the
wife and kids are coming up for the Buffalo game.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
I bought the tickets when the schedule came out, and.
Speaker 7 (26:25):
I've been shaking that snow globe every.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Day since.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
Okada.
Speaker 7 (26:31):
We got turned around and hopefully we don't get no rain.
I'll take snow all day.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
I don't want any rain.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
Oh, I don't play me on that one. I totally agree. Hey,
thanks so much for calling, Rob. Happy Thanksgiving to you
and travels up in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 7 (26:47):
Absolutely love you guys, man, take care.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
Thank you. Max.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
We did not get to your favorite Thanksgiving the portion
of the Thanksgiving meal you like best. And I think
Bob Labriola said it really well yesterday, all of it,
and Jerry is right to point out the turkey, because frankly,
I don't ever have turkey. It's the one time of
year I have turkey. I've thought about that in the past.
(27:12):
Why don't we just have a turkey in like May?
You know, just bust out of Thanksgiving meal in May?
And you don't. It's one It's a once a year thing.
I'm a dark meat guy, by the way. I like
the dark meat. Give me the give me the thigh,
give me the leg, give me underneath the turkey. I
don't even know what they call what they call that
part of the turkey. I probably don't want to know.
(27:32):
Uh undercarriage.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
I don't even want to. I don't know. I don't
want to know what it's called.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Uh so you should, we can't. It has to be
the back, right, it has to be the back of
the turkey.
Speaker 6 (27:45):
I don't want to know. I seriously don't want to know.
I don't want to know what it is. I just
have a dark beat guy. I go I go looking
for the I go looking for the dark meat in Turkey.
I know a lot of people don't like that their
their their their turkey.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
Bread got the most flavor. It's got the most flavor.
We've got flavor.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
You need gravy for the turkey breast. Yeah, you don't
eat gravy for the dark party.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
So we've got a small group now, the days in
which we had a lot of people Thanksgiving is over.
We have five people and so my wife has said
in the past, why don't we get to just get
a turkey breast because it doesn't have any dark meat. Right,
you can't have you gotta have a drumstick. You gotta
have a wing. You gotta have a thigh. Thigh is
(28:29):
my favorite. Yeah, you know that's what you gotta.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Have the best.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
I mean even if regular like fried chicken. I mean
I love the thigh because I go that one bone,
you pull it out and boom, it's just like eating,
you know, eating just a nice complete piece of it.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Is.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
We have a we have a place near us that's
got tremendous fried chicken, and uh, it's always the same
for me, give me a thigh, maybe two if I'm
hungry and on my way. So we're gonna we're going
to push aside the noble turkey and the ham. We're
gonna push aside the main events because without them we
wouldn't have a meal. But and listen, you can't have
(29:04):
gravy without a turkey, without the pan drippings.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
You can make gravy, but it's not a good Yeah.
Speaker 6 (29:10):
What is your favorite part of the meal other than
the turkey slash ham?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Oh gosh, my wife sweet potato sou fle a is
is top notch. That's probably one of my favorite type
of dishes, along with coli greens and mac and cheese.
But that sweet potato sou fle it's it's not Thanksgiving
until I've had that.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
I mean, that is just.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
You know, and and of course I reveled at at
labs is uh you know expert vip uh, you know,
guru level of the candied yam sauce doubling as gravy. Yeah,
definitely the sweet potato soup fle a with the mashed
potatoes combo. That's sweet and that salt the savory mixture
(30:02):
when you get the perfect bite with both of those
things combined. And my wife's mashed potatoes are excellent. By
the way, she does a great job. I mean she
is old school. She grabs, she grabs a five pound
bag of Russets and Yukon gold combo each and has
ten pounds of potatoes and she boils them down, she
peels them, dices, then does a little bit of extra
(30:25):
on there and then boom back at it with the
hand masher, so it's truly mashed potatoes. When you get
sometimes you know you're lucky enough to get that one
that didn't quite get mashed all the way. So now
you got like that baked potato type of feel mixed
with the sour cream and the butter in there. Oh
they're excellent, okay AnyWho, Yes, but starches, starches are the
(30:45):
key thing.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
And then of course stuffing.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I love my mother in law stuffing when she brings
it over has a little bit of turkey mixed in it,
chopped up in it, so it makes it even more
like kind of meaty. So the gravy when it goes
on top of it just oh so yeah, I think
I gave you like five options.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
Yeah, as you can tell, I love everything.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Except the cranberry. You and Bob aren't going cranberry sauce.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
No, no, no cranberry sauce for me here?
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Nope, okay, nope, Nope.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Get that fruit out of my out of my meal.
I have grown to fruit as an appetizer or apartee.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
No, it's a great diuretic. It's a great diuretic. But
I don't need that while I'm consuming.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
So I would say this like I am not.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
I was not into the cranberry sauce until I got older.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Now now I like it.
Speaker 6 (31:38):
I like tartness because it's it's a counterpoint to the
rest of it. It can also be used, you know,
mixed together with some of that thighs. You get a
little bit drier, you get further, a little further into
the weekend. Or the breast I mean, and the breast
is all that's left because I've eaten all the dark meat.
You can throw a little bit on top of that.
(31:58):
For me, Max, I think I said this to you before,
and you get the refrigerator full of stuff, and when
that gravy is done, I'm out. You might as well
just take it and heave it. It is to me, that's
what makes that's the thing that ties together the Thanksgiving
meal and makes it so spectacular is the gravy. And
(32:18):
the gravy, by the way, can it can it might
run into that cranberry sa so you put enough of
it on there. You gotta have it on the mass behinder.
It's about got to have it on the stuffing. You
don't need it on the dark meat, especially if it's hot.
But you could, you know, smear it around a little
bit at the end of you know, the plate gets empty,
you can maybe smear it around a little bit with
a stab it with a fork, smeared around and get
(32:39):
that gravy up for part of it. But to me,
the gravy is the star of the show. And my
favorites are the mashed potatoes, and I make the stuffing,
but still I love stuffing. But you're right, starch. Starch
is king on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
Yeah, no, it it's it's a it's a very viable,
viable option that you must that you must cultivate. And
I think for the gravy, you got to make sure
you have enough of it. And that's why I think,
you know, yeah, it's tough, it's tough, tough to spread
it around, and.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Yeah, you have to go stock. You have to.
Speaker 6 (33:15):
And I make the gravy too, by the way, you
have to go stock. You have to stock usually or
even chicken stock. There's usually not enough pan drippings to
get by. But yeah, you you can't make enough gravy.
That's one thing. There is never ever, ever on Saturday
or whenever, whenever the time comes to throw out what's
(33:36):
left over, you know, hopefully make a little soup with
that carcass, you know, but there's never left over gravy ever. Yeah,
I would put that on my corn flakes in the morning. No,
I wouldn't do that, But.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
I mean, I get to love I love the intent there,
The intent is there.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
I think my thing is is that when I look
at it, like my family household, I mean, it's usually
me and my wife fighting over the gravy.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Like our girls, not as much.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
They're big mac and cheese fans, so they want mac
and cheese, you know, they want mashed potatoes, and they
want the sweet ptato soup flee, a little bit of turkey,
a little bit of ham for them. But uh, but
the gravy. The gravy, Like my my youngest daughter, who
loves massed potatoes any type of way. She's a purist.
She doesn't like gravy on hers. You know, she's always
(34:22):
been that way. She's always been that way she loves
is long because my wife does it so creamy, sour
cream and the butter mixed out there.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Ye. She's like, she's like, I don't need I don't
I don't need gravy, you know.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
And also she's she's eleven years old, so let let's
also be she has to have a refined palate like
like you and I. But I'm like, you know what, sweetie,
do what you do because I know there's more gravy
for me when she does.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
That, I can get I can get it at Waverley.
Speaker 6 (34:46):
Yeah, Quincy, Quincy. No, No, no, no gravy for Quincy.
I'll store that away, uh, for for when I might
possibly need that in the future. In the meantime, we're
happy to take more of your phone calls. We're can
continue to get you ready for your Thanksgiving repast as
well as the Steelers and the Bill's huge game for
(35:06):
both these teams coming up. We continue in the Locker Room,
presented by our neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro
Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio. Presented by your neighborhood Ford store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
All right, it's time for the bell lap.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Now, normally this is an early lunch warning system, but
we have been talking about food all day, Rob and
we also talked about the fact that you have you
have to prep for this like like like when you're
in the Olympics, you know, and you're getting ready to
run that hundred meter dash, you don't load yourself to like,
(36:12):
oh man, you gotta eat pasta, pasta pasta. Now it's
eleven seconds. So I got to gauge myself accordingly because
when I hit that sprint, I need nothing in my way.
I don't need any doubt, I don't need any you know,
craving outside of it. Yes, there will be deviled eggs,
you know before everything gets started tomorrow right now. That
(36:32):
that's like the perfect appartee, like it, yeah, exactly, just
pops pop populits of morsels.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
You know, that's just so good that cream. You have
to have enough relish.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
I am not a fan of light relish when it
comes to my deviled eggs and you have to have
a good amount of paprika in there. But you can't
get enamored with the pre race routine, right, I get it.
You got to make sure you run, make sure your
turnovers great. But my thing is this is this, This
is a marathon of gluttony. Okay, this is a marathon
(37:06):
of gluttony. So I need you to create space. So
if you have to expand a little bit, I get it.
You know, find some breads or something today. But the
deal is, quantity is not your friend today or in
the morning tomorrow. Quantity is to be had with quality.
And this is the rare occasion where both of those
worlds merge together. You get quality and quantity in mass
(37:30):
con portions.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
So you want to make sure.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
So I'm going to say this, eat light, eat healthy,
get something to turn that body, a little fiber in
there to make sure you've cleared enough space there so
you don't have to use extra cavities in your body
like Kobayashi. Just go ahead and enjoy, but be light
today at this at this very lunch break.
Speaker 6 (37:47):
My tentative plan is salad salad in a lot of water.
Today to compare myself now, I will tell you like
that I run into an issue and that is so
you know, old school.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Uh you know, the nuts with the shells on them,
the nutcracker.
Speaker 6 (38:03):
Yeah, that's always been part of my my Thanksgiving ritual,
my family's ritual was part of what we had around
again once a year they have I think they pretty
much have the year round, but once a year you
go in there by the way, I got.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
A package of no brazil nuts.
Speaker 6 (38:18):
Not happy about it, not because that's the that's that's
the best nut and of course the hardest one to
crack and get just the just the nut out of.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
You have to be you have to be skilled. You
have to be you have to be skilled at that
at that point.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
That yeah, that that one, that one's a special one.
Speaker 6 (38:34):
Because otherwise you're reaching in there with a little pincer
thing and not not a pincer, it's a little jabber
that you could easily poke your eye out with and
getting just a little bit of tiny, tiny bit of
that that white flesh and that's uh, that's that's not you.
The more so the more to be able to yeah, yeah,
that's and that it's you know, just like a little
like like you know, something that curls up and it's
(38:58):
just it's that's not you know, it's just a tiny amount.
It's you have to be you have to be good.
And over the years, I think I've gotten to be
a pretty good brazil nutcracker.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (39:07):
But having said that, I have a tendency to overeat
that because I like that very much. I'm gonna pace
myself today, but then I got to find a way
to pace myself tomorrow prior to the mule.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
What time do you eat mid afternoon? Uh?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Yeah, mid afternoon? Yeah, I look at three to four
o'clocks usually the optimal time, right, that's right, you know,
and then that gives you enough for dinner, you know later,
so you know, you've pushed off so that that third
that third plate usually comes around dinner time, around six
thirty seven o'clock, you know. For of course, you gotta
go to the first time out. You gotta go two plates.
I'm just just whatever you're thinking, because honestly, you're not
(39:43):
gonna get everything on the first plate, so you always
have the backup and then you play the hits after that,
you know, for the second round and then the third round.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
That's that's when you go Battle Royale.
Speaker 6 (39:52):
So it is a Thursday, and we have UH it
is time for AFC pre or you know technic it's
a Wednesday. It's a Thursday for show purposes, it's our.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Thursday because we're not on air tomorrow everybody, so don't
tune in.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
We will we will be foraging. So we had Jerry
Doulack go on with us.
Speaker 6 (40:07):
But it's time for AFC Preview presented by upmc uh,
the official healthcare provider and health plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So Packers Lions obviously not an AFC matchup, but that
is man is that a gigantic game one o'clock tomorrow
to start things off.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
That vision that division is is jam packed right now.
Speaker 6 (40:28):
The Chiefs basically stayed alive last week with an incredible
UH victory that you know, you have your you have
Pat Mahomes and he comes up with victories like that
for you. So you pull one out overtime in overtime,
a dramatic win for Kansas City.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
Big win by the way. The Colts just have a
brutal schedule down the stretch.
Speaker 6 (40:51):
As we've talked about, but the chiefs at the Cowboys
and Max. You know, the Cowboys are suddenly alive, and
you know, George Pickens is put big numbers and they're
throwing the ball all over the place. And Williams has
been a good find at running back for them. He's
having an outstanding season as well. They're an offensive juggernaut.
So if nothing else, that should be fun. And then
for us, okay, for most people, those are probably the
(41:14):
main events. But three and eight Bengals, six and five Ravens.
I know that if i'm if i'm you know, if
I have to have partial attention on the game, it
ain't gonna be that one.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
That's one that I'm I'm gonna.
Speaker 6 (41:27):
Have dozed off and woken up from my pie stupor
and my eating stupor and be ready for the Bengals
and Ravens at eight twenty.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Yeah, no, that's the main event. And listen, Joe Burrow
comes back this week. You know he will be up
against them. So what can Joe Burrow do to revitalize
these Bengals, Because listen, there's an outside chance they have
not been eliminated from playoff contention, So this is a
very big game. And you talk about a team coming
(41:59):
off that's been streaking in the Baltimore Ravens, and I
hope they're right for the upset next week. I don't
need them to precursor that this week, but it's going
to be a heck of a matchup come nighttime tomorrow evening.
And yes, I have full attention, no distraction. Like I said,
plate in front of me. I will limit my trip
(42:20):
to fan addiction for just three and a half hours
and it'll probably be more ham on that third plate,
just to make sure that can make through the whole game.
Speaker 6 (42:29):
That's good. That is good plate management right there. Well
done Friday Bears Eagles. Of course that's an NFC matchup,
but man, just another terrific game. And then I'll just
go to dash through a couple of these and stop.
But what I think of the highlights forty nine Ers,
Brown's Brown shoot or Sanders? Are they going to be
(42:49):
a are they going to be a pain in the
neck late in the year. And then we have the
Jaguars and the Titans. You know, again, not much to
see here unless the Titans can pull off an upset.
Here's the other game that I think is it's just
another big, big game talked about the Colts, you know,
and you start, if you're the Colts, you start thinking about,
are we beginning to lose a bit of our advantage.
(43:10):
They're hosting the six and five Texans. The Texans are
going to roll the you know, listen, the Colts have
let one slip away, right, They got beat by the Steelers,
They had their struggles with the Falcons, they had the Chiefs,
and now it's Texans at the Jaguars, at the Seahawks
forty nine Ers, Jaguars, Texans. If they win this division,
(43:34):
they're gonna win this division. But the two teams trying
to close in on them, the Jaguars and the Texans,
are right there now. If the Colts go on a
roll that helps the Steelers, Let's get the Jaguars and
tell if you need to think wild card.
Speaker 3 (43:49):
Let's get rid of those two teams. Let's go Colts.
Speaker 4 (43:53):
Exactly, yeah, yeah, go Colts.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Love cheering for a team that we've already beaten. Like
go Patriots, right, you know, I like, yeah, go ahead,
Patriots beat whoever you need to clear, clear the field,
because the Patriots are also going to have the Bills
at home coming up very soon. So yeah, please clear
the lanes for us, guys. All yah losers to us.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
Right, And it's you know, there's those teams. There's gonna
be some potentially some beating up on each other, you know,
sort of qualities to the stretch. You know, when you
look at things aren't quite as difficult for the Jaguars.
Although the Jaguars have to play Indianapolis twice and they
have to go on the road to face Denver, they
also get Tennessee twice including this road game, So barring
(44:38):
a stumble, they're in pretty good shape to be a
ten and seven type of team. And a ten and
seven type of team, you know, traditionally that's probably a
wild card team. So you know, listen, we'll take any stumble.
Go ahead and stumble. Saints at the Dolphins. The Dolphins
are playing better football courses. Steelers have to see them,
(44:59):
Falcons at the Jets, and of course the big game
the Bills.
Speaker 3 (45:03):
And the Steelers. Also the Raiders at the Chargers.
Speaker 6 (45:05):
Looking for Chargers stumble need a little bit of help,
uh as far as they're concerned.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
The Broncos on.
Speaker 4 (45:10):
Katy Pickett k on Kitty Pickett, can you get a start?
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Get give KP a start? I mean, Ga Gino's leading
the league in interceptions. Can we just get a switch?
Can we just say that the experiment's over?
Speaker 6 (45:24):
And then we have the Giants at the Patriots, right
and uh and then uh and then the uh that's
you know, our game of course, the big game the
Bills Steelers and can't wait for that one. Max, I
really sincerely hope that you and your family have an
absolutely wonderful, wonderful uh Halloween or Halloween.
Speaker 3 (45:51):
I don't know where that came from.
Speaker 2 (45:52):
Hey, this time they're all they're all love all hit
the consecutive months.
Speaker 6 (45:58):
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Max,
enjoy may be filled with fun and laughter and very
large to go trays, and may you have a blessed
and wonderful holiday.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
Thanks Rob, and definitely to you and your family as well.
I know, like you said, it's small, smaller gathering.
Speaker 4 (46:19):
Than the years past.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
I completely understand that, and you know, have fun, enjoy
the dark meat hunting as well in your pursuit of
eternal gravy. And cannot wait to talk to you.
Speaker 6 (46:30):
Tomorrow Friday, oh no, we may talk tomorrow. Friday.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
We'll probably talk tomorrow because I'm sure we'll talk about
our open. But yes, Friday, we will be back on
these airwaves with the rest of Steeler Nation, and we
will be taking calls as well to I want to
hear post Thanksgiving aftermath, and of course to preview the weekend.
Speaker 6 (46:48):
Yeah, and I may give you tomorrow off on the open, Max.
Let's talk Friday, huh. Enjoy the holiday, Enjoy, Enjoy your
loved ones. Thank you, my friend, blessed to have you
with me. We both have lots of blessings that were
thankful for, so thank you, and thanks everybody for listening
to us. Our thanks also to Justin Miller and Nathan
Ostler at the controls in our iHeart studio Formax starts.
I'm rob king happy Thanksgiving everybody, and we will see
(47:11):
you on Friday in the locker room, presented by our
neighborhood Ford store, the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
a part of the Steelers Audio netw
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 (00:28):
Oh that sounds awkward, but you know what, when you
have a holiday and you have a man that is
willing to give his time to you, you make sure
you make it work.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
So Optimists step aside.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
The cool breeze.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
The catamaran is coming through.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
This the end of the road.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
But hello to the open wide oceans of the cool Breeze,
and we welcome them.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Mister Jered Dulach in the locker ro beer. How are
you doing today, Jered.
Speaker 5 (00:57):
Max, my friend, I am doing well. I will start
by saying Happy Thanksgiving to you and your cohort there
and always a pleasure for me to join you whatever
day of the week.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
It entails, and this is a day early, Jerry.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
That's right.
Speaker 6 (01:14):
Happy thanks you before we get there, because we know
we have to let you go here in about thirteen minutes,
thirteen minutes of the Great Jerry do you let Jerry
your favorite Thanksgiving a portion of the meal.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
Well, Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving to me without turkey, And nobody
ever mentions turkey. They mentioned all the other sides, dressings
and desserts. So obviously I'll say turkey. But then as
one of the asides, I will say the pumpkin pie
(01:50):
with cool whip.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Okay, I like that. I like that. Listen another and
the cool whip is key. It can't be ready whip. Right.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
There's something about when you when you take that spoon
and you get.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
That bowl of it and that dollup.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
That dollup is very It's a specific feeling and there's
a certain weight and density to it when you get
the dollar whip, Max.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
I will tell you I won't complain about ready whip
as long as there is a topping. Yes, I will
prefer the cool whip. And Rob, because we're talking about Thanksgiving,
I'll give you a couple more minutes on that backside
here today.
Speaker 6 (02:32):
So just so you know, Oh, we are thankful for you, Jerry.
Do a hey, Jerry. Uh you know a lot of
injury news yesterday. Uh you know, I don't know. I'd
love to have you sort out. You know, Harmon and
and Broderick Jones being out of this game and what
it could mean longer term.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
I mean, you know, there's no we're leaving the door
open for you.
Speaker 6 (02:57):
There's no they're out, and so you wonder if that's
right longer term issue. And then of course the return
of Aaron Rodgers the quarterback position.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Yeah, you know, rub I can't sit here and tell
you the extent of their injuries, but you were right
about that. When Mike Tomlin pronounces them out on Tuesday,
that's usually some form of quote significant injury, and I
don't mean something that's gone. Of course, there's only six
games left, but that tells me it's something more than
(03:27):
just you know, we'll leave the light on for him.
So I think losing Derek Harmon probably hurts more, except
that that is Aaron Rodgers blindsided. Broderick Jones has been
very good. You don't hear many people sniping about them
that they do they pick out an isolated play. He's
(03:48):
been very good. So, but you know, we have seen
Spencer Anderson play quite a bit, so it's not like
he's coming in out of the cold. Same with Calvin
Anderson and so you lose some of that chemistry that
exists that seems that obviously is so important on the
(04:08):
offensive line because those guys play every snap, so there's
no rotation with offensive linemen, so losing one of them
actually hurts, just like as it did with Isaac Saamalo
and he miss but they've been fortunate not to have
any significant injuries along that line. But I think losing
Derek Harmon, you don't have yes why a Black will
(04:32):
play a little bit more, and he has been playing,
But I think it hurts losing Derek Harmon just a
little bit more than it does losing Broderick Jones.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
No, And I think I could agree with that when
you look at just the rotation and the significance and
Derek Harmon also his interior pass rush and his ability
to disengage from blocks is also something.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
You know that will be missed.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Ya Black still learning in that in those aspects, Jara,
I do want to also before we go any further,
I forgot to say, you know you're you're sponsored by
Palmadoro in Wexford and you can get three dollars bud
Lights sixteen ounce draft variety. You know you'll need to
go with the can, go with the draft. It comes
better out the tap during all Steeler games, especially the
(05:23):
one that's coming up this Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
But I just you know, with Buffalo coming to town
with that run defense or or that run offense that
they bring with James Cook, Josh Allen, you know, the
Steelers obviously did not allow one hundred yard rusher last week,
(05:43):
but there was still some opportune rushes and we saw
some leakiness. Now, obviously we've dealt with great rushing offenses before,
so this is not something new. Is just they're the
flavor of the week, right. It just it's ups and
downs on that. So we've dealt with our number of
tough rushing I mean, what is the feel in this one?
(06:06):
Like you said, you don't have a Derek Harmon, a
guy who obviously helps a lot in that rush defense.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
You know, when you're looking at Buffalo, what.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Has kind of been kind of the talk as far
as what they see about how how you kind of
slow this offense to try and seal a victory.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Well, you know, Max a couple of things, and we
have seen three unlikely teams and I'm hesitant to call
the Texans unlikely because of their defense. But we have
seen three teams, you know, Atlanta, Miami and the Texans,
you wouldn't expect somewhat manhandle the Bills. And you know,
(06:51):
they certainly don't look so unbeatable anymore. That is, that
is for sure. And and I thought this Deelers overall.
You know, you look at the Bears with Caleb Williams
first in the NFC and rush offfense one hundred and
fifty six yards, Steelers held them fifty seven yards below
(07:12):
the average their average, which is pretty good. We saw
what they did against John Van Taylor, we saw what
they did against Josh Jacobs. So I think if they
are intent on stopping James Cook, based on what we've
seen recently, I think there's probably a pretty good chance
that that will happen. But the X factor then is
(07:35):
how much does Josh Allen hurt you with his running around,
his power runs and everything else.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
And so.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
You know what, where I've seen the Bill struggle this
year makes me think that the Steelers shouldn't be shaking
in their boots and trying to stop these guys, even
though you know they do present that formidable task. And
yet that's why I think losing Derek Harmon hurts a
(08:08):
little bit more in this game. And if Josh Allen
looks like Josh Allen typically does, then yeah, they're gonna
have their hands full, but particularly in the secondary. And
I think I'm just curious to see which Bills team
shows up, because that's why I don't have a great
(08:30):
feel for what I think you know is going to
happen or could happen Sunday.
Speaker 6 (08:37):
So I think you bring up a lot of good
points and as you usually do. Of course, that's why
we have you on Jerry, so the I think that
Allen presents a unique problem to a lot of defense.
Now we're seeing more and more mobile quarterbacks. They don't
do quite as much design run with Josh Allen as
they used to. But they not only face Caleb Williams,
(08:59):
they face Lamar Jackson all the time. You know, a
different challenge in getting Allen down. He's athletic, obviously, but
he's also huge, you know, so getting into the ground
is not easy. And he enters this game tied with
Cam Newton for the most games in a career in
which a player has run for a touchdown and thrown
(09:19):
a touchdown. And you know, Cam Newton was one of
the great running quarterbacks of all time. So I say
that because it is truly, as you mentioned, Allan a
dual threat. But the Steelers have had pretty good success
against guys like that over the years.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Robers, so the words out of my mouth, and I
was going to text Max's memory. I can't remember a
running quarterback hurting them to the point that he cost
them the game or won the game for the opposing team.
They do a really good job. Whether it's somebody as
elusive as Lamar Jackson or who can run like Caleb
(09:57):
Williams and he's elusive to I understand, and or Josh
Allen and those types of quarterbacks, they do a pretty
good job. And that's to be to Mike Tomlin's credit.
He gets bashed enough. But they have always done a
pretty good job against those types of quarterbacks, uh that
to the point where they haven't really hurt them. And
(10:20):
yet oh sure occasionally it happens, but look at the
job they've done against Lamar Jackson, who to me is
the best of them all. With that, and he of
course he's not running right now as much more like
he used to. Probably result of that injury, I'm guessing
he hasn't been the same Lamar Jackson if you watch him.
But they've always been pretty good at that, and so
(10:40):
I expect them to be pretty good against Josh Allen
as well.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And I agree, I agree Jerry, the preparedness for the
mobility aspect of a lot of these quarterbacks. They they
tend to corral them in pretty good. And I think
it's usually the chase of those outside linebackers and really
funneling that I think they've got a little undisciplined last week,
But you know, I expect them to kind of lock
(11:08):
in this week and be and be on their screws
for it, Jerry, as we kind of look at the offense,
obviously Aaron Rodgers coming back in the fold, obviously it
wasn't you know. Mason Rudolph did a serviceable job like
he always does, always prepared, always ready to go, and
uh and came in and filled in. But you know,
(11:29):
there's something different about the starting quarterback versus your favorite
backup quarterback, which I mean, I think everybody's favorite quarterback
is always a backup quarterback, right because he doesn't really
play that much. So you know, he's he's the guy
who's gonna rah rah. He's friends with everybody in the locker.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Room, and.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
You know, just just kind of the expectation now with
Aaron back in this lineup in the fold and leading
the charge.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
At you know, on the offense side of the ball.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
You know, Max, I told not what you're saying, but
I don't share this this concern or problems that a
lot of people seem to have with the offense. And
I say that, you know, like last week, I mean, yeah,
do they are they not? Do they miss? Do they
(12:18):
not have explosive pass plays? No, they don't. They had
eight in the first two games of the year, and
they have twenty four total, which is, you know, the
the fourth fewest in the league. And most of their
quote explosive pass plays are five or eight yard passes
where the guys you know have turned them in the
(12:40):
longer games. I think they have six plays of twenty
yards or longer in the last four games, and one
of them is is Darnell Washington's short pass where he
runs over three bangle and two others are Kenny gain Weell.
So that is what's missing from the offense, But you
look at what they did in Chicago. Know, I thought
(13:01):
they did a really good job of answering each of
the Bears touchdowns, including two of which came as a
result of Mason Rudolph turnovers. Now, I'm not going to
sit here and say take away the turnovers, and maybe
it's a different game, and it probably is, but my
point is I thought Mason Rudolph did a good job
(13:21):
of answering and the offense did of answering the Bears touchdowns.
I mean, that's a pretty good Bears team. And yeah,
I know people are going to say, well, their defense
isn't very good. Now, we've seen issues of that where
teams don't run the ball very well and then come
in and run the ball very well, or vice versa,
whatever the case may be. So I didn't have a
huge issue with the offense that everybody seems to have
(13:46):
this week after that game, especially considering that you know,
it wasn't your starting quarterback, and those two turnovers hurt
because the Bears turned them in the touchdowns. But I thought,
again the way Steelers responded, yeah, that they have their
law in the third quarter that they seem to have
every game but even at the end, even at the
(14:08):
end they came back with that big drive, got to
three points and couldn't finish it off on the last drack.
But I don't think the offense has a lot of
terrible issues, especially when you look. They ran for one
hundred and eighty six yards, so they're obviously doing something right.
I don't know, this is no defense, so some of
(14:28):
the issues they might be having. But I'm not in
that camp where you know, their offense isn't you know,
you know, isn't producing, or isn't very good, or is
struggling because they don't attack the middle of the field.
I think all in all, they've been pretty good.
Speaker 6 (14:45):
So Jerry du Lac is also by the way, a
man so big he needs two sponsors is brought to
you by a neighborhood fortune, the F one fifties, the
official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers. You know, I think
one of Mike tomlins strengths over the years has been
managing the game, aim to try to win it right,
you know. So they're an example of that is the
statistics in which they're twenty seventh in yards, but they're
(15:07):
eleventh in points, right, let's let's play and let's win
the game in front of us. And sure you get
some defensive scores, but do what is required to win
the game. And the Steelers didn't do enough in this game.
And Jerry, you got to one thing that that has
been kind of in my craw for a while, and
that's this third quarter thing right now. So look, you
(15:28):
did a lot of the things you need to do
to win a game. But this is the third time
this year that the Steelers against top quality teams Seattle,
Green Bay and Chicago, had a lead at halftime, got
the ball to begin the second half. And Jerry, are
they're opening drives of the game, They've been excellent. Seven touchdowns,
three field goals. I think whatever ten scores, I think
(15:50):
out of their eleven first or whatever it is, it's excellent.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
I think it's five. I think it's I think it's
five touchdowns and three and.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Three field goals in ten drives. Yes, thank you, I
got confused, but thank you very much. That's exactly what
it is that hasn't been replicated in the third quarter.
And when you talk about different things that are costing
you games, I mean, think about if you go up
two scores on Seattle, if you go up three scores
on Green Bay, if you go up two scores on
(16:20):
Chicago by taking the ball down, marching down and scoring.
It is I don't know why that has been an issue,
but to me it is. You know, I'm seeing I
keep talking it like I think for whatever reason, I
just think there's more to this team than what we've
seen in six and five. I might be looking at
it the wrong way, but if they're going to get there,
(16:42):
one of the things they have to do is clear
up this third quarter thing.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
You know.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
Rob Typically, historically, I would say they have been pretty
good at doing that, especially when they score at the
end of the first half and double down to start
the second half. They always look at that as a
key part of the game, being able to do that. Now,
I could be wrong about this in those three instances,
(17:07):
but certainly in one of them against Green Bay where
they ran for eighty one yards in the first half.
They come out in the second half, get the ball
and they go throw, throw, throw, punt, and you know,
you had success running the ball against Green Bay. And
I know Arthur Smith has an aggressive mentality, and his
(17:29):
feeling is we're not going to sit still here, we
are going to attack. I get that. I applaud that,
but sometimes maybe you have to just curtail that a
little bit when you understand what it is that allowed
you to build the lead against Green Bay, for example.
And I believe in the other game too, and I'm
(17:49):
not sure which, maybe Seattle the one you referenced. I
think that's the same thing. They came out and throw
throw through and when they were running the ball, and
so that was kind of the issue I had. I
know that sticks out to me in the Green Bay game.
And then you know, you go three and out and
(18:10):
you punt, and then I think I think the Packers
answered that right away with a score of their own.
So those kinds of things, yeah, they become a nuisance.
And they've had these halftime leads, as they did in
Chicago and they failed to protect it. And you know,
you can make you can say, oh, yeah, well, if
(18:31):
the offense would have done this, the defense could have
could have wouldn't have to be on the field. The
bottom line is the defense isn't stopping them because you
know what they're allowed to, and they haven't been doing
that when they've had to.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
Jerry do Lack. Jerry, thank you very much. Happy Thanksgiving
to you. Appreciate your coming on and.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
We will see you in a little bit over in
the south Side.
Speaker 5 (18:54):
You got it, rob Max. Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend,
and I will see you at the ball yard on Sundays.
Big Game, Big Game four twenty five, National TV, Nansen Romo.
That's always big. But they're in.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
Town it is Jerry, Thank you very much, see a
little bit. Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
I want to mind you.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
Europe at the latest Yeah, thanks Jerry, Europe the latest
game the necessities At official Steadish pro shops get the
latest Sideline apparel, jerseys, Terrible towles, authentic memorabilia and custom
exclusives you can only find directly from the team. Visit
one of the official Students pro shops located at Akroschure Stadium,
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online at shop dot Steelers dot com. Get it direct
(19:37):
from the team at the Steepers Pro shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Is given the locker room with Kenyon Stars Steers presented
by your neighborhood Forward Store. The F one fifty is
the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro.
Get it direct from the team at the Steelers Pro
Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
And welcome back on this day before Thanksgiving. Uh So,
by the way, uh and we're gonna take some of
your phone calls if you want to get him in
between now and the top of the r I forgot
to mention that four one one six if you want
to join us here in the locker room asking steers
questions and also telling us what you're thankful for and what.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Your favorite feast is for the holidays.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
Another bit of news yesterday Matt the Max the the
Bills signed Brandon Cooks, and I know some fans thought, oh,
you know, maybe we should sign Brandon Cooks.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
He's with the Bills.
Speaker 6 (20:43):
I don't know if they can get him up to
speed quick enough. They probably can to potentially be a
factor in their passing game on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah, that's gonna be a good question whether they could
get Brandon Cooks up to speed, I mean, or just
have a limited package for him as of right now.
I mean now he is an experienced veteran, so who
knows you throw him out there a couple of times
and see what he can do.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
But it will be a challenge.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
And at least they're signing him on a Tuesday, so
he will get a full week of practice with the team.
So stranger things have happened, Guys have started on shorter
notice Kyle Duggar, you know, right, So it's not the
craziest of things, but you know, you do have to
prepare for him because he is a savvy and crafty
veteran that that will obviously, you know, has some experience
(21:32):
playing against Jalen Ramsey, has some experience, you know, playing
against some various guys.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
On our team.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So it's going to be another weapon to add for
Josh Allen to see.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
What he can do with another toy.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
Yeah, it's been a while since he's been one of those,
you know, really solid number two type receivers. I mean
he's got you know, even a one. He's got four
thousand yard receiver. He's never made a Pro Bowl, but
he's got four one thousand are receiving seasons in his career.
Twelve oh four was his tops back in twenty eighteen
(22:06):
with the Rams. Was a Houston, was with New Orleans,
was with Dallas and then most recently with New Orleans. Again,
his last sort of impactful season was twenty twenty three,
when he had fifty four receptions. He had twenty six
catches last year in ten games, nineteen in ten games
this year with the Saints. So interesting to see if
(22:28):
he will make an impact, what kind of impact he
can possibly make, and whether he will be even dressed
in this game. But it's again, it's not like you know,
Mike Tom was asked about a Sante Samuel and he's
got to get himself back in football shape. Brandon Cooks
has been playing, so it's not like he's not in
football shape.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
He's in football shape.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
It's a question of whether they feel like he's better
than the other receivers that they have, you know, out
on the.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
Out on that roster. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
No, I mean challenge, And this is going to be
said for just a steady Eddy type of type of
guy who would come in and you know, make an impact.
And I think that's what you kind of have to
look at and say, all right, this is a challenge.
This is gonna be tough. But you know, he is
a veteran. He does want to play. That's why he
(23:21):
signed with this team, and I'm sure they're gonna they're
gonna do their best to get him up to speed.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
So you know, better to be prepared, right, You just
got to be prepared.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
That's right.
Speaker 6 (23:31):
So Nathan, I'm sorry you said we have a phone call.
We have Rob in Texas. Rob, thanks for being with
us in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
Hey, how go on, guys?
Speaker 7 (23:42):
Good?
Speaker 3 (23:42):
How you doing? Happy Thanksgiving to you?
Speaker 7 (23:45):
Hey, thank to you guys. Man, Happy Thanksgiving to you
and your family the Hostealers nation.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
I'll make this quick.
Speaker 7 (23:53):
Man, I'm kind of kind of went blank, but anyway,
I'm pretty thankful for our family and friends. By hell,
my job, uh Pittsburgh Steelers. Man, when I came across
a tounch of Wolf years ago, that was something that
really that really changed me.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Man.
Speaker 7 (24:11):
And you could be having the worst day of all,
but man, when you get in the locker room, things
just turn around and put a smile on your face.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
So I'm very.
Speaker 7 (24:20):
Very grateful for that, and I'm very very grateful for
you guys. And boy do I miss Wolf and all
his antics in the locker room?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Man?
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Yeah, yeah, you're you're not as far.
Speaker 7 (24:30):
As yeah, as far as food, goes. I'm not really
a Thanksgiving guy. I could just do a cheeseburger, you know,
but I would have to say some ham, dressy, gravy,
green bean, castle role and maybe a slice of apple pie.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
That's about it for me.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Okay, okay, hey, still very very solid choices, you know,
and when you think about it, I mean those are
those are very very good combos.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
You know.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Not everybody does a Turkey, and Jerry Doulet kind of
laid that out.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
You know.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Turkey is a tough one. Uh some people kind of
overlook it. They like they like the co stars and
not the main attraction. And I think Ham is also
one of those that's very underrated in the Thanksgiving category.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
So I could appreciate that.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
Oh yeah, hey, before before I go, man, I got
I got a confession to make.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Max.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
I'm Rob.
Speaker 7 (25:20):
I'm not sure if you know about this one last
year there was a sad game about this time of
the year, and I have a snow globe in front
of my TV and that I bought the stadium.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Max, you know where I'm going.
Speaker 7 (25:37):
So when this game was coming up, I shook that
snow globe up three or four times a day, up
until that game and then guess what happened the snow
globe game.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Yeah it did.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Yeah, I do remember that all too well.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
All, well, don't shake it this year.
Speaker 6 (25:56):
I remember the game before A wolf and I were
comfortable and warm up in the in the in the
booth calling the game, and Max and Missy were downstairs
braving the elements, and it was It was a really
really really cool environment, but not a great result. So
we don't want we don't want anything that might bring
a similar result to the game on someone.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
Well, I hate to say this, but me and the
wife and kids are coming up for the Buffalo game.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
I bought the tickets when the schedule came out, and.
Speaker 7 (26:25):
I've been shaking that snow globe every.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Day since.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
Okada.
Speaker 7 (26:31):
We got turned around and hopefully we don't get no rain.
I'll take snow all day.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
I don't want any rain.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
Oh, I don't play me on that one. I totally agree. Hey,
thanks so much for calling, Rob. Happy Thanksgiving to you
and travels up in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 7 (26:47):
Absolutely love you guys, man, take care.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
Thank you. Max.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
We did not get to your favorite Thanksgiving the portion
of the Thanksgiving meal you like best. And I think
Bob Labriola said it really well yesterday, all of it,
and Jerry is right to point out the turkey, because frankly,
I don't ever have turkey. It's the one time of
year I have turkey. I've thought about that in the past.
(27:12):
Why don't we just have a turkey in like May?
You know, just bust out of Thanksgiving meal in May?
And you don't. It's one It's a once a year thing.
I'm a dark meat guy, by the way. I like
the dark meat. Give me the give me the thigh,
give me the leg, give me underneath the turkey. I
don't even know what they call what they call that
part of the turkey. I probably don't want to know.
(27:32):
Uh undercarriage.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
I don't even want to. I don't know. I don't
want to know what it's called.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Uh so you should, we can't. It has to be
the back, right, it has to be the back of
the turkey.
Speaker 6 (27:45):
I don't want to know. I seriously don't want to know.
I don't want to know what it is. I just
have a dark beat guy. I go I go looking
for the I go looking for the dark meat in Turkey.
I know a lot of people don't like that their
their their their turkey.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
Bread got the most flavor. It's got the most flavor.
We've got flavor.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
You need gravy for the turkey breast. Yeah, you don't
eat gravy for the dark party.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
So we've got a small group now, the days in
which we had a lot of people Thanksgiving is over.
We have five people and so my wife has said
in the past, why don't we get to just get
a turkey breast because it doesn't have any dark meat. Right,
you can't have you gotta have a drumstick. You gotta
have a wing. You gotta have a thigh. Thigh is
(28:29):
my favorite. Yeah, you know that's what you gotta.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Have the best.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
I mean even if regular like fried chicken. I mean
I love the thigh because I go that one bone,
you pull it out and boom, it's just like eating,
you know, eating just a nice complete piece of it.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Is.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
We have a we have a place near us that's
got tremendous fried chicken, and uh, it's always the same
for me, give me a thigh, maybe two if I'm
hungry and on my way. So we're gonna we're going
to push aside the noble turkey and the ham. We're
gonna push aside the main events because without them we
wouldn't have a meal. But and listen, you can't have
(29:04):
gravy without a turkey, without the pan drippings.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
You can make gravy, but it's not a good Yeah.
Speaker 6 (29:10):
What is your favorite part of the meal other than
the turkey slash ham?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Oh gosh, my wife sweet potato sou fle a is
is top notch. That's probably one of my favorite type
of dishes, along with coli greens and mac and cheese.
But that sweet potato sou fle it's it's not Thanksgiving
until I've had that.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
I mean, that is just.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
You know, and and of course I reveled at at
labs is uh you know expert vip uh, you know,
guru level of the candied yam sauce doubling as gravy. Yeah,
definitely the sweet potato soup fle a with the mashed
potatoes combo. That's sweet and that salt the savory mixture
(30:02):
when you get the perfect bite with both of those
things combined. And my wife's mashed potatoes are excellent. By
the way, she does a great job. I mean she
is old school. She grabs, she grabs a five pound
bag of Russets and Yukon gold combo each and has
ten pounds of potatoes and she boils them down, she
peels them, dices, then does a little bit of extra
(30:25):
on there and then boom back at it with the
hand masher, so it's truly mashed potatoes. When you get
sometimes you know you're lucky enough to get that one
that didn't quite get mashed all the way. So now
you got like that baked potato type of feel mixed
with the sour cream and the butter in there. Oh
they're excellent, okay AnyWho, Yes, but starches, starches are the
(30:45):
key thing.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
And then of course stuffing.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I love my mother in law stuffing when she brings
it over has a little bit of turkey mixed in it,
chopped up in it, so it makes it even more
like kind of meaty. So the gravy when it goes
on top of it just oh so yeah, I think
I gave you like five options.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
Yeah, as you can tell, I love everything.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Except the cranberry. You and Bob aren't going cranberry sauce.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
No, no, no cranberry sauce for me here?
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Nope, okay, nope, Nope.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Get that fruit out of my out of my meal.
I have grown to fruit as an appetizer or apartee.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
No, it's a great diuretic. It's a great diuretic. But
I don't need that while I'm consuming.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
So I would say this like I am not.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
I was not into the cranberry sauce until I got older.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Now now I like it.
Speaker 6 (31:38):
I like tartness because it's it's a counterpoint to the
rest of it. It can also be used, you know,
mixed together with some of that thighs. You get a
little bit drier, you get further, a little further into
the weekend. Or the breast I mean, and the breast
is all that's left because I've eaten all the dark meat.
You can throw a little bit on top of that.
(31:58):
For me, Max, I think I said this to you before,
and you get the refrigerator full of stuff, and when
that gravy is done, I'm out. You might as well
just take it and heave it. It is to me, that's
what makes that's the thing that ties together the Thanksgiving
meal and makes it so spectacular is the gravy. And
(32:18):
the gravy, by the way, can it can it might
run into that cranberry sa so you put enough of
it on there. You gotta have it on the mass behinder.
It's about got to have it on the stuffing. You
don't need it on the dark meat, especially if it's hot.
But you could, you know, smear it around a little
bit at the end of you know, the plate gets empty,
you can maybe smear it around a little bit with
a stab it with a fork, smeared around and get
(32:39):
that gravy up for part of it. But to me,
the gravy is the star of the show. And my
favorites are the mashed potatoes, and I make the stuffing,
but still I love stuffing. But you're right, starch. Starch
is king on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
Yeah, no, it it's it's a it's a very viable,
viable option that you must that you must cultivate. And
I think for the gravy, you got to make sure
you have enough of it. And that's why I think,
you know, yeah, it's tough, it's tough, tough to spread
it around, and.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Yeah, you have to go stock. You have to.
Speaker 6 (33:15):
And I make the gravy too, by the way, you
have to go stock. You have to stock usually or
even chicken stock. There's usually not enough pan drippings to
get by. But yeah, you you can't make enough gravy.
That's one thing. There is never ever, ever on Saturday
or whenever, whenever the time comes to throw out what's
(33:36):
left over, you know, hopefully make a little soup with
that carcass, you know, but there's never left over gravy ever. Yeah,
I would put that on my corn flakes in the morning. No,
I wouldn't do that, But.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
I mean, I get to love I love the intent there,
The intent is there.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
I think my thing is is that when I look
at it, like my family household, I mean, it's usually
me and my wife fighting over the gravy.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
Like our girls, not as much.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
They're big mac and cheese fans, so they want mac
and cheese, you know, they want mashed potatoes, and they
want the sweet ptato soup flee, a little bit of turkey,
a little bit of ham for them. But uh, but
the gravy. The gravy, Like my my youngest daughter, who
loves massed potatoes any type of way. She's a purist.
She doesn't like gravy on hers. You know, she's always
(34:22):
been that way. She's always been that way she loves
is long because my wife does it so creamy, sour
cream and the butter mixed out there.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Ye. She's like, she's like, I don't need I don't
I don't need gravy, you know.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
And also she's she's eleven years old, so let let's
also be she has to have a refined palate like
like you and I. But I'm like, you know what, sweetie,
do what you do because I know there's more gravy
for me when she does.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
That, I can get I can get it at Waverley.
Speaker 6 (34:46):
Yeah, Quincy, Quincy. No, No, no, no gravy for Quincy.
I'll store that away, uh, for for when I might
possibly need that in the future. In the meantime, we're
happy to take more of your phone calls. We're can
continue to get you ready for your Thanksgiving repast as
well as the Steelers and the Bill's huge game for
(35:06):
both these teams coming up. We continue in the Locker Room,
presented by our neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro
Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio. Presented by your neighborhood Ford store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
All right, it's time for the bell lap.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Now, normally this is an early lunch warning system, but
we have been talking about food all day, Rob and
we also talked about the fact that you have you
have to prep for this like like like when you're
in the Olympics, you know, and you're getting ready to
run that hundred meter dash, you don't load yourself to like,
(36:12):
oh man, you gotta eat pasta, pasta pasta. Now it's
eleven seconds. So I got to gauge myself accordingly because
when I hit that sprint, I need nothing in my way.
I don't need any doubt, I don't need any you know,
craving outside of it. Yes, there will be deviled eggs,
you know before everything gets started tomorrow right now. That
(36:32):
that's like the perfect appartee, like it, yeah, exactly, just
pops pop populits of morsels.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
You know, that's just so good that cream. You have
to have enough relish.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
I am not a fan of light relish when it
comes to my deviled eggs and you have to have
a good amount of paprika in there. But you can't
get enamored with the pre race routine, right, I get it.
You got to make sure you run, make sure your
turnovers great. But my thing is this is this, This
is a marathon of gluttony. Okay, this is a marathon
(37:06):
of gluttony. So I need you to create space. So
if you have to expand a little bit, I get it.
You know, find some breads or something today. But the
deal is, quantity is not your friend today or in
the morning tomorrow. Quantity is to be had with quality.
And this is the rare occasion where both of those
worlds merge together. You get quality and quantity in mass
(37:30):
con portions.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
So you want to make sure.
Speaker 2 (37:32):
So I'm going to say this, eat light, eat healthy,
get something to turn that body, a little fiber in
there to make sure you've cleared enough space there so
you don't have to use extra cavities in your body
like Kobayashi. Just go ahead and enjoy, but be light
today at this at this very lunch break.
Speaker 6 (37:47):
My tentative plan is salad salad in a lot of water.
Today to compare myself now, I will tell you like
that I run into an issue and that is so
you know, old school.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Uh you know, the nuts with the shells on them,
the nutcracker.
Speaker 6 (38:03):
Yeah, that's always been part of my my Thanksgiving ritual,
my family's ritual was part of what we had around
again once a year they have I think they pretty
much have the year round, but once a year you
go in there by the way, I got.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
A package of no brazil nuts.
Speaker 6 (38:18):
Not happy about it, not because that's the that's that's
the best nut and of course the hardest one to
crack and get just the just the nut out of.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
You have to be you have to be skilled. You
have to be you have to be skilled at that
at that point.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
That yeah, that that one, that one's a special one.
Speaker 6 (38:34):
Because otherwise you're reaching in there with a little pincer
thing and not not a pincer, it's a little jabber
that you could easily poke your eye out with and
getting just a little bit of tiny, tiny bit of
that that white flesh and that's uh, that's that's not you.
The more so the more to be able to yeah, yeah,
that's and that it's you know, just like a little
like like you know, something that curls up and it's
(38:58):
just it's that's not you know, it's just a tiny amount.
It's you have to be you have to be good.
And over the years, I think I've gotten to be
a pretty good brazil nutcracker.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (39:07):
But having said that, I have a tendency to overeat
that because I like that very much. I'm gonna pace
myself today, but then I got to find a way
to pace myself tomorrow prior to the mule.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
What time do you eat mid afternoon? Uh?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Yeah, mid afternoon? Yeah, I look at three to four
o'clocks usually the optimal time, right, that's right, you know,
and then that gives you enough for dinner, you know later,
so you know, you've pushed off so that that third
that third plate usually comes around dinner time, around six
thirty seven o'clock, you know. For of course, you gotta
go to the first time out. You gotta go two plates.
I'm just just whatever you're thinking, because honestly, you're not
(39:43):
gonna get everything on the first plate, so you always
have the backup and then you play the hits after that,
you know, for the second round and then the third round.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
That's that's when you go Battle Royale.
Speaker 6 (39:52):
So it is a Thursday, and we have UH it
is time for AFC pre or you know technic it's
a Wednesday. It's a Thursday for show purposes, it's our.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Thursday because we're not on air tomorrow everybody, so don't
tune in.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
We will we will be foraging. So we had Jerry
Doulack go on with us.
Speaker 6 (40:07):
But it's time for AFC Preview presented by upmc uh,
the official healthcare provider and health plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So Packers Lions obviously not an AFC matchup, but that
is man is that a gigantic game one o'clock tomorrow
to start things off.
Speaker 4 (40:24):
That vision that division is is jam packed right now.
Speaker 6 (40:28):
The Chiefs basically stayed alive last week with an incredible
UH victory that you know, you have your you have
Pat Mahomes and he comes up with victories like that
for you. So you pull one out overtime in overtime,
a dramatic win for Kansas City.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
Big win by the way. The Colts just have a
brutal schedule down the stretch.
Speaker 6 (40:51):
As we've talked about, but the chiefs at the Cowboys
and Max. You know, the Cowboys are suddenly alive, and
you know, George Pickens is put big numbers and they're
throwing the ball all over the place. And Williams has
been a good find at running back for them. He's
having an outstanding season as well. They're an offensive juggernaut.
So if nothing else, that should be fun. And then
for us, okay, for most people, those are probably the
(41:14):
main events. But three and eight Bengals, six and five Ravens.
I know that if i'm if i'm you know, if
I have to have partial attention on the game, it
ain't gonna be that one.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
That's one that I'm I'm gonna.
Speaker 6 (41:27):
Have dozed off and woken up from my pie stupor
and my eating stupor and be ready for the Bengals
and Ravens at eight twenty.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Yeah, no, that's the main event. And listen, Joe Burrow
comes back this week. You know he will be up
against them. So what can Joe Burrow do to revitalize
these Bengals, Because listen, there's an outside chance they have
not been eliminated from playoff contention, So this is a
very big game. And you talk about a team coming
(41:59):
off that's been streaking in the Baltimore Ravens, and I
hope they're right for the upset next week. I don't
need them to precursor that this week, but it's going
to be a heck of a matchup come nighttime tomorrow evening.
And yes, I have full attention, no distraction. Like I said,
plate in front of me. I will limit my trip
(42:20):
to fan addiction for just three and a half hours
and it'll probably be more ham on that third plate,
just to make sure that can make through the whole game.
Speaker 6 (42:29):
That's good. That is good plate management right there. Well
done Friday Bears Eagles. Of course that's an NFC matchup,
but man, just another terrific game. And then I'll just
go to dash through a couple of these and stop.
But what I think of the highlights forty nine Ers,
Brown's Brown shoot or Sanders? Are they going to be
(42:49):
a are they going to be a pain in the
neck late in the year. And then we have the
Jaguars and the Titans. You know, again, not much to
see here unless the Titans can pull off an upset.
Here's the other game that I think is it's just
another big, big game talked about the Colts, you know,
and you start, if you're the Colts, you start thinking about,
are we beginning to lose a bit of our advantage.
(43:10):
They're hosting the six and five Texans. The Texans are
going to roll the you know, listen, the Colts have
let one slip away, right, They got beat by the Steelers,
They had their struggles with the Falcons, they had the Chiefs,
and now it's Texans at the Jaguars, at the Seahawks
forty nine Ers, Jaguars, Texans. If they win this division,
(43:34):
they're gonna win this division. But the two teams trying
to close in on them, the Jaguars and the Texans,
are right there now. If the Colts go on a
roll that helps the Steelers, Let's get the Jaguars and
tell if you need to think wild card.
Speaker 3 (43:49):
Let's get rid of those two teams. Let's go Colts.
Speaker 4 (43:53):
Exactly, yeah, yeah, go Colts.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Love cheering for a team that we've already beaten. Like
go Patriots, right, you know, I like, yeah, go ahead,
Patriots beat whoever you need to clear, clear the field,
because the Patriots are also going to have the Bills
at home coming up very soon. So yeah, please clear
the lanes for us, guys. All yah losers to us.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
Right, And it's you know, there's those teams. There's gonna
be some potentially some beating up on each other, you know,
sort of qualities to the stretch. You know, when you
look at things aren't quite as difficult for the Jaguars.
Although the Jaguars have to play Indianapolis twice and they
have to go on the road to face Denver, they
also get Tennessee twice including this road game, So barring
(44:38):
a stumble, they're in pretty good shape to be a
ten and seven type of team. And a ten and
seven type of team, you know, traditionally that's probably a
wild card team. So you know, listen, we'll take any stumble.
Go ahead and stumble. Saints at the Dolphins. The Dolphins
are playing better football courses. Steelers have to see them,
(44:59):
Falcons at the Jets, and of course the big game
the Bills.
Speaker 3 (45:03):
And the Steelers. Also the Raiders at the Chargers.
Speaker 6 (45:05):
Looking for Chargers stumble need a little bit of help,
uh as far as they're concerned.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
The Broncos on.
Speaker 4 (45:10):
Katy Pickett k on Kitty Pickett, can you get a start?
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Get give KP a start? I mean, Ga Gino's leading
the league in interceptions. Can we just get a switch?
Can we just say that the experiment's over?
Speaker 6 (45:24):
And then we have the Giants at the Patriots, right
and uh and then uh and then the uh that's
you know, our game of course, the big game the
Bills Steelers and can't wait for that one. Max, I
really sincerely hope that you and your family have an
absolutely wonderful, wonderful uh Halloween or Halloween.
Speaker 3 (45:51):
I don't know where that came from.
Speaker 2 (45:52):
Hey, this time they're all they're all love all hit
the consecutive months.
Speaker 6 (45:58):
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Max,
enjoy may be filled with fun and laughter and very
large to go trays, and may you have a blessed
and wonderful holiday.
Speaker 2 (46:14):
Thanks Rob, and definitely to you and your family as well.
I know, like you said, it's small, smaller gathering.
Speaker 4 (46:19):
Than the years past.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
I completely understand that, and you know, have fun, enjoy
the dark meat hunting as well in your pursuit of
eternal gravy. And cannot wait to talk to you.
Speaker 6 (46:30):
Tomorrow Friday, oh no, we may talk tomorrow. Friday.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
We'll probably talk tomorrow because I'm sure we'll talk about
our open. But yes, Friday, we will be back on
these airwaves with the rest of Steeler Nation, and we
will be taking calls as well to I want to
hear post Thanksgiving aftermath, and of course to preview the weekend.
Speaker 6 (46:48):
Yeah, and I may give you tomorrow off on the open, Max.
Let's talk Friday, huh. Enjoy the holiday, Enjoy, Enjoy your
loved ones. Thank you, my friend, blessed to have you
with me. We both have lots of blessings that were
thankful for, so thank you, and thanks everybody for listening
to us. Our thanks also to Justin Miller and Nathan
Ostler at the controls in our iHeart studio Formax starts.
I'm rob king happy Thanksgiving everybody, and we will see
(47:11):
you on Friday in the locker room, presented by our
neighborhood Ford store, the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio,
a part of the Steelers Audio netw
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