HR2: Previewing the Patriots continued

King and Starks continue to prepare you for the big game on Sunday and chat with Missi Matthews.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is in the locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one P fifty is the official truck of
the Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it
direct from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at
shop dot Steelers dot com.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
All right, it's a Friday. We know Optimus is on
his way to Foxborough for a Sunday tilt against the
New England Pages. And of course we will be there
as a broadcast crew. But no broadcast crew is complete
without its sideline reporter extraordinary and that's the one, the only,

(00:46):
Missy Matthews joining us right now on the phone line.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
How are we doing today, Missy?

Speaker 4 (00:52):
Hi guys, I'm great, Ready to go, Ready to rebound
and then off to Ireland.

Speaker 5 (00:58):
Hey, Missy, I gotta tell you the Optimist Prime thing
makes me giggle every single time. I've been laughing right
for two months. That and when Max gets into the
bell laugh that makes me laugh.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
That makes me laughing.

Speaker 6 (01:11):
I'm easily amused.

Speaker 4 (01:14):
It was a west find right question mark, Oh what yes,
I think?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Oh okay, yeah, yeah, I was asking for a truck
horn and he found it and he killed it, and
we we all all of a sudden adopted him as
an Optimist Prime because that was obviously my favorite semi
truck of all time, and went back to like six
year old me and.

Speaker 5 (01:39):
Just quick, real quick, we got a response that they
you know, I just wondered, you know, when I was
a kid, we would go buying the school boss and everybody,
you know, have the left hand working up and down,
on the right hand working up and come on, let's go,
you know, blow it and pull that horn. And then
I wondered, did they still happen or they just have
like a little meat meat, you know, in the middle
of the of the steering wheel like the rest of

(01:59):
us do. But then we had a trucker texted us
a picture and said, yes, we still have those. So
when you're driving on the road with the boys and
you're on the highway, feel free to have them, you know,
give the try to get the Optimist Prime.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Out of the trucker.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
Okay, good to know.

Speaker 6 (02:16):
There we go, So Missy move to the team as
we get ready to go.

Speaker 5 (02:21):
I think that's always a general question I have for
you. You know, how's this team feeling Obviously they didn't love
with the way they played, and they're certainly not gonna
love being one and two if they, you know, leave
exit Fox Row with a loss. So what's your general
sense on where the team is, you know, as they
get ready to play this game on Sunday.

Speaker 4 (02:43):
I think Aaron Rodgers is probably the best barometer for offense.
And then I'll say Darious Lay on defense, Aaron is
you know, pretty even kill. And it's just like, look,
we just have to win and do better and there
are things we can do better throughout practice, meeting, the game,
et cetera. And then this week Darius Slave said, guys,

(03:04):
I was literally with the Eagles last year. We did
not start out well in our first four games, like,
but look where we finished. So I don't think it's like,
you know, hit the panic button. It doesn't feel like
we're anywhere close to probably what the Miami Dolphins locker
room feels like right now, sitting at zero and three
and just it feels like everything is going wrong. I think, uh, yes,

(03:26):
there is a ton of stuff that needs to be
cleaned up throughout the entire Uh often sevevents everybody. You know,
this isn't just a one person problem or a one
side of the ball problem. But I think they have
the group to do it. And injuries happen, uh sometimes
at unfortunate times, but for the defense, they just they're

(03:46):
gonna have to work around it and figure it out.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Yeah, I mean it is it is a you know,
is a team issue, and let's just be frank about that.
But like you said, you have enough intelligence, you have
enough skill, you have enough combined experience that you could
figure your way out of it. And like you said,

(04:11):
no journey is ever perfect, no season is ever great.
I mean the last perfect season was what the seventy
two Dolphins. There's a reason why it's been so hard
to try and duplicate that type of success. And you know,
you have to have these hiccups, right, because you truly
learn more in defeat than you do in victory only

(04:32):
if you.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Learn the lesson.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
And we hope that they've learned their lesson in this
process and this will be the next opportunity to really
show that, is to show, hey, we got the message.
They like to run the football, and we are not
as good as we thought about it running the football, right,
I mean, that's truly we get down to it, the
two big things that have really tilted the success scale

(04:55):
because we've seen it in two different iterations where you
gave up a ton of yards on the ground but
you still won the game. And then you couldn't get
guys off the field and third down situation because they
ran the ball so well and you lost the game. Right,
this is like the rubber match of those because you
best believe doing was gonna try and run the ball

(05:15):
down our throats because they've watched it happen the first
two weeks of the season against us, and they're gonna
hope for success. So what are we going to do
to do to change that kind of narrative in this story?

Speaker 3 (05:28):
Missing? The question I posed to you.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Is offensively when it comes to the run game, and
we saw what Jalen Warren did with the ball in
his hands as a running back, but not necessarily handing
the ball off to him, how do you feel, I

(05:52):
tell you're like, I know where he's going with this,
But I mean, when we think about just getting the
ball in Jailer War's hind, how big of an emphasis
do you think that becomes this week?

Speaker 3 (06:03):
Because of the success that he had last week.

Speaker 4 (06:08):
I definitely think it is maybe going to tilt more
towards him where it has been closer between him and
Kenny Gainwell. I think when your quarterback is publicly and
you know, privately telling the team and telling the media
that hey, every time thirty touches the ball, like something
good happens, I think it completely makes sense to get

(06:32):
him more involved in the run game. Give the O
lines some juice of like, Okay, this hasn't been easy.
We're working hard, we're trying to tell as a unit,
and let him pop off a ten plus yard run.
He needs to be able to do that, and it's
something that he can do. There's a reason why they
gave him an extension, there's a reason why they let

(06:53):
Nagie Harris walk in free agency and also not pick
up his fifty year options. But I think they definitely
have to get him going and get him going early
in the game. So it's not a thing where they're
playing catchup, although obviously Week two they were leading at halftime.
But the run game is so important, especially when you

(07:13):
want to be able to do more play action, which
I mean Aaron Rodgers is so good at. You have
to make teams believe you can and will run.

Speaker 6 (07:21):
The ball, agreed, And I think that.

Speaker 5 (07:28):
You know, there's also a chicken and egg element to it, right,
so you know, you can't allow teams and Seattle did
this on a couple of occasions in which they just
had everybody within four to five yards of the line
of scrimmage, everybody on defense. Well, that's probably not a
really good run, look right, you know that makes it

(07:49):
very difficult to run the ball.

Speaker 6 (07:50):
I think that, you know, and I agree.

Speaker 3 (07:53):
I am.

Speaker 5 (07:54):
You know, We've done our the show, the matchup with
Matt Williams, and I think every week I've been like,
offensive line, run the offensive line, run the football.

Speaker 6 (08:03):
So I do. I am a big believer in that.

Speaker 5 (08:06):
But it just felt like there weren't a lot of
open guys, Like even as we saw Aaron, you know,
Aaron Rodgers is in the pocket, got his eyes downfield,
and there were times where the pass rush was getting home,
we saw Aaron escape. I thought, by the way, you know,
he talked about having a kind of a stiff lower

(08:26):
back in the first game that that hampered his mobility,
and you know, in this game he looked way more mobile.
But as he was getting out of the pocket and scrambling.
It just didn't feel like there were a lot of
guys open, So they kind of have to be able
to do both, and they have to find it in concert.
And you know, I'm hoping whether the run sets up

(08:46):
the pass or the pass sets up to run, one
thing to me is clear as they've got to find
a way to not only get the offense going, Missy,
but to Max's earlier point about the heat, especially early
in the season, sustained drives give that defense a little
bit of a break, you know, while they're dealing with
their own injuries and their own young players.

Speaker 4 (09:06):
Yeah, and I think too, you know, he's getting the
ball out quickly because he has to, and sometimes it's
not letting you know, another route or something developed where
he knows he can go. And I just think there's
so many instances in that Seahawks game and the home
opener where as you said, it really did feel like
there wasn't anybody opening because all of a sudden, some

(09:27):
extra pressure is getting to him and maybe where he
wanted to go isn't a good look now when the
other person has already gone from the spot that they
were supposed to be in I think too, if you know,
you could say, if that interception doesn't happen there in
the red zone where you know Pat fire Muth was there,
it looks like it was going to go to him
and Calvin Austin deflects it, then we're talking a totally

(09:49):
different ballgame. But agreed, it's it's a combination. It's everybody.
And I think the good thing about him having just
so much veteran experience and not hitting the panic button
and knowing how to connect and talk to these guys
because of the relationships that he has built with him
since he signed June fifth or twelve, whatever day it was,

(10:10):
and then all throughout training camp will hopefully help them
get this together and he can help them realize that
they can be successful and do what they want to accomplish.

Speaker 2 (10:22):
Well, And Missy, I kind of want to, you know,
turn towards the uh the injury report. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
that thing, that that thing.

Speaker 3 (10:34):
With papers and a minute.

Speaker 5 (10:38):
The Steelers Injury Report, presented by u p m C,
the official healthcare provider and health.

Speaker 6 (10:43):
Plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Please proceed.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
You gotta love, you gotta love show reads right, Missy
completely forgot. I love it.

Speaker 3 (10:55):
You got to pay off the spotsors got you.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
Gotta keep the lights of gotta keep the electricity flowing
for this show. Ours looks a lot different than the
other team that we're going against. There seems to be
a lot more robust, but a lot different letters next
to those names. Could you give me any updates to
where we stay with statuses of a lot of these

(11:19):
Steelers listed on this list.

Speaker 4 (11:23):
Well, I don't feel great about Joey Porter Junior or
Deshaun Elliott. We know Alex Highsmith is already out, but
Deshaun and Joey both have not practiced yet this week.
Even if they did something today, not quite sure that's
going to be the case. But I think Derek Harmon
is the one that we're all closely watching. He was

(11:45):
limited on Wednesday and yesterday. Practice is taking place right now,
so we don't know what that status will be for
today and or his game status, but man, what a
great get that would be if he's able to go
in there. He talked about how he is chomping at
the bit, how he just wants to be out there,
but he has clearly dealt with way worse things that

(12:06):
have happened recently in his life, like the loss of
his mom. So to him, this is something he can
work through even though it's bothering him. So I think
that that's kind of the one to watch, and I think,
you know, you plan, I mentally am preparing to not
have Joey Porter or de Shaun Elliott, and then if

(12:26):
you do have them, then you're pleasantly surprised.

Speaker 5 (12:30):
Yeah, that's a lot of that's a lot of starters
to be out, you know, high Smith, Elliott, Porter and Harmon.

Speaker 6 (12:39):
That's a lot to ask in this.

Speaker 5 (12:40):
Defense, and you know, hopefully they can get him back
because I still think that we're seeing, particularly teams running left.

Speaker 6 (12:51):
Missy.

Speaker 5 (12:52):
We talked about this a little bit, and I would
imagine they're going to want to run behind their their
big rookie right tackle and Will Campbell, especially seeing the
success teams have had running left, and high Smith we
know is a good edgesetter on that side. When Cam's
been out there, he's been effective. But we saw last
year there is a big drop off when Cam's not

(13:12):
out in the field, and he's not you know, he
didn't do a whole lot in camp and kind of
had the hold in. I don't know whether that affected
his preparation or his endurance at the beginning of the season,
but they need guys to be able to come in
and stop the run. And I think we're all looking
forward to the day in which you see a four
man rotation that keeps everybody fresh and you know, talking

(13:35):
about a quality well, probably a five man rotation because
he's really been good, but Benton and Black and Cam
where everybody's fresh and you could not only stop the run,
but push that pocket. And you know he's been I
don't want to heap too much on a young player,
but you took him in the first round for a reason,
and you know, eventually getting him back I think is
going to do a lot for this defense.

Speaker 4 (13:58):
Absolutely, and I think we saw what he can do. Yes,
it was the preseason, but you saw why they picked
him where they picked him, even in practices of good
on good ones versus one, and then throughout some of
the games. I think, you know, it is just unfortunate
the way things have fallen for this defense so early,

(14:20):
but also fortunate for the team that that week five
by is coming up. And while most people hate it early,
buy at this point it's kind of a blessing in
disguise that there's a lot of bodies that need to
get healthy, especially coming back from a trip to Dublin.
But I think too, it was very very noticeable, at
least to me, when I was looking at the practice

(14:40):
reports that are sent out every single day mandated by
the league. Cam Hayward didn't get a vets day this week,
which I thought was kind of interesting. So I don't
know if it's him just saying hey, guys, like I
need to do some more work, or coach Tomlan saying, hey, no,
we need you out there because a were losing bodies,
but be like, we got to get this together.

Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, yeah, It's.

Speaker 2 (15:04):
It's something that you know, we we touted the depth, right,
We touted the depth of this team so early in
training camp, and it's like, man, it has just gotten
tested right from the get go.

Speaker 3 (15:18):
I mean we lasted what a quarter.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
Before we lost Deshaun Elliott right right, yeah, Joey before
the end of that game, Derek already wasn't there. And
then now you lose Alex in week two as of
right now, and you know, did have Nick herbig Week
one got him back Week two It's just, man, it
has been lose Malik Harrison, who was supposed to add

(15:42):
some edge and interior linebacker depth. To you, It's just
the NFL is a funny thing. And that's why we
always say the attrician is not a matter of if,
but a matter of when it happens.

Speaker 3 (15:54):
And I'm hoping that all.

Speaker 2 (15:56):
This attrition early leads to sustained health health at the
end of the season when we need it, because I
think a year ago that was one where we got
tested and once again a brutal gauntlet of games. Three
games in eleven days. He played literally the top three
teams of the NFL. Let's just let's just be honest
about that. We don't have that this year.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
Thank goodness.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
We don't have any crazy Saturday, you know, Saturdays, Saturdays
Wednesday game ridiculous. Yeah, whatever, non traditional football day of
the week. We could play a football game. It felt
like we were playing it. But you know, as we

(16:38):
kind of talk about that, I mean, you know, it
is tep and team has been tested at different points
throughout the last couple of years. I mean, this is
not a unique problem, but it is one that is
interesting how it happens and how it happens in waves
at certain position groups. And I'm just I'm trying to
think of the last time we had four starters out

(16:59):
like this earlier the year I can't remember when, can you, missy,
we have four stars executively out.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
Yeah, I mean on one side of the ball, you know,
like you remember some of the big injuries that happened early.
I remember that year Markus County got hurt. You know,
you can go back, but I agree with that amount
of starters and all on the same side of the
balls where you're like, holy crap, you know, the inside
linebacker position. We watched that get just demolished, where our

(17:28):
Landon Roberts was playing with like one foot at one
point and there was nobody else. That was the year
cool Hoolcom got hurt unfortunately that he was able to
finally work his way back from. But that was towards
the end of the year, so I can't not necessarily,
I guess maybe I blocked it out if there was,
But yeah, it's certainly not a good thing. And I think, yes,

(17:50):
there are guys who have been here before, but there's
also a lot of new guys and it's you know,
it's the communication, it's working together. Jalen Ramsey hasn't played
with Darius Slay and vice versa, and you could go through,
you know, even with t J. Watt. So there's just
a lot of newness and they don't have time to
have newness problems.

Speaker 5 (18:12):
Yeah, I think Missy, you know there and we'll find
out as we get into week eight or nine, and
hopefully that you know, the team's healthy and beginning to
move in the right direction. I'm still bullish on what
I think this team is capable of, and I just
think that you know, I think you bring up a
really good point, and so you know, they are areas

(18:33):
in which, like I think the defensive line is going
to be much better, Well, you don't have Derek Harmon,
who's a big part of that much better now a
young player like a Ya Black. Maybe you wanted to
bring him along more slowly. Maybe the rotation wanted to
be different. You know, you have communication on the back end,
and you know, Mike Tomin got all those guys in
in that preseason game basically so they could communicate and

(18:56):
get a feel for each other in live game action.
And now you look up and you know Deshaun Elliott's
out and Joey Porter's out, and so you know, if
this was week six or seven and they'd all kind
of had a chance to play together and your rotation
was set, and now somebody's stepping up, and but it's
but with that newness. And again, I'm not trying to

(19:16):
make excuses here. I'm just trying to point out that
I think these could be real factors. Younger guys. You know, hey, listen,
let's bring Jack Sawyer or Ya Black along at a
certain pace and guess what, we don't have that luxury
get out there. I think these guys are all gonna
be really good football players. And I'm not suggesting that
they've been exposed, but I am suggesting that they probably

(19:38):
would not have been the same part of the rotation
a lot of the younger guys, and for that back
end communication, I just think those are it's a tough
time when you get injuries this early in the season
for those reasons at those positions.

Speaker 4 (19:53):
Yeah, and I think this Shaun Elliott is a key
guy that you're missing. Not only is he really good
at tackle, but he is a hub of communication and
not having him as certainly helping as somebody who's very
familiar with this defense from being here last year and
the year before.

Speaker 6 (20:12):
For sure.

Speaker 5 (20:13):
That is Missy Matthews. Missy. By Sunday, don't worry, I
will no longer be contagious. The cough drop couple here
of Max and myself hacking and wheezing on the air.
H Thank you, Missy, and we look forward to seeing
you on the team.

Speaker 6 (20:31):
Charters at tomorrow. What's today, Friday, tomorrow, Let's.

Speaker 4 (20:34):
Do it tomorrow, Rob tomorrow.

Speaker 6 (20:37):
Yes, I'm planning to be there, Missy. Thank you very much,
appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (20:43):
Thanks Missy.

Speaker 6 (20:45):
That is uh, Missy Matthews.

Speaker 5 (20:47):
Always a pleasure to have Missy with us and providing
us the stelish injury report presented by UPMC, the official
healthcare provider and health plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Also
want to remind you can gear up with the latest
game day necessities at the official Steelers pro shops. Get
the latest sideline apparel, jerseys, terrible towels, authentic memorabilia, and

(21:08):
custom exclusives you can only find directly from the team.
Visit one of the official Steelers pro shops located at
Akroscher Stadium, Grove City, Previium amount Lets or Tanger out
Let's or gear up online at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Get it direct from the team at the Steers Pro
Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com. Back inside the

(21:28):
locker room at King and Stark's presented by our neighborhood Fords,
or here in the Steers Audio Network right after this, and.

Speaker 1 (21:37):
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 5 (22:00):
And thanks for being with us inside the locker room
with King and starts Man. We are getting ready for
a football game on Sunday at Foxborough between the Steelers
and the Patriots. Both teams one and one, hugely important
game for both teams. If you're the Steelers, you do
not want to drop to one and two, and if

(22:22):
you're the Patriots, you are trying to get some belief going.
You know, early in the season, I said this all
the time, Max teams believe they're good. They don't know
they're not good until it's proven to them that they're
not good. And you know, new coach comes in with
new enthusiasm and energy. We're gonna do it this way.
And they've got some elements, you know, I think the

(22:42):
Morgan Moses signing and trying to solidify the line. And
you know, whether if Barmore can't play for them, that's
a big item because they're trying to build in those trenches.

Speaker 6 (22:51):
He was a second round pick a couple of years ago.

Speaker 5 (22:54):
They went out and they got Milton Williams, one of
the top free agent defensive tackles defensive line. Meant to
kind of shore up that team. So Max, let's get
to the Keys to the Game, presented by your neighborhood
Ford sor the F one fifty is the official truck
of the Pittsburgh Steelers. We've we've mentioned some of this
stuff with Missy, some of this stuff on our own.

Speaker 6 (23:15):
What do you.

Speaker 5 (23:15):
See as the keys to the Steelers going up to
Foxborough and winning this game? And by the way, I
was on a podcast in Boston earlier today and I
don't look at these kind of things, but I was
told it's a pickham game that that people think this
is a coin flip between these two teams.

Speaker 2 (23:33):
Well, I mean, the Steelers haven't done anything to dissuade
that type of thought process, So you know, I mean
you have to say yes until otherwise proven, right, I mean,
until the Steelers go out and have that convincing victory
and show that they've learned from the previous sins of
the last two weeks, we're going to be in this

(23:55):
type of battle, you know, until otherwise noted. So you know,
I agree that I think you have to look at
this as a pick them where I'm sure at the
beginning of the season you probably would have airmarked this
is as one of those that this is one that
should be a victory. But you know, you can't take
that type of risk. You can't can't predict that actually

(24:17):
happening and coming true because the Steelers haven't given that reason.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
So I look at this.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
The keys to my game for this, I'm going you
know what, I'm gonna get really specific here, and I'm
going to say that the run game, combination blocks have
to be on point with this defensive front offensively, and

(24:43):
that means the offensive line has to work in concert together.
They have to stay on these blocks longer, they have
to sustain them, and they have to create these holes
for the running backs.

Speaker 6 (24:54):
It is.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
It is not only important for them to do that
for the running backs, but this helps Aaron.

Speaker 3 (25:00):
This helps the pass game.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
This helps your tight ends as well, because it's not
just strictly route running.

Speaker 3 (25:06):
It's not just strictly pass blocking.

Speaker 2 (25:08):
When you can be balanced and varied, you can do
a lot more things with that tight end group that
we have. And so the run game, combination blocks is
what I'm going to be looking for, and I'm going
to especially be looking for those along the edge because
Kaylevon chas On and Harold Landry.

Speaker 3 (25:26):
Are looking really good.

Speaker 2 (25:27):
Like you said, Christian Barmore and Joshua Farmer, that's their
two man rotation. However they come at it. Those guys
are also skilled in the interior as well. They like
to disengage blocks. They're very physical at the point. So
you've got to continually get the double team and work
it up to that second level. And that's what I'm

(25:47):
going to be looking at. Offensively. Secondly, it's going to
be you know, wide receivers staying on the same page
with Aaron Rodgers and sticking with him and making sure
that you're running the right den up that you're getting
you get, you're making yourself available. DK's been good thus far.
We're probably gonna need a little bit of great from DK.

(26:10):
So some of those catch in the yards after the
catch is going to be imperative in this game. Some
of the catch and run stuff gotta be on the
p's and q's.

Speaker 3 (26:19):
For that one.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
That'll also hopefully help clean things up for Aaron. Aaron
has to come out have another have another solid well,
he has to have a solid day. I'm not gonna
say another one because last week obviously threw a couple
of interceptions. Uh you know, obviously not all his fault,
but when you get behind it, you can't run the ball.
You tend to press as a quarterback, and I think

(26:41):
you know, he was pressing, trying to trying to make
something happen, trying to give a spark to this team.
So hopefully that run game, those combination blocks will free
that up. So I'm very specific on what I want
to see in that key. Defensively, get off blocks, disengage
and disrupt and dismantle.

Speaker 3 (26:59):
That's what it is.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
It's the three ds in that moment, rob Disengage, disrupt,
and dismantle. That's what you have to do because you've
got to put this to bed. Teams are going to
run at you, They're going to try and bludgeon you
until you tell them no more. We will not put
up with this, we will not take this, and we

(27:22):
will not continue to stand for this anymore. You've got
to shut Rimandre Stevenson down. You've got to shut Treveon
Henderson down. Force Drake may to be a one dimensional guy.
If he is one dimensional, he's not as good as
his ascending status is being right now. He is not
going to be able to do it. And so you've

(27:43):
got to go and you've got to disengage, disrupt, and
dismantle defensively. That's what I want to see for this defense.
And if you get a Derek Harmon back, you've got
a disruptor back. Use that disruptor to go disrupt things.
And nobody cares that you're down. You're down four starters,

(28:04):
nobody in this league does. So don't sulk, don't sulk.
Get empowered. Another man's trash, another man's treasure, another man's
misfortunes is your opportunity and your potential fortune. Go out
there and act like such with this elevated role, take
and seize the opportunity and don't look back at it.

(28:27):
Play full board. I will said another word phrase. I
don't know if the FCC would have approved prove through
that phrase. So I caught myself. But it's that to
the wall. If you could rhyme, you can figure out
what it is. That's what you have to do. There
is no tomorrow. There is no other opportunity after this.

(28:47):
You lose a home game and you're going overseas to
the Isle. Right, we're going to Ireland after this. You'd
rather be traveling across the Atlantic with a win in
your belt, another winning your belt at two and one
than going as a tea below five hundred at one
and two. What are you willing to sacrifice to get
to that next victory?

Speaker 3 (29:06):
That is the question.

Speaker 5 (29:08):
Yeah, and I do think Max that this is you know. Look,
they bring in Stefan Diggs, they bring in they drafted
Kishan Bouti a couple of years ago, and Booty is
a he's a good player. We know that forty three
catches a year ago.

Speaker 6 (29:26):
He's solid.

Speaker 5 (29:27):
But this is not a I am really frightened of
this receiving core. It's not you know, Jackson Smith and
Jig is a very accomplished receiver. They don't have anybody
of that ilk Stefan Diggs, you know, good veteran guy. Obviously,
It's it's going to be about those tight ends, Hunter
Henry and those running backs coming out of the backfield.

(29:48):
There's your probably your top three receiving threats are going
to be the tight end and those receivers, and then
the other thing you have to do. You have to
be wary of May breaking contain. And so I'll be
very interested to see whether the Steelers play more man,
because they're not that frightened of the receiving corps, do

(30:11):
they are? They more worried about playing man and having
May break out and have a running, a big running game,
because you know, he's he's gonna give you thirty forty
yards a game out of the scramble and those can
be backbreaking.

Speaker 6 (30:24):
But he also is capable of more.

Speaker 5 (30:27):
He's had a couple of games in his career where
he's had, you know, broken the back of a team
because of his ability to scramble how they defend that.
Knowing that the Patriots want to get the running backs
involved in the running game, in the passing game, want
to get the tight end involved, and yet still have
a running quarterback that they have to deal with, it's

(30:48):
going to be interesting to see to me what the
Steelers try to do. Yes, getting off blocks, you know
that that kind of doesn't let's just say it mitigates
what defense you're playing, right, it doesn't make it quite
as essential. If your guys are whipping their guys up front,
that's usually gonna be the ball game right there. So
I agree with you being able to get off those

(31:09):
blocks stop that running game. But I'll be interested to
see what they do schematically to try to slow down
May because I think it's a you know again, I
say that, but we saw BOUTI have one hundred yards receiving,
so you know, uh, it's an interesting team, New England.
It's an interesting team. They're they're trying to build along

(31:29):
the trenches. Like we said before, they've got their own
injury issues. I don't know whether Christian Gonzales is gonna play,
but I don't even know if I how important I
think that is considering the difficulties the Steelers had last
week when Seattle was out without two starters uh in
their secondary, including a young Pro Bowl cornerback. So I

(31:50):
don't know, Max, it's uh, it's it's interesting to me
what the Steelers are going to try to do schematically,
offensively and defensively. But I just keep going back to everything,
starting with running the ball better and stopping the run better.

Speaker 3 (32:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (32:08):
No, I mean I think that's where it begins and
where it ends is what are you going to sacrifice?
What are you willing to give up for the opportunity
to be great? And that's what you're fighting. You're fighting
the opportunity to be great and to go and prove

(32:29):
a lot of people wrong. A lot of people want
to put dirt on you and bury you right now.
But what are you going to do to stave off
people putting dirt on you? Are you going to stop
the run and be like you were a year ago
in the sixth best defense in stopping the run? Or
are you going to settle for being the team that's

(32:50):
given up the most rushing yards in the first two weeks?
Choice is yours? Are you going to be a team
that's going to not run the ball effectively and have
to deal with the short passing game, deal with screens,
deal with checkdowns, and you know, taking the occasional big shot.

Speaker 3 (33:07):
But yet there's no threat.

Speaker 2 (33:09):
Of an eight man box or a nine man box
because they don't fear you on the ground. They can
push you around. You need to go be the bully.
You need to be the one turning folks back. Are
you gonna do it? Do you have it in you
to do it? That's the question, and these are things
that you know have to be answered. I'm not saying

(33:33):
once again, this is not a finished product. Let me
make this abundantly clear. This is not a finished product.
But when we're talking about identity building, this is a
critical time where you're building an identity for yourself. You
might not have the success, but the intent has to
be there. The look in your eyes has to be there,

(33:57):
The killer instinct has to be there when we're talking
about what your intentions are, and that's where you know
I'm always looking at. That's what I'm always watching for,
is the intent. You know, to a degree, malice is
the word I'm looking for. Can you bring malice to

(34:20):
this game? Can you bring malice to your teammates, and
can you embrace that malice and bend it to your will,
not get bent by its will?

Speaker 3 (34:31):
Right?

Speaker 2 (34:33):
Pressure happens two ways, those who feel it and those
who apply it. Well, I think they felt it the
first two weeks. But can they apply it? Can you
reverse the hose direction?

Speaker 3 (34:45):
Right? That's what we're trying to do. And I think
they have it in them.

Speaker 2 (34:50):
We just got to see it and hopefully that starts
on Sunday.

Speaker 6 (34:55):
Max. That is extremely well put. And I can't wait.

Speaker 5 (34:58):
And I do you think that while you're waiting for
you're not waiting for things to happen, but while the
season progresses and you begin to really hone in on
your identity as a football team offensively and defensively. And
I think that we see this team defensively and just

(35:22):
talk about that side of the ball of being able
to stop the run and then bring those corners to
bear on third down. Now, that's going to loosen up
things for the pass rush and be that kind of defense.
The things you're talking about while the team is evolving
to that point, I shouldn't say waiting while they're evolving

(35:43):
to that point.

Speaker 6 (35:45):
The things you.

Speaker 5 (35:45):
Talked about the quality of play, the intensity of play.
Those things can still happen.

Speaker 3 (35:52):
Absolutely absolutely.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
The quality of your play is not dictated by your circumstances,
dictated by the intent that you it behind it right
and that and that's what I want to say. I
just want to see intent. Just just show me that
you want to do it. Show me that you want
that you want that you want to kick that man's
butt in front of you. Show me that you're not

(36:15):
going to turn it down right, Show me that you're
not going to get that little you know, squint in
your eye when it gets tough and you're looking for an.

Speaker 5 (36:24):
Excuse, you know, unless it's what if it's a Clint
Eastwood squint.

Speaker 2 (36:31):
That that one's a little different that that's that's that's
that's the steely glare.

Speaker 3 (36:35):
That's just annihilation. You know what I'm saying. Like it's
very Chuck Norris esque. I mean, you know.

Speaker 2 (36:43):
It's it's not one of those things to be taken lightly.

Speaker 5 (36:46):
We want, but we want the steely glare of annihilation.
Another beautifully phrased turn uh turn to the phrase by
Max uh so that'll take that will take us to
break say it against steel eyed.

Speaker 3 (37:00):
What of of annihilation?

Speaker 2 (37:06):
Of anilation? That's even better version? But yeah, that's the
number I said. It's so good, I didn't even don't
even remember.

Speaker 5 (37:14):
That's a twenty page paper, uh for for to go
with our in our earlier class. What's your thesis the
steel the eyed Glare of Annihilation? Uh, twenty pages? Get
that into me by Friday. Max Stark's uh love story?
A love story?

Speaker 6 (37:35):
Excuse me?

Speaker 5 (37:36):
Okay, So we're gonna finish things up as we get
ready for the Steelers and Patriots. Boy, a big, big
game for both of these teams. When we continue inside
the Locker Room with King and Starks presented by your
Neighborhood for Its or here on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (37:55):
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 6 (38:16):
Welcome back inside the locker room.

Speaker 5 (38:18):
And you know, Max, I've been puzzling over a statistic
that you know, I've been thinking about since we saw
Kenneth Walker put up a monster game, and the monster
game was basically four runs. And excuse me the Steelers.
You know, Jack Charboney had fifteen carries for ten yards.

(38:38):
Fifteen carries for ten yards. Sharbony is a good player.
Kenneth Walker had four explosive runs. And so the Steelers
are last in the league in allowing first down rushing
attempts by a team, So team runs for first down.
Steelers are worst in the league in that category, which

(38:59):
is crazy when I think that they are first in
the league in run stuffs. So you know, allowing I
think it's I think it's two yards or fewer per
rush attempt. So the I don't know the exact parameters
of that statistic. But in other words, and we saw
that last week. The first run for Walker was a

(39:22):
big one, and then it was zero zero minus one
plus one, zero zero for the next several runs. How
do you find that consistency as a defense, because look, man,
everyone's going to be talking about this run defense. We're
talking about everyone's going to be talking about it because
of what happened last year, and because your ability to

(39:42):
try or your attempts to try to fix it. So
how does how can one be true more explosive plays
than anybody and yet more stuffs than anybody? And how
do you make sure that we start getting more of
the stuffs and less of the big plays.

Speaker 2 (39:58):
Well, I think you have to s start right at
the beginning, which is it's the bell lap here room.

Speaker 3 (40:06):
I forgot.

Speaker 7 (40:07):
I'm sorry, man, good job justin Oh always I'm sorry,
always lagging behind my fault.

Speaker 2 (40:18):
Sorry, No, yeah, I always look forward to it because
I love breaking it, because it's like the concentration is
so focused and then it's like it's just like a
little breaking the norm and the stream of consciousness just
for a moment. But yes, that is your early lunch
warning system and you are correct this six minutes until noon.

Speaker 3 (40:37):
So make sure you.

Speaker 2 (40:38):
Forge a good balanced meal helps with your explosiveness. Just
want to add that out there for everybody trying to
finish the week strong out there in stealer Nation. But
to answer your question, Rob, I think I look at it,
and you know, schematics is one thing, right. You know,

(40:59):
you could drop perfect plan. You can, you could have
the greatest architectural drawings ever, But if you don't have
solid materials, and you don't have solid workers, nothing gets
done right. It's delays, it's it's instability, it's it's not
rooted solidly. Like you don't grade the ground before you

(41:21):
start laying concrete, right, you get cracks. You get cracks
in the in the foundation. And I think that's where
it has to start for the Steelers, Like as we
be foundational, you've got to have the intent and the
plans are good. Coaches could draw up any schematics to
block any given play on paper, but it's the people,

(41:42):
it's the skill, it's the technique of the artisans that
make something last right for millennia. And so for the
Steelers defense, you have the skills, you just.

Speaker 3 (41:55):
Got to apply them.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
And that has to come from a direct desire to
not want to get beat, to not want to be
bested by another in any form or fashion, and that
intent will carry you. And then of course I know, listen,
there's a skill level involved, right, Guys get paid on
the other side of the ball.

Speaker 3 (42:15):
These guys are drafted as.

Speaker 2 (42:16):
Well or picked up, and they have a unique skill
set that that team desires. Hence how you end up
on the team. But at the end of the day,
the desire match with the skill set prevents. It yields
success and it prevents failure. And for the Steelers, yes,

(42:39):
you've been low on guys. You've been trying to get
in shape. The rotations are not the same. We're missing starters,
We're missing these key contributors that we had planned. But
plans have to change, Plans have to alter, plans have
to mediate themselves at times, and that's where the skill

(43:02):
and the aptitude of the player has to kick in.
And you know I said it before, right, especially for defense,
right what the three d's of defense kind of a
play on the five d's dodgeball, but we won't talk
about that. Disengage, dismantle and oh god, sorry, disengage. Jeez,

(43:26):
my brain is not functioning. Okay, here we go. Disengage, disrupt,
and dismantle.

Speaker 3 (43:32):
There we go. Got it in the right order there.
I had to think about it. Four second.

Speaker 2 (43:35):
Yeah, three d's, three d's of defense, that's what they have.
You have to commit to that type of mindset on.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
Any given play.

Speaker 2 (43:44):
You got to be able to disengage from the blocks,
disrupt the pattern and the timing of the offense, and
then dismantle. Each individual player That's what it is, and
that's how you get to that point.

Speaker 3 (43:59):
Right.

Speaker 2 (44:00):
It comes with power, it comes with tenacity, it comes
with ferocity. This is not this is not a light game.
This is not a touchy feely game. This is a
physical game. You have to go physically manipulate your outcome
on any given play. And so with that physical manipulation.

Speaker 3 (44:20):
You have to have an intent.

Speaker 2 (44:22):
Right if if I get a screw that's been like
kind of stripped a little bit, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (44:29):
We've all been there right where you have that.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
One screw where you think, man, I think I overtightened
this a little bit, and you kind of you know,
you had a Phillips head screwdriver on the screw and
it kind of splits a little bit to where it
almost looks like it's turning. It's turning into like a hex.
You know, you're like, what screwdriver doesn't quite fit? Sometimes
you gotta press it a little bit harder and just

(44:52):
keep it tight and be intent full about making it
turn to the loosens out.

Speaker 3 (44:58):
That's the same thing they have to do.

Speaker 2 (44:59):
Like you have to screw in there, but it's not
a perfect screw and you've got to get in there
and you've got to figure out a way to wedge
that out because I've got to replace this screw. It's faulty,
it's bent whatever, that's what it is. And that comes
with an intent. That comes with that intent. And so

(45:20):
for the defensive line, I'm gonna say this, You've got
to disengage from the blocks. You've got to split the
double teams, you've got to knife through the gaps. You've
got to do all of these things. Then you need
to disrupt. You have to disrupt. Running back wants to
go in the BGAP. Guess what be gaps covered? Bro
Pick another one, Pick another door. Door number two is

(45:41):
not working for you. And if you go to door
number three, there's a TJ. Watt waiting for you right
trying to go out the back door, because obviously teams
love to run left, so if you turn back right,
you're gonna get smashed. And then it's dismantling those guys.
It's the ability to hit them early, hit them frequently,
and hit them often, and that sorry still dealing with this, Okay,

(46:05):
those are things God bless myself.

Speaker 3 (46:08):
You've got to be willing to do the hard work.
You've got to be willing not to look at well,
who else is going to do it? Right?

Speaker 2 (46:15):
You know, sitting there like the Spider Man mame pointing
at everybody else. You know, Spider Man's pointing at himself,
but it's like three different iterations of him. Anyways, you
can't sit around and wait for the other guy to
do it. Go say why not me? Let me go
do it. Let me be the agent of change, let
me be the engine of destruction. Let me go get
everybody else sparked up. And I'm not waiting for somebody

(46:37):
else to give me a spark. I'm gonna go be
a self starting spark, right, And that's really what it
comes down to. That's what you have to have. That's
the mentali you have to come into. And you can't
take anybody for granted. You can't think that you're just
gonna show up and win a game. You have to
go out and take a victory. And that's how it's
gonna be the entire season. Nobody's gonna give you anything.
You've got to go take it. And that's the mentality

(46:59):
you have to have every single week. It's not that
I show up, is I have to show up and
have to show out, be loud and proud with whatever
I do.

Speaker 3 (47:07):
That's what you have to be.

Speaker 6 (47:09):
He is Max Starks. I am Rob King.

Speaker 5 (47:12):
We are journeying to Foxborough and we, along with Missy Matthews,
plan on bringing you the call of Sunday's game, a
big one between the one and one Steelers and the
one and one Patriots. Max, thank you very much, save travels,
my friend. We will see you in Foxborough, all right, see.

Speaker 2 (47:30):
You in Foxborough and uh yeah, everybody, have a great weekend.
And then Rob remember sadly I will be off next week,
so you will have Wes and I believe some other
accompaniments next week. I'll be calling in to let you
know of my travels in Ireland. So yeah, it's gonna
be a fun time next week. But yes, I just
want to make sure we said that, got that out

(47:51):
there before.

Speaker 6 (47:52):
I don't want to interrupt your dinner plans.

Speaker 2 (47:54):
And hey, listen, listen, it will probably still be Second
Breakfast by the time.

Speaker 6 (48:00):
Oh Second Breakfast.

Speaker 5 (48:02):
I got a story for you on that, but that'll
wait for when I see you in Foxborough. He's Max
Stark's I'm Rob King. Justin Miller's our producer in our
iHeart Studios. Thank you very much for being one of us.
Inside the locker room with King and Starks, presented by
your neighborhood Ford store here on the Steelers Audio Network