December 4, 2025 • 46 mins
Max and Rob continue to break down this weekend's game against the Ravens, and then take a look at the standings and other top matchups taking place this weekend around the NFL.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
This is in the Locker Room with Kingyon 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 (00:34):
Hey Optimist, how are you? Yep? Yep? Okay? I put
a thumb up. He did not stop.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
I had a question for you know, I just just
wanted to ask him a question. But uh, but apparently
he's got stuff to do, just like we got to do, Kinger.
So welcome to the Power Hour hour number two here
inside the locker room, and you know we're gonna keep
it moving like like optimists.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Just did I mean?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I mean, I thought I was prominent. I thought I
was out kind of thumb out in the in the
middle of the road.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
But do.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
You know, you know what I I was. I was
wearing a black T shirt, which is slimming apparently, so
I guess I guess.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
That look so Max, you know, this is the the
uh time for our AFC recap AFC preview. I beg
your pardon. Presented by UPMC, The official healthcare provider and
health plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I'd like to expand
it if we can to talk a little bit about, uh,
the weekend's games, because they go beyond the AFC. There's
(01:36):
certain to be games in the AFC, but this is
a you know, like we had, we had one of
these weeks a couple of weeks ago, really really intriguing
number of matchups and and I'm looking forward to a
bunch of them, including tonight, Cowboys and Lions. And the
Cowboys have played themselves right back into not only the
playoff picture, but also the you know, the possibility of
(02:01):
winning that division. Right there's six five and one of
the Cowboys. The Lions, mean, why are seven and five?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
You know?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
I think that they probably have to be considered one
of the more disappointing teams. They've looked, as so many
teams have. They've looked great at times and they've looked
not so great at times. And if the playoffs began
right now, the Detroit Lions wouldn't be in it. That's
hard to believe.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Yeah, in the they are what they call in the
hunt category, yep, because they're not categorially ruled out like
a lot of teams. I think, what five teams already
have been ruled out before this weekend playoff contention.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
So yeah, it is disappointing.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Now, granted, here's the thing I think, you know, like
with anything else, right, you know, if you don't change
and you don't adapt, you don't get the invite, right,
And I think for Dan Campbellon's squad, they kind of
peaked the last two years and they haven't really you know,
they haven't really retooled a lot of their things. And
(03:04):
you know, it's cyclical like anything else, right, you know
you're going to have those lull seasons where it's not
going to go the way that you expected it. The
roster on paper looks good, but just for some reason.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
It's not clicking. And we can attest to that right
at times.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
But for the Lions, there wasn't any significant changes right
in their makeup. In fact, they got Aiden Hutcheson back.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Remember a year ago.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
The issue was they didn't have a pass rush and
they couldn't get to the quarterback and that was really
the differentiation. But the offense was humming. It was scoring
a lot of points. But here's the crux of this.
When you give an NFL coach an off season with
a team that's really good, and you know you're going
(03:55):
up against that team, especially in your division, and they
have time to break it down, it's going to be tough.
And a team like the Lions has been poached, it's
been poached of its coordinators made them.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Good over the last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
And guess who's leading in that division right now. Oh,
that's right, the former offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions
and Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Right, So there is something to coaching. You know.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
I know a lot of people don't want to talk
about it. You know, we had labs out here. They
don't make halftime adjustments. You know, it's like it's players.
But at the same time, coaching does matter, and your
coaches and the voice that sitting there and the guy
scheming up stuff, it does matter. And we could see
that as a direct correlation. The Lions are a prime
(04:43):
example of that, and I think that has to that
has to go said as opposed to being unsaid, because
you see it with a team and for the Lions,
who would have ever thought, Hey, the Lives aren't going
to win their division.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
They won it the last couple of years. Even when
the Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Vikings were fourteen and three, they didn't win their division
because the Lions. The Lions beat them head to head
right twice, and you know going into this you gotta fight,
so nothing is a given from a year to year.
And I think this is going to be very interesting
because this will be the litmus test for a team
(05:22):
that's surging and on the rise, like the Gaels Cowboys,
and you see the rest of their division and look
at the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
The Eagles are mess right now.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
They're the raining super Bowl champs and they were supposed
to be shoe ins again because they had such a
dominant team.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
But when you.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Get poached, will you lose coaches? Eventually the Eagles will
come home to roost. And for the Eagles, they're figure
they're learning the hard way. The Lions are learning the
hard way your traditional power structure. And that's why we
love the parody this year, right because it's non traditional
teams that are leading their divisions. And we'll get another
(05:59):
one with it, obviously Houston and Indianapolis. But you know
what we've seen so far. Nobody expected the Seahawks to
be who they are. You know, people kind of assume
the Rams will get back after after last year, and
they're proving it right. But they're one of the few
that's actually proving it right. And they weren't supposed to
be one of the top teams. They're number one in
the Power Poles right now. Yeah, they thought they'd be okay,
(06:20):
But yeah, that's what we're dealing with.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Just a wonderful year. I mean a crazy, wonderful crazy.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
The Patriots are leading their division again over the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Think about that.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Yeah, nobody.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Broncos as Chiez, I mean, are in the hunt too.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
You know, the the Broncos, Look, they got a great coach,
he's been there before and all that stuff, and you know,
you could see maybe them taking that leap for they
were ten and seven last year. You know, they were
a good football team last year. They've already got ten wins, Patriots,
come on, wins? Who saw the Patriots.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Broncos already have ten?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yes, right right. I'm not saying to this degree, I'm
not saying to Instagram. I'm just saying crazy.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, that's but that's the beauty of this It's cyclical.
That's why we say it's cyclical.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
You know, the dominance that once was when unattended or poached,
it will change. So that's why you can't be down
on your team that much because things can change in
an instant from season to season.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
So this is an AFC preview, So we will get
to I've got a couple, We got a couple. I
gotta squeeze in because there's just you know if you no, no, no,
not at all, no, no no. I set it up
to you Thursday night football man. I will be watching
for sure, can't wait to watch that one Bengals and
the Bills. Intriguing game. And you know, the Bengals coming
(07:48):
out of Pittsburgh with a victory, they gotta feel be
feeling better about themselves for sure. They're at eight and four,
they find themselves in good position. They're in good, solid
position to make the playoff. You know, when you think
about who they have left on their schedule, Cincinnati. You know,
if you're Buffalo, you'd like to think you're going to
(08:09):
take care of business at home and you're at New England.
That's a big game there than at Cleveland, Philadelphia at
home and at the Jets. You gotta believe if you're
the Bills, there's a minimum of two likely at least
three wins in that group, which gets you to eleven,
which gets you in the playoffs, Which underscores how big
a game it was last week for the Steelers to
(08:29):
kind of push them into that category that you could
win a tiebreaker against if you got the ten wins.
You know, keep in mind, you beat them, ten wins
is much more likely than anything else for the Bills,
and you get the tiebreaker on them. Didn't happen. Understand that.
The Bengals, meanwhile, they are just they are just hoping
for a lot of stuff to go their way. And
(08:52):
you know, hey, if the Steelers and Ravens can split, right,
that makes them you know, that puts them at seven
and seven, right, not counting their remaining games that are
coming up. You know, the Bengals, they're trying to find
a way to get to nine and eight. Not gonna
be easy, but they're not out of it with Joe
Burrow quarterback.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
No they're not.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
And you know that just goes to show you that
the Steelers, you know, needed to needed to put them
down early.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
You need to put that Bengal tiger down.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
It's not allowed to roam free because if it's allowed
to roam free, bad things happen. So you know, we
we allowed for that, so now we have to do
our job and keep them out of this, you know,
because this this, this is the tough part about it.
This is the tough part, you know, of the of
the AFC North, because we've allowed our teams to go
(09:44):
into almost a three way situation and because of everybody else,
Like normally we get two teams in the playoffs right here,
you know, we usually get a team in the wild
card as well as our division winner. And this year,
because the rest of everybody else in this league has
been doing so well in the AFC Conference, we're I mean,
(10:04):
you're looking at possibly only one. Now granted it would
have to take like a monumental meltdown for some of
these other teams, but stranger things have happened.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
But you've got to do your job.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
The only way you're guaranteed a Willie Wank a golden
ticket into the playoffs. And I say this every single
time is winning your division. And Mike Tomlin has said this,
you know, since day one, since I played for him.
Division dominance precedes anything else. And that's what it's going
to take this year for the AFC North because, like
you said, the AFC South has outperformed expectations. You look
(10:39):
at you got three teams right now in the AFC
South that are viable and quote unquote are in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Think about that.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
This is the last time we've said the AFC South
has had three teams potentially in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Well, they got to bring easy. They got a big
one coming up, which we'll get to just a moment.
So Titans Brown, you know, Uh, the only reason I'm
interested in this is because you know, the Brown's gonna
get something going here. What are they gonna do a
quarterback with you know, Deshaun Watson's back of practice. What
are they doing here?
Speaker 4 (11:12):
And the fact that they're that that that that you
have brought back the Valdemore to football.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Uh, you know has researched.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Lets you know that you've you've got a lot of issues.
Mind you.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
This is the team that started with five quarterbacks on
their roster, I know, right, and now you've whittled it
down to quote unquote I mean three of them, but
still I mean two guys you brought in in the
off season and free agency no longer. Here on that
roster you're down with two rookies and he who shall
(11:45):
not be named right right, Yes, I mean it is
It is crazy to think that Deshot did we think
it was not on my Bengo car that Deshaun Watson
would be potentially taking snaps for the Browns in twenty
twenty five normal mind and that that is crazy to think.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
It is uh, but again, the Browns just do hisself
to play the Browns. The last thing you want to
see is the Browns getting some momentum. I mean, Miles Garrett,
we talked about this before the game. He is and
it's not just the sacks. He is just having the monsters,
I mean just a monster.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
He is a cheat code right now. Defensively we don't
want but it doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
But it doesn't like it doesn't It.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Doesn't matter because they still can't even though he is
having quite possibly the statistical year of a lifetime for
an NFL defensive player, it doesn't matter because you play
for the Browns. It's like Joe Thomas. Like Joe Thomas
was transcendent talented tackle and he never went to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Isn't that crazy?
Speaker 4 (12:55):
It's crazy, but Miles Garrett once again will go down.
It's almost like the Barry Andrews type of effect, right,
like he's just gonna have to just retire and just resign.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
The fact that he will never see a championship.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yep, uh probably so anyway, Titans, I don't I just
want to see the Browns getting on a roll. That's
that's all. I just don't want it. I don't want
to see them brown brown saying the same thing about
the Dolphins. The Dolphins are the Jets. The Dolphins, man,
you know they're thinking, hey, we're going to run the
table here, right. They're five and seven. Uh, they've been
(13:29):
on a roll. They've been playing much better football. They've
won their last three games, and you know that they're thinking, Hey, listen,
we're gonna win it. The Jets, we're gonna win it.
The Steelers, we're gonna win at home against the Bengals,
and that's gonna put us at you know, eight and
seven going into games against Tampa Bay, and who knows,
(13:50):
maybe New England's gonna rest their regulars in that last game.
Maybe won't meet anything for him. I mean, Mike Rabel,
But I'm just saying the doll.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
The Belichicks school. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
But listen, the Dolphins are thinking they've got a chance.
Right But so like.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
You said, I mean the teams right now, because you
have what the six and five Texans at the seventh
seed right now. So yeah, I don't think the Texas,
you know, are gonna go underfield they drop two.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Now you're in the same boat.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Now you're arguing with the ten and seven, right, Yeah,
So they're thinking, if we can get to ten wins,
we have a shot at at least the seven seed.
I think a lot of teams are thinking that to seven.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
I agree, even nine and eight, right, I mean nine
to eight. I think things it's been a wild year,
things can go.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Hey man, this AFC North right now, the Dolphins are
five to seven eight, Yeah, they've got to be feeling
really good about their chances of getting nine and eight.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Now again, you know conference matchups and all these other
tie breakers that come into play. You know, well, as
we get down to the last couple of weeks of
the season, that's when all these things will start playing out.
But you know what this is like, uh, And I've
never been to you know that that the the the
desert out less West, not the bad Lands. What Death Valley, right,
(15:07):
I've never been out there, but I think there's a
gas station where they're like, this is it, man, fuel
up now or you're done. That's all you got and
you don't want to be running out of gas out
in the middle of the desert. This is like the
last chance gas station for the Bengals, and it's getting
there for the Dolphins. The Dolphins have played their way
into who knows, but you know, in a game like this,
(15:27):
with tougher games coming up, it's almost a must win
for the Dolphins, So that that makes that game kind
of intriguing. And once again another team that's playing better football.
The Browns are playing a little bit better, the Jets,
the Dolphins playing a lot better. Both those teams still
remain in the Steelers schedule. Colts Jaguars, that's the one
you talked about earlier. Big game Man, Big big game,
(15:52):
eight and four Colts at the eight and four Jaguars
that along with the Steelers Ravens is I think know,
and then you have the Bears, Packers. But of the
AFC games, the Colts, Jaguars Steelers Rave into the two
games of the week. I think, Yeah, Texans Chiefs could
have an argument for that, but I'm gonna say Steelers
(16:12):
Rave because these are these these two matchups are for
the division lead. That makes it more important.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah, hey, it just means more. And and oh that's
the SEC phrase.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Sorry in Southeastern conferences.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It just means more. Sorry, it just it just means more. Well,
you know, it applies. You know what I'm going with
the Kinger, It just replies.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
It just means more right now, because like you said,
it's it's for first place in the division, and that's
the only guarantee you get into the playoffs winning your division.
I just sat there and waxed poetic about it. But
that that that that's that's the key thing, and that's
what and that's what the NFL schedule makers want it, right.
(16:55):
They want the divisions to come down to the end
of the year. They don't want to have anybody sewing
up their division by Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Right, This isn't college football.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
You know, we we need December, late December, after jolly
old Saint Nick and and and Jesus Christ has been celebrated.
We want division battles to matter. That's that's what that's
what this time of year is, and this is now
the jockeying for pole position starting off that you know,
(17:27):
this month, and that's what they and that's and that's
what they.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Want to see.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
So division games you're going to see a lot of them.
It's going to be a frenzied I mean, as we
get through this every week, there's going to be key
division matchups for the rest of for the rest of
the football season. And that's how that's how they designed this.
So you know, I know some teams, Hey, we've already
played our two against our squad. Okay, nice, But you know,
unfortunately for us, the only team that we've we finished
(17:53):
up with is just the Bengals. We still have the
Ravens and the Browns, and they knew that raven Steelers
is always a marking. That's how it's been the since
I've been back for the team in my various roles
sideline reporter now in the booth, the Ravens game has
usually been the last game of the year.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
And guess what, it's the last game of the year.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Game of the year.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
And fortunately, thank goodness, because the last two years we've
been in Baltimore for those. Now we actually get to
be at home for those. I mean, let's just that.
That's the one thing I am excited about is that,
you know, we get a home into the year game
for once, and you know it's going to be a big,
(18:38):
big matchup. And that's why this matters. This weekend.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
You want the early age so you have a little bit.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Of leeway when it comes to that final matchup, whatever
is going to shake up or shake out in that moment.
You want to be prepared. But you got to take
this one. This one is the one that matters the
most in my mind, Take the first one, put the
feather in your cap, and then you have a little
bit of house money to work with. Might not be
a lot, might not be able to double down or
(19:04):
anything on the blackjack table, but at least you got
a hand at the table when it comes the end
of the season.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Well, as we know, Max, they are out of house
money right now. They have played all their house money.
They've squandered it all. One other big matchup Sunday night,
gonna try to you know, get home, not race home,
but get home in a swift manner and watch the
Texans and on Sunday night. I mean, there are some
just marvelous matchups. That's a huge game for both those
(19:31):
teams obviously, and then the Bears and Packers again we're
going NFL here Bears, Packers for twenty five. Then Monday
night Eagles Chargers. What a great weekend of football, Just
a phenomenal weekend of football, Max, I can't wait. And
it begins with our matchup Steelers and the Ravens. And
we're gonna get to much more of that if we're
(19:51):
gonna start delving in big time to some of the matchups,
some of the numbers, gleaned through some of the information
for you so you don't have to get you ready
for the game on Sunday when we continue in the
Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the
Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
This is in the Locker Room with kingon 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.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Com, and we thank you very much for being with
us as we are getting you ready for the Steelers
and Ravens obviously first place in the AFC North on
the line. I think anybody listening to this show knows
what some of the Steelers woes have been. You know,
the the Ravens Max had won five in a row
to get themselves back to six and five, up over
(20:58):
five hundred, first time all season they'd been over five hundred.
Then they laid an egg last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
And I guess my question for you is, you know,
Lamar coming back from the hamstring injury just has not
been the same Lamar is there Do you think it's
just the hamstring? Is there something going on with him?
(21:19):
Because that offense just you know, look, they're still putting
up points with Lamar at quarterback. They're averaging twenty seven
points per game. So if you'll, you know fans that
go in and look, well they're averaging you know, twenty
four points. To me, well, they're averaging twenty seven with Lamar.
So they're still scoring points. But it hasn't looked the
same and they haven't been running Derrick Henry as much.
(21:40):
Dereck Henry averaged over nineteen carries per game last year,
more than that against the Steelers in those last two games,
but averaged that's what he averaged, and they're only running him,
you know, sixteen point four times per game this year,
and I find that odd. I don't know why he's
getting fewer carries. So what are you seeing from this
(22:01):
Ravens offense? Max, And is it something I mean, you know,
I know we throw the records out the window and
all that stuff, but is this something that maybe the
Steelers defense can can continue to exploit if there's something
there to exploit.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
I think I think you have to leave everything on
the table. Everything has to be possible, because at the
end of the day, you know, this Ravens squad is
one that has you know, been an enigma at times.
But at the same time, there's still an offense that is,
(22:37):
you know, top top five in the league in rushing.
They just you know, you got Derrick Henry. I mean
that that's your bell cow, So do you need as
much Lamar Jackson. I think that was kind of what
they wanted to get to eventually, was we don't want
to run our quarterback because we know how much it
matters when he's on when he's on the field, and
(22:57):
so we can start to limit that and get treat
him more like a quarterback than just a dual threat
option we want to get there. I think this is
a trend that the Baltimore is are trying to shift to.
And you know, Jerry kind of laid it out right.
You know, Lamar's a seventy percent passer, like he doesn't
get enough credit for that, And I think that's what
they're trying to do. I think because everybody has been
(23:19):
so used to he can use his legs. He's such
a phenomenal rushing talent. But at the end of the day,
what do you value more if you are a franchise
for your quarterback, his legs or his arm? And I
think this is kind of something that's signaling we value
his arm more so if we can limit the legs,
(23:40):
because the leg lead to more injuries, we need to
minimize that. So I think that's what they're trying to
shift to. And I think that's how they got into
the trouble that they did in that transition this year
with you know, with starting out one in five was
they were trying to make that transition, but yet the
team wasn't up to speed yet for that challenge, and
(24:01):
so and then you had all the injuries defensively, and
now they're trying to do that because I think that's
what they're trying to do. They're trying to protect Lamar
Jackson and trying to keep him at quarterback.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
I still find it puzzling though, that they're not using
Derrick Henry more. I mean, you know, they signed him
to the richest extension ever given a quarterback or running
back over thirty years old, and you know he's a guy. Again,
you know, you kind of expected twenty yards to carry. Now,
I will say this, in the first meeting, it was
(24:31):
one of those games that I just say, if I'm
a Steelers fan and I'm the Steelers, I'm saying, hey,
thank you, thank you for only running Lamar or only
running Derek Henry. I think he had thirteen carries for
sixty five yards something like that in that first matchup,
and then you know, in the last two matchups he
ran the ball fifty times, so twenty five times per game.
(24:54):
And we all remember those results. They were not good
for the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Let's let's let's let's not do it on the past.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Well in the past. I'm just wondering, Oh, there, you know,
if you got a guy like that and you sign
him to that kind of a deal, you sort of
expect him to get more. And you're trying to protect
Derek or trying to protect Lamar Jackson, all of which
I think is extremely reasonable. Then I guess my question is,
why isn't Derrick Henry your bell cow, like the very
(25:23):
definition of a of a bell cow in terms of
running backs? Why is he not getting tons and tons
of carries? I can't quite figure that one out, because
it feels like they're a little in between, maybe offensively.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
I can't speak for him, but that's what it kind
of seems like to me, is that they're they're a
little in between, and and they're they're maybe they're maybe
they're trying to rest him for December. By the way,
Lamar Jackson, and and and here's some disheartening news if
you're a Steelers fan. Lamar Jackson is twenty two and
four in his starts in December and later in his
(26:01):
career regular season, Derrick Henry has more yards per game
in December than any running back since nineteen seventy. So,
you know, when you think about you might have answered
your own question there, K maybe he's still ahead of him.
I don't know, but I just don't understand why we
(26:21):
haven't seen that yet from this team.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
He's also he's still touched the ball almost two hundred
times though Kinger in the Rushie. He has one hundred
and ninety seven carries for nine hundred and thirty one
yards with a four point seven clip and ten touchdowns
this season.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Oh yeah, so it sounds like he's the forgotten man.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yeah, yeah, he's not Saquon Barkley this year. You know
what I'm saying, Like, he's not Saquon. It's just also
I think they haven't had they haven't possessed the ball
as much.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
Especially true.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
You know, they probably tried to try to influence him
when you had Tyler Huntley and company running at quarterback.
What was his name, Cooper Rush, right, the Cooper Rush experiment.
They were trying to do that then, but they weren't
possessing the ball long enough to even get sustainable drives.
That's why you had to switch from Cooper Rush to
(27:10):
Tyler Huntley during the Lamar Jackson injuries, and they were
losing games. So when you're behind, guess what you have
to do. You got to try and throw yourself back
into wins. And that's where you can't use Derrick Henry.
But now that Lamar's back and getting into the mode,
I think we will see more of Derek.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
And you just laid it out.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
December is his month, you know.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
You know we talked about who is mister September for
the longest time for the Yankees. Reggie Jackson, nice misster October? Yeah,
miss October, sorry, miss October, not September. Yeah, Misster October.
Dereck Henry's mister December, right, you know, he's that equivalent.
So best believe once it gets colder in these outdoor
(27:51):
stadium games, that's when Derek Henry supposed to shine. He's
not supposed to shine at the beginning of the season,
and you want him to be around at the end
of the season. You run him too much too early
at his age. Listen, he's no spring chicken. You know,
he's thirty one. So it's like, let me pick my poison.
If we can get to December without having to really
rush him thirty nine times a game. Let's try and
(28:15):
get him there and then we then let it ride
him till the breaks fall off, right, you know what
I'm saying, there's you know, it's all gas, no breaks.
So I think that that's what you are because I mean,
he's still you have to believe. I mean, he's going
to be close to another fifteen hundred yard season at
the rate you at the rate that they're going and
the way that they rush the football. Like I said,
they're number five and rushing in the league. And I
(28:37):
think after this matchup, we will have seen four out
of the top five rushing offenses.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
In the NFL.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Think about that, we will have seen four out of
the top five because in Buffalo Buffalo last week, right
top five, Chicago, Indianapolis Colts top five, Chicago top five,
and now Ravens top five.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Well Jets. Jets are up there too as a rushing team.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
So yes, but I mean we've seen the entire top
rushing attacks of the entire recent vintage.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
And then we'll see the Lions coming up. They're a
running team obviously, so recent vintage. In recent games, the
students have seen that, and it has been a mixed bag.
And again, very very much like what we're talking about,
or what I talked about at the beginning of the
show is I don't get it. I don't get how
(29:29):
you can be elite at causing turnovers, among the best
at getting sacks and not have your points per game
show up there. I don't understand that. I don't understand
how you can do an excellent job in Chicago's running game,
a terrific job in the first half against the Packers,
(29:50):
not in the second half against the Packers, a terrific
job against Jonathan Taylor, but not a terrific job against
James Cook. I don't understand how. And look, I understand it.
The things to happen. By the way, uh, if you
don't stop h Chan, the Dolphins are run him too,
as they showed that they ran Oh my gosh, right
all over and I get some of its week to
(30:11):
week again, I just I've I'm left as I actually
for those of us who don't listen every day, and
shamelin you for that, I literally was scratching my head.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Did you just scroll scroll Fans listen every day?
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Come on, man, I love it. We want, we want
to be part of your lives. We want to be
part of I.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Am not above shameless plugs.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
And if we got the guilt, we got the guilt
fans and listening to our show, I'm not against that.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Well.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
I was being mostly facetious, but I literally I scratched
my head as I was as I was. Max couldn't
see it, of course, because we're not in the same room,
but uh, most times, but I was literally scratched Monday head. Yes,
I scratched my I scratched my head. Uh you know,
you know people you read that in a book he
(30:59):
scratched his sid. Well, how many people actually scratch their head? Well,
I scratched my head because I just can't. I can't
figure it out. And I think the Ravens are saying
some of the same things.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Max.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
You know that, you know these numbers say this, those
numbers say that, and for some reason, I'm sure you
know if you talked to Baltimore fans at the beginning
of the season and said you're gonna be six and
six after twelve games, and you talked to Steelers fans,
a lot of Steelers fans based on what's happened in
recent seasons would be like, well, of course, yeah, of
(31:32):
course we are. We are, no sur no surprise there.
If you talked to a Ravens fan and told them
they'd be six and six, they would be wondering if
the sky's falling because this is not what they were
expecting to be this year.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Max, No, they weren't. But I mean, I think we
kind of laid it out.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Especially we were going through our AFC slash NFC preview
earlier in this hour. A lot of teams were upset
and not expecting this. To think of the Chiefs fan base,
right and where they stand with this. Think about where
we talked about the Lions fan base and what they've had,
what the recent success they've had over the last couple
of years, you know, being in the playoffs and and
(32:13):
going to the second round at least or better.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
You know, this is a different league this year. And
I'm sure for the.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Buffalo Bills, you know, they're also a team that's like, man,
we've been owning the AFC East since Tom Brady left.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
What happened this year?
Speaker 3 (32:28):
And why is this?
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Drake may now becoming the reincarnation, at least for this
season of Tom Brady with the way the Patriots are playing.
So it's happening in more places than not. And like
you said, the old power structure is getting a shakeup
and now you're starting to see the next wave come
in and where are you at in that wave? So
for the Ravens, they're no different than that. But I
(32:50):
would think also Bengals fans were probably expecting a better
season than what they had. So you know, it's funny
how this league will humble you from year to year.
There are no guarantees in the NFL from year in
and year out because somebody will emerge. You can't give
a team so many first round picks over the years,
they expect them not to be good unless you're the
(33:10):
Jets of the Browns, and you know, be successful year
in and year out if you're picking towards the end
of the draft. And I think the Steelers have been
an exception for that for a while. But even then
it's still it is still a tough proposition. You gotta
fight for everything that youre that that you want, and
you eat what you kill, and you got to go
out there and you got to kill more meat. If
the village gets bigger, don't worry about how I got there,
(33:36):
just just let it be.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Let it.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Wow, I got That's a mic drop moment, man, that
is a MC try. I'm stepping away from that one,
my friend. I'm stepping away from that one, my friend.
I'm gonna remind fit. You can gear up for the
latest game they necessities at the officials Cheerer's pro shops.
Get the latest side that apparel, jerseys, Terrible Towns, authentic
memorabiliya and custom exclusives that you can only find directly
(34:00):
from the team. Visit one of the official Students pro
shops located at Akrosher Stadium, Grove City, Premium, Mount Let's
or Tanger Outlet's or gear up online at shop dot
Stealers dot com. Get it direct from the team at
the Steers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com
and a reminder that we will be back in the
Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the
(34:22):
Steelers Pro Shop on Steerize Nation Radio, part of the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The f one fifthy 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 (35:00):
All Right, it must be that time.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
It sounds like it could be the bell lap.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
That's right, earlier lunch warning system engaged for all of
you Pittsburgh's out there. I know it's a snowy day.
You know what this is soup weather, soup and stew weather.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
I'm calling it.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
I'm calling it little chill, little brisk, little little little
uneasy outside. Go get the warmth, warm the soul, warm it,
you know, and listen. It doesn't have to be chicken noodle.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
You know, unless you get a little sniffle or something.
You don't have to go chicken noodle, you know. You
like I said, a good stew. You know, I'm feeling
meat potatoes. I'm feeling something with it with a good
savory broth. Right, that's what I'm feeling for lunch today,
king Er, I don't know about you. Uh no more,
apple pie right in the house. Apple pie is gone
forge off of Okay, it is good. So you can
(35:54):
actually get oat meals again.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
You get you get into the get those winter months
as fall months. Little squash soup with some hot sausage
in there is not a bad It's not quite a stew.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Are you going soup or are you just Are you
just going a squash squash butter not.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Squash but not squash but not squashed, but squash with
hot sausage in there, hot sausage. That's it. That's a
real treat. It's not quite as not quite a stew,
but more than a stew.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Like I mean, if you are you chunking or pureing
the squash? Is the question?
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Oh? Yeah, yeah, you pure the squash.
Speaker 4 (36:29):
And okay, so you're going more like the tomato basil approach.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Yeah, except thicker and like I said, thick. The key's
lots of sausage. Right.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
Oh, I'm personal, I'm personally, you know, I'm I'm now
here's the thing I will say, I make a mean
chicken soup.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
I make a mean chicken soup.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
I'm actually that's one of the things I can hang
my hat on as far as in the soup making department.
My chicken and my chicken with rice soup and my
chicken soup bass. It's pretty pretty pretty darn good and
it will. It will also knock out a cold and
heartbeat because I use a lot of good cayenne pepper.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Oh now you're talking. That's why you gotta go hot
pepper in the soup. You gotta go hot pepper. Yes, yeah, yeah, nothing.
And if you don't have the hot pepper, you throw
some paprik in there, throw a dash of red pepper
in there. Give that thing out kick. But by the way,
so my routine is I leave this show on Thursdays
and go down to tape uh the matchup with with
(37:29):
Missy Matthews and Matt Williamson, and I when I get
in there Matt Williamson who is giving us his matt stats,
which I have already I've already circled, and okay, this
one's going. That's when I could be a note for
the open. This one could be you know, an in
game note. Yeah, maybe here's something that's just for the show.
You know, I got a bunch of those this week
(37:51):
that we're going to get into tomorrow. Good statistical stuff.
But I also you know, you go to the South
Side and there's and there's lunch available for the media,
which is great, but lovely of the Steelers to do that.
And the foods. The food's excellent. But you know, he
turned me on to the fact that the soup is
always tremendous. So I pretty much when the weather changes,
(38:12):
I pretty much on my Thursdays only get the soup.
And he so we were talking about that last week
and we'll go over to the stats and what we're
going to talk about in the show. It's like a
little little pre production meeting over a bowl of soup.
And he he traced the knowledge or the the insight
(38:32):
to the excellence of Steeler soup to you.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Mm hmm, yeah, yep.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
And he said, you even got you even sometimes called
out what soup you wanted. Is that true?
Speaker 2 (38:44):
Yes? That that that that is true? Uh, legend, legend
and lore become reality.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Right now, that's true power. That is true power.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
But so our longtime chef that was there rest in Peace,
mo was was one of our great chefs there. Him
and him and Corey used to man and then you
know it's funny Andre so Dre who works our sideline
security at the stadium on game days for the team
(39:14):
for the player bench area. Drey used to also be
in our kitchen back in the day, and so I
had a great relationship with our guys. Of course, surprise, surprise,
the fat guy has a relationship with a chef, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Uh, But I digress.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
But yeah, no, I was so clol and I was
and I was a soup connoisseur. And you know, it
also led to the you know I got I got
the Campbells Chunkie soup deal, you know deal with my
mom and she became our team mom before a couple
of years. So I was known as a soup guy
from that one. But I was always a big soup
guy growing up. And so I used to and I
used to actually talk with with the guys about what
(39:53):
spices and seasonings they were using in the different soups
because they had they had a really good b.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
With country vegetable soup that they used to make. I
used to love it.
Speaker 4 (40:03):
It was so great, and you know, I was like,
how do you how do you get the green beans
in the in the country veggie soup? And you know,
that led to it, and then then they did a
Mullagatani soup, which is an Indian type of type of soup.
So a lot of fragrant spices. You know, you got
this star anis in there and some different ingredients, and
so they were like, dang, Max, you're really into I'm like, yeah,
(40:25):
I listen. If there's anybody in the in this entire
building that love soup, it's this guy. So he's like,
all right, fine, Max, you know what we're gonna call it.
You're gonna you're gonna be our soup guy. So you
get to pick a soup, you know, twice a week,
and you know we'll do it. So I used to
always get the broccoli cheddar.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
I used to do it.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
I used to love when they made their chicken and
rice as well because they they did a really thick
broth on it. A couple of times we did gumbo,
and so it was just it was a fun challenge
and it's kind of one of those fun, little neat things.
I used to always look forward to it because I
was like, you, when I'm going in, it starts to
get cold, dude, I'm I'm just eating soup. I'm not
I'm not getting anything from the hot bar. I'm not
(41:02):
doing any of that other stuff. Might do a salad,
but soup was on the menu every day I could foresee.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
It feels like a chili type of day could be
Chili there when I arrived today. Okay, I'm not gonna
I'm not gonna hold that hope because they're Chili's excellent,
but all their soups are excellent. There's no losing, there's
no losing.
Speaker 4 (41:19):
Yeah, I felt I felt like that was in the
job description for whoever's gonna take over once Corey and
all those guys left and Mo passed away.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
I felt like it was like, Hey, we're.
Speaker 4 (41:28):
Gonna interview you for the for the Steelers, you know,
dining room and and head chef position. How's your soups?
I feel like that was a part of the questions.
I feel I feel like the Rooney's asked that question.
I'm just I'm gonna selfishly write that into my history
in my mind that they asked that question, how good
is your soup?
Speaker 2 (41:45):
Because soup matters here.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Max, I'm gonna ask you a question now as we
get back to the game and my stomach stops rumbling,
I hope for the next hour until they get down
to the South Side. You know, when I look at
this Ravens defense, they're past defense has gotten better and
better and better. They made a very interesting trade. They
traded adafa Oway who had been struggling for them, and
(42:08):
then went to the Chargers and started sacking people as he.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Did a coau because he because he took over against us.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
Anyways, go ahead, yes, right, he did, and he's been
good for the Chargers. But Loe Gilman has been very
good at strong safety for the Ravens and he seems
to be the one guy. And they could be getting
our Darius Washington back. He's another key guy at that
safety position that kind of helps things come together. Look,
(42:37):
Marlin Humphrey, first round picks, first round pick, Nate Wiggins,
first round pick, Kyle Hamilton, first round pick, Malachi Starks,
who looks super impressive. He might be the next really
good young player to be joining the great last name.
He's a great last name, great last name. Terrible team
to play for Malachi. Oh no, that's his first name.
(42:58):
What's his last name again? Uh, it would be Stark, Starks, Starts.
That's a good name for it. That's a good name
for North. I'm just saying, as we talked about if
we were.
Speaker 4 (43:09):
Going to talk about Game of Thrones or NFL.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
I mean, I feel like the name Starks is pretty.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
It's a it's a it's a name. I love, man,
it's a great name. So he's really kind of brought
that defense together. They're still not getting a great pass rush.
They're getting better, and I don't know how much of
it is. The secondary is doing a better job. Quarterbacks
are holding on to the ball more. They've they've been
getting leads on teams. That usually means they get more
one dimensional. I harp on that all the time for
(43:35):
the Steelers. Get that lead making one dimensional, the sacks
will follow, You'll get more turnovers. But if you're looking
at a strength of this Ravens defense, it is that
secondary which is playing better and which is gonna make
it and it's it's really it is clamping down on
teams right now. It is going to make it very
(43:56):
difficult for the Steelers to throw the football on Sunday.
That's the one matchup we're going to get to today
before we delve into specifics. But I think that's that
secondary is very Kyle Hamilton is a great player, Marlin
Humphrey is a great player. I think that Malachi Starts
is on his way to being a really good player.
It is a good talented secondary.
Speaker 4 (44:20):
Yeah, no, They've got a lot of talent in that secondary,
and you know, like you said, you build it up.
I'm actually surprised that Mike Green hasn't been more effective
their rookie second rounder, because I had Mike Green at
Marshall and covered him. He led the nation in sacks
a year ago in college, and he was a very
talented pass rush. I know he had some off the
field issues that kind of forced him to drop because
(44:41):
he's a first round talent, but the off the field
pushed him back into the second round. The Baltimore Ravens
took him. So I'm really surprised that he hasn't been
more effected this year. Only two and a half sacks
on the season for him, But he's a guy that
I believe like if he gets into a groove, that
can be a problem.
Speaker 3 (45:00):
And by the way, all those two and a half
sacks have all come in his last six games, so
he was blanked early, so he is Perhaps he's figuring
it out here. I mean, he didn't have any sacks
his first six games and two and a half in
six games. That's not superstar status. But that's maybe beginning
to figure it out a little bit.
Speaker 4 (45:18):
Yeah, and listen, will you, But when you look at
the rest of everybody else on that squad, the only
person has more sacks than him is let's see here,
it's Draymond Jones.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Who they got in a Jon Jones has six? Yeah,
who they got into trade. He's got six. But Mike
Green's second on the team in sacks.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
Think about that.
Speaker 3 (45:41):
Yeah, and I do think that that. You know, it
is an interesting team. They can really really cover, really cover,
and uh, but they don't rush the passer that well,
So what does that mean for what you're able to
do offensively? It's going to be interesting. They got a
new guy to a new.
Speaker 5 (45:58):
Did you say run the football again, Adam heard?
Speaker 3 (46:02):
But again we'll see interesting numbers there, which we can
get into tomorrow. About running the ball under center versus
running the ball and shotgun. Predictably, it's way better under center,
And of course Aaron Rodgers couldn't be under center last week,
So will what will happen in that regard? We have
tons of stuff to delve into, lots of key, key
matchups to get into tomorrow. The keys to the game.
(46:23):
In fact, tomorrow, Missy is going to be joining us tomorrow.
Jerry Dulac joined us today. Thanks to Jerry Dulac, Thanks
to Nathan Ostler for being at the controls for us
in the iHeart studio. For Max Starks, I'm Rob King.
We of course always thank you for being with us
in the Locker Room presented by your Neighborhood. Ford joined
the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
This is in the Locker Room with Kingyon 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 (00:34):
Hey Optimist, how are you? Yep? Yep? Okay? I put
a thumb up. He did not stop.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
I had a question for you know, I just just
wanted to ask him a question. But uh, but apparently
he's got stuff to do, just like we got to do, Kinger.
So welcome to the Power Hour hour number two here
inside the locker room, and you know we're gonna keep
it moving like like optimists.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Just did I mean?
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I mean, I thought I was prominent. I thought I
was out kind of thumb out in the in the
middle of the road.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
But do.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
You know, you know what I I was. I was
wearing a black T shirt, which is slimming apparently, so
I guess I guess.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
That look so Max, you know, this is the the
uh time for our AFC recap AFC preview. I beg
your pardon. Presented by UPMC, The official healthcare provider and
health plan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I'd like to expand
it if we can to talk a little bit about, uh,
the weekend's games, because they go beyond the AFC. There's
(01:36):
certain to be games in the AFC, but this is
a you know, like we had, we had one of
these weeks a couple of weeks ago, really really intriguing
number of matchups and and I'm looking forward to a
bunch of them, including tonight, Cowboys and Lions. And the
Cowboys have played themselves right back into not only the
playoff picture, but also the you know, the possibility of
(02:01):
winning that division. Right there's six five and one of
the Cowboys. The Lions, mean, why are seven and five?
Speaker 2 (02:08):
You know?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
I think that they probably have to be considered one
of the more disappointing teams. They've looked, as so many
teams have. They've looked great at times and they've looked
not so great at times. And if the playoffs began
right now, the Detroit Lions wouldn't be in it. That's
hard to believe.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Yeah, in the they are what they call in the
hunt category, yep, because they're not categorially ruled out like
a lot of teams. I think, what five teams already
have been ruled out before this weekend playoff contention.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
So yeah, it is disappointing.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Now, granted, here's the thing I think, you know, like
with anything else, right, you know, if you don't change
and you don't adapt, you don't get the invite, right,
And I think for Dan Campbellon's squad, they kind of
peaked the last two years and they haven't really you know,
they haven't really retooled a lot of their things. And
(03:04):
you know, it's cyclical like anything else, right, you know
you're going to have those lull seasons where it's not
going to go the way that you expected it. The
roster on paper looks good, but just for some reason.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
It's not clicking. And we can attest to that right
at times.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
But for the Lions, there wasn't any significant changes right
in their makeup. In fact, they got Aiden Hutcheson back.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Remember a year ago.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
The issue was they didn't have a pass rush and
they couldn't get to the quarterback and that was really
the differentiation. But the offense was humming. It was scoring
a lot of points. But here's the crux of this.
When you give an NFL coach an off season with
a team that's really good, and you know you're going
(03:55):
up against that team, especially in your division, and they
have time to break it down, it's going to be tough.
And a team like the Lions has been poached, it's
been poached of its coordinators made them.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Good over the last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
And guess who's leading in that division right now. Oh,
that's right, the former offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions
and Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Right, So there is something to coaching. You know.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
I know a lot of people don't want to talk
about it. You know, we had labs out here. They
don't make halftime adjustments. You know, it's like it's players.
But at the same time, coaching does matter, and your
coaches and the voice that sitting there and the guy
scheming up stuff, it does matter. And we could see
that as a direct correlation. The Lions are a prime
(04:43):
example of that, and I think that has to that
has to go said as opposed to being unsaid, because
you see it with a team and for the Lions,
who would have ever thought, Hey, the Lives aren't going
to win their division.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
They won it the last couple of years. Even when
the Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Vikings were fourteen and three, they didn't win their division
because the Lions. The Lions beat them head to head
right twice, and you know going into this you gotta fight,
so nothing is a given from a year to year.
And I think this is going to be very interesting
because this will be the litmus test for a team
(05:22):
that's surging and on the rise, like the Gaels Cowboys,
and you see the rest of their division and look
at the Eagles.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
The Eagles are mess right now.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
They're the raining super Bowl champs and they were supposed
to be shoe ins again because they had such a
dominant team.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
But when you.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Get poached, will you lose coaches? Eventually the Eagles will
come home to roost. And for the Eagles, they're figure
they're learning the hard way. The Lions are learning the
hard way your traditional power structure. And that's why we
love the parody this year, right because it's non traditional
teams that are leading their divisions. And we'll get another
(05:59):
one with it, obviously Houston and Indianapolis. But you know
what we've seen so far. Nobody expected the Seahawks to
be who they are. You know, people kind of assume
the Rams will get back after after last year, and
they're proving it right. But they're one of the few
that's actually proving it right. And they weren't supposed to
be one of the top teams. They're number one in
the Power Poles right now. Yeah, they thought they'd be okay,
(06:20):
But yeah, that's what we're dealing with.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Just a wonderful year. I mean a crazy, wonderful crazy.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
The Patriots are leading their division again over the Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Think about that.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Yeah, nobody.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Broncos as Chiez, I mean, are in the hunt too.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
You know, the the Broncos, Look, they got a great coach,
he's been there before and all that stuff, and you know,
you could see maybe them taking that leap for they
were ten and seven last year. You know, they were
a good football team last year. They've already got ten wins, Patriots,
come on, wins? Who saw the Patriots.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Broncos already have ten?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yes, right right. I'm not saying to this degree, I'm
not saying to Instagram. I'm just saying crazy.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, that's but that's the beauty of this It's cyclical.
That's why we say it's cyclical.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
You know, the dominance that once was when unattended or poached,
it will change. So that's why you can't be down
on your team that much because things can change in
an instant from season to season.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
So this is an AFC preview, So we will get
to I've got a couple, We got a couple. I
gotta squeeze in because there's just you know if you no, no, no,
not at all, no, no no. I set it up
to you Thursday night football man. I will be watching
for sure, can't wait to watch that one Bengals and
the Bills. Intriguing game. And you know, the Bengals coming
(07:48):
out of Pittsburgh with a victory, they gotta feel be
feeling better about themselves for sure. They're at eight and four,
they find themselves in good position. They're in good, solid
position to make the playoff. You know, when you think
about who they have left on their schedule, Cincinnati. You know,
if you're Buffalo, you'd like to think you're going to
(08:09):
take care of business at home and you're at New England.
That's a big game there than at Cleveland, Philadelphia at
home and at the Jets. You gotta believe if you're
the Bills, there's a minimum of two likely at least
three wins in that group, which gets you to eleven,
which gets you in the playoffs, Which underscores how big
a game it was last week for the Steelers to
(08:29):
kind of push them into that category that you could
win a tiebreaker against if you got the ten wins.
You know, keep in mind, you beat them, ten wins
is much more likely than anything else for the Bills,
and you get the tiebreaker on them. Didn't happen. Understand that.
The Bengals, meanwhile, they are just they are just hoping
for a lot of stuff to go their way. And
(08:52):
you know, hey, if the Steelers and Ravens can split, right,
that makes them you know, that puts them at seven
and seven, right, not counting their remaining games that are
coming up. You know, the Bengals, they're trying to find
a way to get to nine and eight. Not gonna
be easy, but they're not out of it with Joe
Burrow quarterback.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
No they're not.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
And you know that just goes to show you that
the Steelers, you know, needed to needed to put them
down early.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
You need to put that Bengal tiger down.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
It's not allowed to roam free because if it's allowed
to roam free, bad things happen. So you know, we
we allowed for that, so now we have to do
our job and keep them out of this, you know,
because this this, this is the tough part about it.
This is the tough part, you know, of the of
the AFC North, because we've allowed our teams to go
(09:44):
into almost a three way situation and because of everybody else,
Like normally we get two teams in the playoffs right here,
you know, we usually get a team in the wild
card as well as our division winner. And this year,
because the rest of everybody else in this league has
been doing so well in the AFC Conference, we're I mean,
(10:04):
you're looking at possibly only one. Now granted it would
have to take like a monumental meltdown for some of
these other teams, but stranger things have happened.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
But you've got to do your job.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
The only way you're guaranteed a Willie Wank a golden
ticket into the playoffs. And I say this every single
time is winning your division. And Mike Tomlin has said this,
you know, since day one, since I played for him.
Division dominance precedes anything else. And that's what it's going
to take this year for the AFC North because, like
you said, the AFC South has outperformed expectations. You look
(10:39):
at you got three teams right now in the AFC
South that are viable and quote unquote are in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Think about that.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
This is the last time we've said the AFC South
has had three teams potentially in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Well, they got to bring easy. They got a big
one coming up, which we'll get to just a moment.
So Titans Brown, you know, Uh, the only reason I'm
interested in this is because you know, the Brown's gonna
get something going here. What are they gonna do a
quarterback with you know, Deshaun Watson's back of practice. What
are they doing here?
Speaker 4 (11:12):
And the fact that they're that that that that you
have brought back the Valdemore to football.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Uh, you know has researched.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Lets you know that you've you've got a lot of issues.
Mind you.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
This is the team that started with five quarterbacks on
their roster, I know, right, and now you've whittled it
down to quote unquote I mean three of them, but
still I mean two guys you brought in in the
off season and free agency no longer. Here on that
roster you're down with two rookies and he who shall
(11:45):
not be named right right, Yes, I mean it is
It is crazy to think that Deshot did we think
it was not on my Bengo car that Deshaun Watson
would be potentially taking snaps for the Browns in twenty
twenty five normal mind and that that is crazy to think.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
It is uh, but again, the Browns just do hisself
to play the Browns. The last thing you want to
see is the Browns getting some momentum. I mean, Miles Garrett,
we talked about this before the game. He is and
it's not just the sacks. He is just having the monsters,
I mean just a monster.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
He is a cheat code right now. Defensively we don't
want but it doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
But it doesn't like it doesn't It.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Doesn't matter because they still can't even though he is
having quite possibly the statistical year of a lifetime for
an NFL defensive player, it doesn't matter because you play
for the Browns. It's like Joe Thomas. Like Joe Thomas
was transcendent talented tackle and he never went to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Isn't that crazy?
Speaker 4 (12:55):
It's crazy, but Miles Garrett once again will go down.
It's almost like the Barry Andrews type of effect, right,
like he's just gonna have to just retire and just resign.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
The fact that he will never see a championship.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yep, uh probably so anyway, Titans, I don't I just
want to see the Browns getting on a roll. That's
that's all. I just don't want it. I don't want
to see them brown brown saying the same thing about
the Dolphins. The Dolphins are the Jets. The Dolphins, man,
you know they're thinking, hey, we're going to run the
table here, right. They're five and seven. Uh, they've been
(13:29):
on a roll. They've been playing much better football. They've
won their last three games, and you know that they're thinking, Hey, listen,
we're gonna win it. The Jets, we're gonna win it.
The Steelers, we're gonna win at home against the Bengals,
and that's gonna put us at you know, eight and
seven going into games against Tampa Bay, and who knows,
(13:50):
maybe New England's gonna rest their regulars in that last game.
Maybe won't meet anything for him. I mean, Mike Rabel,
But I'm just saying the doll.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
The Belichicks school. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
But listen, the Dolphins are thinking they've got a chance.
Right But so like.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
You said, I mean the teams right now, because you
have what the six and five Texans at the seventh
seed right now. So yeah, I don't think the Texas,
you know, are gonna go underfield they drop two.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Now you're in the same boat.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
Now you're arguing with the ten and seven, right, Yeah,
So they're thinking, if we can get to ten wins,
we have a shot at at least the seven seed.
I think a lot of teams are thinking that to seven.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
I agree, even nine and eight, right, I mean nine
to eight. I think things it's been a wild year,
things can go.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Hey man, this AFC North right now, the Dolphins are
five to seven eight, Yeah, they've got to be feeling
really good about their chances of getting nine and eight.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Now again, you know conference matchups and all these other
tie breakers that come into play. You know, well, as
we get down to the last couple of weeks of
the season, that's when all these things will start playing out.
But you know what this is like, uh, And I've
never been to you know that that the the the
desert out less West, not the bad Lands. What Death Valley, right,
(15:07):
I've never been out there, but I think there's a
gas station where they're like, this is it, man, fuel
up now or you're done. That's all you got and
you don't want to be running out of gas out
in the middle of the desert. This is like the
last chance gas station for the Bengals, and it's getting
there for the Dolphins. The Dolphins have played their way
into who knows, but you know, in a game like this,
(15:27):
with tougher games coming up, it's almost a must win
for the Dolphins, So that that makes that game kind
of intriguing. And once again another team that's playing better football.
The Browns are playing a little bit better, the Jets,
the Dolphins playing a lot better. Both those teams still
remain in the Steelers schedule. Colts Jaguars, that's the one
you talked about earlier. Big game Man, Big big game,
(15:52):
eight and four Colts at the eight and four Jaguars
that along with the Steelers Ravens is I think know,
and then you have the Bears, Packers. But of the
AFC games, the Colts, Jaguars Steelers Rave into the two
games of the week. I think, Yeah, Texans Chiefs could
have an argument for that, but I'm gonna say Steelers
(16:12):
Rave because these are these these two matchups are for
the division lead. That makes it more important.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah, hey, it just means more. And and oh that's
the SEC phrase.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Sorry in Southeastern conferences.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It just means more. Sorry, it just it just means more. Well,
you know, it applies. You know what I'm going with
the Kinger, It just replies.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
It just means more right now, because like you said,
it's it's for first place in the division, and that's
the only guarantee you get into the playoffs winning your division.
I just sat there and waxed poetic about it. But
that that that that's that's the key thing, and that's
what and that's what the NFL schedule makers want it, right.
(16:55):
They want the divisions to come down to the end
of the year. They don't want to have anybody sewing
up their division by Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Right, This isn't college football.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
You know, we we need December, late December, after jolly
old Saint Nick and and and Jesus Christ has been celebrated.
We want division battles to matter. That's that's what that's
what this time of year is, and this is now
the jockeying for pole position starting off that you know,
(17:27):
this month, and that's what they and that's and that's
what they.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Want to see.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
So division games you're going to see a lot of them.
It's going to be a frenzied I mean, as we
get through this every week, there's going to be key
division matchups for the rest of for the rest of
the football season. And that's how that's how they designed this.
So you know, I know some teams, Hey, we've already
played our two against our squad. Okay, nice, But you know,
unfortunately for us, the only team that we've we finished
(17:53):
up with is just the Bengals. We still have the
Ravens and the Browns, and they knew that raven Steelers
is always a marking. That's how it's been the since
I've been back for the team in my various roles
sideline reporter now in the booth, the Ravens game has
usually been the last game of the year.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
And guess what, it's the last game of the year.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Game of the year.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
And fortunately, thank goodness, because the last two years we've
been in Baltimore for those. Now we actually get to
be at home for those. I mean, let's just that.
That's the one thing I am excited about is that,
you know, we get a home into the year game
for once, and you know it's going to be a big,
(18:38):
big matchup. And that's why this matters. This weekend.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
You want the early age so you have a little bit.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Of leeway when it comes to that final matchup, whatever
is going to shake up or shake out in that moment.
You want to be prepared. But you got to take
this one. This one is the one that matters the
most in my mind, Take the first one, put the
feather in your cap, and then you have a little
bit of house money to work with. Might not be
a lot, might not be able to double down or
(19:04):
anything on the blackjack table, but at least you got
a hand at the table when it comes the end
of the season.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Well, as we know, Max, they are out of house
money right now. They have played all their house money.
They've squandered it all. One other big matchup Sunday night,
gonna try to you know, get home, not race home,
but get home in a swift manner and watch the
Texans and on Sunday night. I mean, there are some
just marvelous matchups. That's a huge game for both those
(19:31):
teams obviously, and then the Bears and Packers again we're
going NFL here Bears, Packers for twenty five. Then Monday
night Eagles Chargers. What a great weekend of football, Just
a phenomenal weekend of football, Max, I can't wait. And
it begins with our matchup Steelers and the Ravens. And
we're gonna get to much more of that if we're
(19:51):
gonna start delving in big time to some of the matchups,
some of the numbers, gleaned through some of the information
for you so you don't have to get you ready
for the game on Sunday when we continue in the
Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the
Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
This is in the Locker Room with kingon 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.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Com, and we thank you very much for being with
us as we are getting you ready for the Steelers
and Ravens obviously first place in the AFC North on
the line. I think anybody listening to this show knows
what some of the Steelers woes have been. You know,
the the Ravens Max had won five in a row
to get themselves back to six and five, up over
(20:58):
five hundred, first time all season they'd been over five hundred.
Then they laid an egg last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
And I guess my question for you is, you know,
Lamar coming back from the hamstring injury just has not
been the same Lamar is there Do you think it's
just the hamstring? Is there something going on with him?
(21:19):
Because that offense just you know, look, they're still putting
up points with Lamar at quarterback. They're averaging twenty seven
points per game. So if you'll, you know fans that
go in and look, well they're averaging you know, twenty
four points. To me, well, they're averaging twenty seven with Lamar.
So they're still scoring points. But it hasn't looked the
same and they haven't been running Derrick Henry as much.
(21:40):
Dereck Henry averaged over nineteen carries per game last year,
more than that against the Steelers in those last two games,
but averaged that's what he averaged, and they're only running him,
you know, sixteen point four times per game this year,
and I find that odd. I don't know why he's
getting fewer carries. So what are you seeing from this
(22:01):
Ravens offense? Max, And is it something I mean, you know,
I know we throw the records out the window and
all that stuff, but is this something that maybe the
Steelers defense can can continue to exploit if there's something
there to exploit.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
I think I think you have to leave everything on
the table. Everything has to be possible, because at the
end of the day, you know, this Ravens squad is
one that has you know, been an enigma at times.
But at the same time, there's still an offense that is,
(22:37):
you know, top top five in the league in rushing.
They just you know, you got Derrick Henry. I mean
that that's your bell cow, So do you need as
much Lamar Jackson. I think that was kind of what
they wanted to get to eventually, was we don't want
to run our quarterback because we know how much it
matters when he's on when he's on the field, and
(22:57):
so we can start to limit that and get treat
him more like a quarterback than just a dual threat
option we want to get there. I think this is
a trend that the Baltimore is are trying to shift to.
And you know, Jerry kind of laid it out right.
You know, Lamar's a seventy percent passer, like he doesn't
get enough credit for that, And I think that's what
they're trying to do. I think because everybody has been
(23:19):
so used to he can use his legs. He's such
a phenomenal rushing talent. But at the end of the day,
what do you value more if you are a franchise
for your quarterback, his legs or his arm? And I
think this is kind of something that's signaling we value
his arm more so if we can limit the legs,
(23:40):
because the leg lead to more injuries, we need to
minimize that. So I think that's what they're trying to
shift to. And I think that's how they got into
the trouble that they did in that transition this year
with you know, with starting out one in five was
they were trying to make that transition, but yet the
team wasn't up to speed yet for that challenge, and
(24:01):
so and then you had all the injuries defensively, and
now they're trying to do that because I think that's
what they're trying to do. They're trying to protect Lamar
Jackson and trying to keep him at quarterback.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
I still find it puzzling though, that they're not using
Derrick Henry more. I mean, you know, they signed him
to the richest extension ever given a quarterback or running
back over thirty years old, and you know he's a guy. Again,
you know, you kind of expected twenty yards to carry. Now,
I will say this, in the first meeting, it was
(24:31):
one of those games that I just say, if I'm
a Steelers fan and I'm the Steelers, I'm saying, hey,
thank you, thank you for only running Lamar or only
running Derek Henry. I think he had thirteen carries for
sixty five yards something like that in that first matchup,
and then you know, in the last two matchups he
ran the ball fifty times, so twenty five times per game.
(24:54):
And we all remember those results. They were not good
for the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Let's let's let's let's not do it on the past.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Well in the past. I'm just wondering, Oh, there, you know,
if you got a guy like that and you sign
him to that kind of a deal, you sort of
expect him to get more. And you're trying to protect
Derek or trying to protect Lamar Jackson, all of which
I think is extremely reasonable. Then I guess my question is,
why isn't Derrick Henry your bell cow, like the very
(25:23):
definition of a of a bell cow in terms of
running backs? Why is he not getting tons and tons
of carries? I can't quite figure that one out, because
it feels like they're a little in between, maybe offensively.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
I can't speak for him, but that's what it kind
of seems like to me, is that they're they're a
little in between, and and they're they're maybe they're maybe
they're trying to rest him for December. By the way,
Lamar Jackson, and and and here's some disheartening news if
you're a Steelers fan. Lamar Jackson is twenty two and
four in his starts in December and later in his
(26:01):
career regular season, Derrick Henry has more yards per game
in December than any running back since nineteen seventy. So,
you know, when you think about you might have answered
your own question there, K maybe he's still ahead of him.
I don't know, but I just don't understand why we
(26:21):
haven't seen that yet from this team.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
He's also he's still touched the ball almost two hundred
times though Kinger in the Rushie. He has one hundred
and ninety seven carries for nine hundred and thirty one
yards with a four point seven clip and ten touchdowns
this season.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Oh yeah, so it sounds like he's the forgotten man.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yeah, yeah, he's not Saquon Barkley this year. You know
what I'm saying, Like, he's not Saquon. It's just also
I think they haven't had they haven't possessed the ball
as much.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
Especially true.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
You know, they probably tried to try to influence him
when you had Tyler Huntley and company running at quarterback.
What was his name, Cooper Rush, right, the Cooper Rush experiment.
They were trying to do that then, but they weren't
possessing the ball long enough to even get sustainable drives.
That's why you had to switch from Cooper Rush to
(27:10):
Tyler Huntley during the Lamar Jackson injuries, and they were
losing games. So when you're behind, guess what you have
to do. You got to try and throw yourself back
into wins. And that's where you can't use Derrick Henry.
But now that Lamar's back and getting into the mode,
I think we will see more of Derek.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
And you just laid it out.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
December is his month, you know.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
You know we talked about who is mister September for
the longest time for the Yankees. Reggie Jackson, nice misster October? Yeah,
miss October, sorry, miss October, not September. Yeah, Misster October.
Dereck Henry's mister December, right, you know, he's that equivalent.
So best believe once it gets colder in these outdoor
(27:51):
stadium games, that's when Derek Henry supposed to shine. He's
not supposed to shine at the beginning of the season,
and you want him to be around at the end
of the season. You run him too much too early
at his age. Listen, he's no spring chicken. You know,
he's thirty one. So it's like, let me pick my poison.
If we can get to December without having to really
rush him thirty nine times a game. Let's try and
(28:15):
get him there and then we then let it ride
him till the breaks fall off, right, you know what
I'm saying, there's you know, it's all gas, no breaks.
So I think that that's what you are because I mean,
he's still you have to believe. I mean, he's going
to be close to another fifteen hundred yard season at
the rate you at the rate that they're going and
the way that they rush the football. Like I said,
they're number five and rushing in the league. And I
(28:37):
think after this matchup, we will have seen four out
of the top five rushing offenses.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
In the NFL.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Think about that, we will have seen four out of
the top five because in Buffalo Buffalo last week, right
top five, Chicago, Indianapolis Colts top five, Chicago top five,
and now Ravens top five.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Well Jets. Jets are up there too as a rushing team.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
So yes, but I mean we've seen the entire top
rushing attacks of the entire recent vintage.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
And then we'll see the Lions coming up. They're a
running team obviously, so recent vintage. In recent games, the
students have seen that, and it has been a mixed bag.
And again, very very much like what we're talking about,
or what I talked about at the beginning of the
show is I don't get it. I don't get how
(29:29):
you can be elite at causing turnovers, among the best
at getting sacks and not have your points per game
show up there. I don't understand that. I don't understand
how you can do an excellent job in Chicago's running game,
a terrific job in the first half against the Packers,
(29:50):
not in the second half against the Packers, a terrific
job against Jonathan Taylor, but not a terrific job against
James Cook. I don't understand how. And look, I understand it.
The things to happen. By the way, uh, if you
don't stop h Chan, the Dolphins are run him too,
as they showed that they ran Oh my gosh, right
all over and I get some of its week to
(30:11):
week again, I just I've I'm left as I actually
for those of us who don't listen every day, and
shamelin you for that, I literally was scratching my head.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Did you just scroll scroll Fans listen every day?
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Come on, man, I love it. We want, we want
to be part of your lives. We want to be
part of I.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
Am not above shameless plugs.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
And if we got the guilt, we got the guilt
fans and listening to our show, I'm not against that.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Well.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
I was being mostly facetious, but I literally I scratched
my head as I was as I was. Max couldn't
see it, of course, because we're not in the same room,
but uh, most times, but I was literally scratched Monday head. Yes,
I scratched my I scratched my head. Uh you know,
you know people you read that in a book he
(30:59):
scratched his sid. Well, how many people actually scratch their head? Well,
I scratched my head because I just can't. I can't
figure it out. And I think the Ravens are saying
some of the same things.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Max.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
You know that, you know these numbers say this, those
numbers say that, and for some reason, I'm sure you
know if you talked to Baltimore fans at the beginning
of the season and said you're gonna be six and
six after twelve games, and you talked to Steelers fans,
a lot of Steelers fans based on what's happened in
recent seasons would be like, well, of course, yeah, of
(31:32):
course we are. We are, no sur no surprise there.
If you talked to a Ravens fan and told them
they'd be six and six, they would be wondering if
the sky's falling because this is not what they were
expecting to be this year.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Max, No, they weren't. But I mean, I think we
kind of laid it out.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Especially we were going through our AFC slash NFC preview
earlier in this hour. A lot of teams were upset
and not expecting this. To think of the Chiefs fan base,
right and where they stand with this. Think about where
we talked about the Lions fan base and what they've had,
what the recent success they've had over the last couple
of years, you know, being in the playoffs and and
(32:13):
going to the second round at least or better.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
You know, this is a different league this year. And
I'm sure for the.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Buffalo Bills, you know, they're also a team that's like, man,
we've been owning the AFC East since Tom Brady left.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
What happened this year?
Speaker 3 (32:28):
And why is this?
Speaker 4 (32:29):
Drake may now becoming the reincarnation, at least for this
season of Tom Brady with the way the Patriots are playing.
So it's happening in more places than not. And like
you said, the old power structure is getting a shakeup
and now you're starting to see the next wave come
in and where are you at in that wave? So
for the Ravens, they're no different than that. But I
(32:50):
would think also Bengals fans were probably expecting a better
season than what they had. So you know, it's funny
how this league will humble you from year to year.
There are no guarantees in the NFL from year in
and year out because somebody will emerge. You can't give
a team so many first round picks over the years,
they expect them not to be good unless you're the
(33:10):
Jets of the Browns, and you know, be successful year
in and year out if you're picking towards the end
of the draft. And I think the Steelers have been
an exception for that for a while. But even then
it's still it is still a tough proposition. You gotta
fight for everything that youre that that you want, and
you eat what you kill, and you got to go
out there and you got to kill more meat. If
the village gets bigger, don't worry about how I got there,
(33:36):
just just let it be.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Let it.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Wow, I got That's a mic drop moment, man, that
is a MC try. I'm stepping away from that one,
my friend. I'm stepping away from that one, my friend.
I'm gonna remind fit. You can gear up for the
latest game they necessities at the officials Cheerer's pro shops.
Get the latest side that apparel, jerseys, Terrible Towns, authentic
memorabiliya and custom exclusives that you can only find directly
(34:00):
from the team. Visit one of the official Students pro
shops located at Akrosher Stadium, Grove City, Premium, Mount Let's
or Tanger Outlet's or gear up online at shop dot
Stealers dot com. Get it direct from the team at
the Steers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com
and a reminder that we will be back in the
Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the
(34:22):
Steelers Pro Shop on Steerize Nation Radio, part of the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The f one fifthy 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 (35:00):
All Right, it must be that time.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
It sounds like it could be the bell lap.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
That's right, earlier lunch warning system engaged for all of
you Pittsburgh's out there. I know it's a snowy day.
You know what this is soup weather, soup and stew weather.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
I'm calling it.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
I'm calling it little chill, little brisk, little little little
uneasy outside. Go get the warmth, warm the soul, warm it,
you know, and listen. It doesn't have to be chicken noodle.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
You know, unless you get a little sniffle or something.
You don't have to go chicken noodle, you know. You
like I said, a good stew. You know, I'm feeling
meat potatoes. I'm feeling something with it with a good
savory broth. Right, that's what I'm feeling for lunch today,
king Er, I don't know about you. Uh no more,
apple pie right in the house. Apple pie is gone
forge off of Okay, it is good. So you can
(35:54):
actually get oat meals again.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
You get you get into the get those winter months
as fall months. Little squash soup with some hot sausage
in there is not a bad It's not quite a stew.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Are you going soup or are you just Are you
just going a squash squash butter not.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Squash but not squash but not squashed, but squash with
hot sausage in there, hot sausage. That's it. That's a
real treat. It's not quite as not quite a stew,
but more than a stew.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Like I mean, if you are you chunking or pureing
the squash? Is the question?
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Oh? Yeah, yeah, you pure the squash.
Speaker 4 (36:29):
And okay, so you're going more like the tomato basil approach.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Yeah, except thicker and like I said, thick. The key's
lots of sausage. Right.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
Oh, I'm personal, I'm personally, you know, I'm I'm now
here's the thing I will say, I make a mean
chicken soup.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
I make a mean chicken soup.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
I'm actually that's one of the things I can hang
my hat on as far as in the soup making department.
My chicken and my chicken with rice soup and my
chicken soup bass. It's pretty pretty pretty darn good and
it will. It will also knock out a cold and
heartbeat because I use a lot of good cayenne pepper.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Oh now you're talking. That's why you gotta go hot
pepper in the soup. You gotta go hot pepper. Yes, yeah, yeah, nothing.
And if you don't have the hot pepper, you throw
some paprik in there, throw a dash of red pepper
in there. Give that thing out kick. But by the way,
so my routine is I leave this show on Thursdays
and go down to tape uh the matchup with with
(37:29):
Missy Matthews and Matt Williamson, and I when I get
in there Matt Williamson who is giving us his matt stats,
which I have already I've already circled, and okay, this
one's going. That's when I could be a note for
the open. This one could be you know, an in
game note. Yeah, maybe here's something that's just for the show.
You know, I got a bunch of those this week
(37:51):
that we're going to get into tomorrow. Good statistical stuff.
But I also you know, you go to the South
Side and there's and there's lunch available for the media,
which is great, but lovely of the Steelers to do that.
And the foods. The food's excellent. But you know, he
turned me on to the fact that the soup is
always tremendous. So I pretty much when the weather changes,
(38:12):
I pretty much on my Thursdays only get the soup.
And he so we were talking about that last week
and we'll go over to the stats and what we're
going to talk about in the show. It's like a
little little pre production meeting over a bowl of soup.
And he he traced the knowledge or the the insight
(38:32):
to the excellence of Steeler soup to you.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Mm hmm, yeah, yep.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
And he said, you even got you even sometimes called
out what soup you wanted. Is that true?
Speaker 2 (38:44):
Yes? That that that that is true? Uh, legend, legend
and lore become reality.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Right now, that's true power. That is true power.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
But so our longtime chef that was there rest in Peace,
mo was was one of our great chefs there. Him
and him and Corey used to man and then you
know it's funny Andre so Dre who works our sideline
security at the stadium on game days for the team
(39:14):
for the player bench area. Drey used to also be
in our kitchen back in the day, and so I
had a great relationship with our guys. Of course, surprise, surprise,
the fat guy has a relationship with a chef, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Uh, But I digress.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
But yeah, no, I was so clol and I was
and I was a soup connoisseur. And you know, it
also led to the you know I got I got
the Campbells Chunkie soup deal, you know deal with my
mom and she became our team mom before a couple
of years. So I was known as a soup guy
from that one. But I was always a big soup
guy growing up. And so I used to and I
used to actually talk with with the guys about what
(39:53):
spices and seasonings they were using in the different soups
because they had they had a really good b.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
With country vegetable soup that they used to make. I
used to love it.
Speaker 4 (40:03):
It was so great, and you know, I was like,
how do you how do you get the green beans
in the in the country veggie soup? And you know,
that led to it, and then then they did a
Mullagatani soup, which is an Indian type of type of soup.
So a lot of fragrant spices. You know, you got
this star anis in there and some different ingredients, and
so they were like, dang, Max, you're really into I'm like, yeah,
(40:25):
I listen. If there's anybody in the in this entire
building that love soup, it's this guy. So he's like,
all right, fine, Max, you know what we're gonna call it.
You're gonna you're gonna be our soup guy. So you
get to pick a soup, you know, twice a week,
and you know we'll do it. So I used to
always get the broccoli cheddar.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
I used to do it.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
I used to love when they made their chicken and
rice as well because they they did a really thick
broth on it. A couple of times we did gumbo,
and so it was just it was a fun challenge
and it's kind of one of those fun, little neat things.
I used to always look forward to it because I
was like, you, when I'm going in, it starts to
get cold, dude, I'm I'm just eating soup. I'm not
I'm not getting anything from the hot bar. I'm not
(41:02):
doing any of that other stuff. Might do a salad,
but soup was on the menu every day I could foresee.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
It feels like a chili type of day could be
Chili there when I arrived today. Okay, I'm not gonna
I'm not gonna hold that hope because they're Chili's excellent,
but all their soups are excellent. There's no losing, there's
no losing.
Speaker 4 (41:19):
Yeah, I felt I felt like that was in the
job description for whoever's gonna take over once Corey and
all those guys left and Mo passed away.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
I felt like it was like, Hey, we're.
Speaker 4 (41:28):
Gonna interview you for the for the Steelers, you know,
dining room and and head chef position. How's your soups?
I feel like that was a part of the questions.
I feel I feel like the Rooney's asked that question.
I'm just I'm gonna selfishly write that into my history
in my mind that they asked that question, how good
is your soup?
Speaker 2 (41:45):
Because soup matters here.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Max, I'm gonna ask you a question now as we
get back to the game and my stomach stops rumbling,
I hope for the next hour until they get down
to the South Side. You know, when I look at
this Ravens defense, they're past defense has gotten better and
better and better. They made a very interesting trade. They
traded adafa Oway who had been struggling for them, and
(42:08):
then went to the Chargers and started sacking people as he.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Did a coau because he because he took over against us.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
Anyways, go ahead, yes, right, he did, and he's been
good for the Chargers. But Loe Gilman has been very
good at strong safety for the Ravens and he seems
to be the one guy. And they could be getting
our Darius Washington back. He's another key guy at that
safety position that kind of helps things come together. Look,
(42:37):
Marlin Humphrey, first round picks, first round pick, Nate Wiggins,
first round pick, Kyle Hamilton, first round pick, Malachi Starks,
who looks super impressive. He might be the next really
good young player to be joining the great last name.
He's a great last name, great last name. Terrible team
to play for Malachi. Oh no, that's his first name.
(42:58):
What's his last name again? Uh, it would be Stark, Starks, Starts.
That's a good name for it. That's a good name
for North. I'm just saying, as we talked about if
we were.
Speaker 4 (43:09):
Going to talk about Game of Thrones or NFL.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
I mean, I feel like the name Starks is pretty.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
It's a it's a it's a name. I love, man,
it's a great name. So he's really kind of brought
that defense together. They're still not getting a great pass rush.
They're getting better, and I don't know how much of
it is. The secondary is doing a better job. Quarterbacks
are holding on to the ball more. They've they've been
getting leads on teams. That usually means they get more
one dimensional. I harp on that all the time for
(43:35):
the Steelers. Get that lead making one dimensional, the sacks
will follow, You'll get more turnovers. But if you're looking
at a strength of this Ravens defense, it is that
secondary which is playing better and which is gonna make
it and it's it's really it is clamping down on
teams right now. It is going to make it very
(43:56):
difficult for the Steelers to throw the football on Sunday.
That's the one matchup we're going to get to today
before we delve into specifics. But I think that's that
secondary is very Kyle Hamilton is a great player, Marlin
Humphrey is a great player. I think that Malachi Starts
is on his way to being a really good player.
It is a good talented secondary.
Speaker 4 (44:20):
Yeah, no, They've got a lot of talent in that secondary,
and you know, like you said, you build it up.
I'm actually surprised that Mike Green hasn't been more effective
their rookie second rounder, because I had Mike Green at
Marshall and covered him. He led the nation in sacks
a year ago in college, and he was a very
talented pass rush. I know he had some off the
field issues that kind of forced him to drop because
(44:41):
he's a first round talent, but the off the field
pushed him back into the second round. The Baltimore Ravens
took him. So I'm really surprised that he hasn't been
more effected this year. Only two and a half sacks
on the season for him, But he's a guy that
I believe like if he gets into a groove, that
can be a problem.
Speaker 3 (45:00):
And by the way, all those two and a half
sacks have all come in his last six games, so
he was blanked early, so he is Perhaps he's figuring
it out here. I mean, he didn't have any sacks
his first six games and two and a half in
six games. That's not superstar status. But that's maybe beginning
to figure it out a little bit.
Speaker 4 (45:18):
Yeah, and listen, will you, But when you look at
the rest of everybody else on that squad, the only
person has more sacks than him is let's see here,
it's Draymond Jones.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
That's it.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Who they got in a Jon Jones has six? Yeah,
who they got into trade. He's got six. But Mike
Green's second on the team in sacks.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
Think about that.
Speaker 3 (45:41):
Yeah, and I do think that that. You know, it
is an interesting team. They can really really cover, really cover,
and uh, but they don't rush the passer that well,
So what does that mean for what you're able to
do offensively? It's going to be interesting. They got a
new guy to a new.
Speaker 5 (45:58):
Did you say run the football again, Adam heard?
Speaker 3 (46:02):
But again we'll see interesting numbers there, which we can
get into tomorrow. About running the ball under center versus
running the ball and shotgun. Predictably, it's way better under center,
And of course Aaron Rodgers couldn't be under center last week,
So will what will happen in that regard? We have
tons of stuff to delve into, lots of key, key
matchups to get into tomorrow. The keys to the game.
(46:23):
In fact, tomorrow, Missy is going to be joining us tomorrow.
Jerry Dulac joined us today. Thanks to Jerry Dulac, Thanks
to Nathan Ostler for being at the controls for us
in the iHeart studio. For Max Starks, I'm Rob King.
We of course always thank you for being with us
in the Locker Room presented by your Neighborhood. Ford joined
the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.