October 8, 2025 • 45 mins
Rob and Max chat with Jim Wexell at the top of the hour and focus on the matchups the Cleveland Browns will have to offer as they look ahead to Sunday.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
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Speaker 2 (00:23):
Oh, guess what day it is? Guess what day it is?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Anybody, Julie, Hey, guess what day it is?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Come on, I know you can hear me. Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike,
what day is it?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Mike?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Guess what today is? It's hump day? All right, you
heard it, Mike. The camel is in the building.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
It is a hump day here inside the power hour,
inside the locker room. And we are joined by the One,
the Only, the editor in Chief aka author extraordinaire. Rob,
You're also an author extraordinaire. But this is this is,
this is for Wex. I just want to make sure
I'm keeping it balanced here. But we are joined by
(01:10):
the One, the Only still see the Insider, editor in chief,
multiple time author here of all things Stealers, historical perspectives
and of course you know, wanderings and musings of said
legends is the one the only mister Jim wexl.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Wow. How do you like that one? Jim?
Speaker 5 (01:26):
Wow? You know that's pretty cool. And you know editor
in chief, you know who is the editor in chief
of Superman.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
At the Daily Daily Planet, Daily Planet.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
Yeah. Anyway, there's a school thinking that a large school
of thinking that kind of is refuted by the historian
who wrote the book on Art Rooney. That that's where
the nickname Chief came from, editor in chief of Superman's
Clark hence editor Perry was his name? Perry?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, Perry. What was Perry's last name? Gosh, dog it?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
But yeah, yeah, anyway, go ahead, keep going to look
it up.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
Be careful if you shorten that the chief, because there's
only one chief here.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, yeah, you know, you you will.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
I will make sure it's always editor in chief or
or even to even be further removed editor by the.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Chief, by the way, Perry White, Perry White. There we go,
there we go.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
You know, that's that's the common school of thought. That, uh,
that's where Chief got the nickname. Chief got his nickname,
but kind of refuted. One of the sons definitely named
him Chief, but it was something about soccer. I guess
the Chief is trying to buy an indoor soccer team
in the fifties or something, late fifties, and so somebody said, well,
(02:58):
that's not going to happen, Chief, something like that. It
was in regard to soccer's not going to half. The
Chief called his dad chief, and that's where it took
off from. That's one school of thought. Most of it
is Perry.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Perry White, Perry White, Perry White. So, by the way,
uh hump days with Wexel Empty headlines with Wexels presented
by your neighborhood for Word store. The F one fifty
is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers wex I
want to ask you what I what I've asked our
other guests who have been on with us this week,
Bob Labriola, Alvalo Martin, what is your take on where
(03:34):
the Steelers are coming out of this break three and
one record, you know, and and just sort of an
overall state of the team from your perspective.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
Well, they've they've improved in a couple of key areas
against a team with questionable facilities to stop that improvement,
so that improvement must continue against the more rugged defense
this week. You know they got them, they got the
running game going. And today early locker room this morning,
everybody mobbed Spencer Anderson, so you know, his big nineteen
(04:10):
snaps last week have caused raucous news outbreaks in Pittsburgh.
Regarding this extra alignment, should that continue, I don't know.
There's a lot of people that need to get on
the field named John Who and Pat and a couple
other receivers could get on the field, So you hate
(04:32):
to see all those resources be important to get in
the running game going, especially against smallish Minnesota line. Cleveland
is the number one run defense in the NFL. So
we will see. We will see if last week's progress
was a mirage or not. Otherwise. I mean, they're well coached,
they got a good quarterback making smart decisions. They're going
(04:52):
to win these close games if you let them hang
around like Glngland did. Seattle was even a toss up.
So yeah, yeah, I like the intangibles of this team,
and I like the fact that there's a lot of
improvement to be made. But show it to me a
second week against the better defense, and frankly, I think
(05:13):
the whole Pittsburgh world and I worry about the locker
room and the coaching staff are looking past Cleveland to
this double double division dip in five days, four days,
whatever it is, and everybody's talking she can they win both?
Like I said on the show last week, and better
(05:35):
worry about this game. This game could be a real problem.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah you know what, And I'll throw this to both
of you guys.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
You know, Matt Williamson and Wes we're talking on the
drive and they asked me about, you know, my feelings
on right now in this snapshot in time with the
Ravens being banged up. You know, if Lamar's not playing
as he was this past week, the Bengals obviously, you
know before Joe Flacco right serious questions at the quarterback
(06:08):
position that the Browns might be the team you'd least
want to face. Right now, Max, this is a this
is an opponent. You know what they're gonna be capable
of doing. They're gonna they're gonna try to shut down
the run. They're gonna try to unleash Miles Garrett in
their pass rush.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
They have very good corners.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
If they can you know, run the football with Judkins,
they can be a problem. Uh. You know, of the
three teams, they might be the most difficult team to
beat right now. You know, look, Lamar comes back. We
understand that's and all those injured guys. That's a different conversation,
But in this snapshot, right in this moment of time,
they might be the team that's the.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Hardest to face in the AFC. Nor No, and I
agree with that.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
And I think one of the things I heard when
Mike Tomin was talking yesterday was it was the explanation
for the six line. So I'm gonna kind of address
Jim's concerns as well as question you just pos kind
of in this stream of consciousness of thought here. But
you know, I think when you look at the teams
(07:08):
and I hear what you say about needing to get
more guys on the field, trying to figure out how
this is going to work. The thirteen personnel grouping is
still one that's interesting. But if you can't move the football,
you can't be two dimensional. And I think for this
young line, getting the sixth linemen out there in a
(07:29):
Calvin Anderson along with a Darnell Washington and really creating
a seven let's just call it a seven lineman front,
I mean, Darnald Washington as humong as he's the size
of an offensive tackle. So but he also has a
skill set to be a receiver. When you need to
get things done and you still have two wide receivers,
you can split out. Heck, you can even split out
(07:50):
a Pat Fryar Mooth or or have a John news
Smith that can go opposite DK metcalf in some of those,
especially if you have a Calvin Anderson that's not available,
Calvin Austin that's not available, Like, there's nothing wrong with
that type of process, and then it becomes a you know,
a bastardized thirteen front thirteen personnel grouping. But I think
(08:13):
the biggest thing was getting that run game a shot
in the arm, giving guys some confidence. And I think
even if we go into this this week with the
same process, because they do play more of a four
downish front than they do a true three to four,
a lot of teams don't play a true three to
four anymore. And what Mike Tomlin said in that press
conference was this is for four down teams. So when
(08:34):
Miles Garrett is lined up at a defensive end position
with his hand in the dirt, no outside back er
outside of him.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
That's a four man front. That's a four down front.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
And this run game with the extra tight end of
Spencer Andersson is designing against a four down front. Because
let's just face it, for all the good things that
Pat Fryarmouth and John Osmith and Connor Hayward do, the
one thing where they do struggle is setting the edge
against three hundred pound defensive end. And that's why you
use that extra guy. And so I think even if
(09:07):
it is like that, we go with the six linemen
and that's the way that we develop our run game
right now. It keeps us balanced. At the end of
the day, the job is to what win games. That's
the finite part of this business.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
The stats don't matter. The wins and the losses do.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
And I think because we are infatuated because we don't
have the number two receiver, you know that everybody has
been asking us to get and why we need it,
and oh all of these other things. But you can
manufacture that with the second wide receiver. Like having that
extra guy on the field doesn't mean that you can't
put Jonah Smith, Pat Fryermouth, Roman Wilson, Vince Goronic, Scotty
Miller whoever you want to put as a second wide
(09:49):
receiver opposite DK Metcalf, you can still do it, but
you get to pick and choose how you do it,
because that's gonna be a loaded box, and that's gonna
be a one on one matchup on the outside. You're
not gonna be able to bracket DK when you have
that six offensive lineman in there. So you actually create
a better matchup on the outside if you do want
to pass instead of running those situations.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
So there's some things that get freed up.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Get freed up by that because now you're you're dictating
the single high coverage as opposed to it's too high
because you're not going to be put in a seven
man box with a six offensive lineman in there. You
just that would be asinine to do that, So you
have to drop that guy. Now you get the single high,
let it fly concept. Bruce arians right, you get that concept.
Now DK can take that short slant route eighty yards
(10:33):
for a touchdown because it's a single high situation. You
can now manipulate how you can now dictate the terms
to the defense, not the defense, dictate the terms on
how you operate and for a guy like Aaron makes
things crystal clear, you know, it's like looking in It's
like looking at It's like looking at your toes ten
feet deep in turks and caicos in the sand, like
I can still see the bottom. Like it makes it
(10:55):
crystal clear.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It's not. It's not murky like the ozarks. You know,
you walk five feet out. So that's where that comes in.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
I think a lot of people just get up in
armscuse like, well, why do you need six there, You're
supposed to only have five. It's like, no, that's why
you have a roster of fifty three. You get to
manipulate and create whatever you want. Just like a tush
push can't be stopped until otherwise noted. We're going to
run this until you stop it, until you figure out
a creative way to do that.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
If you could stop us with a seven man front
with a six with a sixth offensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
I dare you, we are going to be successful more
often than not, and you have to adjust. You have
to pray that you get lucky in those situations. So
I think that's.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
More of it, and you can find the other.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Ways of getting guys involved, because you're swapping out groups
all the time. You can just swap out wide receivers
if you want to keep Calvin, Spencer Anderson in. But
also there's going to come a point where I think
that line matures and gets their own confidence. It's where
you don't need the sixth offensive lineman. But for right
now you're having success. Is breeding the confidence for that
offensive line unit, hopefully call that.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
I like all of that. Well, what did he answer
your question? Rob Because I had an answer, but I
forgot what the question was.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
By now, it's okay whether whether the Browns might be
the most difficult opponent right now, not not not three
weeks from now, not three weeks ago, but right.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
Now, you know the maturation of Dylan Gabriel will be
the key to that, because man, what a rookie class.
A great rookie tight end. Jerry Judy is a wide receiver.
They have what is that Isaiah Boyd as a rookie
undrafted wide receiver, and they have the running back and
then a couple of guys on defense, and I like that.
(12:49):
What was his name? Schlessinger? The middle linebacker from the
U c l A is good. I talked to him
at the combine. I liked him, and of course Mason
Graham I thought was a little overrated, but people are
saying he's playing well. So I would like to see
the Steelers attack the middle there, the middle of that defense. Uh,
and just see what Mason Graham does have. So yeah,
(13:13):
they really seem like the best team because their number
one run defense with Denzel Ward back, there good a
good surrounding cast in the secondary. It's gonna be you know,
Cincinnati even with Joe Burrow, has a terrible defense, and
then without Joe Burrow, and everybody's worried about Blacko, but
that game is so far down the road. They really,
(13:35):
they really need to win this one, and they have
the edge of quarterback. Although Dylan Gabriel or Tombel made
a nice case yesterday for all the throws he's made
in his career, what five years in college, he played
a lot of okay, okay, And I think he threw
ten thousand yards in high school too. I think Tom.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Ten thousand.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
Tom was over in Hawaii scouting Nick Herbig, if you
remember that draft day press conference, and so maybe that's
when he heard of Dylan Gabriel over in Hawaii. High
school kid Anyway, yeah, I think they're the most difficult
team to beat. It's a good thing our home. And
Aaron Rodgers does have his greatest success, the greatest passer
(14:27):
rating against an opponent of his career is against the Browns.
He's three and zero against the Browns with a one
twenty seven career passer rating. That's his highest against any opponent.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
That's good news. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
And Jim Schwartz, Yeah, last nugget, Jim Schwartz, the Browns
defensive coordinator. Aaron is nine to four against Jim schwartz
defenses in his career. So, I mean, he's still four losses,
but he's seen him, he knows what he's doing. I'm
gonna talk to him about that today.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
No, I mean, and I think, yeah, a lot of
that experience being when Jim Swarts was with the Detroit Lions,
and I think, you know, with Aaron, with Aaron, Aaron
being a Green Bay packer, so seeing a lot of
Jim Schwartz and knowing how that system works, I think
will be an asset. But he's but he's got different toys.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
You know.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Once again, philosophy is one thing. Practical application of those
philosophy is a completely different thing, right, you know. Yeah,
when Jim Schwartz was doing all that, he didn't have
he didn't have a Miles Garrett running around that he
could that he could plug and play at any position.
So it's gonna be interesting how they deploy him against
this Steelers front. You know, who do you pick out,
you know, for for Miles to go against on a
(15:41):
play by play basis, or where do you focus your intentions?
Do you play him strong side? Do you play him
weak side for the rundown on the back side of plays?
You know, when it comes to passing situations, are you
lining him up opposite the tight end? What if the
tight end gets motioned over to him, how are you
going to deploy him? That's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
That's art.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
That's an Arthur Smith thing and and in consort with
Aaron Rodgers. So it's going to be really interesting to
see how they deploy them in the game because I
think that's gonna be the focal point for anything anything
the Steelers want to do. You've got to know where
Miles Garrett is at all times because he can he
can wreck your game very quickly, and he's a guy
that you know, if you don't if you don't remember
(16:22):
number ninety five you know is out there. You you are,
you are sorely mistaken about that, you know, Jim? What
I do want to ask and kind of get get
you know, beat you know, beat the ear drums up a.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Little bit on this one.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
But you know, as you kind of look at where
the Steelers are at this point, has has it been
a surprise about? And listen, we have a long season
to go, so I want to preface that before I
make this statement. It's not one of those you know,
facetious fever fever dreams. But have you ever seen the
Steelers have this type of advantage after September over the field? Now,
(17:02):
you haven't played division play yet, but to go into
it knowing that there is a cushion, and not to
say they're overlooking. I caution everybody, do not overlook the Browns.
First and foremost, do not overlook the But do you
remember in recent history when the last time you've seen
this type of this type of lead for a Steelers
(17:25):
team going into division play?
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Max, I'm probably the wrong guy to ask.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
You're the historian. You're the historian.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
I'm good at looking stuff up the day of our interviews.
I know where to look this stuff up. I just don't.
I don't know it all's well, that's I can. Can
I tell you this one. It's a little different, and
I don't know the answer to your question. And you know,
(17:57):
if they really start feeling comfortable, they can tighten it
up in a real hurry. You know. If they think
it's just too easy, well then just keep thinking that
it won't be easy, you know. Right now, Aaron Rodgers
got to get the horse whip by and whip this
team and talk about nothing but holefield advantage. They're in
(18:18):
that position where if they keep their focus, they can
be one of those teams, you know, and this isn't
the perfect team. If they get some breaks and get
some games at home in the playoffs, that's what could
spring them. So they ought to just stick to business.
As far as the other nugget I wanted, something I
(18:41):
did look up today, Max, this might be the worst
division in football since the realignment, at least record wise
and point differential. There will minus one point fifty nine
combine this division through five games since the AFC North
was established in two thousand and two realignment. That's a
(19:02):
record that's a record. Both of those, they're winning percentage
and the point differential. It's this is the poorest division
since realignment in two thousand and two. And we all
know there's a lot of injuries to keep quarterbacks and
that has a lot to do with it. But the
(19:23):
Steelers really really need to get the whip off for
this game. Worry about everything else later, all the questions,
all the things we're talking about. They should really have
your plugs on and really focus on this game. I
don't feel real good about it. I like the rest
from the buy and the Browns are coming back from London,
(19:47):
but man, you know, it's just there's some talent over
there that has yet to come to fruition, especially a quarterback,
and hey, that can happen. It happened with Dorian Thompson
what was that dude's name with the.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
On a Thursday night in Cleveland, snow Globe snowl game.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Yeah, in a Snowglobe game. But those are games after
a Raven's after a raven's blood letting you know this,
this is after a bye. They have all the intangibles
going for them now and their their own lack of
focus is the only thing that can hurt them, and
because the Browns have some talent too. So yeah, that
(20:29):
that snow Globe game that was after a really rugged
I believe it was a Ravens game, and the Dorian Thompson,
you know Dorian Thompson was. There are eight quarterbacks. Tomlin's
two and six against quarterbacks making their first or second
start in their rookie year, and one of those winners
was Dorian and the other one was Troy Smith in
(20:51):
a in a an end of season game where they
rested their starters.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
So, by the way, it was it was Winston last year.
Winston was a snow Globe game, but it was dt
R a few years. Yeah, it was Winston last year
in the Thursday night but yeah, DTR. Yeah, listen, Jim,
you know, the Steelers have been really successful against the
Browns at home. But they you know, I agree with you,
They've got their work cutout for them. I don't think
(21:14):
it's going to be an easy game. We thank you
for being with us on a hump Day with a
hump Day headlines with Wexhel presented by our neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers. Wex thanks man. We look forward to seeing
you over on the South Side. I want to remind
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(21:37):
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(21:58):
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Speaker 1 (22:08):
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at Shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
And we thank you very much for being with us
our thanks to Jim Wexel for joining us. A short
time ago. You know, we were talking about this trade Max,
and one of the things that I think is happening
with some clarity in Cleveland is that they all seem
to be on the same page with the rebuild. In fact,
(22:53):
Jimmy Hashim, the owner, said look, we've got to get
a look at and you know, you can say what
you want about owners interference and their opinions and all
the other stuff. And you know, I get the sense
that he had a lot to do with the trade
for Deshaun Watson. You know, nobody's gonna come out and
say that sometimes a general manager has to just quietly
(23:15):
do what the owner wants. But I think the fact
that they've been bad and they haven't made the changes
at coach and at general manager tell me that it's
a tacit acknowledgement that that was out of their control.
(23:38):
That wasn't their decision. Now maybe Baker Mayfield was. That's
that's obviously mistake. We've talked about the quarterback position, but
Jim mentioned this and I think that it's Germane because
I wanted to get to it as well. The fact
that this this team, they seem to be all together
as a team in the rebuild mode. So they pick
up another draft pick in Flacco, and they want to
(24:00):
find out between Dylan Gabriel and Shader Sanders. Do they
somehow in those picks. Gabriel maybe sliding because of his height,
Schadur Sanders sliding for whatever reasons when people had first
round grades on him. Are one of these two guys
their future quarterback? And when you look at their draft
class this year, you know Jim mentioned it. You know
(24:24):
you have quinch On Judkins was a second round pick,
Dylan Gabriel a third round pick, Harold Fan in the
tight end a third round pick, Dylan Samson at the
running back position, he was a fourth round pick, Shuder
Sanders a fifth round pick. That's just on offense and
on defense. You had Mason Graham in the first round,
Carson Swesssinger in the second round. Those guys are both
(24:45):
starter Sweestioningers in the middle of the defense at the
middle linebacker position, Graham a defensive lineman. You put all
this together, you pick up an extra pick in the
trade down for this year's upcoming drafts. You have two
first round picks you pick up another in the flat trade.
It feels like they're working in concert to try to
build the Browns back up.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Yeah, it's it's a process.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
That they're trying to go through, and I think that's
why they've amassed so many picks over the last couple
of years, and even with this Joe Flacco trade, right
posturing themselves for what the next need is for this
team to get them into the relevancy conversation.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
I think it's the best way of putting it. Rob
try to write.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
It Kin because because since the Deshaun Watson debacle, let's
call it.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
That, because that's exactly what it was.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
And you had to let go of Baker Mayfield, who
got you to the playoffs, did everything right, but you
you took a moonshot swing and you missed fabulously. And
I say fabulously for my time. I mean it was
a spectacular fail on their part. You've now you have
to rebuild by youth, and that's what you're kind of
(26:01):
seeing with this Cleveland Browns team is Okay, we have
to throw multiple quarterbacks at this to figure it out.
Because we've seen what the Steelers have done and they've
still had success so why can't we do it? That's
really what the question comes down to. Because the Steelers,
for two years in a row cheapest quarterback room, which
(26:21):
has allowed you to build the rest of your team.
So how do you manufacture that without veterans? You went
and you got Kenny Pickett. You wait and got Joe Flacco.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
It was like, okay, you're trying to do the same thing.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
Clear out the room and everything, even though you still
have this to Shaun Watson, elephants still sitting in the room.
And then it's like, well, let's further that by drafting
not one, but two rookie quarterbacks, and if one of
the two hits, we're good and we can build all
these resources around. Just like you listen, all the guys
that have been drafted and are playing on this team.
(26:52):
They're trying to play the long game, and that's the
way that they plan on attacking it. We'll see how
well it works in the process. But Dylan Gabriel looked
good in his first appearance as a starter. That's why
they felt good enough to go trade Joe Flaco away, like, oh,
we don't need the old guy anymore. We already got
rid of Kenny Pickett right before the season started, right
we traded him to the Raiders, and now we've traded
(27:13):
away Joe Flacco, got picks for value, and both of
those occasions to a mass more for next year, planning
that if we are going to be relevant and we're
going to be competitive, let's steal all the good picks
away from the other teams that could hurt us. And
that's kind of been there. They've kind of tried to
(27:33):
corner the market. And I told people this back when
you know, the draft had just ended.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
They had four quarterbacks in the roster.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
I said, they are playing bank at the casino. They
know that people will have to come to them at
some point because they've amassed more pieces than anybody else
at the quarterback position. And guess what, it worked out
exactly how I said it was going to work out.
They played bank. They dealt one to the Raiders in
(28:01):
conference opponent. They dealt one to the Cincinnati in division
in conference opponent. So they've already controlled how the flow comes,
and they've got and they got something back for guys
that seemingly would not have had value anywhere else. But
because they had the most resources, they dictated the terms
of other teams and they.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Got value for it.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
Think about that, you drafted a third and a fifth
round quarterback and what did you get back. You got
additional draft picks for next year's draft. So net zero
positive gain there, and you were and possibly could turn
it into a plus because you didn't pay anything for
Joe Flacco.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
He was sitting on the couch.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
Nobody wanted him, and now look by week six, somebody
needs and wants.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Him after you just benched him.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
So you've created value and now you've gotten back that
should do her fifth round pick that you quote unquote
wasted a year ago. Now you have a comparable fifth
round pick for next year's draft. So you've just simply
slid your your chips over to a different pile.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
It wasn't in the all in pile. That's the reserve pile.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
After you go all in, say this is my semi
all in, and I still have more resource to work with.
So it was smart from that perspective from a strategic standpoint.
Now now they have to actually make it work, but
they're trying to lower their roster cap hit because you
just paid Miles Garrett a fortune and a half to
keep him in the off season after he held you
hostage that Monday before Super Bowl and you know, demanded
(29:29):
a trade, and then all of a sudden, trade gets
wiped away when you throw cash at it, right so
the demand becomes less and you realize you can't pay
a superstar quarterback right now because you're still trying to
get out of the Shaun Watson trade.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
And you know that.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Any team's biggest liability or biggest consumption of cash and
a salary cap is at your quarterback position, so they're
trying to do what the Steelers are doing that we're
gonna We're gonna throw youth at that position and pray
one of them sticks and we can build the other
guys and pay the other guys as we get to
That defense was a price I already this year. Hence
what you listed with the draft picks and their participation
(30:04):
next year will be an offensive fix. You're gonna look
at a wide receiver, You're gonna look at another running back,
you know, to compliment Quinn Shawn Jenkins, and you're probably
gonna start building your offensive line because the age of
those guys is going to start coming into play at
some point. So you're they're doing it very strategically, but
it's a long haul play. And that's why you can't
take the Cleveland Browns for granted. You have to you
(30:24):
have to be cautious in every aspect. That's why you
can't overlook this team, because they're youthful enough that they
will fall into success by accident and not know they
did it, and you don't want to give them that avenue.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yeah, you know, Max, I think when I look at
the team too, and I don't want to discount this
week because I do think that there are some things
to be concerned about. Their defense is very good. They've
got a very good rotational front up front, led of
course by Miles Garrett. But you know I wouldn't have
if I was in charge of the team, I wouldn't
have taken Mason Graham there. I probably would have gone
(30:56):
for a game breaker. But listen, man, I think think
that again, not afraid to admit I was wrong. I
think that, you know, I may have been wrong about
that because Graham is solidifying their front. MALIEK. Collins is
a great signing. He's he's back next year. I think
I think next year. You know, we talk about Okay,
Who are the teams we expected to jump forward this year, Jacksonville,
(31:18):
maybe New England to some degree, although I think they're
looking like they're going to exceed my expectations. You know,
Chicago said, hey, we're all in now. With Caleb Williams
a quarterback, Let's let's go ahead and shore up that
offensive line. You know, they're the Browns, and I understand
where you're going with the offensive line. It is an
aging group now. Dewan Jones is a younger guy. He's
(31:40):
their left tackle. He's hurt. Left tackle is a real problem.
They traded for Cam Robinson last week. He didn't look
at all ready in that game against Minnesota. They've they've
had outside of Deshaun Watson, they've had some key injuries.
J Okay. You know, one of their top linebackers hurt
last year neck injury after he into Derrick Henry. He
(32:01):
not only missed all last year, he's gonna miss all
of this year. Dwan Jones at left tackle, you know
Cedric Tilman, you know, a young receiver. They've got some
key injuries. But if they could get by with the
offensive line next year, because those guys are still good
man Teller, Uh, Posk and Botonio in the middle of
that line. That's about as good as you're going to
(32:24):
get around the NFL in my opinion. I mean, that's
a solid threesome. Jack Konkin a good veteran right tackle.
You know, if you can coax another year out of
that group, and I understand you have to regenerate it.
You get Tilman back. Judkins looks like you know early
on that he could be a stud. You have Samson
who you drafted as kind of a breakaway back in
(32:44):
the fourth round. You know, you added Fannin to back
up Najoku at tight end. I mean you're looking at
what a young quarterback if you decide to go that way,
if neither of these guys can handle it for you,
and you know a receiver with your second first round
pick to add to that group with Judy and Tillman,
(33:06):
all of a sudden, that offense, you know, could on
paper match what they're capable of throwing out there on defense.
You know, the more I've dug into this Browns team,
and it's I think it's very easy for fans to say, ah, yeah,
they're the Browns and look, it's all got to come together.
First of all, you have to get the right people
in place. And some of your guys, you know, Denzel Ward,
(33:27):
Miles Garrett, these are guys that are in their prime,
but you know it's not the beginning of their prime.
It's the middle or maybe latter half of their prime.
Greg Knewsom on the other side from Denzel Ward. But
Ward's really good man. Their secondary is solid, you know. Look,
they've got to add depth across the board, as you mentioned,
particularly I think at the offensive line position. I don't
(33:48):
know what they think of a guy like Zach Zinter,
who they picked last year in the third round, whether
they think he's a future starter in waiting and you know,
you could slide him in there. It looks like they've
kind of thought league tried to draft some guys in
that regard, but it's easy, I think to brush them
away with the back of your hand and say it's
the Browns. I think this year, this game, they're gonna
(34:12):
present some problems to this Deelers. And I think if
if they have another kind of offseason like they had
this offseason, not only with the draft, but the thoughtful
signing of a guy like Malik Collins, I think I
think the Browns are maybe closer to being pretty good
than fans might realize.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
That's my take.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
I don't know if you feel the same way, But
that's when I look at this Browns roster doing the
research for this game, that's kind of what I see.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
No, I think you hit all of the points that
was necessary. I mean there's a lot of youth at
a lot of positions. Like you said, you need them
to stick. If they don't stick, and you're like, okay,
you know, we can go back in the draft. They
want to control the cards in that draft, right. They
(34:59):
want to They want to make sure that they are
in charge of all of this. And when I look
at it, that's what I see. I see a team
that is poised to make a jump at some point
because you've already got let's see one, two, three, four
(35:20):
rookie starters on offense and one to three rookie starters
on defense and a host of backups behind them.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Right.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
I mean, you're running back room alone right after you
let go of Nick Chubb. All you're sitting with is
Jerome Ford. That's only vet in that room. But Dylan Samson,
Quinston Junkins, Raheem Sanders. All three of them are in
the rotation behind him, and I will say this, I've seen.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
All three of those guys.
Speaker 4 (35:48):
And even though Quinn John Juckkins came from Ohio State,
let's give him his due for one year being a
house he's an old miss guy. So they went and
got three SEC running backs. Raheem Sanders, Rocket Sanders went
to went to South Carolina. He was also a guy
that also transferred from another school.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
He transferred from Arkansas.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
So SEC guy Dylan Dylan Samson, Tennessee dude, yep, and
what and last year you have to remember he was
SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
So they've got some firepower in that running back room.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
And then you're throw in two rookie quarterbacks that are
now going to be first his second string right now
for the rest of this season, potentially with Deshaun Watson
be and your emergency third. I'm assuming, because that's only
the quarterback you got on a roster.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
You're setting up for. Oh, sorry, Zappi, Zapi, Zappi's on
practice squad. Yeah, you can elevate him. Sorry, You're in.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
A position now that you can be youthful and make
mistakes and.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Go all in.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
But the one area where you don't have youth is
your offensive line. I mean you listed the interior right,
and the interior goes eight nine to twelve numerically, And
that would be very easy to say. Because Wyatt Taylor's
in his eighth year, either posted in his ninth year,
and Joe Botonio is in his twelfth year. You've got
to shore up and they don't. And like you said,
(37:06):
Zach Zenter is the one guy that they drafted as
a rookie last year. But you need more depth on
the back side of that, sure, and they're.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
Paying the price this year. I mean, it's hard to
have depth everywhere. And you know the fact that Dwan Jones,
who looks like he's really going to be a nice
player at left tackle, the fact that he got hurt.
That's that's a big way they have not been able
to overcome that. They're not equipped to deal with that injury.
As you know they listening. They went out and traded
for Cam Robinson. Yeah, you know so.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
And you have a Tevin Jenkins already on the roster
who's originally drafted as a tackle too to Chicago, and
then they moved him into guards so I mean, you
have a guy there on the RUSS.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
You have a.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
Cornelius Lucas who played fine last year for Washington, went
and signed a two year deal to be your backup
right tackle. So it's like they have other but they
haven't found the answer yet. They haven't found the right
guy for that left side, and they've thrown a lot
of resources at that left tackle. So you have to
assume in the draft there's gonna be a point of
emphasis to go find a swing tackle in the draft early.
(38:11):
If you don't go after quarterback in that first round,
you have to think they're gonna play the position game
and try and get the top tackle that's available. That's
why you amassed so many picks. So you can take
multiple bytes at the Apple.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
Yeah, listen there and what Jimmy has them said, and
getting back to this game where we're gonna see Dylan
Gabriel start again. If they somehow think they've got their
quarterback already, If one of these guys that slipped in
the draft, Gabriel again because of the height of Shreder
Sanders for whatever reason, if they have the answer there,
(38:45):
that accelerates because now it's not a rookie quarterback.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
It's a second year quarterback.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
You don't use that top draft pick on a quarterback,
use that top draft pick on an offensive tackle or
a serious game breaking receiver to pair with Judy and Tillman.
And then you get that tackle with your second first
round pick, which you got in this year's trade. So
they're certainly in an excesstick position.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
Travis Hunter yields more fruit for them. Yeah, and we will.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
We will dive much more to this matchup, of course,
coming up in a little bit and tomorrow as well.
Got to take a break now, we're going to continue
in the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store
and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at Shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Oh right, you know what time it is? It's the
bell lap.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
As I always say each and every data we're on
this show early lunch warning system engaged, and please make
sure you go out there and forage responsibly. You know,
winter is coming, the colder climate is coming, so make
sure you forage not only for yourself, before your health
as well. And you know, Rob, I think one of
the fun things that we kind of look at in
(40:29):
this final segment, as we've kind of talked about a
lot of the preview of what the challenge is in
front of us and making sure that we don't overlook.
We keep a sober minded approach to handle the business
of the week. The business of the week, Rob is
to go one to know this week. Yeah, that's it,
point blank period. And I know Jim said that there
(40:53):
seems to feel like an oversight of that. I don't
think there's an oversight to this, because we have been
proven wrong. When you look past the browns, you end
up getting brown on your face, you know, and that's
dirt or whatever else. That's what we've ben So I
think there is a conscious effort from this coaching staff,
(41:14):
from Mike Tomlin, from the players, don't take anything for granted.
And I know a guy like Aaron Rodgers who's had
as long a career has fallen victim to that in
the past, and that's why he's going to be very
acute that division games are different than just a random
opponent like the Minnesota Vikings or like the Seattle Seahawks.
(41:34):
There's something about division play, and this is a guy
who has mastered that division. He had the NFC North
at a chokehold for a very long time, and he's
gone against Matt Stafford head to head and those Lions.
He was the king of the untimed downs and those
type of matchups.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Right.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
You know, he's dealt with the Minnesota Vikings and all
the different quarterbacks over the years that have played for
that squad.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
He's dealt with the Chicago Bears. In fact, you know
the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
That game in November is Soldier Field. That might be
the loudest booze you'll ever hear rob this season. Yeah,
might be when Aaron Rodgers returns to Soldier Field as
a Steeler after they thought they got that cursor written
away from him. But I digress. So he understands the
importance of what these division games mean. I think he's
gonna be a great advocate, a great speaker for keeping focused.
(42:25):
Do not look at that short week. Do not think
about what's on the precipice next week. Handle the business
in front of you.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
So I agree, and I will say this, you know,
and again we're going to dive into the specific matchups
because you know, week to week sometimes you look at
individual matchups and you think you know, but I mean,
I just look around here. You know, Broderick Jones and
others against Miles Garrett. How's the interear going to deal
(42:56):
with a guy like Malik Collins who is just, you know,
been incredible for them. Frankly, I think that's going to
probably follow the Mason McCormick. That's an interesting battle. Denzel
Ward against DK metcalf On and their tight ends against
Deshaun Elliott and the line. But there are a ton
of big matchups. But Max, just to wrap this show up,
(43:18):
we only have to look back to last week. The
Steelers and the Vikings played a game that came down
to the wire, and the Steelers found a way to win.
The Vikings and Browns played a game that came down
to the wire. The Browns outplayed him throughout almost the
entirety of the game, and the Vikings found a way
to win. So you just have to look back at
recent games to understand that this is a Browns team
(43:38):
and Judkins, now he was not healthy the first couple
of weeks.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
He wasn't available.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
He's he has been inserted in the lineup. He is
making a huge difference. I do not expect an easy
game on Sunday at all.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Yeah, No, this is one that historically, and like you.
Speaker 4 (43:56):
Said in recency, it has been very tough, very close case.
This is not going to be an easy walk in
the park. And I'm not even gonna call it an
easy out because there's nothing to be easy out of
because you've never had consistent success agains.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Right, So this is not gonna be a walk in
the park.
Speaker 4 (44:16):
This is not a just kind of figure fumble your
way through the dark type of approach. No, you have
to be intentional, you have to be physical, you have
to be relentless, and you have.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
To play to the echo of the whistle.
Speaker 4 (44:29):
That's what these Division games to, you know, demand of
you anything less, any other thought is not welcomed. It's
not going to yield success for you. It's only going
to yield depression, loss and dissatisfaction if you don't accomplish that.
You've got to play this game for sixty minutes. They're
(44:50):
a team that does not want to go away easily.
They don't like you, you don't like them.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
Act accordingly. Agreed is Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
I'm Rob King. We want to also thank our pop
tart eating producer Justin Miller. Uh back at back at
the controls frosted. Look forward to Jerry Dulac coming up tomorrow.
I want to thank Jim Wexel for being with us,
for Max, for Justin. I'm Rob King. We thank you
as always for being with us in the locker Room
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro
(45:23):
Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Forward Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Oh, guess what day it is? Guess what day it is?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Anybody, Julie, Hey, guess what day it is?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Come on, I know you can hear me. Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike,
what day is it?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Mike?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Guess what today is? It's hump day? All right, you
heard it, Mike. The camel is in the building.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
It is a hump day here inside the power hour,
inside the locker room. And we are joined by the One,
the Only, the editor in Chief aka author extraordinaire. Rob,
You're also an author extraordinaire. But this is this is,
this is for Wex. I just want to make sure
I'm keeping it balanced here. But we are joined by
(01:10):
the One, the Only still see the Insider, editor in chief,
multiple time author here of all things Stealers, historical perspectives
and of course you know, wanderings and musings of said
legends is the one the only mister Jim wexl.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Wow. How do you like that one? Jim?
Speaker 5 (01:26):
Wow? You know that's pretty cool. And you know editor
in chief, you know who is the editor in chief
of Superman.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
At the Daily Daily Planet, Daily Planet.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
Yeah. Anyway, there's a school thinking that a large school
of thinking that kind of is refuted by the historian
who wrote the book on Art Rooney. That that's where
the nickname Chief came from, editor in chief of Superman's
Clark hence editor Perry was his name? Perry?
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, Perry. What was Perry's last name? Gosh, dog it?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
But yeah, yeah, anyway, go ahead, keep going to look
it up.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
Be careful if you shorten that the chief, because there's
only one chief here.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, yeah, you know, you you will.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
I will make sure it's always editor in chief or
or even to even be further removed editor by the.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Chief, by the way, Perry White, Perry White. There we go,
there we go.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
You know, that's that's the common school of thought. That, uh,
that's where Chief got the nickname. Chief got his nickname,
but kind of refuted. One of the sons definitely named
him Chief, but it was something about soccer. I guess
the Chief is trying to buy an indoor soccer team
in the fifties or something, late fifties, and so somebody said, well,
(02:58):
that's not going to happen, Chief, something like that. It
was in regard to soccer's not going to half. The
Chief called his dad chief, and that's where it took
off from. That's one school of thought. Most of it
is Perry.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Perry White, Perry White, Perry White. So, by the way,
uh hump days with Wexel Empty headlines with Wexels presented
by your neighborhood for Word store. The F one fifty
is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers wex I
want to ask you what I what I've asked our
other guests who have been on with us this week,
Bob Labriola, Alvalo Martin, what is your take on where
(03:34):
the Steelers are coming out of this break three and
one record, you know, and and just sort of an
overall state of the team from your perspective.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
Well, they've they've improved in a couple of key areas
against a team with questionable facilities to stop that improvement,
so that improvement must continue against the more rugged defense
this week. You know they got them, they got the
running game going. And today early locker room this morning,
everybody mobbed Spencer Anderson, so you know, his big nineteen
(04:10):
snaps last week have caused raucous news outbreaks in Pittsburgh.
Regarding this extra alignment, should that continue, I don't know.
There's a lot of people that need to get on
the field named John Who and Pat and a couple
other receivers could get on the field, So you hate
(04:32):
to see all those resources be important to get in
the running game going, especially against smallish Minnesota line. Cleveland
is the number one run defense in the NFL. So
we will see. We will see if last week's progress
was a mirage or not. Otherwise. I mean, they're well coached,
they got a good quarterback making smart decisions. They're going
(04:52):
to win these close games if you let them hang
around like Glngland did. Seattle was even a toss up.
So yeah, yeah, I like the intangibles of this team,
and I like the fact that there's a lot of
improvement to be made. But show it to me a
second week against the better defense, and frankly, I think
(05:13):
the whole Pittsburgh world and I worry about the locker
room and the coaching staff are looking past Cleveland to
this double double division dip in five days, four days,
whatever it is, and everybody's talking she can they win both?
Like I said on the show last week, and better
(05:35):
worry about this game. This game could be a real problem.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah you know what, And I'll throw this to both
of you guys.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
You know, Matt Williamson and Wes we're talking on the
drive and they asked me about, you know, my feelings
on right now in this snapshot in time with the
Ravens being banged up. You know, if Lamar's not playing
as he was this past week, the Bengals obviously, you
know before Joe Flacco right serious questions at the quarterback
(06:08):
position that the Browns might be the team you'd least
want to face. Right now, Max, this is a this
is an opponent. You know what they're gonna be capable
of doing. They're gonna they're gonna try to shut down
the run. They're gonna try to unleash Miles Garrett in
their pass rush.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
They have very good corners.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
If they can you know, run the football with Judkins,
they can be a problem. Uh. You know, of the
three teams, they might be the most difficult team to
beat right now. You know, look, Lamar comes back. We
understand that's and all those injured guys. That's a different conversation,
But in this snapshot, right in this moment of time,
they might be the team that's the.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Hardest to face in the AFC. Nor No, and I
agree with that.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
And I think one of the things I heard when
Mike Tomin was talking yesterday was it was the explanation
for the six line. So I'm gonna kind of address
Jim's concerns as well as question you just pos kind
of in this stream of consciousness of thought here. But
you know, I think when you look at the teams
(07:08):
and I hear what you say about needing to get
more guys on the field, trying to figure out how
this is going to work. The thirteen personnel grouping is
still one that's interesting. But if you can't move the football,
you can't be two dimensional. And I think for this
young line, getting the sixth linemen out there in a
(07:29):
Calvin Anderson along with a Darnell Washington and really creating
a seven let's just call it a seven lineman front,
I mean, Darnald Washington as humong as he's the size
of an offensive tackle. So but he also has a
skill set to be a receiver. When you need to
get things done and you still have two wide receivers,
you can split out. Heck, you can even split out
(07:50):
a Pat Fryar Mooth or or have a John news
Smith that can go opposite DK metcalf in some of those,
especially if you have a Calvin Anderson that's not available,
Calvin Austin that's not available, Like, there's nothing wrong with
that type of process, and then it becomes a you know,
a bastardized thirteen front thirteen personnel grouping. But I think
(08:13):
the biggest thing was getting that run game a shot
in the arm, giving guys some confidence. And I think
even if we go into this this week with the
same process, because they do play more of a four
downish front than they do a true three to four,
a lot of teams don't play a true three to
four anymore. And what Mike Tomlin said in that press
conference was this is for four down teams. So when
(08:34):
Miles Garrett is lined up at a defensive end position
with his hand in the dirt, no outside back er
outside of him.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
That's a four man front. That's a four down front.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
And this run game with the extra tight end of
Spencer Andersson is designing against a four down front. Because
let's just face it, for all the good things that
Pat Fryarmouth and John Osmith and Connor Hayward do, the
one thing where they do struggle is setting the edge
against three hundred pound defensive end. And that's why you
use that extra guy. And so I think even if
(09:07):
it is like that, we go with the six linemen
and that's the way that we develop our run game
right now. It keeps us balanced. At the end of
the day, the job is to what win games. That's
the finite part of this business.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
The stats don't matter. The wins and the losses do.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
And I think because we are infatuated because we don't
have the number two receiver, you know that everybody has
been asking us to get and why we need it,
and oh all of these other things. But you can
manufacture that with the second wide receiver. Like having that
extra guy on the field doesn't mean that you can't
put Jonah Smith, Pat Fryermouth, Roman Wilson, Vince Goronic, Scotty
Miller whoever you want to put as a second wide
(09:49):
receiver opposite DK Metcalf, you can still do it, but
you get to pick and choose how you do it,
because that's gonna be a loaded box, and that's gonna
be a one on one matchup on the outside. You're
not gonna be able to bracket DK when you have
that six offensive lineman in there. So you actually create
a better matchup on the outside if you do want
to pass instead of running those situations.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
So there's some things that get freed up.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Get freed up by that because now you're you're dictating
the single high coverage as opposed to it's too high
because you're not going to be put in a seven
man box with a six offensive lineman in there. You
just that would be asinine to do that, So you
have to drop that guy. Now you get the single high,
let it fly concept. Bruce arians right, you get that concept.
Now DK can take that short slant route eighty yards
(10:33):
for a touchdown because it's a single high situation. You
can now manipulate how you can now dictate the terms
to the defense, not the defense, dictate the terms on
how you operate and for a guy like Aaron makes
things crystal clear, you know, it's like looking in It's
like looking at It's like looking at your toes ten
feet deep in turks and caicos in the sand, like
I can still see the bottom. Like it makes it
(10:55):
crystal clear.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
It's not. It's not murky like the ozarks. You know,
you walk five feet out. So that's where that comes in.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
I think a lot of people just get up in
armscuse like, well, why do you need six there, You're
supposed to only have five. It's like, no, that's why
you have a roster of fifty three. You get to
manipulate and create whatever you want. Just like a tush
push can't be stopped until otherwise noted. We're going to
run this until you stop it, until you figure out
a creative way to do that.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
If you could stop us with a seven man front
with a six with a sixth offensive lineman.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
I dare you, we are going to be successful more
often than not, and you have to adjust. You have
to pray that you get lucky in those situations. So
I think that's.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
More of it, and you can find the other.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Ways of getting guys involved, because you're swapping out groups
all the time. You can just swap out wide receivers
if you want to keep Calvin, Spencer Anderson in. But
also there's going to come a point where I think
that line matures and gets their own confidence. It's where
you don't need the sixth offensive lineman. But for right
now you're having success. Is breeding the confidence for that
offensive line unit, hopefully call that.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
I like all of that. Well, what did he answer
your question? Rob Because I had an answer, but I
forgot what the question was.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
By now, it's okay whether whether the Browns might be
the most difficult opponent right now, not not not three
weeks from now, not three weeks ago, but right.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
Now, you know the maturation of Dylan Gabriel will be
the key to that, because man, what a rookie class.
A great rookie tight end. Jerry Judy is a wide receiver.
They have what is that Isaiah Boyd as a rookie
undrafted wide receiver, and they have the running back and
then a couple of guys on defense, and I like that.
(12:49):
What was his name? Schlessinger? The middle linebacker from the
U c l A is good. I talked to him
at the combine. I liked him, and of course Mason
Graham I thought was a little overrated, but people are
saying he's playing well. So I would like to see
the Steelers attack the middle there, the middle of that defense. Uh,
and just see what Mason Graham does have. So yeah,
(13:13):
they really seem like the best team because their number
one run defense with Denzel Ward back, there good a
good surrounding cast in the secondary. It's gonna be you know,
Cincinnati even with Joe Burrow, has a terrible defense, and
then without Joe Burrow, and everybody's worried about Blacko, but
that game is so far down the road. They really,
(13:35):
they really need to win this one, and they have
the edge of quarterback. Although Dylan Gabriel or Tombel made
a nice case yesterday for all the throws he's made
in his career, what five years in college, he played
a lot of okay, okay, And I think he threw
ten thousand yards in high school too. I think Tom.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Ten thousand.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
Tom was over in Hawaii scouting Nick Herbig, if you
remember that draft day press conference, and so maybe that's
when he heard of Dylan Gabriel over in Hawaii. High
school kid Anyway, yeah, I think they're the most difficult
team to beat. It's a good thing our home. And
Aaron Rodgers does have his greatest success, the greatest passer
(14:27):
rating against an opponent of his career is against the Browns.
He's three and zero against the Browns with a one
twenty seven career passer rating. That's his highest against any opponent.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
That's good news. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
And Jim Schwartz, Yeah, last nugget, Jim Schwartz, the Browns
defensive coordinator. Aaron is nine to four against Jim schwartz
defenses in his career. So, I mean, he's still four losses,
but he's seen him, he knows what he's doing. I'm
gonna talk to him about that today.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
No, I mean, and I think, yeah, a lot of
that experience being when Jim Swarts was with the Detroit Lions,
and I think, you know, with Aaron, with Aaron, Aaron
being a Green Bay packer, so seeing a lot of
Jim Schwartz and knowing how that system works, I think
will be an asset. But he's but he's got different toys.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
You know.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Once again, philosophy is one thing. Practical application of those
philosophy is a completely different thing, right, you know. Yeah,
when Jim Schwartz was doing all that, he didn't have
he didn't have a Miles Garrett running around that he
could that he could plug and play at any position.
So it's gonna be interesting how they deploy him against
this Steelers front. You know, who do you pick out,
you know, for for Miles to go against on a
(15:41):
play by play basis, or where do you focus your intentions?
Do you play him strong side? Do you play him
weak side for the rundown on the back side of plays?
You know, when it comes to passing situations, are you
lining him up opposite the tight end? What if the
tight end gets motioned over to him, how are you
going to deploy him? That's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
That's art.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
That's an Arthur Smith thing and and in consort with
Aaron Rodgers. So it's going to be really interesting to
see how they deploy them in the game because I
think that's gonna be the focal point for anything anything
the Steelers want to do. You've got to know where
Miles Garrett is at all times because he can he
can wreck your game very quickly, and he's a guy
that you know, if you don't if you don't remember
(16:22):
number ninety five you know is out there. You you are,
you are sorely mistaken about that, you know, Jim? What
I do want to ask and kind of get get
you know, beat you know, beat the ear drums up a.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Little bit on this one.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
But you know, as you kind of look at where
the Steelers are at this point, has has it been
a surprise about? And listen, we have a long season
to go, so I want to preface that before I
make this statement. It's not one of those you know,
facetious fever fever dreams. But have you ever seen the
Steelers have this type of advantage after September over the field? Now,
(17:02):
you haven't played division play yet, but to go into
it knowing that there is a cushion, and not to
say they're overlooking. I caution everybody, do not overlook the Browns.
First and foremost, do not overlook the But do you
remember in recent history when the last time you've seen
this type of this type of lead for a Steelers
(17:25):
team going into division play?
Speaker 5 (17:28):
Max, I'm probably the wrong guy to ask.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
You're the historian. You're the historian.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
I'm good at looking stuff up the day of our interviews.
I know where to look this stuff up. I just don't.
I don't know it all's well, that's I can. Can
I tell you this one. It's a little different, and
I don't know the answer to your question. And you know,
(17:57):
if they really start feeling comfortable, they can tighten it
up in a real hurry. You know. If they think
it's just too easy, well then just keep thinking that
it won't be easy, you know. Right now, Aaron Rodgers
got to get the horse whip by and whip this
team and talk about nothing but holefield advantage. They're in
(18:18):
that position where if they keep their focus, they can
be one of those teams, you know, and this isn't
the perfect team. If they get some breaks and get
some games at home in the playoffs, that's what could
spring them. So they ought to just stick to business.
As far as the other nugget I wanted, something I
(18:41):
did look up today, Max, this might be the worst
division in football since the realignment, at least record wise
and point differential. There will minus one point fifty nine
combine this division through five games since the AFC North
was established in two thousand and two realignment. That's a
(19:02):
record that's a record. Both of those, they're winning percentage
and the point differential. It's this is the poorest division
since realignment in two thousand and two. And we all
know there's a lot of injuries to keep quarterbacks and
that has a lot to do with it. But the
(19:23):
Steelers really really need to get the whip off for
this game. Worry about everything else later, all the questions,
all the things we're talking about. They should really have
your plugs on and really focus on this game. I
don't feel real good about it. I like the rest
from the buy and the Browns are coming back from London,
(19:47):
but man, you know, it's just there's some talent over
there that has yet to come to fruition, especially a quarterback,
and hey, that can happen. It happened with Dorian Thompson
what was that dude's name with the.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
On a Thursday night in Cleveland, snow Globe snowl game.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Yeah, in a Snowglobe game. But those are games after
a Raven's after a raven's blood letting you know this,
this is after a bye. They have all the intangibles
going for them now and their their own lack of
focus is the only thing that can hurt them, and
because the Browns have some talent too. So yeah, that
(20:29):
that snow Globe game that was after a really rugged
I believe it was a Ravens game, and the Dorian Thompson,
you know Dorian Thompson was. There are eight quarterbacks. Tomlin's
two and six against quarterbacks making their first or second
start in their rookie year, and one of those winners
was Dorian and the other one was Troy Smith in
(20:51):
a in a an end of season game where they
rested their starters.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
So, by the way, it was it was Winston last year.
Winston was a snow Globe game, but it was dt
R a few years. Yeah, it was Winston last year
in the Thursday night but yeah, DTR. Yeah, listen, Jim,
you know, the Steelers have been really successful against the
Browns at home. But they you know, I agree with you,
They've got their work cutout for them. I don't think
(21:14):
it's going to be an easy game. We thank you
for being with us on a hump Day with a
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(21:37):
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(21:58):
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Speaker 1 (22:08):
This is in the locker room with King and Starks
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Speaker 3 (22:29):
And we thank you very much for being with us
our thanks to Jim Wexel for joining us. A short
time ago. You know, we were talking about this trade Max,
and one of the things that I think is happening
with some clarity in Cleveland is that they all seem
to be on the same page with the rebuild. In fact,
(22:53):
Jimmy Hashim, the owner, said look, we've got to get
a look at and you know, you can say what
you want about owners interference and their opinions and all
the other stuff. And you know, I get the sense
that he had a lot to do with the trade
for Deshaun Watson. You know, nobody's gonna come out and
say that sometimes a general manager has to just quietly
(23:15):
do what the owner wants. But I think the fact
that they've been bad and they haven't made the changes
at coach and at general manager tell me that it's
a tacit acknowledgement that that was out of their control.
(23:38):
That wasn't their decision. Now maybe Baker Mayfield was. That's
that's obviously mistake. We've talked about the quarterback position, but
Jim mentioned this and I think that it's Germane because
I wanted to get to it as well. The fact
that this this team, they seem to be all together
as a team in the rebuild mode. So they pick
up another draft pick in Flacco, and they want to
(24:00):
find out between Dylan Gabriel and Shader Sanders. Do they
somehow in those picks. Gabriel maybe sliding because of his height,
Schadur Sanders sliding for whatever reasons when people had first
round grades on him. Are one of these two guys
their future quarterback? And when you look at their draft
class this year, you know Jim mentioned it. You know
(24:24):
you have quinch On Judkins was a second round pick,
Dylan Gabriel a third round pick, Harold Fan in the
tight end a third round pick, Dylan Samson at the
running back position, he was a fourth round pick, Shuder
Sanders a fifth round pick. That's just on offense and
on defense. You had Mason Graham in the first round,
Carson Swesssinger in the second round. Those guys are both
(24:45):
starter Sweestioningers in the middle of the defense at the
middle linebacker position, Graham a defensive lineman. You put all
this together, you pick up an extra pick in the
trade down for this year's upcoming drafts. You have two
first round picks you pick up another in the flat trade.
It feels like they're working in concert to try to
build the Browns back up.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Yeah, it's it's a process.
Speaker 4 (25:11):
That they're trying to go through, and I think that's
why they've amassed so many picks over the last couple
of years, and even with this Joe Flacco trade, right
posturing themselves for what the next need is for this
team to get them into the relevancy conversation.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
I think it's the best way of putting it. Rob
try to write.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
It Kin because because since the Deshaun Watson debacle, let's
call it.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
That, because that's exactly what it was.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
And you had to let go of Baker Mayfield, who
got you to the playoffs, did everything right, but you
you took a moonshot swing and you missed fabulously. And
I say fabulously for my time. I mean it was
a spectacular fail on their part. You've now you have
to rebuild by youth, and that's what you're kind of
(26:01):
seeing with this Cleveland Browns team is Okay, we have
to throw multiple quarterbacks at this to figure it out.
Because we've seen what the Steelers have done and they've
still had success so why can't we do it? That's
really what the question comes down to. Because the Steelers,
for two years in a row cheapest quarterback room, which
(26:21):
has allowed you to build the rest of your team.
So how do you manufacture that without veterans? You went
and you got Kenny Pickett. You wait and got Joe Flacco.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
It was like, okay, you're trying to do the same thing.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
Clear out the room and everything, even though you still
have this to Shaun Watson, elephants still sitting in the room.
And then it's like, well, let's further that by drafting
not one, but two rookie quarterbacks, and if one of
the two hits, we're good and we can build all
these resources around. Just like you listen, all the guys
that have been drafted and are playing on this team.
(26:52):
They're trying to play the long game, and that's the
way that they plan on attacking it. We'll see how
well it works in the process. But Dylan Gabriel looked
good in his first appearance as a starter. That's why
they felt good enough to go trade Joe Flaco away, like, oh,
we don't need the old guy anymore. We already got
rid of Kenny Pickett right before the season started, right
we traded him to the Raiders, and now we've traded
(27:13):
away Joe Flacco, got picks for value, and both of
those occasions to a mass more for next year, planning
that if we are going to be relevant and we're
going to be competitive, let's steal all the good picks
away from the other teams that could hurt us. And
that's kind of been there. They've kind of tried to
(27:33):
corner the market. And I told people this back when
you know, the draft had just ended.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
They had four quarterbacks in the roster.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
I said, they are playing bank at the casino. They
know that people will have to come to them at
some point because they've amassed more pieces than anybody else
at the quarterback position. And guess what, it worked out
exactly how I said it was going to work out.
They played bank. They dealt one to the Raiders in
(28:01):
conference opponent. They dealt one to the Cincinnati in division
in conference opponent. So they've already controlled how the flow comes,
and they've got and they got something back for guys
that seemingly would not have had value anywhere else. But
because they had the most resources, they dictated the terms
of other teams and they.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Got value for it.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
Think about that, you drafted a third and a fifth
round quarterback and what did you get back. You got
additional draft picks for next year's draft. So net zero
positive gain there, and you were and possibly could turn
it into a plus because you didn't pay anything for
Joe Flacco.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
He was sitting on the couch.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
Nobody wanted him, and now look by week six, somebody
needs and wants.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Him after you just benched him.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
So you've created value and now you've gotten back that
should do her fifth round pick that you quote unquote
wasted a year ago. Now you have a comparable fifth
round pick for next year's draft. So you've just simply
slid your your chips over to a different pile.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
It wasn't in the all in pile. That's the reserve pile.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
After you go all in, say this is my semi
all in, and I still have more resource to work with.
So it was smart from that perspective from a strategic standpoint.
Now now they have to actually make it work, but
they're trying to lower their roster cap hit because you
just paid Miles Garrett a fortune and a half to
keep him in the off season after he held you
hostage that Monday before Super Bowl and you know, demanded
(29:29):
a trade, and then all of a sudden, trade gets
wiped away when you throw cash at it, right so
the demand becomes less and you realize you can't pay
a superstar quarterback right now because you're still trying to
get out of the Shaun Watson trade.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
And you know that.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Any team's biggest liability or biggest consumption of cash and
a salary cap is at your quarterback position, so they're
trying to do what the Steelers are doing that we're
gonna We're gonna throw youth at that position and pray
one of them sticks and we can build the other
guys and pay the other guys as we get to
That defense was a price I already this year. Hence
what you listed with the draft picks and their participation
(30:04):
next year will be an offensive fix. You're gonna look
at a wide receiver, You're gonna look at another running back,
you know, to compliment Quinn Shawn Jenkins, and you're probably
gonna start building your offensive line because the age of
those guys is going to start coming into play at
some point. So you're they're doing it very strategically, but
it's a long haul play. And that's why you can't
take the Cleveland Browns for granted. You have to you
(30:24):
have to be cautious in every aspect. That's why you
can't overlook this team, because they're youthful enough that they
will fall into success by accident and not know they
did it, and you don't want to give them that avenue.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yeah, you know, Max, I think when I look at
the team too, and I don't want to discount this
week because I do think that there are some things
to be concerned about. Their defense is very good. They've
got a very good rotational front up front, led of
course by Miles Garrett. But you know I wouldn't have
if I was in charge of the team, I wouldn't
have taken Mason Graham there. I probably would have gone
(30:56):
for a game breaker. But listen, man, I think think
that again, not afraid to admit I was wrong. I
think that, you know, I may have been wrong about
that because Graham is solidifying their front. MALIEK. Collins is
a great signing. He's he's back next year. I think
I think next year. You know, we talk about Okay,
Who are the teams we expected to jump forward this year, Jacksonville,
(31:18):
maybe New England to some degree, although I think they're
looking like they're going to exceed my expectations. You know,
Chicago said, hey, we're all in now. With Caleb Williams
a quarterback, Let's let's go ahead and shore up that
offensive line. You know, they're the Browns, and I understand
where you're going with the offensive line. It is an
aging group now. Dewan Jones is a younger guy. He's
(31:40):
their left tackle. He's hurt. Left tackle is a real problem.
They traded for Cam Robinson last week. He didn't look
at all ready in that game against Minnesota. They've they've
had outside of Deshaun Watson, they've had some key injuries.
J Okay. You know, one of their top linebackers hurt
last year neck injury after he into Derrick Henry. He
(32:01):
not only missed all last year, he's gonna miss all
of this year. Dwan Jones at left tackle, you know
Cedric Tilman, you know, a young receiver. They've got some
key injuries. But if they could get by with the
offensive line next year, because those guys are still good
man Teller, Uh, Posk and Botonio in the middle of
that line. That's about as good as you're going to
(32:24):
get around the NFL in my opinion. I mean, that's
a solid threesome. Jack Konkin a good veteran right tackle.
You know, if you can coax another year out of
that group, and I understand you have to regenerate it.
You get Tilman back. Judkins looks like you know early
on that he could be a stud. You have Samson
who you drafted as kind of a breakaway back in
(32:44):
the fourth round. You know, you added Fannin to back
up Najoku at tight end. I mean you're looking at
what a young quarterback if you decide to go that way,
if neither of these guys can handle it for you,
and you know a receiver with your second first round
pick to add to that group with Judy and Tillman,
(33:06):
all of a sudden, that offense, you know, could on
paper match what they're capable of throwing out there on defense.
You know, the more I've dug into this Browns team,
and it's I think it's very easy for fans to say, ah, yeah,
they're the Browns and look, it's all got to come together.
First of all, you have to get the right people
in place. And some of your guys, you know, Denzel Ward,
(33:27):
Miles Garrett, these are guys that are in their prime,
but you know it's not the beginning of their prime.
It's the middle or maybe latter half of their prime.
Greg Knewsom on the other side from Denzel Ward. But
Ward's really good man. Their secondary is solid, you know. Look,
they've got to add depth across the board, as you mentioned,
particularly I think at the offensive line position. I don't
(33:48):
know what they think of a guy like Zach Zinter,
who they picked last year in the third round, whether
they think he's a future starter in waiting and you know,
you could slide him in there. It looks like they've
kind of thought league tried to draft some guys in
that regard, but it's easy, I think to brush them
away with the back of your hand and say it's
the Browns. I think this year, this game, they're gonna
(34:12):
present some problems to this Deelers. And I think if
if they have another kind of offseason like they had
this offseason, not only with the draft, but the thoughtful
signing of a guy like Malik Collins, I think I
think the Browns are maybe closer to being pretty good
than fans might realize.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
That's my take.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
I don't know if you feel the same way, But
that's when I look at this Browns roster doing the
research for this game, that's kind of what I see.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
No, I think you hit all of the points that
was necessary. I mean there's a lot of youth at
a lot of positions. Like you said, you need them
to stick. If they don't stick, and you're like, okay,
you know, we can go back in the draft. They
want to control the cards in that draft, right. They
(34:59):
want to They want to make sure that they are
in charge of all of this. And when I look
at it, that's what I see. I see a team
that is poised to make a jump at some point
because you've already got let's see one, two, three, four
(35:20):
rookie starters on offense and one to three rookie starters
on defense and a host of backups behind them.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Right.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
I mean, you're running back room alone right after you
let go of Nick Chubb. All you're sitting with is
Jerome Ford. That's only vet in that room. But Dylan Samson,
Quinston Junkins, Raheem Sanders. All three of them are in
the rotation behind him, and I will say this, I've seen.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
All three of those guys.
Speaker 4 (35:48):
And even though Quinn John Juckkins came from Ohio State,
let's give him his due for one year being a
house he's an old miss guy. So they went and
got three SEC running backs. Raheem Sanders, Rocket Sanders went
to went to South Carolina. He was also a guy
that also transferred from another school.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
He transferred from Arkansas.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
So SEC guy Dylan Dylan Samson, Tennessee dude, yep, and
what and last year you have to remember he was
SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
So they've got some firepower in that running back room.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
And then you're throw in two rookie quarterbacks that are
now going to be first his second string right now
for the rest of this season, potentially with Deshaun Watson
be and your emergency third. I'm assuming, because that's only
the quarterback you got on a roster.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
You're setting up for. Oh, sorry, Zappi, Zapi, Zappi's on
practice squad. Yeah, you can elevate him. Sorry, You're in.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
A position now that you can be youthful and make
mistakes and.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
Go all in.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
But the one area where you don't have youth is
your offensive line. I mean you listed the interior right,
and the interior goes eight nine to twelve numerically, And
that would be very easy to say. Because Wyatt Taylor's
in his eighth year, either posted in his ninth year,
and Joe Botonio is in his twelfth year. You've got
to shore up and they don't. And like you said,
(37:06):
Zach Zenter is the one guy that they drafted as
a rookie last year. But you need more depth on
the back side of that, sure, and they're.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
Paying the price this year. I mean, it's hard to
have depth everywhere. And you know the fact that Dwan Jones,
who looks like he's really going to be a nice
player at left tackle, the fact that he got hurt.
That's that's a big way they have not been able
to overcome that. They're not equipped to deal with that injury.
As you know they listening. They went out and traded
for Cam Robinson. Yeah, you know so.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
And you have a Tevin Jenkins already on the roster
who's originally drafted as a tackle too to Chicago, and
then they moved him into guards so I mean, you
have a guy there on the RUSS.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
You have a.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
Cornelius Lucas who played fine last year for Washington, went
and signed a two year deal to be your backup
right tackle. So it's like they have other but they
haven't found the answer yet. They haven't found the right
guy for that left side, and they've thrown a lot
of resources at that left tackle. So you have to
assume in the draft there's gonna be a point of
emphasis to go find a swing tackle in the draft early.
(38:11):
If you don't go after quarterback in that first round,
you have to think they're gonna play the position game
and try and get the top tackle that's available. That's
why you amassed so many picks. So you can take
multiple bytes at the Apple.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
Yeah, listen there and what Jimmy has them said, and
getting back to this game where we're gonna see Dylan
Gabriel start again. If they somehow think they've got their
quarterback already, If one of these guys that slipped in
the draft, Gabriel again because of the height of Shreder
Sanders for whatever reason, if they have the answer there,
(38:45):
that accelerates because now it's not a rookie quarterback.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
It's a second year quarterback.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
You don't use that top draft pick on a quarterback,
use that top draft pick on an offensive tackle or
a serious game breaking receiver to pair with Judy and Tillman.
And then you get that tackle with your second first
round pick, which you got in this year's trade. So
they're certainly in an excesstick position.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
Travis Hunter yields more fruit for them. Yeah, and we will.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
We will dive much more to this matchup, of course,
coming up in a little bit and tomorrow as well.
Got to take a break now, we're going to continue
in the Locker Room presented by your neighborhood Ford Store
and the Steelers Pro Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
This is in the Locker Room with King and Starks
on Steelers Nation Radio, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store.
The F one fifty is the official truck of the
Pittsburgh Steelers and by Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team at the Steelers Pro Shop at Shop
dot Steelers dot com.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Oh right, you know what time it is? It's the
bell lap.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
As I always say each and every data we're on
this show early lunch warning system engaged, and please make
sure you go out there and forage responsibly. You know,
winter is coming, the colder climate is coming, so make
sure you forage not only for yourself, before your health
as well. And you know, Rob, I think one of
the fun things that we kind of look at in
(40:29):
this final segment, as we've kind of talked about a
lot of the preview of what the challenge is in
front of us and making sure that we don't overlook.
We keep a sober minded approach to handle the business
of the week. The business of the week, Rob is
to go one to know this week. Yeah, that's it,
point blank period. And I know Jim said that there
(40:53):
seems to feel like an oversight of that. I don't
think there's an oversight to this, because we have been
proven wrong. When you look past the browns, you end
up getting brown on your face, you know, and that's
dirt or whatever else. That's what we've ben So I
think there is a conscious effort from this coaching staff,
(41:14):
from Mike Tomlin, from the players, don't take anything for granted.
And I know a guy like Aaron Rodgers who's had
as long a career has fallen victim to that in
the past, and that's why he's going to be very
acute that division games are different than just a random
opponent like the Minnesota Vikings or like the Seattle Seahawks.
(41:34):
There's something about division play, and this is a guy
who has mastered that division. He had the NFC North
at a chokehold for a very long time, and he's
gone against Matt Stafford head to head and those Lions.
He was the king of the untimed downs and those
type of matchups.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Right.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
You know, he's dealt with the Minnesota Vikings and all
the different quarterbacks over the years that have played for
that squad.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
He's dealt with the Chicago Bears. In fact, you know
the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
That game in November is Soldier Field. That might be
the loudest booze you'll ever hear rob this season. Yeah,
might be when Aaron Rodgers returns to Soldier Field as
a Steeler after they thought they got that cursor written
away from him. But I digress. So he understands the
importance of what these division games mean. I think he's
gonna be a great advocate, a great speaker for keeping focused.
(42:25):
Do not look at that short week. Do not think
about what's on the precipice next week. Handle the business
in front of you.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
So I agree, and I will say this, you know,
and again we're going to dive into the specific matchups
because you know, week to week sometimes you look at
individual matchups and you think you know, but I mean,
I just look around here. You know, Broderick Jones and
others against Miles Garrett. How's the interear going to deal
(42:56):
with a guy like Malik Collins who is just, you know,
been incredible for them. Frankly, I think that's going to
probably follow the Mason McCormick. That's an interesting battle. Denzel
Ward against DK metcalf On and their tight ends against
Deshaun Elliott and the line. But there are a ton
of big matchups. But Max, just to wrap this show up,
(43:18):
we only have to look back to last week. The
Steelers and the Vikings played a game that came down
to the wire, and the Steelers found a way to win.
The Vikings and Browns played a game that came down
to the wire. The Browns outplayed him throughout almost the
entirety of the game, and the Vikings found a way
to win. So you just have to look back at
recent games to understand that this is a Browns team
(43:38):
and Judkins, now he was not healthy the first couple
of weeks.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
He wasn't available.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
He's he has been inserted in the lineup. He is
making a huge difference. I do not expect an easy
game on Sunday at all.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Yeah, No, this is one that historically, and like you.
Speaker 4 (43:56):
Said in recency, it has been very tough, very close case.
This is not going to be an easy walk in
the park. And I'm not even gonna call it an
easy out because there's nothing to be easy out of
because you've never had consistent success agains.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Right, So this is not gonna be a walk in
the park.
Speaker 4 (44:16):
This is not a just kind of figure fumble your
way through the dark type of approach. No, you have
to be intentional, you have to be physical, you have
to be relentless, and you have.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
To play to the echo of the whistle.
Speaker 4 (44:29):
That's what these Division games to, you know, demand of
you anything less, any other thought is not welcomed. It's
not going to yield success for you. It's only going
to yield depression, loss and dissatisfaction if you don't accomplish that.
You've got to play this game for sixty minutes. They're
(44:50):
a team that does not want to go away easily.
They don't like you, you don't like them.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
Act accordingly. Agreed is Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
I'm Rob King. We want to also thank our pop
tart eating producer Justin Miller. Uh back at back at
the controls frosted. Look forward to Jerry Dulac coming up tomorrow.
I want to thank Jim Wexel for being with us,
for Max, for Justin. I'm Rob King. We thank you
as always for being with us in the locker Room
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and the Steelers Pro
(45:23):
Shop on Steelers Nation Radio, a part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
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