December 24, 2025 • 23 mins
Max and Rob are joined by Jim Wexell to discuss this weekend's matchup against the Cleveland Browns. The guys discuss which players could stand out this weekend, and how the Steelers can stop Myles Garrett.
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 (00:05):
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 (00:24):
Oh, guess what day it is? Guess what day it is?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Eh?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Anybody, Julie, Hey, guess what day it is? Come on,
I know you can hear me. Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike.
What day is it? Mike Leslie? Guess what today is?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
It's hump Day.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Oh, never fails to muse, Eh, never fails to amuse.
It is hump Day and that means it is time
for hump Day headlines with Waxil, Presented by our neighborhood
Ford Store of The F one fifty is the official
truck of the Pittsburgh st There's we are always delighted
to be joined by the editor in chief of Steelers
(01:09):
Digest and co author of the Craig Wolfley book.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
By the way, did you.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
You already had that signing right, Jim?
Speaker 5 (01:18):
Yes, we're trying to line up. It went really well.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
That's awesome.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
We're trying to line up another one for Giant Eagle
after after the new year. Fantastic and during the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
During the playoffs, fantastic. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
Oh, let me let me correct you though, Rob. I'm
not the editor in chief of Steelers Digest. I don't
want the reality. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I'm sorry. That's amateur. The handle that's usually the max.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Max usually has this tremendous introduction for you, and uh
I kind of faltered there, You know what, step aside.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Let the experts take it, right.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
I am a columnist for Steelers Digest. I'm proud of
having that under bob for like thirty years. And I'm
a correspondent filling in for Dale Lollie at Steelers dot com.
So that's my writing, and I'm probably working too hard.
I gotta relax here a little bit. But hopefully this
(02:21):
team makes the playoffs and gives me more work.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, we want you to relax. We
want you to enjoy yourself, right yeah. Okay, So let
me ask you a question. First of all, and this
is not the most hard hitting question you're gonna get
all day. Do you have a go to holiday movie
or two, And do you have a Christmas meal or
(02:46):
two that you like or kind? Is it just like
Thanksgiving light and you just kind of that's not that
important to you.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Yeah, I don't really watch any holiday movies. Sorry, I'm
the right guy, but come on, going in for a
cat scan in an hour on my live. So I'm
not really really in the holiday mood. But chicken chicken, Yeah,
you know I was. I'm not doing good with interviews lately,
so I'm sorry about that, but I'm having chicken. What's
(03:18):
the chicken design tonight for dinner?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Okay? Wex.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
What is your thought on thoughts on where the Steelers
are right now with this three game winning streak and
what lies ahead with the Cleveland Browns. Who, I mean,
let's face it, this, this is this would kind of
be their super Bowl really in a way, and so
I think they're going to give the Steelers the best
(03:43):
game they can possibly give them. I also think the
Steelers are playing maybe their best football. I don't think
maybe I do. I think you're playing their best football
the season right now. Your thoughts on both those topics.
Speaker 5 (03:55):
Yeah, I'm not so sure that Cleveland's going to put
up that big of a fight. I don't know, does
it does a team that's totally out of it and
has a rookie quarterback and injured star running back, do
they really get up for something like this over Christmas? Max,
Maybe you could tell me if you've been through good
and bad. But I'm thinking the Steelers. You know, I
want to say, hey, honey, I got to go to
(04:16):
work today and then drive off excitedly to practice, whereas
the Browns are like, Coach, we've heard everything you've had
to say. Can we just stay home for Christmas? That's
how I feel about Cleveland, and I you know, I
have had success against the Steelers at Cleveland. I think
two of the last three years have been Thursday night
(04:38):
games following Ravens games or something where you expect them to.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Have a good game.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
But man, right now, the Steelers are The Steelers have
an emotional hump to get over. Because one of the
great theories of sports gambling over the years think Monday
Night Football has been win and cover a Monday Night
(05:04):
and then win and cover the next week, mean mean
you carried your emotion over, especially going on the road,
and then the following week. Two weeks after that Monday
night game. It's it's a real bet against proposition. So
I'm not I'm not trying to go over gambling as
much here, but the emotion doesn't rest with the Steelers
(05:27):
in a normal Monday situation two weeks from Monday situation.
But I think they're going to overcome that because they're
playing such football and they really, as Tomlin said yesterday,
they're on the doorstep of the division.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Max, your thoughts on all.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
That, Yeah, exactly. I'm like, I'm like, where do I
even start? Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
You know, the holidays, the holiday, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
The holidays first. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Now, I think for Cleveland they get up for this
one just because of who it is. You know, this
is one that you know they're going to give their
very best effort because they they they might not like Baltimore,
but they really don't like us. So you know, if
(06:20):
if if it's if it's a choice between you know,
a bitter pill and even more bitter pill, they're they're
they're gonna try and spoil everything for us, and you
know they don't want hat and T shirt season coming
on their field, right, because that's the potential you risk.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
With this game if you lose it.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
If if you are a Cleveland and yes, this might
actually be the closest that they'll get to seeing a
division championship or a title, or it's just a division title,
so maybe they would want to see it.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I don't know, but you know, for me, I would.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
I would love the opportunity to show them what it
looks like if I could. And I think that's kind
of where it comes to. You know, when you have
these division games, they're as bitter as they are. You know,
there's a certain I just don't want to see you succeed, right,
you know, I don't care how bad my season's been going.
It can be rectified if I beat you, Like I
(07:20):
could justify it and compartmentalize it in my head when
I'm done in early January and I'm gone fishing, right,
fire up the fishing boat down in Florida, boys, I'm
coming home. I mean, you know, there have been some
I will say, even though I've played against Cleveland a
whole lot, there have been those moments when they know
(07:44):
it's it's out of reach, and those moments have come,
you know, at the end of the season.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
You know, we used to always play Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
If I like, for a majority of the time that
I was in Pittsburgh that Thursday night after Thanksgiving. Back
when Thursday Night Football was, it was a special thing
and an honor to get a Thursday night football game. Now,
you know, thank you Amazon Prime. Now everybody has to
do it and it's mandatory for all the teams to
(08:16):
do it, so it's not as special as it used
to be. Because remember WEX back in the day when
also in the land of your when we had sixteen
games in a regular season, you had to earn the
right to get Thursday night football after from Thanksgiving on right.
You know, Thanksgiving was always Detroit and was always Dallas, right,
(08:38):
they all those were the two games. If you didn't
have those teams on your on your schedule, you weren't.
You didn't even have a possibility for a Thanksgiving game.
Now you know you can get you can get a
Thursday you get the Thursday night game mandatory. And then
now there's three on Thanksgiving, so you know, there's more
visibility for this game. But it used to be you
(09:01):
you earned it after Thanksgiving, and the Steelers, for whatever reason,
we always seem to get it either the first or
the second Thursday after Thanksgiving, and it was mainly Cleveland
that we would get. So, you know, it's late in
the year, Cleveland's usually out of it, and and whether
(09:24):
it was home or whether it was away, it was
always a tough match. And there comes a breaking point
and this and this is what I think you have
to go for. And this is why you have to
put your pedal to the metal in the first half
against them, because they will quit. They will quit in
the second half. But the first half is going to
be hell. Yeah, the first half is going to be hell.
(09:46):
But the second half, once they know it's out of
reach and and kind of reality sets in.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
For them, then the deals come. Then the brokering comes. Right.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Hey man, listen, man, Hey, I'm just trying. I'm just
trying to I'm just trying to to get home. Man,
I'm just trying to finish out the season. So I'm
not injured. I'm not in the training room. I just
want to go back home to Texas. I want to
go back home to Florida. I want to go back
home to Cali wherever it is that they come from
from parts unknown even.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
And it's like hey, man, hey, hey, let's just make
it look good.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Man, let's just make it look good, like you start
getting the brother in law deals and then and they
start negotiating, like right at out the gates and they're
negotiating through TV timeouts about what can we get away
with because I don't want to get injured and you
guys are gonna win, and good luck with everything.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Else in your life.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Like that's that's what you're playing for ultimately, because if
they believe they have hope in the second half, they
are going to try and destroy you. So you have
to take away, you have to strip away every ounce
of dignity and pride in this team, and then they
start to show their butts, and that's what you gotta
do because if not, they're gonna show their butts in
(10:57):
a different way and they're gonna try and spoil spoil your.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Your wind Street.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
Man.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Uh. I think that was the first question. I forgot.
The second question I forgot if there was a second question.
I was so locked in on the first.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
Well, I'm still working on part two of my two
questions from Rob. Yeah, how good are the Steelers playing?
I think they're playing great. I I you know, they
they they were patient offensively, especially you know defensively, they're
patient too, when they put Jalen Ramsey back there, when
(11:31):
they moved James Pierre in, when they signed to Sante
Samuel Junior, as they.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And as they were Cal Duggar too, and Kyle.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Dugger as they worked their their gap integrity, it's obvious.
I'm gonna I'm gonna believe that. It's obvious after giving
up fifteen yards to the Detroit on the ground. So
I'm gonna believe that they've been working on that and
they've they've improved that. So they're run defenses there, they're
they're they're fairly healthy. Uh, But offensively, they've stuck with
(12:05):
these these bit roles that they've they patiently have brought
along Darnell Washington, Kenneth Gangwell while not losing Pat Fryarmouth
and Jalen Warren. Those are total team players. While Aaron
Rodgers would promote them after games were game well and
(12:26):
Darnell Washington played all the reps and they said, you know,
and he would talk about Pat's great attitude and Jalen's
great attitude. I don't know that they needed it because
they are total team players anyway. So in trying to
find bit pieces around Metcalf. They've worked them all and
(12:46):
not only have they gotten better at their roles, like
John neu Smith. You know, we watched John new Smith
play tailback in training camp, and then we forgot about
it for half a year, and now it's one other,
one other. They don't even activate a third running back now.
So and in the meantime looking for that number two receiver.
(13:10):
You know, Mike Tomlin will disagree with me, but I
think they finally gave in to probably Aaron Rodgers' advice
to get him some veterans out there at number two.
Guys He's worked with, guys he knows MVS is still big,
strong and fast. He's inconsistent with the hands, but big
(13:30):
and fast and feeling. We saw what he converted three
or four key conversions. I don't know if they were
all third downs. One might have been a fork down,
I can't remember, but a lot of key conversions. And
so that number two receiver position is now becoming viable
with all of the other role players. That not only
(13:51):
have those role players gotten better, but Arthur Smith knows
exactly what he wants to do with them now. You know,
line up John who in the backfield and hand off
the game Ainwell on a jet sweep, and then next
series put Gainwell in the backfield and give it to
John who on a jet sweep. I mean, that was
a beautifully called game by Arthur and he is having
(14:11):
fun with his role players now that they all have
their they all have their job, and nobody's complaining like
friar Mouth. You know he can go off bigger than
he has and without Dkay it could be a blessing
in disguise here that these number two's Feelan and mvs,
who have worked their way into role players, can now
(14:34):
expand you know, a full two weeks with Rogers and
potentially both starting. I know yesterday that Mike Tomlin said
Roman Wilson and he does get to come back from
the shadows. But I look at this as a bigger
adventure for Feeling and MVS to expand their work with Rogers,
and when the big guy comes back, these guys will
(14:59):
have worked so much with with not only Aaron, but
Arthur Smith knows exactly what they can do after the
next couple of weeks. So and also also Max, I'm
not going to forget this. The offensive line that had
three rookies last year is obviously getting better and Dylan Cook.
(15:20):
You know, I don't know that Dylan Cook is that
big a surprise. He's playing better than all of us expected.
But I know, Max, I've talked to you about Dylan
in the past. We've always liked his feet, We've always
liked his potential, and that's why the Steelers have kept him.
You know, three years ago, we all liked his potential.
He was playing well in preseason and they kept him.
(15:42):
So I don't want to I don't want to integrate
what he's done to any degree, but I think we've
kind of expected Dylan Cook to be a fairly decent
left tackle. He's had the sweet feet, he's had Max
Stark's feet, you know, we've all seen that. So the
(16:02):
offensive line, and look at a guy like Connor Hayward
and we all we all know he could take a
snap and execute a handoff and go forward. And I
think he converted a fourth and one with a two
yard touch this year.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
But I never.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Believed he was as good of a lead full back
as he showed last week. He was crushing some people.
You know, the first forty five yard run I believe
was or one of the two forty five yard runs
by Jalen Connor just crushed somebody through the hole. And
then I believe the receiver number four was downfield blocking DBS.
(16:41):
So all these role players and they've they've been doing
it against pretty decent teams, so it's really exciting. And
then to see Aaron Rodgers looking younger again, it's just
it's just a really exciting it really is.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Max. Your thoughts on Dylan Cook.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Well, I you know, as I look at Dylan's progress,
I mean, it is no surprise yet somewhat surprise. You're right, Wex,
We've we've had these conversations. I mean, you know, and
Rob and I have talked about it a lot as well.
I mean, he was a guy I thought was pegged
for the active roster at the end of training camp.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Uh did not. I thought he earned it.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
And you know, for the Steelers, their mindset was, hey,
he's a virtual unknown to a lot of other people, so.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
We can kind of stash him on the practice squad.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Was kind of the understanding, you know, you needed to
bring Andres Pete and you need to bring Calvin Anderson
on the roster just because their vets they would have
gotten taken up immediately. But Dylan was a guy that
I think they just they said, we like you a
whole lot, but you know, like I said, we have
two other guys that are priorities in front of you,
and now he's gotten his shot. And I felt like,
(17:58):
you know, just like just like good crock pot, you know,
you gotta wait. You gotta wait the six hours. Don't
open it up at three and a half, don't open
it up at four. Yeah, you can check the progress,
but do not sample it till the six hours are
over with or else you're gonna up the mixing. Yeah,
do not put it in the microwave. Do not flash
fry it.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
No, you know.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
And I think that's that's kind of what this was
with with Dylan, Like it was the right time for
it to come out, and and you've seen a lot
of great things.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
They don't give him a lot of help.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Either, wex you know, like I think for a young
experienced guy, they leave him on the island and you know,
in his sink or swim for him. I mean, you know,
Aighton Hudgson did beat him for a sack in the
game where he probably could have used a little bit
of help, just a funnel. Hutchinson a little bit better,
but his hands were late, and you know, he kind
(18:51):
of gave up leverage. So but I mean, but you're
talking about a guy who's the number one overall draft pick,
has high expectations.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
I believe he's uh, you know, he's got a Pro
Bowl under his belt already, you know, so he is.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
He was a challenge and he moves around, you know,
kind of like a Miles Garrett's gonna do. And Dylan
to quit it himself. Well, I thought he had you know,
the Miami game, I mean against Bradley Chubb. I mean,
he put on a fantastic display. I mean, any tackle
would would just put that game and say, hey, you
want to you want to know how good I am here?
Watch the Miami game right start to finish. But but
(19:30):
I think for Dylan, this was just the right time
and this is what you want with your team, I mean,
you know, and it was tough for him and he
and he handled it beautifully.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I think we handled it better.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
As a team as a team this time around, versus
when we played the Chargers with the Andrews, Pete Spencer
Anderson rotating in at left guard.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
That's tough for alignment to deal with. Endgame.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
It's different from week to week if you have a
different guy because you have practice to get kind of
get ready for it. And then yeah, they got ready
for it during practice a little bit. But you know,
that's something we're used to the same guy being next
to you unless injury.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
This was this was like swap them.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Swap them because Smith Anderson has a dual role in
this team and they want to and they want to
keep that because that's the identity of this offense of
this team is we're gonna line up in twelve, We're
gonna line up in jumbo twelve, and we're gonna dare
you to stop us rushing. Hence, while we had over
two into thirty yards rushing, right, So you're gonna have
to deal with that aspect of the football game. And
(20:30):
I thought Dylan handled that very well. You know, we
had a lot of different crazy formations, a lot of
a lot of prestat movement, and you know, when you're
young and inexperience and you're not ready for that, it
can be a shell shock.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
He was not shell shocked.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
And so Dylan's done an amazing job along with the
rust of the offensive line of really settling in on
who on what.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Their identity is. I don't know if you caught I
don't know if the camera angle caught it.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Wex, but on those two forty five yard runs, the
backside of the offense, the right side started doing like
front rolls for the touchdown like it was Mason McCormick
and Troy Fatanu. They were like acting like glorified cheerleaders
on the field.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
It was. It was pretty funny to watch.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
And that's when you know this offensive line is clicking.
That's when you know this group, this unit is is
tight and they're they're locked in together when you start
seeing those type of things. And this offensive line has
has taken a lot of heat from the beginning of
the season, and they're in an excellent place right now.
I think you know you were right to say that
(21:34):
they are growing as a unit with all the youth
that they have because Troy Fatano fake this is his
first year really playing over there base of a Cork's
just it is true. Second year. Zach Fraze is his
true second year. Like you said, you know, the adult
in the room was not was not present on game.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Day, you know.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
And so you know, a lot of a lot of
youth on that offensive line, and they handled the job.
They handled the job against a very good, aggressive defense
to a great degree. Now they're gonna get another challenge here,
like Mason Graham is another rookie that's that's playing phenomenal
for the Browns, and Miles Garrett is chasing history the job.
Stop Miles Garrett from getting what he wants this week.
(22:19):
He can have it next week when when it's a
throwaway game and he wants to set the record which
should be twenty three by TJ, not twenty two and
a half tied with Michael Straighthand I'm just gonna put
that out there again once again. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah,
but that Tyler Huntley played that that was a sack.
That was not a TfL. Yeah uh And I'm gonna
(22:42):
ride with that one. But you know, not not not
on Sunday. Not on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Treat treat Miles Garrett like Bradley Chubb, lock him out.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
And sak Kala Warren on him every now and then too.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Yeah yeah, just taking knee cap out why not? Uh whack?
Speaker 3 (23:02):
I mean like a cut like a cut, like a cut,
I mean cutting him. I'm not talking. I'm not talking
about you know, a new style kneecapping. No, there's no
ice picks, so anyways, uh.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Wax, good lucky for your appointment. Just referenced earlier. Merry
Christmas and happy howadays to you, my friend? Yes, Merry Christmas.
Wex that's Jim Wexel, all right,
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 (00:24):
Oh, guess what day it is? Guess what day it is?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Eh?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Anybody, Julie, Hey, guess what day it is? Come on,
I know you can hear me. Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike.
What day is it? Mike Leslie? Guess what today is?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
It's hump Day.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Oh, never fails to muse, Eh, never fails to amuse.
It is hump Day and that means it is time
for hump Day headlines with Waxil, Presented by our neighborhood
Ford Store of The F one fifty is the official
truck of the Pittsburgh st There's we are always delighted
to be joined by the editor in chief of Steelers
(01:09):
Digest and co author of the Craig Wolfley book.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
By the way, did you.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
You already had that signing right, Jim?
Speaker 5 (01:18):
Yes, we're trying to line up. It went really well.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
That's awesome.
Speaker 5 (01:23):
We're trying to line up another one for Giant Eagle
after after the new year. Fantastic and during the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
During the playoffs, fantastic. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
Oh, let me let me correct you though, Rob. I'm
not the editor in chief of Steelers Digest. I don't
want the reality. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I'm sorry. That's amateur. The handle that's usually the max.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Max usually has this tremendous introduction for you, and uh
I kind of faltered there, You know what, step aside.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Let the experts take it, right.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
I am a columnist for Steelers Digest. I'm proud of
having that under bob for like thirty years. And I'm
a correspondent filling in for Dale Lollie at Steelers dot com.
So that's my writing, and I'm probably working too hard.
I gotta relax here a little bit. But hopefully this
(02:21):
team makes the playoffs and gives me more work.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, we want you to relax. We
want you to enjoy yourself, right yeah. Okay, So let
me ask you a question. First of all, and this
is not the most hard hitting question you're gonna get
all day. Do you have a go to holiday movie
or two, And do you have a Christmas meal or
(02:46):
two that you like or kind? Is it just like
Thanksgiving light and you just kind of that's not that
important to you.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Yeah, I don't really watch any holiday movies. Sorry, I'm
the right guy, but come on, going in for a
cat scan in an hour on my live. So I'm
not really really in the holiday mood. But chicken chicken, Yeah,
you know I was. I'm not doing good with interviews lately,
so I'm sorry about that, but I'm having chicken. What's
(03:18):
the chicken design tonight for dinner?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Okay? Wex.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
What is your thought on thoughts on where the Steelers
are right now with this three game winning streak and
what lies ahead with the Cleveland Browns. Who, I mean,
let's face it, this, this is this would kind of
be their super Bowl really in a way, and so
I think they're going to give the Steelers the best
(03:43):
game they can possibly give them. I also think the
Steelers are playing maybe their best football. I don't think
maybe I do. I think you're playing their best football
the season right now. Your thoughts on both those topics.
Speaker 5 (03:55):
Yeah, I'm not so sure that Cleveland's going to put
up that big of a fight. I don't know, does
it does a team that's totally out of it and
has a rookie quarterback and injured star running back, do
they really get up for something like this over Christmas? Max,
Maybe you could tell me if you've been through good
and bad. But I'm thinking the Steelers. You know, I
want to say, hey, honey, I got to go to
(04:16):
work today and then drive off excitedly to practice, whereas
the Browns are like, Coach, we've heard everything you've had
to say. Can we just stay home for Christmas? That's
how I feel about Cleveland, and I you know, I
have had success against the Steelers at Cleveland. I think
two of the last three years have been Thursday night
(04:38):
games following Ravens games or something where you expect them to.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Have a good game.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
But man, right now, the Steelers are The Steelers have
an emotional hump to get over. Because one of the
great theories of sports gambling over the years think Monday
Night Football has been win and cover a Monday Night
(05:04):
and then win and cover the next week, mean mean
you carried your emotion over, especially going on the road,
and then the following week. Two weeks after that Monday
night game. It's it's a real bet against proposition. So
I'm not I'm not trying to go over gambling as
much here, but the emotion doesn't rest with the Steelers
(05:27):
in a normal Monday situation two weeks from Monday situation.
But I think they're going to overcome that because they're
playing such football and they really, as Tomlin said yesterday,
they're on the doorstep of the division.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Max, your thoughts on all.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
That, Yeah, exactly. I'm like, I'm like, where do I
even start? Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
You know, the holidays, the holiday, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
The holidays first. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Now, I think for Cleveland they get up for this
one just because of who it is. You know, this
is one that you know they're going to give their
very best effort because they they they might not like Baltimore,
but they really don't like us. So you know, if
(06:20):
if if it's if it's a choice between you know,
a bitter pill and even more bitter pill, they're they're
they're gonna try and spoil everything for us, and you
know they don't want hat and T shirt season coming
on their field, right, because that's the potential you risk.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
With this game if you lose it.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
If if you are a Cleveland and yes, this might
actually be the closest that they'll get to seeing a
division championship or a title, or it's just a division title,
so maybe they would want to see it.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
I don't know, but you know, for me, I would.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
I would love the opportunity to show them what it
looks like if I could. And I think that's kind
of where it comes to. You know, when you have
these division games, they're as bitter as they are. You know,
there's a certain I just don't want to see you succeed, right,
you know, I don't care how bad my season's been going.
It can be rectified if I beat you, Like I
(07:20):
could justify it and compartmentalize it in my head when
I'm done in early January and I'm gone fishing, right,
fire up the fishing boat down in Florida, boys, I'm
coming home. I mean, you know, there have been some
I will say, even though I've played against Cleveland a
whole lot, there have been those moments when they know
(07:44):
it's it's out of reach, and those moments have come,
you know, at the end of the season.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
You know, we used to always play Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
If I like, for a majority of the time that
I was in Pittsburgh that Thursday night after Thanksgiving. Back
when Thursday Night Football was, it was a special thing
and an honor to get a Thursday night football game. Now,
you know, thank you Amazon Prime. Now everybody has to
do it and it's mandatory for all the teams to
(08:16):
do it, so it's not as special as it used
to be. Because remember WEX back in the day when
also in the land of your when we had sixteen
games in a regular season, you had to earn the
right to get Thursday night football after from Thanksgiving on right.
You know, Thanksgiving was always Detroit and was always Dallas, right,
(08:38):
they all those were the two games. If you didn't
have those teams on your on your schedule, you weren't.
You didn't even have a possibility for a Thanksgiving game.
Now you know you can get you can get a
Thursday you get the Thursday night game mandatory. And then
now there's three on Thanksgiving, so you know, there's more
visibility for this game. But it used to be you
(09:01):
you earned it after Thanksgiving, and the Steelers, for whatever reason,
we always seem to get it either the first or
the second Thursday after Thanksgiving, and it was mainly Cleveland
that we would get. So, you know, it's late in
the year, Cleveland's usually out of it, and and whether
(09:24):
it was home or whether it was away, it was
always a tough match. And there comes a breaking point
and this and this is what I think you have
to go for. And this is why you have to
put your pedal to the metal in the first half
against them, because they will quit. They will quit in
the second half. But the first half is going to
be hell. Yeah, the first half is going to be hell.
(09:46):
But the second half, once they know it's out of
reach and and kind of reality sets in.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
For them, then the deals come. Then the brokering comes. Right.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Hey man, listen, man, Hey, I'm just trying. I'm just
trying to I'm just trying to to get home. Man,
I'm just trying to finish out the season. So I'm
not injured. I'm not in the training room. I just
want to go back home to Texas. I want to
go back home to Florida. I want to go back
home to Cali wherever it is that they come from
from parts unknown even.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
And it's like hey, man, hey, hey, let's just make
it look good.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Man, let's just make it look good, like you start
getting the brother in law deals and then and they
start negotiating, like right at out the gates and they're
negotiating through TV timeouts about what can we get away
with because I don't want to get injured and you
guys are gonna win, and good luck with everything.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Else in your life.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Like that's that's what you're playing for ultimately, because if
they believe they have hope in the second half, they
are going to try and destroy you. So you have
to take away, you have to strip away every ounce
of dignity and pride in this team, and then they
start to show their butts, and that's what you gotta
do because if not, they're gonna show their butts in
(10:57):
a different way and they're gonna try and spoil spoil your.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Your wind Street.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
Man.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Uh. I think that was the first question. I forgot.
The second question I forgot if there was a second question.
I was so locked in on the first.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
Well, I'm still working on part two of my two
questions from Rob. Yeah, how good are the Steelers playing?
I think they're playing great. I I you know, they
they they were patient offensively, especially you know defensively, they're
patient too, when they put Jalen Ramsey back there, when
(11:31):
they moved James Pierre in, when they signed to Sante
Samuel Junior, as they.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
And as they were Cal Duggar too, and Kyle.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Dugger as they worked their their gap integrity, it's obvious.
I'm gonna I'm gonna believe that. It's obvious after giving
up fifteen yards to the Detroit on the ground. So
I'm gonna believe that they've been working on that and
they've they've improved that. So they're run defenses there, they're
they're they're fairly healthy. Uh, But offensively, they've stuck with
(12:05):
these these bit roles that they've they patiently have brought
along Darnell Washington, Kenneth Gangwell while not losing Pat Fryarmouth
and Jalen Warren. Those are total team players. While Aaron
Rodgers would promote them after games were game well and
(12:26):
Darnell Washington played all the reps and they said, you know,
and he would talk about Pat's great attitude and Jalen's
great attitude. I don't know that they needed it because
they are total team players anyway. So in trying to
find bit pieces around Metcalf. They've worked them all and
(12:46):
not only have they gotten better at their roles, like
John neu Smith. You know, we watched John new Smith
play tailback in training camp, and then we forgot about
it for half a year, and now it's one other,
one other. They don't even activate a third running back now.
So and in the meantime looking for that number two receiver.
(13:10):
You know, Mike Tomlin will disagree with me, but I
think they finally gave in to probably Aaron Rodgers' advice
to get him some veterans out there at number two.
Guys He's worked with, guys he knows MVS is still big,
strong and fast. He's inconsistent with the hands, but big
(13:30):
and fast and feeling. We saw what he converted three
or four key conversions. I don't know if they were
all third downs. One might have been a fork down,
I can't remember, but a lot of key conversions. And
so that number two receiver position is now becoming viable
with all of the other role players. That not only
(13:51):
have those role players gotten better, but Arthur Smith knows
exactly what he wants to do with them now. You know,
line up John who in the backfield and hand off
the game Ainwell on a jet sweep, and then next
series put Gainwell in the backfield and give it to
John who on a jet sweep. I mean, that was
a beautifully called game by Arthur and he is having
(14:11):
fun with his role players now that they all have
their they all have their job, and nobody's complaining like
friar Mouth. You know he can go off bigger than
he has and without Dkay it could be a blessing
in disguise here that these number two's Feelan and mvs,
who have worked their way into role players, can now
(14:34):
expand you know, a full two weeks with Rogers and
potentially both starting. I know yesterday that Mike Tomlin said
Roman Wilson and he does get to come back from
the shadows. But I look at this as a bigger
adventure for Feeling and MVS to expand their work with Rogers,
and when the big guy comes back, these guys will
(14:59):
have worked so much with with not only Aaron, but
Arthur Smith knows exactly what they can do after the
next couple of weeks. So and also also Max, I'm
not going to forget this. The offensive line that had
three rookies last year is obviously getting better and Dylan Cook.
(15:20):
You know, I don't know that Dylan Cook is that
big a surprise. He's playing better than all of us expected.
But I know, Max, I've talked to you about Dylan
in the past. We've always liked his feet, We've always
liked his potential, and that's why the Steelers have kept him.
You know, three years ago, we all liked his potential.
He was playing well in preseason and they kept him.
(15:42):
So I don't want to I don't want to integrate
what he's done to any degree, but I think we've
kind of expected Dylan Cook to be a fairly decent
left tackle. He's had the sweet feet, he's had Max
Stark's feet, you know, we've all seen that. So the
(16:02):
offensive line, and look at a guy like Connor Hayward
and we all we all know he could take a
snap and execute a handoff and go forward. And I
think he converted a fourth and one with a two
yard touch this year.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
But I never.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Believed he was as good of a lead full back
as he showed last week. He was crushing some people.
You know, the first forty five yard run I believe
was or one of the two forty five yard runs
by Jalen Connor just crushed somebody through the hole. And
then I believe the receiver number four was downfield blocking DBS.
(16:41):
So all these role players and they've they've been doing
it against pretty decent teams, so it's really exciting. And
then to see Aaron Rodgers looking younger again, it's just
it's just a really exciting it really is.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Max. Your thoughts on Dylan Cook.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Well, I you know, as I look at Dylan's progress,
I mean, it is no surprise yet somewhat surprise. You're right, Wex,
We've we've had these conversations. I mean, you know, and
Rob and I have talked about it a lot as well.
I mean, he was a guy I thought was pegged
for the active roster at the end of training camp.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Uh did not. I thought he earned it.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
And you know, for the Steelers, their mindset was, hey,
he's a virtual unknown to a lot of other people, so.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
We can kind of stash him on the practice squad.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Was kind of the understanding, you know, you needed to
bring Andres Pete and you need to bring Calvin Anderson
on the roster just because their vets they would have
gotten taken up immediately. But Dylan was a guy that
I think they just they said, we like you a
whole lot, but you know, like I said, we have
two other guys that are priorities in front of you,
and now he's gotten his shot. And I felt like,
(17:58):
you know, just like just like good crock pot, you know,
you gotta wait. You gotta wait the six hours. Don't
open it up at three and a half, don't open
it up at four. Yeah, you can check the progress,
but do not sample it till the six hours are
over with or else you're gonna up the mixing. Yeah,
do not put it in the microwave. Do not flash
fry it.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
No, you know.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
And I think that's that's kind of what this was
with with Dylan, Like it was the right time for
it to come out, and and you've seen a lot
of great things.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
They don't give him a lot of help.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Either, wex you know, like I think for a young
experienced guy, they leave him on the island and you know,
in his sink or swim for him. I mean, you know,
Aighton Hudgson did beat him for a sack in the
game where he probably could have used a little bit
of help, just a funnel. Hutchinson a little bit better,
but his hands were late, and you know, he kind
(18:51):
of gave up leverage. So but I mean, but you're
talking about a guy who's the number one overall draft pick,
has high expectations.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
I believe he's uh, you know, he's got a Pro
Bowl under his belt already, you know, so he is.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
He was a challenge and he moves around, you know,
kind of like a Miles Garrett's gonna do. And Dylan
to quit it himself. Well, I thought he had you know,
the Miami game, I mean against Bradley Chubb. I mean,
he put on a fantastic display. I mean, any tackle
would would just put that game and say, hey, you
want to you want to know how good I am here?
Watch the Miami game right start to finish. But but
(19:30):
I think for Dylan, this was just the right time
and this is what you want with your team, I mean,
you know, and it was tough for him and he
and he handled it beautifully.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I think we handled it better.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
As a team as a team this time around, versus
when we played the Chargers with the Andrews, Pete Spencer
Anderson rotating in at left guard.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
That's tough for alignment to deal with. Endgame.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
It's different from week to week if you have a
different guy because you have practice to get kind of
get ready for it. And then yeah, they got ready
for it during practice a little bit. But you know,
that's something we're used to the same guy being next
to you unless injury.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
This was this was like swap them.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Swap them because Smith Anderson has a dual role in
this team and they want to and they want to
keep that because that's the identity of this offense of
this team is we're gonna line up in twelve, We're
gonna line up in jumbo twelve, and we're gonna dare
you to stop us rushing. Hence, while we had over
two into thirty yards rushing, right, So you're gonna have
to deal with that aspect of the football game. And
(20:30):
I thought Dylan handled that very well. You know, we
had a lot of different crazy formations, a lot of
a lot of prestat movement, and you know, when you're
young and inexperience and you're not ready for that, it
can be a shell shock.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
He was not shell shocked.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
And so Dylan's done an amazing job along with the
rust of the offensive line of really settling in on
who on what.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Their identity is. I don't know if you caught I
don't know if the camera angle caught it.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Wex, but on those two forty five yard runs, the
backside of the offense, the right side started doing like
front rolls for the touchdown like it was Mason McCormick
and Troy Fatanu. They were like acting like glorified cheerleaders
on the field.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
It was. It was pretty funny to watch.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
And that's when you know this offensive line is clicking.
That's when you know this group, this unit is is
tight and they're they're locked in together when you start
seeing those type of things. And this offensive line has
has taken a lot of heat from the beginning of
the season, and they're in an excellent place right now.
I think you know you were right to say that
(21:34):
they are growing as a unit with all the youth
that they have because Troy Fatano fake this is his
first year really playing over there base of a Cork's
just it is true. Second year. Zach Fraze is his
true second year. Like you said, you know, the adult
in the room was not was not present on game.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Day, you know.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
And so you know, a lot of a lot of
youth on that offensive line, and they handled the job.
They handled the job against a very good, aggressive defense
to a great degree. Now they're gonna get another challenge here,
like Mason Graham is another rookie that's that's playing phenomenal
for the Browns, and Miles Garrett is chasing history the job.
Stop Miles Garrett from getting what he wants this week.
(22:19):
He can have it next week when when it's a
throwaway game and he wants to set the record which
should be twenty three by TJ, not twenty two and
a half tied with Michael Straighthand I'm just gonna put
that out there again once again. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah,
but that Tyler Huntley played that that was a sack.
That was not a TfL. Yeah uh And I'm gonna
(22:42):
ride with that one. But you know, not not not
on Sunday. Not on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Treat treat Miles Garrett like Bradley Chubb, lock him out.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
And sak Kala Warren on him every now and then too.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Yeah yeah, just taking knee cap out why not? Uh whack?
Speaker 3 (23:02):
I mean like a cut like a cut, like a cut,
I mean cutting him. I'm not talking. I'm not talking
about you know, a new style kneecapping. No, there's no
ice picks, so anyways, uh.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Wax, good lucky for your appointment. Just referenced earlier. Merry
Christmas and happy howadays to you, my friend? Yes, Merry Christmas.
Wex that's Jim Wexel, all right,
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
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.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.