September 25, 2024 • 47 mins
Max and Wolf break down some of the things said by Coach Tomlin during his weekly press conference, including: Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, and the trio of offensive line rookies.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Work management practices see straight Talks Terms and conditions.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
Cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank,
p n C, PEPSI, and by FedEx. Where now meets next?
Now here's Craig Wilfley and Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And especially uh, you know, Max, we got a special
guest in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
We're gonna get right to it normally. Yeah, yeah, we
got We got Cincy.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Bungles quarterback Joe Burrow, and Joe I got to ask you, somebody,
what's going on in Cincy?
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Steelers A three zero? Okay, thank you, Joe. I guess
that's not what's going on in Cincy. That's not what's
going on to Cincy. Joe. I don't know if you
knew that. Steelers A three and oh.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Okay, right, that's appreciated. It's all you got to say,
huh one more time? What's going on?
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Yeah? Steelers three? Don't you love it? Don't you love it?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
When you got guys around the AFC North have to
acknowledge that by golly, the Steelers are sitting there at
three and oh that's a beautiful moment on this beautiful Wednesday.
You know, yeah, Steelers a three and oh, thank you
Joe Man.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
That's boy. That's just really nice, don't you think, Max?
Speaker 5 (01:37):
You know, it's it's so wonderful for him to acknowledge it,
you know. And I was actually thinking about this last night, Wolf,
and I just want to run this by you. Okay,
Steelers have more wins than the rest of the division combined.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Did you do the math? Because you know I can't
carry the one very well? I do that, you know
you can.
Speaker 5 (01:57):
There's only two ones to carry, Wolf. Well again, you
know Cleveland has one win, Baltimore has one win, right,
and so Cincinnati has zero.
Speaker 6 (02:07):
So the Steelers Steelers are three.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
No, so we have more victories than the rest of
the division combined.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
You know, this is a moment to sit back and
just enjoy that. Yes, that's a nice moment.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
The more Yanes, now, yeah, yeah, there were going.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Digit know, there's the digital moment. I knew I was
gonna get one of those eventually. Again, how about Wesley
just comes up with that Yinzier accent.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
I love it, Yeah, comes up with it.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
He's from Pittsburgh, you know, he's not from West.
Speaker 6 (02:43):
Virginia General Hospital. All right, like nobody you worry of
nineteen ninety one?
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Wow? Really? Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
I had just I was just on my way to retirement.
Were you well transitioning? You know, even from my r
you don't retire because you know, you just write that much,
you know, you just transition to a new form of work.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Get Yeah, just picking up a new job, you know,
just picking up a new job. That's you know.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
That's one of the most cherished memories I have of
Coach Nolvo was when they celebrated him at halftime at
Akroshuer Stadium then Hind Stadium a number of years ago.
And uh, he was coming off the field and was
surrounded by a lot of people. I weaseled my way
in amongst the mob and I got close to him.
I says, coach. It's because he was having issues at
(03:41):
scene and stuff like that at that time. And I
got close. I said, Coach, it's me Craig Wiffley and
he like they smiled. He goes, I know you, Craig,
He goes, I see you found your life's work. And
that was the most We both laughed and you know,
I got a hug out of him, and it was
just a beautiful moment to celebrate that with coaching all
(04:01):
because it truly was indicative of a lot of things
in my career. Yeah, you know, but uh, that was
that was really a cherished moment with with a man
that really changed the trajectory of my life. So yeah,
that's uh, that's pretty cool. So moving on here, all right,
(04:21):
So we got uh, Mike Toman had the press conference yesterday.
It was very interesting that, you know, when he came in,
he started with the whole thing again. He got the
first question up was Justin and Russ and you know,
let's well, let's just let him say it in his
own words.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
I just met with him and our head athletic trainer
and talked about what tomorrow looks like. Tomorrow is a
limited participation day from a scheduling perspective. He had a
good workout today, We'll see how he feels in the morning,
but I'm not expecting him to be a full participant tomorrow.
And so as we walk in the building tomorrow and
(04:58):
want Justin singularly focused on start for us and doing
what's required to be ready to do that. And so
although I'm sure you got questions, I probably got similar
answers that I had a week ago. And we'll see
what the week leads us. If his availability or the
quality of his practice participation picks up, maybe we'll consider
that later in the week. If it doesn't, then it
(05:19):
won't be a consideration and we'll just continue with where
we are right now. And so that's just the status
of not only him, but our intentions regarding Justin as
I stand here today in preparation for this game.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
So Max, to me, it's definitively closed as far as
you know. The fact is you got Justin going forward,
which is as should be. Uh what what to me
is like, I don't understand everyone talking about you've got
to name him QB one. Really, I mean, what do
you need to do that for? You know, you know
exactly this week? All that matters is you got Justin
(05:53):
is going to take the first snap of the game
for offensively for the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
That's all you need to know. I mean, am I
wrong in that?
Speaker 5 (06:02):
The No, you're You're not wrong, and you're exactly spot on.
What is in a title at this point, you know
what he's doing. He's starting every week. Russell is not available,
So therefore there is no competition or decision between the two. Right,
It's different when he's healthy and you have to name one.
(06:25):
But he's not healthy. Kyle Allen is not is not
is not in the contention here because you know Cayle
Allen is the backup, right, whatever capacity is, whether it's
the number two or the emergency third, that is what
Kyle's going to be until Russ is better. And when
Russ is better then we can make then you need
to make a decision. But he's not. So therefore everybody's
(06:48):
obsession with with words and titles because you know, honestly
as lazy reporting, if you keep asking the question week
after week knowing that Russell Wilson is not healthy, yeah exactly, Yeah,
it just it may It make no sense to me,
and it's a waste of time when you can be
asking other questions of coach Toma because he's not going
to change his position. And I think that's the one
(07:10):
thing where maybe you're a new media guy, maybe you
just got press credentials for the first time to a
Tuesday press conference and you want to you want to
get your question in and the only question that you
know to ask is that easy one. And it's not
that it's like nope, wrong, one quick way to not
get called on. Ask a supid questions like that again
because we've gotten the same answer and it's not it's
(07:32):
not giving us any new insights. And everybody said, hey,
he's not healthy, he cannot go, he can he is,
he's limited for real. It's not fake. It's not fake limitations.
It's real limitations, you know, so I think that's that's
what you know. So that just frustrates me. You're right,
it would be annoying and bothers.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Them it is, because here's the thing about it. If
a head coach doesn't address it and shut it down,
then you know that the press goes to the locker
room and you start putting a microphone in front of
guys and asking the same question, and then guys are
like forced to You almost got to pick a side
if you're not paying attention to what the headman's saying.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
You know what I mean. Now you've starting to.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Create a little bit of division within you know, though
it's it's not really not much, but it can be
one of those things that spreads when the fact is
there's no need for discussion at all because it's already
predetermined that right now Russ is not capable of taking
the field.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
So with that in mind, the last thing about it,
in my mind.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Is the Steelers are in great position season wise, with
a quarterback right now emerging and finding his mojo, with
a guy who's so experienced in a Super Bowl winner
like Russ. Tell me where I'm wrong there, You're not wrong.
Gimbell for two, baby, I know how often does this happen?
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Not often? Let me tell you. I mean, I'm just
gonna have to.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
I'm gonna have to take it out in your brother
when I when I go on his show today, I'm like, listen,
I have to be adversarial to one Wolf today. And
it's not Craig.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
Well, hello, Ronemates. I I know, I don't know. No,
it's funny.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
It's well, you know in the show you want the
rep partee. But I'm like, it makes sense, it's like,
you know, but we will say like you said, WILLI
says that.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
When we get there.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
I mean, yes, the resume is a resume, but at
the end of the day, you know, what have you
done for me lately? That's what the NFL is all about, right,
so we will take that once once once. Apples are apples,
right because right now it's apples. It's apples, and and
Kiwi's pick some of those kind of an interesting thing,
aren't they They are? But they're delicious though they are.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
There's a lot of aren't they got a lot of fiber? Yeah, yeah,
a lot of fiber.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
And uh you know it's it's the fuzzy fruit, you know,
fuzzier than the peach, and you don't eat the skin.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Let me ask you something. How did New Zealand get
the nickname kiwis? How do they do that? I mean
because I mean it's not like that. I don't think
the fruit grows there, does it, because that's in that
like a cold climbing up there. Uh no, New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
New Zealand is tropical, right, it's below It's all right.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
I can't think.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah, okay, Well, as Tounch always said, my most worst
class at Syracuse was geography.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
I couldn't find it.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
Gentlemen, It's actually that the kiwi is the national bird
of New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Okay, it's nothing to do with.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
The fruit obviously, is our resident New Zealand all blacks
rugby expert here.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
What uh?
Speaker 6 (10:27):
They're called the kiwis because it's a bird of New Zealand,
not that green fruit with all the little seeds in
it that makes your your your lips in the corners
of your mouth pucker up.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
What was that?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
The haiku? We're doing that? I am done with.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
I am done with Wesley and his his information desk.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
He's just.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
The kiwi, the official brida. Yeah, oh yeah, No, it's
not a haiku.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
That's Japanese poetry.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
To keep had to keep going west on that one
or east, depending on which direction you come from.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Uh, well we got west here, so we went west.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
Yes exactly, Thank you Wesley, Thank you Wesley for your
your boundless amounts of knowledge that you have acquired to.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
Is a flightless bird with loose hair like feathers, strong legs,
and no tail.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Yes exactly. Then why is the key we of fruit
as well?
Speaker 5 (11:43):
Huh?
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Answered that one that we got. You know, we got
a lot of things that are questionable here in the
locker room.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
You know, I I now I am going to make
it my life's work to stump Wesley in.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
The Internet or yeah, exactly what Slipedia over there.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah, the amazing thing.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
I've never heard anybody say that to me. You know,
that's just a given. You can get stomped. Yeah, hey,
you what's your name? I don't uh, you stuffed him already.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
My name's Craig.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
That's right, it's Crag Crag.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
So we know that it's not a fruit up there
in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
You know, one time I was on a radio show
in New Zealand and it was actually the day before
the Super Bowl number of years back, and because they're
across the international dateline, they officially turn it's the next day,
while you know you're on the day before something like that.
So the guy asked me if I had any prediction
for the Super Bowl. It just said, why don't you
tell me what the score is, because it's already tomorrow there,
(12:49):
you know, you got the score. The guy he thought
about it, goes, he wasn't really amused with my joke.
You it's the moments that you choose to run a
joke on somebody, you know what I'm saying. But he's
already ended tomorrow, you know, and he come on, it's
already Sunday there and Saturday where I'm sitting buddy.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
You know, I'll tell you on Monday. But okay, I'll
tell you on Monday how it went.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
O man, Okay, get back to where we're at. Where
where were we at? For crying out loud?
Speaker 5 (13:26):
You know, I don't know. I know we started the show.
We started the show with Vanilla Joe.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Yes, yes, there was yes, the question in the locker
room and Joe Burrow. How did Joe Burrow get in
the conversation? I don't know. Well, you started the conferences there,
we started. Okay, now we can reboot, you know.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
In the fact of the matter is one of the
things that I'm really excited about justin watching his development
was the fact that again he did so well versus
the Blitz. You know, he sat there, he did He
wasn't running all the time or anything like that, but
he was eight to nine for one hundred and nineteen
passing yards. You know, that's pretty good. They're going to
come after him. You know, you got a young guy
that you know, he's still young, and you got a
(14:11):
guy that is very good at running. And I would
think one of the first inclinations is so you see
guys coming after you, is you just start hoofing it?
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Man? And you know what, I think this.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Young guy is really starting to develop into that pocket
past capabilities that you know he's got. You know, it's
just when you played behind the line like Chicago. I
was watching you know, the Colts this morning with Chicago
and Caleb Williams. He's running for his life and a
(14:44):
couple of times he just turned and through the ball
as far as he could out of bounce without even looking.
I mean, because things were going really bad at that point.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
There was no point in looking because he knew that
their guys were covering up and he didn't have enough
time to do anything else.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Yeah, I mean, you just watch some of those offensive lineman. Man,
you're just turning people loose. I mean, that poor kid,
he's gotta have nightmares. Well, I mean the Houston game
was just as bad too, and I got to get
there for Chicago.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
No, you don't need to watch that because it's not
it's not it's not really to the Colts.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
I had.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
I had to watch it, Okay, So I'm sorry. And
that was just like I was like, I was like,
this is like it was like watching a slow motion
car wreck that speeds up at the last second.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I mean when you run back and forth and then
you just turn around, and I mean your back is
to the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
Sin move heat. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
It was move heave.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
Yeah, yeah, no, I mean it's like watching It's almost
like it. Last week's tape was bad tape to watch
to figure out who the Colts defense is because because
it's like anybody else's highlight reel. Like if you and
I were playing back, then you know what I'm saying
that we played defense.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Like you'd be like, hey, hey, do you have some highlights? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Yeah, just go watch the whole game against the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
For me, didn't decide if you want to pay me
or not. Hey, I got something else to Braiden Smith.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
You better buckle up me of it, buddy, because uh,
you got somebody coming on you this week that is
loaded for Baron wants that one hundred sack total career wise. Man,
I was watching Braiden Smith and he was getting a
face full of driven back in the lap of the quarterback.
Look out, man, Yeah, that's the right time. I'm sorry,
(16:37):
the right tackle for the Colts. Yeah, the right tackle, yes,
thank thank you. Talking about terrible offensive line play. Let's
turn to the Colt side. U Bye bye Bears. Yeah, now, Braiden.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Smith is U's going to have a tough day. I mean,
Quentin Nelson uh kind of knows what he what he's
in for. And even you know what inevitability is, you
still could never prepare for inevitability.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Yeah, yeah, A long arm step to the test.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Now, Anthony Richard will not be back there standing upright
like like Andrew luck was. So you know, the good
thing is is that he will not be stepping on
Anthony Richards's leg because Anthony Richard will be running away.
But same result. You will be five yards deep and
you'll look down and you're like, wait a second. That's
a different line than when I started on. You know,
(17:29):
I gotta tell you. I mean, I know they got
a good running game. Jonathan Taylor is excellent, but dad
zooks man, I mean some of the some of the
things that happen offensively with him. I mean, whow you
know you got Anthony Richardson. Like I said, the guy's
huge six ' five.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Almost two hundred and fifty pounds, right, but you know
he's thrown already six interceptions and three yards three tds.
But you know right now is QBR is like fifty five?
You know, I mean Justin has been up over ninety
for what three straight weeks?
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
This guy here, I think, you know, like I said,
you know, he's kind of like Charlie Sheen and what
was that movie? There's a major major league. That's right,
they got wild thing, you.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (18:16):
When he first came out of the correctional facility, the
metal batter that was like on the string. Yeah, he
took his head off every after he pelted him up.
He couldn't. He had no correction I mean. And here's
the sad part. Anthony richard already has glasses, So that's
not gonna help.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Remember all Vaughn needed.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
He just needed some glasses, no doubt about him. Man,
Anthony Richardson needs like a shoulder harness, Like, hey, you
can't go past this direction. But uh but you know,
I mean, and here's the thing, you know, I do
do do I want? Do I want to uh bag
of my fellow gater Gator mate or alum.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
Yes, yeah, Florida Gator.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
Yes, there we go Thank you for recognizing that in
case anybody was wondering.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
But yeah, no, I mean.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
I honestly felt like Anthony should have stayed in college
another year. That's just my personal opinion based on the
skill development because it's different. Like offensive line, you could
grow into the position, right, I mean, it takes time
and you already take it already takes you know, three
or four years before you really settle into being a
prime offensive lineman. Quarterbacks completely different today's era. It's you
(19:31):
got to do it now, and you got to do
it fast, and you have to and you have to
be ready made, like that's the demand of the league
because if they draft you in the first round, they
are playing you from day one.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Like that is there, there's there.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
It's long gone of the days where you get drafted
in the first round and you might sit a lah
Ben Roethlisberger, right, Philip Rivers.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
You know.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
Rookie season, Yeah yeah, Pat Mahomes, Yeah, he's his first
or it was at the end of the year in
a throwaway game. You know, look at Tom Brady. Tom
Brady didn't start Brett Farv, Brett Farv, you know, Aaron
and to sit Aaron Rodgers who sat behind him, Jordan
Love who sat behind him, you know, and it's like
(20:18):
it's like now, it's like no, you got to go
right out the gates and it doesn't matter if we
drafted in the first round.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
That's what it is.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
And I think that's where that's where you kind of
get a misnomer, like some guys need need a minute,
they need they need an opportunity to sit and learn
and watch. I guarantee you somebody that could benefit from
watching Bryce Young. Bryce Young could definitely from watching well.
Tom probably could have done it.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Tom Brady talked about this several weeks ago, you know,
and he said there's too much a rushing of young
quarterbacks into the league, into the starting lineup, and they
you know, when you look at it, and if you
stand behind you know the pocket, and you watch practice,
you watch what a quarterback does. I mean, he's got
to have the skills in all three hundred and sixty
(21:05):
degree ability to scan and and know like like a
jet fighter pilot, you know.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
I mean, there's so much coming at you. It's I
don't know how you do it.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Yeah, it's a lot, I mean, and so you know,
I wish there was that slower approach, but it just
it isn't. It isn't it isn't on on the on
the precipice, and I hopefully it will get.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
To that eventually.
Speaker 5 (21:34):
But you know, for what, for what it is, we'll
take advantage of another young, running, young rookie quarterback because
technically Anthony Richardson is still a rookie, guys, because he
only played a couple of games before he got injured
a year ago.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
So what do the Steelers do against rookie quarterbacks?
Speaker 3 (21:51):
They beat them exactly. Yeah, they give them hell. They
give them hell. That's what they do. So that's what
we'll do. We got to go to break because is
that we got the opening canon. Also, is Joe still
on the phone?
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Steelers at three zero? Oh, thank you, Joe. You know what,
We'll be right back. Joe's gotta go. He's got some
meetings there in Cincinnati. Hey, come on back. Be in
the locker room here, Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 7 (22:16):
Fox Sports Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. By Bett MGM. Huntington Bank, PNC,
PEPSI and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's
Craig Wolfley and Max Starks.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
He's a talented young guy. He's done a nice job
in team development. You know, he's had a lot of
success in college. Man, he doesn't know stage is too
big for him. He's not a blinker. He runs to
the action. I like the finish mentality in his play.
I think it's contagious. I think all of our guys,
(23:20):
young guys, have that finished trait. I think that's why
we we were so excited about that collective talking about
he and Troy and Zach Fraser. They got that finishing
trait that that's able to to to form the makeup
of the person actinality of a collective as they grow
older together.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
All Right, that was Mike Timelin talking about Mason McCormick.
I think that's another tale of the tape type of
type of moment from from last week's game. Wolf when
you look at just a new opportunity, a new wrinkle
in the offensive growth and the evolution of Arthur Smith's
offense was a utilization of sixty six reporting eligible, right,
(24:06):
And I think it was more so birthed out of
out of kind of numbers and uh and the lack
of the lack of availability created a new option for
Mason McCormick. And you know also that led to him
getting some reps at the left guard position. Him and
Spencer Anderson kind of doing doing doing a little double
(24:28):
time there, splitting some time, and I just you know,
I like the progress of our available rookies. I guess
I should put it, you know, I mean, the trio
this was, this was a dynamic trio of rookies that
we brought in this year, and we always knew they
were on the verge, right, you know that they could
(24:50):
get some opportunities at some point this season. Now, Zach
Frasier was obviously the first one up. I think Troy
Fatano was probably trending ahead of Zach before his injury.
First injury, and then you know, things happen, right, Nate
Irbi gets the shoulder injury, and that thrusts Zach Fraser
into the starting lineup day one, and he's been doing
(25:14):
a phenomenal job.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
You know.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
I mean, yeah, you have a little snap issues in
week one, but that was it.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
That was it.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
After that, it's and and he made up for it.
He he made up for the lack of messing up
a snap by messing up the defender repeatedly.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
And he does a nice job. Yeah, exactly. This guy
has been playing at a high, high level. And you know,
I'm a little reluctant to go into the realm of
referring to guys like Mike Webster and Dermini Dawson and
you know, mar Marcus marquis pouncy. But you know what,
(25:52):
right now, this kid is playing at a high level
and you got to respect what he does. And what
he does physically is finish people. And that's another trait
that Mike was talking about with Mason McCormick and Troy Fatano.
You know, I mean, the fact is you got smashed,
bash and crash, And the first thing we talked about
(26:12):
going into training camp was the finishing capabilities of these guys.
How in the words of my era, we put a
little jelly on our work, you know, a little little
extra at the end there, just to let them know
this is how it's gonna be, and we're gonna be back,
you know. And you watch this kid and what he does,
I can't even imagine what he's gonna be like in
(26:33):
year three four, it just could be something.
Speaker 4 (26:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
Yeah, they're the type of guys that bring a slaves
hammer to a fist fight, you know what I'm saying. Like,
it's just it's just it's beautiful to watch, and you know,
it's not fair for the opponent because the opponent has
no idea the amount of aggression they're about to bring
to them.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
Literally, yeah, And I mean, and I thought Mason Mason
performed admirably, you know, coming in as the as the
extra ligneman uh in an overload situation or a jumbo set,
and then like you said, even at the guard position,
like you know, seeing seeing two rooks.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
I mean, I I was scared about it early on.
Speaker 5 (27:10):
This year, Like, okay, we put two rookies for Week one,
you know, I don't know, we didn't know three was
going to be the number at one point, you know,
yeah exactly. We were like whoa wait a second, especially
once you heard Siamalo going down right. Yeah, But but
I think I think it's I think it's been good
to watch the rotation because I think you have to
(27:33):
prepare for the worst case scenario for all intents and purposes,
you know, as you create this physical brand of football.
You know, bumps, bruises, nicks, uh, you know, twists, all
that stuff happens to the body when you're when you're
in there and and you're short necking folks. You know,
it's it's one of those things. I look at it
(27:54):
and and I was excited because I started my brain
started going like, well, why is Mason getting these reps?
Is you know, why are we doing this rotation? And
then my brain started thinking, well, Isaac's going to be
back at some point, right, Oh yeah, So therefore Spencer
is now gonna move rolls. And because Troy Fatanu is
(28:16):
out on ir, guess who's the swing tackle now, that
swing tackle is now going to be Spencer Anderson. And therefore,
if Spencer Anderson is covering the breath of the line
and especially the tackles, well, that Mason McCormick would be
the swing interior guy, right, because Mason's been taking snaps
at center and guard. So therefore there are your two
(28:36):
guys off the bench once Isaac is a certain back
into the lineup. So I started doing that. You know,
in my head, I'm like, okay, this makes sense. Get
him some experience. So the first time he gets experience
is not you know, the next time somebody else goes out,
you know, week five, six, twelve, fifteen, at some point
down the line, he has to come and fill in.
It's not new to him. And when and when you're
(28:57):
in a physical game like this, where you know you're
running the ball and and you're being effective with it,
why not put him in there and see what he
can do? And he he he matched angries.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
With with the LA Chargers defensive line, and he brought
the angry man with him. So I mean then, and
here's the one thing when I look at that line especially,
you know when Mason was in.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
It, it was it was. It was three angry guys
and two technical guys on the offensive line. That was
that was that was the makeup of our five. Dan
Dan's a technical guy, James James is a technical guy.
Zach is an angry guy. Mason is definitely an angry
guy a k A. You know, I think his nickname
(29:41):
run the locker room's dirt Bag, which is a great
honor to have, especially as.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
A rookie or coming in with the old one Juggernaut,
which I like juggernaut.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
I mean, but but his teammates gave him this right, No, no,
I got I still though, but yeah, well well.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Yeah, we we gave him as the old guy's jugger
or not. But yes, yes, which is which is a
high honor. I mean you might hear that word and
think it's a negative word.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
No, no, no, no, no.
Speaker 5 (30:10):
In football terms, that's a good one. That means he
plays to the echo of the whistle. He's a guy
that is yeah, yes, yeah, well you know, like I said,
the echo of the echo of the echo of the whistle.
It's still reverberating, guys, we're in the stadium sound carries.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Now.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
The one thing, the Steelers have gone out and they
signed Calvin Anderson, an offensive tackle. Okay, so we got
another Anderson on the offensive line, which could be a
little problematic depending on how much that either one of
them plays. But he's had fourteen starts forty six games
over five seasons. He's been with the Jets, so Broncos,
the Patriots. Last year he started two games for the Pats.
(30:48):
With Fatano on ir he would be a swing tackle
in the absence of Dylan Cook, who we were still
hoping that what he gota, Liz Frank, I think it is,
and that's yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Liz Frank. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:59):
Well and because I see him, Alows still out as well.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
So therefore Spencer Interest is not available right to be
the swing tackle. So like you have to, you have
to you have to prepare the insurance policies, right and
the what ifs, you know, from week to week until
you get your full compliment of guys available to you.
So you know this, this this is the musical chairs
action of the season, right when you have injuries, you
have to balance the all of those things. It'll be
(31:25):
interesting to see, you know, as we progress through the week,
who we bring in for outside linebacker right now?
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Because Alex Highsmith is unavailable, right yep?
Speaker 5 (31:35):
So so that that's the next thing, or is it
to Marvin Leal you're now bumping out as the third Well.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
He would be naturally the third guy. But there's another
guy in the practice squad who I butchered his name
the other day, and I don't want him. A poor guy,
he doesn't deserve to have his name butchered by a
mug like me. But uh I, you know, just say
they got a guy on the practice squad that's gotten
reps in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
I don't know that's described. Is that the best way
to do it? Hold on? No, no, his name is
aid A d E. No, okay, what's going on? Is
that Joe? No? No, that's you. That's you. Try to
pronounce his name. That was so bad.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
I just felt really bad because I was trying to
pronounce his name and it was just like it was.
It was bad out of tombo id entergy.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Okay, see all right, then you did better than me.
This is or A O A L initials I like
works works for you. Okay, there you go. But regardless
if you put a if.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
You put a wye in front of it, he becomes
Yogi like Yogi bear.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
You would be thinking about Yogi bear at this You
got another picking basket.
Speaker 5 (33:04):
Yeah, but but yeah, I think I think that's how
you kind of progress. But you know, you're always trying
to figure out, right, like, how does that work?
Speaker 4 (33:13):
Where do we where do we slide? Guys?
Speaker 5 (33:17):
What does the lineup look like going to game day,
going to game week? As we get prepared for the
Indiapolis Colts, you know, you want to make sure that
you have a full roster of guys, a full compliment
of individuals that are ready to do to do your
bidding right right, And I think that's that that's kind
of the biggest thing, is planning for that. And you know,
(33:41):
as much as you know I'm gonna miss Alex, I'm
just happy that the that the diagnosis came back that
he did not need surgery, so he just needed some
time off because yeah, you know, putting another guy on
IR and I can't remember the rule how many guys
you can put on short term I are I think
there's a cap for it, but you know, not not
(34:01):
having to slide him over there is always a good
sign that you know, he just needs.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
A little bit of rest. That's where Troy is at.
He's on that four Troy is on the four week.
Wasn't Dylan on the four week as well?
Speaker 4 (34:15):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Let's see West is going and it says, well, let's see,
when a player is on injured reserve, he's not eligible
play first team. Okay, there's no limit to the number
of players who can be placed on the list, but
there is a cap on those designated to return from
the list.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Yeah, okay, yeah, and what is that the cap. That's
what make me click on the article here. There you go,
all right, well, there we go.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
We are looking for when the players on the injured reserve. Okay, eight, Okay,
there we go. Eight is okay number. So magic number
of eight we already have. We already have. What is
Trice is? Trice is on the designated he's going to Yeah,
Troy's on the designated return. Cole Holk I'm still on
the designated to return to here, am I ah Moon
(34:59):
is on the designated to return. Tyler Mattic Kaevich is
only designated to return. Dylan cook Is and Ben Scarnic one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, oh.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
And Logan Lee. Logan Lee also on that.
Speaker 5 (35:13):
So we already have our max of eight. That's the
reason why you can't put alex I Swift designating to return.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
All right, that makes sense.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
Yeah, yeah, we've tapped out, tapped out by week by
week three or week four. Wow, tapped out our entire list.
And so yeah, so hence why we will wait for you,
Alex wait for you, and you will be at every game.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
Bud. Oh yeah, but yeah, I mean but think about this.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
Look look at look at the look at the i
R list. I just named the eight that are designated
to return that Nate Herbig is obviously not going to return.
Ryan Watts will not return, David Ferrales, and Cam Johnston.
So that's twelve guys on the IR already this season.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
That's amazing, you know. Well, that's that's what the you know,
the injury rate in the NFL is one. Everybody gets
hurt sooner or later, some to a greater degree, some
to a much lesser degree. But everybody plays in the
league at some point in time is going to incur injuries.
That's the nature of the beas. Yes, that's what we
signed up for, you know it is. And if you
(36:20):
don't that means you didn't play long enough or at all.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
There we go.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
Yeah, I mean that's that's the only way to guarantee
health and safety.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
And I'm not gonna get on my soapbox. No, you
will not get on my soapbox. If you stand on
a soap box, your head's going to hit something, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (36:37):
That's true, that's right, unless I'm standing in the town square.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
Uh, I gotta get this before we go to break.
You're going to see my brother today, right, besides me,
I will see your brother. Besides the usual fact of
busting on him and telling him that you know, I
love him, is also remind him that his West Virginia
punt return that he had that he it was a
great fake punt and he went like sixty yards and
he put it on the internet last night. So I
(37:03):
posted and I said, from what I understand, they went
to commercial break during your run, you're so slow.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
I will definitely bring that up to him. Oh my god. Yeah,
there you go. Oh, I'm about to do it. I
am going to do it. I'm gonna watch it just
so I could give an additional commentary.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
Yes, you got to listen to the show then, Wolf,
you got to hear it during you know it will
be what three fifteen year time, three fifteen to four fifteen.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
Yeah, hopefully or I can get Maloney to hopefully post
that it's hilarious.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
So I will do that.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
And while while I'm while I'm thinking about how I'm
going to bust on your brothers, chops.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
Now we're gonna go to commercial break. We're gonna be
back with more here inside of the locker room. We come
back on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by BET MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wilfley and Max Starks.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
My answer to that is, keep watching. We're just trying
to do what it needs needs to be done to
position ourselves with victory every week. It better requires skill
set or well rounded skill set from everyone involved, and
it better requires some open minded coaching. And so that's
just our general approach. Our personality will be revealed the
more we play. But as we stand right now, we're
(38:53):
just not overly concerned with establishing personality. Sometimes you can
be so fixated on that that you're not doing what's
required to games, and from a coaching perspective, that's stupid.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
I love how he just comes right to the point,
that's stupid. If you don't let that dictate you know
what you're doing. And I think it's important Max, because look,
you know, people want to talk about what's your identity,
and people what's your personality. You know, identity is whatever
they call in the huddle. Personality is what emerges through
the year as you as you come out and you
(39:24):
find different people with different talents and you put them
in a position to positively affect the outcome. I mean,
that's what coaching really is all about. It's not dictating
according to what you just believe as far as a
given set of you know, circumstances like oh, you know
we're gonna go with eleven personnel totally, or twelve personnel whatever,
you know, defensively we're going to play three four whatever. No,
(39:47):
it's what emerges with what talent you have, you know,
emerging an emerging guy like like Nick Kirbik, right, I
mean you take a look at him, you know, can
he stop the run as well as Alex Well, We're
gonna find out, you know, and whatever you got to
do to supplant him and support him in the in
that role. We know we can rush the passer. He's
(40:09):
definitely proven he can rush the passer. I got no
doubts that he's gonna be able to stop the run
as well. But the fact is, whatever you need to
do to put your people in the best position to
win is what it's all about.
Speaker 4 (40:21):
It's coaching wise.
Speaker 5 (40:24):
Yeah, I mean that's the gift, right That is the gift.
That is what that is what determines the legendary coaches
from the pedestrian coaches right right, is the ability to
be flexible with your personnel and the ability to utilize
them to the best of their capabilities and to get
the best out of your guys. And you know, I
(40:46):
kind of talked about this, you know, kind of a yesterday.
You know, when you're looking at you know, some of
the some of the young great coaches that are around
right now that you have to give them, give them
props and give them kudos. You know, Kevin O'Connell what
he's doing with Sam Donold right in Minnesota. You know,
they're a team that has shown that man that they
(41:08):
can make a run. You know that they can work
within this system with Sam Donald, even though they were
planning for JJ McCarthy. You know, you look at Sean
McVay what he's done over his time in LA. You know,
they've had their ups and downs, but they eventually got
a Super Bowl. And you know, it was trading a
young a young gifted quarterback who everybody would say, Jared
goff Is is a guy who has been consistently good
(41:31):
in this league. And you win, You got Matt Stafford
and you and you, you know, you made the most
out out of that Kyle Shanahan using Brock perty how
many different quarterbacks has he gone through and still had success?
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Right thinking, Jimmy g you know.
Speaker 5 (41:46):
Now Brock and you had Trey Lance other roster before,
and you know, you just you're making it work. The
system is working for you. And I think, you know,
for Mike Toma recognizing to bring in an Arthur Smith
and then allowing Arthur Smith to do what he's done,
and how he's changed kind of the look of this offense.
Speaker 4 (42:02):
Uh, you know from what it was in the past
three years.
Speaker 5 (42:04):
I think you look at that and and great coaches
know about that flexibility and sometimes you got to make
those hard decisions, but it's for the greater good of
the team and you're getting the best out of your team.
And I think you know that's that's a gift in
and of itself. And think about tomlin tenure. He's had
a lot of different coaches that he's rolled through, whether good,
(42:26):
bad or indifferent and he and you're still you're still
getting good results. And I think that's something that's that's
really special to watch. And you know, it is a
gift it could because you know, like I always say,
common sense, ain't that common?
Speaker 4 (42:41):
You know, you know.
Speaker 5 (42:43):
Today's are you know to have to have that? Well,
you know, it is one of those things. It's it's tough.
It's it's a tough proposition, and so you know, you
continue to manage, you continue to redo, and you never
you never ever fall out of love with the process.
And I think that's the key thing. Mike Town has
(43:04):
never fallen out of love with the process. He understands
it is what it is, and it's a nature of
timing and of evolution. Whether it's the game, whether it's
your players.
Speaker 4 (43:14):
You have to be.
Speaker 5 (43:16):
Flexible in all respects in order to be successful.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
Well, there's no question in mine.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
I mean, you know when you deal with that, especially
over the course of a seventeen game season, right, I mean,
we've already listed how many guys are on the ire,
how many are designated for return. There is a consistency
there of guys that you know, you miss, key players.
There's key guys that go down and how do you
replace them. Sometimes it's a two or three man job
(43:42):
and replacing a guy, you know, I mean, you just
have to divvy up as Mike calls at the division
of labor and be able to disperse those accurately to
the right individuals get the job done. Again, I go
back to losing an Alex Heisch. People don't understand in
many ways, a lot of people don't understand how good
and valuable Alex Highsmith is.
Speaker 4 (44:04):
I know that.
Speaker 3 (44:04):
You know, people point to his h had two years
ago fourteen sacks and only seven last year, but the
tackles for loss and a number of turnovers he led
the league and pressure from leading up to turnovers since
twenty twenty two with like eight or nine. I mean,
he really has been, you know, a walking, talking human
(44:25):
hemorrhoid on the pass rush for quarterbacks. You know, probably
not the best way to describe it, but the point is,
you get what I'm talking about. He's been a pain
in the keyster four quarterbacks across the league. And on
the other end, you've got you've got the greatest quarterback
hunter in the league going right now and TJ.
Speaker 4 (44:45):
Watt, So the two of them together.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
Now you add a herbig and I again you go
from three taking three of those guys cutting them loose
on a pass rush. Now Nick has got to play
on a regular basis. And so again it's part of
this is how you implement certain tools and certain points
of time, and you've got the you know, you get
your past rush.
Speaker 5 (45:06):
Going, and that is why you know just to just
to draw a cross reference wolf for you. This is
why you're you're cross training Mason McCormick right right, and
getting him into the game early. Sure, because you don't
want it to be brand new when you have to
deal with an injury, and therefore it's even more of
(45:26):
an upheaval, right, You want to make it as smooth
as a transition as possible. And when you can get
guys reps, it makes them that much better equipped for
an increased role. You can't go zero to sixty reps.
You know, you'd rather say, well, he's already gotten fifteen
to twenty. If we up as load to sixty, it
shouldn't be as big a difference as zero. You know,
(45:49):
zero to sixty, right, you're cutting that down by almost half,
if not more. And I'm just using an arbitrary number.
Obviously Mason mcormick got more reps than that, but that's
what that's what the sense is is that you want
to get a guy in and get him comfortable with
the flow of the game, understanding when you assert at
different points in the game. Because you could never predict
when injuries are going to happen. You just know that
(46:09):
they are going to happen, and you have to be
best prepared as possible. So when you can get guys
an opportunity to up their opportunities in a game, you
want to do that. And for Nate Herbig, now for
Nick Herbig, this opportunity is not going to be that
great because he played a lot of snaps in the
preseason and we saw what the production look like then
(46:30):
and he's already gotten what one hundred reps already this season,
so it's not like it's going to be a huge
transition if he goes into the starting lineup. And that's
what you want to do. You want to make it
as normal and pedestrian as possible when they insert into
the game where they have an elongated role in the game.
And I think that and that's also the magic sauces
(46:51):
how can you insert a guy to get him experience
without there being a drop off in performance.
Speaker 4 (46:57):
For the unit. And I think that's that's.
Speaker 5 (47:00):
What that's what you're trying to do. Yeah, yeah, I
think yeah, I think you're accomplishing that type of role.
So yeah, so no, I completely agree, And I just
wanted to draw a parallel of another situation that's similar
to that and how you have to plan for those
things and how the Steelers are actively doing those things.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
All right, you know what, it's time to go to break,
and we're going to go to break right now.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
We've got Jim Wexel coming up steel City Insider for
the power Hours, Max takes over and brings it on
in Don't Go Away. You're listening to the Steelers Audio Network.
Work management practices see straight Talks Terms and conditions.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
Cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank,
p n C, PEPSI, and by FedEx. Where now meets next?
Now here's Craig Wilfley and Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
And especially uh, you know, Max, we got a special
guest in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
We're gonna get right to it normally. Yeah, yeah, we
got We got Cincy.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Bungles quarterback Joe Burrow, and Joe I got to ask you, somebody,
what's going on in Cincy?
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Steelers A three zero? Okay, thank you, Joe. I guess
that's not what's going on in Cincy. That's not what's
going on to Cincy. Joe. I don't know if you
knew that. Steelers A three and oh.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Okay, right, that's appreciated. It's all you got to say,
huh one more time? What's going on?
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Yeah? Steelers three? Don't you love it? Don't you love it?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
When you got guys around the AFC North have to
acknowledge that by golly, the Steelers are sitting there at
three and oh that's a beautiful moment on this beautiful Wednesday.
You know, yeah, Steelers a three and oh, thank you
Joe Man.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
That's boy. That's just really nice, don't you think, Max?
Speaker 5 (01:37):
You know, it's it's so wonderful for him to acknowledge it,
you know. And I was actually thinking about this last night, Wolf,
and I just want to run this by you. Okay,
Steelers have more wins than the rest of the division combined.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Did you do the math? Because you know I can't
carry the one very well? I do that, you know
you can.
Speaker 5 (01:57):
There's only two ones to carry, Wolf. Well again, you
know Cleveland has one win, Baltimore has one win, right,
and so Cincinnati has zero.
Speaker 6 (02:07):
So the Steelers Steelers are three.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
No, so we have more victories than the rest of
the division combined.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
You know, this is a moment to sit back and
just enjoy that. Yes, that's a nice moment.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
The more Yanes, now, yeah, yeah, there were going.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Digit know, there's the digital moment. I knew I was
gonna get one of those eventually. Again, how about Wesley
just comes up with that Yinzier accent.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
I love it, Yeah, comes up with it.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
He's from Pittsburgh, you know, he's not from West.
Speaker 6 (02:43):
Virginia General Hospital. All right, like nobody you worry of
nineteen ninety one?
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Wow? Really? Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
I had just I was just on my way to retirement.
Were you well transitioning? You know, even from my r
you don't retire because you know, you just write that much,
you know, you just transition to a new form of work.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Get Yeah, just picking up a new job, you know,
just picking up a new job. That's you know.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
That's one of the most cherished memories I have of
Coach Nolvo was when they celebrated him at halftime at
Akroshuer Stadium then Hind Stadium a number of years ago.
And uh, he was coming off the field and was
surrounded by a lot of people. I weaseled my way
in amongst the mob and I got close to him.
I says, coach. It's because he was having issues at
(03:41):
scene and stuff like that at that time. And I
got close. I said, Coach, it's me Craig Wiffley and
he like they smiled. He goes, I know you, Craig,
He goes, I see you found your life's work. And
that was the most We both laughed and you know,
I got a hug out of him, and it was
just a beautiful moment to celebrate that with coaching all
(04:01):
because it truly was indicative of a lot of things
in my career. Yeah, you know, but uh, that was
that was really a cherished moment with with a man
that really changed the trajectory of my life. So yeah,
that's uh, that's pretty cool. So moving on here, all right,
(04:21):
So we got uh, Mike Toman had the press conference yesterday.
It was very interesting that, you know, when he came in,
he started with the whole thing again. He got the
first question up was Justin and Russ and you know,
let's well, let's just let him say it in his
own words.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
I just met with him and our head athletic trainer
and talked about what tomorrow looks like. Tomorrow is a
limited participation day from a scheduling perspective. He had a
good workout today, We'll see how he feels in the morning,
but I'm not expecting him to be a full participant tomorrow.
And so as we walk in the building tomorrow and
(04:58):
want Justin singularly focused on start for us and doing
what's required to be ready to do that. And so
although I'm sure you got questions, I probably got similar
answers that I had a week ago. And we'll see
what the week leads us. If his availability or the
quality of his practice participation picks up, maybe we'll consider
that later in the week. If it doesn't, then it
(05:19):
won't be a consideration and we'll just continue with where
we are right now. And so that's just the status
of not only him, but our intentions regarding Justin as
I stand here today in preparation for this game.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
So Max, to me, it's definitively closed as far as
you know. The fact is you got Justin going forward,
which is as should be. Uh what what to me
is like, I don't understand everyone talking about you've got
to name him QB one. Really, I mean, what do
you need to do that for? You know, you know
exactly this week? All that matters is you got Justin
(05:53):
is going to take the first snap of the game
for offensively for the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
That's all you need to know. I mean, am I
wrong in that?
Speaker 5 (06:02):
The No, you're You're not wrong, and you're exactly spot on.
What is in a title at this point, you know
what he's doing. He's starting every week. Russell is not available,
So therefore there is no competition or decision between the two. Right,
It's different when he's healthy and you have to name one.
(06:25):
But he's not healthy. Kyle Allen is not is not
is not in the contention here because you know Cayle
Allen is the backup, right, whatever capacity is, whether it's
the number two or the emergency third, that is what
Kyle's going to be until Russ is better. And when
Russ is better then we can make then you need
to make a decision. But he's not. So therefore everybody's
(06:48):
obsession with with words and titles because you know, honestly
as lazy reporting, if you keep asking the question week
after week knowing that Russell Wilson is not healthy, yeah exactly, Yeah,
it just it may It make no sense to me,
and it's a waste of time when you can be
asking other questions of coach Toma because he's not going
to change his position. And I think that's the one
(07:10):
thing where maybe you're a new media guy, maybe you
just got press credentials for the first time to a
Tuesday press conference and you want to you want to
get your question in and the only question that you
know to ask is that easy one. And it's not
that it's like nope, wrong, one quick way to not
get called on. Ask a supid questions like that again
because we've gotten the same answer and it's not it's
(07:32):
not giving us any new insights. And everybody said, hey,
he's not healthy, he cannot go, he can he is,
he's limited for real. It's not fake. It's not fake limitations.
It's real limitations, you know, so I think that's that's
what you know. So that just frustrates me. You're right,
it would be annoying and bothers.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Them it is, because here's the thing about it. If
a head coach doesn't address it and shut it down,
then you know that the press goes to the locker
room and you start putting a microphone in front of
guys and asking the same question, and then guys are
like forced to You almost got to pick a side
if you're not paying attention to what the headman's saying.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
You know what I mean. Now you've starting to.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Create a little bit of division within you know, though
it's it's not really not much, but it can be
one of those things that spreads when the fact is
there's no need for discussion at all because it's already
predetermined that right now Russ is not capable of taking
the field.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
So with that in mind, the last thing about it,
in my mind.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Is the Steelers are in great position season wise, with
a quarterback right now emerging and finding his mojo, with
a guy who's so experienced in a Super Bowl winner
like Russ. Tell me where I'm wrong there, You're not wrong.
Gimbell for two, baby, I know how often does this happen?
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Not often? Let me tell you. I mean, I'm just
gonna have to.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
I'm gonna have to take it out in your brother
when I when I go on his show today, I'm like, listen,
I have to be adversarial to one Wolf today. And
it's not Craig.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
Well, hello, Ronemates. I I know, I don't know. No,
it's funny.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
It's well, you know in the show you want the
rep partee. But I'm like, it makes sense, it's like,
you know, but we will say like you said, WILLI
says that.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
When we get there.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
I mean, yes, the resume is a resume, but at
the end of the day, you know, what have you
done for me lately? That's what the NFL is all about, right,
so we will take that once once once. Apples are apples,
right because right now it's apples. It's apples, and and
Kiwi's pick some of those kind of an interesting thing,
aren't they They are? But they're delicious though they are.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
There's a lot of aren't they got a lot of fiber? Yeah, yeah,
a lot of fiber.
Speaker 5 (09:43):
And uh you know it's it's the fuzzy fruit, you know,
fuzzier than the peach, and you don't eat the skin.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Let me ask you something. How did New Zealand get
the nickname kiwis? How do they do that? I mean
because I mean it's not like that. I don't think
the fruit grows there, does it, because that's in that
like a cold climbing up there. Uh no, New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
New Zealand is tropical, right, it's below It's all right.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
I can't think.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah, okay, Well, as Tounch always said, my most worst
class at Syracuse was geography.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
I couldn't find it.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
Gentlemen, It's actually that the kiwi is the national bird
of New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Okay, it's nothing to do with.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
The fruit obviously, is our resident New Zealand all blacks
rugby expert here.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
What uh?
Speaker 6 (10:27):
They're called the kiwis because it's a bird of New Zealand,
not that green fruit with all the little seeds in
it that makes your your your lips in the corners
of your mouth pucker up.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
What was that?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
The haiku? We're doing that? I am done with.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
I am done with Wesley and his his information desk.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
He's just.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
The kiwi, the official brida. Yeah, oh yeah, No, it's
not a haiku.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
That's Japanese poetry.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
To keep had to keep going west on that one
or east, depending on which direction you come from.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Uh, well we got west here, so we went west.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
Yes exactly, Thank you Wesley, Thank you Wesley for your
your boundless amounts of knowledge that you have acquired to.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
Is a flightless bird with loose hair like feathers, strong legs,
and no tail.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Yes exactly. Then why is the key we of fruit
as well?
Speaker 5 (11:43):
Huh?
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Answered that one that we got. You know, we got
a lot of things that are questionable here in the
locker room.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
You know, I I now I am going to make
it my life's work to stump Wesley in.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
The Internet or yeah, exactly what Slipedia over there.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Yeah, the amazing thing.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
I've never heard anybody say that to me. You know,
that's just a given. You can get stomped. Yeah, hey,
you what's your name? I don't uh, you stuffed him already.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
My name's Craig.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
That's right, it's Crag Crag.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
So we know that it's not a fruit up there
in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
You know, one time I was on a radio show
in New Zealand and it was actually the day before
the Super Bowl number of years back, and because they're
across the international dateline, they officially turn it's the next day,
while you know you're on the day before something like that.
So the guy asked me if I had any prediction
for the Super Bowl. It just said, why don't you
tell me what the score is, because it's already tomorrow there,
(12:49):
you know, you got the score. The guy he thought
about it, goes, he wasn't really amused with my joke.
You it's the moments that you choose to run a
joke on somebody, you know what I'm saying. But he's
already ended tomorrow, you know, and he come on, it's
already Sunday there and Saturday where I'm sitting buddy.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
You know, I'll tell you on Monday. But okay, I'll
tell you on Monday how it went.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
O man, Okay, get back to where we're at. Where
where were we at? For crying out loud?
Speaker 5 (13:26):
You know, I don't know. I know we started the show.
We started the show with Vanilla Joe.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Yes, yes, there was yes, the question in the locker
room and Joe Burrow. How did Joe Burrow get in
the conversation? I don't know. Well, you started the conferences there,
we started. Okay, now we can reboot, you know.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
In the fact of the matter is one of the
things that I'm really excited about justin watching his development
was the fact that again he did so well versus
the Blitz. You know, he sat there, he did He
wasn't running all the time or anything like that, but
he was eight to nine for one hundred and nineteen
passing yards. You know, that's pretty good. They're going to
come after him. You know, you got a young guy
that you know, he's still young, and you got a
(14:11):
guy that is very good at running. And I would
think one of the first inclinations is so you see
guys coming after you, is you just start hoofing it?
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Man? And you know what, I think this.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Young guy is really starting to develop into that pocket
past capabilities that you know he's got. You know, it's
just when you played behind the line like Chicago. I
was watching you know, the Colts this morning with Chicago
and Caleb Williams. He's running for his life and a
(14:44):
couple of times he just turned and through the ball
as far as he could out of bounce without even looking.
I mean, because things were going really bad at that point.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
There was no point in looking because he knew that
their guys were covering up and he didn't have enough
time to do anything else.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Yeah, I mean, you just watch some of those offensive lineman. Man,
you're just turning people loose. I mean, that poor kid,
he's gotta have nightmares. Well, I mean the Houston game
was just as bad too, and I got to get
there for Chicago.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
No, you don't need to watch that because it's not
it's not it's not really to the Colts.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
I had.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
I had to watch it, Okay, So I'm sorry. And
that was just like I was like, I was like,
this is like it was like watching a slow motion
car wreck that speeds up at the last second.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I mean when you run back and forth and then
you just turn around, and I mean your back is
to the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
Sin move heat. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
It was move heave.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
Yeah, yeah, no, I mean it's like watching It's almost
like it. Last week's tape was bad tape to watch
to figure out who the Colts defense is because because
it's like anybody else's highlight reel. Like if you and
I were playing back, then you know what I'm saying
that we played defense.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Like you'd be like, hey, hey, do you have some highlights? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Yeah, just go watch the whole game against the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
For me, didn't decide if you want to pay me
or not. Hey, I got something else to Braiden Smith.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
You better buckle up me of it, buddy, because uh,
you got somebody coming on you this week that is
loaded for Baron wants that one hundred sack total career wise. Man,
I was watching Braiden Smith and he was getting a
face full of driven back in the lap of the quarterback.
Look out, man, Yeah, that's the right time. I'm sorry,
(16:37):
the right tackle for the Colts. Yeah, the right tackle, yes,
thank thank you. Talking about terrible offensive line play. Let's
turn to the Colt side. U Bye bye Bears. Yeah, now, Braiden.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Smith is U's going to have a tough day. I mean,
Quentin Nelson uh kind of knows what he what he's
in for. And even you know what inevitability is, you
still could never prepare for inevitability.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Yeah, yeah, A long arm step to the test.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Now, Anthony Richard will not be back there standing upright
like like Andrew luck was. So you know, the good
thing is is that he will not be stepping on
Anthony Richards's leg because Anthony Richard will be running away.
But same result. You will be five yards deep and
you'll look down and you're like, wait a second. That's
a different line than when I started on. You know,
(17:29):
I gotta tell you. I mean, I know they got
a good running game. Jonathan Taylor is excellent, but dad
zooks man, I mean some of the some of the
things that happen offensively with him. I mean, whow you
know you got Anthony Richardson. Like I said, the guy's
huge six ' five.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Almost two hundred and fifty pounds, right, but you know
he's thrown already six interceptions and three yards three tds.
But you know right now is QBR is like fifty five?
You know, I mean Justin has been up over ninety
for what three straight weeks?
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
This guy here, I think, you know, like I said,
you know, he's kind of like Charlie Sheen and what
was that movie? There's a major major league. That's right,
they got wild thing, you.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (18:16):
When he first came out of the correctional facility, the
metal batter that was like on the string. Yeah, he
took his head off every after he pelted him up.
He couldn't. He had no correction I mean. And here's
the sad part. Anthony richard already has glasses, So that's
not gonna help.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Remember all Vaughn needed.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
He just needed some glasses, no doubt about him. Man,
Anthony Richardson needs like a shoulder harness, Like, hey, you
can't go past this direction. But uh but you know,
I mean, and here's the thing, you know, I do
do do I want? Do I want to uh bag
of my fellow gater Gator mate or alum.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
Yes, yeah, Florida Gator.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
Yes, there we go Thank you for recognizing that in
case anybody was wondering.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
But yeah, no, I mean.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
I honestly felt like Anthony should have stayed in college
another year. That's just my personal opinion based on the
skill development because it's different. Like offensive line, you could
grow into the position, right, I mean, it takes time
and you already take it already takes you know, three
or four years before you really settle into being a
prime offensive lineman. Quarterbacks completely different today's era. It's you
(19:31):
got to do it now, and you got to do
it fast, and you have to and you have to
be ready made, like that's the demand of the league
because if they draft you in the first round, they
are playing you from day one.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Like that is there, there's there.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
It's long gone of the days where you get drafted
in the first round and you might sit a lah
Ben Roethlisberger, right, Philip Rivers.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
You know.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
Rookie season, Yeah yeah, Pat Mahomes, Yeah, he's his first
or it was at the end of the year in
a throwaway game. You know, look at Tom Brady. Tom
Brady didn't start Brett Farv, Brett Farv, you know, Aaron
and to sit Aaron Rodgers who sat behind him, Jordan
Love who sat behind him, you know, and it's like
(20:18):
it's like now, it's like no, you got to go
right out the gates and it doesn't matter if we
drafted in the first round.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
That's what it is.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
And I think that's where that's where you kind of
get a misnomer, like some guys need need a minute,
they need they need an opportunity to sit and learn
and watch. I guarantee you somebody that could benefit from
watching Bryce Young. Bryce Young could definitely from watching well.
Tom probably could have done it.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Yeah, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Tom Brady talked about this several weeks ago, you know,
and he said there's too much a rushing of young
quarterbacks into the league, into the starting lineup, and they
you know, when you look at it, and if you
stand behind you know the pocket, and you watch practice,
you watch what a quarterback does. I mean, he's got
to have the skills in all three hundred and sixty
(21:05):
degree ability to scan and and know like like a
jet fighter pilot, you know.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
I mean, there's so much coming at you. It's I
don't know how you do it.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Yeah, it's a lot, I mean, and so you know,
I wish there was that slower approach, but it just
it isn't. It isn't it isn't on on the on
the precipice, and I hopefully it will get.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
To that eventually.
Speaker 5 (21:34):
But you know, for what, for what it is, we'll
take advantage of another young, running, young rookie quarterback because
technically Anthony Richardson is still a rookie, guys, because he
only played a couple of games before he got injured
a year ago.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
So what do the Steelers do against rookie quarterbacks?
Speaker 3 (21:51):
They beat them exactly. Yeah, they give them hell. They
give them hell. That's what they do. So that's what
we'll do. We got to go to break because is
that we got the opening canon. Also, is Joe still
on the phone?
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Steelers at three zero? Oh, thank you, Joe. You know what,
We'll be right back. Joe's gotta go. He's got some
meetings there in Cincinnati. Hey, come on back. Be in
the locker room here, Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 7 (22:16):
Fox Sports Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. By Bett MGM. Huntington Bank, PNC,
PEPSI and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's
Craig Wolfley and Max Starks.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
He's a talented young guy. He's done a nice job
in team development. You know, he's had a lot of
success in college. Man, he doesn't know stage is too
big for him. He's not a blinker. He runs to
the action. I like the finish mentality in his play.
I think it's contagious. I think all of our guys,
(23:20):
young guys, have that finished trait. I think that's why
we we were so excited about that collective talking about
he and Troy and Zach Fraser. They got that finishing
trait that that's able to to to form the makeup
of the person actinality of a collective as they grow
older together.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
All Right, that was Mike Timelin talking about Mason McCormick.
I think that's another tale of the tape type of
type of moment from from last week's game. Wolf when
you look at just a new opportunity, a new wrinkle
in the offensive growth and the evolution of Arthur Smith's
offense was a utilization of sixty six reporting eligible, right,
(24:06):
And I think it was more so birthed out of
out of kind of numbers and uh and the lack
of the lack of availability created a new option for
Mason McCormick. And you know also that led to him
getting some reps at the left guard position. Him and
Spencer Anderson kind of doing doing doing a little double
(24:28):
time there, splitting some time, and I just you know,
I like the progress of our available rookies. I guess
I should put it, you know, I mean, the trio
this was, this was a dynamic trio of rookies that
we brought in this year, and we always knew they
were on the verge, right, you know that they could
(24:50):
get some opportunities at some point this season. Now, Zach
Frasier was obviously the first one up. I think Troy
Fatano was probably trending ahead of Zach before his injury.
First injury, and then you know, things happen, right, Nate
Irbi gets the shoulder injury, and that thrusts Zach Fraser
into the starting lineup day one, and he's been doing
(25:14):
a phenomenal job.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
You know.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
I mean, yeah, you have a little snap issues in
week one, but that was it.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
That was it.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
After that, it's and and he made up for it.
He he made up for the lack of messing up
a snap by messing up the defender repeatedly.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
And he does a nice job. Yeah, exactly. This guy
has been playing at a high, high level. And you know,
I'm a little reluctant to go into the realm of
referring to guys like Mike Webster and Dermini Dawson and
you know, mar Marcus marquis pouncy. But you know what,
(25:52):
right now, this kid is playing at a high level
and you got to respect what he does. And what
he does physically is finish people. And that's another trait
that Mike was talking about with Mason McCormick and Troy Fatano.
You know, I mean, the fact is you got smashed,
bash and crash, And the first thing we talked about
(26:12):
going into training camp was the finishing capabilities of these guys.
How in the words of my era, we put a
little jelly on our work, you know, a little little
extra at the end there, just to let them know
this is how it's gonna be, and we're gonna be back,
you know. And you watch this kid and what he does,
I can't even imagine what he's gonna be like in
(26:33):
year three four, it just could be something.
Speaker 4 (26:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
Yeah, they're the type of guys that bring a slaves
hammer to a fist fight, you know what I'm saying. Like,
it's just it's just it's beautiful to watch, and you know,
it's not fair for the opponent because the opponent has
no idea the amount of aggression they're about to bring
to them.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
Literally, yeah, And I mean, and I thought Mason Mason
performed admirably, you know, coming in as the as the
extra ligneman uh in an overload situation or a jumbo set,
and then like you said, even at the guard position,
like you know, seeing seeing two rooks.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
I mean, I I was scared about it early on.
Speaker 5 (27:10):
This year, Like, okay, we put two rookies for Week one,
you know, I don't know, we didn't know three was
going to be the number at one point, you know,
yeah exactly. We were like whoa wait a second, especially
once you heard Siamalo going down right. Yeah, But but
I think I think it's I think it's been good
to watch the rotation because I think you have to
(27:33):
prepare for the worst case scenario for all intents and purposes,
you know, as you create this physical brand of football.
You know, bumps, bruises, nicks, uh, you know, twists, all
that stuff happens to the body when you're when you're
in there and and you're short necking folks. You know,
it's it's one of those things. I look at it
(27:54):
and and I was excited because I started my brain
started going like, well, why is Mason getting these reps?
Is you know, why are we doing this rotation? And
then my brain started thinking, well, Isaac's going to be
back at some point, right, Oh yeah, So therefore Spencer
is now gonna move rolls. And because Troy Fatanu is
(28:16):
out on ir, guess who's the swing tackle now, that
swing tackle is now going to be Spencer Anderson. And therefore,
if Spencer Anderson is covering the breath of the line
and especially the tackles, well, that Mason McCormick would be
the swing interior guy, right, because Mason's been taking snaps
at center and guard. So therefore there are your two
(28:36):
guys off the bench once Isaac is a certain back
into the lineup. So I started doing that. You know,
in my head, I'm like, okay, this makes sense. Get
him some experience. So the first time he gets experience
is not you know, the next time somebody else goes out,
you know, week five, six, twelve, fifteen, at some point
down the line, he has to come and fill in.
It's not new to him. And when and when you're
(28:57):
in a physical game like this, where you know you're
running the ball and and you're being effective with it,
why not put him in there and see what he
can do? And he he he matched angries.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
With with the LA Chargers defensive line, and he brought
the angry man with him. So I mean then, and
here's the one thing when I look at that line especially,
you know when Mason was in.
Speaker 5 (29:21):
It, it was it was. It was three angry guys
and two technical guys on the offensive line. That was
that was that was the makeup of our five. Dan
Dan's a technical guy, James James is a technical guy.
Zach is an angry guy. Mason is definitely an angry
guy a k A. You know, I think his nickname
(29:41):
run the locker room's dirt Bag, which is a great
honor to have, especially as.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
A rookie or coming in with the old one Juggernaut,
which I like juggernaut.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
I mean, but but his teammates gave him this right, No, no,
I got I still though, but yeah, well well.
Speaker 5 (29:57):
Yeah, we we gave him as the old guy's jugger
or not. But yes, yes, which is which is a
high honor. I mean you might hear that word and
think it's a negative word.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
No, no, no, no, no.
Speaker 5 (30:10):
In football terms, that's a good one. That means he
plays to the echo of the whistle. He's a guy
that is yeah, yes, yeah, well you know, like I said,
the echo of the echo of the echo of the whistle.
It's still reverberating, guys, we're in the stadium sound carries.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Now.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
The one thing, the Steelers have gone out and they
signed Calvin Anderson, an offensive tackle. Okay, so we got
another Anderson on the offensive line, which could be a
little problematic depending on how much that either one of
them plays. But he's had fourteen starts forty six games
over five seasons. He's been with the Jets, so Broncos,
the Patriots. Last year he started two games for the Pats.
(30:48):
With Fatano on ir he would be a swing tackle
in the absence of Dylan Cook, who we were still
hoping that what he gota, Liz Frank, I think it is,
and that's yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Liz Frank. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:59):
Well and because I see him, Alows still out as well.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
So therefore Spencer Interest is not available right to be
the swing tackle. So like you have to, you have
to you have to prepare the insurance policies, right and
the what ifs, you know, from week to week until
you get your full compliment of guys available to you.
So you know this, this this is the musical chairs
action of the season, right when you have injuries, you
have to balance the all of those things. It'll be
(31:25):
interesting to see, you know, as we progress through the week,
who we bring in for outside linebacker right now?
Speaker 4 (31:31):
Because Alex Highsmith is unavailable, right yep?
Speaker 5 (31:35):
So so that that's the next thing, or is it
to Marvin Leal you're now bumping out as the third Well.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
He would be naturally the third guy. But there's another
guy in the practice squad who I butchered his name
the other day, and I don't want him. A poor guy,
he doesn't deserve to have his name butchered by a
mug like me. But uh I, you know, just say
they got a guy on the practice squad that's gotten
reps in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
I don't know that's described. Is that the best way
to do it? Hold on? No, no, his name is
aid A d E. No, okay, what's going on? Is
that Joe? No? No, that's you. That's you. Try to
pronounce his name. That was so bad.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
I just felt really bad because I was trying to
pronounce his name and it was just like it was.
It was bad out of tombo id entergy.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Okay, see all right, then you did better than me.
This is or A O A L initials I like
works works for you. Okay, there you go. But regardless
if you put a if.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
You put a wye in front of it, he becomes
Yogi like Yogi bear.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
You would be thinking about Yogi bear at this You
got another picking basket.
Speaker 5 (33:04):
Yeah, but but yeah, I think I think that's how
you kind of progress. But you know, you're always trying
to figure out, right, like, how does that work?
Speaker 4 (33:13):
Where do we where do we slide? Guys?
Speaker 5 (33:17):
What does the lineup look like going to game day,
going to game week? As we get prepared for the
Indiapolis Colts, you know, you want to make sure that
you have a full roster of guys, a full compliment
of individuals that are ready to do to do your
bidding right right, And I think that's that that's kind
of the biggest thing, is planning for that. And you know,
(33:41):
as much as you know I'm gonna miss Alex, I'm
just happy that the that the diagnosis came back that
he did not need surgery, so he just needed some
time off because yeah, you know, putting another guy on
IR and I can't remember the rule how many guys
you can put on short term I are I think
there's a cap for it, but you know, not not
(34:01):
having to slide him over there is always a good
sign that you know, he just needs.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
A little bit of rest. That's where Troy is at.
He's on that four Troy is on the four week.
Wasn't Dylan on the four week as well?
Speaker 4 (34:15):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Let's see West is going and it says, well, let's see,
when a player is on injured reserve, he's not eligible
play first team. Okay, there's no limit to the number
of players who can be placed on the list, but
there is a cap on those designated to return from
the list.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Yeah, okay, yeah, and what is that the cap. That's
what make me click on the article here. There you go,
all right, well, there we go.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
We are looking for when the players on the injured reserve. Okay, eight, Okay,
there we go. Eight is okay number. So magic number
of eight we already have. We already have. What is
Trice is? Trice is on the designated he's going to Yeah,
Troy's on the designated return. Cole Holk I'm still on
the designated to return to here, am I ah Moon
(34:59):
is on the designated to return. Tyler Mattic Kaevich is
only designated to return. Dylan cook Is and Ben Scarnic one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, oh.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
And Logan Lee. Logan Lee also on that.
Speaker 5 (35:13):
So we already have our max of eight. That's the
reason why you can't put alex I Swift designating to return.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
All right, that makes sense.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
Yeah, yeah, we've tapped out, tapped out by week by
week three or week four. Wow, tapped out our entire list.
And so yeah, so hence why we will wait for you,
Alex wait for you, and you will be at every game.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
Bud. Oh yeah, but yeah, I mean but think about this.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
Look look at look at the look at the i
R list. I just named the eight that are designated
to return that Nate Herbig is obviously not going to return.
Ryan Watts will not return, David Ferrales, and Cam Johnston.
So that's twelve guys on the IR already this season.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
That's amazing, you know. Well, that's that's what the you know,
the injury rate in the NFL is one. Everybody gets
hurt sooner or later, some to a greater degree, some
to a much lesser degree. But everybody plays in the
league at some point in time is going to incur injuries.
That's the nature of the beas. Yes, that's what we
signed up for, you know it is. And if you
(36:20):
don't that means you didn't play long enough or at all.
Speaker 4 (36:24):
There we go.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
Yeah, I mean that's that's the only way to guarantee
health and safety.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
And I'm not gonna get on my soapbox. No, you
will not get on my soapbox. If you stand on
a soap box, your head's going to hit something, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (36:37):
That's true, that's right, unless I'm standing in the town square.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
Uh, I gotta get this before we go to break.
You're going to see my brother today, right, besides me,
I will see your brother. Besides the usual fact of
busting on him and telling him that you know, I
love him, is also remind him that his West Virginia
punt return that he had that he it was a
great fake punt and he went like sixty yards and
he put it on the internet last night. So I
(37:03):
posted and I said, from what I understand, they went
to commercial break during your run, you're so slow.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
I will definitely bring that up to him. Oh my god. Yeah,
there you go. Oh, I'm about to do it. I
am going to do it. I'm gonna watch it just
so I could give an additional commentary.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
Yes, you got to listen to the show then, Wolf,
you got to hear it during you know it will
be what three fifteen year time, three fifteen to four fifteen.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
Yeah, hopefully or I can get Maloney to hopefully post
that it's hilarious.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
So I will do that.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
And while while I'm while I'm thinking about how I'm
going to bust on your brothers, chops.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
Now we're gonna go to commercial break. We're gonna be
back with more here inside of the locker room. We come
back on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by BET MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wilfley and Max Starks.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
My answer to that is, keep watching. We're just trying
to do what it needs needs to be done to
position ourselves with victory every week. It better requires skill
set or well rounded skill set from everyone involved, and
it better requires some open minded coaching. And so that's
just our general approach. Our personality will be revealed the
more we play. But as we stand right now, we're
(38:53):
just not overly concerned with establishing personality. Sometimes you can
be so fixated on that that you're not doing what's
required to games, and from a coaching perspective, that's stupid.
Speaker 3 (39:03):
I love how he just comes right to the point,
that's stupid. If you don't let that dictate you know
what you're doing. And I think it's important Max, because look,
you know, people want to talk about what's your identity,
and people what's your personality. You know, identity is whatever
they call in the huddle. Personality is what emerges through
the year as you as you come out and you
(39:24):
find different people with different talents and you put them
in a position to positively affect the outcome. I mean,
that's what coaching really is all about. It's not dictating
according to what you just believe as far as a
given set of you know, circumstances like oh, you know
we're gonna go with eleven personnel totally, or twelve personnel whatever,
you know, defensively we're going to play three four whatever. No,
(39:47):
it's what emerges with what talent you have, you know,
emerging an emerging guy like like Nick Kirbik, right, I
mean you take a look at him, you know, can
he stop the run as well as Alex Well, We're
gonna find out, you know, and whatever you got to
do to supplant him and support him in the in
that role. We know we can rush the passer. He's
(40:09):
definitely proven he can rush the passer. I got no
doubts that he's gonna be able to stop the run
as well. But the fact is, whatever you need to
do to put your people in the best position to
win is what it's all about.
Speaker 4 (40:21):
It's coaching wise.
Speaker 5 (40:24):
Yeah, I mean that's the gift, right That is the gift.
That is what that is what determines the legendary coaches
from the pedestrian coaches right right, is the ability to
be flexible with your personnel and the ability to utilize
them to the best of their capabilities and to get
the best out of your guys. And you know, I
(40:46):
kind of talked about this, you know, kind of a yesterday.
You know, when you're looking at you know, some of
the some of the young great coaches that are around
right now that you have to give them, give them
props and give them kudos. You know, Kevin O'Connell what
he's doing with Sam Donold right in Minnesota. You know,
they're a team that has shown that man that they
(41:08):
can make a run. You know that they can work
within this system with Sam Donald, even though they were
planning for JJ McCarthy. You know, you look at Sean
McVay what he's done over his time in LA. You know,
they've had their ups and downs, but they eventually got
a Super Bowl. And you know, it was trading a
young a young gifted quarterback who everybody would say, Jared
goff Is is a guy who has been consistently good
(41:31):
in this league. And you win, You got Matt Stafford
and you and you, you know, you made the most
out out of that Kyle Shanahan using Brock perty how
many different quarterbacks has he gone through and still had success?
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Right thinking, Jimmy g you know.
Speaker 5 (41:46):
Now Brock and you had Trey Lance other roster before,
and you know, you just you're making it work. The
system is working for you. And I think, you know,
for Mike Toma recognizing to bring in an Arthur Smith
and then allowing Arthur Smith to do what he's done,
and how he's changed kind of the look of this offense.
Speaker 4 (42:02):
Uh, you know from what it was in the past
three years.
Speaker 5 (42:04):
I think you look at that and and great coaches
know about that flexibility and sometimes you got to make
those hard decisions, but it's for the greater good of
the team and you're getting the best out of your team.
And I think you know that's that's a gift in
and of itself. And think about tomlin tenure. He's had
a lot of different coaches that he's rolled through, whether good,
(42:26):
bad or indifferent and he and you're still you're still
getting good results. And I think that's something that's that's
really special to watch. And you know, it is a
gift it could because you know, like I always say,
common sense, ain't that common?
Speaker 4 (42:41):
You know, you know.
Speaker 5 (42:43):
Today's are you know to have to have that? Well,
you know, it is one of those things. It's it's tough.
It's it's a tough proposition, and so you know, you
continue to manage, you continue to redo, and you never
you never ever fall out of love with the process.
And I think that's the key thing. Mike Town has
(43:04):
never fallen out of love with the process. He understands
it is what it is, and it's a nature of
timing and of evolution. Whether it's the game, whether it's
your players.
Speaker 4 (43:14):
You have to be.
Speaker 5 (43:16):
Flexible in all respects in order to be successful.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
Well, there's no question in mine.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
I mean, you know when you deal with that, especially
over the course of a seventeen game season, right, I mean,
we've already listed how many guys are on the ire,
how many are designated for return. There is a consistency
there of guys that you know, you miss, key players.
There's key guys that go down and how do you
replace them. Sometimes it's a two or three man job
(43:42):
and replacing a guy, you know, I mean, you just
have to divvy up as Mike calls at the division
of labor and be able to disperse those accurately to
the right individuals get the job done. Again, I go
back to losing an Alex Heisch. People don't understand in
many ways, a lot of people don't understand how good
and valuable Alex Highsmith is.
Speaker 4 (44:04):
I know that.
Speaker 3 (44:04):
You know, people point to his h had two years
ago fourteen sacks and only seven last year, but the
tackles for loss and a number of turnovers he led
the league and pressure from leading up to turnovers since
twenty twenty two with like eight or nine. I mean,
he really has been, you know, a walking, talking human
(44:25):
hemorrhoid on the pass rush for quarterbacks. You know, probably
not the best way to describe it, but the point is,
you get what I'm talking about. He's been a pain
in the keyster four quarterbacks across the league. And on
the other end, you've got you've got the greatest quarterback
hunter in the league going right now and TJ.
Speaker 4 (44:45):
Watt, So the two of them together.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
Now you add a herbig and I again you go
from three taking three of those guys cutting them loose
on a pass rush. Now Nick has got to play
on a regular basis. And so again it's part of
this is how you implement certain tools and certain points
of time, and you've got the you know, you get
your past rush.
Speaker 5 (45:06):
Going, and that is why you know just to just
to draw a cross reference wolf for you. This is
why you're you're cross training Mason McCormick right right, and
getting him into the game early. Sure, because you don't
want it to be brand new when you have to
deal with an injury, and therefore it's even more of
(45:26):
an upheaval, right, You want to make it as smooth
as a transition as possible. And when you can get
guys reps, it makes them that much better equipped for
an increased role. You can't go zero to sixty reps.
You know, you'd rather say, well, he's already gotten fifteen
to twenty. If we up as load to sixty, it
shouldn't be as big a difference as zero. You know,
(45:49):
zero to sixty, right, you're cutting that down by almost half,
if not more. And I'm just using an arbitrary number.
Obviously Mason mcormick got more reps than that, but that's
what that's what the sense is is that you want
to get a guy in and get him comfortable with
the flow of the game, understanding when you assert at
different points in the game. Because you could never predict
when injuries are going to happen. You just know that
(46:09):
they are going to happen, and you have to be
best prepared as possible. So when you can get guys
an opportunity to up their opportunities in a game, you
want to do that. And for Nate Herbig, now for
Nick Herbig, this opportunity is not going to be that
great because he played a lot of snaps in the
preseason and we saw what the production look like then
(46:30):
and he's already gotten what one hundred reps already this season,
so it's not like it's going to be a huge
transition if he goes into the starting lineup. And that's
what you want to do. You want to make it
as normal and pedestrian as possible when they insert into
the game where they have an elongated role in the game.
And I think that and that's also the magic sauces
(46:51):
how can you insert a guy to get him experience
without there being a drop off in performance.
Speaker 4 (46:57):
For the unit. And I think that's that's.
Speaker 5 (47:00):
What that's what you're trying to do. Yeah, yeah, I
think yeah, I think you're accomplishing that type of role.
So yeah, so no, I completely agree, And I just
wanted to draw a parallel of another situation that's similar
to that and how you have to plan for those
things and how the Steelers are actively doing those things.
Speaker 4 (47:15):
All right, you know what, it's time to go to break,
and we're going to go to break right now.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
We've got Jim Wexel coming up steel City Insider for
the power Hours, Max takes over and brings it on
in Don't Go Away. You're listening to the Steelers Audio Network.
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