January 6, 2025 • 37 mins
The locker room begins to look ahead to the challenge of an AFC North postseason battle
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mmmmmm.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
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 Stark's.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
All right, it is the Hour of Power, not.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
To be confused with the Tower of Power, but which
is of course a.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
R and B funk band. Yeah, yeah, it's called the
Tower of Power.
Speaker 5 (00:54):
Yeah, I must have missed on that.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah yeah, yeah. They had a really they had a
really good uh a really.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Good keyboardist, Roger Smith actually as a keyboardist.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Anyways, Uh, how about the Grand Funk Railroad.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
The Grand Funk Railroad mean like like Graham Central Station.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
Well, no, that was that was like a band back
in the sixties.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
You know, well probably, I mean listen, I mean Parliament
and the Funkadelic. Oh yeah, you know you said, you know,
it's a Grand Funk Railroad Tower of Power. I mean,
we we, I mean there's a lot we could go in.
I mean, granted it was not my era of life,
but uh, but I could definitely. I definitely know a
lot of that, a lot of that genre of music, right, But.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Who was the epic one though?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Oh man, there was a band back in the like
the seventies. Oh man, I can't remember, you know, in
the Sunshine Bam. You know, it was around that same time.
But it was another one that was just they were epic.
They were really good. Earth Wind and Fire.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Oh e w f oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Oh wait, I'm taking a bell lap here. I pulled
it out. That's a victory. That is a that is
a good one. Go ahead, go ahead, take the victory lap.
Then there you go.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Oh, I'm so, I'm so pleased with myself.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
You know, when you get one of those things that's
kind of like a reality check.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
The kids still got it.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
He's okay, everything's fine, everything's fine, guys, it's great.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
The concussions haven't taken over. We're okay. Yeah, there's no
there's no damage here. Everything's fine.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
I got I got no drain damage that I know of.
You know, that's how it rolls. So anyway, I'm so.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I'm don't mean to hijack your your time period. No, listen,
it is a relative phrase.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Wolf is strictly shared time, not controlled by one side
or the other. Uh, you know, just kind of as
a little bit of a side. Okay, we're gonna go
with I also want to go. Oh you know, I
just remembered big happy birthday. Shout out to my big bro,
(03:33):
a guy I think super highly of.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
You know, it's one of my.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Best buds, mister mister Cappy Tan himself, Steelers Hall of
Honor inductee member James Ferrier aka There.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
We Go Saw turned the big five.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Oh today, shout out he made Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
He made his numbers fifty fifty.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
What he said one more year. Yeah that's right foot.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Very fifty fifty not years old.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, Patsy will be his will be his football number
next year. Okay, Yeah he's I think he's. I think
he's in Malaysia right now, celebrate his birthday. I think
really like Khi. That's where I saw some photos.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You know, I was watching a Netflix special on m
H three seventy. You know the the plane that Yeah,
that was that's a wild thing. Man, that's just crazy.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Yeah, I mean it's still one of those great histories mysteries.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
I mean, where did it go? Oh?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Man?
Speaker 7 (04:48):
Man?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Exactly I mean, thirty nine people left without with families
left without an answer.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
That's just that's crazy.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Yeah. So getting back to anyhow.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Yeah, any AnyWho yet, before we before we start putting
on our tenfoil hats, we'll take off our birthday party
hats for a second. I was in faith yesterday, PATSI
today I had to say that, I had to had
to say, had to shoot one up for my homie.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Absolute.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Yeah, even though he's not going to hear this because
he's all the way on the other.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Side of the world.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
But for those that know him, they can send him
a text.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Before he's ahead of us. It's about to be tomorrow
over there.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Yeah, exactly, but we can still celebrate for him.
Speaker 7 (05:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Playoff football, a FC North, playoff football. Stop me.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
When you've heard this before. It almost becomes a common thread.
And it seems like the Steelers seem to always pull
the draw of playing ourselves, you know, somebody in our division.
When I say ourselves, you know, I remember, you know
Cleveland a couple of years ago. I remember the AFC
(06:06):
championship game against Baltimore. We played Cincinnati another you know year,
my second year in the league.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
It's like a common theme.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
I mean, the one thing I can say about this
division is that year in and year out, it delivers.
Multiple teams are going to get into the playoffs from
this division.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
You know, more often than not. I mean, and not
a lot of divisions can say that.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I mean, yeah, you know, you know, you look at
the NFC East and it's a revolving carousel of.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Who's going in not the same win or two years
in the row blah blah blah blah blah whatever, Eastern Pa.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
But the AFC North, I mean, for the better part
of this twenty first century, we usually send two, if
not three, to the playoffs. Uh, and Cincinnati almost made it,
you know. I mean if Kansas City actually put one
starter out there, maybe they won that game, but set
the tire squad.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yes, that was closed. So I'm thirty eight than nothing. Yeah, exactly. Man.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
It's like, yeah, talk about a ceremonial victory right there
that I will let you guys get in.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
We'd rather see we rather see a rookie than Joe
Burrow in the playoffs. Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Seriously, was that like a bye week?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I mean, you got to be kidding me, you know,
I mean double bye week.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
I mean, you know, but when you've been to the
Super Bowl, I mean, what three of the last five years, Yeah,
and you've hosted the AFC Championship game what six times
now or six years in a row?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I mean yeah, I mean I guess you know, those
guys are tired. They need an.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
Extra week of rest rip Van Winkle style, I guess.
But yeah, I was like Jesus, I'm like, really, just just.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Not one point at one point?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
No, I can't muster it. So but you know, congratulations
to Denver.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, I want that. I just I didn't see that
one coming at all. You know, I figure, Okay, you
sit my homes down and sit Kelsey down, you know,
and it's a thirty one to ten thing or you know.
But I mean, just to shut them out and just
bomb them like that, my goodness, goose egg. Yeah, lets
you know, does it not let you know how important
(08:28):
it is to have a franchise quarterback, you know, I
mean you look at my homes. I mean, that's that's
it's amazing, you know. I mean, that's again, there was
so much. First of all, you can't even sniff the
playoffs without a franchise quarterback. Second of all, the quarterback
position has taken on such an importance. There is such
(08:50):
an overload of information. And I keep saying it because
I really believe it, because once you put those goggles on,
remember the you know, the VR stuff. You know, they
do the VR and in uh, you know, in practice,
and quarterbacks will put the goggles on afterwards after practice
is over to you know, see it from the huddle aspect,
you know, from the behind the offensive line or where
(09:12):
a quarterback would be. I put that on one time.
Just watching that thing. It's like it's like things coming
at you. You know, it's like having an overloader. You're
a fighter pilot and you know in a stealth mode,
you know, playing you've got stuff buzzing you in that
It's like so much overload of information. I don't know
how they deal with it, you know, I'm I I
(09:33):
could we I can sit there, call out the mic. Okay,
I can handle that, you know, But but other than that,
I mean the overload info that they've got to have
when they're reading the defenses from the front to the back,
from the back to the front.
Speaker 6 (09:48):
Oh my goodness, yeah, yeah, I mean it's it's it's
a rough one, but then you also just go to
see that, hey, they're not as deep as people think.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
What do you mean.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Can't City chiefs?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (10:03):
Oh, I thought you're talking about quarterbacks. You No, I'm
not talking about quarterback. I mean, you know, I mean
we could talk about it. I mean I think you know,
here's a question, are we upgraded from a year ago?
I'd say yes, absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
But you know, it's like the importance of that starting
quarterback and how it's a house of cards, you know,
I mean you look at you take my homes out
of that offense for Kansas City, it can't muster a point, right,
So you know, I think that we've shown that, you know,
(10:40):
if we if we don't have a starter, we have
we have two guys who have won multiple games for us,
you know what I'm saying. And I think that's where
the upgrade is, is that you have multiple guys that
you feel you can go out there and you can win,
you can do battle with consistently and feel good about it.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
But the question is getting back into that winning getting
back in that winning mindset, right.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
And now you know, this is the single elimination tournament,
so forget what the record was.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Right now it's zero zero.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
And the goal is to try and get to four.
And oh, that's that's the only thing you got to
worry about. Everything is, everything's equal now, you know, if
you got, if you.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Got your goal, if you got your Willie want.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
A golden ticket to get into and to get into
the NFL playoffs, right.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
One and O is the only thing on your mind
right now? Oh?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Absolutely, absolutely no. And basically remember this is two trains,
one track. It's the Ratbirds. Man, this is going to Baltimore.
This is about as nasty as it can get. You know,
you think about a game that maybe maybe this is
the very thing that causes them to rise up and
find that inner fire that you got to have to
(11:56):
go in and then deal with the Baltimore Birds. You know,
the team that you know, both teams you got. I
would expect that you don't have much I don't know,
and much love for caring for any of the Baltimore Ravens.
What I'm just saying, you know, somebody who has been
(12:19):
part of the legacy, you know. No, that's what I
kind of figured that, you know, I'm just.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Kind of crap on my car I don't like birds.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
I don't like birds, like birds of any kind, ravens, falcons, eagles, seahawks, cardinals.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I do like the cardinals.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
It's it's a pretty bird there you go, you know,
but I don't see I don't see cardinals out in Arizona.
So it's a team named But yeah, birds, you know, listen,
and we we've we've ended birds in Super Bowl, so
you know, at least trying to.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
So at least you got to Okay, yes, sorry, I'm
just you just right.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
It wasn't It wasn't meant like, oh that was a slapdown.
That was a slap down, you know. No, it was
more like a pat down.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yeah, hey, Bud, you know, hey, but you were there.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I was there, Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
I did get to enjoy that from you know, hanging
out on the sidelines, and you did. You did share
an ammonia popper with me, and I appreciate.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
That I shared an ammonia popper with you.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
I'm sure there was some confetti, you know, I got
in your shirt, you know, and hey, we had a
heck of after party.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Huh what about that? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (13:35):
That was that was pretty special, pretty nice.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Yeah, So I mean so now it is perfectly fine. No,
you know, the best part is like both ours.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
You know, the best part in Detroit was my girl
Faith came over the wall and made it out on
the field with me. It was hilarious how she got Oh,
it was just it was just unbelievable. It's a story
undo itself. But that was something I mean.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
And listen, everybody should enjoy that, right, and everybody does.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
I mean because listen, the.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Broadcast team gives people that access that they can't ordinarily get,
and so it is a very important job as well
how you report it and and us giving you that perspective.
So no, you you were there, you were a part,
You were part of our victories that you helped us wolf, Well,
(14:25):
I just well, I know I know you. I know
you helped me in the offensive line. You did you did,
you did train us, You did train us in the office.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
We would give it a little bit everything. So it's
a village. It's a village takes a village.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
No cat takes a village. Oh oh where did that
come from? Oh did you hear that? Last? Go ahead?
Fired again? No cap, no cap there It is for
all yourizzles, right.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
That's right, I have no cap But I said that
no cap. I said that, I said, the kids said,
I said, they made me say no cap And they're
going to explain what was I go. I told him
I don't have a cap. I didn't bring it with me,
you know, and they.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Go, no. You can see the top of my head.
It's acting like I have a cap on. I'm always
no capers? Are the guys right? And yeah, that's what
I'm guessing is the masculine and and what's up myrizzlers
and riz lets? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (15:35):
And what does it mean I forgot?
Speaker 3 (15:36):
I mean, I mean it's almost like this.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Is this is going downhill so fast. We gotta get
West to help me out here real quick.
Speaker 8 (15:44):
It would almost be like saying someone has swag or
someone has style. Like if you say, if you say
that guy's got riz, it just means he dresses well,
he's well put together, he's confident, he knows how to
talk to people.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Charisma, charisma, Oh why do you say rima?
Speaker 4 (16:02):
And I don't know, just say you know, what, what's
up my charismatic individuals?
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Oh? Man?
Speaker 1 (16:13):
What is up?
Speaker 9 (16:14):
You?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Fancy folk?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
A lot of its dapperness?
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Hello, I feel like you need a monocle and a
top hat when you say that.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Exactly, there's no doubt about it. Charismatic people of the world.
Oh my god. Okay, all right, we're going to break.
We're going to break. We're gonna We're gonna find it.
I promise maybe.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
We'll be back with more.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
Here inside the Locker Room on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by Akroshure, 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 (17:27):
You know, the thing that's interesting to me is that
after last week, the Steelers have now gone as I've talked,
we were talking about the opening time segment was the
Steelers are zered to nineteen on opening offensive drives in
touchdown scoring. The last guy to do that was Mason Rudolph,
and he did that when he lit up Let's see
George Pickins on an eighty six yard TD pass to
(17:49):
open the game up in the first drive last year
in week sixteen. I think it was against the Bengals
as a matter of fact, but I'm not one hundred
percent sure regardless. The point being is, that's a long
time not to go out and score on the very
opening drive. I mean, that's that's ridiculous. And so it
would be a good time. It would be Wove the
(18:10):
Steelers a great deal to come out and do something
to turn the tide and shut the m and t
Bank Faithful down a little bit, take, you know, to
survide that onslaught. You know it's going to be there.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Yeah, I mean, it's okay. I'm sorry, guys. We have
a little landscaping issue in the background.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
And I know, I know, I know. I just asked him.
I mean, you guys heard me ask you, and I
was I was very nice. But he's he's walking, he's
walking down the hill.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Yeah, it's okay, we got any who.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I apologize Wolf. My brain shut off, so I was trying.
I was trying not to see nothing but red.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
So here you here's the point. How how important is
is it?
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Exactly? How important is it? I feel like I'm in
the huddle with you.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
I gotta grab your face mask and yell at you
the way I did Pete Rostowski out in Denver.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
So I'm screaming at him because he can't hear pigeons
on the field.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
You know, you're a namor by then forgetting there's a
game going.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Yeah, exactly, we're face mask to face mask, and I'm
trying to scream at you and tell you the point
being that the Steelers are ohen nineteen and opening game
TD drives. That's something that could help the Steelers so
much to get a quick start in in Baltimore. I
mean that to me, that just it sets the whole,
(19:38):
the whole day, the whole everything about coming out quick,
because it certainly wasn't a quick start for the Steelers
his last game against the Bengals.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah, no, I think I think that's that's what we've
been chasing that. And the crazy thing is is that
we get so close, right, Yeah, we get so close,
but then, like you said, then there's moments where we
just fall flat.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
I mean, and this was a prime.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Opportunity in the Cincinnati game if we're looking back, because
we're allowed to look back until the McDonald press conference
was just coming on right after this show, So make
sure you stay tuned into sn R boom.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
You like that? You like that? Shameless? Yea. Also, Wolf,
don't go anywhere. You're still at the stage life for
the press conference.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
But we had the one of the worst kickoff misses
to start a game by Kay York. Oh yeah, ball
didn't even land in the landing zone. And we're at
the forty yard line with Chris Boswell.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
We had to make it exactly twenty five yards at
the most, and he can kick a.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Field goal and we can put points on the board.
Although we're talking about touchdowns. We couldn't do that.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
And then.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
We had what negative six yards of offense versus like
one hundred and like sixteen after the first two drives
of the game.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
It was I wouldn't doubt it. I mean, I don't
know what it was.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Something something like that wasn't ridiculous, and it's just it's frustrated.
But then you can see it's almost like we had
to get punched in the mouth before we get going.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Right.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
You know, it's a you know, and Arthur Smith said,
we're that old car. You know, you just gotta you
gotta gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta flood the
carburetor right, you gotta we gotta pump some gas.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Into it, then it gets going. But once it starts going,
it's purring. Why can't we just.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Be like a little remote start vehicle, you know what
I'm saying, like a modern car, just boop boop? All right,
let us sit up at warm for five minutes, guys
before we go out there. You know what I'm saying,
Why can't we have that the little auto start? And
I think that's that's what we're trying to figure out.
What would it take in a perfect world?
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Wolf? And let me just was this question to you,
because it just came into my head.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
What would your first two plays be if you are
offensive coordinator?
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Just a little exercise.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
If I was offensive coordinator, my first play boy, this
is off the top of my very flat head, and
I was not prepared for this at all. I would
look for either an inbreaking route to Calvin Austin, or
it would be Pat fryarmooth, get things underway, you know,
shake it up, do something where it's a little play action,
(22:38):
try to pull the linebackers a little bit, and then
hit one of those those guys on some sort of
inbreaking route. Because basically it would be a good way
to set the table to get them going something easy,
you know something, yeah, you know, a high percentage of
a yeah, quick hitter, something like that, like.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
The eighty six yard or that George Pickens scoreed.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
On last year. You know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (23:03):
That was It was unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Yeah, you know, and I think for me, I would
I would just love to see you know, we saw
this in training camp Wolf. So this is why I
love it so much. The thirteen personnel go to eleven personnel. Right, Okay,
get a mismatch, right, you send out the big people
and see how they adjust, right, and then you start
(23:31):
them in tight and you spread them out the accordion
as I called it. Okay, right, I would love to
see that I saw with a Pat Friar move Darnell
Darnell and like uh Connor Hayward and the twins on
the right side, you know what I'm saying. And then
just run like you said, you gotta run a one
step slant with Pat, or you can or you can
(23:52):
run you know, you can run some type of combination
option route between you know, Connor and Darnell. Darnell runs
runs the runs the initial like post clear out and
and Connor on on on the underneath right separation. I
would love to see that just something something different, something
outside the norm, something that says, you know what, you
(24:15):
think you have a figure, have us figured out? You
don't ye know what I'm saying, Like something like that
that I would love to see it start out like
that one time.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Well, let's just think about this.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
You were right, uh versus the Bengals, all right, the
first drive from the Steelers netted minus six yards. The
second drive from the Steelers netted nine yards, which then
gives you a positive three yards, I believe. Yeah, And
at the end of the first quarter you have three yards.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
So that's not a real positive thing, all right. In
other words, we.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Get yeah, three of offense.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Yeah, we got to do something to get this offense
untracked earlier. And I I don't know what the answer is,
you know, I mean think about it. Nineteen straight opening
game drives without a score, I mean, without a touchdown.
That that says something. For what it says, I'm not
exactly sure, but you cannot. You got to crank that
(25:17):
old model tea up faster than that, you know. I
think Coach Arthur's got you do something to shake things
up and do something outside the norm to give the
Steelers an opportunity to get out of the blocks, because
we're not getting out of the blox anything anything.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Yeah, you know, but you know, I know, we talked
about this nineteen game streak of not opening touchdown. How
about this, how about this, wolf Lett, let's come to
a compromise. Okay, let's get two first downs on the
first drive.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Okay, so that's going to look too long, right, Yeah, yeah,
let's go with that.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Let's get two first downs because assuming more often, that
probably end up starting on twenty or something like that.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
All right, all right, thirty, so you get a first
down forty forty ish to get the half, you know,
across the midfield.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Then let's see what happens. Okay, you know, but let's
get to midfield. Yeah, because I think that's that's kind
of where we need to kind of start at.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Right.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
You gotta take baby steps, right steps, because maybe because
maybe asking for an opening touchdown is just a bit
outside of reach.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I just believe they can do it, you know, I
mean I.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
Do, I do too, but I also want I want
to also try and be as methodical because I'm hoping
that they exceed my expectations, you.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Know what I'm saying, right, right, So it's it's.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
Like i'd rather, I'd rather under expect and get over delivered.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Right.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
No, that's very true, right.
Speaker 4 (26:53):
I mean, because then it's like, oh, well that's all
you think of us, Well, let us show you you
know what you show me?
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Right, right right.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Oh I'm so mad that come on the airwaves on Monday.
I'm so mad I was wrong. I would be ecstatic
to be wrong.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
You know what I'm saying. Well, I would love to.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Be wrong in this moment because that means that you
know that it's personal to them, and I would love
to see just a little bit of more pissed off
offense out there.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yeah, I would.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
I would take a fifteen yard face mask if you
rip the dude's helmet off and threw it fifteen yards
behind you, you know what I'm saying, I'll take that.
Speaker 5 (27:33):
At least you didn't go lyle l Zaida and throw
it at a guy.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
You know. Yeah, you can't use it as a weapon.
You've seen that story before. It it doesn't work. It
does not work out when you use it as a
as a blunt force melee weapon. So yeah, not that.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
That's why I said throw behind you because then that's
the safest place because hopefully there's nobody behind you fifteen
yards behind well maybe a referee, but that's not the
worst thing in the world.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
So he's on his own.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
Yeah, exactly, as long as you're not looking at him
when you throw it fifteen yards by, it's not intentional
attempted murder. My Yeah, it's collateral damage at that point.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, you bet, but but that but that's what I would.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
I would, really, I really just want because I feel
it right and I believe in it, and I've seen
what it looks like in game. But it's just how
do we accelerate that cohesion and how do because I
feel like also if Russ is in the groove early, man,
he locks in and and and it's lights out for you.
(28:45):
It becomes that Cincinnati game incensey when he when he
gets the mojo going early. So that's why it's like,
if you can get those quick hitters, if you can
get those quick completions, get guys involved, spread the ball around,
and now teams have to play you.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
True, I think.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
That that's that's the best case scenario for the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Well, this team presents a lot of problems offensively, There's
no doubt about it.
Speaker 5 (29:13):
I mean, you just you gotta start with Lamar.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
And Lamar is just such a prolific performer, one of
the guys that though the Steelers have had success against him,
that's for sure. The guy is he could just blow
a party game at any time. I mean, that's just
who he is. They've got a decent offensive line. You know,
you've got King Henry. My goodness, I don't know how
(29:38):
much better a back you got to bring, a big,
banging back. It's a perfect complimentary thing to uh, you know, Lamar.
But Zay Flowers is down, and that's that's gonna be
a problem for them. It's not like they have a
I think a whole abundance of wide receivers. I know
that Mark Andrews is very good tight end, and that's
(29:59):
gonna be you know, a difficult matchup. But he's one
of those guys that can hurt you a lot. But certainly,
I don't know, we've had success before.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Max.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
If you've had it before, you can have it again.
But people have to play and win their one eleventh battles.
People have to be able to stay in there and
execute and get the job done. And one of the
things this past weekend that really I felt strongly about
he didn't see many piles fall backwards defensively, you know,
there's too many piles falling forward, and it just kind
(30:33):
of in my mind, I was thinking, you know, it's
it's almost telling of tired legs when you see that
sort of you know, non explosive tackling that kind of
results in the piles going backwards towards you as a defender.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Well, thirty eight minutes time of possession would do that.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Wolf, Well, that's kind of where I was going with it,
you know, any way you want to look at it.
Remember we were talking about one of the most important
things prior to the game was going to be time
of possession because Joe Burrow is one of those guys
that can possess it and score almost seemingly at will.
You know, he can either possess the ball. He can
he can quick strike down the field with those those
(31:14):
ridiculous receivers they got that are so talented. But the
fact is that's what makes him so dangerous when he
controls the ball he can there's nothing he can't do.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
Yeah, I mean is is It's.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
One of those things where, yeah, when.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
When when you get that pop and I think the
defense kind of had that after the first drive, right,
you got you got you gotta pay that defense off,
you know, for their work as an offense. Our job
is to allow those dogs the rest so they can
go hunt that that that's that's the easiest symbiotic relationship
(31:53):
of an offense defense.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
We are there, we are there. We're the lion hounds.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
And I don't know if you know this, like we
when when when lionhounds or Rhodesian ridgebacks stalk lions in Africa,
they run in a pack and they run linear, so
you know, it's almost like you know, yeah, you know,
like like you know, but but they run in packs
(32:20):
and linear fashion. And as the lead dog is going
to press to wear the lion out, and then once
that dog starts to pull back, the next one jumps
in front of it.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Keep the pace right.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
You know, and we we've all you know, back in
the day, if you're old enough, you remember doing those
drills and like in pe class, we had to run
around the gym and the last person had to run
all the way up to the front to be first.
Did you ever have to do those? Both back in
the day, hated those, right, But that's how that's how
they that's how they ran, and they wore the line
(32:54):
out and they encircled the line, and they allow for
the hunter to come in and get and shoot the
kill shot. Right right, that's what you have to do
as an offense. You've got to keep that pace and
let your defense come in for the kill shot. And
that's by resting them in those moments. We have to
dictate the tempo. We're the heartbeat and the drum cadence
of the rest of the team. As an offense, how
(33:17):
we go and how we chew up time, you know,
puts pressure on that opposing offense because now they have
to press. And guess what, when you have to press,
you make mistakes, and when you have arrested defense, they
can take advantage of those mistakes.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
They can jump on those.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
You know, we talked about the eight straight fumbles that
we did not recover that we forced. That's also a
sign of dead legs. Right, Sure, your reaction time isn't there.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
You're a little numb, You're.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Not as sharp and so that's what I think the
offense you know, really needs to key in on, is
how do we sustain these drives? How do we turn
one first down into three first downs?
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Advice?
Speaker 4 (33:59):
Because eventually, if you string enough first downs together, guess.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
What wolf you end up in the end zone. Wouldn't
that be beautiful ed lovely thing? Exactly?
Speaker 1 (34:07):
All Right, We're gonna go to break because Max is
coming up with the bell lap, and we'll be back
with more right here in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
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 Stark's.
Speaker 9 (34:58):
All right, we've got the early lunch morning system engage
and also, don't forget right after this show, we will
have the Mike Tomlin press conference coming to you live
at the top of the hour on this here network,
and make sure you stay tuned in to hear what
the head ball coach has to say.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
And before we get into the final thoughts, Wolf, we have.
We have some other business to tend to real fast,
we do.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
We got to send a quick birthday greetings out to
Marty DeSantis, who was the kind of lady who made
us t shirts that said Victory Donut Monday.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Yeah, there you go, Marty. That's all we can afford.
Here we go.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
That's all we can afford. That's all we can afford.
But thank you for the shirts. We do appreciate them.
We hope to wear them very soon. We don't have
to hang them up till next.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Season, absolutely, so thank you very much for them. I
hope you had a great birthday. And well, let's see,
moving forward, what do we got Max?
Speaker 3 (36:02):
All right?
Speaker 4 (36:03):
Well moving forward, Well, we're gonna obviously we're gonna have
the Mike tomin press conference of course tomorrow kind of
breaking down.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Oh sorry, I'm saying for tomorrow. Tomorrow. Yeah, Tomlin press
conference coming down today.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
We're gonna break that down tomorrow because we won't obviously
be coming on after his press conference.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
We'll be waiting.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
But but you know, I think the biggest thing is
as we get ready for this is just you know
the questions of how do you get this.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
Team kick started? Faster. I mean, we already kind of
started this exercise.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
You know, we're talking about, Hey, some of the players
we would like to see, you know, if we were
we were o c for a play, you know, but
but really you know, getting also getting the help report
out to see where guys stand going into this game.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
You know, who's nicked up, who's who, who's who's not.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
Injured and who you know what what what can we
expect as far as personnel, because remember we had Cole,
Holkum Roman, Wilson, Logan Lee. All these guys kind of
get activated. So this is the moment if you're going
to activate them, wolf This will be the moment where
you'd want to activate those guys if they are going
to play. So be interesting to see how they do
with that. But yeah, and then of course the rest
(37:19):
of the postulations and musings of you and I along
with Wes as we as we venture through to the
end of this week, as we get ready for the
showdown Saturday night on Prime Video starting and iry.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Yeah, it is it is. It is going downhill, all right,
we will be out of here. That is it. That's
a show.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
So for Craig Wolfley, I'm Max Starks, Wes Eiler on
the Ones in twos. Of course, CJ and the Sin Say,
always making sure everything on the back end is doing good.
I am Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Remember go make it a great day.
Mmmmmm.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
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 Stark's.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
All right, it is the Hour of Power, not.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
To be confused with the Tower of Power, but which
is of course a.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
R and B funk band. Yeah, yeah, it's called the
Tower of Power.
Speaker 5 (00:54):
Yeah, I must have missed on that.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah yeah, yeah. They had a really they had a
really good uh a really.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Good keyboardist, Roger Smith actually as a keyboardist.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Anyways, Uh, how about the Grand Funk Railroad.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
The Grand Funk Railroad mean like like Graham Central Station.
Speaker 5 (01:19):
Well, no, that was that was like a band back
in the sixties.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
You know, well probably, I mean listen, I mean Parliament
and the Funkadelic. Oh yeah, you know you said, you know,
it's a Grand Funk Railroad Tower of Power. I mean,
we we, I mean there's a lot we could go in.
I mean, granted it was not my era of life,
but uh, but I could definitely. I definitely know a
lot of that, a lot of that genre of music, right, But.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Who was the epic one though?
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Oh man, there was a band back in the like
the seventies. Oh man, I can't remember, you know, in
the Sunshine Bam. You know, it was around that same time.
But it was another one that was just they were epic.
They were really good. Earth Wind and Fire.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Oh e w f oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Oh wait, I'm taking a bell lap here. I pulled
it out. That's a victory. That is a that is
a good one. Go ahead, go ahead, take the victory lap.
Then there you go.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
Oh, I'm so, I'm so pleased with myself.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
You know, when you get one of those things that's
kind of like a reality check.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
The kids still got it.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
He's okay, everything's fine, everything's fine, guys, it's great.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
The concussions haven't taken over. We're okay. Yeah, there's no
there's no damage here. Everything's fine.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
I got I got no drain damage that I know of.
You know, that's how it rolls. So anyway, I'm so.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I'm don't mean to hijack your your time period. No, listen,
it is a relative phrase.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Wolf is strictly shared time, not controlled by one side
or the other. Uh, you know, just kind of as
a little bit of a side. Okay, we're gonna go
with I also want to go. Oh you know, I
just remembered big happy birthday. Shout out to my big bro,
(03:33):
a guy I think super highly of.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
You know, it's one of my.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Best buds, mister mister Cappy Tan himself, Steelers Hall of
Honor inductee member James Ferrier aka There.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
We Go Saw turned the big five.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Oh today, shout out he made Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
He made his numbers fifty fifty.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
What he said one more year. Yeah that's right foot.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Very fifty fifty not years old.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, Patsy will be his will be his football number
next year. Okay, Yeah he's I think he's. I think
he's in Malaysia right now, celebrate his birthday. I think
really like Khi. That's where I saw some photos.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You know, I was watching a Netflix special on m
H three seventy. You know the the plane that Yeah,
that was that's a wild thing. Man, that's just crazy.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
Yeah, I mean it's still one of those great histories mysteries.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
I mean, where did it go? Oh?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Man?
Speaker 7 (04:48):
Man?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Exactly I mean, thirty nine people left without with families
left without an answer.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
That's just that's crazy.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Yeah. So getting back to anyhow.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Yeah, any AnyWho yet, before we before we start putting
on our tenfoil hats, we'll take off our birthday party
hats for a second. I was in faith yesterday, PATSI
today I had to say that, I had to had
to say, had to shoot one up for my homie.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Absolute.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Yeah, even though he's not going to hear this because
he's all the way on the other.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Side of the world.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
But for those that know him, they can send him
a text.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Before he's ahead of us. It's about to be tomorrow
over there.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Yeah, exactly, but we can still celebrate for him.
Speaker 7 (05:36):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Playoff football, a FC North, playoff football. Stop me.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
When you've heard this before. It almost becomes a common thread.
And it seems like the Steelers seem to always pull
the draw of playing ourselves, you know, somebody in our division.
When I say ourselves, you know, I remember, you know
Cleveland a couple of years ago. I remember the AFC
(06:06):
championship game against Baltimore. We played Cincinnati another you know year,
my second year in the league.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
It's like a common theme.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
I mean, the one thing I can say about this
division is that year in and year out, it delivers.
Multiple teams are going to get into the playoffs from
this division.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
You know, more often than not. I mean, and not
a lot of divisions can say that.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I mean, yeah, you know, you know, you look at
the NFC East and it's a revolving carousel of.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Who's going in not the same win or two years
in the row blah blah blah blah blah whatever, Eastern Pa.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
But the AFC North, I mean, for the better part
of this twenty first century, we usually send two, if
not three, to the playoffs. Uh, and Cincinnati almost made it,
you know. I mean if Kansas City actually put one
starter out there, maybe they won that game, but set
the tire squad.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yes, that was closed. So I'm thirty eight than nothing. Yeah, exactly. Man.
Speaker 4 (07:16):
It's like, yeah, talk about a ceremonial victory right there
that I will let you guys get in.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
We'd rather see we rather see a rookie than Joe
Burrow in the playoffs. Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Seriously, was that like a bye week?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I mean, you got to be kidding me, you know,
I mean double bye week.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
I mean, you know, but when you've been to the
Super Bowl, I mean, what three of the last five years, Yeah,
and you've hosted the AFC Championship game what six times
now or six years in a row?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
I mean yeah, I mean I guess you know, those
guys are tired. They need an.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
Extra week of rest rip Van Winkle style, I guess.
But yeah, I was like Jesus, I'm like, really, just just.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Not one point at one point?
Speaker 4 (08:00):
No, I can't muster it. So but you know, congratulations
to Denver.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, I want that. I just I didn't see that
one coming at all. You know, I figure, Okay, you
sit my homes down and sit Kelsey down, you know,
and it's a thirty one to ten thing or you know.
But I mean, just to shut them out and just
bomb them like that, my goodness, goose egg. Yeah, lets
you know, does it not let you know how important
(08:28):
it is to have a franchise quarterback, you know, I
mean you look at my homes. I mean, that's that's
it's amazing, you know. I mean, that's again, there was
so much. First of all, you can't even sniff the
playoffs without a franchise quarterback. Second of all, the quarterback
position has taken on such an importance. There is such
(08:50):
an overload of information. And I keep saying it because
I really believe it, because once you put those goggles on,
remember the you know, the VR stuff. You know, they
do the VR and in uh, you know, in practice,
and quarterbacks will put the goggles on afterwards after practice
is over to you know, see it from the huddle aspect,
you know, from the behind the offensive line or where
(09:12):
a quarterback would be. I put that on one time.
Just watching that thing. It's like it's like things coming
at you. You know, it's like having an overloader. You're
a fighter pilot and you know in a stealth mode,
you know, playing you've got stuff buzzing you in that
It's like so much overload of information. I don't know
how they deal with it, you know, I'm I I
(09:33):
could we I can sit there, call out the mic. Okay,
I can handle that, you know, But but other than that,
I mean the overload info that they've got to have
when they're reading the defenses from the front to the back,
from the back to the front.
Speaker 6 (09:48):
Oh my goodness, yeah, yeah, I mean it's it's it's
a rough one, but then you also just go to
see that, hey, they're not as deep as people think.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
What do you mean.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Can't City chiefs?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (10:03):
Oh, I thought you're talking about quarterbacks. You No, I'm
not talking about quarterback. I mean, you know, I mean
we could talk about it. I mean I think you know,
here's a question, are we upgraded from a year ago?
I'd say yes, absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
But you know, it's like the importance of that starting
quarterback and how it's a house of cards, you know,
I mean you look at you take my homes out
of that offense for Kansas City, it can't muster a point, right,
So you know, I think that we've shown that, you know,
(10:40):
if we if we don't have a starter, we have
we have two guys who have won multiple games for us,
you know what I'm saying. And I think that's where
the upgrade is, is that you have multiple guys that
you feel you can go out there and you can win,
you can do battle with consistently and feel good about it.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
But the question is getting back into that winning getting
back in that winning mindset, right.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
And now you know, this is the single elimination tournament,
so forget what the record was.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Right now it's zero zero.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
And the goal is to try and get to four.
And oh, that's that's the only thing you got to
worry about. Everything is, everything's equal now, you know, if
you got, if you.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Got your goal, if you got your Willie want.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
A golden ticket to get into and to get into
the NFL playoffs, right.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
One and O is the only thing on your mind
right now? Oh?
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Absolutely, absolutely no. And basically remember this is two trains,
one track. It's the Ratbirds. Man, this is going to Baltimore.
This is about as nasty as it can get. You know,
you think about a game that maybe maybe this is
the very thing that causes them to rise up and
find that inner fire that you got to have to
(11:56):
go in and then deal with the Baltimore Birds. You know,
the team that you know, both teams you got. I
would expect that you don't have much I don't know,
and much love for caring for any of the Baltimore Ravens.
What I'm just saying, you know, somebody who has been
(12:19):
part of the legacy, you know. No, that's what I
kind of figured that, you know, I'm just.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Kind of crap on my car I don't like birds.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
I don't like birds, like birds of any kind, ravens, falcons, eagles, seahawks, cardinals.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
I do like the cardinals.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
It's it's a pretty bird there you go, you know,
but I don't see I don't see cardinals out in Arizona.
So it's a team named But yeah, birds, you know, listen,
and we we've we've ended birds in Super Bowl, so
you know, at least trying to.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
So at least you got to Okay, yes, sorry, I'm
just you just right.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
It wasn't It wasn't meant like, oh that was a slapdown.
That was a slap down, you know. No, it was
more like a pat down.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Yeah, hey, Bud, you know, hey, but you were there.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
I was there, Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
I did get to enjoy that from you know, hanging
out on the sidelines, and you did. You did share
an ammonia popper with me, and I appreciate.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
That I shared an ammonia popper with you.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
I'm sure there was some confetti, you know, I got
in your shirt, you know, and hey, we had a
heck of after party.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Huh what about that? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (13:35):
That was that was pretty special, pretty nice.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Yeah, So I mean so now it is perfectly fine. No,
you know, the best part is like both ours.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
You know, the best part in Detroit was my girl
Faith came over the wall and made it out on
the field with me. It was hilarious how she got Oh,
it was just it was just unbelievable. It's a story
undo itself. But that was something I mean.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
And listen, everybody should enjoy that, right, and everybody does.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
I mean because listen, the.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Broadcast team gives people that access that they can't ordinarily get,
and so it is a very important job as well
how you report it and and us giving you that perspective.
So no, you you were there, you were a part,
You were part of our victories that you helped us wolf, Well,
(14:25):
I just well, I know I know you. I know
you helped me in the offensive line. You did you did,
you did train us, You did train us in the office.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
We would give it a little bit everything. So it's
a village. It's a village takes a village.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
No cat takes a village. Oh oh where did that
come from? Oh did you hear that? Last? Go ahead?
Fired again? No cap, no cap there It is for
all yourizzles, right.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
That's right, I have no cap But I said that
no cap. I said that, I said, the kids said,
I said, they made me say no cap And they're
going to explain what was I go. I told him
I don't have a cap. I didn't bring it with me,
you know, and they.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Go, no. You can see the top of my head.
It's acting like I have a cap on. I'm always
no capers? Are the guys right? And yeah, that's what
I'm guessing is the masculine and and what's up myrizzlers
and riz lets? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (15:35):
And what does it mean I forgot?
Speaker 3 (15:36):
I mean, I mean it's almost like this.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Is this is going downhill so fast. We gotta get
West to help me out here real quick.
Speaker 8 (15:44):
It would almost be like saying someone has swag or
someone has style. Like if you say, if you say
that guy's got riz, it just means he dresses well,
he's well put together, he's confident, he knows how to
talk to people.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Charisma, charisma, Oh why do you say rima?
Speaker 4 (16:02):
And I don't know, just say you know, what, what's
up my charismatic individuals?
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Oh? Man?
Speaker 1 (16:13):
What is up?
Speaker 9 (16:14):
You?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Fancy folk?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
A lot of its dapperness?
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Hello, I feel like you need a monocle and a
top hat when you say that.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Exactly, there's no doubt about it. Charismatic people of the world.
Oh my god. Okay, all right, we're going to break.
We're going to break. We're gonna We're gonna find it.
I promise maybe.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
We'll be back with more.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
Here inside the Locker Room on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by Akroshure, 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 (17:27):
You know, the thing that's interesting to me is that
after last week, the Steelers have now gone as I've talked,
we were talking about the opening time segment was the
Steelers are zered to nineteen on opening offensive drives in
touchdown scoring. The last guy to do that was Mason Rudolph,
and he did that when he lit up Let's see
George Pickins on an eighty six yard TD pass to
(17:49):
open the game up in the first drive last year
in week sixteen. I think it was against the Bengals
as a matter of fact, but I'm not one hundred
percent sure regardless. The point being is, that's a long
time not to go out and score on the very
opening drive. I mean, that's that's ridiculous. And so it
would be a good time. It would be Wove the
(18:10):
Steelers a great deal to come out and do something
to turn the tide and shut the m and t
Bank Faithful down a little bit, take, you know, to
survide that onslaught. You know it's going to be there.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Yeah, I mean, it's okay. I'm sorry, guys. We have
a little landscaping issue in the background.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
And I know, I know, I know. I just asked him.
I mean, you guys heard me ask you, and I
was I was very nice. But he's he's walking, he's
walking down the hill.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Yeah, it's okay, we got any who.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I apologize Wolf. My brain shut off, so I was trying.
I was trying not to see nothing but red.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
So here you here's the point. How how important is
is it?
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Exactly? How important is it? I feel like I'm in
the huddle with you.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
I gotta grab your face mask and yell at you
the way I did Pete Rostowski out in Denver.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
So I'm screaming at him because he can't hear pigeons
on the field.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
You know, you're a namor by then forgetting there's a
game going.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Yeah, exactly, we're face mask to face mask, and I'm
trying to scream at you and tell you the point
being that the Steelers are ohen nineteen and opening game
TD drives. That's something that could help the Steelers so
much to get a quick start in in Baltimore. I
mean that to me, that just it sets the whole,
(19:38):
the whole day, the whole everything about coming out quick,
because it certainly wasn't a quick start for the Steelers
his last game against the Bengals.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yeah, no, I think I think that's that's what we've
been chasing that. And the crazy thing is is that
we get so close, right, Yeah, we get so close,
but then, like you said, then there's moments where we
just fall flat.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
I mean, and this was a prime.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
Opportunity in the Cincinnati game if we're looking back, because
we're allowed to look back until the McDonald press conference
was just coming on right after this show, So make
sure you stay tuned into sn R boom.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
You like that? You like that? Shameless? Yea. Also, Wolf,
don't go anywhere. You're still at the stage life for
the press conference.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
But we had the one of the worst kickoff misses
to start a game by Kay York. Oh yeah, ball
didn't even land in the landing zone. And we're at
the forty yard line with Chris Boswell.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
We had to make it exactly twenty five yards at
the most, and he can kick a.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Field goal and we can put points on the board.
Although we're talking about touchdowns. We couldn't do that.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
And then.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
We had what negative six yards of offense versus like
one hundred and like sixteen after the first two drives
of the game.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
It was I wouldn't doubt it. I mean, I don't
know what it was.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Something something like that wasn't ridiculous, and it's just it's frustrated.
But then you can see it's almost like we had
to get punched in the mouth before we get going.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Right.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
You know, it's a you know, and Arthur Smith said,
we're that old car. You know, you just gotta you
gotta gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta flood the
carburetor right, you gotta we gotta pump some gas.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Into it, then it gets going. But once it starts going,
it's purring. Why can't we just.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Be like a little remote start vehicle, you know what
I'm saying, like a modern car, just boop boop? All right,
let us sit up at warm for five minutes, guys
before we go out there. You know what I'm saying,
Why can't we have that the little auto start? And
I think that's that's what we're trying to figure out.
What would it take in a perfect world?
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Wolf? And let me just was this question to you,
because it just came into my head.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
What would your first two plays be if you are
offensive coordinator?
Speaker 3 (22:14):
Just a little exercise.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
If I was offensive coordinator, my first play boy, this
is off the top of my very flat head, and
I was not prepared for this at all. I would
look for either an inbreaking route to Calvin Austin, or
it would be Pat fryarmooth, get things underway, you know,
shake it up, do something where it's a little play action,
(22:38):
try to pull the linebackers a little bit, and then
hit one of those those guys on some sort of
inbreaking route. Because basically it would be a good way
to set the table to get them going something easy,
you know something, yeah, you know, a high percentage of
a yeah, quick hitter, something like that, like.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
The eighty six yard or that George Pickens scoreed.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
On last year. You know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (23:03):
That was It was unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Yeah, you know, and I think for me, I would
I would just love to see you know, we saw
this in training camp Wolf. So this is why I
love it so much. The thirteen personnel go to eleven personnel. Right, Okay,
get a mismatch, right, you send out the big people
and see how they adjust, right, and then you start
(23:31):
them in tight and you spread them out the accordion
as I called it. Okay, right, I would love to
see that I saw with a Pat Friar move Darnell
Darnell and like uh Connor Hayward and the twins on
the right side, you know what I'm saying. And then
just run like you said, you gotta run a one
step slant with Pat, or you can or you can
(23:52):
run you know, you can run some type of combination
option route between you know, Connor and Darnell. Darnell runs
runs the runs the initial like post clear out and
and Connor on on on the underneath right separation. I
would love to see that just something something different, something
outside the norm, something that says, you know what, you
(24:15):
think you have a figure, have us figured out? You
don't ye know what I'm saying, Like something like that
that I would love to see it start out like
that one time.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Well, let's just think about this.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
You were right, uh versus the Bengals, all right, the
first drive from the Steelers netted minus six yards. The
second drive from the Steelers netted nine yards, which then
gives you a positive three yards, I believe. Yeah, And
at the end of the first quarter you have three yards.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
So that's not a real positive thing, all right. In
other words, we.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Get yeah, three of offense.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Yeah, we got to do something to get this offense
untracked earlier. And I I don't know what the answer is,
you know, I mean think about it. Nineteen straight opening
game drives without a score, I mean, without a touchdown.
That that says something. For what it says, I'm not
exactly sure, but you cannot. You got to crank that
(25:17):
old model tea up faster than that, you know. I
think Coach Arthur's got you do something to shake things
up and do something outside the norm to give the
Steelers an opportunity to get out of the blocks, because
we're not getting out of the blox anything anything.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Yeah, you know, but you know, I know, we talked
about this nineteen game streak of not opening touchdown. How
about this, how about this, wolf Lett, let's come to
a compromise. Okay, let's get two first downs on the
first drive.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Okay, so that's going to look too long, right, Yeah, yeah,
let's go with that.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Let's get two first downs because assuming more often, that
probably end up starting on twenty or something like that.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
All right, all right, thirty, so you get a first
down forty forty ish to get the half, you know,
across the midfield.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Then let's see what happens. Okay, you know, but let's
get to midfield. Yeah, because I think that's that's kind
of where we need to kind of start at.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Right.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
You gotta take baby steps, right steps, because maybe because
maybe asking for an opening touchdown is just a bit
outside of reach.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I just believe they can do it, you know, I
mean I.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
Do, I do too, but I also want I want
to also try and be as methodical because I'm hoping
that they exceed my expectations, you.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Know what I'm saying, right, right, So it's it's.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
Like i'd rather, I'd rather under expect and get over delivered.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Right.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
No, that's very true, right.
Speaker 4 (26:53):
I mean, because then it's like, oh, well that's all
you think of us, Well, let us show you you
know what you show me?
Speaker 5 (26:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Right, right right.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Oh I'm so mad that come on the airwaves on Monday.
I'm so mad I was wrong. I would be ecstatic
to be wrong.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
You know what I'm saying. Well, I would love to.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Be wrong in this moment because that means that you
know that it's personal to them, and I would love
to see just a little bit of more pissed off
offense out there.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yeah, I would.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
I would take a fifteen yard face mask if you
rip the dude's helmet off and threw it fifteen yards
behind you, you know what I'm saying, I'll take that.
Speaker 5 (27:33):
At least you didn't go lyle l Zaida and throw
it at a guy.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
You know. Yeah, you can't use it as a weapon.
You've seen that story before. It it doesn't work. It
does not work out when you use it as a
as a blunt force melee weapon. So yeah, not that.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
That's why I said throw behind you because then that's
the safest place because hopefully there's nobody behind you fifteen
yards behind well maybe a referee, but that's not the
worst thing in the world.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
So he's on his own.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
Yeah, exactly, as long as you're not looking at him
when you throw it fifteen yards by, it's not intentional
attempted murder. My Yeah, it's collateral damage at that point.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, you bet, but but that but that's what I would.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
I would, really, I really just want because I feel
it right and I believe in it, and I've seen
what it looks like in game. But it's just how
do we accelerate that cohesion and how do because I
feel like also if Russ is in the groove early, man,
he locks in and and and it's lights out for you.
(28:45):
It becomes that Cincinnati game incensey when he when he
gets the mojo going early. So that's why it's like,
if you can get those quick hitters, if you can
get those quick completions, get guys involved, spread the ball around,
and now teams have to play you.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
True, I think.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
That that's that's the best case scenario for the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Well, this team presents a lot of problems offensively, There's
no doubt about it.
Speaker 5 (29:13):
I mean, you just you gotta start with Lamar.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
And Lamar is just such a prolific performer, one of
the guys that though the Steelers have had success against him,
that's for sure. The guy is he could just blow
a party game at any time. I mean, that's just
who he is. They've got a decent offensive line. You know,
you've got King Henry. My goodness, I don't know how
(29:38):
much better a back you got to bring, a big,
banging back. It's a perfect complimentary thing to uh, you know, Lamar.
But Zay Flowers is down, and that's that's gonna be
a problem for them. It's not like they have a
I think a whole abundance of wide receivers. I know
that Mark Andrews is very good tight end, and that's
(29:59):
gonna be you know, a difficult matchup. But he's one
of those guys that can hurt you a lot. But certainly,
I don't know, we've had success before.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Max.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
If you've had it before, you can have it again.
But people have to play and win their one eleventh battles.
People have to be able to stay in there and
execute and get the job done. And one of the
things this past weekend that really I felt strongly about
he didn't see many piles fall backwards defensively, you know,
there's too many piles falling forward, and it just kind
(30:33):
of in my mind, I was thinking, you know, it's
it's almost telling of tired legs when you see that
sort of you know, non explosive tackling that kind of
results in the piles going backwards towards you as a defender.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Well, thirty eight minutes time of possession would do that.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Wolf, Well, that's kind of where I was going with it,
you know, any way you want to look at it.
Remember we were talking about one of the most important
things prior to the game was going to be time
of possession because Joe Burrow is one of those guys
that can possess it and score almost seemingly at will.
You know, he can either possess the ball. He can
he can quick strike down the field with those those
(31:14):
ridiculous receivers they got that are so talented. But the
fact is that's what makes him so dangerous when he
controls the ball he can there's nothing he can't do.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
Yeah, I mean is is It's.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
One of those things where, yeah, when.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
When when you get that pop and I think the
defense kind of had that after the first drive, right,
you got you got you gotta pay that defense off,
you know, for their work as an offense. Our job
is to allow those dogs the rest so they can
go hunt that that that's that's the easiest symbiotic relationship
(31:53):
of an offense defense.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
We are there, we are there. We're the lion hounds.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
And I don't know if you know this, like we
when when when lionhounds or Rhodesian ridgebacks stalk lions in Africa,
they run in a pack and they run linear, so
you know, it's almost like you know, yeah, you know,
like like you know, but but they run in packs
(32:20):
and linear fashion. And as the lead dog is going
to press to wear the lion out, and then once
that dog starts to pull back, the next one jumps
in front of it.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
Keep the pace right.
Speaker 4 (32:32):
You know, and we we've all you know, back in
the day, if you're old enough, you remember doing those
drills and like in pe class, we had to run
around the gym and the last person had to run
all the way up to the front to be first.
Did you ever have to do those? Both back in
the day, hated those, right, But that's how that's how
they that's how they ran, and they wore the line
(32:54):
out and they encircled the line, and they allow for
the hunter to come in and get and shoot the
kill shot. Right right, that's what you have to do
as an offense. You've got to keep that pace and
let your defense come in for the kill shot. And
that's by resting them in those moments. We have to
dictate the tempo. We're the heartbeat and the drum cadence
of the rest of the team. As an offense, how
(33:17):
we go and how we chew up time, you know,
puts pressure on that opposing offense because now they have
to press. And guess what, when you have to press,
you make mistakes, and when you have arrested defense, they
can take advantage of those mistakes.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
They can jump on those.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
You know, we talked about the eight straight fumbles that
we did not recover that we forced. That's also a
sign of dead legs. Right, Sure, your reaction time isn't there.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
You're a little numb, You're.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Not as sharp and so that's what I think the
offense you know, really needs to key in on, is
how do we sustain these drives? How do we turn
one first down into three first downs?
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Advice?
Speaker 4 (33:59):
Because eventually, if you string enough first downs together, guess.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
What wolf you end up in the end zone. Wouldn't
that be beautiful ed lovely thing? Exactly?
Speaker 1 (34:07):
All Right, We're gonna go to break because Max is
coming up with the bell lap, and we'll be back
with more right here in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
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 Stark's.
Speaker 9 (34:58):
All right, we've got the early lunch morning system engage
and also, don't forget right after this show, we will
have the Mike Tomlin press conference coming to you live
at the top of the hour on this here network,
and make sure you stay tuned in to hear what
the head ball coach has to say.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
And before we get into the final thoughts, Wolf, we have.
We have some other business to tend to real fast,
we do.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
We got to send a quick birthday greetings out to
Marty DeSantis, who was the kind of lady who made
us t shirts that said Victory Donut Monday.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Yeah, there you go, Marty. That's all we can afford.
Here we go.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
That's all we can afford. That's all we can afford.
But thank you for the shirts. We do appreciate them.
We hope to wear them very soon. We don't have
to hang them up till next.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Season, absolutely, so thank you very much for them. I
hope you had a great birthday. And well, let's see,
moving forward, what do we got Max?
Speaker 3 (36:02):
All right?
Speaker 4 (36:03):
Well moving forward, Well, we're gonna obviously we're gonna have
the Mike tomin press conference of course tomorrow kind of
breaking down.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Oh sorry, I'm saying for tomorrow. Tomorrow. Yeah, Tomlin press
conference coming down today.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
We're gonna break that down tomorrow because we won't obviously
be coming on after his press conference.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
We'll be waiting.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
But but you know, I think the biggest thing is
as we get ready for this is just you know
the questions of how do you get this.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
Team kick started? Faster. I mean, we already kind of
started this exercise.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
You know, we're talking about, Hey, some of the players
we would like to see, you know, if we were
we were o c for a play, you know, but
but really you know, getting also getting the help report
out to see where guys stand going into this game.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
You know, who's nicked up, who's who, who's who's not.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
Injured and who you know what what what can we
expect as far as personnel, because remember we had Cole,
Holkum Roman, Wilson, Logan Lee. All these guys kind of
get activated. So this is the moment if you're going
to activate them, wolf This will be the moment where
you'd want to activate those guys if they are going
to play. So be interesting to see how they do
with that. But yeah, and then of course the rest
(37:19):
of the postulations and musings of you and I along
with Wes as we as we venture through to the
end of this week, as we get ready for the
showdown Saturday night on Prime Video starting and iry.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Yeah, it is it is. It is going downhill, all right,
we will be out of here. That is it. That's
a show.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
So for Craig Wolfley, I'm Max Starks, Wes Eiler on
the Ones in twos. Of course, CJ and the Sin Say,
always making sure everything on the back end is doing good.
I am Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Remember go make it a great day.
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