HR1: Live from Dublin

Matt and Wes take the Drive to Ireland as the two chat about all the happenings going on across the pond for and with Steeler Nation.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation Top of the morning to you,
perhaps and here from the top of Fitzsimmons Temple Bar
in Dublin, Ireland.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
It's Wes mculler and Matt o' williamson with you here
today on Steelers Nation Radio and maybe for the weekend.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
As we have picked this thing up and moved it
on the road, I'm sure you will hear the crowd
screaming and yelling behind us at points.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Matt, this has been chaos.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
It has been absolute chaos.

Speaker 4 (00:27):
And amazingly this is somewhat sparse crowd and it's still
insane and lying out the window and you could actually
walk a little bit.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
But I mean it has been insane.

Speaker 4 (00:40):
A million wonderful fans have come up to us, you know,
since we've been sitting here and I was here for
the morning show doing a hit with them.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
You were too. I guess you did a Guinness tour.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
We will absolutely talk about that at some point. Yeah,
but yeah, it's just been it's just been absolute chaos.
As we as we get off and running here. It
is everywhere you go in this town right.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Now, Matt. It's black and gold, it really is.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
I mean, people wearing Steeler garb everywhere, the so many
of the different bars and establishments here, Steeler's logos, Steelers flags.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, the building like the official one, but.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
We are yeah, we are Yeah. Fitzsimmons Temple bar is.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
The Simons fit Simon's Yeah right.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
There was a mess that up a few times.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
There was a big morning show sticking point they were
fighting about.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yeah Simon, Yes, exactly right, Fitzsimon's here, and you literally
can't miss it because it has gotten massive.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
You're in Steelers.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Country, banners hanging all over the place, and we are
about what four thousand miles three thousand some miles away
from Pittsburgh. But Matt, with these people, man, everywhere is
Steeler's Country.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
It's crazy, it is.

Speaker 4 (01:43):
And it's been an absolute blast. Now, I will say
yesterday we pull that curtain. You and I got here
seven am Irish time, more or less is when we landed.
Took us a while to get to our hotel, all
those type of things, and then we hung out all day,
you know, and put down some Guinness, did a show
and they did some stuff blah blah blah, and I

(02:04):
saw very few Vikings fans on Thursday they're starting to
show up though, well they're starting to show up and
they're noisy. I mean they're a little wound up. But
the ratio is still five to one Steelers. I mean
it's crazy.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, it absolutely is.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
And in fact, while the DV morning show was broadcasting,
there were one or two Vikings fans that walked in
here and got promptly booed by everybody. Yeah, so we'll
see if that happens again here over the next couple
hours while we are hanging out. But yeah, man, so
much to get into, both with the atmosphere and everything
going on here, and of course with the football game
that we have to get to as well too, Matt.

(02:41):
But I just you know, we went to what we
not myself and dan quinlan are are our you know,
Steelers broadcast producer went to Croke Park yesterday.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Oh yeah, yeah, and that's it.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Hereby it he had such a cool setting. I mean
it stadium was built in the eighteen hundreds. I mean
it is literally hundreds of years old, and now it's
been renovated and remodeled and all that kind of stuff, right,
you know, updated a bunch.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Of times since then.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
But it it kind of has the feel of one
of those old school like cathedral type stadiums. It holds
eighty some thousand people. Wow, and the gills it will
be packed to the gills. And it's not one of
these new modern age it's fancy, and there's video boards
everywhere and all that.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Like it is just a football ground, a football pitch. Uh.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
The the grass looks beautiful. The end zones are all painted.
There are as you can imagine there's some Vikings signage
in there. Oh, I would think so at the entrances
and stuff like that. You know, NFL Dublin game, and
it's got both teams logos, but it's a Steeler home game,
and they're also trying to make it feel like a
Steeler home game, like the tunnels are painted.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Black and really that extreme. I've been one game.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
I've been told Renegade is on the playlist, so it's
it's it's going to be quite the scene.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
A home game only inane. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (03:55):
I mean, I thought one end zone would say Steelers,
one wan say Viking, right or whatever, you know. I mean,
I didn't think they'd.

Speaker 3 (04:01):
Go to that level of steelering it up. And that's
pretty cool.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
It absolutely is and you know, it's it's this is
something Matt, you know, not like it's you're not being hyperbolic,
like you're not exaggerating to say that this is something
that's been decades in the works for the Steelers, decades
in the works for the Rooney family, and you can,
I mean you can feel it. I think as soon
as as soon as we landed yesterday, you know, there

(04:27):
was a like a river dancing and a little Irish
jig band and they're all dressed.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
In Steelers gear, right.

Speaker 1 (04:33):
And there's and there's Steeler stuff all throughout the Dublin
Airport and you know, Welcome Steeler Nation and and all
of that.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
Steeler balloons or actually Viking balloons too.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
There were there were a little bit of Viking lit,
a little bit of like you said, it's a it's
they're definitely here and they're part of this too. It's
a you know, it's the first NFL game and they're
part of it as well. That's obviously a big deal.
But man, so many people that we've talked to, you know,
this is something they've been planning for years, something they've
been waiting for. We just talked to Mark Brunner you know,

(05:02):
he played in the preseason game back in nineteen ninety
seven that was here.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Oh wow, you know, and now he's works for the team.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
Obviously his son is on the team, he gets a
chance to play here. It's just a it's a culmination
of a lot of years, a lot of decades of
dreams and work to get the Steelers here for the
first regular season game in Dublin.

Speaker 4 (05:23):
And obviously starting with the Rooney family connection, I mean
the fact the fact that you know, the the Ambassador
was the Ambassador.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Was literally the Ambassador.

Speaker 4 (05:32):
That's not just a cool nickname, right, And some of
the Rooney's I've spoken to have come over here their
whole life, and you know DMR Mister Rooney would bring
them as kids.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
And you know, Jimmy Rooney's been on.

Speaker 4 (05:45):
Our show to Drive with Dale quite a bit too,
and you know, talks about oh yeah, family vacation was
in Ireland and you know that kind of stuff all
the time. Or you know, we'd load up a plane
and bring up as many would want it to come.
And so obviously that's where it starts, but it's sort
of doesn't end with all these incredible fans and people
and partiers and all this stuff going on, and we're
getting warmed up. I mean, ever, today's escalated from yesterday.

(06:09):
I can't imagine what Saturdays will look like. And Sunday
is gonna be get down to business, you know.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
And I think there's a lot of people too, obviously.
I know there's a lot of people that made a
whole vacation out of this. And I think you're right.
You can already feel it ramping up on Friday. From
Thursday tomorrow, I think is gonna be even even uh,
you know, more of a fever pitch if you will,
because I know there's been a lot of people.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
I'm gonna shift here and get myself out of the sunlight. Yeah,
as we're up here on the air.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Your shield me yesterday.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
Yesterday, we gotta we gotta move and shake with the
sunshine here on the uh on the top.

Speaker 3 (06:39):
And the weather's been awesome, by the way, everyone's talking
about is like fifty five and rainy every day. Not
at all what I guess it's coming.

Speaker 1 (06:45):
But still some lady that I talked to last night,
she was like, you guys brought the weather with you.

Speaker 2 (06:48):
I was like, we didn't.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
Pittsburgh and Doublin are very similar in that regard usually,
But yeah, it just you feel it ramping up in
the little over twenty four hours that we've been here.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
Now, I think there's a lot of people.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
There's obviously a ton of Steelers fans in Dublin, but
I think there's a ton of Steelers fans scattered across.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
Ireland right now. Agreed that are doing different.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
You know, tourist countryside I've talked to today.

Speaker 4 (07:12):
We're like, okay, we did a London vacation and now
we can just go on came over or you know,
some folks that were here from Germany that was a
huge fan.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
That was super cool to talk to.

Speaker 4 (07:21):
And you know, even like all anyone that's a fan
living in Europe, they're definitely.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
Made fun of.

Speaker 3 (07:27):
I mean that's yeah, Germany was a two hour trip,
I guess, so that was easy for the guy I
was talking to, and you know, very cool. I mean
they're coming.

Speaker 2 (07:34):
From far near they sure are.

Speaker 1 (07:36):
I met a I met a husband and a wife
here up here at fits Simon's last night that are
from well, they're from Pittsburgh originally, but they've lived in
the Netherlands for like the last two while for the
last two.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Or three years, so they're here for it as well too.

Speaker 1 (07:51):
So yeah, like you, like you said, everybody is everybody
has taken part in this, and Steeler Nation is not
here to take part.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
They're here to take over. They really have to. And
it's it's incredible.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
From the airport to the hotels, to the bars, anywhere
you go here.

Speaker 2 (08:09):
Right now, there's Steeler gear.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
There was black and gold everywhere, terrible towels everywhere. Matt,
there's a Steelers pro shop here in Dublin now, like
a dedicated I.

Speaker 3 (08:18):
Think there's a Vikings one too, and an NFL one.

Speaker 1 (08:20):
There are, but I think they're planning on keeping the
Steelers one long like that. I don't know if it's indefinite,
you know what I mean, but I think it's planning
on being there for a while.

Speaker 2 (08:30):
It's not just a pop up for you know, for
a week type thing.

Speaker 4 (08:32):
I mean, think about how many fans will be created
this weekend from around here. I mean, like even like
my Uber drivers I've had great conversations with because the
several young men that have taken me back and forth
from the hotel to here, they see my Steeler gear
and like you're here for this game, you know, like
they don't even know what foot. They didn't say football,
like they didn't even know like this this game. And

(08:54):
I'm like, yeah, I'm with the team. And they're like, well,
what's that mean? You know, like all these questions, and
the one guy was like, there's.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
Just too many people in town.

Speaker 4 (09:02):
Yeah, and Sundays it's going to be too crowded, you know,
like they had nothing to do with it. But then
the others are like, oh, maybe I'll watch, you know,
like yeah, I'm sure everyone's like up, I'll put it
on TV or I mean, all this fuss, I gotta
at least pay some attention, you know.

Speaker 2 (09:14):
Oh, it's it is. It is the buzz, it is
the story.

Speaker 1 (09:16):
It's what everybody, uh here in Dublin is talking about.
I was flipping through the channels this morning, you know,
because it's not CBS and vidyc ABC and ESPN and
everything that we have. It's Sky Sports and Virgin Media
and uh you know, all these different BBC and and
those different stations. And I was just kind of sitting

(09:38):
there this morning, flipping through in the hotel room, and
these are just morning shows, you know, like the Friday
morning shows there of like Good Morning America type shows,
you know, and they're all talking about the game, like really,
they're like, here's some recipe that we're cooking for the tailgates.
And then one of the hosts is like, what's a tailgate?
Like you stand outside of your car and you're drinking.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
You fo tailgate? For some reason, that's a party And
that's what they do.

Speaker 1 (10:02):
That's what Americans like. They stand around the car and
grill food and drink and yeah.

Speaker 3 (10:07):
That's pretty cooler in there, and right, and go to
the game.

Speaker 2 (10:09):
That's what we do. And so yeah, just just I mean, again.

Speaker 4 (10:13):
I wonder I haven't even thought of that. I wonder
what like the parking lots will be. Like outside Crow.

Speaker 2 (10:17):
There aren't really any parking lots.

Speaker 3 (10:19):
Oh okay, you know what I mean. It's all I
don't know, people take trains and yeah, so nobody like.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
There's a very tiny parking lot. But that's for like
employees and.

Speaker 3 (10:29):
Yeah, yeah it is.

Speaker 4 (10:31):
I've heard it's like not easy for us to even
get to you know, like if it's going to be packed,
you know, like we're gonna take some kind of shottle
or whatever.

Speaker 1 (10:38):
You know, and that is you know, that's one of
the things that is a massive difference between how they
do their stadiums over here and their sporting events over
here as compared to how we do it now. Obviously,
like Akrocer Stadium is right in downtown Pittsburgh, it's right there. Yeah,
but there's a lot of dedicated parking, tailgating right right
right here.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
It's like, there's the pubs, there's the train station.

Speaker 3 (10:59):
What more do you need?

Speaker 2 (10:59):
And what more do you need? Why are you bringing
food and cols.

Speaker 1 (11:03):
And restaurants all around the stadium, all around the grounds
as they call it here, it's the It's not the.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
Stadium, it's the grounds, gotcha.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
And so yeah, it's every every aspect of it is unique,
something new, first time literally for the NFL doing this.

Speaker 4 (11:20):
Year, yeah, absolutely, and I would assume there'll be plenty more.
The international stuff is growing like crazy obviously in the NFL,
and we've talked about this well before this event. I
think there will be a day when there's two bye
weeks eighteen games that every team will be in some
remote locations every year, you know, every team.

Speaker 1 (11:42):
Ireland, England, Germany, Spain, Mexico, so you know Toronto and
Montreal are places like that even in Canada.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
I think you're right, and you see the success of this.

Speaker 1 (11:55):
You and I were joking before we went on a
hair like these places here have to be printing.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
Money this this week. Be so happy to see all that.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
I mean, there are just there's there's lines and crowds
everywhere you.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
Go, and they're starting early and going late.

Speaker 1 (12:08):
They're starting early and going late, and just all the
different tour you know, I went to like I was
telling you, I went to the UH, I went to
the I went to the Guinness factory this morning to
to do a tour.

Speaker 3 (12:19):
I want to hear a lot about that.

Speaker 2 (12:20):
We will. We will talk about that for sure.

Speaker 4 (12:23):
I also do tell you about my evening after we
parted ways last night, and my whole schedule and sleeping
and craziness.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
Yeah, sleeping was a little bit weird.

Speaker 3 (12:31):
Sleeping was a little bit weird.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
Every last everything's been so thrown off.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
But like, I'm going to Guinness and I'm walking and
I walked past Saint Patrick's Cathedral and there's dozens of
people in steeler gears. You see some vikings and some
packers and some Chiefs and some Cowboys so other Again,
like you said, people who live in this area that
you know might be fans of of the NFL and
have their favorite football team, and then they.

Speaker 3 (12:58):
I've seen a couple of you.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
I've seen a few. Yeah, I've seen a few Packers.

Speaker 4 (13:02):
But my hunch if this was Packers Vikings, people were like,
why is there a lot of Steeler fans?

Speaker 2 (13:06):
Exactly right, yea, and Chiefs.

Speaker 1 (13:07):
I've seen a few people in Chiefs stuff, and I
think that's just because they've been so good.

Speaker 3 (13:11):
Sure that you know, a new fan, you should be
a Chiefs fan, exactly exact.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
A lot of people who got into football in the
last five, six seven years from overseas becoming Chiefs fans
because they're so good. But man, I like, I'm walking
past Saint Patrick's Cathedral and it's all people standing around
in football gear.

Speaker 2 (13:27):
I'm at the Guinness store, yeah.

Speaker 1 (13:29):
And it's it's seventy percent of the people in there
are wearing Steelers stuff or you know, some other some
other NFL team.

Speaker 4 (13:35):
Some guy can I'm sure Guinness does well with their
tours every day, but I mean they're probably like, what
is going on?

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Is going on?

Speaker 1 (13:41):
I mean it was the lines to get in, it was,
it was insane. And yeah, there was a I'll give
you this story before we go to break. You'll laugh
at this, so kind of the Guinness. The Guinness building
is like seven or eight stories tall.

Speaker 4 (13:54):
That shocked me when you told me that. That's all
I've heard about it, but you said it's wonderful.

Speaker 1 (13:58):
But yeah, each floor is different hibbits, different restaurants and
bar like, there's different places to eat on each floor. Wow,
there's a like a coffee like breakfast and tea place
in there where you.

Speaker 3 (14:09):
Could get care about beer you would still enjoy yourself.

Speaker 2 (14:12):
Under hundred percent.

Speaker 1 (14:14):
You know, they've got pouring classrooms and they've got you know,
a place where you can get a.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
Beer and you can get your picture printed in the phone.
And I shared it.

Speaker 1 (14:22):
I shared it, and and so everywhere you go, the
the the people, it's just people everywhere. Everyone's wearing NFL gear,
you know, eighty percent of people, seventy percent of people,
and steelers stuff a little bit of vikings and then
you get some random teams as well too.

Speaker 4 (14:37):
But these business Guinness is flowing like crazy around here too.

Speaker 1 (14:42):
But you know, like Saint Patrick's Cathedral crowded with football fans.
Trinity College, which is, you know, the the big university
here where the oldest book in the world is at
their library, and like I'm I'm driving past their campus
in an uber ride earlier, and NFL fans everywhere you
go to the parks around here, you know, it's people

(15:03):
wearing people wearing steeler gears want.

Speaker 3 (15:06):
To check it out.

Speaker 4 (15:06):
I mean, you can only sit at the pub and
drink so much all day before, right.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
Right, right, But Matt, like I've been thinking about people's.

Speaker 3 (15:15):
On the tours of like all the.

Speaker 4 (15:18):
I'm not exactly sure even I will say it, like
the beautiful landscapes of Ireland too.

Speaker 2 (15:23):
And you know, right clifts, the cliff countryside and everything.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
Yeah, And I think a lot of those people are
getting back into town tonight and tomorrow and then it's
really really gonna get rid of you hear the phrase
a lot, but I think that it truly is this
weekend for a lot of people the trip of a lifetime,
you know, Like you hear people say like throw that
around a lot, like how was your trip of a lifetime?
You know, like, but this is this is something that
everybody I think is going to be talking about for
a long time.

Speaker 4 (15:47):
Yeah, And I don't think you and I will ever
forget it either. I mean I've been sending pictures back
home like crazy. I'm sure you have, ye, My my
wife and kids are sending more, tell us more, you know. Right,
the DV Morning Show had a blast and right where
we were at, I mean, so a lot of opal field,
but a lot of just so much interest and excitement
and energy.

Speaker 1 (16:04):
You know, Yep, no doubt. I think we all knew
it was gonna be the case. Yeah, but it is
still something to see it for Like, just a.

Speaker 4 (16:11):
Few pictures I threw out on Twitter a million people like,
I'm so mad at myself I didn't go, you know
which I understand, right.

Speaker 1 (16:17):
A lot of fomo for those who are back in
western Pennsylvania, and of course Steeler nations scattered all across
the country, all across the globe. We gotta get to
a break. We'll have a bunch of moving and shaken
for you as we roll along. We're gonna have some
guests as well too. Our buddy Mike Pursuit is gonna
join us at some point.

Speaker 3 (16:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (16:35):
We think Max Starks is gonna be here as well too,
Mick McQuaid of NFL Ireland.

Speaker 2 (16:39):
Yes, we're we're anticipating as well.

Speaker 1 (16:42):
Uh and I think we're gonna hear from Mark Brunner
for former Steelers tight end, current Steelers scout, you know,
pretty cool for him. Like I mentioned earlier, he played
in the preseason game here in ninety seven. Now his
son's gonna be a part of the action on Sunday,
So a lot of cool stuff to get into. Will
obviously do some of our normal just Steelers in football
conversation as well as we roll along here at Fitzsimmons

(17:04):
Temple Bar. We are up on the rooftop bar in Dublin.
You can't miss it. You are in Steelers country no
matter where you're at. But we have moved this operation
to Ireland for a few days and having a lot
of fun doing so. West Hueler, Matt Williamson, Mick Yuller,
Oh Williamson here with you. It's the Drive on Steelers
Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 5 (17:27):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
It's the Drive from Fitzsimon's temple bar here.

Speaker 2 (17:49):
Listen, you make a mistake.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
Once you can get coached up, you can get corrected, right,
Everyone makes mistakes.

Speaker 2 (17:54):
Nobody's perfect.

Speaker 3 (17:54):
Yeah I got corrected early.

Speaker 2 (17:56):
But you can't make that. You can't make the same
mistake twice, that's for sure.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
And you know what, Matt, let's jump right into some
football conversation here.

Speaker 2 (18:03):
We'll have some more we'll talk about Guinness.

Speaker 1 (18:05):
We'll maybe get the crowd all fired up here at
some point and have some guests. But you know, through
three games, and we started to talk about this a
little bit on Monday and Tuesday before you know, we
had a couple of days off there for our travels
and are getting set up and everything here on the location.
But you can start to through three games, through one
hundred and eighty minutes of football, start to identify some trends.

Speaker 3 (18:27):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is.

Speaker 2 (18:28):
Bigger picture for you.

Speaker 1 (18:29):
But if you could pick one thing for the Steelers
that gets moving in the right direction on Sunday, what
would it be.

Speaker 4 (18:36):
I think it's easy. It's a run game. To me
that has me most concerned. I like what Warren has done,
but he's about the only one or in the whole
big scope of it all that I'm kind of happy
with in the run game in general, and we know
that that's not a quick fix and that's going to
be a long term thing. But I think they have

(18:59):
to start running the ball with some consistency. You know,
we talk about a lot about going to the doctor
with symptoms, et cetera. And there's a symptom that is
hurting me at the moment, and that's time of possession.
You know, you can't be you know, thirty is fifty
to fifty. Of course they're thirty thirty, but right, I mean,
too many games have been in twenty six, twenty seven.
That doesn't sound like much, but that's so many first

(19:21):
downs and so much wear and tear on these guys' bodies.
And this team over the last few years is definitely
at their best when they're thirty three, you know, controlling
the clock. And I'll give Rogers and Arthur Smith a
lot of credit too in that, even though they're not
running the ball well and the time of possession isn't

(19:42):
been great, they are the short passing game is.

Speaker 3 (19:46):
Replaced at to some degree.

Speaker 4 (19:48):
And I don't think we've mentioned this, but this probably
will shock people that the Steelers have the most yards
after the catch in the entire league. Now, some of
that's good and some that's bad. Right, A lot of
it's shal and a lot of throws add her behind
the line of scrimmage, which basically are long hand scenes.

Speaker 1 (20:05):
Some of that from DK Metcalf too, has taken little
you know, little bubble rounds, little break a tackle, break
a tackle down the sideline.

Speaker 4 (20:12):
Yeah, so that part's good in that it will eat
clock for you. They're easy, uh completions, you know, you're
you should be able to manufacture some time of possession
in that way.

Speaker 3 (20:24):
And you know, but it's not the physicality of it all.

Speaker 4 (20:29):
It's not just handing the ball and getting four yards
and being able to count on it and have that
that bar set a little bit higher where I know
I can at least rely on a consistent running game,
you know.

Speaker 3 (20:42):
And it's been really far from that.

Speaker 1 (20:44):
No, it hasn't even been like, hey, it's been all right,
we just need to improve, we need to get higher.
It's a it's been like a failure, failure launched through
the three games so far. Yeah, you're right, and and
that to me is like I'm with you. I I think,
you know, we both did hits with the with the
DV morning show, uh this morning here at the at
the Temple Bar. And that's one of the things, like
Randy asked me, you know, what's the what's the biggest

(21:06):
key to the game on Sunday in your mind? And
I was like, my answer is going to be the
same for a few weeks, and that's the Steelers run
game until we see it. And I think, you you know,
going into last year, I think so too. Going into
last week. I think that there was a little bit
of you know, both sides of the ball in the

(21:26):
run game.

Speaker 2 (21:27):
I do think though the defense has shown improvement vastly
big time.

Speaker 3 (21:31):
Yeah, I think hard to trust that.

Speaker 1 (21:33):
I'm starting to think, okay, they just need a little
time some of that. They needed to get Derek Harmon back,
they needed to get y a Black up to speed,
they needed to figure out what their best you know,
base rotation was going to be, and all those different things.

Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah, the run fits are better. I mean, they're was
not himself in week one, but what a difference he makes.

Speaker 4 (21:55):
From now that he's back, which didn't really even worry
me in week one, but it did raise an eyebrow.

Speaker 1 (22:01):
It did, it did, and I think again that's you're
starting to feel better certainly in that department. But for
the Steelers, for their offensive line, for their run game,
it's still plenty to be desired. There is still a
need to start to show some of that improvement. It
doesn't have to be all of sudden great, but it
needs to be better than it was in one week two,

(22:23):
and better than it wasn't week two, Week three and onward.
How does Minnesota's defense kind of stack up in that
regard for the Steelers then, is this a potential opportunity
They faced some really talented fronts early on in the season.
Is this a potential opportunity to find some footing or
do you think it's gonna be another tough task on Sunday.

Speaker 4 (22:43):
So this defense is harder to project than any and
that's by design. Flores is a mad scientist. He sometimes
I think he just rolls the dice up in the
booth and whatever pops up is boom.

Speaker 3 (22:58):
I'm gonna make that call because.

Speaker 4 (22:59):
They're highly highly unpredictable and they do highly unorthodox stuff
across the board. But he's gonna have themes like everybody else,
and I would assume it is, Hey, if you can
protect and beat us downfield, I'll live with it. Because
the Steelers haven't pushed the ball down the field really either.
You know, it'd be different if it's like, can't run
but you're getting explosives over the top, or you know,

(23:21):
teams are so afraid of metcalf An Austin beating that
they're just facing all these light boxes or things like that.
So I do want to bring this part up though,
is I wouldn't imagine the Steelers. Why said it's more
important is because this team rushes a passer really well,
and it's a young offensive line Roderck Jones in particular.

(23:43):
But I bet both tackles they're going to try to
put in conflict with their blitz packages.

Speaker 3 (23:48):
I mean, they're highly exotic. Do I have this guy?
Do I have that guy?

Speaker 4 (23:52):
Well, okay, I'm dedicating myself to this one, but then
here the other one's coming free.

Speaker 3 (23:55):
You know, like sometimes there's no right answer. Twists and stunts,
zone blitzes and you know, really weird exchange concepts they
do that just you just don't see very much and
they're probably hard to replicate. In practice as well.

Speaker 4 (24:09):
Sure, so I would think that the Steelers really want
to stay out a third and longs and you know
all that the conflict that they put the their blockers in,
and we know Rogers doesn't move great compared to other
NFL quarterbators.

Speaker 3 (24:25):
You know, people getting mombed up over here.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
Yeah, we got some people screaming and yelling and there's
been plenty of that.

Speaker 3 (24:30):
So so my concern is, like mountain, go mountaineers.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
I know some of us have seen me in here.
We're everywhere too, Matt.

Speaker 3 (24:37):
I've heard.

Speaker 4 (24:38):
So I think it is more important. I think you
can get away with it a little bit through the
first three weeks. Okay, the running game hasn't been great.
Rogers has bailed you out a little bit. Takeaways on defense,
big plays on defense have bailed you out a TONI
I don't know if you'll be able to get away
without being at least productive on the ground in this game.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
You know, this to me is yet you're absolutely right.
Minnesota is going to be buttoned up.

Speaker 3 (24:58):
Yeah, yeah, you know, New England like don't.

Speaker 2 (25:00):
I don't want to say.

Speaker 3 (25:01):
They're a work in progress.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
They're a work in progress. They're they're they're starting over.

Speaker 3 (25:04):
Even coaching staff, a lot of new bodies, not super.

Speaker 2 (25:07):
Town second year quarterback.

Speaker 1 (25:09):
Yeah, and even the Jets as well too, new coach,
first year quarterbacks.

Speaker 2 (25:13):
Actually, you know, like, yeah, this is a team in Minnesota.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
Now, we'll talk about the quarterback situation for them here
as well too at some point.

Speaker 2 (25:21):
But they're a team that has continuity.

Speaker 5 (25:24):
You know.

Speaker 1 (25:24):
They have not had a ton of turnover on their
coaching staff, they have not had a ton of turnover
on their roster. They won fourteen games last year. And yeah,
and and we're pretty stinking good. This is a week
for me. The Steelers have to be buttoned up, like
they just they just have to. They They cannot, i think,
expect to win in the margins maybe like like they've

(25:46):
been able to there.

Speaker 2 (25:48):
They're gonna have to line up and make plays and.

Speaker 3 (25:52):
Wine more consistently.

Speaker 1 (25:53):
Down Right, The x's and o's are certainly going to
be a big factor, but just so simply are there
Jimmy's and Joe.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
It's like they just need to win Joe.

Speaker 1 (26:02):
They need to win their one on one battles. They
need to you know, not just wait for the turnover,
wait for the big play. There's gotta be some consistency
for sixty minutes there as well too.

Speaker 4 (26:13):
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And again, I think that
always starts with your run game. Yeah, I mean, it
just raises the floor. I'm a big believer that good
run games travel, And obviously this is a home game
and name and by the looks of them around us,
gonna be somewhat of a home game.

Speaker 3 (26:29):
But it's still a weird environment. And you know.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Your furthest will travel for a game all season.

Speaker 3 (26:34):
Yeah, it's a home game indeed.

Speaker 4 (26:36):
And I just think that if you don't run the
ball well, you're gonna be dealing with a lot of weird,
exotic pressures and probably big plays happening for the wrong team, you.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
Know, exactly right, And that's something Minnesota has a knack for. Yes,
they are you know, you give them an inch, they'll
take a mile. And it, I tell you what is
certainly a test, Like the Steelers have played some good
teams early on New York right out of the gate
with what Justin Fields can do was a test. Yeah,
I think you and I both think now that Seattle

(27:06):
is going to be one of the more surprising teams
in the NFL this year, and that's a pretty good team.

Speaker 3 (27:11):
They're having a heck of a year already.

Speaker 1 (27:12):
Drake May was a test what he can what he
can do with his legs, what he can do with
his arm, and New England has some talented guys on
defense as well too. Certainly, but I think this is
by far the best team the Steelers have played so
far this season. Yeah, we might, maybe Seattle might change.

Speaker 4 (27:28):
Our mind a month and now and be like Seattle
ahead of them in the NFC. Maybe we'll see, But
certainly the team that had the best year last year.
I mean, guys like Justin Jefferson are phenomenal player. I
mean like they have some star power that I can't
speak enough about. Both their offense and defensive coaching staffs
are about as good a pairing as you'll see in

(27:49):
this league in terms of the respect they do, how
innovative they are getting the most out of their players.
This is gonna sound disrespectful, but I think it's absolutely opposite.
Is if you took all the Steeler defensive players and
all the Viking defensive players and you built your best
eleven the defense, there'd be a lot more black and
gold than purple out there.

Speaker 2 (28:09):
Yes, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (28:10):
Yes, but if you flip it, if you flip it
to the other side and did your best eleven with
the offense, there might be.

Speaker 4 (28:17):
Especially the past catchers and yes, yeah right, yes, yeah,
but they get a lot out of not a little,
but they get a lot out of.

Speaker 3 (28:25):
Medium mounts, you know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (28:28):
So I don't know if this means anything, but there
are also four o overseas. They're the best record of
any franchise overseas.

Speaker 2 (28:38):
Now, well they do for a loss. That's all that
I'm hearing is the do exactly.

Speaker 3 (28:42):
It's not the same people, you know, but who knows.
But I'm concerned.

Speaker 4 (28:48):
I'm concerned, to be honest with you, I don't know
that I'll pick the Steelers to win this game, and
I have the.

Speaker 3 (28:53):
First three.

Speaker 2 (28:55):
I unfortunately echo that sentiment.

Speaker 4 (28:57):
Yeah, yeah, they're scary Gary challenge right now for especially
for what the Steelers are struggling with. You know, it'd
be so much better if I could say to your
original question.

Speaker 3 (29:08):
Man, at least you can count this run game. You know,
it would just raise all the boats.

Speaker 1 (29:12):
It would It would absolutely it be that high tide
that would raise all ships. And I am still confident
that we can see the run game get to that point,
but there haven't been a lot of There hasn't been
a lot.

Speaker 2 (29:24):
Of progression in that regard through three games, and the.

Speaker 3 (29:26):
Other areas of concern you at least see glimpses or
glass or big signs. You know. This one's like.

Speaker 2 (29:32):
One one drive in the three games.

Speaker 1 (29:34):
I think that opening drive at Foxborough you were like,
all right, we got something here, and then it was
kind of reverted back to what we had seen through
the first two games.

Speaker 4 (29:40):
One thing I want to mention though, just about the
run game two is I'm a Warren fan without question,
but I don't think whenever their off season plan was
put together, I don't think they wanted to get to
the point where Warrens are belcal absolutely not sure, and
they I think they really over realized they were overworking
gain well and he has to be a satellite player.

(30:02):
But ah, in all, I don't think the ball carriers
are an issue. Don't get me wrong, you know, I mean,
and I think they are disappointed or underwhelmed with Caleb Johnson.
I think that goes without saying as well, but then
everyone just goes to the offensive line, and I think
that's a little unfair, you know, like there's more to
the running game than the ball carrier, whoever's holding the

(30:23):
ball in his hands and the five big.

Speaker 3 (30:25):
Three hundred dollars. No doubt, Washington, to me is not
at all to blame.

Speaker 4 (30:30):
He is a special run blocker, pass blocker, utility player, whatever.

Speaker 3 (30:36):
But I would like to see his snapcount go up
a little.

Speaker 4 (30:39):
John Newsmith and Friarmouth have not really done a whole
lot run blocking, and they're out there a lot, you know.
And I know John new Smith's never going to be
Mark Brenner or Washington, but if you're going to create
these mismatches either twelve and thirteen personnel, I need him
on a safety or somebody smaller than him and at
least do his part. I'm a Calvin Austin fan, but

(31:00):
he's never going to help you in that regard. Metcalf,
I think is a plus blocker. Yeah, but you're right.
I mean, he's having a hard time seeing in the field,
but he has a reputation for sticking his face in there.
But he's smaller. And I also think the play calling
is a little rough, you know. I mean in that
pursued and I did a show Thursday with Meryl Hodge
and Meryl was one hundred percent right.

Speaker 3 (31:21):
And maryln knows a run game better than anybody that in.

Speaker 4 (31:23):
This Patriot game they start to incorporate a few more
different run concepts.

Speaker 3 (31:29):
It's not as much.

Speaker 2 (31:30):
Not straight outside zone, outside zone.

Speaker 3 (31:32):
Right right, right. I mean, even if you have a
great fastball, I.

Speaker 2 (31:35):
Mean, yeah, you got to be able to throw a
change change.

Speaker 3 (31:38):
Up once in a while. And they don't have a
great fast have more than one pitch and they don't
have a great fastball.

Speaker 4 (31:43):
The outside zone stuff hasn't worked, and I'm not saying
they should scrap it, but they have incorporated some duo
and some different stuff at least last week, and so
that's a step in the right direction. But if you're
a heavy outside zone team, it's beautiful when it works, well,
I mean it really is. It's everyone you running, is moving,
is one. But it takes much longer than any other

(32:05):
scheme to get really really good at. And unlike some
other run schemes, if one of your five big men
blow their block over, it's probably you really, I mean,
you're putting your back in conflict right away, where some
other man stuff. If this guy misses his block, okay,
I mean I might be able to get free.

Speaker 3 (32:23):
So there's less room for error. And right now there's
been a lot of error.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
It's it's like a symphony. I mean, the zone runs
like a symphony.

Speaker 1 (32:30):
If your if your trumpet players are a second off
from your your string section, it's gonna sound terrible. To
use a poor example there, you've got to have the
entire play next.

Speaker 3 (32:41):
To your dad. But like, what is this guy ruining things? Right?

Speaker 1 (32:45):
You could have you could have four musicians in the
right note, but if one guy's out of tune, you're
gonna be like, that doesn't exactly sound.

Speaker 4 (32:51):
And it's not always the same guy. It's not like
they need a new center or a Roderick Jones or
you know, it's just it's always a little bit of popcorn.

Speaker 3 (32:58):
You know.

Speaker 1 (32:59):
I to continue a little bit on this conversation with
you talk some more about the run game, in the
offensive line and some of those popcorn issues. We also
have the latest injury reports as the Steelers man press
conferences and practice from like a castle looking area about
forty forty minutes or so outside of Dublin. We'll talk
about that when we return. On the other side, we're
gonna have some fun. We've got some guests lined up

(33:21):
for you, some Mark Brunner conversation. We got to dig
into some Matt's stats as we as we always do.
I was trying to think, Matt, and you see, I'm
like jotting down stuff here on napkin.

Speaker 4 (33:29):
Yeah, because I'm like, Okay.

Speaker 1 (33:32):
It's it's Friday. But we didn't do shows Wednesday and Thursday,
so the stuff that we typically do on Wednesday Thursday. Yeah,
exactly right. So we will bob, we will weave. We
will have plenty to get to. As we continue here
from Fitzsimon's Temple Bar, we are in the heart of
Dublin with all of Steeler Nation having a great time.

(33:52):
It is the drive West Wheeler Matt Williamson on Steelers
Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio.

Speaker 5 (33:57):
Network you were tuned about on your twenty four to
seven home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 1 (34:15):
Back at Fitziven's Temple Bar in Dublin, West Shooler Matt
Williamson here with all of Steeler Nation. As we we've
got plenty plenty to get to, both on the football
field and with all the happenings around here.

Speaker 2 (34:29):
Matt, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (34:30):
If you saw where these Steelers are staying and practicing
this week, the pictures of it, I know a.

Speaker 3 (34:35):
Lot of our cohorts were going incredible.

Speaker 1 (34:37):
Yeah, because they had open practice at press conferences today today,
you know, kind of in the just keeping keeping to normal.
It's called Carton House, and I mean it looks like
an Irish castle.

Speaker 2 (34:49):
It's like a golf resort. There's golf courses.

Speaker 3 (34:51):
There is that where they're staying.

Speaker 2 (34:52):
That's where they're staying in practicing.

Speaker 1 (34:54):
Okay, yes, it's not too far outside of the city,
but I think it's like thirty forty minutes outside of
the city. And the pictures look immaculate. Again, I mean
it picture.

Speaker 3 (35:03):
You're a bunch of rooms there for all the players, and.

Speaker 1 (35:06):
I think, I mean, it's really cool that we're downtown,
so I'm not complaining, but.

Speaker 2 (35:10):
It would have probably have been pretty sweet out there.
Well fun night out there. Yeah, but it does.

Speaker 4 (35:16):
Think that's like where Royalty was. I mean, there was
money out there. I assume I.

Speaker 2 (35:19):
Would think so.

Speaker 1 (35:20):
And now, yeah, the pictures that I've seen from everyone
that's you know, was was out there for practices and
press conferences. I mean, picture picture your stereotypical like beautiful
Irish countryside castles.

Speaker 2 (35:31):
That's exactly what it looks like.

Speaker 3 (35:33):
Okay, that's awesome.

Speaker 1 (35:34):
I thought about that so so pretty, stink and cool,
and like you mentioned earlier, the weather yesterday and today
has been perfect so much so. I mean it's been in,
it's been sixty, in the high sixties and sunny. I mean,
you can't beat it for fall weather, for Dublin weather.

Speaker 4 (35:47):
I didn't bring the sunglasses. I've been mad at myself
and I didn't even think twice about it. But I mean,
a rookie move, but man, I neither.

Speaker 1 (35:52):
I laughed at our producer, our our game producer, Dan
Quinlan when he brought his sunglasses on the plane.

Speaker 2 (35:57):
I was like, dude, what are you doing. We're going
to Dublin.

Speaker 1 (35:59):
It's fifty five degrees in cloudy and raining every day. Yeah,
jokes on us, because you're right, we could certainly have
used a pair of sunglasses these last couple of days.

Speaker 2 (36:09):
Matt. There were more than one hundred international media members
credentialed for Steelers practice today really practice forget the Steelers people, right,
the typical Post Gazette and trips, ESPN and Athletic and
all the different outlets that are there covered.

Speaker 3 (36:23):
There for any DK, everybody that's there.

Speaker 1 (36:25):
You know, it's there covering it for for all the time.
Over one hundred international media were there today on the
sidelines as well too.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
I wonder what they think.

Speaker 4 (36:35):
Yeah, I'm sure there's some very knowledgeable folks, but I'm
sure there's some that are just like, I don't know
what I'm covering, you know what am I looking at?

Speaker 3 (36:42):
I looking at here?

Speaker 4 (36:44):
Folks are these weird helmets on and these pads on
their shoulders.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
And they do something for like three or four seconds,
and then they stand around.

Speaker 4 (36:50):
And they staying around, and but boy are they big
and fast, you know, like they're bigger than soccer players
or players or you know, right's fat.

Speaker 3 (36:58):
I mean, I was these events.

Speaker 4 (37:00):
It's kind of dawned on me because I thought about
the several times in my life like what if you've
never seen this before, you know, like we've been and
everyone listened has grown up before you knew to walk
in baptized Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, But if this was
brand new Like if this came out of a spaceship
out of the sky and said.

Speaker 3 (37:17):
Go watch this and like, but I like it or not?
I might not. Yeah, I mean I might be like,
this is the best thing ever.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
You know, I think it's it's it's kind of like
I think how like a lot of Americans view hockey? Yeah, yeah, yeah,
what's what's a two line pass? What's you know what
I mean? Like these rules seem crazy and it's hard
to follow them.

Speaker 4 (37:34):
But or even soccer, you know, this is so slow.
There's no strategy right first one to two wins. This
isn't fun. Nobody hits anybody.

Speaker 2 (37:44):
Yeah, that's a that's a great point. And there you're right.
I mean, it's just different. There's not a lot of
Derek Harmon's walking around Ireland. No, yeah, there's not a
lot of Max starts.

Speaker 4 (37:54):
And I bet he stands. He stands out at home.
But let alone here, right.

Speaker 1 (37:57):
How about last night, So we met Matt and I uh,
we're kind of again. So Matt had some work to
do at the hotel for all the million shows and
podcasts and everything he does. Myself and our and our
and our Steelers broadcast producer Dan Quinlan went over to
Croke Park just to get a lay of the land,
figure out where we're going, where's our equipment gonna be.

Speaker 3 (38:15):
This is before you and I were you, before we
were on the air.

Speaker 2 (38:18):
Yeah, before we did so yes, and then.

Speaker 1 (38:22):
Dude, same here. I can't even believe it's Friday. Like
I'm still thinking it's like Wednesday or Thursday. Everything's just
just thrown into chaos. So it's you know, it's the
evening here for you and I, but it's like midday
back home.

Speaker 2 (38:34):
It's just it's just bizarre.

Speaker 1 (38:36):
But anyway, so last night you and I met up
with you know, we all kind of linked back up
down here and got some dinner and everything, and we
were like texting with Max and he was like, where
are you guys, I'm gonna come meet you. And he
walks in with his Irish cap on and his sweater,
like dressed as much like a local as you can,
Like he's got the boots and the slacks and the
sweater and the hat.

Speaker 2 (38:57):
And he's like he's like, yeah, I'm trying to blend in.
And we were both like, yeah, right, luck with that one.

Speaker 3 (39:02):
Buddy, Yeah, good luck blending in around here.

Speaker 2 (39:05):
Right, But that is that's good.

Speaker 1 (39:06):
Actually, maybe maybe uh if today or tomorrow, if we
can see any of those those Internet. I know they
won't be down here today because they were all covering practice,
but maybe we'll We'll have to get somebody.

Speaker 4 (39:16):
I'd love to get that viewpoint from someone that's doing
this for a living, that has to write about it
or whatever, that has to cover football for like the
first time, you know, or go to a practice, let
alone a game where they're going to hit people and
you know why they kicking this ball?

Speaker 3 (39:29):
Who's stupid up right?

Speaker 2 (39:30):
That's holding it.

Speaker 3 (39:31):
Right right, right right? All the intricacies and you know, right.

Speaker 1 (39:33):
That was one thing that they were I told you,
I was flipping through the morning news channels this morning
and kind of laughing as they were joking about tailgating,
Like what's tailgating?

Speaker 4 (39:41):
That is actually pretty funny, right, It's better over here.
Just go to the pub and walk over and walk over.

Speaker 2 (39:47):
All you need.

Speaker 3 (39:47):
All you need to anything, it's.

Speaker 1 (39:49):
Yourself and you don't have to sit and wait in
traffic for ninety minutes after but.

Speaker 3 (39:52):
A grill it's on fire in your trunk, you know,
walk in the game. What could go wrong?

Speaker 2 (39:56):
You know, I totally forget what I was.

Speaker 3 (40:01):
We're talking about Max originally talking.

Speaker 1 (40:03):
About Max and and then then the international fans and everything.

Speaker 3 (40:06):
Oh we're talking about Steelers where.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
There's staying and all that.

Speaker 1 (40:09):
I yes, yes, yes, yes, but no that that stuff
has been has been hilarious and is only going to continue. Oh,
they were uprights, That's what it was. On one of
the news things that I was watching this morning. They
were like, you'll get the loudest cheers at the stadium
when they when they kicked when they kicked the field goals.

Speaker 3 (40:27):
That's pretty cool.

Speaker 4 (40:27):
Look they kicked that little like a goofy ball that
kind of looks like a rugby.

Speaker 1 (40:31):
Right, Like all the neutral fans that are just kind
of there for the spectacle and the experience, they want
to see the kick stuff.

Speaker 3 (40:36):
They want to see.

Speaker 1 (40:37):
Boswell drill a sixty yards or through the uprights and
they'll lose their There's.

Speaker 4 (40:40):
Like a weird question, like you said, the Steelers are
staying at like this castle like environment.

Speaker 3 (40:45):
Are their uprights there?

Speaker 2 (40:47):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (40:47):
These?

Speaker 1 (40:47):
I mean they must they must have put them in
because apparently, like dou Lac did a cool story on it.
I guess you got to go out there and you know,
got a little bit of access. But he said that
there's a golf course and there's two functioning foot ball field.
So I assume that I'm trying to look through some pictures.

Speaker 4 (41:04):
I will say, driving here from the airport to our hotel,
I think I saw two things that resembled football fields.
They had like goalposts. They were kind of like the
high school hes that at least were something similar.

Speaker 1 (41:17):
Like you can see this picture that I have here
on my phone. That's the press conference room, Like it
looks like the White House. I mean, you know, so
a pretty like.

Speaker 4 (41:24):
The Queen of England's gonna come out and do a
press exactly right, for a cup of tea with the
Queen of England.

Speaker 3 (41:29):
Right.

Speaker 2 (41:30):
So yeah, so a million things going on.

Speaker 1 (41:33):
One of them is some of that injury report stuff.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
Matt as well to.

Speaker 4 (41:37):
Come out of the loop for a day or two,
and I guess they had a travel day so they
didn't practice the one day they did.

Speaker 1 (41:42):
And the real thing that that I that I kind
of wanted to discuss with you is Jalen Warren has
been listed as limited the last two days with resting
veteran slash knee.

Speaker 3 (41:55):
Okay, so that sounds like resting veterans.

Speaker 1 (41:58):
It does, but they're very clear like Isaac Saamal who
has just listed as resting veteran. DK Metcalf has just
listed as resting veteran TJ. Watt, Cam Hayward just resting
veteran Jalen Warren resting veteran knee, John hus Smith resting
veteran hip.

Speaker 3 (42:13):
Okay, let's address Warren first.

Speaker 4 (42:16):
And this is just my hunch is I think he's
kind of elevated in the Steeler world in that and
this started be yeah where I think this started in
the preseason where they wrest a lot of guys in preseasons.
I was a little shock he made that cut at
the time at that I mean, I remember, remember our
mindset at that time is.

Speaker 3 (42:37):
Johnson's gonna get a ton of carries, I got game. Well,
Warren's an undrafted free agent that they like, blah blah blah.
And since then they extended him. Okay, we love him.

Speaker 4 (42:48):
Since then, he's gotten more touches and work every week
of the season, and he's a career highs these last
two weeks in terms of usage and time on the field.
And I think importance to the team is at an
all time high, you know, And that's a point you
got a little something wrong with you. Do we really

(43:09):
want you practicing on a field we don't maybe one
hundred percent trust it's.

Speaker 3 (43:13):
Not home field and things like that too.

Speaker 4 (43:15):
And this is a side note, but all these international
games I always pay attention to slash concerned about the
field conditions too.

Speaker 2 (43:23):
Totally.

Speaker 3 (43:23):
You just know they're going to be different.

Speaker 4 (43:25):
I mean, it's definitely not accushure and every stadium and
it's not going to be a typical field turf that
most a lot of teams have in the league. Sure,
I assume they've been somehow vetted or whatever by the league,
but you don't know. I always think about the kickers
in their footing, and every stadium is different, as anyone
remembers back in the when Hinzfield was originally there was

(43:47):
some of those and things of that nature that you
just don't know here you've never kicked here before.

Speaker 3 (43:53):
But the key from what people have told me is
you would think.

Speaker 4 (43:57):
Grass is grass and dirt is dirt, but the fields
were built for smaller people. They weren't built and they
and not all the action is you know, you put
five three hundred pounders with a tight end to them
up the middle of the field over and over and
over again, right, and there's no three hundred pounders playing
soccer or rugby or you know what these fields are

(44:18):
built for. There are a lot of smaller, swifter, use
the whole field type of guys.

Speaker 3 (44:23):
You know.

Speaker 1 (44:24):
No that that is a great point, and I know
that's something they were talking about on the DV morning
show this morning. Is Hey, yeah, rugby and Gaelic football
and soccer, like those guys wear cleats and there's a
lot of cut that back and forth, but they don't
weigh three hundred and twenty pounds and right and again,
like you said, a lot.

Speaker 3 (44:41):
Of it's right between the numbers, right between.

Speaker 1 (44:43):
The numbers and an exact area that gets tore up
over and over and over and over again over the
course of three hours.

Speaker 3 (44:50):
And they don't how old at your point either and
stop and you know.

Speaker 1 (44:54):
There's gonna be something like there will be some weird
quirks on the whatever it is, however.

Speaker 3 (44:58):
It happening to get ahead of it, you know.

Speaker 1 (45:00):
But the good thing about that is it's gonna be
weird for both teams in that regard, it's not like
it's not like one gets an advantage one way or
the other.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
Hour in the books.

Speaker 1 (45:07):
Plenty more to go here Live from Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
in Dublin. We are up on the rooftop having some
fun with Steeler Nation wetsheler Matt Williams, and it's the
Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network