HR1: Live from Dublin

Wes and Matt get the crowd going as they continue with their Ireland coverage!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
What's going on? Bet Simon's Temple car? Here we go?
Sh what's something? Everybody?

Speaker 3 (00:25):
How we doing?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Who's here for the Pittsburgh Stealer? Who's gonna win the
game tomorrow? Here we go, Stealers? Here we go, Here
we go, Stealers, Here we go. West Schuler and Matt Williamson,
Wes mculer and Matt o' williamson with you here at

(00:52):
the Temple Fitzsimon's bar. You haven't headset issues you okay,
a little bit? Okay, we're figuring this out. We're doing
it live. We're on location here, the people are taking
care of us, and we have got a full day
planned today. Myself and Matt will be here for the
next few hours. We've got the DVE Morning Show coming
up with a special Saturday broadcast after us. Matt, this

(01:13):
has been incredible.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
Oh, it's been awesome. It really has. It's been overwhelming.
Every day is better than the next. I can't wait.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
And tomorrow is gonna be crazy crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
I think you're right. Thursday it was wild, Yesterday it
was ramped up a notch again, and then today Saturday weekend,
it is pouring down rain.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
Like even just uber and over here it was like
Crassy and their Steeter fans walking the streets everywhere.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Everywhere, And it's pouring down rain here today, you know,
kind of finally like some proper Irish weather, if you yeah,
I feel like.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
We've been short changed the waiting gett rain.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
But it has not dampened anyone's spirits, that is for sure.
It is packed here. It is the I guess early
afternoon on a Saturday. Is Matt and I get going
here today now local uh doubling time, and we are
just a little under twenty four hours away from kickoff.
This place is ready black and gold to the ceiling.
The pines are porn. The food looks delicious. Some smells

(02:06):
really really good. I think that soup over there that
is fantastic. We're gonna have to get some of that
at some point. But Matt, it is a Saturday afternoon here.
We are ready to rock and roll. We're gonna do
some of the typical stuff that we would do on
a Friday show, kind of get ready for the weekend.
Is this is our last show before of course, Steelers

(02:27):
and Vikings two thirty local time here tomorrow nine to
thirty back on the East coast, back in Pennsylvania time. Matt,
I want to get right into it. These people want
to talk some football. These people are ready. Let's do it.
You and I like to do a little thing called
five Star Fridays that we typically do on Friday.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
But right we're like a Friday.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
We're going to treat this like a Friday show, kind
of the last show before kickoff, if you will, typically,
So let's get into it. Five Star Friday. It's a
simple concept. We look at each side of the football
for the Steelers and what the biggest matchups are against
their coming opponents. Which side of the ball you want
to start on you pick, doesn't matter, man. Well let's
start with the Steelers defense against the Vikings offense. Because

(03:08):
there are some stars and some superstars wearing purple for.

Speaker 4 (03:12):
The Vikings, no doubt, and I feel like we have
to start with Justin Jefferson.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
I mean, frankly, he's one of the best receivers that's
ever lived.

Speaker 4 (03:19):
He averages more receiving yards per game than anyone that's
ever lived by a wide margin, by like five yards,
so him and himself is a real challenge. And Jefferson
has not had his running mate Jordan Addison up until now.
But Addison returns and that adds another layer to covering Jefferson.
It's going to make life harder on the Steelers for sure.

(03:41):
They picked up Adam Thielen to fill in the blanks
for a little bit, and he's still a quality slot guy.
And then with Wentz back in the mix and a
little more willing to throw over the middle, Hockinson, who's
a high end tight end, really stepped up too.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
So their weaponry is real impressive.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
And I want to start with Jefferson, but the Mason
they're running back too, is a highly productive ball carrier.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
He's not much a receiver. He's not a well rounded guy.

Speaker 4 (04:09):
But their skill position players right now are about his
top five top ten in the league right.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
As a complete group that you can hope for.

Speaker 4 (04:18):
Yeah, yeah, And I think it's the wrong time to
run into them. You know, Thelan's been there a few weeks,
Addison's coming back, Jefferson's going to have more hell, Pawkinson's
starting to break out a huge win. Mason ran all
over the Bengals too. So, I mean, this is a
really good group of skill guys. And as we stand here,
unless I'm wrong, we don't know one hundred percent on

(04:40):
Elliott or Porter.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
Right Elliott, we do elliotts in. Elliott's in Porter is
questionable questions Again, Yes.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
So I'm curious what their strategies will be. Are they
going to play a lot of too high, which is
not a Steeler fixture at all, to try to take
the top off the big plays and force them to
run the ball.

Speaker 3 (04:59):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (05:00):
I would assume that you play a lot more man coverage.
I mean, Mike Tomlins said this, we haven't seen a
ton of it. But they went out and got all
these corners. Used to be Joey Porter and the Pips,
you know, like, now you've got three guys and even
Eccles as a four that can all man up against
top dudes.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
Well, this is the week you see it.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
I would think I would absolutely, especially if Joey Porter
Junior is able to play. That's that's kind of what
you drafted him for. That was his skill set at
Penn State was getting up on the line of scrimmage,
getting his hands on guys and manned man coverage able
to use that length. I I I'm you know, I
know we are on Steelers Nation Radio here, but I
am excited to see Justin Jefferson in person. Oh yeah,

(05:39):
because I mean him and Jamar Chase. And it's ironic
because they were on the same college team at the
same time together with Joe Burrow. No wonder those guys
ran to a fifteen to zero record in a national
championship makes a lot of sense. Lu They sure have,
They certainly have. But those two, like is it? Is it?
Those two? Are they in their own conversation in the
NFL and in terms of the best two wide receivers

(06:02):
and getting kind of in their own tier?

Speaker 3 (06:03):
I think so.

Speaker 4 (06:04):
And both have had to overcome some quarterback stuff and
their their numbers aren't blowing you away to date. But
don't forget Chase on the Triple Crown just last year
when Burrow was the top.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
His power seventeen hundred yards and seventeen touchdowns.

Speaker 4 (06:17):
And unlike the Chase situation, Jefferson's gone through a lot
of different quarterbacks in Minnesota and it hasn't mattered at all.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
Talk to me about the Vikings offensive line. They're getting
some reinforcements. Darrisaw's back, Kelly's back. Where do they kind
of fit into the pecking order for you for offensive
lines across the league.

Speaker 4 (06:35):
Yeah, it's a really interesting group because for the last
few years.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
They've been really good at the tackle spots.

Speaker 4 (06:41):
You know, the Pitt kid O'Neil has had a strong
career at right tackle, moves really well. Like he came
to Pitt as a tight end. He's one of those
guys that just kept added weight added weight, and you
can see when his movement skills that he used to
be an athletic tight end type guy. Darrisaw I loved
coming out of school. And if you remember, he was
the nause Harris draft class and if he would have

(07:02):
lasted a pick or two more, I think the Steelers
jump on him and don't even go down the Nausey route.
But he's been better than expected. But he was hurt
for the beginning of the year and they played a dude. Ironically,
I think his last name skull Skol, which fits which
watching him, maybe that's.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
The only team would even employ him because he was horrendous.

Speaker 4 (07:23):
To be honest with you, I couldn't believe that that's
the best they could do to back up at Darrisaw.
So that really derailed them too. So in a way,
you're playing them at the wrong time at the left
tackle spot too, because they go from what I thought
was the worst left tackle.

Speaker 3 (07:36):
I've seen in years, to be honest with you.

Speaker 4 (07:38):
To a top five type of dude who got his
feet wet last week. So he's not even his first
game back. So to give the Vikings a lot of credit,
they've been really weak on the interior of the O
line for years now, and this sofseason they just said,
screw it, We're going to rebuild the whole thing. Yeah,
they go get two dudes from the Colts. They get
Will Fryes at right guard, Naga Kelly at center, who

(08:02):
were stalwart Colt starters. Put those two together, ship them
in together. They already have continuity and familiarity. And then
they double down in the first round and they take
Jackson out of Ohio State in the first round to
play left guard.

Speaker 3 (08:15):
And he's been phenomenal. He's not going to play in this.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
Game, though, So that rolled out yesterday.

Speaker 4 (08:21):
That's like the only good news I've had since we
put the headset on in terms of dealing with their
offense because their skill guys look better than ever. Their
O line minus Jackson looks better than ever. But that
left guard is going to have to deal with Cam Hayward,
who's playing back to playing Cam Hayward football.

Speaker 3 (08:41):
So that's important to me, you know.

Speaker 4 (08:43):
But this is a challenge because I mean O'Connell is
an elite offensive.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
Design Shahan conversation.

Speaker 3 (08:50):
Absolutely, I mean that's a rare That's a rare tier
there too.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
Oh, it absolutely is. It absolutely is plenty more that
I want to dig into you with as it relates
to this, this this Viking offense versus the Steelers defense.
Let's talk a little bit more about Mason in the
run game. Yeah, is this the week? I do think
I've been encouraged. They're still not where they need to
be yet, but I think it's undeniable that the Steelers
run defense has gotten better from Week three to week one.

(09:15):
You mentioned Cam Hayward there, rounding into form. I think
that is obviously a massive part of it a lot.
Is this the real test though, this week with a
running back like him, an offensive line like that, where
you have to at the same time obviously account for
all those talented skill players sort of.

Speaker 4 (09:31):
I mean Week one had such a different test because
of fields. Yeah, I mean, you're not going to face
a great running quarterback like that, so that simplifies things
a little bit. You know, who's going to carry the ball,
and he's a good ball carrier, but it's not the
Lamar Henry dynamic or the Fields Breesehall dynamics, or where

(09:51):
who's taking the ball to. I mean, that could be
a little more aggressive keying on Mason as opposed to
he might just keep it and.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
Run around me. You know.

Speaker 4 (10:00):
Now week two this sounds crazy. I think the run
defense got a little bit better. There were still too
many splash plays. I mean they had eight carries or so,
almost all by Walker where he got free and stung
them bad. Yes, but down to down it was better
than the Jets game. And then last week I thought

(10:22):
it was a real nice step in the right direction, you.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
Know, like, Okay, this is starting to round into form.

Speaker 4 (10:27):
And a lot of it, as you mentioned, has been
Hayward going from really rusty to yeah, getting back to
then looking like Cam you know what I mean, And
that's a big part of it. But I also think
the rest of the D line is in a much
better spot now. You got harm and backed.

Speaker 2 (10:42):
Well his first five snaps on the side.

Speaker 4 (10:46):
I thought he played twelve. You know he plays thirty five.
And there's a ripple effect there. That okay, now that
those first three games Hayward because he's a star, but
it's probably not what they wanted him. And Ben and
played way more snaps than any of the D lineman
and Benton frankly was getting beat up on. Shouldn't play

(11:06):
that many snaps, Probably shouldn't even be a nose getting
pushed back a lot.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
Him and louder.

Speaker 4 (11:11):
Milk were in the lapse of the linebackers all the time,
and I don't want I want to get hurt. And
I'm sure ISAA louder most a swell guy. But the
fact that he's out of the picture has made them
better by subtraction. The fact that Benton's playing less is
making them better by subtraction. Black's playing more and more.
That k Walley's been a nice, fine, nice fine He
plays fifteen to twenty snaps, but he's.

Speaker 2 (11:33):
Stout, situational, exactly what you need for him.

Speaker 4 (11:36):
Yeah, gets off the ball well, and then you throw
the first round pick in the mix and maybe you
can lighten a little bit load on Hayward too.

Speaker 3 (11:42):
So I think this is.

Speaker 4 (11:44):
A pretty good spot for where the D line is at.
It's definitely the best. It's the best situation the D
line's been in all year. Just the big guys, without question,
the return of Cam, the arrows going up, the return
of Derek Harmon.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
Part of me, yeah, the form of Cam Hayward. I
think they've found out their best rotation with all those guys. Yeah,
you know, found that out in Week three took.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
Two or Hayward coming off injury or you.

Speaker 2 (12:12):
Know, exactly right, right, exactly right. And that to me, man,
he might end up being we could easily be a
year from now, two three years from now talking about
him as one of the steals of the draft.

Speaker 3 (12:23):
Oh, I think.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
So it is a Day three guy and what he's
able to do with his skill set, and man, he's
been so promising so far or already pardon me, and
he is still so early into this career and everything.
It's it's great to see it is and I that
to me is one of the more encouraging things. I
think they've started to figure out that defensive line rotation,
Cam Hayward rounding back into form, Derek Harmon becoming available.

(12:44):
What we saw from him in his NFL debut on
Sunday in Foxborough was very encouraging, is he.

Speaker 4 (12:51):
I don't think you can mention the run defense without
talking about TJ Watt. I mean, it's you can say
what you want about like Pro Football Focus, But he
was their number one edge run defender last year in
one of the highest grades they've ever given.

Speaker 3 (13:03):
In the run game.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
It's the most underrated part of his game.

Speaker 4 (13:06):
Absolutely, he is as good as it gets. It's securing
that edge, and this year has been borderline obscene with
how often they run to the left.

Speaker 2 (13:15):
They're staying away from TJ. You look at the rushing
charts and the rushing.

Speaker 4 (13:17):
Charts away from what And I think the Steelers are
starting to catch on to that too and start to
stack things a little bit this way. So I think
you know that this first month can be a feeling
out process in the league. But the defense, the opposing
offenses are telling you where they're gonna where they're gonna run.

Speaker 3 (13:33):
They're afraid of what.

Speaker 4 (13:34):
And Herbie is not the best run defender in the league,
but he's okay. I mean he's an active upfield player.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
He's improving in that reason, I think certainly since he
since he came.

Speaker 4 (13:43):
I think you'll see some Sawyer there too on early downs.
But it's still a challenge. I mean, it's a diverse
run game with a good line and a really good back.
I mean, people probably don't know who Mason is, but
he was Christian McCaffrey.

Speaker 3 (13:55):
Actually, there's a McCaffrey jersey.

Speaker 2 (13:57):
Is the McCaffrey jersey in here.

Speaker 4 (13:58):
He was McCaffrey's back up and the Niners had some
cap issues and they traded him for you know, a
mid round pick, and they quickly Aaron Jones gets hurt.
He was going to be kind of the third down back.
Older in his career. He's out of the mix right now.
But Mason started like five games in his career and
he's averaging close to one hundred yards game. You know,
he's a good ball carrier, old school, not real diverse,

(14:21):
but good zone runner and zone games.

Speaker 3 (14:23):
Giving the Steelers a lot of problems.

Speaker 2 (14:25):
They sure do, they sure do. That is certainly something
to keep an eye on, Matt. I guess the final
piece of this Vikings offense. Is Carson Wentz in for
JJ McCarthy. Yeah, but I want to have a little
bit of a meteor conversation on that. I don't want
to short change that one, So we'll start there. When
we return on the other side, we'll kind of finish
that and then we'll spin the block. We'll do five
Star Friday talking about the matchups for the Steelers offense

(14:47):
against this Minnesota defense. Plenty to get to here as
we roll along at fitz Simon's Temple Bar in the
Temple Bar district of Coup, then we are having some fun.
Steeler Nation is out here going wild. Yeah, come on,
give me the give me the whole. I can't hear.
We're just having a little bit of fun. Everyone's staying

(15:08):
hydrated out there, by the way, Nice and nice and hydrated.

Speaker 3 (15:11):
Good to go.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
Love to see it, Love to see it. Wes mculler,
matt O Williamson with you here on location at fitz
Simon's Temple Bar. You are listening to the Drive on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (15:23):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (15:38):
Back high atop the rooftop here at Fitzsimon's Temple Bar
in Dublin, Ireland having some fun with Steeler Nation, West
s Huler and Matt Williamson. I think easily the coolest
place I've ever broadcast from in my Crow Question.

Speaker 3 (15:52):
I've been doing it for twenty some years and this
is the best part I've every.

Speaker 2 (15:55):
This is unbelievable. I'll probably be saying the same thing
doing the halftime show tomorrow from Crow Park, but it's
just going to be an unbelievable atmosphere. It has been already.
The energy is just contagious in here.

Speaker 4 (16:07):
At some point I need you to tell everyone out
there what you saw at Croke Park the other day too,
because you actually have been there, You've scoped the place out.

Speaker 3 (16:13):
I have not been there. I'm sure a lot of
folks here have not either.

Speaker 4 (16:17):
But at some point I need you to kind of
lay out what they're getting into because it sounds awesome.

Speaker 2 (16:21):
All right, So who's going to the game on Sunday?
Makes some noise Croke Park? It's incredible, it is. You
could feel the history. I mean, it was built in
the eighteen hundreds. It's obviously been renovated plenty of times.
Who in here ever went to a Penguins game at
the Civic Arena? Anyone? Anyone now picture the Civic Arena,

(16:43):
but with eighty thousand people in Ireland. That's what it
reminds me of. There's no fancy jumbo trons and you're
not there to instagram the pictures and what you're doing
in a fun night out. You're there to watch some football.
There's beer and nacho cheese sticking to your shoes as
you watch around. It's awesome. The the pitch looks fantastic.

(17:03):
There is obviously Viking stuff in there, like the Vikings
have one of the end zones when you walk in
a lot of the Dublin games signage has both logos,
but make no mistake, they're doing their part as well
to to make it a Steelers home game. Like the
tunnels are uh you know the way they have this,
it's gonna be awesome too. Like we're used to, you know,

(17:24):
NFL teams run out like in opposite end zones type thing.
They are going to run out right through the heart
of the stadium, right down the fifty yard line is
where the teams are gonna run out in black and
gold painted tunnels. It is going to be InCred a
different such a different feel, unbelievable. The pitch, yes, the
field looks great. I mean they have as you can imagine.

(17:47):
This is the first regular season game in Dublin. They
are rolling out all the stops to make sure it's
it's memorable and you know, as close as they can
get to playing an NFL game back in the in
the United States.

Speaker 3 (17:58):
I just found out last night.

Speaker 4 (17:59):
I'm gonna watch it from the press box, which usually
is kind of buttoned up and there's glass in front
of you and there's food behind you, and everyone's quiet.
But it sounds like tomorrow. That's basically just a section
that they just roped off and they're like, you guys
are in that section.

Speaker 2 (18:11):
Yeah, So that's that's how they do it. Stop like
if you if you watch English Premier League soccer games,
if anything like that sports here in Ireland. I was
watching some Gaelic football this morning on TV in the hotel.
It was awesome. The press box is not a press box,
it's an open air gandry right in the middle of
the fans. Now it's it's blocked off like they have

(18:32):
fencing type stuff up and security guards and all that.
But you you want to be able to talk about
feeling the atmosphere. I mean you will be right in
the of the atmosphere. Our our broadcast vantage point is
like right at the fifty yard line, in the very
front of the section.

Speaker 3 (18:48):
The crowd noise, you said, like Robin Max, have a
great set.

Speaker 2 (18:51):
Up, great set and just the crowd noise. You're gonna
be able to feel it. It's gonna be palpable. It's
gonna be so much fun. All these you know, all
these international games have great atmospheres, like we've seen the
games in London and in Germany and all those things.
No one's seen one here, but no one's seen one here,
and I think it's gonna be even ramped up from
what we typically see.

Speaker 4 (19:12):
Awesome, awesome, Yeah, that's a good description. I can't wait
to go, and I'm sure all these people I totally agree.
But a lot of fun stuff to do between now
and then, though, too.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
Absolutely, we have got plenty to get to, I think,
including as we kind of ended uh with the last
segment talking about the quarterback change for the Vikings. Of course,
JJ McCarthy out injured Carson Wentz, a familiar name, a
familiar face to football fans. Slides in managed the game well,
did exactly what he needed to do last week? Is it, Matt?

(19:43):
I've heard a lot of you would rather see JJ McCarthy.
I think a lot of people bringing in the Anthony
Richardson and Joe Flacco Colts example from last year. Now
that was a little different because that happened in game
you didn't have. You weren't preparing for Joe Flacco. You
were preparing for Anthony.

Speaker 4 (19:58):
Richard And they're such different athletes and style of quarterack.
I mean, Richardson, you want to keep in the pocket,
make you be you know. I mean, Joe's totally opposite.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
Obviously correct. So there's some examples to deduce from me,
But this is obviously a different situation with a whole
week to prepare for Carson Wentz.

Speaker 4 (20:13):
But where I think it's similar is like Richardson, McCarthy's
been over his head. I mean, the game has looked
too big for him in ninety percent of his snaps
and that's not uncommon. That doesn't mean he's terrible or
anything like that.

Speaker 2 (20:27):
First and second started life.

Speaker 4 (20:28):
I mean he was drafted the year before, but didn't
play at all. He sat in the quarterback meeting rooms,
but that's not the same, and he looked very overwhelmed
with just the procedural stuff, getting them in and out
of the huddle, recognizing blitzes, checking off, getting into the
right plays, let alone being comfortable in the pocket and
feeling the rush and doing the football stuff.

Speaker 3 (20:48):
So I would rather play against McCarthy. But Wentz is
a really tough evow right now.

Speaker 4 (20:54):
I mean, gone are the days of him almost winning
the MVP favor of the Eagles. I mean, because he's
been This is unprecedented NFL history, this is he is now. Yes,
last week started six times. It started for six different
teams in six different years, which isn't really a compliment

(21:14):
because if they loved you, they keep you around. But
it is enough of a compliment that the next team says,
will take a chance and you could be our backup.
And last week against the Bengals, he made two or
three really nice drugs and he certainly can still let
the ball go. He's a second pick in the draft.
I mean, there's ability there. But frankly, their defense won
that game so single handedly that every drop back Wentz

(21:37):
could have taken the ball and spiked it right in
the ground and they still would have won. I mean
they truly would have. I mean it was that bad
by the Bengals, who are a disaster right now. So
Wentz is a tough evow. You have to think that
he's way ahead of McCarthy in terms.

Speaker 2 (21:52):
Of just processing.

Speaker 3 (21:54):
All the processing and the in and out of the
huddle stuff.

Speaker 2 (21:56):
Is played in a lot of different offense.

Speaker 4 (21:58):
It's played a lot of different offenses to some degree
of success. Some it's hard to even evaluate him because
like some of those starts are Week eighteen with the
Chiefs when my homes is shortened or whatever.

Speaker 3 (22:09):
But he isn't real mobile.

Speaker 4 (22:12):
I would think you he won't elude the Steeler rush
like some of these other guys, including May and even Darnold.

Speaker 3 (22:19):
I mean, he's the least.

Speaker 4 (22:20):
Mobile guy they're faced so far, let alone fields. What
scares me a little the most actually is O'Connell. I
think you're really when we get the other side of
the ball too, you're really doing battle against these two
play callers as much as you are. They're players against
this specific team because they're both so well coached on

(22:41):
each side of the ball. And if you watch the
McCarthy tape, O'Connell was basically newter. He's he's calling players
with one hand behind his bash, you know, like there's
so many.

Speaker 2 (22:51):
One quarterback who's only playing in a second NFL.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
Game, Right, he can't handle everything I'm given.

Speaker 2 (22:56):
He doesn't need an Irish breakfast match. He just needs
like egg bacon.

Speaker 4 (23:00):
Right, that's all he can handle. You know, he's he's
on drinking, you know, a Guinness at this time of
the day. Yeah, quiet, he's not old enough for that,
you know, so Wentz at least I think opens all
the chapters. Although he's still new to the team too.
He wasn't there all through camp. He was a late addition.
So again he's a tough evow. But I just think
his experience makes it tougher to.

Speaker 3 (23:23):
Play against the Vikings. You know, I was called the nest.

Speaker 4 (23:26):
That that nest is tremendous around him, led by Justin Jefferson,
And I just think O'Connell's going, who, I can kind
of do my stuff now, you.

Speaker 2 (23:34):
Can do a little bit more. Actually that I don't
have the guy who's had less than five NFL starts
in his.

Speaker 3 (23:39):
Career one thousand percent.

Speaker 4 (23:40):
And if Wentz plays well against the Steelers and then
they host the Browns just here in London, I mean,
kind of across situation, real clothes for them. I wonder
if they rush McCarthy back or not. You know, like
it might be like this guy's given us more to
go off of just because I can do more.

Speaker 3 (23:57):
You know, I don't need it. This offense doesn't need
a ton from their quarterback.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
No, they don't. As you mentioned, they've got a great nest. Yeah,
they've got perhaps the best collection of skilled players from
top to bottom in the NFL trong, certainly in the conversation.
And they are they are well coached. Do They won
fourteen games last year? That was not an accident. They're
off to a strong start again this year as well too.
That to me is kind of the biggest you know,
every every game you play has the kind of cliched

(24:23):
X factor, right, Yeah, Yeah, of which way does this go?
There's some unknown there haven't seen much of it. Like,
is Carson Wentz the easy X factor for tomorrow? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (24:32):
I would say so on this side of the ball. Yeah,
I have some Steeler ones, you know, for sure. Yeah,
I would imagine amazing.

Speaker 2 (24:41):
Again, with everybody else, you kind of know what you're getting.

Speaker 4 (24:42):
You kind of know what you're getting. I'm kind of
also looking at Porter's availability could be an X factor.
I mean I would I would think the Steelers probably
know the answer if he's playing or not, and have
probably practiced and prepared accordingly. There's no reason to tell
O'Connell that yet, but I would think they have two
different setups with or without Porter. I'm also really interested
in what Peppers does now in his second real game

(25:05):
with the team. The first game he didn't play at all.
This past game he played a lot. I think he's
really quickly going past Chuck Clark and may even go
past Thornhill. That you might see a lot of Peppers
and Elliott, which they're both strong safety types, but they're
better players than what the Steelers have been playing at safety,
and I like Thornhill Clark I could do without, to

(25:26):
be honest with you, I just doesn't run that well now.
So I think Pepper's usage is somewhat of an X
factor too. D line rotation, but yeah, I would say
Wentz is definitely the biggest X factor on that side
of ball.

Speaker 2 (25:38):
Do you see any matchups from a Steelers defensive perspective
where you kind of circle it, highlight it, and say,
this guy should be able to feast. This guy should
be Hayward for sure.

Speaker 4 (25:49):
Yeah, with the Jackson injury a left guard, I would
think Hayward is going to cause a lot of problems.
I wonder how much blitz they will employ. I hope
a lot. I mean I would like to say, see
more man coverage, more blitz. The whole offseason has been
primed for. We got better corners. Now we can blitz more.
We can create more sacks and get more and more

(26:10):
than create more sacks, create more one on one matchups.
If I'm blitzing heavier, it's harder to double watch. Sure
O'Neill's will really good right tackle, but if I have
to leave them on what ten plays more than I
would have due to blitz, you might get home plack
for sure, right right, and you're gonna make Wentz process quickly.
You know he's not gonna buy a lot of time.

(26:32):
So I would expect a much more aggressive defensive game
plan than we have seen. It rubs me the wrong
way a little bit that they're so static and single high.
They play a lot of cover on, a lot of
Cover three, and they have ramped up blitz a lot
this year, but they haven't followed it up with a
lot of like pressman coverage. You know, they're doing it

(26:52):
with off coverage and people are finding the quick hitters
in the middle of the field has been exposed a
little bit too. So I would say, you know, throw
caution in the wind a little bit here, you know,
And if it means leaving Jefferson one on one with
Ramsey once in a while, it might sting you.

Speaker 3 (27:07):
But you know, such as life, I tell it. League works, you.

Speaker 2 (27:10):
Know, certainly, and maybe maybe you know, you catch Carson
Wentz getting a little too aggressive. Maybe Jalen Ramsey's the
one who makes a play. We've seen him do that
a couple times already this season.

Speaker 3 (27:19):
And went will turn the ball over. I mean he's
not a caretaker type. Yes, he's been a risky guy
over his career.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
Yeah, no, no doubt correct correct. Will we come back
here in a couple of minutes, We're going to spin
the block to the other side of the football. But
I got to learn something from all these people out here. First,
all right, who out here, traveled the furthest to get
here to Dublin, Ireland. Who's Who's where'd you come from? Texas?
Can anybody beat Texas? Anybody come any further than Texas?

Speaker 4 (27:44):
Okay, I'm going to give it nod to Texas on
that one again.

Speaker 3 (27:49):
Florida.

Speaker 2 (27:49):
Okay, we've got a couple. Florida's couple, Texas, New Jersey
now and Springstea. I think it's Texas. It's got to
be Texas. Can anybody beat Texas? South Carolina?

Speaker 3 (27:59):
That's good?

Speaker 2 (28:00):
Jem, Texas, Texas is a jam going once, going twice.
Hook em hook them Junior Jersey over there all the
way from Texas to Dublin, Ireland. I absolutely love it.
Wes Yuler Matt Williamson will continue the game preview as
we roll along here, you are listening to a special

(28:20):
edition of The Drive live from Fitzsimon's Temple Bar in Dublin, Ireland.
This says Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (28:32):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (28:48):
Rolling along here at fitz Simon's Temple Bar in downtown
Dublin in the Temple Bar District ain't happening place here.
It's wet, it's rainy, it's proper Irish weather today. But
the people, their spirits are not damp in that. In fact,
this is probably we.

Speaker 4 (29:03):
Got changed if we didn't get a little rain. Last
two days were just way too sunny and night.

Speaker 2 (29:08):
Yeah, the sky was like painted the last couple of days.
It was like high sixties and sunny. It was unbelievable.
But this is what we're expecting. Hope you brought your
rank coats and are uh and are ready.

Speaker 3 (29:18):
To rock and roll here tomor be similar, right.

Speaker 2 (29:20):
I don't think it's supposed to be quite as bad tomorrow,
but it is supposed to rain on and off. Yeah,
well we'll see. Fortunately there is. That's maybe another thing
that I should have painted the picture about Croke Park.
It's not there's no dome, but there's like a massive
overhang above the sections because of how much rain get here.
That's a common thing across Ireland in the UK that

(29:41):
you'll see. You know, they're not dome stadiums, but they
have hyper extended roofs to kind of kind of cover
you from from the.

Speaker 3 (29:48):
Majority, almost like the Cowboys stadium, you.

Speaker 2 (29:50):
Know, exactly right, exactly right. If people have seen kind
of the layout of the new Buffalo Bills Stadium that's
going to open next year, and it's kind of a
similar thing.

Speaker 3 (29:58):
For snow reasons, yeah them, but makes sense.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
You know, to not completely shield you from the elements,
but certainly protect you from some particip some precipitation part
in me.

Speaker 4 (30:08):
So, Matt, I am a little concern whether a different pitch.
You know, the pitch was not designed for a bunch
of three hundred pound monsters running up the middle of
the field as.

Speaker 2 (30:18):
An X factor. Yeah, for tomorrow's game.

Speaker 4 (30:20):
Curious, all these any international game, I pay attention to
the grass a little bit more the field surface.

Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, and it makes sense. You know, they obviously rugby
and Gaelic football and soccer and all those things. There's
a lot of cutting, there's a lot of moving, there's
a lot of you know, they're wearing cleats, all that
same stuff. But it's not three hundred plus pound guys
in a in a kind of singular location on the
field between the hash marks.

Speaker 4 (30:44):
And with all the respect of those sports, which I'm
sure are wonderful, they're not no offense world class athlete.
I mean that the top one percent and the size
speed combination is unmatched in the NFL. That's you know,
it doesn't matter. You know, let alone the big people
up the middle of the field.

Speaker 2 (31:02):
There's not a lot of Max starks is walking around
now in Ireland.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
One one.

Speaker 2 (31:07):
There's only one Max Starks, that's for sure. Matt. Let's
continue our five Star Friday conversation here and spin the
block Steelers offense against this Vikings defense. I mentioned Minnesota.
They've got some stars and superstars on that offense, household names.
The defense maybe not quite to that extent. That doesn't
mean that they're still not very talented. No, and it

(31:28):
sounds like Van Gaegele's not gonna play.

Speaker 3 (31:30):
He's been rolled out.

Speaker 4 (31:31):
I don't think he's a superstar, but he was like
fifth and defensive Player of the Year voting last year
because he does everything well. And that's exactly what this
defense is looking for. They really want position with football.
They want highly versatile, smart, interchangeable, somewhat in a Belichickian manner,

(31:52):
you know, like Belichick wanted a lot of do your
job smart guys. I'm gonna ask a ton of you.
I can't have you out of position, physical, tough, So
we talked about let's start here and maybe we even
finished out to say one with this and then.

Speaker 3 (32:04):
Come back or whatever.

Speaker 4 (32:05):
But much like the offensive line, they rebuilt all their
big people on the defensive line. You know, they went
out and got three starters at guard center guard, really
aggressive move, hard to do, and they did the same
thing on defense. They got two new starters in Hargrave.

Speaker 2 (32:24):
Familiar name, yeah, formerly of this parish.

Speaker 4 (32:26):
And Jonathan Allen, who's highly accomplished. Both these guys have
been around the block, and you know, they went out
and spent money on their biggest people, and the guys
behind them aren't household names, but they've played great in
a reserve role too, because they don't want Allen and
Hargrave playing every snap. It's kind of a Hayward situation.

(32:46):
We're gonna use them in the right times.

Speaker 2 (32:48):
We're not going to overweark it at all those times.

Speaker 3 (32:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (32:50):
Absolutely, So this defense, it's much different than the other
ones we've broken down in that I'm not looking at
this player or this player as much as Flores. I mean,
he is unlike any defensive coordinator in the league, and
he's frightening as could be.

Speaker 3 (33:09):
To be honest with you, you.

Speaker 2 (33:11):
Know he certainly is. Yeah, and that might be Matt
in a bigger picture sense, could you argue that the
biggest matchup for the Steelers offense is Aaron Rodgers and
what he's going to be able to do and diagnose
with the line of scrimmage against that Brian Flores manipulation.

Speaker 4 (33:29):
Will Yeah, And so this will sound negative towards the Steelers,
but all you folks that are going to the game tomorrow,
I urge you to just to watch the defensive movement
when the Steelers are out there pre snap and especially
at the snap versus what Minnesota's doing pre snap and
at the snap. They do Paula Malou things like when

(33:51):
Troy would come down to the to the line of
scrimmage and then just take off into the third level
as a cover two player. Like you'll see that stuff
all the time. They'll have corners asked to do safety stuff.
They'll have linebackers asked to do corner stuff. Slot players
will blitz. I mean, they play a ton of zone,
but it's not like everyone just drops to their spot

(34:12):
and you know where they're gonna be. So yes, it's zone,
but it's a lot of zone that turns in demand.
It's a lot of unpredictability. I joke the other day
that it feels like Flores just takes a dice and
just rolls it into the thing and says, Okay, I'm
gonna call that because there's not a tendencies like most guys.
And now you can sting it because some stuff they

(34:34):
do is not technically sound or orthodox. It's just making
people double think. Tap the ball in the pocket a
little more. I thought he was gonna be there, and
he's not, and before you know it, Blitz is coming heavy.
Since Floras took over, they're the blitz heaviest defense in
the entire league. They're number one. And you would think
that that would be a lot of man but it's not.

(34:56):
I mean, everything's just against the rules, to be honest
with you. So I think Rogers, who is an absolute
microprocessor in the product pocket, one.

Speaker 2 (35:07):
Of the best ever to do it.

Speaker 4 (35:08):
I think he can handle that stuff better than anyone mentally,
but he may end he still doesn't extend plays well though.

Speaker 3 (35:19):
Yeah, I mean he's not nearly.

Speaker 2 (35:20):
I mean he's forty one years older.

Speaker 3 (35:21):
Right, r Right, he used to be right right right.

Speaker 4 (35:24):
I mean he he moves better than I thought he
would at this stage, but he's still not Josh Allen
or Mahomes or Lamar or those type of guys where
if there's a if there's if things go wrong, he's
not going to avoid or just shrug someone off like
Ben or you know, he's not going to extend the
play when disaster happens, because disaster is going to happen
a few times in Escape, but always does Flores. And

(35:47):
what we're also worries me is rogers could be one
thousand percent right boom. I know exactly what they're doing.
I am the microprocessor. But if one of the other
ten isn't, he's going to be doing this and saying
grabbing him by the face mask type of thing like that.
You're supposed to cut this on Thursday, right right, right right,

(36:07):
So he can be perfect, but some young guy isn't.

Speaker 3 (36:11):
That's the thing.

Speaker 4 (36:12):
The floor is really causes a lot of problems. It's
not so much that my checkers are better than yours.
It's just I'm gonna get guys in spots to make
plays and make you hold the ball more than.

Speaker 2 (36:23):
You want and if you make one mistake, if one
of your eleven is not on his game, we're gonna
blow the whole thing up.

Speaker 4 (36:28):
Chances are totally especially with a quarterback that's not going
to expend, extend things for four seconds or whatever.

Speaker 2 (36:33):
You right, right, doesn't have the mobility or the you know,
the kind of body frame at this at this point
in his career. I gotta think, then, Matt right, then
the next kind of you know logic in that to
me is and we know this is going to be
important for the Steelers offense every week, but especially this week,
is the best way in the gate that by running
the football.

Speaker 3 (36:52):
Thousand per I mean, Bengals couldn't do it at all.

Speaker 2 (36:54):
Bengals couldn't do it at all. No, I think Chase
Brown had three yards on ten carries.

Speaker 3 (36:59):
Something miser I like, it's.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
Just absolutely absolutely dreadful. To me, the best way to
keep them honest, to limit the creativity that they have
on that defense is just by running the football right
at him thousand. But we haven't seen that from the
Steelers yet this year, and we know Jalen Warren is
dealing with a n E issue now and is listed
as questionable for tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (37:18):
Which would be a huge deal and it's a massive loss.

Speaker 1 (37:21):
Right.

Speaker 2 (37:21):
Maybe that's the biggest X factor from a Steelers standpoint
is Jalen Warren's health.

Speaker 4 (37:24):
Originally I just thought, you know, they're keeping him out
of practice yor being prohibitive that way. But it sounded
like talking to Chris Halleck and who's there. It's like, oh, no,
there's something really going on here, you know. I mean,
this is not just keeping him in bubble wrap situation.
Now he might be fine, who knows, but this backfield
is not equipped to not handle Warren, who's a vastly
underrated player in all aspects. He's been really featured to

(37:49):
this point. Gainwell can't be featured. I mean, he's really
a five to six type of situational situational guy. And
are you ready to go to sermon or Johnson? Now
times have happened many times in the NFL, someone like
a Caleb.

Speaker 3 (38:05):
Johnson's how it starts. For that's how you start.

Speaker 4 (38:07):
You know, like, Hey, I know you screwed up and
you messed up a kickoff and your confidence down, but
we need you and we're gonna give you the ball.
That's why we drafted you, we loved you coming out
of Iowa. Show us what you can do, and maybe
it's his breakout party. Who knows, but.

Speaker 3 (38:22):
Stranger that's what I mean. That's not the craziest story.

Speaker 2 (38:25):
Guy going from the low point like he had in
the home opener against the Seahawks to suddenly two weeks
later being the hero.

Speaker 4 (38:31):
Right that would not you didn't get less talented in
the last two weeks or since the draft.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
And sometimes when you're dealing with some mental struggles, things
aren't going the way that you plan. You've got a
much lesser role on the team. You're kind of scapegoaded
in one of the games. Sometimes I think even getting
thrown right into the fire is the best way to
get over that. Like you've got no other option than
to forget about that, yeah, and focus on the task
at hand.

Speaker 4 (38:51):
And a thousand percent, And especially with this guy, because
I feel for him a little bit, because if you
watch Iowa, he's.

Speaker 3 (38:58):
A volume back. You know, give me twenty, give me somebody.

Speaker 2 (39:02):
Some nausey, yeah, similarities in that regard gets better.

Speaker 4 (39:04):
As the game goes on, really gets a feel for
the defense, starts to set up his blocks and tacklers
better as the game goes on, doesn't lose burst or
long speed goes on. And in the preseason you can't
do that with the guy, sure and behind its.

Speaker 3 (39:21):
Number three to zero one gonna beat him up.

Speaker 4 (39:23):
You're just gonna beat him up, and you really haven't
been able to do what you drafted him to do. Now,
I'd much rather have Warren and not experiment with that
right now. But someday that day's coming, you know, absolutely,
and he'll either sink or swim, you know, and you
hope he swims.

Speaker 2 (39:38):
You sure do. And like I said, there there is
sometimes I think a weird just I don't know if
motivational moment is the right way to put it. But
when you are thrown into the deep end, yeah, you
have to sink or swim.

Speaker 3 (39:50):
Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
And if Jalen Warren isn't able to go on Sunday,
I think that would be about as close as that
as you could get. For Caleb Johnson shortly in the
season for an environment coming off of again we can two,
you're kind of the scapegoat week three, you don't even play. Yeah,
I mean that is a ultimate sinker swim type situation.
And sometimes guys respawn really well in those Yeah, yeah, interesting.

Speaker 4 (40:10):
I mean, they did all the background and they'd love
his character and all those things. And you know, they
wouldn't have draft them where they did if they had
those concerns. But you just never have it, You've never
seen it. Sure, sure, you'd prefer not to go down
that road.

Speaker 2 (40:23):
I did want to pick your brain just a little
bit more. You mentioned the overhaul of the Vikings defensive
line interior, that offensive line from Minnesota, and of course
the defensive line as well too. How does that match
up against the Steelers offensive line this week? I, again,
I do think that there has been some there to
be concerned or to be encouraged by. With the offensive line,

(40:44):
it has not been the progression that we've hoped for
through three weeks, but they have also faced some very
talented defensive fronts, including Seattle, who might be the best
in the NFL in that regard by the time the
season ends.

Speaker 4 (40:56):
The three they've faced are way better than most people think,
so I think that's kind of promising too. I think
Seattle's as exceptional. As you mentioned, the Patriots were leading
the league in sacks when they played them, and Barmore
and Williams are really good.

Speaker 3 (41:10):
One of the more underrated, and the Jets have two.

Speaker 4 (41:13):
Really good edge rushers and one of the absolute best
defensive tackles in the league in Quinn Williams. So, I mean,
these fronts they faced are not a joke, even though
they don't have Bosa, Garrett Parsonalusehold, Yeah, yeah, yeah. You
know pro bowlers everywhere just looking at it, man on man,
they're not that scary. I mean, it's not boy. This

(41:35):
dude is an unbelievable Hall of Fame special player, even
Hargraven Allen at this point.

Speaker 2 (41:40):
It's not Miles Garrett.

Speaker 3 (41:45):
Last year.

Speaker 4 (41:45):
If this guy could wreck the game like Watt has
so many times in his career, I don't see that
from any of their individual players. But there's always a
butt with Flores too. I'm sure he's gonna overload. I'm
sure he's gonna attack Roderick Jones, and I'm sure that
he's gonna put him in conflict with overload blitzes to
his side. You know, just make him show that he's

(42:08):
NFL quality and that you know, in the first week
he wasn't. Last two weeks, he's played pretty well, but
I would be attacking that left tackle spot like crazy.
And I'm sure Flora as well too. And don't forget,
I don't know if this works. The Steelers favor with
Flora is his favor. He was a linebacker coach here
a couple of years.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
He sure was, you know what I mean, not that
long ago, right right right.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
I would think that works to Tomlin's favor more than
Flores because so many pieces of change.

Speaker 3 (42:32):
Rogers wasn't here, ifal Ton who wasn't.

Speaker 4 (42:34):
Here, you know, I would think Tomlin knows how Flores thinks.

Speaker 3 (42:38):
But we'll see. I mean that's the next factor too,
you know, the coaches knowledge of one another.

Speaker 2 (42:42):
No doubt, no doubt. Two guys that are familiar with
each other have been on same staffs together, coached against
each other as head coaches and coordinators. You mentioned Troy
FALTONU there. That's the last guy that I wanted to
get some thoughts on you from. I think the tape
hasn't been great through three games, ok, great, but I
also think it's a lot of teachable, correctable things as
well too. It's technique.

Speaker 3 (43:03):
Games is the key there.

Speaker 2 (43:04):
Through three games is absolutely the key there. It's a
lot of hand placement and leverage stuff. It's a lot
of having your head in the right place and not
ducking down. I think we're all we're all still really
high on him, and maybe this is the that you
start to see that progression.

Speaker 3 (43:20):
Yeah, I would think so.

Speaker 4 (43:22):
I mean again, I'm sure they'll challenge both tackles because
of the lack of experience, but talent wise, I think Falton.

Speaker 3 (43:29):
Who's going to be a really, really good right tackle.

Speaker 4 (43:31):
So it we shouldn't be discouraged that he hasn't excelled yet,
you know.

Speaker 2 (43:37):
Yeah, No, I'm with you on that. I certainly am.
So that's a little five Star Friday for you here
the first hour of the show, as we kind of
set the scene the matchups between the Steelers and the Vikings.
We've got plenty more to get to. Everybody who knows
Matt knows he does a fantastic stats packet compilation every
single week. We will get into some of those numbers

(43:58):
as we return. We're also expecting some guests here today
throughout the show. Brian Backo, the pittsburghostcazec Ca and join us.
We're hopeful to get Mike Persuda from the DVE Morning
Show on as well too. Of course, the DVE Morning
Show will be following us up here at Fitzsimon's Temple
bar As. Steeler Nation is present. They are staying hydrated,
they are ready to rock and roll, and we have

(44:19):
got plenty more to bring you west Uler Matt Williamson,
It's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network