October 9, 2025 • 44 mins
The Drive dives into all the numbers and analytics ahead of Sunday's clash with Cleveland.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation. It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. Wes Shooler and Matt Williamson with you here
for the next two hours on this Thursday, as we
get closer and closer to Steelers and Brown's on Sunday.
I'm gonna talk to Bob Labriola here in about twenty
minutes get his thoughts on everything that transpired over the
bye week in this upcoming clash with Cleveland. It's also
(00:47):
a Thursday, so we'll do a little ex Twitter Thursday.
You know where to get at us if you want
to get involved at Williamson NFL at Wesley Yuler and
Matt Speaking of the Browns, Yeah, little newsworthyeno or trade
for they've been doing a lot of that certainly. I
mean they've traded two quarterbacks already this season now a
(01:09):
defensive back as well to the Browns.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Weird corner swap. Yeah, yeah, I totally understand it, but
immediately is like, this is weird.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Okay, because that was my initial reaction yesterday, and I've
obviously been kind of waiting to pick your brain about. Yes, yeah,
uh these teams also, the Browns and the Jags had
that draft day trade as well too. Jacksonville go up
and get Travis Hunter. So another Jags and Browns trade
the Drags the Cleveland part of me sending Greg Newsom
(01:40):
and the Jets twenty twenty six sixth round pick that
the Cleveland had to the Jags. The Browns in return
getting Tyson Campbell in the Eagles twenty twenty sixth seventh
round pick that the Jags had. So some some third
round pick swapping in their Day three part of me.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Tick swats so common in.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
There, so common nowadays. But what really matters is the
Browns and Greg Newsom corner to the Jags and they
get Tyson Campbell corner from Jacksonville in return. What's this mean?
What's your thoughts on these players in this move? For Cleveland,
the late.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Pick swap hardly matters. But I didn't realize Jets could
be the first pick in round six, Eagles could be
the last pick in round seven. So they're almost maybe
two rounds difference.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
That's the first I knew that they could be sixty
some spot.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So it's a little more significant than
I thought. I just kind of kicked that to the side,
like I'll throw in a penny to make the deal work. Okay,
so both are good players. Let's start with the Jags.
It's weird to swap a corner for a corner, you know, like,
what are we doing here? So Tyson Campbell they kind
of looked at as he's going to be our number one.
(02:47):
He said. Both these guys were high picks. They're both talented,
they're both good players. They gave Tyson Campbell a big contract,
you know, this offseason or last offseason, and he hasn't
quite lived up to that. You know, he hasn't been
a true number one corner. He's a good player, but
he's not quite worth that money. So Newsom's the better player,
(03:12):
not by leaps and bounds, but he's the better player,
and the Jags are going, well, we'll swap this corner
out for a better one. It's all about money. Newsom
is a free agent after this year, so the Jags
look at it like, okay, we get a better player,
but we don't know what the future is with this
guy after this season. We'll either talk to him and
(03:35):
extend him which will be expensive because if he hits
you up market, Newsom's make a lot of money, or
he walks and we get a third round compick. So
we're either renting them and getting a third run com
pick in two years, and we're trying to win. And
I don't think it has anything to do with Hunter. You know,
Hunter is also a corner, but I don't think it
matters at all. Newsom's had an interesting career in that
(03:59):
he was first round picking Northwestern, size, speed, has all
that stuff. You know. He looks like a prototypical first
round corner with length and all these things. But he
got drafted into a situation in Cleveland where they really
have had three good outside corners, but none of them
are a slot. So he's been forced to kind of
transform his game into a slot player. Now, the other
(04:23):
corner not ward. The other one got hurt and he's
out for the year, so they have this hardened dude
who's going to be the slot. So Newsom went back
outside this year where he really belongs, and that's exactly
where Jacksonville is gonna use him Becausejacksonville has a great slot.
Jordan Lewis the Michigan kid and Newsom was fine in
the slot, but he's really excelling as an outside corner,
which is what he was drafted to do and everyone
(04:45):
the planet thought he would do. But to his credit,
he's like, we got three outside dudes. We like having
three Joey Porters. Like someone's gonna play the.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Slot, right, Joey Porter Junior.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
They could see right, exactly right, Like, I mean, the
there are three best guys, will put them on the field.
But that's we're asking someone to be a square peg
in a round hole. Sure, so the Browns look at
it through this lens of we're not winning this year.
I mean, it's just like the flack coat trade. I mean,
it's we weren't playing rookies.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
We're we're looking at twenty twenty six already massively. This
guy's probably not gonna be part of that, right a
walk in free agency.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
He's gonna be too expensive for us to re sign.
So we can either have Newsome for the rest of
the year and maybe win one more game, or have
a slightly better defense or this other high quality corner
that is under contract. And Jacksonville's almost done all the pain.
You know, they gave him the big bonus. We don't
have a corner.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Need any pennies on the Dolls.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Yeah, yeah, you know, so we'll take that. Dude. It's
just two organizations being in totally opposite spots. Jacksonville sees, oh,
we might be able to win this year. No team,
and I give the Browns credit, is looking to twenty
twenty six more than the Browns. I mean, they made
the Gabriel move, They're leading the league in rookie snab
They're playing every young guy they possibly can. I'm not
(06:03):
predicting this, but it wouldn't shock me at all in
the next two weeks if the Joku, Judy somebody or both,
they could go, you know, play all the young dudes,
play fan in, play bond. All these guys are getting
a lot of snaps anyway, so it makes perfect sense.
What I have no clue about, though, is how does
it affect the Steelers on Sunday. Yes, there's a guy
(06:27):
to play. Yeah, I mean they're a heavy man coverage team.
I guess he could just line up and play man.
I mean, you don't have to be super dout in.
But that also leads itself to we could definitely make
some coverage bus and with the team, I would definitely
go his direction just because he's new. He's a good player,
(06:48):
but Ward's really good. I assume he's gonna play. I mean,
Flaco is playing for the Bengals.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I was just gonna say, if Joe for the Bengals,
I think Tyson Campbell could get on the field and
listen in some capacity for Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, so it makes a lot of sense just where
both teams are at. It's finances.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, that when you've got to break it down that way,
it does make a ton of sense. Maybe not the
most needle moving move, but one that.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Works, two good corners getting swapped each other.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
One that works for both teams and kind of the
current situation that they're in.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know what it means for
the Steelers, but it's probably good news because the better
guy left.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Better guy left, and there's gonna be a piece of
that secondary who's you know, trying to hop on the
proverbial moving train.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Yeah right, it might not.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Be completely up to speed yet. Yeah, that's an interesting wrinkle. Again,
not a seismic move or anything like that. Ahead a Sunday, but.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
It definitely very often it's pretty interesting.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yes, you know, definitely something to keep an eye on
on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
And these people are human beings, I mean, like you
just you've been losing a bunch of games. The people
in the locker room obviously notice you're moving to rookies.
I'm not saying they're gonna stop trying, but the Miles
Garrett's and the veterans of the world realize we're looking
to next year. You know, if you're Jack Conklin, right exactly, Yeah, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
So hey, some some new news as it relates to
the AFC North, the Browns, and of course the upcoming
opponent for the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday at Akrosure Stadium.
Just the Steelers second true home game. I know the
one in Dublin was technically a home game, but at
Akroschure Stadium on deck here we'll talk about all those
(08:23):
things with Bob Labriola in just a few minutes. Matt,
what do you say, as we typically do here in
the first hour on a Thursday, you're ready to jump
into some Matt's stats for this week.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, pretty proud of the packet. This week is always
and a lot of good nuggets in there.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
I love it. If you're watching on YouTube, I've got
the packet here in my hands. I've got some things
highlighted on this package as well too.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
It's not yet on Steelers dot com. I just looked
while I was getting coffee, but it usually is about
this time, so if people want to find it. Yeah, yeah, the.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Cheat sheet will be up soon on Steelers dot com.
Until then, we will run through some of these numbers
for you. Uh, let's talk a little bit about this
Steelers offense here. Pittsburgh producing fourteen point eight points in
the first half of games. That's fifth most in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yeah, how much time do we spend in the offseason?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Slow starts differential was the worst of the league, right right,
Cleveland producing just six points in the first half.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
That's dead last in the NFL. Now though, kind of
tale of a different story in the second half and
the second half the Steelers producing just nine point three
points per second half. That's twenty fifth out of thirty
two teams in the league. The Steelers are the Browns,
part of me, right on their heels in twenty sixth
producing eight point six real.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Quick on the Browns, They're just bad all game They're
just bad, right. I don't think there's a trend with them.
They're just bad all game.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
But here's the real kicker. The Browns giving up thirteen
point eight points in the second half. That's twenty fifth
in the NFL. Right, so a Brown's defense that is
certainly one of the best in the league, but maybe
not quite as stout in the second half of games
is they are in the first thirty minutes?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Yeah, And as I'm sitting wondering, well why, I mean,
that's obviously what we want to talk about. Stats are great,
but let's figure out why.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Is it just because they're getting worn down and they
can only do so much and they can only hold
that damn off for so long before break?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Think so, but they're much better in time of possession
than the Steelers. They're at least over the average. There
are thirty one minutes and change, so they're above average.
Obviously average would be thirty across the league. That being said,
it has to wear on you in the offense. Is
that bad?
Speaker 5 (10:30):
You know?
Speaker 3 (10:30):
I mean, like you can't be as good at the
end of the games as you are at the beginning.
Just watching the offense turn the ball over three and out,
you know, punt blah blah blah blah. I would think
that there's something to that now. As much as I
like the Browns defense too, it's not real diverse schematically,
you know what I mean. Like, it's a lot of
single high there a lot of man. Yeah, they prefer
(10:53):
to play with heavier personnel. They want to be in
their base four to three as much as possible, all
things up to them. They don't play with lighter boxes.
You know, They're going to dedicate themselves of playing the run,
and they test their corners and trust their pass rush.
So maybe you start to get a little bit more
of a beat on it. You know, you see the
same thing over and over, you like, get a little
better at it against it as the game goes on.
(11:15):
Do you have any theories on the Steelers offense why
it goes backwards? I love that it's starting fast, you know.
That was the thing we complained about, was the slow start.
My thoughts are, you're not establishing the run.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
That's exactly what.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, I don't want to say it's smoking mirrors in
the first half, no, but I think in the first
half teams are just more honest about defending you and
all the options are on the board, Whereas after thirty
minutes you're not running the ball, and Aaron Rodgers is
kind of having success dinking and dunking you and kind
of paper cutting you a little bit down to the field.
(11:49):
It's like, hey, we got to take that away and
make these guys run the football a little bit. I mean,
that feels like the only logical answer at this point.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Me too. I mean, like, because they have had some stalls.
I mean there was a stretch there where there was
a three and out like three times in a row.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
The Patriots game, six possessions that were either three and
out or the inn straight possessions that were either three
and out or the interception to Bobby Spilling.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Yeah, yeah, So I mean, and of course, all these stats,
if you only play four games, if one's bad, it's
going to weigh you down a lot.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Of course, we're still the sample size is legit now,
but it's there's still some grain of salt elements there
for the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
And if you go through this whole packet, I still
think you get a really good understanding of how teams
want to play, what they're doing well all those type
of things. You really get a feel for the teams
through the numbers. But I was a little shocked that
they were as good as they were in the first half,
and who was stressed to positive. It's like, I know
they've had good first drives, especially compared to other years,
(12:49):
but I didn't think they'd be near the top in
terms of scoring in the first half. And again the
Browns scorings. It's their batt all the time.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yeah, and it's huge for the Sea defense too. Yes,
you have laid this out many times, like it's been
very rare in TJ. Watt's career to use him as
as an example that you know, it's the third and
fourth quarter and the Steelers are up seven or up
nine or up ten, and Renegades blaring and the terrible
Towels are and everyone knows I'm pinning my ears back
(13:18):
and I'm going to getting the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Yeah, he doesn't have much of his career at all.
It hasn't No, there's been more of that credit at all.
It has not happened a mist those benefits. Maybe that
one year that they had with Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
I know when they went to the playoffs and beat
the Steelers in that weird kind of COVID wild Card
game with only like seven thousand people in the stands.
That's I think that's a big part of why we've
seen the Steelers defense. Hey, first couple of weeks weren't great,
but they stabilized very quickly, and I think that's been
a huge part of it. It's it's much easier for
the Steelers defense to operate with that lead and the
(13:52):
way that they want to play and turning guys like
TJ and her big loose.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
And we saw a little bit in Dublin.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
We saw a little bit of that in Double a Lot. Yeah,
but hopefully that continues that. To me, this is hello,
Captain obvious, no kidding, but the start in this one
feels very important, not only not only for just knocking
Cleveland down in their morale and kind of oh no,
here we go again, but just for what it would
mean for their defense and for the Steelers defense if
the Steelers were to get an.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Early lead, because the Browns also want to run the ball,
and if you could get them out of their comfort zone,
and that the Judkins.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Over and over make Gabriel have to make some plays
and make some throws.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
And have those tackles protect and you know, renegade and
you know we've talked to you know, we know who
we're going on with that.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
There's a there's a clear script, I think without a doubt. Yeah, Matt,
let's get to a break here. We'll talk about all
these things. We'll talk about this Browns match up with
our buddy Bob Labriola when we return on the other side.
Wet Huler, Matt Williamson. It is the Drive here on
a Thursday on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
Back on the.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Back on the Drive here. It'd probably help if I
turned my microphone on, wouldn't it on a on a Thursday?
And you know what that means. It's time to go
to the phone lines and talk to Steelers historians Steelers
dot Com. He's part of the pregame show, Asked and
Answered here on the Steelers Audio Network. He does it all.
It's Bob Labriola Labs. Hope you enjoyed your your bye week.
(15:41):
Good to be back chatting with you here. In our
kind of usual time on a Thursday and partner, I
can't imagine a better bye week for the Steelers as
it related to their foes around the AFC North.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
Yeah, I mean, you know, it's always a good NFL
weekend when all coach is named Harball Lowse. I mean,
that's a good start for me. All the time the
Browns lost, the Bengals lost, So yeah, I mean, you know,
(16:13):
things went. You know, it's really nice when you don't
have to play and kind of gain ground in the standings.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
So, Labs, I'm probably asking you a question that's unanswerable.
And I was the one that was a Browns employee
for three hundred and sixty five days and during that
year I saw three head coaches, two gms. Since they've
joined the league in nineteen ninety nine, they've started eleven
more quarterbacks than even the second most since Baker Mayfield
(16:42):
left this they're on their tenth starting quarterback. You're older
and wiser than me. How can this organization not understand
that stability is really important, especially when the team two
hours away is the model of it.
Speaker 6 (16:55):
Well, I you know, I the thing with me is,
I think, really, when the Browns came into the league.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Back came back into the league in nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
I thought they had relatively solid ownership. You know, the
Learner family I think had a pretty good grasp on
it in terms of you know, I'm not saying that
you know, they were experts in football necessarily, but they
seemed to understand what you were just talking about. Yeah, yeah,
(17:30):
that you know, you can't. I remember Mike Tomlin used
this phrase blowing in the wind in terms of one
training camp, you know, a quarterback competition, and he said
he wasn't going to blow in the windy and meaning
he wasn't going to vacillate you know every day. Who
(17:51):
what the what the pecking order was, the quarterback depth chart?
You know, you you try and go with somebody and
you want to give them an opportunity to establish themselves
them personally, and you know the other people around them.
You know, I don't think that Jimmy Haslam has any
concept of that.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
I mean, the one that.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
I will never forget never was the draft when they
picked Johnny Manziel with the second pick in the first round.
And I remember him talking about coming out of a
restaurant the night before the draft and there was a
guy sitting on the sidewalk, and the way he.
Speaker 5 (18:37):
Explained it sounded.
Speaker 6 (18:38):
To me, you know, like the guy was homeless, and
he the homeless guy said something about you got to
pick Johnny Manziel.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Now, you know, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (18:50):
That there's anything wrong with that kind of exchange or
but I don't know the way you know, he said
it to the media as if that had some sort
of impact on a decision. Uh. And I, you know,
just that that to me was just I it was
(19:10):
unfathomable that that that would be true, first of all,
and that the second thing is that he would admit it.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Into a live microphone, right.
Speaker 6 (19:23):
So uh and that's you know, that's and I think
that it has continued under you know, his uh, his ownership,
that the Shaun Watson thing, the guaranteed contract just there
just doesn't seem to you know, this isn't and I
always tell people who send me weird questions and asked
(19:45):
an answered, this is.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
Not a video game.
Speaker 6 (19:49):
You know, there are real flesh and blood, people involved,
human emotions, They have lives. You know, you have to
consider all of these things in decisions.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
It's not just ay.
Speaker 6 (20:01):
You know, an avatar on a video screen and you
the joy stick boos him around and he does whatever
you want.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
I mean, so, uh, you know, I just don't.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
And hey, is that great philosopher Juju Smith Schuster said,
and not all that long ago? The Browns is the Browns,
And it just doesn't seem like they learn no.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
And I can tell a super quick story that I
can verify as fact. It was I think two drafts
before the year I was there, and they of course
had an early pick. They were terrible, and they do
all their draft meetings and they leave for the day
the night before the draft, and everyone in the room's going, okay,
we're taking Richard Seymour here, I think they had the
third pick or the fourth pick. Consensus. We know he's
(20:45):
gonna be there. We know who's gonna be off the board.
We're taking Richard Seymour. Three picks go. By the next day,
everyone's just kind of sitting near the feed up. Give
Richard a call. You know, good, everything went to plan.
Now we're gonna take Gerard Warren because we recruit him
from his floor to days when we were at the
U and we knew his family, so we're more comfortable
with that, Like it's just and one turned out to
(21:08):
be a Hall of Famer and one turned out to.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Be a not.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
This is a kind way of putting it, so.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Having the tail on the donkeys.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
But I bet there's a million of those stories in
that organization and labs. One thing I wanted to ask you,
because I know you're a historian of the league too.
Folks back then, and even if I wasn't involved with
the team, I'd be aware of it. But they had
a tougher road And this is an excuse anymore as
an expansion team than like the Jags or the Panthers
did right, Like the rules were harder on them because
(21:39):
I think the league was too kind to the Panthers
and Jags, so they were pretty harsh on the Browns
in terms of like expansion draft and things of that nature.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
Yeah, I mean, I don't really.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
I do remember that there was a little bit of
pushback from the other owners, you know, the other Well,
it wasn't thirty two teams at the time in ninety
five when the Jaguars and the Panthers came in, but maybe.
Speaker 5 (22:07):
It was thirty teams whatever.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
The other twenty plus teams because you know, the Panthers,
I think they were in the conference championship game in
ninety six.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
And both were successful right away. Brunell the playoff, Yeah yeah,
Besell yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
Yes, so yeah, I mean I don't think that, you know,
the owners feel that it's in their best interest to
allow the new people too much of an opportunity, you know.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
To be good quick, even though it may be good
for the league. I mean, I don't know, and I don't.
Speaker 6 (22:48):
And the franchise fee might have been more too for
the Browns.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
I knew there were sour grapes in the building, like Bow.
We had a lot harder than the Jags and Panthers did.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
Well, I mean.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
You know they can thank art Model for that, for
even being in this situation, right, they were right, So
I mean, you know, again, it's not a situation that
wasn't somewhat I won't say their responsibility because none of
the people who were there in nineteen ninety nine had
(23:20):
anything to do with nineteen ninety five, I don't think.
But you know, it wasn't something that well, the name
of the franchise was totally blameless in anyway.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Labs I wanted to ask you. You know, you sent
us all a pretty eye popping packet kind of dossier
on the AFC North and you know, the kind of
historic point differential and win percentage in a bad way
for the division so far this season. But the Steelers
sitting pretty at three and one. I know it's a
(23:56):
large sample size. I mean, the AFC North when the
lead leagues had their realignment since two thousand and two,
so it's been over twenty years. But off the top
of your head, can you remember a time in these
twenty or so years that the Steelers were sitting in
such a pretty position in the division so early in
the calendar.
Speaker 6 (24:17):
No, But you know, I this is what I know.
The NFL is a week to week league, okay, And
I believe you know, Tanchilkin was always a major proponent
of this, and I have come to believe that as well.
The league kind of resets every every four weeks. And
(24:39):
you really used to be convenient when there were sixteen games,
because you know, four weeks was was a quarter of
the season, and you know, football is playing in quarters
and you know, all of that stuff just seemed to
come together so nicely. But I mean, the you know,
when you look at the teams that you thought were
(25:00):
eight in September, I mean that's not necessarily the case.
I mean, look at the Chargers. I mean the Chargers
were they were they were a hot a hot ticket early.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
Look at the Chargers.
Speaker 6 (25:13):
Boy Harbaugh is doing a great, great job, and Justin
Herbert is a great player and great this and great that.
I don't think anybody's saying about them anymore. That anymore
and it today, I would maintain that that was a
heck of a win the Steelers had up at Gillette
Stadium against the New England Patriots. Uh when at the
(25:35):
time the Patriots were thought to stink. Yeah, you know,
so you know the Seahawks losing to the Seahawks.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
How could they lose to the Seahawks.
Speaker 6 (25:48):
Well, you know, that's a That's another team that I
think is a little bit better than people, you know,
when they looked at them on paper or the way
their their uh start of the regular season buzz was,
you know. And the Ravens, you want it the other way.
The Ravens, I mean, I get it that they're injured,
(26:09):
and there's there's a lot when they're they're.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
In active list.
Speaker 6 (26:12):
Last week I mean, wow, yes, but their defense stunk
when all those players were playing, So I mean, yeah,
you know.
Speaker 5 (26:24):
So it's it's not.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
It's I don't know, it's not what it seems to
be a lot of times, and I think this is
one of those years. Now. You know, everybody's looking at
these next two games. Oh, the Browns think the Bengals
think you can't lose to these two teams. You know,
Thursday night road games are brutal.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
They're just brutal.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
Because you play on Sunday, you're real, what are you
gonna do Monday? I mean, in terms of with your players,
you almost have to you can't practice. I mean, guys
are just you know, trying to get themselves out of
bed and work the kinks out a little bit on Monday,
and you don't. You have to introduce the game plan
(27:16):
pretty much. So you have Tuesday. Wednesday you got to travel,
that's the rule. And then Thursday you spend the day
in the hotel. Maybe you have a walk through in
a ballroom or something. But you know that that's, to
me is a recipe for disaster. I don't care who
you're playing. And because NFL teams, you know, it's easy
(27:41):
to say they stink.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
But the Jamar Chase and Trey Hendrickson.
Speaker 6 (27:49):
Uh So you know, again, like I said, the numbers
look good right now, but I still believe that the
Steelers are all teams really are in should be in
a phase right now of stacking wins to try and
(28:10):
remain relevant in terms of their one loss record when
they get start approaching Thanksgiving, because then it starts to
maybe crystallize a little bit. You have a better idea
of which teams are either consistent or where flashes in
the pan one way or the other. Maybe you know,
good for a little bit and now they're found their level, or.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
They started out slowly a.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
Little bit and then they found their level. You have
a better sense of you know, who's where, and I
think that's when the things start to get, you know,
more real. But you know, as I said, you need
to have a good some good numbers once you get
to Thanksgiving so that you're relevant enough so that you
(28:58):
if you haven't, can try to continue to improve over the.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
Course of the season.
Speaker 6 (29:04):
Your your one loss record is good enough so that
if you have improved, you can take advantage of.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
It your improvement.
Speaker 6 (29:14):
You know, you're not too far away, you know, you're
not one to nine or something, and then the hill
is just too high to climb. So, you know, everybody
seems to want everything immediately. Everybody seems to want everything
cut and dried today. Who's going to make the playoffs today?
Speaker 5 (29:35):
Are they going to be any good?
Speaker 6 (29:36):
I want to know today. You know, I'm even getting stuff.
Who you're going to draft next April? I want to
know today.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Which are the quarterbacks?
Speaker 6 (29:44):
You know, who's the best who's the best quarterback fit
for the Steelers? Tell me today? You know, none of that.
That's just not it's just not real. You hear all
the time people who work in the NFL, people been
around the NFL, all of that stuff they always say
about a season. You know, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
(30:08):
Nobody's listening, nobody's paying attention. Then they don't want to
hear it. I want I want to know what I
want to know, and I want to know it now,
and I want it to be a definitive yes, no
great stink whatever. So but it's just not that way.
That's why so many of these games come down to
(30:29):
the last couple of minutes. So many of these games
are one score games so often teams have made the
playoffs last year don't make the playoffs this year, and
vice versa. The NFL has created a business model where
everything they want to do promotes this. You know, they
(30:50):
used to call it when I was a kid, On
any given Sunday, that was Pete Roselle's phrase. You know,
on any given Sunday, one team can beat another team
and you.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Know the parody.
Speaker 6 (31:02):
Uh, it's it's it's amazing, and this is what they want.
The league and the TV ratings, the networks love it,
the broadcast partners love it. A particular team's fans might
hate it because they want what they want when they
want it. But it's and it's gonna be a It's
(31:25):
gonna be a ride. You hope it's not too much
of a roller coaster ride in terms of the lows
being too low, but really hold on and enjoy it.
But I don't know that a lot of people want
to do that.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
I couldn't agree more loud. You said a ton of
great stuff there, and I mean all fan bases are
guilty of this. But Steeler Nations flying high right now,
Division's falling apart just one in Dublin. Everyone's getting healthy,
but they happen to lose on Sunday. Fire everyone burn
down the building. I mean, and you know that's how
it's gonna happen on Monday. If it doesn't.
Speaker 6 (31:59):
Oh yeah, and it's you know, the the outside noise
is and it really I won't say it doesn't have
any impact because as I mentioned, it's not a video game.
Those are real human beings. They have to live.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Their lives with kids and family and.
Speaker 6 (32:23):
Whatever it is, you know, and in the in the
scourge of this planet.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
The scourge of the human race, social media.
Speaker 6 (32:32):
I mean, it's just it's just relentless and unforgiving, and
you'd like to tell people to, you know, try and
get the message across, you know, stay off social media,
you know, don't listen to it, don't pay attention to
the trolls, blah blah blah. But I mean, the age
(32:55):
group of the people who play in the NFL, that's
what they know. Social media is what they know. So
I mean, I don't know what the answer is, but
I'm just the Steelers can definitely lose Sunday. If they
don't lose Sunday, they can lose Thursday. It's the way
(33:20):
the league is. I mean, who thought the Browns beat
the Packers? Right, there's another team. Yah, unstoppable Micah Parsons.
Oh my god, the greatest defense ever. You know, forget
the eighty five Bears, forget the seventies Steelers. This Packers defense.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
Is the greatest thing ever.
Speaker 6 (33:39):
I mean, I don't know anybody's even talking about them anymore.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
And I'm not saying they stink. I'm using them as an.
Speaker 6 (33:45):
Example that this is the kind of stuff. And just
one more, one more mini rant about Steeler fans last
year the year before. But the thing that was going
to cause the franchise to implode was can't score touchdowns
(34:10):
on the first possession your first possession.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
Of the game.
Speaker 6 (34:14):
Oh my god, when was the last time that happened? Well,
that's six you know, blah blah. I actually did the research,
and from the time Ben Roethlisberger retired until the start
of the twenty twenty five season, in fifty one regular
season games, the Steelers scored a touchdown on their first
possession of a game five times. Five times of fifty
(34:35):
one games.
Speaker 5 (34:35):
Oh my god.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Now they're doing it pretty regularly, and it just seems
to have gone away. What was so important is now
not even something that you hear about anymore. So it
was it important or was it not? You know, were
you overreacting then or you know if somebody once said,
are you lying to me now? Or were you lying
(34:59):
to me then? So again, as I said, it's it's
it's part of what fans are, uh And I get it.
But in an era now where being a fan allows
people a microphone via social media or a podcast or whatever,
(35:24):
I mean, it's it's everybody is an expert, everybody's an insider.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Yeah, and your Chargers example was a perfect one. I
mean they were three and oh and Kings of the
World and Herbert was gonna win m VP and they
were going to win that division. And now a lot
of people are saying they're not even going to make
the playoffs, you know, the.
Speaker 6 (35:43):
Right Houston and Herbert isn't that good?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
And Herbert exactly right, and Houston. Everyone was ready to
put a fork in Houston. And now they've won two
in a row and starting to show some life again
and they're back on everyone's kind of hype train.
Speaker 6 (35:55):
It is.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
It is certainly such a week to week league in
that regard. That's part of why we love it, but
it also drives us insane u sometimes at the same time, Labs,
thank you so much, Voice of reason, Voice of sanity
so often here on the Steelers Audio Network. We appreciate
the time, and we'll see you on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
All right, take care of follos.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Bob Labriola. There he goes. Great stuff from him. I
like the I almost made a joke when he was like,
everyone wants to know who the Steeler quarterback is going
to be right now, like Frandom Mendoza Indiana University.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Sign up.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Great stuff from LABS there as always and yeah, hey,
even at three and one, he can find something sticking
in his craw. That's what we love about Labs. Yeah right,
I mean, he's right.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
It's not like the Steelers are playing so much better
all of a sudden because other the three teams lost.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
You know what I mean, exactly right, and you love
your spot right now, But in the next seven days
that could completely get flipped upside down, I mean, and
go to three and three, the sky would be fall.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Oh, the sky would fall. They lost to what Arizona,
New England and back to back games or whatever. That
were They were big favorite two years ago.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
I think that was right.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Fire everyone burned the stadium to the ground, you know,
I mean, this organ is Come on.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Man, it is such a week to week, such a
day to day league. That's why we love it. It's
not baseball. There's not one hundred and sixty two.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Games, you know, the Red two tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Yeah, no, it is. It is fantastic. That's why we
love it so much. That's why we're so hyperbolic about
all this. But always great to have Labs on as
a as a voice of sanity once a week. Here
on the Drive, we have got to close down the
first hour of this show. Matt Steeler's latest practiced reports
were just coming across the timeline here and there's some
(37:47):
good news in there that we will share and we
will discuss when we return on the other side. Also
a few tweets rolling in already as well. I've got
some of those bookmarked and save for the second hour
the show. We will do a little x Twitter Thursday
here if you want to get at us at Williamson
NFL at Wesley Yuler is where you can get involved
with the show today. Play more as we roll along
(38:09):
latest injury report practice report for the Steelers. On the
other side, it's The Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on
the Steelers Audio Network, your tuned.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Back on the Drive here on a Thursday, closing down
the first hour of the show. Keep those tweets rolling
in if you want to get involved. We will get
to those as well as plenty more of Matt's stats
in our number two. But Matt's some more pertinent kind
of news of the day, if you will. The Steelers
Thursday practice report is just coming across the timeline here,
and I would say mostly good news, good a lot
(39:23):
of encouraging things here. Now let's get to the kind
of the downside. I don't think this is surprising or
anything new bad news. First, Jalen Ramsey and Calvin Austin
still know did not practice yesterday, Wednesday or today Thursday.
Not surprising, not surprising, but any telling, any kind of
hope that maybe they'd be limited one of these days
(39:44):
and is out the window. And I think you can
probably assume, you know what they say happens when you assume,
but you could probably assume that neither one is going
to go on Sunday against the Browns.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
Now, nobody of consequence told me this, but I was
at the facility today and just kind of at lunch
scuttle by talking. It's pretty tasty.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
It was on the menu what we do today.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
We did h Cajun pasta with lobster.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Oh yeah, that was nice.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Whisper that again, that was nice, and then a chicken
chili that was quite yummy on the side, and then
I had some delicious strawberries.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Motes used to always say, there's only there's only two
things in this world that are undefeated, father time and
the chefs down the Steelers strong.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
It's pretty strong. Yeah, Where was I going with some
of the scuttle butt?
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Was scuttle butt?
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Not that Ramseys You'd love to have him against the Browns,
don't get me wrong, but you really want to have
them for the Bengals, no doubt. You know what I mean.
I think that's the goal, not like, oh, we're taking
the Browns lightly, but Chase and Higgins are on the
Bengals and there on the Browns. Crown tight ends, you.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Know, correct, YEA makes a lot of sense. So that's
the not surprising but just kind of not encouraging news either.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
Kind we were keeping our fingers crossed, but that's probably
time done cross.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Exactly right neutral to where we've been. Good news for
Ben's kronick. He was limited Wednesday with an illness, full
practice participant today.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
It's amazing how quickly they heal from like serious flus
and things like that.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Some of the medicine and stuff that they have to
give those guys is not the same stuff that we
can get over the counter.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
I referenced it, you know, I did the year with
the Browns, but like I'd be all sniffly and I'd
go in my boss and movie. He's like, go downstairs
and tell them, you know, like I thought that was
player's own. He's like, they'll just give you a pill
and you'll find him. Mark. It was, and I'm not
close to an elite athlete or even an adequate athlete.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
It was one time on the road two years ago.
In fact, I think it was in Cleveland actually, if
my memory is serving me correctly, that I was hurt
and I was struggling, and Missy Matthews was like, don't worry,
I got you. Like when went into well, I mean,
I don't think like she had to think, asked somebody
and yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
And she'd like pull the drawer and you know, get.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
Felt like I was gonna lose my lunch, like I'm
in trouble. Yeah, and she was like here, I got
this for you. And twenty minutes later I was like,
I'm ready to conquer the world. I'm fine.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
Yeah, they get you better.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
So good news for Ben Skronick in that regard. Also,
Matt continues to be awesome, encouraging progress or status of
Joey Porter Junior. He was a full participant again today after.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Being yesterday Like he's out of the.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Jalen Warren same as well. Two straight days of full participation,
so I think we expected that. But it's still good
to see no setbacks or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (42:25):
During the week. But I think we're like in the clear,
you know.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
I think so too. Knock on what we'll get. We'll
get labs to Yeah, he camera down on the desk
one more time. And then the very good news after
being limited in yesterday's practice, Alex high Smith full participant today.
Speaker 5 (42:41):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
Seems like the plan on a buy was give him
a little more give him a little more, give him
a little more, and maybe they'll do the same on
game day. Okay, we're planning on having a pitch count
on you. We'll see how you handle things. Maybe just
start out on third downs. Herbig's playing really well. Who
knows that wone. What they're planning is. I'm just making
making solf as I go. But it might be like
he's fine, just blaming as much as.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Yeah right, I think we It could be like same church,
different pew of what we saw from Derek Harmon and Foxborough.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah, yeah, great example.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Everyone was thinking he'll play ten fifteen snaps, get his
toe in the water, he plays really well and looks
healthy and ends up playing thirty four or thirty five.
I think it was.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
Now one thing that complicates things a little. As Labs mentioned,
you do play really really soon again, so things always
are going to hurt. But if I have something that
hurts more than most, or I'm rehabbing from good point,
what does Monday and Tuesday look like for port or
Warren high Smith, et cetera. You know, good points not alone.
Whoever gets stinged on.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
Sunday, absolutely absolutely, but that's.
Speaker 3 (43:39):
A typical Thursday thing and when your coach has done
a million times, that's helpful, you.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Know exactly right, Yeah, that that's a very very astute
observation by you there as well. We also just moments
ago got the Browns practice report.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
Oh, we haven't touched on that much. I don't know
what's going on with them as much.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
And we got like third they're not.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
Coming off a buye.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
Yeah, because they are not coming off of bye and
they've got some more issues than the Steelers. Certainly, We've
got like twenty seconds here though, until we got to
get to a break. Let's start with the Browns. Let's
just start the second hour and then we'll jump back
into some Matt's stats as well too. Plenty to get
to an hour number two, including your tweets. You know
where to get at us if you want to get involved.
Wes Wheeler, Matt Williamson, halfway Home. It's the Drive on
(44:19):
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation. It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. Wes Shooler and Matt Williamson with you here
for the next two hours on this Thursday, as we
get closer and closer to Steelers and Brown's on Sunday.
I'm gonna talk to Bob Labriola here in about twenty
minutes get his thoughts on everything that transpired over the
bye week in this upcoming clash with Cleveland. It's also
(00:47):
a Thursday, so we'll do a little ex Twitter Thursday.
You know where to get at us if you want
to get involved at Williamson NFL at Wesley Yuler and
Matt Speaking of the Browns, Yeah, little newsworthyeno or trade
for they've been doing a lot of that certainly. I
mean they've traded two quarterbacks already this season now a
(01:09):
defensive back as well to the Browns.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Weird corner swap. Yeah, yeah, I totally understand it, but
immediately is like, this is weird.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Okay, because that was my initial reaction yesterday, and I've
obviously been kind of waiting to pick your brain about. Yes, yeah,
uh these teams also, the Browns and the Jags had
that draft day trade as well too. Jacksonville go up
and get Travis Hunter. So another Jags and Browns trade
the Drags the Cleveland part of me sending Greg Newsom
(01:40):
and the Jets twenty twenty six sixth round pick that
the Cleveland had to the Jags. The Browns in return
getting Tyson Campbell in the Eagles twenty twenty sixth seventh
round pick that the Jags had. So some some third
round pick swapping in their Day three part of me.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Tick swats so common in.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
There, so common nowadays. But what really matters is the
Browns and Greg Newsom corner to the Jags and they
get Tyson Campbell corner from Jacksonville in return. What's this mean?
What's your thoughts on these players in this move? For Cleveland,
the late.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Pick swap hardly matters. But I didn't realize Jets could
be the first pick in round six, Eagles could be
the last pick in round seven. So they're almost maybe
two rounds difference.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
That's the first I knew that they could be sixty
some spot.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So it's a little more significant than
I thought. I just kind of kicked that to the side,
like I'll throw in a penny to make the deal work. Okay,
so both are good players. Let's start with the Jags.
It's weird to swap a corner for a corner, you know, like,
what are we doing here? So Tyson Campbell they kind
of looked at as he's going to be our number one.
(02:47):
He said. Both these guys were high picks. They're both talented,
they're both good players. They gave Tyson Campbell a big contract,
you know, this offseason or last offseason, and he hasn't
quite lived up to that. You know, he hasn't been
a true number one corner. He's a good player, but
he's not quite worth that money. So Newsom's the better player,
(03:12):
not by leaps and bounds, but he's the better player,
and the Jags are going, well, we'll swap this corner
out for a better one. It's all about money. Newsom
is a free agent after this year, so the Jags
look at it like, okay, we get a better player,
but we don't know what the future is with this
guy after this season. We'll either talk to him and
(03:35):
extend him which will be expensive because if he hits
you up market, Newsom's make a lot of money, or
he walks and we get a third round compick. So
we're either renting them and getting a third run com
pick in two years, and we're trying to win. And
I don't think it has anything to do with Hunter. You know,
Hunter is also a corner, but I don't think it
matters at all. Newsom's had an interesting career in that
(03:59):
he was first round picking Northwestern, size, speed, has all
that stuff. You know. He looks like a prototypical first
round corner with length and all these things. But he
got drafted into a situation in Cleveland where they really
have had three good outside corners, but none of them
are a slot. So he's been forced to kind of
transform his game into a slot player. Now, the other
(04:23):
corner not ward. The other one got hurt and he's
out for the year, so they have this hardened dude
who's going to be the slot. So Newsom went back
outside this year where he really belongs, and that's exactly
where Jacksonville is gonna use him Becausejacksonville has a great slot.
Jordan Lewis the Michigan kid and Newsom was fine in
the slot, but he's really excelling as an outside corner,
which is what he was drafted to do and everyone
(04:45):
the planet thought he would do. But to his credit,
he's like, we got three outside dudes. We like having
three Joey Porters. Like someone's gonna play the.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Slot, right, Joey Porter Junior.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
They could see right, exactly right, Like, I mean, the
there are three best guys, will put them on the field.
But that's we're asking someone to be a square peg
in a round hole. Sure, so the Browns look at
it through this lens of we're not winning this year.
I mean, it's just like the flack coat trade. I mean,
it's we weren't playing rookies.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
We're we're looking at twenty twenty six already massively. This
guy's probably not gonna be part of that, right a
walk in free agency.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
He's gonna be too expensive for us to re sign.
So we can either have Newsome for the rest of
the year and maybe win one more game, or have
a slightly better defense or this other high quality corner
that is under contract. And Jacksonville's almost done all the pain.
You know, they gave him the big bonus. We don't
have a corner.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Need any pennies on the Dolls.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Yeah, yeah, you know, so we'll take that. Dude. It's
just two organizations being in totally opposite spots. Jacksonville sees, oh,
we might be able to win this year. No team,
and I give the Browns credit, is looking to twenty
twenty six more than the Browns. I mean, they made
the Gabriel move, They're leading the league in rookie snab
They're playing every young guy they possibly can. I'm not
(06:03):
predicting this, but it wouldn't shock me at all in
the next two weeks if the Joku, Judy somebody or both,
they could go, you know, play all the young dudes,
play fan in, play bond. All these guys are getting
a lot of snaps anyway, so it makes perfect sense.
What I have no clue about, though, is how does
it affect the Steelers on Sunday. Yes, there's a guy
(06:27):
to play. Yeah, I mean they're a heavy man coverage team.
I guess he could just line up and play man.
I mean, you don't have to be super dout in.
But that also leads itself to we could definitely make
some coverage bus and with the team, I would definitely
go his direction just because he's new. He's a good player,
(06:48):
but Ward's really good. I assume he's gonna play. I mean,
Flaco is playing for the Bengals.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I was just gonna say, if Joe for the Bengals,
I think Tyson Campbell could get on the field and
listen in some capacity for Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah, so it makes a lot of sense just where
both teams are at. It's finances.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, that when you've got to break it down that way,
it does make a ton of sense. Maybe not the
most needle moving move, but one that.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Works, two good corners getting swapped each other.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
One that works for both teams and kind of the
current situation that they're in.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know what it means for
the Steelers, but it's probably good news because the better
guy left.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Better guy left, and there's gonna be a piece of
that secondary who's you know, trying to hop on the
proverbial moving train.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Yeah right, it might not.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Be completely up to speed yet. Yeah, that's an interesting wrinkle. Again,
not a seismic move or anything like that. Ahead a Sunday, but.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
It definitely very often it's pretty interesting.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yes, you know, definitely something to keep an eye on
on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
And these people are human beings, I mean, like you
just you've been losing a bunch of games. The people
in the locker room obviously notice you're moving to rookies.
I'm not saying they're gonna stop trying, but the Miles
Garrett's and the veterans of the world realize we're looking
to next year. You know, if you're Jack Conklin, right exactly, Yeah, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
So hey, some some new news as it relates to
the AFC North, the Browns, and of course the upcoming
opponent for the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday at Akrosure Stadium.
Just the Steelers second true home game. I know the
one in Dublin was technically a home game, but at
Akroschure Stadium on deck here we'll talk about all those
(08:23):
things with Bob Labriola in just a few minutes. Matt,
what do you say, as we typically do here in
the first hour on a Thursday, you're ready to jump
into some Matt's stats for this week.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, pretty proud of the packet. This week is always
and a lot of good nuggets in there.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
I love it. If you're watching on YouTube, I've got
the packet here in my hands. I've got some things
highlighted on this package as well too.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
It's not yet on Steelers dot com. I just looked
while I was getting coffee, but it usually is about
this time, so if people want to find it. Yeah, yeah, the.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Cheat sheet will be up soon on Steelers dot com.
Until then, we will run through some of these numbers
for you. Uh, let's talk a little bit about this
Steelers offense here. Pittsburgh producing fourteen point eight points in
the first half of games. That's fifth most in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yeah, how much time do we spend in the offseason?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Slow starts differential was the worst of the league, right right,
Cleveland producing just six points in the first half.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
That's dead last in the NFL. Now though, kind of
tale of a different story in the second half and
the second half the Steelers producing just nine point three
points per second half. That's twenty fifth out of thirty
two teams in the league. The Steelers are the Browns,
part of me, right on their heels in twenty sixth
producing eight point six real.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Quick on the Browns, They're just bad all game They're
just bad, right. I don't think there's a trend with them.
They're just bad all game.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
But here's the real kicker. The Browns giving up thirteen
point eight points in the second half. That's twenty fifth
in the NFL. Right, so a Brown's defense that is
certainly one of the best in the league, but maybe
not quite as stout in the second half of games
is they are in the first thirty minutes?
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Yeah, And as I'm sitting wondering, well why, I mean,
that's obviously what we want to talk about. Stats are great,
but let's figure out why.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Is it just because they're getting worn down and they
can only do so much and they can only hold
that damn off for so long before break?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Think so, but they're much better in time of possession
than the Steelers. They're at least over the average. There
are thirty one minutes and change, so they're above average.
Obviously average would be thirty across the league. That being said,
it has to wear on you in the offense. Is
that bad?
Speaker 5 (10:30):
You know?
Speaker 3 (10:30):
I mean, like you can't be as good at the
end of the games as you are at the beginning.
Just watching the offense turn the ball over three and out,
you know, punt blah blah blah blah. I would think
that there's something to that now. As much as I
like the Browns defense too, it's not real diverse schematically,
you know what I mean. Like, it's a lot of
single high there a lot of man. Yeah, they prefer
(10:53):
to play with heavier personnel. They want to be in
their base four to three as much as possible, all
things up to them. They don't play with lighter boxes.
You know, They're going to dedicate themselves of playing the run,
and they test their corners and trust their pass rush.
So maybe you start to get a little bit more
of a beat on it. You know, you see the
same thing over and over, you like, get a little
better at it against it as the game goes on.
(11:15):
Do you have any theories on the Steelers offense why
it goes backwards? I love that it's starting fast, you know.
That was the thing we complained about, was the slow start.
My thoughts are, you're not establishing the run.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
That's exactly what.
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, I don't want to say it's smoking mirrors in
the first half, no, but I think in the first
half teams are just more honest about defending you and
all the options are on the board, Whereas after thirty
minutes you're not running the ball, and Aaron Rodgers is
kind of having success dinking and dunking you and kind
of paper cutting you a little bit down to the field.
(11:49):
It's like, hey, we got to take that away and
make these guys run the football a little bit. I mean,
that feels like the only logical answer at this point.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Me too. I mean, like, because they have had some stalls.
I mean there was a stretch there where there was
a three and out like three times in a row.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
The Patriots game, six possessions that were either three and
out or the inn straight possessions that were either three
and out or the interception to Bobby Spilling.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Yeah, yeah, So I mean, and of course, all these stats,
if you only play four games, if one's bad, it's
going to weigh you down a lot.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Of course, we're still the sample size is legit now,
but it's there's still some grain of salt elements there
for the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
And if you go through this whole packet, I still
think you get a really good understanding of how teams
want to play, what they're doing well all those type
of things. You really get a feel for the teams
through the numbers. But I was a little shocked that
they were as good as they were in the first half,
and who was stressed to positive. It's like, I know
they've had good first drives, especially compared to other years,
(12:49):
but I didn't think they'd be near the top in
terms of scoring in the first half. And again the
Browns scorings. It's their batt all the time.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Yeah, and it's huge for the Sea defense too. Yes,
you have laid this out many times, like it's been
very rare in TJ. Watt's career to use him as
as an example that you know, it's the third and
fourth quarter and the Steelers are up seven or up
nine or up ten, and Renegades blaring and the terrible
Towels are and everyone knows I'm pinning my ears back
(13:18):
and I'm going to getting the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Yeah, he doesn't have much of his career at all.
It hasn't No, there's been more of that credit at all.
It has not happened a mist those benefits. Maybe that
one year that they had with Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
I know when they went to the playoffs and beat
the Steelers in that weird kind of COVID wild Card
game with only like seven thousand people in the stands.
That's I think that's a big part of why we've
seen the Steelers defense. Hey, first couple of weeks weren't great,
but they stabilized very quickly, and I think that's been
a huge part of it. It's it's much easier for
the Steelers defense to operate with that lead and the
(13:52):
way that they want to play and turning guys like
TJ and her big loose.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
And we saw a little bit in Dublin.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
We saw a little bit of that in Double a Lot. Yeah,
but hopefully that continues that. To me, this is hello,
Captain obvious, no kidding, but the start in this one
feels very important, not only not only for just knocking
Cleveland down in their morale and kind of oh no,
here we go again, but just for what it would
mean for their defense and for the Steelers defense if
the Steelers were to get an.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Early lead, because the Browns also want to run the ball,
and if you could get them out of their comfort zone,
and that the Judkins.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Over and over make Gabriel have to make some plays
and make some throws.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
And have those tackles protect and you know, renegade and
you know we've talked to you know, we know who
we're going on with that.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
There's a there's a clear script, I think without a doubt. Yeah, Matt,
let's get to a break here. We'll talk about all
these things. We'll talk about this Browns match up with
our buddy Bob Labriola when we return on the other side.
Wet Huler, Matt Williamson. It is the Drive here on
a Thursday on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
Back on the.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Back on the Drive here. It'd probably help if I
turned my microphone on, wouldn't it on a on a Thursday?
And you know what that means. It's time to go
to the phone lines and talk to Steelers historians Steelers
dot Com. He's part of the pregame show, Asked and
Answered here on the Steelers Audio Network. He does it all.
It's Bob Labriola Labs. Hope you enjoyed your your bye week.
(15:41):
Good to be back chatting with you here. In our
kind of usual time on a Thursday and partner, I
can't imagine a better bye week for the Steelers as
it related to their foes around the AFC North.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
Yeah, I mean, you know, it's always a good NFL
weekend when all coach is named Harball Lowse. I mean,
that's a good start for me. All the time the
Browns lost, the Bengals lost, So yeah, I mean, you know,
(16:13):
things went. You know, it's really nice when you don't
have to play and kind of gain ground in the standings.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
So, Labs, I'm probably asking you a question that's unanswerable.
And I was the one that was a Browns employee
for three hundred and sixty five days and during that
year I saw three head coaches, two gms. Since they've
joined the league in nineteen ninety nine, they've started eleven
more quarterbacks than even the second most since Baker Mayfield
(16:42):
left this they're on their tenth starting quarterback. You're older
and wiser than me. How can this organization not understand
that stability is really important, especially when the team two
hours away is the model of it.
Speaker 6 (16:55):
Well, I you know, I the thing with me is,
I think, really, when the Browns came into the league.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Back came back into the league in nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
I thought they had relatively solid ownership. You know, the
Learner family I think had a pretty good grasp on
it in terms of you know, I'm not saying that
you know, they were experts in football necessarily, but they
seemed to understand what you were just talking about. Yeah, yeah,
(17:30):
that you know, you can't. I remember Mike Tomlin used
this phrase blowing in the wind in terms of one
training camp, you know, a quarterback competition, and he said
he wasn't going to blow in the windy and meaning
he wasn't going to vacillate you know every day. Who
(17:51):
what the what the pecking order was, the quarterback depth chart?
You know, you you try and go with somebody and
you want to give them an opportunity to establish themselves
them personally, and you know the other people around them.
You know, I don't think that Jimmy Haslam has any
concept of that.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
I mean, the one that.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
I will never forget never was the draft when they
picked Johnny Manziel with the second pick in the first round.
And I remember him talking about coming out of a
restaurant the night before the draft and there was a
guy sitting on the sidewalk, and the way he.
Speaker 5 (18:37):
Explained it sounded.
Speaker 6 (18:38):
To me, you know, like the guy was homeless, and
he the homeless guy said something about you got to
pick Johnny Manziel.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Now, you know, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (18:50):
That there's anything wrong with that kind of exchange or
but I don't know the way you know, he said
it to the media as if that had some sort
of impact on a decision. Uh. And I, you know,
just that that to me was just I it was
(19:10):
unfathomable that that that would be true, first of all,
and that the second thing is that he would admit it.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Into a live microphone, right.
Speaker 6 (19:23):
So uh and that's you know, that's and I think
that it has continued under you know, his uh, his ownership,
that the Shaun Watson thing, the guaranteed contract just there
just doesn't seem to you know, this isn't and I
always tell people who send me weird questions and asked
(19:45):
an answered, this is.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
Not a video game.
Speaker 6 (19:49):
You know, there are real flesh and blood, people involved,
human emotions, They have lives. You know, you have to
consider all of these things in decisions.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
It's not just ay.
Speaker 6 (20:01):
You know, an avatar on a video screen and you
the joy stick boos him around and he does whatever
you want.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
I mean, so, uh, you know, I just don't.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
And hey, is that great philosopher Juju Smith Schuster said,
and not all that long ago? The Browns is the Browns,
And it just doesn't seem like they learn no.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
And I can tell a super quick story that I
can verify as fact. It was I think two drafts
before the year I was there, and they of course
had an early pick. They were terrible, and they do
all their draft meetings and they leave for the day
the night before the draft, and everyone in the room's going, okay,
we're taking Richard Seymour here, I think they had the
third pick or the fourth pick. Consensus. We know he's
(20:45):
gonna be there. We know who's gonna be off the board.
We're taking Richard Seymour. Three picks go. By the next day,
everyone's just kind of sitting near the feed up. Give
Richard a call. You know, good, everything went to plan.
Now we're gonna take Gerard Warren because we recruit him
from his floor to days when we were at the
U and we knew his family, so we're more comfortable
with that, Like it's just and one turned out to
(21:08):
be a Hall of Famer and one turned out to.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
Be a not.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
This is a kind way of putting it, so.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Having the tail on the donkeys.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
But I bet there's a million of those stories in
that organization and labs. One thing I wanted to ask you,
because I know you're a historian of the league too.
Folks back then, and even if I wasn't involved with
the team, I'd be aware of it. But they had
a tougher road And this is an excuse anymore as
an expansion team than like the Jags or the Panthers
did right, Like the rules were harder on them because
(21:39):
I think the league was too kind to the Panthers
and Jags, so they were pretty harsh on the Browns
in terms of like expansion draft and things of that nature.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
Yeah, I mean, I don't really.
Speaker 6 (21:51):
I do remember that there was a little bit of
pushback from the other owners, you know, the other Well,
it wasn't thirty two teams at the time in ninety
five when the Jaguars and the Panthers came in, but maybe.
Speaker 5 (22:07):
It was thirty teams whatever.
Speaker 6 (22:09):
The other twenty plus teams because you know, the Panthers,
I think they were in the conference championship game in
ninety six.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
And both were successful right away. Brunell the playoff, Yeah yeah,
Besell yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
Yes, so yeah, I mean I don't think that, you know,
the owners feel that it's in their best interest to
allow the new people too much of an opportunity, you know.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
To be good quick, even though it may be good
for the league. I mean, I don't know, and I don't.
Speaker 6 (22:48):
And the franchise fee might have been more too for
the Browns.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
I knew there were sour grapes in the building, like Bow.
We had a lot harder than the Jags and Panthers did.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
Well, I mean.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
You know they can thank art Model for that, for
even being in this situation, right, they were right, So
I mean, you know, again, it's not a situation that
wasn't somewhat I won't say their responsibility because none of
the people who were there in nineteen ninety nine had
(23:20):
anything to do with nineteen ninety five, I don't think.
But you know, it wasn't something that well, the name
of the franchise was totally blameless in anyway.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Labs I wanted to ask you. You know, you sent
us all a pretty eye popping packet kind of dossier
on the AFC North and you know, the kind of
historic point differential and win percentage in a bad way
for the division so far this season. But the Steelers
sitting pretty at three and one. I know it's a
(23:56):
large sample size. I mean, the AFC North when the
lead leagues had their realignment since two thousand and two,
so it's been over twenty years. But off the top
of your head, can you remember a time in these
twenty or so years that the Steelers were sitting in
such a pretty position in the division so early in
the calendar.
Speaker 6 (24:17):
No, But you know, I this is what I know.
The NFL is a week to week league, okay, And
I believe you know, Tanchilkin was always a major proponent
of this, and I have come to believe that as well.
The league kind of resets every every four weeks. And
(24:39):
you really used to be convenient when there were sixteen games,
because you know, four weeks was was a quarter of
the season, and you know, football is playing in quarters
and you know, all of that stuff just seemed to
come together so nicely. But I mean, the you know,
when you look at the teams that you thought were
(25:00):
eight in September, I mean that's not necessarily the case.
I mean, look at the Chargers. I mean the Chargers
were they were they were a hot a hot ticket early.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
Look at the Chargers.
Speaker 6 (25:13):
Boy Harbaugh is doing a great, great job, and Justin
Herbert is a great player and great this and great that.
I don't think anybody's saying about them anymore. That anymore
and it today, I would maintain that that was a
heck of a win the Steelers had up at Gillette
Stadium against the New England Patriots. Uh when at the
(25:35):
time the Patriots were thought to stink. Yeah, you know,
so you know the Seahawks losing to the Seahawks.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
How could they lose to the Seahawks.
Speaker 6 (25:48):
Well, you know, that's a That's another team that I
think is a little bit better than people, you know,
when they looked at them on paper or the way
their their uh start of the regular season buzz was,
you know. And the Ravens, you want it the other way.
The Ravens, I mean, I get it that they're injured,
(26:09):
and there's there's a lot when they're they're.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
In active list.
Speaker 6 (26:12):
Last week I mean, wow, yes, but their defense stunk
when all those players were playing, So I mean, yeah,
you know.
Speaker 5 (26:24):
So it's it's not.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
It's I don't know, it's not what it seems to
be a lot of times, and I think this is
one of those years. Now. You know, everybody's looking at
these next two games. Oh, the Browns think the Bengals
think you can't lose to these two teams. You know,
Thursday night road games are brutal.
Speaker 5 (26:52):
They're just brutal.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
Because you play on Sunday, you're real, what are you
gonna do Monday? I mean, in terms of with your players,
you almost have to you can't practice. I mean, guys
are just you know, trying to get themselves out of
bed and work the kinks out a little bit on Monday,
and you don't. You have to introduce the game plan
(27:16):
pretty much. So you have Tuesday. Wednesday you got to travel,
that's the rule. And then Thursday you spend the day
in the hotel. Maybe you have a walk through in
a ballroom or something. But you know that that's, to
me is a recipe for disaster. I don't care who
you're playing. And because NFL teams, you know, it's easy
(27:41):
to say they stink.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
But the Jamar Chase and Trey Hendrickson.
Speaker 6 (27:49):
Uh So you know, again, like I said, the numbers
look good right now, but I still believe that the
Steelers are all teams really are in should be in
a phase right now of stacking wins to try and
(28:10):
remain relevant in terms of their one loss record when
they get start approaching Thanksgiving, because then it starts to
maybe crystallize a little bit. You have a better idea
of which teams are either consistent or where flashes in
the pan one way or the other. Maybe you know,
good for a little bit and now they're found their level, or.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
They started out slowly a.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
Little bit and then they found their level. You have
a better sense of you know, who's where, and I
think that's when the things start to get, you know,
more real. But you know, as I said, you need
to have a good some good numbers once you get
to Thanksgiving so that you're relevant enough so that you
(28:58):
if you haven't, can try to continue to improve over the.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
Course of the season.
Speaker 6 (29:04):
Your your one loss record is good enough so that
if you have improved, you can take advantage of.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
It your improvement.
Speaker 6 (29:14):
You know, you're not too far away, you know, you're
not one to nine or something, and then the hill
is just too high to climb. So, you know, everybody
seems to want everything immediately. Everybody seems to want everything
cut and dried today. Who's going to make the playoffs today?
Speaker 5 (29:35):
Are they going to be any good?
Speaker 6 (29:36):
I want to know today. You know, I'm even getting stuff.
Who you're going to draft next April? I want to
know today.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Which are the quarterbacks?
Speaker 6 (29:44):
You know, who's the best who's the best quarterback fit
for the Steelers? Tell me today? You know, none of that.
That's just not it's just not real. You hear all
the time people who work in the NFL, people been
around the NFL, all of that stuff they always say
about a season. You know, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
(30:08):
Nobody's listening, nobody's paying attention. Then they don't want to
hear it. I want I want to know what I
want to know, and I want to know it now,
and I want it to be a definitive yes, no
great stink whatever. So but it's just not that way.
That's why so many of these games come down to
(30:29):
the last couple of minutes. So many of these games
are one score games so often teams have made the
playoffs last year don't make the playoffs this year, and
vice versa. The NFL has created a business model where
everything they want to do promotes this. You know, they
(30:50):
used to call it when I was a kid, On
any given Sunday, that was Pete Roselle's phrase. You know,
on any given Sunday, one team can beat another team
and you.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Know the parody.
Speaker 6 (31:02):
Uh, it's it's it's amazing, and this is what they want.
The league and the TV ratings, the networks love it,
the broadcast partners love it. A particular team's fans might
hate it because they want what they want when they
want it. But it's and it's gonna be a It's
(31:25):
gonna be a ride. You hope it's not too much
of a roller coaster ride in terms of the lows
being too low, but really hold on and enjoy it.
But I don't know that a lot of people want
to do that.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
I couldn't agree more loud. You said a ton of
great stuff there, and I mean all fan bases are
guilty of this. But Steeler Nations flying high right now,
Division's falling apart just one in Dublin. Everyone's getting healthy,
but they happen to lose on Sunday. Fire everyone burn
down the building. I mean, and you know that's how
it's gonna happen on Monday. If it doesn't.
Speaker 6 (31:59):
Oh yeah, and it's you know, the the outside noise
is and it really I won't say it doesn't have
any impact because as I mentioned, it's not a video game.
Those are real human beings. They have to live.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Their lives with kids and family and.
Speaker 6 (32:23):
Whatever it is, you know, and in the in the
scourge of this planet.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
The scourge of the human race, social media.
Speaker 6 (32:32):
I mean, it's just it's just relentless and unforgiving, and
you'd like to tell people to, you know, try and
get the message across, you know, stay off social media,
you know, don't listen to it, don't pay attention to
the trolls, blah blah blah. But I mean, the age
(32:55):
group of the people who play in the NFL, that's
what they know. Social media is what they know. So
I mean, I don't know what the answer is, but
I'm just the Steelers can definitely lose Sunday. If they
don't lose Sunday, they can lose Thursday. It's the way
(33:20):
the league is. I mean, who thought the Browns beat
the Packers? Right, there's another team. Yah, unstoppable Micah Parsons.
Oh my god, the greatest defense ever. You know, forget
the eighty five Bears, forget the seventies Steelers. This Packers defense.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
Is the greatest thing ever.
Speaker 6 (33:39):
I mean, I don't know anybody's even talking about them anymore.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
And I'm not saying they stink. I'm using them as an.
Speaker 6 (33:45):
Example that this is the kind of stuff. And just
one more, one more mini rant about Steeler fans last
year the year before. But the thing that was going
to cause the franchise to implode was can't score touchdowns
(34:10):
on the first possession your first possession.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
Of the game.
Speaker 6 (34:14):
Oh my god, when was the last time that happened? Well,
that's six you know, blah blah. I actually did the research,
and from the time Ben Roethlisberger retired until the start
of the twenty twenty five season, in fifty one regular
season games, the Steelers scored a touchdown on their first
possession of a game five times. Five times of fifty
(34:35):
one games.
Speaker 5 (34:35):
Oh my god.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Now they're doing it pretty regularly, and it just seems
to have gone away. What was so important is now
not even something that you hear about anymore. So it
was it important or was it not? You know, were
you overreacting then or you know if somebody once said,
are you lying to me now? Or were you lying
(34:59):
to me then? So again, as I said, it's it's
it's part of what fans are, uh And I get it.
But in an era now where being a fan allows
people a microphone via social media or a podcast or whatever,
(35:24):
I mean, it's it's everybody is an expert, everybody's an insider.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Yeah, and your Chargers example was a perfect one. I
mean they were three and oh and Kings of the
World and Herbert was gonna win m VP and they
were going to win that division. And now a lot
of people are saying they're not even going to make
the playoffs, you know, the.
Speaker 6 (35:43):
Right Houston and Herbert isn't that good?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
And Herbert exactly right, and Houston. Everyone was ready to
put a fork in Houston. And now they've won two
in a row and starting to show some life again
and they're back on everyone's kind of hype train.
Speaker 6 (35:55):
It is.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
It is certainly such a week to week league in
that regard. That's part of why we love it, but
it also drives us insane u sometimes at the same time, Labs,
thank you so much, Voice of reason, Voice of sanity
so often here on the Steelers Audio Network. We appreciate
the time, and we'll see you on Sunday.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
All right, take care of follos.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Bob Labriola. There he goes. Great stuff from him. I
like the I almost made a joke when he was like,
everyone wants to know who the Steeler quarterback is going
to be right now, like Frandom Mendoza Indiana University.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Sign up.
Speaker 2 (36:31):
Great stuff from LABS there as always and yeah, hey,
even at three and one, he can find something sticking
in his craw. That's what we love about Labs. Yeah right,
I mean, he's right.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
It's not like the Steelers are playing so much better
all of a sudden because other the three teams lost.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
You know what I mean, exactly right, and you love
your spot right now, But in the next seven days
that could completely get flipped upside down, I mean, and
go to three and three, the sky would be fall.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Oh, the sky would fall. They lost to what Arizona,
New England and back to back games or whatever. That
were They were big favorite two years ago.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
I think that was right.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Fire everyone burned the stadium to the ground, you know,
I mean, this organ is Come on.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Man, it is such a week to week, such a
day to day league. That's why we love it. It's
not baseball. There's not one hundred and sixty two.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Games, you know, the Red two tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Yeah, no, it is. It is fantastic. That's why we
love it so much. That's why we're so hyperbolic about
all this. But always great to have Labs on as
a as a voice of sanity once a week. Here
on the Drive, we have got to close down the
first hour of this show. Matt Steeler's latest practiced reports
were just coming across the timeline here and there's some
(37:47):
good news in there that we will share and we
will discuss when we return on the other side. Also
a few tweets rolling in already as well. I've got
some of those bookmarked and save for the second hour
the show. We will do a little x Twitter Thursday
here if you want to get at us at Williamson
NFL at Wesley Yuler is where you can get involved
with the show today. Play more as we roll along
(38:09):
latest injury report practice report for the Steelers. On the
other side, it's The Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on
the Steelers Audio Network, your tuned.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Back on the Drive here on a Thursday, closing down
the first hour of the show. Keep those tweets rolling
in if you want to get involved. We will get
to those as well as plenty more of Matt's stats
in our number two. But Matt's some more pertinent kind
of news of the day, if you will. The Steelers
Thursday practice report is just coming across the timeline here,
and I would say mostly good news, good a lot
(39:23):
of encouraging things here. Now let's get to the kind
of the downside. I don't think this is surprising or
anything new bad news. First, Jalen Ramsey and Calvin Austin
still know did not practice yesterday, Wednesday or today Thursday.
Not surprising, not surprising, but any telling, any kind of
hope that maybe they'd be limited one of these days
(39:44):
and is out the window. And I think you can
probably assume, you know what they say happens when you assume,
but you could probably assume that neither one is going
to go on Sunday against the Browns.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
Now, nobody of consequence told me this, but I was
at the facility today and just kind of at lunch
scuttle by talking. It's pretty tasty.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
It was on the menu what we do today.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
We did h Cajun pasta with lobster.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Oh yeah, that was nice.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Whisper that again, that was nice, and then a chicken
chili that was quite yummy on the side, and then
I had some delicious strawberries.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Motes used to always say, there's only there's only two
things in this world that are undefeated, father time and
the chefs down the Steelers strong.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
It's pretty strong. Yeah, Where was I going with some
of the scuttle butt?
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Was scuttle butt?
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Not that Ramseys You'd love to have him against the Browns,
don't get me wrong, but you really want to have
them for the Bengals, no doubt. You know what I mean.
I think that's the goal, not like, oh, we're taking
the Browns lightly, but Chase and Higgins are on the
Bengals and there on the Browns. Crown tight ends, you.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Know, correct, YEA makes a lot of sense. So that's
the not surprising but just kind of not encouraging news either.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
Kind we were keeping our fingers crossed, but that's probably
time done cross.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Exactly right neutral to where we've been. Good news for
Ben's kronick. He was limited Wednesday with an illness, full
practice participant today.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
It's amazing how quickly they heal from like serious flus
and things like that.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Some of the medicine and stuff that they have to
give those guys is not the same stuff that we
can get over the counter.
Speaker 3 (41:18):
I referenced it, you know, I did the year with
the Browns, but like I'd be all sniffly and I'd
go in my boss and movie. He's like, go downstairs
and tell them, you know, like I thought that was
player's own. He's like, they'll just give you a pill
and you'll find him. Mark. It was, and I'm not
close to an elite athlete or even an adequate athlete.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
It was one time on the road two years ago.
In fact, I think it was in Cleveland actually, if
my memory is serving me correctly, that I was hurt
and I was struggling, and Missy Matthews was like, don't worry,
I got you. Like when went into well, I mean,
I don't think like she had to think, asked somebody
and yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
And she'd like pull the drawer and you know, get.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
Felt like I was gonna lose my lunch, like I'm
in trouble. Yeah, and she was like here, I got
this for you. And twenty minutes later I was like,
I'm ready to conquer the world. I'm fine.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
Yeah, they get you better.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
So good news for Ben Skronick in that regard. Also,
Matt continues to be awesome, encouraging progress or status of
Joey Porter Junior. He was a full participant again today after.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Being yesterday Like he's out of the.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Jalen Warren same as well. Two straight days of full participation,
so I think we expected that. But it's still good
to see no setbacks or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (42:25):
During the week. But I think we're like in the clear,
you know.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
I think so too. Knock on what we'll get. We'll
get labs to Yeah, he camera down on the desk
one more time. And then the very good news after
being limited in yesterday's practice, Alex high Smith full participant today.
Speaker 5 (42:41):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
Seems like the plan on a buy was give him
a little more give him a little more, give him
a little more, and maybe they'll do the same on
game day. Okay, we're planning on having a pitch count
on you. We'll see how you handle things. Maybe just
start out on third downs. Herbig's playing really well. Who
knows that wone. What they're planning is. I'm just making
making solf as I go. But it might be like
he's fine, just blaming as much as.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Yeah right, I think we It could be like same church,
different pew of what we saw from Derek Harmon and Foxborough.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah, yeah, great example.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Everyone was thinking he'll play ten fifteen snaps, get his
toe in the water, he plays really well and looks
healthy and ends up playing thirty four or thirty five.
I think it was.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
Now one thing that complicates things a little. As Labs mentioned,
you do play really really soon again, so things always
are going to hurt. But if I have something that
hurts more than most, or I'm rehabbing from good point,
what does Monday and Tuesday look like for port or
Warren high Smith, et cetera. You know, good points not alone.
Whoever gets stinged on.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
Sunday, absolutely absolutely, but that's.
Speaker 3 (43:39):
A typical Thursday thing and when your coach has done
a million times, that's helpful, you.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Know exactly right, Yeah, that that's a very very astute
observation by you there as well. We also just moments
ago got the Browns practice report.
Speaker 3 (43:52):
Oh, we haven't touched on that much. I don't know
what's going on with them as much.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
And we got like third they're not.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
Coming off a buye.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
Yeah, because they are not coming off of bye and
they've got some more issues than the Steelers. Certainly, We've
got like twenty seconds here though, until we got to
get to a break. Let's start with the Browns. Let's
just start the second hour and then we'll jump back
into some Matt's stats as well too. Plenty to get
to an hour number two, including your tweets. You know
where to get at us if you want to get involved.
Wes Wheeler, Matt Williamson, halfway Home. It's the Drive on
(44:19):
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network
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