October 30, 2025 • 51 mins
It's time to scout the Colts with Matt's Stats. Bob Labriola joins The Drive to help preview Indianapolis.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation. It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. West Shuler. Matt Williamson here with plenty to
discuss on a Thursday afternoon. But Matt, before we do that,
we had a rousing reception to our brief five minute
Halloween candy conversation on the show yesterday, and you for
(00:43):
those watching on YouTube, I'm holding it.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Up here right now.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Brought in some Nerds gummy clusters. We're available for sponsorship,
by the way, so great by you. You've never had
one of these. Let's get right into it here.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
In the same Halloween I could pick up stuff at
CV yesterday and I'm walking down and I'm like, oh,
I'll be going out of the cab the Alan try
to see if these things really exist. So they're little,
and I thought that gonna be like big, like.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Okay, and no, they're almost like like the size of
like a stick of gum or something, you know what
I mean, Like a little little piece of orbit gum
or something like that.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
These are rainbow. There's only one flavor. Is there a
variety there's two.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
There's rainbow and there's mixed berry. I think I like
Burry a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
But I'm doing Hey cheers TV for you. Yeah, all
the equipment listen.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
If you're somebody who normally watches in podcasts for you
gotta at least uh, at least watch the start of
this one here.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Not too bad. How what are your thoughts they get
right away?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah, yeah, it's nice.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You get the crunch, but the softness at the same time.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Are you chewing or are you letting it just mellow.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
A little bit. I kind of take like one chomp
and then flying mellow.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And you know what it reminds me of is like
a good loaf of like French bag at bread, crunchy
on the outside, soft on the inside.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
TV's lapping at me over there.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Chewing changes everything everything.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I see the allure you not not too shabby, right, Well,
that'll do it for our food Nation, our candy Nation.
Radio segment of the day more next break, probably have
plenty of those. During break, too bad, we got labs
on the phone and not in studio. We could have
gotten labs.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Take here.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
He will join us in the first hour here on
a Thursday as always, Matt, we have got not bad.
I really like those a lot, and I'm sure, like
I was telling you, you have a bag next of
those next to you and you're watching the gaming or
you're watching a movie or something. The next thing you're
reaching down and you're like, oh, they're all gone. You
know those went, Those went real quick.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Yeah, it makes berry sounds attractive to definitely my choice.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
We'll have to have to switch it up to there's
still maybe I'll bring you a bag of mixed berry
in uh here in the in the next day or so.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
But we have got plenty to get into.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Other than some Halloween some Halloween candy taste testing here
in our studios today, Matt, let's jump right into Matt's Stats.
It's this is typically where we begin and dive in
on a Thursday, and.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
I got a quick Matt's Stats story that happened two
minutes ago. So again, I was down at the facility
of the day. Every every Thursday, Missy Rob and I
do a video and actually a couple of people down
there were enjoying our candy segment, and so I brought
up this these gummy nerds and Missy's like my kids
love them. They're they're the favorite thing ever. And for
whatever reason, Rob was talking whining. Actually yeah, yeah, big
(03:27):
celebrity whining about his printer issues and he's and as
I was getting coffee right now, I get a text
from Rob saying, all kinds of going on. That's why
my alarm to order dinner. Geez. Lots going on in
this segment. Not the typical opening of the drive anyways.
(03:48):
I get a text from Rob as my coffee is
being made that I haven't even touched Yak's too hot.
First thing I have to print out with my printer.
I was lose my mind.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Matt's stats, let's go. Of course, I love it. I
love it. Yes, it is.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
There are there are some who are privy to this information,
although now it's it's all on Steelers dot com as
well too for those who who want to read it themselves,
follow along, take notes, whatever the case may be. And Matt,
I want to start here with you. It was the
kind of your stat that I teased at the end
of last night show, and we said it was about
(04:22):
the Steelers defense and how you can kind of slice
it two ways. You can look at this as encouraging
or as concerning. And here's what it is. The Steelers
defense points allowed by quarter three point seven in the
first quarter. That is twelfth best in the National Football League.
That's pretty good, pretty good, little above average.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
That might surprise people. That's slightly above average.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Second quarter five point seven points allowed. That's tenth best
in the league.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Getting better, getting better. I mean that's definitely above average.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Top ten third quarter points in the league. Three point nine.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
That doesn't sound bad.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Best in the National Football League.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
It's a problem.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
That's really good.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Top three quarters, you're well above average.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Matt, well above average, well above average Matt. The fourth quarter,
they are dead last, thirty second out of thirty two
teams in the NFL, allowing an average of eleven point
seven points per fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
They are the only.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Team in the league that is above eleven points per
fourth quarter allowed.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Yeah, and I think there's twenty eight that are below ten.
So this is kind of a distant last. Yes, And
to sum it up, forty seven percent of their points
come allowed in the fourth quarter. Forty seven percent. That's
really bad.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, I mean, for that quarter, it's not good.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
So I forget. I actually I put this on Twitter,
and sports Chasers wrote back, seems like that's that seems
like a well defined problem, And I'm like, that's a
really good way of putting it because we know it's
a problem. We know the points allowed period is a problem.
I mean, well over thirty, you know, last two games.
(06:09):
But I think I'm kind of like happy about it
though too. It's like, well, it's always that doctor's office thing.
I'm like, hey, well I let up too many points.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
I hear all your symptoms, but what's our diagnosis.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Yeah, well, well well your brother pressures do hi you? You know?
But whatever, So how can you alleviate that? I think
there's several reasons. I mean, and the people inside the
walls and know a thousand times better than me. But
watching every game, and just if you told me about
Carnegie Melons doing the same thing, I'd say the exact
same thing. Sure, immediately, I would say fatigue. Playing sixty
(06:42):
minutes and four quarters of football's really hard. But to
take it up a level with the Steelers, we know
they're not young on that side of the ball. I
wouldn't say that they're riddled with injuries and super lean
or anything, but they're on the field way too much. Yes,
So from that perspective, I think you have to look
at it as a team problem. Now, well, how can
(07:04):
we help our ailing defense. We need to sustain the
ball a little bit more. On offense, we need to
run the ball maybe a little bit more. That doesn't
mean you don't abandon the run or anything like that,
but you might have to emphasize holding the football longer
on offense and maybe your defense holds up longer. Now,
(07:24):
this isn't uncommon in the league. That's an extreme, extreme case,
and that's a problem, problem, problem, But often late in games,
especially against great quarterbacks, the damn breaks, you know, like
we've seen many instances totally whoever.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Is a ball asking to win, We saw them.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
She was on the other foot when you had prime
Ben Roethlisberger, no question. How many times the Ravens would
be frustrating the Steelers and then in the fourth quarter
gotta have it. Here comes Ben Santonio or ab right
and they find a way to score when they have to.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
And clutch is certainly a real thing. Like people have
written articles in football, clutch doesn't matter, of course, it matters,
absolutely does, but it also is smart quarterbacks coordinators figure
stuff out as the game goes on, and they don't
allow the defense to just hit pause and run and
do a new practice and install a new game thing
exactly right, you know. So it's true for Rogers' career
(08:16):
and as a Steeler, I mean, like, fourth quarters harder
to play defense, You're more tired, fatigue favors the offense.
You know, you're coming off the ball, your reactionary position.
But in this case it's so extreme. I think you
have to look toward the collective defensive age and do
whatever you can to remedy that. And kind of what
(08:37):
I went was saying too, is it also looks like
you're getting figured out, you know what I mean, Like,
I think the coaches need to look at things and
be like, maybe it's not perfect through three quarters. I mean,
I'm not saying that they're the seventy six Steelers through
three quarters. We've all watched the games. But these numbers
I think are massively reflective on your diagnotion. I can
(08:58):
live with the first three quarter. There's more than we'll
win a lot of games being tenth in points scored,
you know, through through three quarters, But what am I
doing wrong in the fourth quarter as a play caller,
as a designer, or putting my players in the position
to succeed. So I was kind of happy to see this.
To me, this is better than a weird way.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
It is kind of comforting.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Yeah, it's better than being twenty fifth, twenty third, twenty
second and twenty six, like you're bad all the time,
you know, ast.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
You're wondering for the wandering through the wilderness, like looking
for a roadmap. Here it's laid out right.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Now, it is.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Here's your problem, right, you know. I mean I went
to the doctor. The doctor said, you're you're limping. Well,
it's because this certain tendon isn't working. Okay, well how
do I get that tendon working?
Speaker 5 (09:40):
All? Right? Now?
Speaker 4 (09:41):
We can figure it out from that.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You don't have to amputate your leg right right, right,
this one.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
It's just one issue. Now, Am I trying to blow
smoke that all of a sudden, Steel d is going
to be great?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
No?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
You know, I don't even know if they're aware of this,
you know, but I'm sure they are. But to me,
that was kind of very enlightening but also kind of encouraging.
You know, how can we lighten the load on Hayward
Watt Ramsey Sleigh late in the game. Maybe you have
(10:10):
to go for it more and fourth down to extend drives.
Maybe you have to do a fake punt once in
a while to steal a possession. You know, have your
offense help the defense, because the last eight years or whatever,
it's always been the.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Opposite correct, And I know anytime we have a conversation
like this, we immediately get tweets and comments of like,
how can you put blame on the offense.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
They're doing their jobs.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
I'm not blaming it.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
We're not blaming the office.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
It's a team game.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
It's it's a it's a team game, and the official.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Teams has to help them. You know.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
The water boys have to position to the water boys.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, get some more, get some more electrolytes in that
in that water there. But Matt, we also, like I
I I read you the numbers on Monday. I think
it was that the Steelers have been out snapped in
all seven games and out time of possessed in six
of seven games exactly.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
And we've been harper on time possession for two months now.
And it's a problem.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
It's not in that I think some people hear that,
and they go, well, you're blaming the offense. That's that's
not the case at all. But maybe there's also some
something to be said of like we talked about again,
you know, running the ball three times with Jalen Ward
in the second half, running the ball once in your
first two.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Possessions, right, like complimentary football.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Complimentary football.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
And so while the offense has without a doubt been
the better unit for the Steelers this season, I don't
think you can even deny that. I think they could
still be doing a little bit more in this regard.
That's not to blame them or shift anything from the defense.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
Are good, you can help bail.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Us out right. It's looking at him as a positive,
like you.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Can bail We're so used to the Steelers defense bailing
out the offense now that she was on the other foot.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I'm terrible at finances. My wife's a banker, she does
the books. You know what I mean, Like, play to
your strengths, do what you do well, you know what
I mean, Like exactly so. And obviously the crux of
the blame is and this is a stat that I've
cited a lot the last two weeks. Two weeks is
plays per drive. The defense is that the is like
(12:10):
last yes, so you can't have these long drives and
the I know we got a roll, but time of possession.
You can live with losing it once twice. But as
the season goes on, that snowball gets total massive and
just mashes the whole team.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
One hundred and like you said, a.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
Spare we'll start popping up.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
And especially when you've got a veteran a little bit
longer in the tooth defense. That all makes a ton
of sense. Let's talk about that a little bit more.
Dive more into some of these Matt's stats will do
that ahead of talking to our buddy Bob Labriola in
this hour as well too.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
I'm sure he'll be in a delightful mood today.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Probably he needs some he needs some gummy clusters to
put a smile on his face. West Sheeler, Matt Williamson,
It is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network, your teams.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Back on the drive here as we roll along on
a Thursday, nice and sugared up, all full of candy,
getting ready for Halloween here, Matt, I want to continue
talking some stats, talking these Indianapolis Colts with you. Seven
and one, four straight wins, best record in the NFL,
best running back in the NFL this season, yeah player,
(13:43):
one of the better offensive lines in the league. A
tight end that is having a historic rookie season like
Ditka and brock Bauers are the only people that have
put up numbers like Tyler Warren is right now, and
a ton of weapons as you to yesterday at the
wide receiver position. But what scares me a little bit
(14:04):
about the Colts is they also have the sixth best
scoring defense in the National Football League. So it's not
just that they're lighting people up on defense. They have
a very opportunistic uh sorry, it's not just their lighting
people up on offense. They have a very opportunistic defense
as well too, plus eight and turnover differential second best
(14:26):
in the National Football League.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
Then they cause them and they don't turn them over.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
They only have four giveaways, better than everybody but the
Packers and the Eagles. One thing though, that they haven't
been the strongest, uh in a in a department either
is time of possession.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Now, yeah, I wanted to go on that.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Part of that has been more because how successful they've
been on offense.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Sometimes they score quay, sometimes they score quick.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
But like for example, last week against a bad Titans team,
they possess the ball for just a little over twenty
five and a half minutes. Now they still won by
twenty four points. Sure, sure, So dig into that for me,
is this is this the right opponent? Is this the
right opportunity for the Steelers to get that the whole
conversation we just had about getting out snapped in time
of possession, to get that move into the right direction.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
That's my biggest glimmer of hope, and it's more than
a glimmer. But that's for this game is first off,
this defense reminds me a lot of our Minnesota Viking
conversations because Lua and Roumo is very unorthodox. I don't
think they have great players. I don't think they have
bad players. I think they've average defensive talent. Buckner's the star,
(15:38):
but he's not Aaron Donald. I mean, he's really good player.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
He's been a very good player.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Yeah, he's Hayward type guy, you know, stalwart. But they
create a lot of issues with scheme and dropping defensive
lineman like law to the first round pick from two
years ago. He has two interceptions because he's dropping into
spots where the ball is going to be, you know,
like they outsmart people with scheme, which frankly, I'm gonna
(16:02):
take my chance to, you know, take a shot to Bengals.
Bengals had to get rid of this guy because their
their defense was so bad and they're a dummy down
and the defense got worse, Like pretty clear that.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Was not the coordinator well in Cincinnati.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Yes, yes, exactly, because frankly, Indianapolis was a total opposite.
They were last couple of years. They were Pete Carroll
legion of Boom cover three more than anybody in the league.
And I guess their defensive coordinator and Stiching are like
best man in each other's weddings, and it was like, hey,
you gotta fire your best bud, and it worked out
better for the Colts. Frankly. Okay, But one of the
(16:37):
other stats in there that I think is really telling
that obviously reflects the time and possession things that you
mentioned was, you know how he's put team X put
turns a set of downs into a new set of
downs or a touchdown x amount of time. Yes, well
there's I forget who the two worst defenses in the
league in that regard are, But the ones for thirty
(17:01):
are the ones playing in this game. It's the Steelers
and the Colts. Okay, so you could believe that with Steelers,
we stodd Steelers are always on the field. They allow
these guys to keep turning sets of downs into new
sets of downs. You would never think that from the Colts, though,
they do. I mean, when you get the ball, they
allow a lot of long, sustained drives. You gotta be
(17:23):
the winner in that department for this game. Have to,
I mean, and not just like thirty and thirty seconds
to twenty nine and thirty seconds like thirty five to
twenty five. You have the ball the whole time. Daniel
Jones and Jonathan Taylor on the sideline frustrated, you know,
And that doesn't mean you don't pass the ball. But
I think time and possession is more important in this
game than ever and one other notices want to make
(17:46):
with their defense. If you look at all the position
groups on this team, corner is clearly the weakest, and
they've Shdavis Ward's a guy that they counted on. He's hurt.
Howard retired as a starter on opening day, and then
they've had another injury as well. So it's gonna be
a tight rope act. But I think you have to
(18:08):
attack the corners, which doesn't always play well for time
and possession. You always got to win a turnover battle
in a game like this, but you also need to
run the ball and control the clock. Sure, but I
mentioned in Aroumo, the defensive coordinator, and I think he's really,
really good. But Arthur Smith has done battle with him
several times a year when they were in Cincinnati and
Pittsburgh together, and much like Flores, I trust Rogers mentally
(18:32):
more than any quarterback in the league. Yeah, So, can
you guys be at your best against this defense and
hold on to the football and don't settle for field goals,
then you're in it. That doesn't mean you win it,
but then you're in it because you're gonna let up points.
Everybody does.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
The Colts have scored thirty plus points four games in
a row and six of their eight games. Right, I mean,
they're the best offensive league, No, the best offense in
the league. They're gonna score some points they're not turning
the ball over. That to me is a real I
don't even if I want to call it an X factor,
because it's it's maybe at the forefront.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Right, it's the first factor. I mean the first exactly right, Right,
it's if we are going on to X, it's a
you know, I mean, it's first thing you got to.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
A Steelers defense that has been so reliant on splash plays,
a Colts offense that minimizes negative as well as anybody
as well.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
As anyone, right, I mean, there's really few tackles for losses,
very few sacks. Somewhere in there too is Jones, I
think is first in combining interceptions and sacks taken. I mean,
he's right at the top of the league. It might
be third, I mean, but he's one of the best
in the league of combining sacks taken an interception thrown.
(19:39):
He's elite. So chances of really splashing these guys to death,
it's probably pretty minimal, very minimal, yeah, ye, yeah, yeah,
less than most teams.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
This one, too, really stuck out to me and your
your weekly stats packet. Colts are the first team in
the Super Bowl era that's like a sixty year sample size,
long time, pretty significant, first team Super Bowl era to
allow fewer than ten sacks fewer than five turnovers in
their first eight games of the season.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Right, and in most years that's half the season. I
mean now it's slightly under half, but you know, you
get the point.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
And that's how you win, as you're the Pittsburgh Steelers,
just by forcing turnovers and getting after quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Yeah, exactly, exactly. So you know, contrary to popular belief,
the Steelers still do rush the passer really well. Yeah,
no nacks per game. They're near the top of the
league still.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
No doubt, tied with the Colts first, second most and
quarterback hits only behind the Broncos.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
And Steelers didn't nether buy and the other two teams did.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Yeah that's a good.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Yeah. So mean they're hitting the quarterback as much as anyone,
so that's gonna be harder to do. But that's also
your strength is getting after quarterbacks, and you can't almost
get the quarterbacks. Yeah, the last two weeks they've been
awfully Like the craft play where Elliott got hurt, I mean,
like you're there, but horseshoes and grades, you.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Know, horseshoes and hand grenades. Absolutely, Colts plus fourteen sack
ratio in the season, Steelers plus ten.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
Uh, that's one of our big indicators.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
That's it's absolutely good at that absolutely is One thing
that really worries me is this is another kind of
ongoing theme thing that you and I have discussed. Steelers
now negative twenty one and explosive play differential Sunday night
against the Packers certainly did not help in that department.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
I'll be honest, I don't know where that ranks in
the league. It can't be high off the I mean,
it's here to the bottom obviously. I mean, because half
of the league's gonna be above zero and have some
be below. But I just keep I just keep a
spreadsheet in Italian myself, the old school way, and you know,
I look at each game. But it has to be
at the bottom of the league.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
It has to be.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
It has to be the turner differentials. Okay, uh, you know,
big picture, Yeah, sack differential is good, good, but big
play differentials real bad.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
All right, man?
Speaker 2 (21:49):
How about for something encouraging from a Steelers department.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Yeah, there is more than people think.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
By the way, the Colts allow at least one first
down per opponent possession nearly eighty percent of the time,
seventy nine point seven percent of the time. That's thirtieth
out of thirty two teams in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Now, because that's what we're saying, they allow a bit
long sustaining drives bad news.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Though the Steelers are slightly worse.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
They rank thirty first, just behind the It's it's seventy
nine point nine percent of the time. But Matt, that
to me again, in this whole ecosystem of you know,
everything works in concert in football, it's all complimentary football.
You know that term that we use all the time.
Who who can keep their defense off the field the least,
who can extend those drives? Who can who can put
(22:32):
together eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve play.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Drives convert on third down?
Speaker 3 (22:36):
It feels like both offenses have a.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
Fourth and short you go forward instead of like you know,
or you know, if it's sustain the drive.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
If it's fourth and three at.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
The midfield or whatever.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
What even was it though on Sunday against the Packers
was fourth and three at the thirty two yard line.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
I want to say, go to range. Yeah, you're going
for it in that regard this time you get.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Three more you know, time and possession of my defense,
thanks me. And they're fresher in the fourth quarter, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
But that's kind of one of those game within the game,
and we highlight a lot of the things that the
Colts do well, but this is this is an area
where both teams struggles and if you can have the
upper hand in that regard, that to me is a
real will be a real indicator, you know who. The
time of possession is always important, it is, but it
hasn't been again as we alluded to it times for
the Colts, like they had less than toys and blew
(23:25):
out the Titans. You need to keep that dynamic offense
off the field. And if you can't do it by
sacking Indianapolis Jones, if you can't do it by limiting
Jonathan Taylor force and turnovers, limiting Tyler Warren splash plays,
then you have to do it with that Steelers offense.
It has to be we have to see six seven,
(23:47):
eight minute drives of eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve place.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
So I'm close, But usually in an NFL game there's
seventeen eighteen total possessions. You know, some of them might
be a kneel down to in the half that's two
seconds whatever, say eight or nine each at the ten whatever. Yeah,
but if you could make it fifteen, well you got
(24:11):
a better shot, much better, you know what I mean. Huge,
And this isn't one for one, but I use this
example all the time too. Shortening the game against a
better opponent is always a good idea. If this was Mahomes,
if this was Allan, you want to do the exact
same thing to.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Wear out the shot.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
If you're playing against Steph Curry and the Warriors wear
out that shot clock, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (24:29):
This is what that's the example do I use all
the time, Like could I ever win a three point
contest against Steph Curry? Of course I can't, But if
the if the rules were the first one to make one,
I might. If it's first one to make a hundred,
I'll win zero out of a bazillion. But if it's
first one to make a three pointer, maybe he misses
(24:50):
and you make it, I might win. You know what
I mean, Just shorten the game.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
I might win.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I mean still probably not used to have a chance, right,
And then Matt one thing that the Steelers did very well,
uh early in the season, but haven't done well lately.
Is reaching the red zone just one time against the Packers.
We discussed that on Monday.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Three snaps against the Packers in the red zone only
talling in that high red zone area. That's a day.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Yeah, in that thirty to fifty yard range.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Only twenty two percent of Steelers drives have reached the
red zone this season. That is fifth lowest in the
National Football League twenty seven out of thirty two teams.
Only four offenses work sorry, twenty eighth out of thirty
two teams.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
Oh, I think we're convinced. You brought this up with
them summer that they are better in the red zone.
They used to just be bad in the red zone
with Duck.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
And they've been much better. There's one point early on
in this they were like seven of eight in.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
The red zone in the.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
First couple of games.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
Yeah, now they're just like getting there enough.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
That's that's the thing to me. And that's another one
of those if you're at the thirty yard line and it's.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Fourth and short to go for it, maybe.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
You got to be a little bit aggressive.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
But that to me, they did a solid job, particularly
in the first half, not as much in the second half,
but they did a solid job of moving the football
against a good Packers defense.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
It's a lot of field goals, just a lot of
field goals.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And it wasn't, you know, it wasn't twenty three yard
chip shot field goals. Thirty one yard field goals. They
have got to find a way to get one more
first down and get into the red zone exactly, you know,
because once they've gotten into that area with Aaron Rodgers,
with Aaron Rodgers game brain, with the size advantage they
have with guys like Metcalf and Washington, they've been able
(26:34):
to create some matchup air, some matchup problems when they
get down into that shrunken field space.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
And unlike other years, they're throwing the ball across the
goal line as opposed to running the ball across usual
to be give it a nausey three times and pound
away and hope for the best.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Absolutely, absolutely well said. But yeah, that number to me
was kind of glaring when you consider that they've been
successful in the red zone, but only twenty two percent
of their drives, less than one out of four are
getting to the red zone.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
And if you're not playing it run enough plays to
begin with, and they're not enough of a red zone plays,
just a double whammie.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Right, just under fifty five plays per game for the
Steelers offense. That's thirty first out of thirty two teams
in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
That all gets back to time possession and you know,
getting the defense off field and beating Steph Curry to
one as opposed to a thousand, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Right again, this isn't rocket sigence the diagnosis or as
clear as can be. Yeah, yeah, I mean the X
ray machine is up on the board, right, and you're
standing there with the doctor and you got this issue
and that issue, and I think.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
We're doing some good doctor stuff here. Now. Now the
patient has to go execute it and you and I
can't do that, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
But you said you don't have much of a financial background.
What's your medical background?
Speaker 4 (27:46):
Look like?
Speaker 3 (27:46):
There worse, doctor, worse.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
As opposed to you know, the Indianapolis Colts leading the
league thirty three point eight points per game they average,
This is nuts four forty two point three yards per drive,
zero point four touchdowns per drive or draft, which is
just kind of it's crazy impressive. Again, it's for what
(28:13):
their offense is doing, not being, you know, not the
greatest show on turf or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
It is it is.
Speaker 4 (28:24):
It's almost an offense. It really is.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
And good way to put it.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
I've been pumping this up lately because I'm new to
it this year. But the j T. O. Sullivan quarterback
school that he does, he broke down some of them
are you have to pay for some of you don't.
If you do every snap, you have to pay for him.
Some of them just does like briefs and he did
Daniel Jones, So that came out yesterday. I think I
threw it on Twitter just to help him pump it up,
and I thought some of the fans would like it.
(28:51):
But it's pretty impressive. It's not oh this guy's getting
lucky the bust from the Giants. He's making serious throw
and he's throlling with anticipation and he's fitting the scheme
and much like Darnold and Baker when they got to
the right place, he's playing really good football on his level, not.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Oh we got a doubt, Yeah he is. That's that's
a great say he is. He is in the right place.
It's not going to give him.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Sixty million in the off season to be their starter.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
You know, yes, yes, exactly right.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
And but hey, last thing here before we go to break,
get to our buddy about Bob Labriola. You know you
said this, A lot of people said this last week.
You know, never underestimate a professional athlete that's been embarrassed.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
It's Madge's Maridge.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
You and Pursuda and Labs. And I heard dou Lax
say it in the pregame show as well too. Steelers
defense allowed over four hundred and fifty yards of offense
and back to back games for just the second time
in franchise history. That's like a ninety year history of
the Strigler.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
I don't know if they were charting it in thirty eight,
but yeah, probably nobody was putting up then.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Anybody if you were putting up that kind of offensive.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
But even if it's in the Super Bowl era, long time.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Crazy, A long time I would. It's a man, it's
a tough spot.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
But if you can respond and you can perform against
this offense, you can you can carry that forward for
the back half of the season.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
That's the thing. I mean, Yeah, this looks bleak, and
I expect Colts to put a ton of points. But
it's also an opportunity, you know, like maybe you step
up and you slay the dragon, and all of a
sudden Monday we're like, oh, I remember this defense, you know, yeah,
that that happens in this league.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Absolutely the right story, yet, absolutely does That's a great
call by you. We will make a call to our
buddy Bob Labriola when we return, we'll catch up with Labs,
get all his thoughts on the loss of the Packers,
the upcoming challenge of the team with the best record
in the National Football League, the seven to one Indianapolis Colts.
You think we're gonna ask Labs about his favorite Halloween
(30:56):
candy or will he shoot me away? I don't know
if that's his bags. Maybe I'll maybe I'll ask him.
Maybe I'll ask him Sunday before the pregame.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
Shows across as that guy that turns his lights off,
yes when you come, or at best leaves the light
on with the bucket of candy, take one and.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Handy is he giving out like like apples?
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, maybe somebody needs to give us ten pennies wrapped
up in aluminum foil. Throw these at your.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
House, use these to buy some eggs right right right
TP or tree out front.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
We'll talk to Bob labry.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
And he watches if you take two yells at you.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Like a ring camera and comes on. It's like the
voice of God. One piece of candy per child, Bob Labriola.
When we return on the other side, it is the
Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Back on the drive here as we roll along on
a Thursday afternoon, it's time to go to the phone
lines and catch up with the historian, Bob Labriola himself. Folks,
it is Halloween, but every single week of the year
he is the Dean of Doom, the Lord of living
in his fears labs. How we feel in today? The
(32:33):
Steelers have pretty quickly gone from four and one in
the driver's seat feeling good to two straight losses now
maybe gripping that steering wheel a little bit tighter and
without much room to spare. As the team with the
best record in the NFL heads to Akerschure Stadium this weekend.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
Well, here's some Dean of Doom stuff. Every week, the
NFL sends up, you know, a stat package, and on
the last page of the stats package are team rankings
in seventeen offensive and seventeen defensive categories. In the seventeen
(33:15):
offensive categories, the Indianapolis Colts rank in the top six
in sixteen of them.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
I'm not shocked. Pretty good, So there you go.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
If you watched the previous two games Steelers games, I
think that's a fairly ominous I don't know, undertaking.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Maybe yeah, well, I got a positive question for him,
the kicker aside, I think we're all pretty happy with him.
What is the quarterback? What you trust the most to
play well week after week? Right now?
Speaker 5 (33:59):
Oh? Yeah, yeah, I mean, and I don't, you know,
all due respect, I mean I don't think it's close.
And I say that because of how good I think
Aaron Rodgers has been more than you know what the
other guys have not. You know, I I really don't
(34:19):
see what else, what more you could be asking from him?
You know, that's that's realistic. Just you know, his completion
percentage is high, a touchdown to interception ratio. He doesn't
take stupid secks, he doesn't run himself into sacks. You know,
(34:43):
he's he understands the principle of getting rid of the
ball taking the incomplete pass. You know, he doesn't do
that Kenny Pickett thing where he tries to spin out
and runs backwards and then gets then a you know,
six yard sack turns into a twelve yard set. He's
he's accurate and on time, and I you know, I
(35:08):
think that what we're seeing from Roman Wilson is a
good example of what Aaron Rodgers provides, you know, And
that would kind of be my message into the wide
receiver's room, which is this, your job is to get
(35:29):
open and catch the ball when it comes to you,
because he's gonna throw it to you if you are
in fact open, and if you catch it, then when
it comes to you, first of all, you won't be
embarrassed when to hit you in the face if you're
not paying attention. And the other thing is I think
that that will I have him coming back to you
(35:51):
more often. So you know, Aaron Rodgers is kind of
a I don't know his own version of a wide
receivers coach. You know, it's you know a lot of
times when when you were in school, you'd learn you
do some book learning, and then the teacher or a
(36:14):
professor or whatever might supplement it with some practical experience
or you know, practical applications. Well, Aaron Rodgers is the
practical application of everything as a wide receiver. You're learning
in the meeting room. So yeah, I to an that's
a long winded way for me to say to you, Matt. Yes,
(36:36):
he is the second best, and all due respect to Boswell,
who is just you know, money personified. Having a quarterback
at the at the height of his powers is more
significant to an NFL team than a kicker.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
Yeah, some of them. That West I've been saying a
lot the last couple of weeks is Foo, thank you
for bos But I don't want him to be the
team MVP, right, Yeah, something's wrong if hev exactly right.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
Yeah, I mean, you know, this is something I've been doing.
You know, I first got the job with the Steelers
Steelers Digest in nineteen eighty eight, and part of the
you know, the plan all the way back then was
that the game coverage would include a would include me
picking the player of the week. Okay, and I think
(37:29):
I've picked the place kicker. Certainly fewer than five times
in all those years, all those games, and I've picked
Boswell twice already this year. Yeah, and I'm again saying
he doesn't doesn't deserve it, He's not great, all of that,
and none, I'm not saying any of that, but I
(37:49):
just you know, it's it's And again I remember angering
a few place kickers in Steelers' uniforms when in conversation
or on radio shows or whatever, I would say I
didn't think kickers belonged in the Hall of Fame. You know,
I'm not saying that. Well, let's let me put it
(38:10):
this way. I'd vote for a kicker for the Hall
of Fame if there weren't any other real players, right right, right, exactly,
no matter what, no matter what position it is. Because
and then when people say, well, you know, special teams
is one third of the game, Okay, who's the who's
the holder that's going in the Hall of Fame? Then
(38:33):
I mean, if if this is all you know, you
want to cast this as equal, you know, Okay, who's
the best holder in NFL history.
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Who's the best personal protector?
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Yeah, Christian?
Speaker 5 (38:46):
Yeah, So but anyway, uh, you know, that's kind of
as I said, Chris Boswell's you know, if if my
life was hanging in the balance on a made field
goal attempt, he's I pick, I don't care where it's from. Well,
but again, like you said, I don't want them to
(39:06):
be the MVP, right, that's not a good a good
four or a good indicator. That's the word. They want,
a good indicator for the football team.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Yeah, no, absolutely, Labs.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
You know, kind of piggybacking off of what you said
about Aaron Rodgers. There the best game of Roman Wilson's
career by far, scores his first touchdown. You know, you
brought us that stat about how highly ranked the Colts
are in a lot of categories. Matt and I spent
the start of the show going through some impressive numbers.
One area, though, where Indianapolis does not excel. One area
(39:42):
where the Colts have not covered themselves in glory this
year is their past defense twenty ninth out of thirty
two teams, giving up over two hundred and fifty yards
in the air on average per game. Does this feel
like a big opportunity for Aaron Rodgers now with obvious
DK Metcalf doing what he's doing, Calvin Austin back in
(40:03):
the fold and being able to knock that rust off
on Sunday night and Roman Wilson his usage, his confidence
at an all time high. Is there some some hope
in your mind that we could see another one of
those vint? I mean I even hesitate to say vint
to Jaron Rodgers performance because that's like four hundred yards
and five touchdowns. But but a you know, one of
those Sundays where it looks like Aaron Rodgers is still
(40:26):
one of the best doing it and drives the bus
for this offense.
Speaker 5 (40:30):
Well, you know, I all the scenarios, Sunday scenarios, as
I play them through my Dean of Doom mind, there
is not one of them where the Steelers win the
game by scoring fewer than thirty points.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (40:44):
I think I do not see that happening.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
I don't think you can do this game. That coach
this game like it's a rased to twenty. It's a
race to thirty or more.
Speaker 5 (40:54):
Right, Yeah, you know, the obviously, outscoring the opponent is
the object of every game you're ever in. But when
I say outscoring in this particular situation, I'm talking about
big numbers. I you know, thirty to me is the
bare minimum that I think it's going to take to
(41:16):
win the game. And whether that's all from offense, you know,
there could be special teams, who knows, I mean the defense.
If the defense gives up thirty but scores for you, you know.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
To me, that's I would take that, right.
Speaker 5 (41:34):
Yeah, right, I mean, you know, I've always said if
if I'm looking at a corner versus a receiver, if
the corner gives up eight catches but has an interception,
I mean, you know, you start, you know, mitigating some
(41:54):
of these things because a lot of times the impact
of a takeaway can be more than a lot of
the yards gained necessarily by some of the offensive plays.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
So piggybacking off that deal, are you shocked that the
Steelers haven't gotten more defensive splash lately? Well?
Speaker 5 (42:13):
Yeah, I mean I think that that's that's really the
the whole was part of the reason that it was
built this way, with that with that hope, that expectation,
that goal of having more splash, and for.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
The most part, they're really good at it, just not lately.
Speaker 5 (42:31):
Well, right, And you know, so you're you're trying to
you know, I don't, I don't I didn't believe. You know,
I wasn't buying when they had five takeaways against New
England that hole they were lucky, because I don't think
takeaways are luck. I think it's you know, it's study,
(42:52):
it's planning, it's practice, and you also, I think have
to have a skill set assembled that is conducive to that.
So yeah, I'm surprised that it isn't hasn't produced more takeaways.
And really it's it's you know, as they as the
(43:14):
young kids say, it's mission critical that they start taking
the ball away again. The defense has to create splash.
It just does. I just there's it can't survive without
that in the consistent cases, right.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
And that's tough to do against a colts team that
doesn't give up many sacks, doesn't turn the ball over
second or third fewest part of me turnovers in the
NFL this season, They've got a very good offensive line
that makes it more difficult to get after Daniel Jones
with that labs, are you willing to try any different
types of deployment in the secondary. That's something Matt and
(43:56):
I have spent some time on this week as well too.
Moving Jalen Ramsey into more of a safety role using
more Brandon Echols is it? And I don't want to
say like time to push the panic button. But the
Steelers defense has also given up over four hundred and
fifty yards in back to back games for just the
second time in franchise history.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
And the piggyback off it. If I'm shuying, if I'm
stiching right now, I'm going I'm not sure who their
safeties are going to be, but I'm attacking them.
Speaker 5 (44:20):
Yeah, oh the Steelers safeties. Yes, yeah, well I mean
that to me, that to me is pretty obvious when
you look at No Deshaun Elliott plus even when he
was playing some of the issues you were having at
that position. Uh, you know, I don't know about moving
(44:41):
guys around. I mean I don't. I don't. When I
say I don't know about it, and I'm not saying
I'm discounting it, I don't. I literally do not know.
But what I would like to see or hope that
they try is whatever they decide to do, it's something
that they can actually do it. You know. The the
(45:02):
sometimes I think it's too complicated football. They make it
too complicated. I would rather whatever the coverage is supposed
to be against the Colts on Sunday. I would like
everybody to know what it is for sure before the snap,
and then all they have to think about is executing
(45:22):
it because this, you know, how things change the snap
with a ball and a guy goes in motion or
how far does he go in motion and that changing
for this to that, and hey, forget all that stuff.
It's the busts, the plays that end with a couple
of guys like looking at each other like, well, what
(45:44):
were you doing? What did you see there? I mean
that needs to end. And let these guys because I
think a lot of them have pedigree, they have some
impressive resumes. Let them play, you know, just let them play.
And just because you know this, this group of in
(46:05):
the secondary was assembled with the idea of matching up
and playing man coverage. Okay, if that can't work, throw
it away right now. I mean, I don't I hate that.
I get into this argument with Mike Pursuit every now
and then. You know, he always wants to play more
man demand and he says, well, that's why they brought
those guys here. Well, yeah they did. But if it
(46:27):
doesn't work, I mean, I'm not going to continue. I
don't think it's you should feel the need to continue
to try to make that work. You know, play something else.
It can be something else, and it can be something
else if you get some pass rush.
Speaker 4 (46:45):
You can't put your players in positions that they're not.
Speaker 5 (46:47):
Good at right or again, and you know, they might
even be good at some of those positions if they
knew what they were. I just I don't know. I
don't know anything. You know, I'm making a lot of
definitive statements here. I don't necessarily know that it's too complicated.
(47:07):
It just seems to me, you know, watching the games,
especially when you're there, and the body language and what
goes on after some of the plays, and when the
units come off the field, the reaction from the sideline,
the assistant coaches on the sideline. You know, it just
(47:30):
seems that there is too much quote unquote miscommunication. There is,
and I don't know why. And again I you know,
as I said, I don't know why. But at some point,
I think the best way to try and maybe stop
the bleeding with this group is simplify it and just
(47:53):
you know, let them play and try and execute whatever
the coverage is to the best of your abilities. If
you get beat, you get beat and hope that your
front seven can start making some plays too to help
you out.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (48:15):
Easier, maybe easier said than done against this Colts offense,
but way.
Speaker 5 (48:19):
Easier said than done, young fellow, Way easier said than done.
And I understand that one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
Yeah, But you know the bright spot in that, though, Labs,
is if you can get it moving in the right
direction against these guys, you can you can do it
against pretty much anybody.
Speaker 5 (48:34):
Well, let me throw this out there too, And you
know you're looking for silver linings. You know, you tried
to give me a good stat I'm going to try
and throw one back at you. We know from you know,
a covering the Steelers for years that there are certain
top teams at certain venues that historically give the Steelers problems. Well,
(48:58):
the Steelers in Pittsburgh historically give the Colts problems. You
can go back with. You know, even when that franchise
was in Baltimore, the Colts in Pittsburgh usually did not
end well for them, So who knows. I mean, this
is exactly, this is exactly the kind of NFL game
(49:19):
that you look at and say, there is no way
X is gonna be y and X exactly beats.
Speaker 2 (49:28):
Why in that in that game, any given any given labs,
any given.
Speaker 5 (49:34):
Sunday, yep, I mean, you know the Packers in the
Browns that wasn't a loss. But yeah, to me, it
was the Giants in the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (49:48):
Yeah, hey, even the Jets and the Bengals this past Sunday.
Speaker 5 (49:53):
Uh So there you go, just when you think it can't,
it does.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
How about that the Lord of living in his fears,
the Dean of Doom with some professor of positivity to
get us out of here.
Speaker 4 (50:06):
Only for you Ray of Sunshine, and I got it.
Speaker 5 (50:09):
Okay. You know we were talking a lot about place
kickers and their significance and all that stuff. You don't
want the placekicker to be your MVP, either, one of you.
Two know the last time and a placekicker was voted
NFL MVP Mark Moseley. What's that?
Speaker 4 (50:28):
Mark Moseley in the strike year?
Speaker 5 (50:31):
Okay, the hell with you, William.
Speaker 4 (50:34):
I was alive then that was ten or so.
Speaker 5 (50:36):
Yeah, so it was but anyway.
Speaker 4 (50:40):
Weird year though, I mean there was he was young.
There's a bunch of scabs, right, and he no.
Speaker 5 (50:47):
No, the Scabs were in eighty seven.
Speaker 4 (50:50):
Okay, okay, eighty.
Speaker 5 (50:53):
Two was the nine game season.
Speaker 4 (50:55):
See I don't know that much. Here you go, yeah,
you still got anyway.
Speaker 5 (50:59):
It was a.
Speaker 4 (51:01):
Right, right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (51:04):
The Great, the Great Bob Labriol.
Speaker 2 (51:05):
To make sure you're checking out all his works Steelers
dot Com listening to him on the pregame show with
Jerry Dulac and Mike Persuda, beginning at eleven am on Sunday. Labs,
thank you for the time as always, and we'll see
this weekend. There he goes, the Dean of doom, the
lord of living in his fears, maybe the professor of positivity.
Speaker 3 (51:27):
We'll see.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
That's an hour in the books, another hour to go.
More Matt stats, some of your tweets as well too.
It's a Thursday. Let's get, let's get. Let's get on
the tweets as well too. If you've got questions, we've
hopefully got answers at wesle Yuler at Williamson, NFL.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
Halfway Home. It's the Drive 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 (00:21):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation. It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. West Shuler. Matt Williamson here with plenty to
discuss on a Thursday afternoon. But Matt, before we do that,
we had a rousing reception to our brief five minute
Halloween candy conversation on the show yesterday, and you for
(00:43):
those watching on YouTube, I'm holding it.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Up here right now.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Brought in some Nerds gummy clusters. We're available for sponsorship,
by the way, so great by you. You've never had
one of these. Let's get right into it here.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
In the same Halloween I could pick up stuff at
CV yesterday and I'm walking down and I'm like, oh,
I'll be going out of the cab the Alan try
to see if these things really exist. So they're little,
and I thought that gonna be like big, like.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Okay, and no, they're almost like like the size of
like a stick of gum or something, you know what
I mean, Like a little little piece of orbit gum
or something like that.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
These are rainbow. There's only one flavor. Is there a
variety there's two.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
There's rainbow and there's mixed berry. I think I like
Burry a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
But I'm doing Hey cheers TV for you. Yeah, all
the equipment listen.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
If you're somebody who normally watches in podcasts for you
gotta at least uh, at least watch the start of
this one here.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Not too bad. How what are your thoughts they get
right away?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Yeah, yeah, it's nice.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You get the crunch, but the softness at the same time.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Are you chewing or are you letting it just mellow.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
A little bit. I kind of take like one chomp
and then flying mellow.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
And you know what it reminds me of is like
a good loaf of like French bag at bread, crunchy
on the outside, soft on the inside.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
TV's lapping at me over there.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Chewing changes everything everything.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I see the allure you not not too shabby, right, Well,
that'll do it for our food Nation, our candy Nation.
Radio segment of the day more next break, probably have
plenty of those. During break, too bad, we got labs
on the phone and not in studio. We could have
gotten labs.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Take here.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
He will join us in the first hour here on
a Thursday as always, Matt, we have got not bad.
I really like those a lot, and I'm sure, like
I was telling you, you have a bag next of
those next to you and you're watching the gaming or
you're watching a movie or something. The next thing you're
reaching down and you're like, oh, they're all gone. You
know those went, Those went real quick.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Yeah, it makes berry sounds attractive to definitely my choice.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
That's good.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
We'll have to have to switch it up to there's
still maybe I'll bring you a bag of mixed berry
in uh here in the in the next day or so.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
But we have got plenty to get into.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Other than some Halloween some Halloween candy taste testing here
in our studios today, Matt, let's jump right into Matt's Stats.
It's this is typically where we begin and dive in
on a Thursday, and.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
I got a quick Matt's Stats story that happened two
minutes ago. So again, I was down at the facility
of the day. Every every Thursday, Missy Rob and I
do a video and actually a couple of people down
there were enjoying our candy segment, and so I brought
up this these gummy nerds and Missy's like my kids
love them. They're they're the favorite thing ever. And for
whatever reason, Rob was talking whining. Actually yeah, yeah, big
(03:27):
celebrity whining about his printer issues and he's and as
I was getting coffee right now, I get a text
from Rob saying, all kinds of going on. That's why
my alarm to order dinner. Geez. Lots going on in
this segment. Not the typical opening of the drive anyways.
(03:48):
I get a text from Rob as my coffee is
being made that I haven't even touched Yak's too hot.
First thing I have to print out with my printer.
I was lose my mind.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Matt's stats, let's go. Of course, I love it. I
love it. Yes, it is.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
There are there are some who are privy to this information,
although now it's it's all on Steelers dot com as
well too for those who who want to read it themselves,
follow along, take notes, whatever the case may be. And Matt,
I want to start here with you. It was the
kind of your stat that I teased at the end
of last night show, and we said it was about
(04:22):
the Steelers defense and how you can kind of slice
it two ways. You can look at this as encouraging
or as concerning. And here's what it is. The Steelers
defense points allowed by quarter three point seven in the
first quarter. That is twelfth best in the National Football League.
That's pretty good, pretty good, little above average.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
That might surprise people. That's slightly above average.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Second quarter five point seven points allowed. That's tenth best
in the league.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Getting better, getting better. I mean that's definitely above average.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Top ten third quarter points in the league. Three point nine.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
That doesn't sound bad.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Best in the National Football League.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
It's a problem.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
That's really good.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Top three quarters, you're well above average.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Matt, well above average, well above average Matt. The fourth quarter,
they are dead last, thirty second out of thirty two
teams in the NFL, allowing an average of eleven point
seven points per fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
They are the only.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Team in the league that is above eleven points per
fourth quarter allowed.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Yeah, and I think there's twenty eight that are below ten.
So this is kind of a distant last. Yes, And
to sum it up, forty seven percent of their points
come allowed in the fourth quarter. Forty seven percent. That's
really bad.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah, I mean, for that quarter, it's not good.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
So I forget. I actually I put this on Twitter,
and sports Chasers wrote back, seems like that's that seems
like a well defined problem, And I'm like, that's a
really good way of putting it because we know it's
a problem. We know the points allowed period is a problem.
I mean, well over thirty, you know, last two games.
(06:09):
But I think I'm kind of like happy about it
though too. It's like, well, it's always that doctor's office thing.
I'm like, hey, well I let up too many points.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
I hear all your symptoms, but what's our diagnosis.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Yeah, well, well well your brother pressures do hi you? You know?
But whatever, So how can you alleviate that? I think
there's several reasons. I mean, and the people inside the
walls and know a thousand times better than me. But
watching every game, and just if you told me about
Carnegie Melons doing the same thing, I'd say the exact
same thing. Sure, immediately, I would say fatigue. Playing sixty
(06:42):
minutes and four quarters of football's really hard. But to
take it up a level with the Steelers, we know
they're not young on that side of the ball. I
wouldn't say that they're riddled with injuries and super lean
or anything, but they're on the field way too much. Yes,
So from that perspective, I think you have to look
at it as a team problem. Now, well, how can
(07:04):
we help our ailing defense. We need to sustain the
ball a little bit more. On offense, we need to
run the ball maybe a little bit more. That doesn't
mean you don't abandon the run or anything like that,
but you might have to emphasize holding the football longer
on offense and maybe your defense holds up longer. Now,
(07:24):
this isn't uncommon in the league. That's an extreme, extreme case,
and that's a problem, problem, problem, But often late in games,
especially against great quarterbacks, the damn breaks, you know, like
we've seen many instances totally whoever.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Is a ball asking to win, We saw them.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
She was on the other foot when you had prime
Ben Roethlisberger, no question. How many times the Ravens would
be frustrating the Steelers and then in the fourth quarter
gotta have it. Here comes Ben Santonio or ab right
and they find a way to score when they have to.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
And clutch is certainly a real thing. Like people have
written articles in football, clutch doesn't matter, of course, it matters,
absolutely does, but it also is smart quarterbacks coordinators figure
stuff out as the game goes on, and they don't
allow the defense to just hit pause and run and
do a new practice and install a new game thing
exactly right, you know. So it's true for Rogers' career
(08:16):
and as a Steeler, I mean, like, fourth quarters harder
to play defense, You're more tired, fatigue favors the offense.
You know, you're coming off the ball, your reactionary position.
But in this case it's so extreme. I think you
have to look toward the collective defensive age and do
whatever you can to remedy that. And kind of what
(08:37):
I went was saying too, is it also looks like
you're getting figured out, you know what I mean, Like,
I think the coaches need to look at things and
be like, maybe it's not perfect through three quarters. I mean,
I'm not saying that they're the seventy six Steelers through
three quarters. We've all watched the games. But these numbers
I think are massively reflective on your diagnotion. I can
(08:58):
live with the first three quarter. There's more than we'll
win a lot of games being tenth in points scored,
you know, through through three quarters, But what am I
doing wrong in the fourth quarter as a play caller,
as a designer, or putting my players in the position
to succeed. So I was kind of happy to see this.
To me, this is better than a weird way.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
It is kind of comforting.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Yeah, it's better than being twenty fifth, twenty third, twenty
second and twenty six, like you're bad all the time,
you know, ast.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
You're wondering for the wandering through the wilderness, like looking
for a roadmap. Here it's laid out right.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
Now, it is.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Here's your problem, right, you know. I mean I went
to the doctor. The doctor said, you're you're limping. Well,
it's because this certain tendon isn't working. Okay, well how
do I get that tendon working?
Speaker 5 (09:40):
All? Right? Now?
Speaker 4 (09:41):
We can figure it out from that.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You don't have to amputate your leg right right, right,
this one.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
It's just one issue. Now, Am I trying to blow
smoke that all of a sudden, Steel d is going
to be great?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
No?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
You know, I don't even know if they're aware of this,
you know, but I'm sure they are. But to me,
that was kind of very enlightening but also kind of encouraging.
You know, how can we lighten the load on Hayward
Watt Ramsey Sleigh late in the game. Maybe you have
(10:10):
to go for it more and fourth down to extend drives.
Maybe you have to do a fake punt once in
a while to steal a possession. You know, have your
offense help the defense, because the last eight years or whatever,
it's always been the.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Opposite correct, And I know anytime we have a conversation
like this, we immediately get tweets and comments of like,
how can you put blame on the offense.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
They're doing their jobs.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
I'm not blaming it.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
We're not blaming the office.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
It's a team game.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
It's it's a it's a team game, and the official.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Teams has to help them. You know.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
The water boys have to position to the water boys.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, get some more, get some more electrolytes in that
in that water there. But Matt, we also, like I
I I read you the numbers on Monday. I think
it was that the Steelers have been out snapped in
all seven games and out time of possessed in six
of seven games exactly.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
And we've been harper on time possession for two months now.
And it's a problem.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
It's not in that I think some people hear that,
and they go, well, you're blaming the offense. That's that's
not the case at all. But maybe there's also some
something to be said of like we talked about again,
you know, running the ball three times with Jalen Ward
in the second half, running the ball once in your
first two.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Possessions, right, like complimentary football.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Complimentary football.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
And so while the offense has without a doubt been
the better unit for the Steelers this season, I don't
think you can even deny that. I think they could
still be doing a little bit more in this regard.
That's not to blame them or shift anything from the defense.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
Are good, you can help bail.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Us out right. It's looking at him as a positive,
like you.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Can bail We're so used to the Steelers defense bailing
out the offense now that she was on the other foot.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I'm terrible at finances. My wife's a banker, she does
the books. You know what I mean, Like, play to
your strengths, do what you do well, you know what
I mean, Like exactly so. And obviously the crux of
the blame is and this is a stat that I've
cited a lot the last two weeks. Two weeks is
plays per drive. The defense is that the is like
(12:10):
last yes, so you can't have these long drives and
the I know we got a roll, but time of possession.
You can live with losing it once twice. But as
the season goes on, that snowball gets total massive and
just mashes the whole team.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
One hundred and like you said, a.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
Spare we'll start popping up.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
And especially when you've got a veteran a little bit
longer in the tooth defense. That all makes a ton
of sense. Let's talk about that a little bit more.
Dive more into some of these Matt's stats will do
that ahead of talking to our buddy Bob Labriola in
this hour as well too.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
I'm sure he'll be in a delightful mood today.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Probably he needs some he needs some gummy clusters to
put a smile on his face. West Sheeler, Matt Williamson,
It is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network, your teams.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Back on the drive here as we roll along on
a Thursday, nice and sugared up, all full of candy,
getting ready for Halloween here, Matt, I want to continue
talking some stats, talking these Indianapolis Colts with you. Seven
and one, four straight wins, best record in the NFL,
best running back in the NFL this season, yeah player,
(13:43):
one of the better offensive lines in the league. A
tight end that is having a historic rookie season like
Ditka and brock Bauers are the only people that have
put up numbers like Tyler Warren is right now, and
a ton of weapons as you to yesterday at the
wide receiver position. But what scares me a little bit
(14:04):
about the Colts is they also have the sixth best
scoring defense in the National Football League. So it's not
just that they're lighting people up on defense. They have
a very opportunistic uh sorry, it's not just their lighting
people up on offense. They have a very opportunistic defense
as well too, plus eight and turnover differential second best
(14:26):
in the National Football League.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
Then they cause them and they don't turn them over.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
They only have four giveaways, better than everybody but the
Packers and the Eagles. One thing though, that they haven't
been the strongest, uh in a in a department either
is time of possession.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Now, yeah, I wanted to go on that.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Part of that has been more because how successful they've
been on offense.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Sometimes they score quay, sometimes they score quick.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
But like for example, last week against a bad Titans team,
they possess the ball for just a little over twenty
five and a half minutes. Now they still won by
twenty four points. Sure, sure, So dig into that for me,
is this is this the right opponent? Is this the
right opportunity for the Steelers to get that the whole
conversation we just had about getting out snapped in time
of possession, to get that move into the right direction.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
That's my biggest glimmer of hope, and it's more than
a glimmer. But that's for this game is first off,
this defense reminds me a lot of our Minnesota Viking
conversations because Lua and Roumo is very unorthodox. I don't
think they have great players. I don't think they have
bad players. I think they've average defensive talent. Buckner's the star,
(15:38):
but he's not Aaron Donald. I mean, he's really good player.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
He's been a very good player.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Yeah, he's Hayward type guy, you know, stalwart. But they
create a lot of issues with scheme and dropping defensive
lineman like law to the first round pick from two
years ago. He has two interceptions because he's dropping into
spots where the ball is going to be, you know,
like they outsmart people with scheme, which frankly, I'm gonna
(16:02):
take my chance to, you know, take a shot to Bengals.
Bengals had to get rid of this guy because their
their defense was so bad and they're a dummy down
and the defense got worse, Like pretty clear that.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Was not the coordinator well in Cincinnati.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Yes, yes, exactly, because frankly, Indianapolis was a total opposite.
They were last couple of years. They were Pete Carroll
legion of Boom cover three more than anybody in the league.
And I guess their defensive coordinator and Stiching are like
best man in each other's weddings, and it was like, hey,
you gotta fire your best bud, and it worked out
better for the Colts. Frankly. Okay, But one of the
(16:37):
other stats in there that I think is really telling
that obviously reflects the time and possession things that you
mentioned was, you know how he's put team X put
turns a set of downs into a new set of
downs or a touchdown x amount of time. Yes, well
there's I forget who the two worst defenses in the
league in that regard are, But the ones for thirty
(17:01):
are the ones playing in this game. It's the Steelers
and the Colts. Okay, so you could believe that with Steelers,
we stodd Steelers are always on the field. They allow
these guys to keep turning sets of downs into new
sets of downs. You would never think that from the Colts, though,
they do. I mean, when you get the ball, they
allow a lot of long, sustained drives. You gotta be
(17:23):
the winner in that department for this game. Have to,
I mean, and not just like thirty and thirty seconds
to twenty nine and thirty seconds like thirty five to
twenty five. You have the ball the whole time. Daniel
Jones and Jonathan Taylor on the sideline frustrated, you know,
And that doesn't mean you don't pass the ball. But
I think time and possession is more important in this
game than ever and one other notices want to make
(17:46):
with their defense. If you look at all the position
groups on this team, corner is clearly the weakest, and
they've Shdavis Ward's a guy that they counted on. He's hurt.
Howard retired as a starter on opening day, and then
they've had another injury as well. So it's gonna be
a tight rope act. But I think you have to
(18:08):
attack the corners, which doesn't always play well for time
and possession. You always got to win a turnover battle
in a game like this, but you also need to
run the ball and control the clock. Sure, but I
mentioned in Aroumo, the defensive coordinator, and I think he's really,
really good. But Arthur Smith has done battle with him
several times a year when they were in Cincinnati and
Pittsburgh together, and much like Flores, I trust Rogers mentally
(18:32):
more than any quarterback in the league. Yeah, So, can
you guys be at your best against this defense and
hold on to the football and don't settle for field goals,
then you're in it. That doesn't mean you win it,
but then you're in it because you're gonna let up points.
Everybody does.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
The Colts have scored thirty plus points four games in
a row and six of their eight games. Right, I mean,
they're the best offensive league, No, the best offense in
the league. They're gonna score some points they're not turning
the ball over. That to me is a real I
don't even if I want to call it an X factor,
because it's it's maybe at the forefront.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Right, it's the first factor. I mean the first exactly right, Right,
it's if we are going on to X, it's a
you know, I mean, it's first thing you got to.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
A Steelers defense that has been so reliant on splash plays,
a Colts offense that minimizes negative as well as anybody
as well.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
As anyone, right, I mean, there's really few tackles for losses,
very few sacks. Somewhere in there too is Jones, I
think is first in combining interceptions and sacks taken. I mean,
he's right at the top of the league. It might
be third, I mean, but he's one of the best
in the league of combining sacks taken an interception thrown.
(19:39):
He's elite. So chances of really splashing these guys to death,
it's probably pretty minimal, very minimal, yeah, ye, yeah, yeah,
less than most teams.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
This one, too, really stuck out to me and your
your weekly stats packet. Colts are the first team in
the Super Bowl era that's like a sixty year sample size,
long time, pretty significant, first team Super Bowl era to
allow fewer than ten sacks fewer than five turnovers in
their first eight games of the season.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Right, and in most years that's half the season. I
mean now it's slightly under half, but you know, you
get the point.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
And that's how you win, as you're the Pittsburgh Steelers,
just by forcing turnovers and getting after quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Yeah, exactly, exactly. So you know, contrary to popular belief,
the Steelers still do rush the passer really well. Yeah,
no nacks per game. They're near the top of the
league still.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
No doubt, tied with the Colts first, second most and
quarterback hits only behind the Broncos.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
And Steelers didn't nether buy and the other two teams did.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Yeah that's a good.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Yeah. So mean they're hitting the quarterback as much as anyone,
so that's gonna be harder to do. But that's also
your strength is getting after quarterbacks, and you can't almost
get the quarterbacks. Yeah, the last two weeks they've been
awfully Like the craft play where Elliott got hurt, I mean,
like you're there, but horseshoes and grades, you.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Know, horseshoes and hand grenades. Absolutely, Colts plus fourteen sack
ratio in the season, Steelers plus ten.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
Uh, that's one of our big indicators.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
That's it's absolutely good at that absolutely is One thing
that really worries me is this is another kind of
ongoing theme thing that you and I have discussed. Steelers
now negative twenty one and explosive play differential Sunday night
against the Packers certainly did not help in that department.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
I'll be honest, I don't know where that ranks in
the league. It can't be high off the I mean,
it's here to the bottom obviously. I mean, because half
of the league's gonna be above zero and have some
be below. But I just keep I just keep a
spreadsheet in Italian myself, the old school way, and you know,
I look at each game. But it has to be
at the bottom of the league.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
It has to be.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
It has to be the turner differentials. Okay, uh, you know,
big picture, Yeah, sack differential is good, good, but big
play differentials real bad.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
All right, man?
Speaker 2 (21:49):
How about for something encouraging from a Steelers department.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
Yeah, there is more than people think.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
By the way, the Colts allow at least one first
down per opponent possession nearly eighty percent of the time,
seventy nine point seven percent of the time. That's thirtieth
out of thirty two teams in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Now, because that's what we're saying, they allow a bit
long sustaining drives bad news.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Though the Steelers are slightly worse.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
They rank thirty first, just behind the It's it's seventy
nine point nine percent of the time. But Matt, that
to me again, in this whole ecosystem of you know,
everything works in concert in football, it's all complimentary football.
You know that term that we use all the time.
Who who can keep their defense off the field the least,
who can extend those drives? Who can who can put
(22:32):
together eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve play.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Drives convert on third down?
Speaker 3 (22:36):
It feels like both offenses have a.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
Fourth and short you go forward instead of like you know,
or you know, if it's sustain the drive.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
If it's fourth and three at.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
The midfield or whatever.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
What even was it though on Sunday against the Packers
was fourth and three at the thirty two yard line.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
I want to say, go to range. Yeah, you're going
for it in that regard this time you get.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Three more you know, time and possession of my defense,
thanks me. And they're fresher in the fourth quarter, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
But that's kind of one of those game within the game,
and we highlight a lot of the things that the
Colts do well, but this is this is an area
where both teams struggles and if you can have the
upper hand in that regard, that to me is a
real will be a real indicator, you know who. The
time of possession is always important, it is, but it
hasn't been again as we alluded to it times for
the Colts, like they had less than toys and blew
(23:25):
out the Titans. You need to keep that dynamic offense
off the field. And if you can't do it by
sacking Indianapolis Jones, if you can't do it by limiting
Jonathan Taylor force and turnovers, limiting Tyler Warren splash plays,
then you have to do it with that Steelers offense.
It has to be we have to see six seven,
(23:47):
eight minute drives of eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve place.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
So I'm close, But usually in an NFL game there's
seventeen eighteen total possessions. You know, some of them might
be a kneel down to in the half that's two
seconds whatever, say eight or nine each at the ten whatever. Yeah,
but if you could make it fifteen, well you got
(24:11):
a better shot, much better, you know what I mean. Huge,
And this isn't one for one, but I use this
example all the time too. Shortening the game against a
better opponent is always a good idea. If this was Mahomes,
if this was Allan, you want to do the exact
same thing to.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Wear out the shot.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
If you're playing against Steph Curry and the Warriors wear
out that shot clock, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (24:29):
This is what that's the example do I use all
the time, Like could I ever win a three point
contest against Steph Curry? Of course I can't, But if
the if the rules were the first one to make one,
I might. If it's first one to make a hundred,
I'll win zero out of a bazillion. But if it's
first one to make a three pointer, maybe he misses
(24:50):
and you make it, I might win. You know what
I mean, Just shorten the game.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
I might win.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I mean still probably not used to have a chance, right,
And then Matt one thing that the Steelers did very well,
uh early in the season, but haven't done well lately.
Is reaching the red zone just one time against the Packers.
We discussed that on Monday.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
Three snaps against the Packers in the red zone only
talling in that high red zone area. That's a day.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Yeah, in that thirty to fifty yard range.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Only twenty two percent of Steelers drives have reached the
red zone this season. That is fifth lowest in the
National Football League twenty seven out of thirty two teams.
Only four offenses work sorry, twenty eighth out of thirty
two teams.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
Oh, I think we're convinced. You brought this up with
them summer that they are better in the red zone.
They used to just be bad in the red zone
with Duck.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
And they've been much better. There's one point early on
in this they were like seven of eight in.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
The red zone in the.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
First couple of games.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
Yeah, now they're just like getting there enough.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
That's that's the thing to me. And that's another one
of those if you're at the thirty yard line and it's.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Fourth and short to go for it, maybe.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
You got to be a little bit aggressive.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
But that to me, they did a solid job, particularly
in the first half, not as much in the second half,
but they did a solid job of moving the football
against a good Packers defense.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
It's a lot of field goals, just a lot of
field goals.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And it wasn't, you know, it wasn't twenty three yard
chip shot field goals. Thirty one yard field goals. They
have got to find a way to get one more
first down and get into the red zone exactly, you know,
because once they've gotten into that area with Aaron Rodgers,
with Aaron Rodgers game brain, with the size advantage they
have with guys like Metcalf and Washington, they've been able
(26:34):
to create some matchup air, some matchup problems when they
get down into that shrunken field space.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
And unlike other years, they're throwing the ball across the
goal line as opposed to running the ball across usual
to be give it a nausey three times and pound
away and hope for the best.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Absolutely, absolutely well said. But yeah, that number to me
was kind of glaring when you consider that they've been
successful in the red zone, but only twenty two percent
of their drives, less than one out of four are
getting to the red zone.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
And if you're not playing it run enough plays to
begin with, and they're not enough of a red zone plays,
just a double whammie.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Right, just under fifty five plays per game for the
Steelers offense. That's thirty first out of thirty two teams
in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (27:15):
That all gets back to time possession and you know,
getting the defense off field and beating Steph Curry to
one as opposed to a thousand, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Right again, this isn't rocket sigence the diagnosis or as
clear as can be. Yeah, yeah, I mean the X
ray machine is up on the board, right, and you're
standing there with the doctor and you got this issue
and that issue, and I think.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
We're doing some good doctor stuff here. Now. Now the
patient has to go execute it and you and I
can't do that, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
But you said you don't have much of a financial background.
What's your medical background?
Speaker 4 (27:46):
Look like?
Speaker 3 (27:46):
There worse, doctor, worse.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
As opposed to you know, the Indianapolis Colts leading the
league thirty three point eight points per game they average,
This is nuts four forty two point three yards per drive,
zero point four touchdowns per drive or draft, which is
just kind of it's crazy impressive. Again, it's for what
(28:13):
their offense is doing, not being, you know, not the
greatest show on turf or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
It is it is.
Speaker 4 (28:24):
It's almost an offense. It really is.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
And good way to put it.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
I've been pumping this up lately because I'm new to
it this year. But the j T. O. Sullivan quarterback
school that he does, he broke down some of them
are you have to pay for some of you don't.
If you do every snap, you have to pay for him.
Some of them just does like briefs and he did
Daniel Jones, So that came out yesterday. I think I
threw it on Twitter just to help him pump it up,
and I thought some of the fans would like it.
(28:51):
But it's pretty impressive. It's not oh this guy's getting
lucky the bust from the Giants. He's making serious throw
and he's throlling with anticipation and he's fitting the scheme
and much like Darnold and Baker when they got to
the right place, he's playing really good football on his level, not.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Oh we got a doubt, Yeah he is. That's that's
a great say he is. He is in the right place.
It's not going to give him.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
Sixty million in the off season to be their starter.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
You know, yes, yes, exactly right.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
And but hey, last thing here before we go to break,
get to our buddy about Bob Labriola. You know you
said this, A lot of people said this last week.
You know, never underestimate a professional athlete that's been embarrassed.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
It's Madge's Maridge.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
You and Pursuda and Labs. And I heard dou Lax
say it in the pregame show as well too. Steelers
defense allowed over four hundred and fifty yards of offense
and back to back games for just the second time
in franchise history. That's like a ninety year history of
the Strigler.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
I don't know if they were charting it in thirty eight,
but yeah, probably nobody was putting up then.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Anybody if you were putting up that kind of offensive.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
But even if it's in the Super Bowl era, long time.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Crazy, A long time I would. It's a man, it's
a tough spot.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
But if you can respond and you can perform against
this offense, you can you can carry that forward for
the back half of the season.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
That's the thing. I mean, Yeah, this looks bleak, and
I expect Colts to put a ton of points. But
it's also an opportunity, you know, like maybe you step
up and you slay the dragon, and all of a
sudden Monday we're like, oh, I remember this defense, you know, yeah,
that that happens in this league.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Absolutely the right story, yet, absolutely does That's a great
call by you. We will make a call to our
buddy Bob Labriola when we return, we'll catch up with Labs,
get all his thoughts on the loss of the Packers,
the upcoming challenge of the team with the best record
in the National Football League, the seven to one Indianapolis Colts.
You think we're gonna ask Labs about his favorite Halloween
(30:56):
candy or will he shoot me away? I don't know
if that's his bags. Maybe I'll maybe I'll ask him.
Maybe I'll ask him Sunday before the pregame.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
Shows across as that guy that turns his lights off,
yes when you come, or at best leaves the light
on with the bucket of candy, take one and.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Handy is he giving out like like apples?
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Yeah, maybe somebody needs to give us ten pennies wrapped
up in aluminum foil. Throw these at your.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
House, use these to buy some eggs right right right
TP or tree out front.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
We'll talk to Bob labry.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
And he watches if you take two yells at you.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Like a ring camera and comes on. It's like the
voice of God. One piece of candy per child, Bob Labriola.
When we return on the other side, it is the
Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Back on the drive here as we roll along on
a Thursday afternoon, it's time to go to the phone
lines and catch up with the historian, Bob Labriola himself. Folks,
it is Halloween, but every single week of the year
he is the Dean of Doom, the Lord of living
in his fears labs. How we feel in today? The
(32:33):
Steelers have pretty quickly gone from four and one in
the driver's seat feeling good to two straight losses now
maybe gripping that steering wheel a little bit tighter and
without much room to spare. As the team with the
best record in the NFL heads to Akerschure Stadium this weekend.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
Well, here's some Dean of Doom stuff. Every week, the
NFL sends up, you know, a stat package, and on
the last page of the stats package are team rankings
in seventeen offensive and seventeen defensive categories. In the seventeen
(33:15):
offensive categories, the Indianapolis Colts rank in the top six
in sixteen of them.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
I'm not shocked. Pretty good, So there you go.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
If you watched the previous two games Steelers games, I
think that's a fairly ominous I don't know, undertaking.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
Maybe yeah, well, I got a positive question for him,
the kicker aside, I think we're all pretty happy with him.
What is the quarterback? What you trust the most to
play well week after week? Right now?
Speaker 5 (33:59):
Oh? Yeah, yeah, I mean, and I don't, you know,
all due respect, I mean I don't think it's close.
And I say that because of how good I think
Aaron Rodgers has been more than you know what the
other guys have not. You know, I I really don't
(34:19):
see what else, what more you could be asking from him?
You know, that's that's realistic. Just you know, his completion
percentage is high, a touchdown to interception ratio. He doesn't
take stupid secks, he doesn't run himself into sacks. You know,
(34:43):
he's he understands the principle of getting rid of the
ball taking the incomplete pass. You know, he doesn't do
that Kenny Pickett thing where he tries to spin out
and runs backwards and then gets then a you know,
six yard sack turns into a twelve yard set. He's
he's accurate and on time, and I you know, I
(35:08):
think that what we're seeing from Roman Wilson is a
good example of what Aaron Rodgers provides, you know, And
that would kind of be my message into the wide
receiver's room, which is this, your job is to get
(35:29):
open and catch the ball when it comes to you,
because he's gonna throw it to you if you are
in fact open, and if you catch it, then when
it comes to you, first of all, you won't be
embarrassed when to hit you in the face if you're
not paying attention. And the other thing is I think
that that will I have him coming back to you
(35:51):
more often. So you know, Aaron Rodgers is kind of
a I don't know his own version of a wide
receivers coach. You know, it's you know a lot of
times when when you were in school, you'd learn you
do some book learning, and then the teacher or a
(36:14):
professor or whatever might supplement it with some practical experience
or you know, practical applications. Well, Aaron Rodgers is the
practical application of everything as a wide receiver. You're learning
in the meeting room. So yeah, I to an that's
a long winded way for me to say to you, Matt. Yes,
(36:36):
he is the second best, and all due respect to Boswell,
who is just you know, money personified. Having a quarterback
at the at the height of his powers is more
significant to an NFL team than a kicker.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
Yeah, some of them. That West I've been saying a
lot the last couple of weeks is Foo, thank you
for bos But I don't want him to be the
team MVP, right, Yeah, something's wrong if hev exactly right.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
Yeah, I mean, you know, this is something I've been doing.
You know, I first got the job with the Steelers
Steelers Digest in nineteen eighty eight, and part of the
you know, the plan all the way back then was
that the game coverage would include a would include me
picking the player of the week. Okay, and I think
(37:29):
I've picked the place kicker. Certainly fewer than five times
in all those years, all those games, and I've picked
Boswell twice already this year. Yeah, and I'm again saying
he doesn't doesn't deserve it, He's not great, all of that,
and none, I'm not saying any of that, but I
(37:49):
just you know, it's it's And again I remember angering
a few place kickers in Steelers' uniforms when in conversation
or on radio shows or whatever, I would say I
didn't think kickers belonged in the Hall of Fame. You know,
I'm not saying that. Well, let's let me put it
(38:10):
this way. I'd vote for a kicker for the Hall
of Fame if there weren't any other real players, right right, right, exactly,
no matter what, no matter what position it is. Because
and then when people say, well, you know, special teams
is one third of the game, Okay, who's the who's
the holder that's going in the Hall of Fame? Then
(38:33):
I mean, if if this is all you know, you
want to cast this as equal, you know, Okay, who's
the best holder in NFL history.
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Who's the best personal protector?
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Yeah, Christian?
Speaker 5 (38:46):
Yeah, So but anyway, uh, you know, that's kind of
as I said, Chris Boswell's you know, if if my
life was hanging in the balance on a made field
goal attempt, he's I pick, I don't care where it's from. Well,
but again, like you said, I don't want them to
(39:06):
be the MVP, right, that's not a good a good
four or a good indicator. That's the word. They want,
a good indicator for the football team.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Yeah, no, absolutely, Labs.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
You know, kind of piggybacking off of what you said
about Aaron Rodgers. There the best game of Roman Wilson's
career by far, scores his first touchdown. You know, you
brought us that stat about how highly ranked the Colts
are in a lot of categories. Matt and I spent
the start of the show going through some impressive numbers.
One area, though, where Indianapolis does not excel. One area
(39:42):
where the Colts have not covered themselves in glory this
year is their past defense twenty ninth out of thirty
two teams, giving up over two hundred and fifty yards
in the air on average per game. Does this feel
like a big opportunity for Aaron Rodgers now with obvious
DK Metcalf doing what he's doing, Calvin Austin back in
(40:03):
the fold and being able to knock that rust off
on Sunday night and Roman Wilson his usage, his confidence
at an all time high. Is there some some hope
in your mind that we could see another one of
those vint? I mean I even hesitate to say vint
to Jaron Rodgers performance because that's like four hundred yards
and five touchdowns. But but a you know, one of
those Sundays where it looks like Aaron Rodgers is still
(40:26):
one of the best doing it and drives the bus
for this offense.
Speaker 5 (40:30):
Well, you know, I all the scenarios, Sunday scenarios, as
I play them through my Dean of Doom mind, there
is not one of them where the Steelers win the
game by scoring fewer than thirty points.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (40:44):
I think I do not see that happening.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
I don't think you can do this game. That coach
this game like it's a rased to twenty. It's a
race to thirty or more.
Speaker 5 (40:54):
Right, Yeah, you know, the obviously, outscoring the opponent is
the object of every game you're ever in. But when
I say outscoring in this particular situation, I'm talking about
big numbers. I you know, thirty to me is the
bare minimum that I think it's going to take to
(41:16):
win the game. And whether that's all from offense, you know,
there could be special teams, who knows, I mean the defense.
If the defense gives up thirty but scores for you, you know.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
To me, that's I would take that, right.
Speaker 5 (41:34):
Yeah, right, I mean, you know, I've always said if
if I'm looking at a corner versus a receiver, if
the corner gives up eight catches but has an interception,
I mean, you know, you start, you know, mitigating some
(41:54):
of these things because a lot of times the impact
of a takeaway can be more than a lot of
the yards gained necessarily by some of the offensive plays.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
So piggybacking off that deal, are you shocked that the
Steelers haven't gotten more defensive splash lately? Well?
Speaker 5 (42:13):
Yeah, I mean I think that that's that's really the
the whole was part of the reason that it was
built this way, with that with that hope, that expectation,
that goal of having more splash, and for.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
The most part, they're really good at it, just not lately.
Speaker 5 (42:31):
Well, right, And you know, so you're you're trying to
you know, I don't, I don't I didn't believe. You know,
I wasn't buying when they had five takeaways against New
England that hole they were lucky, because I don't think
takeaways are luck. I think it's you know, it's study,
(42:52):
it's planning, it's practice, and you also, I think have
to have a skill set assembled that is conducive to that.
So yeah, I'm surprised that it isn't hasn't produced more takeaways.
And really it's it's you know, as they as the
(43:14):
young kids say, it's mission critical that they start taking
the ball away again. The defense has to create splash.
It just does. I just there's it can't survive without
that in the consistent cases, right.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
And that's tough to do against a colts team that
doesn't give up many sacks, doesn't turn the ball over
second or third fewest part of me turnovers in the
NFL this season, They've got a very good offensive line
that makes it more difficult to get after Daniel Jones
with that labs, are you willing to try any different
types of deployment in the secondary. That's something Matt and
(43:56):
I have spent some time on this week as well too.
Moving Jalen Ramsey into more of a safety role using
more Brandon Echols is it? And I don't want to
say like time to push the panic button. But the
Steelers defense has also given up over four hundred and
fifty yards in back to back games for just the
second time in franchise history.
Speaker 4 (44:13):
And the piggyback off it. If I'm shuying, if I'm
stiching right now, I'm going I'm not sure who their
safeties are going to be, but I'm attacking them.
Speaker 5 (44:20):
Yeah, oh the Steelers safeties. Yes, yeah, well I mean
that to me, that to me is pretty obvious when
you look at No Deshaun Elliott plus even when he
was playing some of the issues you were having at
that position. Uh, you know, I don't know about moving
(44:41):
guys around. I mean I don't. I don't. When I
say I don't know about it, and I'm not saying
I'm discounting it, I don't. I literally do not know.
But what I would like to see or hope that
they try is whatever they decide to do, it's something
that they can actually do it. You know. The the
(45:02):
sometimes I think it's too complicated football. They make it
too complicated. I would rather whatever the coverage is supposed
to be against the Colts on Sunday. I would like
everybody to know what it is for sure before the snap,
and then all they have to think about is executing
(45:22):
it because this, you know, how things change the snap
with a ball and a guy goes in motion or
how far does he go in motion and that changing
for this to that, and hey, forget all that stuff.
It's the busts, the plays that end with a couple
of guys like looking at each other like, well, what
(45:44):
were you doing? What did you see there? I mean
that needs to end. And let these guys because I
think a lot of them have pedigree, they have some
impressive resumes. Let them play, you know, just let them play.
And just because you know this, this group of in
(46:05):
the secondary was assembled with the idea of matching up
and playing man coverage. Okay, if that can't work, throw
it away right now. I mean, I don't I hate that.
I get into this argument with Mike Pursuit every now
and then. You know, he always wants to play more
man demand and he says, well, that's why they brought
those guys here. Well, yeah they did. But if it
(46:27):
doesn't work, I mean, I'm not going to continue. I
don't think it's you should feel the need to continue
to try to make that work. You know, play something else.
It can be something else, and it can be something
else if you get some pass rush.
Speaker 4 (46:45):
You can't put your players in positions that they're not.
Speaker 5 (46:47):
Good at right or again, and you know, they might
even be good at some of those positions if they
knew what they were. I just I don't know. I
don't know anything. You know, I'm making a lot of
definitive statements here. I don't necessarily know that it's too complicated.
(47:07):
It just seems to me, you know, watching the games,
especially when you're there, and the body language and what
goes on after some of the plays, and when the
units come off the field, the reaction from the sideline,
the assistant coaches on the sideline. You know, it just
(47:30):
seems that there is too much quote unquote miscommunication. There is,
and I don't know why. And again I you know,
as I said, I don't know why. But at some point,
I think the best way to try and maybe stop
the bleeding with this group is simplify it and just
(47:53):
you know, let them play and try and execute whatever
the coverage is to the best of your abilities. If
you get beat, you get beat and hope that your
front seven can start making some plays too to help
you out.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (48:15):
Easier, maybe easier said than done against this Colts offense,
but way.
Speaker 5 (48:19):
Easier said than done, young fellow, Way easier said than done.
And I understand that one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
Yeah, But you know the bright spot in that, though, Labs,
is if you can get it moving in the right
direction against these guys, you can you can do it
against pretty much anybody.
Speaker 5 (48:34):
Well, let me throw this out there too, And you
know you're looking for silver linings. You know, you tried
to give me a good stat I'm going to try
and throw one back at you. We know from you know,
a covering the Steelers for years that there are certain
top teams at certain venues that historically give the Steelers problems. Well,
(48:58):
the Steelers in Pittsburgh historically give the Colts problems. You
can go back with. You know, even when that franchise
was in Baltimore, the Colts in Pittsburgh usually did not
end well for them, So who knows. I mean, this
is exactly, this is exactly the kind of NFL game
(49:19):
that you look at and say, there is no way
X is gonna be y and X exactly beats.
Speaker 2 (49:28):
Why in that in that game, any given any given labs,
any given.
Speaker 5 (49:34):
Sunday, yep, I mean, you know the Packers in the
Browns that wasn't a loss. But yeah, to me, it
was the Giants in the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (49:48):
Yeah, hey, even the Jets and the Bengals this past Sunday.
Speaker 5 (49:53):
Uh So there you go, just when you think it can't,
it does.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
How about that the Lord of living in his fears,
the Dean of Doom with some professor of positivity to
get us out of here.
Speaker 4 (50:06):
Only for you Ray of Sunshine, and I got it.
Speaker 5 (50:09):
Okay. You know we were talking a lot about place
kickers and their significance and all that stuff. You don't
want the placekicker to be your MVP, either, one of you.
Two know the last time and a placekicker was voted
NFL MVP Mark Moseley. What's that?
Speaker 4 (50:28):
Mark Moseley in the strike year?
Speaker 5 (50:31):
Okay, the hell with you, William.
Speaker 4 (50:34):
I was alive then that was ten or so.
Speaker 5 (50:36):
Yeah, so it was but anyway.
Speaker 4 (50:40):
Weird year though, I mean there was he was young.
There's a bunch of scabs, right, and he no.
Speaker 5 (50:47):
No, the Scabs were in eighty seven.
Speaker 4 (50:50):
Okay, okay, eighty.
Speaker 5 (50:53):
Two was the nine game season.
Speaker 4 (50:55):
See I don't know that much. Here you go, yeah,
you still got anyway.
Speaker 5 (50:59):
It was a.
Speaker 4 (51:01):
Right, right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 3 (51:04):
The Great, the Great Bob Labriol.
Speaker 2 (51:05):
To make sure you're checking out all his works Steelers
dot Com listening to him on the pregame show with
Jerry Dulac and Mike Persuda, beginning at eleven am on Sunday. Labs,
thank you for the time as always, and we'll see
this weekend. There he goes, the Dean of doom, the
lord of living in his fears, maybe the professor of positivity.
Speaker 3 (51:27):
We'll see.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
That's an hour in the books, another hour to go.
More Matt stats, some of your tweets as well too.
It's a Thursday. Let's get, let's get. Let's get on
the tweets as well too. If you've got questions, we've
hopefully got answers at wesle Yuler at Williamson, NFL.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
Halfway Home. It's the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com