December 8, 2025 • 45 mins
Matt and Wes break down this weekend's victory over the rival Baltimore Ravens. The guys are joined by Steelers play-by-play voice Rob King to get his thoughts on the game, as well as the road ahead.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation, It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. While Shooler and Matt Williamson with you here
on a victory Monday, as the Steelers get back in
the win column desperately needed with a twenty seven to
twenty two victory over the Baltimore Ravens that Matt had
plenty of implications obviously, Yeah, big time in terms of
(00:40):
the AFC North and the playoff status. In terms of again,
I think, just a team that needed a win at
that time to get feeling good again. And of course,
as we discussed last week, it doesn't matter if these
teams are twelve and oh or oh to twelve. Beating
the Baltimore Ravens, your chief rival in their building especially,
(01:00):
always always means something. And so here we go. We
continue to do that week to week thing. So week,
but this week much better and moving in the right
direction certainly.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Yeah, And what if it wasn't, I mean, what if
this game went like the Bills game? Did you know?
And Lamar looks like Lamar and they're running all over
you and you get out of there with the loss,
and you're behind the eight ball statistically, and you know, like, man,
where's this team at much needed and as much as anything.
I mean, you go to Baltimore in December win against
(01:33):
that franchise. I mean, I'm not even talking about that version,
this version of the team. I mean that franchise versus
this franchise in a meaningful game this late in the year,
let alone to take you know, the division lead. Sign
me up, man, I mean, that's great stuff. I think
what I've been saying on some other shows is it's
a really good step in the right direction. Is everything solved?
Speaker 4 (01:55):
No?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Are they Super Bowl champions or anything like that. No,
but boy, this is a really good step in the
right direction.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I think that's a great way to frame it. I'm
with you on that. And I think that there was
some of the things we've been asking for. On offense,
we finally started to see, like some deep shots and
real stretching of the field there by the Steelers offense
early late often the defense. Hey, Baltimore made a couple
of plays in the run game, but for the most part,
(02:23):
I thought a very stout defensive performance from the Steelers
you limited Derrick Henry. Yeah, you gave up one huge
explosive play in the run game to Mitchell at a
kind of an inopportune time to do it, but it
didn't end up costing you. And I think just overall,
you'll take that from a Steelers defense that really struggled
(02:45):
against this unit the last two times out.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah. And I do the pre pregame show with Tom
Yep and we kind of ended it talking about, well,
I doubt this will be a super designed run lamar
or you know, uh, option football because of his somewhat
compromise stage. Sure, so you're gonna key on Henry. What's
(03:07):
a number you can live with? Like I said, this
was Sunday morning, the game hadn't been played yet. What's
a number you can live with? If Henry gets twenty
to twenty five carries, which is exactly where you land,
I think it like twenty four or something like that.
You know he's gonna touch the ball a lot, twenty five,
twenty five, Okay, And I basically said, hey, I mean
I would take one hundred. I mean if he's twenty
five for one hundred carry, Yeah, four yards of carry
(03:29):
does some damage. He's a Hall of Famer. He's a
great player. Your run defense hasn't been great and maybe
even a little more, and they kept them under that. Now,
there are some rushing numbers that are very frightening and lopsided.
I mean, don't get me wrong, we'll get into them.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Through two hundred and seventeen yards is still two hundred
and seventeen yards.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
On thousand percent.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
It didn't really feel like it either, though in a
weird way.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
It's funny because we recorded something with with Mike and
Rob and we said the same thing, like at the
end of the day and I looked at the box score,
I'm like, that was more than I thought. You know,
it didn't feel as.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Didn't feel like Lamar had forty three yards show right,
And it did not feel anything like the Buffalo game.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Like the Buffalo game, you could have told me they
ran for five hundred, I'd have been like, that felt
like sounds right, right, right, But I mean like they
had some good run defense moments, it's not it's still
below the line, don't get me wrong. And frankly, the defense,
I'm not harping on the negatives by any stretch, but
in the second half, as has been the case because
(04:33):
they're on the field all the time. It felt like
Lamar had a lot of easy completions. The running game
is starting to get what they wanted from a Raven's perspective.
But you stuffed them in the red zone and you
came up big on the end of drives when it
mattered most, even though I'm sure they were tired yet
again from being on the field way too much.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
There's no doubt about that. I mean, I think Matt
just you know, thirty thousand foot view. If you would
have told us on Friday the Ravens were going to
run for over two hundred and ten yards and the
Steelers are going to run for less than thirty five,
we would have been like, oh, it's going to be
an ugly game. You're going to lose twenty seven to
six again like he just did to Buffalo or whatever
the final score was, Like, I think that was it.
(05:14):
But if you would have told us DK metcalf was
going to have one hundred and forty eight yards receiving,
we might have thought, well, Okay, the Steelers really hit
some explosives, which they did.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
They did.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
The offense finally recaptured some confidence in the passing game,
something that we had seen this season, but not lately.
And you know, and Aaron Rodgers played pretty well, and
maybe that's the lead that I buried here five minutes
into this without bringing him up. It was not MVP
level Aaron Rodgers, but I certainly think it was the
(05:47):
closest to that that we've seen, maybe other than one
or two moments early on in the season.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I think it was his best game as a Steeler.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I think it was considering the situation, the moment, the opponent,
the pressure the opponent, the time in the calendar.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
At a broken hand, at a broken wrist, I mean, oh,
by the way, well absolutely yeah, And so maybe that
is the lead, because hey, you're coming off a win.
Let's start with positive is this is a quarterback driven league,
and I was starting to worry about the quarterback position
a lot. I mean, I don't think we hid that
on this show the last couple of weeks, Like what
they're doing against the Chargers in the last couple of
(06:22):
weeks at the quarterback position isn't going to take you
where you need to be in no matter if it
was Rudolph or Rogers or whatever. And frankly, at this
stage of his career in this season, I started to think, well,
I think we have to efficiently be worried if the
riggers of the season are catching up with an old man.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
You know, he did just turned forty two last week.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Right, right, right, I mean, this is what happened. I mean,
that's there's many examples of uh oh, this could be
I wouldn't say the beginning of the end, but this
is an uphill climb now for this particular player. And
I thought he answered in such a big way, you know,
And there were some changes around him with his receivers,
and he kept stressing about how this was our best
(07:02):
week of practice I've had here. Yes, practice matters. That
kind of stuff reflects on game day and you go
on the road and you get a game you had
to get and mostly dropped because of your quarterback. When's
the last time we said that? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Right, I mean probably that next year at COVID season
when the Steelers started eleven to zero, and yeah, probably
three of those eleven wins. It felt like it was
like Ben pulling a rabbit out of his hat at
the end of the game to get the Steelers over
the line. Yeah, yeah, maybe you're right. Uh, shame on
me for burying the lead in that regard. But twenty
three of thirty four two and eighty four yards the
touchdown for Aaron Rodgers through the air and one with
(07:40):
his discount double check as well, which was fantastic, something
that had us all fired up in the in the booth.
Uh when he when he did that, we were all
we were all ready to go up in the up
there in the broadcast booth next to the next to
the Ravens booth, which by the way, has Rod Woodson
in it. So that's pretty cool. It's funny him.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Also, he's a trader, yeah, I mean, but he's super cool.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, he won a Super Bowl there, I get it.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Which they by the way, they did that at halftime,
they like honored that Super Bowl team for their twenty
fifth anniversary. It's some pretty cool bomber jackets on that
Rod Woodson was wearing. Yet it hurts my yser soul
to see him in that purple.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
But you gotta respect that team too though. Un that's
a big time football team. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It was just good that Helodi Nada was not part
of that group because you know, Max, he sees Heloda
Nada and he sees red all uh. All reason goes
out the window and he just he just is ready.
He's on ten uh. But yet Aaron Rodgers, I think,
is it is maybe the kind of lead of this story.
I thought you set the tone early with that deep
(08:49):
ball to DK metcalt he runs in the touchdown there
and you see the emotion from him and from the
team in that moment. You know, Baltimore starts opening drive
field goals. Dealers come right back down the field and
score a touchdown like here we go, ready to go.
And I thought that was big in terms of setting
the tone, turning the pay and that that's really what
(09:10):
it felt like in that first quarter. The Steelers turned
the page. When when you have two losses like they
did back to back, sometimes that can linger. That's one
of those old coaches. That's one of those old coach adages, right,
is like you can't let one loss turn into two.
I want to say it was James Franklin, I think,
(09:31):
in one of his interviews said this, like we went
out the Penn State, went out the u c l
A right or and lost that game, and it was
like we lost the organ in double overtime the week before,
and we let one loss turn into two type thing,
you know, and it and then it gets real bad.
And I think the Steelers were kind of in danger
of if that first quarter doesn't go your way, Oh no,
(09:53):
here we go again. You know, the Ravens come out,
they get points on their first drive. If you go
three and out there, maybe you pick up one first
down and you end up punting. It's like the defense
is trotting back out on the field. Oh no, here
we go again. Yeah, and instead it's like bang, that
was one of our better drives of the season, big
explosive play, finished with a touchdown in the red zone.
We've turned the page. Those last couple of weeks are
(10:13):
behind us. Let's go handle business.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Ye it, well said A thousand percent agree. And there
is an emotional level to it, like, oh no, it's
gonna man, we just got punch in the mouth. How
we can handle it? You know that type of thing too.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
You think you're emotional as a fan. Imagine these guys, right,
this is their livelihood, this is their career. This is
what they've fought and scratched and clawed and bled for
for decades In their life. They're believe me, they are
well compensated for what they do, of.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Course, of course, but that but that's because they're the best,
the best. That's because anybody can.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Do with it what they've done to them, sacrificed and
work to get to this point. And and hey, the money.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Is not like James Pierres cut and you know, exactly right.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
But later he had a really good game, exactly right.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
But I want to get back to Rogers super quick
because a couple of things stood out. Pushing the ball
down the field was the the obvious one, you know.
And boy, they've missed a lot of deep balls in
the last month. I mean there's some crazy numbers of
gone a month without completing the past twenty yards downfield,
and they.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Completed four or more thirty yards downfield.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
And even a couple of games even if they complete
one more, you know, the Mason game in Chicago, I
think maybe they win if they convinced, you know, can
complete one deep shot. So that stuff was great. The
way they featured and moved Metcalf around was what we've
been looking for to him. You really featured your best player.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Early, early and after.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
But back to Rogers, I thought his pocket movement extending
play believable. Was the last couple of weeks. I thought, man,
he's running into traffic, he's inviting things, the ball to right,
and he's doing weird stuff within the pocket. Where this
was the guy you saw early in the year. It's like,
maybe he doesn't move like he used to, but he's
got he still has the feel and knowing where the problems.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
In big moments.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
This is a safe spot in the pocket, this is
a danger spot. He knows all that stuff. He's not
going the wrong way. But the thing that people don't
think about too is very few negative plays. I mean,
it's easy to look at the highlights or you know,
but very I mean, and this has been a theme
of his career. I mean I always talk about like
the Hall of Fame quarterbacks, his low light tapes as
(12:21):
good as anybody, and rarely put the ball in harm's
way or heard someone say, you know, pro football focus
has that they have like a big time throw rate,
which is your big throws, and he was real strong
in that regard. But he's also turnover worthy plays was
like none, you know, like what'd you do wrong? Not much?
You know, and you get a quarterback that does that,
(12:42):
you should be in just about every game.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Exactly right.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
That position is that important.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Exactly right. You don't turn the ball over, you take
it away. Although there was some controversy there. Well, we
have to get to a couple of those a couple
of those calls and see Matt's thoughts throughout the show today. Yeah,
you were flagged for seven penalties, only thirty three yards.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Again more than that, Yeah, you know, like they didn't
really influence the game.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
It didn't really influenced the game of only thirty three
yards in penalties, two of four in the red zone.
That was kind of one of my beefs was you know,
twice like deep into the red zone, actually three times
deep into the red zone. You settled for field goals.
One you got bailed out by Travis Jones and that
penalty that allowed you to get the ball back and
then you were able to punch it in but kicked
(13:26):
like a field goal from the six yard line, from
the eleven yard line.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Further as a touchdown.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Sure, but again, you know, Steelers defense was able to
hold Baltimore to two of six in the red zone.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Now, red zone, I think we were there super important
in this game. So last year twenty twenty four, not
only were the Ravens the best red zone team in
the league, but they were like one of the best
road zone teams ever. I mean, Lamar's winning the MVPs.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And Mark Andrews, Derrick Henry and they had.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
So many ways to attack you down there. This year
they've been like the worst in the league. Where the
Steelers red zone defense is quite good. I mean it's
the top ten. I mean it's been real good all year.
And that was one of the keys going in where
a lot of the categories in this game statistically were
Steelers are middle with this, Ravens are middle with this.
(14:13):
You know, there wasn't a lot of huge ones where
they're big, yes, but one of them was red zone
Steeler defense, and that came to play huge. You know,
Like again, if if we were doing Ravens Nation radio, man,
what's up with the red zone d all year? I mean,
red zone offense, We've been so good and that we
got the same dudes, why are we falling apart here?
(14:36):
And I'm sure they would complain and we would probably
too if it was the other way round of man
resting through us a lot of favors.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Well, if those three calls were right the Ravens way.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
We might have a different story today.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
The personal foul on the field goal, the likely touchdown
that was overturned.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
That's the most obvious one to me.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
And then the Aaron Rodgers batted interception non interception, both
of those overturned, and again we will we will talk
about those certainly more. Yeah, I think the Steelers were
the better team. I think Aaron Rodgers was the better quarterback.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yes, and I played a little better than I expected
to say, he's starting around.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
He was starting around. Might be a little too late
for them, but maybe. Yeah, both quarterbacks with a rushing touchdown.
I think one of those wouldn't have surprised us, but
the other might have. Missy taught us this status.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
It was almost like a humorous play.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
It was hilarious.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I think that's what I think.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
That's why he hit the belt because he was like,
I can't believe it's just happened.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
He took him a while to get there, but nobody
was close to him.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Yeah, Chi, Missy, I'm pretty sure this was the stat
and so if I miss it in good faith, I
think this was the stat. She she told us on
the bus. When we got back on the bus, she
was sitting right in front of Rob King and I,
who's going to join us in just a minute. Here,
(15:58):
only three quarterbacks in NFL history forty two years or
older have a rushing touchdown. Did you see this?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Yeah, it's Fluty and Brady.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
That was the one we couldn't get.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
She goes, who are the other two? And we both
right away and go Tom Brady. And then we were
like Brett fa Like we're trying to think of who
the quarterbacks are that would even be an option, you know,
Brett Farr and they never kicked around a couple of
other names, and she goes Doug Flutie and we were
both like, you could have given us one hundred more
guesses and wouldn't have gotten that one. But yes, it's
pretty cool for Aaron Rodgers vintage performance by by him.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
He's the second or second or third oldest human being
to score at the NFL touchdown.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
That is pretty cool. Not a lot of running backs
playing until their forty ten, not a not a lot
of wide receivers playing. I was just gonna say, Marry
just ordered had to be one of them because he
was one of the few wide receivers that played into
his forties, because he's an absolute freak. Let's get to
our first break. Let's talk to the voice of the Steelers,
Rob King, his view from the broadcast booth, what he saw,
(16:57):
what's on his mind here about twenty four hours over
twenty four hours later, we'll do that with the Kinger
on the other side. Weshy alert. Matt Williamson, just getting
started here on a victory Monday. It's the Drive on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Back on the drive here as we rock and we roll,
and I can find my headset ball, you can turn
up a little bit and we go to the phone
lines now to talk to the voice of your Pittsburgh Steelers,
Rob King. Of course you can hear him every Steelers
game on WDVE on the Steelers Audio Network and him
(17:52):
and Max Starks in the locker room at ten am
on these airwaves every single day. Kinger, thank you for
taking the time as always year on a busy Monday,
and Matt and I kind of Listen, there's a ton
to get into from that game. There's a ton to
like from that game. But I think at the top
of that list has to be the quarterback play, the form,
the leadership, the arm, the elusiveness, everything that we saw
(18:16):
from Aaron Rodgers and what might have been his fine
finest performance as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
It might have been. I mean, I think he's looked
I think he's looked this good for a lot of
the season, and I think that the last several games,
beginning with the Chargers game, perhaps have reminded us that
there's been time three hasn't right, But it's also made
us forget that, you know, to Cincinnati Bengals game. Remember
(18:44):
thinking if anybody thought that the students weren't improved quarterback
position and watched that game, they had to have thought otherwise,
they had to have had a different feeling about what
the students could do. Now at that point, they were
four and two after that long and of course now
they're just seven and six. They loss is the beginning
of losing two out of fire, winning only two out
(19:06):
of seven games, going two and five to the last seven.
But yeah, the number one takeaway to me was Aaron Rodgers.
Whether it was his best game or not as a
member of the Steelers, I don't know. But the mobility,
the arm, talent, the ability to you know, strike quickly,
even running for a touchdown. I thought he was fantastic
in this game.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
One hundred agree. And so going into this game, the
Ravens pass defense was basically the best in the league
against short passing game. And I still think Baltimore looked
at the Steelers like, they're gonna do what they do.
They're gonna get out of his hands. They're gonna throw
the ball at the line of scrimmage a bunch. And
I love that the Steelers zagged, you know, they just
(19:49):
didn't do what they do and they okay, then we're
gonna push the ball down the field and well it
worked well, you know, and they converted.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
It's a great way to look me on it, Matt.
You know, I went in with a healthy respect for
their secondary. It's super talented. I think Melochi starts so
I don't remember being involved a whole lot yesterday. He
looks to me and I'm no scout, You're you're far
better at this than I. But he looks to me
like a future star. You know, Aloi Dulton player. They
(20:21):
brought him in that that brings Hamilton to the nickelback
and different things you can do with him. You know,
you still have Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins. I mean, it's
just a really really talented group. And you know, going
into the game, the vulnerability felt like, you know, their
run defense and the run defense held up pretty well.
But then the Steelers beat him with with the long
(20:44):
passing game, and I think you're right the zigging and
zagging thing. You know, I think the students have shown
the capability to attack in different ways. I think what
we haven't seen enough and what I'm hoping that this
game maybe starts to bring forward is sort of both
of those things together. Hey, we've thrown the ball and
we've run the ball, and there's nothing you can do
(21:06):
to stop us, and don't I don't think we've seen
both those elements together. But it was good to see
the passing game coming back and the deep ball coming back,
and you know, that's got to be something that's going
to worry people, worry opponents moving forward here.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, I think that's one of the most encouraging parts
of what we saw yesterday certainly, and you know, like
Matt and I were talking in the kind of the
open of the show, Rob, if you would have told
us all on Friday that the Ravens were going to
rush for you know, about two hundred and twenty yards
and the Steelers were gonna rush for less than thirty five,
I don't think any of us would have thought that
a victory was remotely possible. I mean, you got out
(21:46):
gained on the ground by nearly two hundred yards, by
about one hundred and eighty yards, But with what you
were able to do in the past game, I think
winning that turnover margin, even though it's only plus one,
looms large once again. But to me, that was you know,
I think we all rightfully so there's like this idea
of how the script in our mind has to play
(22:08):
out for the Steelers to win a game, and there
was some of that yesterday, the red zone success on
defense and some things like that, but I think overall
it played out a little bit differently than we all
expected leaning on that past game, Aaron Rodgers turning back
the clock a little bit, and what really felt like
a onus on getting dk metcalf the ball, getting DK
(22:30):
Metcalf involved early and often, you know, Wes.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
I think it's been and I've talked to this about
this with people in Pittsburgh and people in other markets.
You know, when you go and you see people you
know from other teams that are working in media for
other teams or what have you, that it's the most
confounding year I can ever remember in the NFL. I
don't understand it. I don't know, you know. I think
(22:55):
we've all said, well, we know who's bad, but we
don't know who's good. Won't shoot. And then Orleans goes
and beats Tampa, who at one point this year was
the number one power ranked team in the NFL, and
look like, you know, early on, like they were a
team to beat, you know. And I also think, you know,
when you talk about a season early on versus later on,
I'd rather be playing well late. And I'm hopeful that
(23:18):
the Steelers team that this can be a spark for
him because I'm not sure what the blueprint is other
than the turnover game. Don't turn it over when they
haven't committed a turnover. They won their last nine games.
You know, we always talk about turnover coach and we
think about it in terms of getting the ball well.
Part of that turnover coach is not turning the ball over.
Nine straight games they've won in which they haven't turned
(23:40):
the ball over. You know, I don't know what it is.
Because we've seen them stop the run against Indianapolis and
do a pretty good jobing in Chicago, do well for
a half against the Ravens, do well for a half
against Green Bay, and not well the second half. We've
seen them run the ball effectively. We've seen them not
run the ball effectively. We've seen them throw the ball
(24:00):
with Aaron Rodgers, like you said, turn back the clock.
He's looked incredible at times. There's been other times in
the passing game has spottered. Frankly, I don't know what
to make I think the NFL. I don't what to
make of the NFL in general. And the Steelers just
have numbers that if I parsed out six numbers over here,
you'd say, oh, you know, they're ten and two football
(24:22):
team or whatever whatever, ten and three football team. And
then if I parsed out these numbers over here, you'd
think they're a three and ten team. It is. I
don't know what to make of them. I do think
that they've shown a lot of flashes, and I do
think that you know that, I know that they're in
first place in the AFC North after the win, and
I'm hoping this is the kind of game that can
(24:44):
maybe spark them to start putting a few more of
those pieces together. We know that, we know that nobody
ever plays a perfect game. We're all waiting for the
Steelers to play a perfect game. They played a perfect game,
they win one hundred and forty to nothing. Right, it
doesn't exist. The other team's playing too. But I'm hopeful
that what we saw on Sunday is something that can
(25:05):
unlock the more consistent positive elements of the Cities that
we've seen all season long.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Yeah, I think that's a really good conversation. Is turnovers
aside as you laid out. I mean, we know how
important that is to this team. I'm not sure what
their real strengths are, I mean, like extreme strengths other
than I think a pass rush. But I also don't
think there's any extreme weaknesses either, you know, like the
run defense numbers the last couple of weeks, last two
(25:32):
weeks are poor, but they were great. The three weeks
before that, you know. I mean we've kind of called
it whack a mole on our other show, you know,
Rob Where. But part of it to thinks that's also
a positive, Like it's not like, boy, if they shut
down our run game, we have nothing else. I mean,
they can play left handed, they can play a lot
(25:52):
of different ways. But I also don't know what their
bread and butter is.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Yeah right, they're they're Integra Montoya. They're also left handed. Yeah, yeah,
they can, they can.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Like I don't know, I don't think there's a question.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Yeah, I would like to think that that it shows
you're capable of beating teams in a number of ways.
And we could spend a week just talking about do
you want to have an identity and your team? Do
you want your identity to be that you don't have
a predictable identity. I don't know, I don't I mean,
(26:31):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Where I was going with that, Rob Like, in the
last five years, there was only one path to victory
is limit the quarterback have some splash.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
You know.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
At least now there's a lot of different avenues against
high quality teams where they can win. And frankly, I
think only the Bills game where they thoroughly outplayed.
Speaker 4 (26:53):
Yeah, I mean the Chargers game in my memory stings
a little bit. I'd have to go back and look
at the numbers to.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Steal their offense.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Yeah, yeah, they did have I think a three to
two lead at one point in that game. But yeah, yeah,
you know, and we're all we're all victims of recency bias.
And you know, we've talked about this, Matt many times
in West. I know I've had this conversation with you
as well, that you know, against top quality opponents, and
(27:23):
I'm talking about Seattle, the Bills, the Bears, the Packers.
You not only had the lead at halftime, but you
got the ball to begin the second half, something that
Mike Tomlin has traditionally been good at halftime adjustments. Third
quarter here we go, and going into this third quarter
this week, they were averaging two point eight points per
(27:45):
game in a third quarter, among the worst in the NFL.
You'd think you'd win some of those games, wouldn't you.
We lost all four of them against top teams, and
you know, yet they also have wins against New England
and Indianapolis and now Ball More. I mean, I don't
I'm truly mystified as to why it's gone this way,
(28:08):
why certain elements of the team haven't been as good
as I thought they were going to be, while some
elements have been pretty darn good. So I think that
right now, I don't know, you know, I would say Denver,
as you know, of course it's too has beat the Patriots.
Denver the Patriots, their records are the records. Houston is
coming on strong and suddenly now becomes a team that
(28:32):
looks like you don't want to play. But this is
the time of the year to become that team that
nobody wants to play. Like I said earlier, Tampa earlier
on in the season was number one in the power rankings.
They look like the team nobody wanted to play. This
was a team that was gonna sweep through well look
at him. Now it is lost in New Orleans at home,
(28:54):
and they are hanging on for dear life to eek
into the playoffs. So this is a time of year
you want to start playing well. I've used a puzzle
analogy all along, which is that I feel like there's
a bunch of puzzle pieces on the table that haven't
quite seemed to fit for whatever reason, no matter what
pieces I pick up, they don't fit right. And I
(29:15):
don't know why, but I see that the puzzle pieces
are there. I think they're there anyway, That's what I'm seeing.
I'm not trying to speak for everybody. That's what it
feels like to me. And maybe they're the team that
puts those puzzle pieces together, and maybe they're the team
that goes on and run, and maybe they're the team
a month from now people are saying, oh, you gotta
go to Pittsburgh to play this teethers. I don't know,
(29:37):
because you know, listen, you're also six and six going
into this game, so we know it can go the
other way too. I'd like to think it's gonna go
the positive way. I hope this is the kind of game,
the kind of emotional victory in which there were a
lot of good signs again from this team, maybe not
the complete puzzle picture, but a lot of good signs.
I'd like to think that maybe this is the kind
(29:58):
of win that can spark them toward being that team
that people are all of a sudden saying, oh, that
was a pretty good team. They got there, bit person.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Hopefully that's the case we were talking about, you know,
at the start of the show, Rob like, as much
as you know, athletes seem like robots and cyborgs and
a different species, Like these guys are humans. They're emotional too,
And yeah, a win like that, and certainly what that
can do for your psyche, what that can do to
you know, give you a springboard down the home stretch
(30:29):
of the season here, I can't think. I don't think
can be understated as well.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Super quick, Rob, and did mean to keep you longer,
but and we're not gonna talk to you next Monday.
I know you're always way ahead of the game with
advanced scouting.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
On the plane on the way home yesterday, he's got
the Miami Dolphin's depth chart out. You know, the rest
of us are eating ice cream and drinking gatorade and
watching TV, and he's perusing the Miami Dolphins step chart.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Rob, I don't think Miami's a pushover anymore.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
No, they've won four straight games. You know another conversation
Wes that Matt and I have had because it kind
of occurred to me more last night than any other time.
You know a lot of times you say, oh, it's
when you play a team, right, sure, Well, name me
a team that this year is when they've played them,
That team hasn't given them their best, That team hasn't
(31:22):
had a ton to play for.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
That team hasn't been Patriots. Maybe Patriots would maybe be
the only one.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
Yeah, maybe, but look what they've done. I think the
series the last team to.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Beat them, right, Yeah, the way you framed it was
that that team didn't play their best. I mean, the
Patriots had five turnovers that day. Was was my kind
of thought process in that I'm not.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Saying that they played their I'm not saying they played
their best in that game. I'm saying that when they
came up on the schedule, there was a lot for
that team to play for the Ravens obviously.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
But you know, yeah not Week three against New England.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Yeah, yeah, we're kind of Daniel Jones sideline. You know,
you didn't get back.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You didn't get like you did as it last year
or two years ago or two years last year, I
think it was right or whenever you opened with the
Falcons who had just Kirk Cousins hadn't played football in months, right,
and then you got bow knicks. You got bow knicks
in his second ever NFL start, like those go in
your favor and back to back.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
We didn't get Browning, you got Flacco.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
It seems like this year. Yeah, it's on the opposite.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
Yeah, it's been that kind of a schedule, and I
think they're getting another top test here. Now. You know,
if the Steelers wind up, even if they go ten
and seven, they're gonna be able to look back at
some quality victories against some quality opponents. And again, but
it's it's it's so much as you guys know, it's
about how you're playing in the month of December and
(32:46):
getting on that role into the playoffs and getting, like
you said, the human element west, that that sense of
hey we are we're a team, uh, that you don't
want to trifle with. I believe that a team that
thinks they're good or has something to play for is
a dangerous opponent. And to Matt's point, the Miami Dolphins,
(33:06):
they still have a puncher's chance here, They've got a
lot to play for. I mean, look at I try
to always look at as Matt does, the other team.
You know, what is their perspective, Well, we think we
can beat the students. Then we have Cincinnati at home,
or we think we can beat them at home and
we have camp at home. They're reeling we might be
able to go nine and seven going into a to
a big game on the road to finish up to
(33:27):
the season, and hey, ten and seven gets us in
the playoffs. Now, they're a team with a lot of
belief and I and I felt that way about Cincinnati.
Cincinnati knew they had to win that game against Steelers.
I think that the Dolphins are a dangerous opponent. I
don't know about eight chance health. You got banged out
of yesterday's game. That'll obviously be a big ticket item
for him. Although Jalen Wright came in and played a
(33:47):
great game for him.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
But I went, if they needed to, he's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
Okay. So he's okay, And so he's a handful man,
He is a handful. So uh yeah, it's hey man,
it's December football, and after after yesterday's when it means
more than ever, I.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Would have much rather to play the Dolphins of Week
three than this upcoming week. I'll tell you that, no
doubt about.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Hey, at least we did uh, at least we did
dodge Joe Burrow twice. We got that we got that
going for us, at least the Great rob the Great
Rob King, the King in the Castle, Rob King. What's
your favorite Taylor Swift song? Before we let you go?
This guy trying to tell for everybody, this rob some.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Deep thought, my favorite song is Coolow.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
This Rob King guy claimed to us earlier that he
didn't know who Taylor Swift was. I mean, no, no, no, no,
no no.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
I never said that. I never said that. I said
I don't know any of her song. That's not to
say I actually watched the documentary on her. You know,
obviously I know who Taylor Swift is and I and
I applaud her her great success. I've heard she's an
extremely you know, write your own music, very talented musician
(35:00):
who plays several instruments. I mean, those are the things
I know about her. But there's lots of you know,
they mentioned Toby Keith. Sorry, guy, I don't know any
Toby Keith suns. So you know, I'm gonna go crawl
back under my rock with my Dolphin's roster and get
out on the rest of my debt.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
If it's not Abbey Road, Rob King doesn't want anything
to do with it. The voice of your Pittsburgh Steelers,
the great Rob King kind enough to take the time
on a Monday. Kinger, thanks dude, we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
You gotta guys, thank you.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
There he goes, Rob King. He's full of it. I mean,
come on, come on, this guy sends me music recommendations
about twice a week on Apple Music. And come on,
he knows at least a tailor swa. Even if you
don't know the title of it, you know the hum along.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
You probably don't know, you know it. That's the thing.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Good way to put it, very good way to put it.
One more segment to go here in the first hour
on the other side, a crazy statistic from yesterday's game,
and we do have to talk about some of those
contra versial moments as well. We'll do all that more
as we roll along. Yuler Williamson, It's the Drive on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network, your tunes.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Back on the drive here as we roll along on
a Monday recapping the Steelers much needed twenty seven to
twenty two win in Baltimore against the Ravens. Matt. I'm
not sure you might have seen this already. It was
making the rounds on Twitter last night, and you are
the stats guy, But did you see the Steelers run
(36:50):
game getting out rushed by one hundred and seventy yards
and historically what that's meant? Did you see this going
around the three World War Two statistics?
Speaker 3 (37:00):
I did see that one.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Yes, the Steelers have won three games since World War
Two where they were out rushed by one hundred and
seventy more yards. They've all been, They've all been in
the last five years against the Ravens. They've all been
in Baltimore. Yeah, as well. Twenty twenty in Baltimore the
Steelers were out rushed by two hundred and seventeen yards
and still found away to win that game one hundred
(37:22):
and eighty three yesterday. And then in twenty twenty one,
the Steelers were out rushed by one hundred and seventy
yards and still won that game. Yeah, you can't get
away with it too often, but when you can't, it
has to be in Baltimore against the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
Steelers Ravens is different than everything. Weird, man, It is
just a weird rivalry. It's a weird immense knowledge of
one another.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
That's the big thing.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
So a couple of notes here you mentioned you know,
did I see it? I wasn't like actively finding things.
But it's gotten to the point just this last week
or two that my Twitter followers would be like, oh, Matt,
you'll like this one.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Now they're like yeah right, I mean just the last
couple of weeks. Didn't used to be the case, or
like someone will state something like that's something Williamson would say.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Something Matt would like like, oh yeah, I do like that.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Good. A couple that were made aware to me. This
one was made aware to me. Also, which isn't his
friendly is the games that Harmon has played compared to
the games he's not. There's about one hundred rushing yards
per game difference allowed by the Steelers defense. Now, do
(38:34):
I think he's the best run defender that's ever walked
the planet? No, but it's getting to be quite the trend,
you know. I mean, I know he's only missed four games,
but still they're allowing about one hundred yards more in
those games than when he's out there and he was
missed again, you know, like, why are you black? Other
than Cam. Their defensive linemen are going backwards too much.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Yes, in the name in the run game, yes, And
I think to grain of salt, those guys there's a
little square peg, round hole usage or deployment whenever they're down,
Derek Harmon, you got to ask betten to do some
things that aren't exactly his greatest strengths. You got to
ask why a black to do some things that aren't
exactly his great strength ready for yet? Yeah, but that
(39:17):
is also life in the National Football League. That's also
in general. When my daughter's wake me up at three
in the morning, that's not something I'm built for. It's
but it's like it still happens when you're when you're down,
Derek Harmon, it might not be something that you're built for,
but it still happens.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
And and with all respect to Harmon, that's not like
I'm down Watt and Hayward. You know, like he's a
piece of the puzzle. But he's not you know the moment,
I mean, he's not the biggest.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Yes, it's it's you know, I'm not down Jonathan Taylor
to my my offense, Donald like I guess sure, sure, uh, yes,
I I'm with you. On that it was and I
think what might have even added to that was again
to just I don't even know if it's given him
the benefit of the doubt. It's reality. Benton on the
(40:02):
first or second Ravens Drives was stinged up, had to
go to the sideline for a few plays winning in
the blue tank, ended up coming back. So credit to him.
But if you're already down harmon, if then Benton is
compromised and not you know, playing trying to play through something, and.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
Just everybody's just kind of miscast a little bit there, right.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
And in general too, as we've discussed the Steelers defense
and the snap counts and the time of possession and
the amount of football that Cam Hayward's played at this
point in the season already and what you're kind of
trying to do with him at his age and keep
him fresh, and it all becomes more difficult and it
puts more stress and more onus on everybody. But you
are right, it's starting to feel speaking of Cam, I mean,
(40:49):
I know you and Dale did motes and I did.
Everybody regurgitated the Steelers defensive numbers last year in the
run game with Cam Hayward was on the field, and
when he wasn't in twenty twenty four, it was a
night and day difference. They were like a top three
first last basically, they were like a top three rush
defense with Cam on the field. They were a bottom
three or bottom five with him on the sideline. And
it's starting.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
I don't want to be that reliant on one player.
But it also shows his greatness totally. Yeah, but that's
why you draft Harmon, so you're not as.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
And you're right and so in the same way, it's
kind of like it's encouraging about Derek Harmon in a way.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Yeah, yeah, this guy's stuff, right, Like I wish I
was Derek Harmon's agent, be like, hey, I'm what's one
hundred rushing yards per game worth you? You know, like you
make me a fifty million dollar player.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
I I it's it is impossible to ignore over these
last couple of weeks, yea, with his absence.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
I mean you can feel it, you know. And again,
he's not the best player in the league. He's not
the best run to stuffer in the league, but you
can definitely feel it, especially in the Bills game, because
the Bills game ran right way.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
You know, So You're right, he might not be the
best in the league, but he might be one of
the most important, one of those.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
Very important, right and to me, that's encouraging for him.
Maybe he's even back this week. I mean he's gonna
missed two games, Yes, I think miss.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Four and Queen's banged up and Harrison exits the game.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
Are some concussions in this game.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Yeah, both sides of the ball, but particularly on the
Steelers side, Darnol Washington, I guess having an extra day
this week is good in that regard. As you and
I often talk about with concussion stuff now and that protocol,
it's so hard even with the extra day to within
a week past. He did so he did, but I
(42:31):
feel like that, but I feel like that's more rare
now than what we typically see. But again, that's all
we can talk tomorrow down the line and what Mike
Tomlin has to say, and obviously we'll keep it eye on, Yeah,
we'll keep an eye on the practice reports and all
that as we roll on throughout the week. The Baltimore
Ravens are the first team since twenty twenty two to
(42:52):
lose a game after producing two hundred plus rushing yards
and allowing fifty or fewer rushing yards last ting to
do so the twenty twenty two Jags against the Colts.
They got to be kicking themselves a little bit in
Baltimore today.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
It's it's a tough one day there.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
If we're if we're R and R got rest and relaxation,
Ravens Nation Radio, I think that we're kind of kicking
ourselves and saying yesterday was a microcosm of this entire
season to some degree.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
Yeah, like our star isn't quite the same, you know,
And that's that you can live with.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
And we did a lot of good things, but we
made just one or two crucial errors and moments that
ended up costing us. And that's kind of its kind
of been the case for Baltimore and all their losses
this year.
Speaker 3 (43:38):
And folks, all you people listening would be the same way.
And I know you don't care screw the Ravens, but
you probably wouldn't be real thrilled with the ref situation
on R and R right now too right and the
whole Friar move catch it instead of likely you know,
here's yes, just put yourself in their shoes and it's.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
A magic Lamar Jackson throwing that interception that was overturned,
a lot of cribadge and who has possession and all
those things. Those are the two big ones. And then
I think even the personal foul on the field goal.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
Was that one was I actually think was questioned a
little fifty to fifty. The two big ones that you mentioned,
I think that they made the right call. Maybe don't
like the rules, but those are the rules. The one
on the field goal I thought was a bad call.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
But you know, write this down, Mark this down for
the next time you feel like the Steelers are hard
done by officiating, because it goes both ways. Sometimes it
works for you, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the fifty to
fifty calls are split fifty to fifty. Sometimes they're heavily
slanted to one team. And again, though despite all that,
despite as my goodness, Matt, you know, we would have
(44:41):
gotten seven hundred tweets about please crush the refs, please
talk about it, Please talk about how we got screwed,
which I'm sure is happening happening in Baltimore. The Ravens
still had ample opportunities to win that game. Despite absolutely
that's just the way that things happen.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
All kind of it will in the second half.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
You know, that's that's too much. That's the way that
things happen over the course of a sixty minute game.
The calls at the end typically feel more weighted. But
it is a long game with a lot of ebbs
and flows, a lot of good calls, a lot of
bad calls, plenty of miss stuff on both sides. But
I do feel like it worked a little bit in
the Steelers department in that regard yesterday. Let's start there,
(45:20):
Let's go over some of those, give some thoughts, maybe
what Gene Sterotor had to say about these things from
an NFL officiating perspective. All of that, An Hour number
two will also go around the league and recap a
really busy and important week fourteen. Can we put the
Kansas City Chiefs to bed? We'll talk about that an
Hour number two as well. Matt Williamson West Shuler halfway
(45:42):
home here on a victory Monday. It's the Drive on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation, It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. While Shooler and Matt Williamson with you here
on a victory Monday, as the Steelers get back in
the win column desperately needed with a twenty seven to
twenty two victory over the Baltimore Ravens that Matt had
plenty of implications obviously, Yeah, big time in terms of
(00:40):
the AFC North and the playoff status. In terms of again,
I think, just a team that needed a win at
that time to get feeling good again. And of course,
as we discussed last week, it doesn't matter if these
teams are twelve and oh or oh to twelve. Beating
the Baltimore Ravens, your chief rival in their building especially,
(01:00):
always always means something. And so here we go. We
continue to do that week to week thing. So week,
but this week much better and moving in the right
direction certainly.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Yeah, And what if it wasn't, I mean, what if
this game went like the Bills game? Did you know?
And Lamar looks like Lamar and they're running all over
you and you get out of there with the loss,
and you're behind the eight ball statistically, and you know, like, man,
where's this team at much needed and as much as anything.
I mean, you go to Baltimore in December win against
(01:33):
that franchise. I mean, I'm not even talking about that version,
this version of the team. I mean that franchise versus
this franchise in a meaningful game this late in the year,
let alone to take you know, the division lead. Sign
me up, man, I mean, that's great stuff. I think
what I've been saying on some other shows is it's
a really good step in the right direction. Is everything solved?
Speaker 4 (01:55):
No?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Are they Super Bowl champions or anything like that. No,
but boy, this is a really good step in the
right direction.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I think that's a great way to frame it. I'm
with you on that. And I think that there was
some of the things we've been asking for. On offense,
we finally started to see, like some deep shots and
real stretching of the field there by the Steelers offense
early late often the defense. Hey, Baltimore made a couple
of plays in the run game, but for the most part,
(02:23):
I thought a very stout defensive performance from the Steelers
you limited Derrick Henry. Yeah, you gave up one huge
explosive play in the run game to Mitchell at a
kind of an inopportune time to do it, but it
didn't end up costing you. And I think just overall,
you'll take that from a Steelers defense that really struggled
(02:45):
against this unit the last two times out.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah. And I do the pre pregame show with Tom
Yep and we kind of ended it talking about, well,
I doubt this will be a super designed run lamar
or you know, uh, option football because of his somewhat
compromise stage. Sure, so you're gonna key on Henry. What's
(03:07):
a number you can live with? Like I said, this
was Sunday morning, the game hadn't been played yet. What's
a number you can live with? If Henry gets twenty
to twenty five carries, which is exactly where you land,
I think it like twenty four or something like that.
You know he's gonna touch the ball a lot, twenty five,
twenty five, Okay, And I basically said, hey, I mean
I would take one hundred. I mean if he's twenty
five for one hundred carry, Yeah, four yards of carry
(03:29):
does some damage. He's a Hall of Famer. He's a
great player. Your run defense hasn't been great and maybe
even a little more, and they kept them under that. Now,
there are some rushing numbers that are very frightening and lopsided.
I mean, don't get me wrong, we'll get into them.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Through two hundred and seventeen yards is still two hundred
and seventeen yards.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
On thousand percent.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
It didn't really feel like it either, though in a
weird way.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
It's funny because we recorded something with with Mike and
Rob and we said the same thing, like at the
end of the day and I looked at the box score,
I'm like, that was more than I thought. You know,
it didn't feel as.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Didn't feel like Lamar had forty three yards show right,
And it did not feel anything like the Buffalo game.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Like the Buffalo game, you could have told me they
ran for five hundred, I'd have been like, that felt
like sounds right, right, right, But I mean like they
had some good run defense moments, it's not it's still
below the line, don't get me wrong. And frankly, the defense,
I'm not harping on the negatives by any stretch, but
in the second half, as has been the case because
(04:33):
they're on the field all the time. It felt like
Lamar had a lot of easy completions. The running game
is starting to get what they wanted from a Raven's perspective.
But you stuffed them in the red zone and you
came up big on the end of drives when it
mattered most, even though I'm sure they were tired yet
again from being on the field way too much.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
There's no doubt about that. I mean, I think Matt
just you know, thirty thousand foot view. If you would
have told us on Friday the Ravens were going to
run for over two hundred and ten yards and the
Steelers are going to run for less than thirty five,
we would have been like, oh, it's going to be
an ugly game. You're going to lose twenty seven to
six again like he just did to Buffalo or whatever
the final score was, Like, I think that was it.
(05:14):
But if you would have told us DK metcalf was
going to have one hundred and forty eight yards receiving,
we might have thought, well, Okay, the Steelers really hit
some explosives, which they did.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
They did.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
The offense finally recaptured some confidence in the passing game,
something that we had seen this season, but not lately.
And you know, and Aaron Rodgers played pretty well, and
maybe that's the lead that I buried here five minutes
into this without bringing him up. It was not MVP
level Aaron Rodgers, but I certainly think it was the
(05:47):
closest to that that we've seen, maybe other than one
or two moments early on in the season.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
I think it was his best game as a Steeler.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I think it was considering the situation, the moment, the opponent,
the pressure the opponent, the time in the calendar.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
At a broken hand, at a broken wrist, I mean, oh,
by the way, well absolutely yeah, And so maybe that
is the lead, because hey, you're coming off a win.
Let's start with positive is this is a quarterback driven league,
and I was starting to worry about the quarterback position
a lot. I mean, I don't think we hid that
on this show the last couple of weeks, Like what
they're doing against the Chargers in the last couple of
(06:22):
weeks at the quarterback position isn't going to take you
where you need to be in no matter if it
was Rudolph or Rogers or whatever. And frankly, at this
stage of his career in this season, I started to think, well,
I think we have to efficiently be worried if the
riggers of the season are catching up with an old man.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
You know, he did just turned forty two last week.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Right, right, right, I mean, this is what happened. I mean,
that's there's many examples of uh oh, this could be
I wouldn't say the beginning of the end, but this
is an uphill climb now for this particular player. And
I thought he answered in such a big way, you know,
And there were some changes around him with his receivers,
and he kept stressing about how this was our best
(07:02):
week of practice I've had here. Yes, practice matters. That
kind of stuff reflects on game day and you go
on the road and you get a game you had
to get and mostly dropped because of your quarterback. When's
the last time we said that? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Right, I mean probably that next year at COVID season
when the Steelers started eleven to zero, and yeah, probably
three of those eleven wins. It felt like it was
like Ben pulling a rabbit out of his hat at
the end of the game to get the Steelers over
the line. Yeah, yeah, maybe you're right. Uh, shame on
me for burying the lead in that regard. But twenty
three of thirty four two and eighty four yards the
touchdown for Aaron Rodgers through the air and one with
(07:40):
his discount double check as well, which was fantastic, something
that had us all fired up in the in the booth.
Uh when he when he did that, we were all
we were all ready to go up in the up
there in the broadcast booth next to the next to
the Ravens booth, which by the way, has Rod Woodson
in it. So that's pretty cool. It's funny him.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Also, he's a trader, yeah, I mean, but he's super cool.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, he won a Super Bowl there, I get it.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Which they by the way, they did that at halftime,
they like honored that Super Bowl team for their twenty
fifth anniversary. It's some pretty cool bomber jackets on that
Rod Woodson was wearing. Yet it hurts my yser soul
to see him in that purple.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
But you gotta respect that team too though. Un that's
a big time football team. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It was just good that Helodi Nada was not part
of that group because you know, Max, he sees Heloda
Nada and he sees red all uh. All reason goes
out the window and he just he just is ready.
He's on ten uh. But yet Aaron Rodgers, I think,
is it is maybe the kind of lead of this story.
I thought you set the tone early with that deep
(08:49):
ball to DK metcalt he runs in the touchdown there
and you see the emotion from him and from the
team in that moment. You know, Baltimore starts opening drive
field goals. Dealers come right back down the field and
score a touchdown like here we go, ready to go.
And I thought that was big in terms of setting
the tone, turning the pay and that that's really what
(09:10):
it felt like in that first quarter. The Steelers turned
the page. When when you have two losses like they
did back to back, sometimes that can linger. That's one
of those old coaches. That's one of those old coach adages, right,
is like you can't let one loss turn into two.
I want to say it was James Franklin, I think,
(09:31):
in one of his interviews said this, like we went
out the Penn State, went out the u c l
A right or and lost that game, and it was
like we lost the organ in double overtime the week before,
and we let one loss turn into two type thing,
you know, and it and then it gets real bad.
And I think the Steelers were kind of in danger
of if that first quarter doesn't go your way, Oh no,
(09:53):
here we go again. You know, the Ravens come out,
they get points on their first drive. If you go
three and out there, maybe you pick up one first
down and you end up punting. It's like the defense
is trotting back out on the field. Oh no, here
we go again. Yeah, and instead it's like bang, that
was one of our better drives of the season, big
explosive play, finished with a touchdown in the red zone.
We've turned the page. Those last couple of weeks are
(10:13):
behind us. Let's go handle business.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Ye it, well said A thousand percent agree. And there
is an emotional level to it, like, oh no, it's
gonna man, we just got punch in the mouth. How
we can handle it? You know that type of thing too.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
You think you're emotional as a fan. Imagine these guys, right,
this is their livelihood, this is their career. This is
what they've fought and scratched and clawed and bled for
for decades In their life. They're believe me, they are
well compensated for what they do, of.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Course, of course, but that but that's because they're the best,
the best. That's because anybody can.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Do with it what they've done to them, sacrificed and
work to get to this point. And and hey, the money.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
Is not like James Pierres cut and you know, exactly right.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
But later he had a really good game, exactly right.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
But I want to get back to Rogers super quick
because a couple of things stood out. Pushing the ball
down the field was the the obvious one, you know.
And boy, they've missed a lot of deep balls in
the last month. I mean there's some crazy numbers of
gone a month without completing the past twenty yards downfield,
and they.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Completed four or more thirty yards downfield.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
And even a couple of games even if they complete
one more, you know, the Mason game in Chicago, I
think maybe they win if they convinced, you know, can
complete one deep shot. So that stuff was great. The
way they featured and moved Metcalf around was what we've
been looking for to him. You really featured your best player.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Early, early and after.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
But back to Rogers, I thought his pocket movement extending
play believable. Was the last couple of weeks. I thought, man,
he's running into traffic, he's inviting things, the ball to right,
and he's doing weird stuff within the pocket. Where this
was the guy you saw early in the year. It's like,
maybe he doesn't move like he used to, but he's
got he still has the feel and knowing where the problems.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
In big moments.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
This is a safe spot in the pocket, this is
a danger spot. He knows all that stuff. He's not
going the wrong way. But the thing that people don't
think about too is very few negative plays. I mean,
it's easy to look at the highlights or you know,
but very I mean, and this has been a theme
of his career. I mean I always talk about like
the Hall of Fame quarterbacks, his low light tapes as
(12:21):
good as anybody, and rarely put the ball in harm's
way or heard someone say, you know, pro football focus
has that they have like a big time throw rate,
which is your big throws, and he was real strong
in that regard. But he's also turnover worthy plays was
like none, you know, like what'd you do wrong? Not much?
You know, and you get a quarterback that does that,
(12:42):
you should be in just about every game.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Exactly right.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
That position is that important.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Exactly right. You don't turn the ball over, you take
it away. Although there was some controversy there. Well, we
have to get to a couple of those a couple
of those calls and see Matt's thoughts throughout the show today. Yeah,
you were flagged for seven penalties, only thirty three yards.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Again more than that, Yeah, you know, like they didn't
really influence the game.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
It didn't really influenced the game of only thirty three
yards in penalties, two of four in the red zone.
That was kind of one of my beefs was you know,
twice like deep into the red zone, actually three times
deep into the red zone. You settled for field goals.
One you got bailed out by Travis Jones and that
penalty that allowed you to get the ball back and
then you were able to punch it in but kicked
(13:26):
like a field goal from the six yard line, from
the eleven yard line.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Further as a touchdown.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Sure, but again, you know, Steelers defense was able to
hold Baltimore to two of six in the red zone.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Now, red zone, I think we were there super important
in this game. So last year twenty twenty four, not
only were the Ravens the best red zone team in
the league, but they were like one of the best
road zone teams ever. I mean, Lamar's winning the MVPs.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And Mark Andrews, Derrick Henry and they had.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
So many ways to attack you down there. This year
they've been like the worst in the league. Where the
Steelers red zone defense is quite good. I mean it's
the top ten. I mean it's been real good all year.
And that was one of the keys going in where
a lot of the categories in this game statistically were
Steelers are middle with this, Ravens are middle with this.
(14:13):
You know, there wasn't a lot of huge ones where
they're big, yes, but one of them was red zone
Steeler defense, and that came to play huge. You know,
Like again, if if we were doing Ravens Nation radio, man,
what's up with the red zone d all year? I mean,
red zone offense, We've been so good and that we
got the same dudes, why are we falling apart here?
(14:36):
And I'm sure they would complain and we would probably
too if it was the other way round of man
resting through us a lot of favors.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Well, if those three calls were right the Ravens way.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
We might have a different story today.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
The personal foul on the field goal, the likely touchdown
that was overturned.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
That's the most obvious one to me.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
And then the Aaron Rodgers batted interception non interception, both
of those overturned, and again we will we will talk
about those certainly more. Yeah, I think the Steelers were
the better team. I think Aaron Rodgers was the better quarterback.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yes, and I played a little better than I expected
to say, he's starting around.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
He was starting around. Might be a little too late
for them, but maybe. Yeah, both quarterbacks with a rushing touchdown.
I think one of those wouldn't have surprised us, but
the other might have. Missy taught us this status.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
It was almost like a humorous play.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
It was hilarious.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I think that's what I think.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
That's why he hit the belt because he was like,
I can't believe it's just happened.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
He took him a while to get there, but nobody
was close to him.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Yeah, Chi, Missy, I'm pretty sure this was the stat
and so if I miss it in good faith, I
think this was the stat. She she told us on
the bus. When we got back on the bus, she
was sitting right in front of Rob King and I,
who's going to join us in just a minute. Here,
(15:58):
only three quarterbacks in NFL history forty two years or
older have a rushing touchdown. Did you see this?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Yeah, it's Fluty and Brady.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
That was the one we couldn't get.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
She goes, who are the other two? And we both
right away and go Tom Brady. And then we were
like Brett fa Like we're trying to think of who
the quarterbacks are that would even be an option, you know,
Brett Farr and they never kicked around a couple of
other names, and she goes Doug Flutie and we were
both like, you could have given us one hundred more
guesses and wouldn't have gotten that one. But yes, it's
pretty cool for Aaron Rodgers vintage performance by by him.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
He's the second or second or third oldest human being
to score at the NFL touchdown.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
That is pretty cool. Not a lot of running backs
playing until their forty ten, not a not a lot
of wide receivers playing. I was just gonna say, Marry
just ordered had to be one of them because he
was one of the few wide receivers that played into
his forties, because he's an absolute freak. Let's get to
our first break. Let's talk to the voice of the Steelers,
Rob King, his view from the broadcast booth, what he saw,
(16:57):
what's on his mind here about twenty four hours over
twenty four hours later, we'll do that with the Kinger
on the other side. Weshy alert. Matt Williamson, just getting
started here on a victory Monday. It's the Drive on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Back on the drive here as we rock and we roll,
and I can find my headset ball, you can turn
up a little bit and we go to the phone
lines now to talk to the voice of your Pittsburgh Steelers,
Rob King. Of course you can hear him every Steelers
game on WDVE on the Steelers Audio Network and him
(17:52):
and Max Starks in the locker room at ten am
on these airwaves every single day. Kinger, thank you for
taking the time as always year on a busy Monday,
and Matt and I kind of Listen, there's a ton
to get into from that game. There's a ton to
like from that game. But I think at the top
of that list has to be the quarterback play, the form,
the leadership, the arm, the elusiveness, everything that we saw
(18:16):
from Aaron Rodgers and what might have been his fine
finest performance as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
It might have been. I mean, I think he's looked
I think he's looked this good for a lot of
the season, and I think that the last several games,
beginning with the Chargers game, perhaps have reminded us that
there's been time three hasn't right, But it's also made
us forget that, you know, to Cincinnati Bengals game. Remember
(18:44):
thinking if anybody thought that the students weren't improved quarterback
position and watched that game, they had to have thought otherwise,
they had to have had a different feeling about what
the students could do. Now at that point, they were
four and two after that long and of course now
they're just seven and six. They loss is the beginning
of losing two out of fire, winning only two out
(19:06):
of seven games, going two and five to the last seven.
But yeah, the number one takeaway to me was Aaron Rodgers.
Whether it was his best game or not as a
member of the Steelers, I don't know. But the mobility,
the arm, talent, the ability to you know, strike quickly,
even running for a touchdown. I thought he was fantastic
in this game.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
One hundred agree. And so going into this game, the
Ravens pass defense was basically the best in the league
against short passing game. And I still think Baltimore looked
at the Steelers like, they're gonna do what they do.
They're gonna get out of his hands. They're gonna throw
the ball at the line of scrimmage a bunch. And
I love that the Steelers zagged, you know, they just
(19:49):
didn't do what they do and they okay, then we're
gonna push the ball down the field and well it
worked well, you know, and they converted.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
It's a great way to look me on it, Matt.
You know, I went in with a healthy respect for
their secondary. It's super talented. I think Melochi starts so
I don't remember being involved a whole lot yesterday. He
looks to me and I'm no scout, You're you're far
better at this than I. But he looks to me
like a future star. You know, Aloi Dulton player. They
(20:21):
brought him in that that brings Hamilton to the nickelback
and different things you can do with him. You know,
you still have Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins. I mean, it's
just a really really talented group. And you know, going
into the game, the vulnerability felt like, you know, their
run defense and the run defense held up pretty well.
But then the Steelers beat him with with the long
(20:44):
passing game, and I think you're right the zigging and
zagging thing. You know, I think the students have shown
the capability to attack in different ways. I think what
we haven't seen enough and what I'm hoping that this
game maybe starts to bring forward is sort of both
of those things together. Hey, we've thrown the ball and
we've run the ball, and there's nothing you can do
(21:06):
to stop us, and don't I don't think we've seen
both those elements together. But it was good to see
the passing game coming back and the deep ball coming back,
and you know, that's got to be something that's going
to worry people, worry opponents moving forward here.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, I think that's one of the most encouraging parts
of what we saw yesterday certainly, and you know, like
Matt and I were talking in the kind of the
open of the show, Rob, if you would have told
us all on Friday that the Ravens were going to
rush for you know, about two hundred and twenty yards
and the Steelers were gonna rush for less than thirty five,
I don't think any of us would have thought that
a victory was remotely possible. I mean, you got out
(21:46):
gained on the ground by nearly two hundred yards, by
about one hundred and eighty yards, But with what you
were able to do in the past game, I think
winning that turnover margin, even though it's only plus one,
looms large once again. But to me, that was you know,
I think we all rightfully so there's like this idea
of how the script in our mind has to play
(22:08):
out for the Steelers to win a game, and there
was some of that yesterday, the red zone success on
defense and some things like that, but I think overall
it played out a little bit differently than we all
expected leaning on that past game, Aaron Rodgers turning back
the clock a little bit, and what really felt like
a onus on getting dk metcalf the ball, getting DK
(22:30):
Metcalf involved early and often, you know, Wes.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
I think it's been and I've talked to this about
this with people in Pittsburgh and people in other markets.
You know, when you go and you see people you
know from other teams that are working in media for
other teams or what have you, that it's the most
confounding year I can ever remember in the NFL. I
don't understand it. I don't know, you know. I think
(22:55):
we've all said, well, we know who's bad, but we
don't know who's good. Won't shoot. And then Orleans goes
and beats Tampa, who at one point this year was
the number one power ranked team in the NFL, and
look like, you know, early on, like they were a
team to beat, you know. And I also think, you know,
when you talk about a season early on versus later on,
I'd rather be playing well late. And I'm hopeful that
(23:18):
the Steelers team that this can be a spark for
him because I'm not sure what the blueprint is other
than the turnover game. Don't turn it over when they
haven't committed a turnover. They won their last nine games.
You know, we always talk about turnover coach and we
think about it in terms of getting the ball well.
Part of that turnover coach is not turning the ball over.
Nine straight games they've won in which they haven't turned
(23:40):
the ball over. You know, I don't know what it is.
Because we've seen them stop the run against Indianapolis and
do a pretty good jobing in Chicago, do well for
a half against the Ravens, do well for a half
against Green Bay, and not well the second half. We've
seen them run the ball effectively. We've seen them not
run the ball effectively. We've seen them throw the ball
(24:00):
with Aaron Rodgers, like you said, turn back the clock.
He's looked incredible at times. There's been other times in
the passing game has spottered. Frankly, I don't know what
to make I think the NFL. I don't what to
make of the NFL in general. And the Steelers just
have numbers that if I parsed out six numbers over here,
you'd say, oh, you know, they're ten and two football
(24:22):
team or whatever whatever, ten and three football team. And
then if I parsed out these numbers over here, you'd
think they're a three and ten team. It is. I
don't know what to make of them. I do think
that they've shown a lot of flashes, and I do
think that you know that, I know that they're in
first place in the AFC North after the win, and
I'm hoping this is the kind of game that can
(24:44):
maybe spark them to start putting a few more of
those pieces together. We know that, we know that nobody
ever plays a perfect game. We're all waiting for the
Steelers to play a perfect game. They played a perfect game,
they win one hundred and forty to nothing. Right, it
doesn't exist. The other team's playing too. But I'm hopeful
that what we saw on Sunday is something that can
(25:05):
unlock the more consistent positive elements of the Cities that
we've seen all season long.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
Yeah, I think that's a really good conversation. Is turnovers
aside as you laid out. I mean, we know how
important that is to this team. I'm not sure what
their real strengths are, I mean, like extreme strengths other
than I think a pass rush. But I also don't
think there's any extreme weaknesses either, you know, like the
run defense numbers the last couple of weeks, last two
(25:32):
weeks are poor, but they were great. The three weeks
before that, you know. I mean we've kind of called
it whack a mole on our other show, you know,
Rob Where. But part of it to thinks that's also
a positive, Like it's not like, boy, if they shut
down our run game, we have nothing else. I mean,
they can play left handed, they can play a lot
(25:52):
of different ways. But I also don't know what their
bread and butter is.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Yeah right, they're they're Integra Montoya. They're also left handed. Yeah, yeah,
they can, they can.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Like I don't know, I don't think there's a question.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Yeah, I would like to think that that it shows
you're capable of beating teams in a number of ways.
And we could spend a week just talking about do
you want to have an identity and your team? Do
you want your identity to be that you don't have
a predictable identity. I don't know, I don't I mean,
(26:31):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Where I was going with that, Rob Like, in the
last five years, there was only one path to victory
is limit the quarterback have some splash.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
You know.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
At least now there's a lot of different avenues against
high quality teams where they can win. And frankly, I
think only the Bills game where they thoroughly outplayed.
Speaker 4 (26:53):
Yeah, I mean the Chargers game in my memory stings
a little bit. I'd have to go back and look
at the numbers to.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Steal their offense.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Yeah, yeah, they did have I think a three to
two lead at one point in that game. But yeah, yeah,
you know, and we're all we're all victims of recency bias.
And you know, we've talked about this, Matt many times
in West. I know I've had this conversation with you
as well, that you know, against top quality opponents, and
(27:23):
I'm talking about Seattle, the Bills, the Bears, the Packers.
You not only had the lead at halftime, but you
got the ball to begin the second half, something that
Mike Tomlin has traditionally been good at halftime adjustments. Third
quarter here we go, and going into this third quarter
this week, they were averaging two point eight points per
(27:45):
game in a third quarter, among the worst in the NFL.
You'd think you'd win some of those games, wouldn't you.
We lost all four of them against top teams, and
you know, yet they also have wins against New England
and Indianapolis and now Ball More. I mean, I don't
I'm truly mystified as to why it's gone this way,
(28:08):
why certain elements of the team haven't been as good
as I thought they were going to be, while some
elements have been pretty darn good. So I think that
right now, I don't know, you know, I would say Denver,
as you know, of course it's too has beat the Patriots.
Denver the Patriots, their records are the records. Houston is
coming on strong and suddenly now becomes a team that
(28:32):
looks like you don't want to play. But this is
the time of the year to become that team that
nobody wants to play. Like I said earlier, Tampa earlier
on in the season was number one in the power rankings.
They look like the team nobody wanted to play. This
was a team that was gonna sweep through well look
at him. Now it is lost in New Orleans at home,
(28:54):
and they are hanging on for dear life to eek
into the playoffs. So this is a time of year
you want to start playing well. I've used a puzzle
analogy all along, which is that I feel like there's
a bunch of puzzle pieces on the table that haven't
quite seemed to fit for whatever reason, no matter what
pieces I pick up, they don't fit right. And I
(29:15):
don't know why, but I see that the puzzle pieces
are there. I think they're there anyway, That's what I'm seeing.
I'm not trying to speak for everybody. That's what it
feels like to me. And maybe they're the team that
puts those puzzle pieces together, and maybe they're the team
that goes on and run, and maybe they're the team
a month from now people are saying, oh, you gotta
go to Pittsburgh to play this teethers. I don't know,
(29:37):
because you know, listen, you're also six and six going
into this game, so we know it can go the
other way too. I'd like to think it's gonna go
the positive way. I hope this is the kind of game,
the kind of emotional victory in which there were a
lot of good signs again from this team, maybe not
the complete puzzle picture, but a lot of good signs.
I'd like to think that maybe this is the kind
(29:58):
of win that can spark them toward being that team
that people are all of a sudden saying, oh, that
was a pretty good team. They got there, bit person.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Hopefully that's the case we were talking about, you know,
at the start of the show, Rob like, as much
as you know, athletes seem like robots and cyborgs and
a different species, Like these guys are humans. They're emotional too,
And yeah, a win like that, and certainly what that
can do for your psyche, what that can do to
you know, give you a springboard down the home stretch
(30:29):
of the season here, I can't think. I don't think
can be understated as well.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Super quick, Rob, and did mean to keep you longer,
but and we're not gonna talk to you next Monday.
I know you're always way ahead of the game with
advanced scouting.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
On the plane on the way home yesterday, he's got
the Miami Dolphin's depth chart out. You know, the rest
of us are eating ice cream and drinking gatorade and
watching TV, and he's perusing the Miami Dolphins step chart.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Rob, I don't think Miami's a pushover anymore.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
No, they've won four straight games. You know another conversation
Wes that Matt and I have had because it kind
of occurred to me more last night than any other time.
You know a lot of times you say, oh, it's
when you play a team, right, sure, Well, name me
a team that this year is when they've played them,
That team hasn't given them their best, That team hasn't
(31:22):
had a ton to play for.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
That team hasn't been Patriots. Maybe Patriots would maybe be
the only one.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
Yeah, maybe, but look what they've done. I think the
series the last team to.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Beat them, right, Yeah, the way you framed it was
that that team didn't play their best. I mean, the
Patriots had five turnovers that day. Was was my kind
of thought process in that I'm not.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Saying that they played their I'm not saying they played
their best in that game. I'm saying that when they
came up on the schedule, there was a lot for
that team to play for the Ravens obviously.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
But you know, yeah not Week three against New England.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Yeah, yeah, we're kind of Daniel Jones sideline. You know,
you didn't get back.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You didn't get like you did as it last year
or two years ago or two years last year, I
think it was right or whenever you opened with the
Falcons who had just Kirk Cousins hadn't played football in months, right,
and then you got bow knicks. You got bow knicks
in his second ever NFL start, like those go in
your favor and back to back.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
We didn't get Browning, you got Flacco.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
It seems like this year. Yeah, it's on the opposite.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
Yeah, it's been that kind of a schedule, and I
think they're getting another top test here. Now. You know,
if the Steelers wind up, even if they go ten
and seven, they're gonna be able to look back at
some quality victories against some quality opponents. And again, but
it's it's it's so much as you guys know, it's
about how you're playing in the month of December and
(32:46):
getting on that role into the playoffs and getting, like
you said, the human element west, that that sense of
hey we are we're a team, uh, that you don't
want to trifle with. I believe that a team that
thinks they're good or has something to play for is
a dangerous opponent. And to Matt's point, the Miami Dolphins,
(33:06):
they still have a puncher's chance here, They've got a
lot to play for. I mean, look at I try
to always look at as Matt does, the other team.
You know, what is their perspective, Well, we think we
can beat the students. Then we have Cincinnati at home,
or we think we can beat them at home and
we have camp at home. They're reeling we might be
able to go nine and seven going into a to
a big game on the road to finish up to
(33:27):
the season, and hey, ten and seven gets us in
the playoffs. Now, they're a team with a lot of
belief and I and I felt that way about Cincinnati.
Cincinnati knew they had to win that game against Steelers.
I think that the Dolphins are a dangerous opponent. I
don't know about eight chance health. You got banged out
of yesterday's game. That'll obviously be a big ticket item
for him. Although Jalen Wright came in and played a
(33:47):
great game for him.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
But I went, if they needed to, he's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
Okay. So he's okay, And so he's a handful man,
He is a handful. So uh yeah, it's hey man,
it's December football, and after after yesterday's when it means
more than ever, I.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Would have much rather to play the Dolphins of Week
three than this upcoming week. I'll tell you that, no
doubt about.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Hey, at least we did uh, at least we did
dodge Joe Burrow twice. We got that we got that
going for us, at least the Great rob the Great
Rob King, the King in the Castle, Rob King. What's
your favorite Taylor Swift song? Before we let you go?
This guy trying to tell for everybody, this rob some.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Deep thought, my favorite song is Coolow.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
This Rob King guy claimed to us earlier that he
didn't know who Taylor Swift was. I mean, no, no, no, no,
no no.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
I never said that. I never said that. I said
I don't know any of her song. That's not to
say I actually watched the documentary on her. You know,
obviously I know who Taylor Swift is and I and
I applaud her her great success. I've heard she's an
extremely you know, write your own music, very talented musician
(35:00):
who plays several instruments. I mean, those are the things
I know about her. But there's lots of you know,
they mentioned Toby Keith. Sorry, guy, I don't know any
Toby Keith suns. So you know, I'm gonna go crawl
back under my rock with my Dolphin's roster and get
out on the rest of my debt.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
If it's not Abbey Road, Rob King doesn't want anything
to do with it. The voice of your Pittsburgh Steelers,
the great Rob King kind enough to take the time
on a Monday. Kinger, thanks dude, we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
You gotta guys, thank you.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
There he goes, Rob King. He's full of it. I mean,
come on, come on, this guy sends me music recommendations
about twice a week on Apple Music. And come on,
he knows at least a tailor swa. Even if you
don't know the title of it, you know the hum along.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
You probably don't know, you know it. That's the thing.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Good way to put it, very good way to put it.
One more segment to go here in the first hour
on the other side, a crazy statistic from yesterday's game,
and we do have to talk about some of those
contra versial moments as well. We'll do all that more
as we roll along. Yuler Williamson, It's the Drive on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network, your tunes.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal. Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Back on the drive here as we roll along on
a Monday recapping the Steelers much needed twenty seven to
twenty two win in Baltimore against the Ravens. Matt. I'm
not sure you might have seen this already. It was
making the rounds on Twitter last night, and you are
the stats guy, But did you see the Steelers run
(36:50):
game getting out rushed by one hundred and seventy yards
and historically what that's meant? Did you see this going
around the three World War Two statistics?
Speaker 3 (37:00):
I did see that one.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Yes, the Steelers have won three games since World War
Two where they were out rushed by one hundred and
seventy more yards. They've all been, They've all been in
the last five years against the Ravens. They've all been
in Baltimore. Yeah, as well. Twenty twenty in Baltimore the
Steelers were out rushed by two hundred and seventeen yards
and still found away to win that game one hundred
(37:22):
and eighty three yesterday. And then in twenty twenty one,
the Steelers were out rushed by one hundred and seventy
yards and still won that game. Yeah, you can't get
away with it too often, but when you can't, it
has to be in Baltimore against the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
Steelers Ravens is different than everything. Weird, man, It is
just a weird rivalry. It's a weird immense knowledge of
one another.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
That's the big thing.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
So a couple of notes here you mentioned you know,
did I see it? I wasn't like actively finding things.
But it's gotten to the point just this last week
or two that my Twitter followers would be like, oh, Matt,
you'll like this one.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Now they're like yeah right, I mean just the last
couple of weeks. Didn't used to be the case, or
like someone will state something like that's something Williamson would say.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Something Matt would like like, oh yeah, I do like that.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Good. A couple that were made aware to me. This
one was made aware to me. Also, which isn't his
friendly is the games that Harmon has played compared to
the games he's not. There's about one hundred rushing yards
per game difference allowed by the Steelers defense. Now, do
(38:34):
I think he's the best run defender that's ever walked
the planet? No, but it's getting to be quite the trend,
you know. I mean, I know he's only missed four games,
but still they're allowing about one hundred yards more in
those games than when he's out there and he was
missed again, you know, like, why are you black? Other
than Cam. Their defensive linemen are going backwards too much.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Yes, in the name in the run game, yes, And
I think to grain of salt, those guys there's a
little square peg, round hole usage or deployment whenever they're down,
Derek Harmon, you got to ask betten to do some
things that aren't exactly his greatest strengths. You got to
ask why a black to do some things that aren't
exactly his great strength ready for yet? Yeah, but that
(39:17):
is also life in the National Football League. That's also
in general. When my daughter's wake me up at three
in the morning, that's not something I'm built for. It's
but it's like it still happens when you're when you're down,
Derek Harmon, it might not be something that you're built for,
but it still happens.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
And and with all respect to Harmon, that's not like
I'm down Watt and Hayward. You know, like he's a
piece of the puzzle. But he's not you know the moment,
I mean, he's not the biggest.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Yes, it's it's you know, I'm not down Jonathan Taylor
to my my offense, Donald like I guess sure, sure, uh, yes,
I I'm with you. On that it was and I
think what might have even added to that was again
to just I don't even know if it's given him
the benefit of the doubt. It's reality. Benton on the
(40:02):
first or second Ravens Drives was stinged up, had to
go to the sideline for a few plays winning in
the blue tank, ended up coming back. So credit to him.
But if you're already down harmon, if then Benton is
compromised and not you know, playing trying to play through something, and.
Speaker 3 (40:22):
Just everybody's just kind of miscast a little bit there, right.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
And in general too, as we've discussed the Steelers defense
and the snap counts and the time of possession and
the amount of football that Cam Hayward's played at this
point in the season already and what you're kind of
trying to do with him at his age and keep
him fresh, and it all becomes more difficult and it
puts more stress and more onus on everybody. But you
are right, it's starting to feel speaking of Cam, I mean,
(40:49):
I know you and Dale did motes and I did.
Everybody regurgitated the Steelers defensive numbers last year in the
run game with Cam Hayward was on the field, and
when he wasn't in twenty twenty four, it was a
night and day difference. They were like a top three
first last basically, they were like a top three rush
defense with Cam on the field. They were a bottom
three or bottom five with him on the sideline. And
it's starting.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
I don't want to be that reliant on one player.
But it also shows his greatness totally. Yeah, but that's
why you draft Harmon, so you're not as.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
And you're right and so in the same way, it's
kind of like it's encouraging about Derek Harmon in a way.
Speaker 3 (41:21):
Yeah, yeah, this guy's stuff, right, Like I wish I
was Derek Harmon's agent, be like, hey, I'm what's one
hundred rushing yards per game worth you? You know, like you
make me a fifty million dollar player.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
I I it's it is impossible to ignore over these
last couple of weeks, yea, with his absence.
Speaker 3 (41:38):
I mean you can feel it, you know. And again,
he's not the best player in the league. He's not
the best run to stuffer in the league, but you
can definitely feel it, especially in the Bills game, because
the Bills game ran right way.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
You know, So You're right, he might not be the
best in the league, but he might be one of
the most important, one of those.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
Very important, right and to me, that's encouraging for him.
Maybe he's even back this week. I mean he's gonna
missed two games, Yes, I think miss.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Four and Queen's banged up and Harrison exits the game.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
Are some concussions in this game.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Yeah, both sides of the ball, but particularly on the
Steelers side, Darnol Washington, I guess having an extra day
this week is good in that regard. As you and
I often talk about with concussion stuff now and that protocol,
it's so hard even with the extra day to within
a week past. He did so he did, but I
(42:31):
feel like that, but I feel like that's more rare
now than what we typically see. But again, that's all
we can talk tomorrow down the line and what Mike
Tomlin has to say, and obviously we'll keep it eye on, Yeah,
we'll keep an eye on the practice reports and all
that as we roll on throughout the week. The Baltimore
Ravens are the first team since twenty twenty two to
(42:52):
lose a game after producing two hundred plus rushing yards
and allowing fifty or fewer rushing yards last ting to
do so the twenty twenty two Jags against the Colts.
They got to be kicking themselves a little bit in
Baltimore today.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
It's it's a tough one day there.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
If we're if we're R and R got rest and relaxation,
Ravens Nation Radio, I think that we're kind of kicking
ourselves and saying yesterday was a microcosm of this entire
season to some degree.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
Yeah, like our star isn't quite the same, you know,
And that's that you can live with.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
And we did a lot of good things, but we
made just one or two crucial errors and moments that
ended up costing us. And that's kind of its kind
of been the case for Baltimore and all their losses
this year.
Speaker 3 (43:38):
And folks, all you people listening would be the same way.
And I know you don't care screw the Ravens, but
you probably wouldn't be real thrilled with the ref situation
on R and R right now too right and the
whole Friar move catch it instead of likely you know,
here's yes, just put yourself in their shoes and it's.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
A magic Lamar Jackson throwing that interception that was overturned,
a lot of cribadge and who has possession and all
those things. Those are the two big ones. And then
I think even the personal foul on the field goal.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
Was that one was I actually think was questioned a
little fifty to fifty. The two big ones that you mentioned,
I think that they made the right call. Maybe don't
like the rules, but those are the rules. The one
on the field goal I thought was a bad call.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
But you know, write this down, Mark this down for
the next time you feel like the Steelers are hard
done by officiating, because it goes both ways. Sometimes it
works for you, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the fifty to
fifty calls are split fifty to fifty. Sometimes they're heavily
slanted to one team. And again, though despite all that,
despite as my goodness, Matt, you know, we would have
(44:41):
gotten seven hundred tweets about please crush the refs, please
talk about it, Please talk about how we got screwed,
which I'm sure is happening happening in Baltimore. The Ravens
still had ample opportunities to win that game. Despite absolutely
that's just the way that things happen.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
All kind of it will in the second half.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
You know, that's that's too much. That's the way that
things happen over the course of a sixty minute game.
The calls at the end typically feel more weighted. But
it is a long game with a lot of ebbs
and flows, a lot of good calls, a lot of
bad calls, plenty of miss stuff on both sides. But
I do feel like it worked a little bit in
the Steelers department in that regard yesterday. Let's start there,
(45:20):
Let's go over some of those, give some thoughts, maybe
what Gene Sterotor had to say about these things from
an NFL officiating perspective. All of that, An Hour number
two will also go around the league and recap a
really busy and important week fourteen. Can we put the
Kansas City Chiefs to bed? We'll talk about that an
Hour number two as well. Matt Williamson West Shuler halfway
(45:42):
home here on a victory Monday. It's the Drive on
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
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