October 27, 2025 • 43 mins
The Drive goes around the NFL and recaps a busy Week 8 slate across the league.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Your tunees about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good evening, Steeler Nation. How we doing eh us too,
our number two here of the Drive.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
We get cheerier throughout the week, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah, absolutely, Well don't worry. We'll start letting people merging
traffic again tomorrow. We will be starting to fill up
on Halloween candy too as the week goes along. I
feel like that always helps. But it was a bit
of a rocky picture horror show for the Steelers last
night at Akroschuer Stadium. Our number two here breaking down
(00:52):
dissecting these Steelers second straight defeat, this one, thirty five
to twenty five to Green Bay. And Matt I got
a simple question for you. This is a thirty thousand
foot view question.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
This is a thing that Motes and I used to
do some sometimes in times like this, we would call
it the c CWP meter. Okay, and very simply calm, concerned,
worried or panicked? That's the CCWP meter. Okay? You calm?
Are you concerned? Are you worried? Are you panicked? Where
are you with this Pittsburgh Steelers team right now?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
It's not panic time yet. It's not panic time, no,
but it's worried time. I think, so I might be
somewhere between concerned and worried. In fact, I might even
I might even be on the over the fence and
on that worried yeahide of the yard.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And my logic behind worried is ninety The defense, you know,
like down by down defensive play all year has been
way way below the line, you know, splash reliant.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
When you are a And the biggest thing with that
is like, let's not kid ourselves. We know this is
an organization, this is a team, this is a franchise,
this is a coaching staff, this is a management group,
an entire city, in a fan base. It's predicated on defense,
Like everybody knows that, yeah it is.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And I don't even care about the investments in the
salaries on that's that doesn't matter on game, it doesn't
I'm off season stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Because the reason why that that doesn't matter to me
is because everybody whenever the Steelers defense gives up thirty
five points like they did this week and thirty three
on last Thursday to Cincinnati, everyone brings that up on
hundred and eighty million dollars right right, second, everyone says
highest paid. It's actually the second highest paid defense in
the NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
But that's not let details getting away of a good story.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Let's not let details get in the way of a
good story. If the Steelers defense was locked down, if
they were the best in the league or one of
the best two or three in the league, and they
were giving up nineteen points a game, I don't think
everyone would be screaming one hundred and eighty million bucks looks,
but look what it's buying. Yes, you know, like it's
only it's only we only do that when it's the negative.
But that to me, like I think you you have
(03:00):
to be worried in that regard. It would be one
thing if you were the Buffalo Bills and had Josh
Allen and you know, you know what, we're gonna get
shot but we're gonna, we're gonna we're gonna get more
shots off than Yeah. Like, this is a team that
to get to where they want to go, to be
who they want to be, the defense doesn't have to
be everyone's making the historically, you know, great jokes again
(03:21):
in the in the last twenty four hours as well too.
They don't need to be a historically great defense for
this team to get where they're trying to go. But
they can't be what they've been through these first seven games,
through these first eight weeks.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah, and I'm officially worried about the defense, y know,
on that that meter you're talking about. I mean, I'm.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Worried relatively calm with the offense honestly, yes, except.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
The way that the offense is wired cann't make up
for the bad defense, you know what I mean? Like
I trust Rogers, can I mean, like you mentioned, well,
if you have Josh Allen, you what.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
About two We haven't discussed this three carries in the
second half of the Steelers right now.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I have a problem with that too, And not even feel.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Of not bringing that up until this point.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Right because they ten minutes of time possession the second half.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
You can kind of insulate your defense a little bit. Yes,
you can run the ball and again not get out
snapped every game, not lose the time of possession. Six
out of seven games, you.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Were winning time possession very nicely. Going in the half.
You were very much winning the running differential. You were
the much better running team, the much better running defense,
and they kicked to you.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
So you got the ball to start.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
The half, come out running. Yeah, I mean it's working,
make your defense the life a little easier. So the
second half only having like ten minutes of time possession
was a two prong sword without a doubt. But they
were on completions too, you know. I mean, the clocks
is running with after the catch completions can't off field
hand not Halloween candy, you know. But there's a little
(04:54):
to be blamed with that too. But my reason for
team worry is, Okay, we had the Tomlin conversation. If
I have to play go for more and fourth less
field goals, that's not really how this offense is built.
And the conversation we had with with Rob and I
(05:16):
did with Mike that's going to air tonight, was okay,
do you and this is more down the road stuff,
but do you say I'm more apt to go get
that wide receiver and try to score everyone.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
We've got a lot of tweets about like what do
we do ahead of the trade deadline? Receiver safety both.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Or I keep investing in safeties. Do I sell the farm.
I don't think that's the answer. I don't think that's
the and that won't be the case either way. But
it's like, Okay, we're at a crossroads. And if you're
at a crossroads, I think being worried is legit and healthy.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It is, and I think everybody in that building would
tell you that's part of what that's part of what
you do in the National Football Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
This happens every year to some regard.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
You know, and I'm not drawing this as a parallel
for the Steelers right now, but like you have to
in this profession, you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Yeah,
I know, I've told you this story before, this up
on air, like Motes and I would laugh all the
time at the run that this Chiefs have been on
in the last seven years. Right. They go to the
(06:19):
that that first year with Mahomes his second year when
he was really the guy, Right, Alix Smith is gone,
it's Patrick Mahomes. They go to the AFC Championship game,
host it against Brady, right that was that was that
was Brady's last Patriots Super Bowl year run. And they
lose in overtime to Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
It's like, okay, Wow, we can hang with the biggest
of dogs.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
First year with Mahomes is a starter. We've got this
Tyreek Hill guy and this Kareem Hunt guy, and our
defense is getting there, you know what I mean, Like
we're gonna be fine.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I'm looking back on history. That was the beginning of
the changing of the guard in the.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
AF exactly right, exactly right. The next year, going into Thanksgiving,
they were like seven and four, seven and five, and
there were articles all throughout Kansas City It's time to
move on from Andy Reid. It's this is the same
thing we've been getting all of this in that.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Reed's been one of the most criticized head coaches in
NFL history. And then they go back to some Philadelphia clippings,
this guy will never win a big One.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Two and a half months later, guess what he did.
He won the Big One against San Francisco and and
and he got his first super Bowl and that kick
started in history. Now people would argue he's maybe the
best coaching NFL history. I mean, it is amazing how
quick that can happen. And I'm not saying the Steelers
are about to go on a six or seven year
run like that, but that's how quickly narratives can shift
(07:35):
in this league.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
There's been a couple with the Eagles over the last
couple There's.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Been a couple with the Eagles miserable over the last
couple of years, and so and so, Man, you are again,
you are far from a finished product. Here is it's
October twenty seventh, not even Halloween yet, as we're getting
close and real quick.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I think the Steelers still have very good players on defense.
Maybe some of them aren't as good as I thought
they were in training camp. But I don't think that's
like they don't make good. They got nothing. It's not
like the Titans. It's not like this is going to
be the worst and should be because they don't have
anyone's any good.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
If you are, if you are waking up today as
the biggest pessimist in Steeler Nation, sell the farm fire
everybody right, right, the disaster, focus on the future. You know,
be bad rest of this year, next year, whatever, Get
high draft picks, all that stuff. Even if you're somebody
who's is who would be like on that side of pessimism.
(08:34):
I I don't know, Matt. I don't think it's never
Here's what I'm trying to say, it's never as bad
as you think it is when things are crappy. It's
never as good as you think it is when things
are great, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
And I think even those back to back good defensive
performances started in Dublin probably weren't quite as good as
we thought either, because steal down to down, they weren't.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Great, absolutely right, right, Absolutely, that's a great that's a
that's a great example as well too. But even if so,
even if you are someone who's on the complete pessimism,
it's over, they're finished, they're old, blow this thing up
side of things, I don't you can sell me on. Okay.
TJ is not as dominant as he was a couple
(09:17):
of years ago. Jalen Ramsey's not as dominant as he
was a couple of years ago. They're still great football players,
right right.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
That It doesn't mean they went from defense Player of
the Year to battle They didn't go from all pros
to suck to right to be unemployed.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Exactly right. There is a middle ground there, and I'm
still convinced there's a middle ground for this defense. Again,
they might not be one of the best three units
in the league like we all hoped, and expected when
we left Latrobe in August. But they're they're not this either.
They're not that they they they can't be the team
that's given up thirty points like it's Halloween candy.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah, yeah, no, I mean, that's totally unacceptable. But it's
not like they have all replacement level guys out there either.
I mean, to me, that gives you some hope. It's
time to It's a crossroads.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
It's across. It's a cross roads, and you could go
one of two directions and listen, it does not get easier.
You've got the you've got the Colts who are set
in the world on fire from town, and then you
have to go across the country primetime game against the
Chargers team that again maybe isn't what we thought they
were going to be a couple months ago, but it's
pretty good as well too, and a great quarterback, great
(10:23):
quarterback Joe Walt's gonna be back, the offensive line improving,
they're well coached, like they've got an identity there under Harbaugh.
It's a tough stretch, it absolutely is. The Bears look
much more daunting than they than they do right now. Heck,
the Miami Dolphins or even winning games yea.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
And frankly, I don't even care about what's on the.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Stode, so you're right with that. You have to get
you it's I don't want to look at my neighbors
landscaping and go, man, they've got some great mulch and
great grass and who planted those flowers? You got to
you gotta focus on your own.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Yard, yes, ten your own garden, you know. And again
I don't even care who's on the upcoming schedule as
much as is it just being shown that you can
hang with the big dogs, you know what I mean? Like, Okay,
maybe you do get into the playoffs, and we've seen
that story too many times where yeah, that's a heck
of a lot better than being the Browns. I'll fight that
to no end. I am not a blow the thing
(11:13):
up and be terrible for ten years guy. I would
much rather be in it and in it and in
it and see what where the chips fall. But these
last two games just shown a defense that isn't playoff,
let alone championship caliber. Well that worries me. And that's
the w you know, And the exerciser is did you know, Yes,
it's worrisome, right.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
It's worrisome. And I think two of all the things
that we could have roadblocks for the if we were
laying out potential downfalls for this team in August again,
I think someone would have said, the defense isn't as
good as we think they are. You know, Cam is older,
TJ's alder, Ramsey's older, all these things. But it can't
(11:53):
it can't be this. It can't be this bad, right,
it can't be it can't be this bad day. You
have challenged completions, right, hey, you have you have got
to make it more difficult on quarterbacks. You've got to
make it more difficult on receivers and tight ends. And
that's I mean, hey, that's the task at hand here
now is they navigate what is not going to be
a fun week for anybody involved down there on.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
The side should be and no one says it's supposed
to be rainbows and unicorns, right, And every team has
these moments.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Every coach has these moments. Like I told you, you're
in this league, like you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
It is never going to be sunshine and rainbows and and.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
It's very unforgiving, and it's very very competitive and It's
a very very high end, right, and that's why we
all watch and love it.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
And the Packers are what five to one and one
a pretty pretty good team in their own right. They
are absolutely but you know what, you you've got to
rise up. You got to meet that challenge and uh,
it certainly starts here in the next couple of days,
getting getting that tape digested and uh and getting the
corrections made. Matt, let's take a break here, come back
on the other side. You want to go around the
(12:58):
league a little bit, talk about some of the other
NFL games from Sunday. We got some of your tweets
that will close down with as well too. Well, Shooler,
Matt Williamson. It is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio
on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
And Goal, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
A busy weekend across the National Football League, A intriguing
one tonight on Monday Night football. We'll get to that
in a little bit, But Matt, what do you say
we kind of do what we always do here on
a Monday, run through the gauntlet of other NFL games
not involving are Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Yeah, and I'll say it's one of the least interesting
Mondays from that regard. Were bad teams lost, good teams
won very convincingly at times. And I hate to say it,
but I think you got a lump the Packers and
Steelers in there too. I mean, green Bay made a statement, Matt.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I don't want to, you know, patch you on the
back too much, but you called it with Tucker Craft.
You also did say there's a chance we come in
here on Monday and we're talking about the Steelers. I
don't remember if you use the word blowout specifically, but
a game really yeah, yeah, a game that the Steelers
lost comfortably might have been.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
The said something like that. Might come in and be like, yes, yeah, yes,
And I think it's safe say we're saying, uh.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
And you know what not to pat ourself and now
I'm trying myself on the back. I think we did
pretty well with predicting a lot of these other games
around the league except Dolphins Falcons. But who saw that one? Yeah,
thirty four thirty four to ten to Miami in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
They had no one to throw too. Cousins didn't even
play bad. Their tackling was terrible, their defense was terrible.
I'm talking about Atlanta here, and London not playing was
really big for them.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
They miss him big time.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, Monday or Miami's easy to make fun of and
all that, but their offense when it starts humming, especially
in good weather, is legit.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
They've got weapons. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Yeah, he's a good offensive mind. And to Will played
his best game, Yes he did. They're still a little
dangerous like that. They're a perfect example of on any
given Sunday, maybe they could knock off a big Merrill Hodge.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Yeah, underestimate an embarrassed professional, and you're absolutely right. Jets Bengals. Wow,
for the first time in his career, justin Fields, he
did it. Man, he did it. Yeah, he finally did it.
You could put that stat to bed. His defense gave
up more than twenty points and he got the w
thirty nine to thirty eight. In a crazy one. Breist
(15:47):
Hall ran for two touchdowns through for a touchdown, a
rough loss for the Bengals, and hey, you win that one.
You're four and four. You're a half game behind the
Steelers with a tie breaker. Yeah, now you drop that
one at home as well too, And you're back to
three and five for Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Yeah, and good for Justin. I mean, he's easy to
root for. I don't know if he's a long term answer,
but they're going into their by and the head coach
still hasn't committed to him. But I don't know why
you wouldn't. I mean at this stage, and okay, fine,
but the Bengals now are at another crossroads, is it? Yeah?
Henderson got hurt in that game too, Is it trade? Guys?
Does it go all in? You know? And I leaned
(16:26):
towards them being out of it. I thought if they
beat the Steelers, beat the Jets, like, oh no, they're
dangerous again. But that might have been close to the
final nail.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
They've got the Bears at home on Sunday, probably.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
A dog in that game. Don't you think I would
have thought that.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Past week either. Yeah, that's that rock comes down to
win or loss. There is rough one for Cincinnati for sure,
and hey, you know what, good for the Jets organization
on a rough day with the man sad tragic news
of Nick mangled just forty one years old.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I know I watched him in high school, offered him
a scholarship. I mean one of those guys.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
I think he was one of those guys that you
know everyone didn't matter who you're rooted for across the NFL,
you knew who that guy was. You respected that guy
in his game. And uh yeah, just forty one years old,
way too young. So are our thoughts obviously with everyone
and his family and his friends. But hopefully the Jets
win brought brought some type of smile to their face. Yesterday.
(17:25):
The Patriots took care of business. Matt too. Maybe this
was a one other area where we were off. We
thought that this would be a like Cleveland would find
a way to hang around. Yeah, but your boy, Drake
may my goodness, continues to look at your card. Thirty
two to thirteen. The Patriots five wins in a row
on the bounce, there's don't don't look now. But with
a very favorable schedule the rest of the way too,
(17:46):
the Patriots are six and two.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I think they're going to the playoffs. They might win
that division, they might win the division. I mean, you
already got six wins in the bank, and again any
given Sunday, all that stuff, but the teams lined up,
especially with Cleveland this past week. I think Saints last week,
like they're playing the teams that we picked in the
top ten.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Like they've got the Titans coming up. I think they've
got the Bengals and the Dolphins coming up.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
And this sounds nuts. But if they win eleven games,
May's gonna get MVP votes. Yes, I mean, he's playing
at that level right now. But I think because you
know where we're the airwaves were on, let's concentrate on
the Browns real quick. Jarrett had five sacks. I mean, dude,
it was a.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Madman first time in NFL, I think in the modern era,
like Sugar Bowl era or since they started tracking sacks,
which was.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Like nineteen eighty eighty. Yeah, I like it right around there.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
That somebody has had five or more sacks in a
game and their team has lost by three or more points.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
So there had been a few instances of exactly right,
if a guy having five or more sacks and his
team loss, but it was always a three point or
less loss.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Which makes sense. You don't get any pass rush opportunity
when you're losing by a million, right, But I think
it's time for Shador.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah, why not?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I mean, I think Gabriel's very much, showing that he
has backed up written all over them.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
We don't think about this kind of stuff in Pittsburgh
as much, Matt, But if you're Cleveland too, it might
be the time where like we got to we got
to keep people's attention. It's not even Halloween yet, Like,
we can't lose.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
Somebody needs to show up and buy beers.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
On Somebody needs to show up and spend twelve dollars
on a beer and one hundred and twenty dollars on
a jersey and fifty bucks for parking. That that might
be a good call.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
I also know Na Djoku and Judy and those guys
will be around much longer either.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Two things that we absolutely nailed, Matt. First, the Eagles,
you know they they embarrassing performance on the road Thursday
night against the Giants. Giants had some fun at their expense.
Uh We figured that the Eagles would kind of, hey,
welcome back to reality here New York. And they did
thirty eight to twenty. They win, and for New.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
York, handful of these contending teams, including Green Bay that
looked like, okay, we're the tier one, We're.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Starting to hit our stra Yeah. Yeah, and uh man
ugly rough injury to Cams Scataboo.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I love to say his
name and sometimes make fun of them a little bit,
but that's terrible. I mean, and Giants are it's gonna
be a rough year.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
It sure is. It's gonna be a long rest of
the season for them. I think one thing not to
pat myself on the back, Matt, but I told you
that the Bills were gonna roll. And Charlotte hadn't won
a game in off of two straight losses and a bye,
hadn't won a game in a month. Seventy five percent
Bills fans there in in Carolina forty to I mean
even I didn't think it was gonna be.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Forty dominant performance, right.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Utterly dominant. And you know, here here comes Buffalo looking
like the team that we kind of thought that they would.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Yeah, James Cook just rolling all over those guys and Carolina.
What I didn't see coming is I thought Dalton would
be better for the Panthers. He was horrendousness game.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Yeah he struggled, Yeah he really did. Had that bad
interception through for just one hundred and seventy five yards. Matt.
The Ravens some signs of life. Yeah, without Lamar, they
moved to two and five thirty to sixteen at home
over the Bears, who I think they dropped early.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Unfortunate for the Steelers. They're back to be in the
Vegas favored odds this morning.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Ravens of the division favorite this morning once again, and according.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
To Miami third very slight, like very slight.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Yeah, yeah, but still now is that in Miami or
is that.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
In Balkets in Baltimore?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Miami plays Miami.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Oh, is it okay?
Speaker 2 (21:21):
They're on the road for their next three at Miami,
at Minnesota, at Cleveland. That's tough.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Reed was brutal. Yeah, I didn't realize it.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Was straight road games is always a oh yeah, yeah, recipe.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
And sharpen these guys. It's better in particularly have done
the homework and it doesn't matter who you play. But like,
if you go back in the NFL history, that third
game terrible, you like an eleven percent chance of winning
all three.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
But the Ravens, they do have some signs of life.
They Yeah, Monty Python not dead yet. Thirty to sixteen
over Chicago and a frustrating afternoon for Caleb Williams after
he had shown a lot of steps forward, and the last.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Two weeks he's had a real hard time completing passes
and just when he was And that's the thing with
these quarterbacks. Two steps forward, one step back, one step forward,
two steps back, three steps forward, two steps back. You know,
like that's what he's doing right now.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Maybe also in that in that church, pew is C. J. Stroud,
he was great. He I tell you what, three hundred
a night very touchdowns. Don't be Texans, Monty Python. They're
not dead yet.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
They get to three and four with a impressive twenty
six to fifteen win at home over the Niners.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
So a couple of notes for this game. They used
a sixth offensive lineman more than any team in the
history in the in the league this whole season, including
all the Steeler Anderson stuff. It used to be Steelers dominate.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
That really struggled to run the ball.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Yeah, and they've there are lines, been a nightmare, and
they took a different approach. You know, coaches are allowed
to change their tune, and their young guys really stepped up.
They didn't have Nico, but the two Iowa State receiver
and Marx what he Marx all made a lot of
plays and Stroud was great. I mean, I'm a Stroud believer,
and he played. I mean, they took care of business.
They dominated time possession of this game.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
They really did. They played well. I mean they won
by eleven, but it was I think even more comfortable
than that. Yeah and yeah, if Stroud plays like that
every week, they watch out because the Texans. Texans are
gonna be tough.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
They could make noise.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
They might be too far behind to catch the Colts
at this point, but they could. They could be one
of those wildcard d's nobody wants rolling into their stadium
Wildcard weekend. A buttoned up professional performance from Tampa Bay
matte twenty three to three over the Saints. Nothing crazy
from Baker Mayfield threw for just one hundred and fifty
two yards, But again it was one of those like
(23:44):
they just controlled the game from start to finish. It
wasn't anything world beating. I mean, I know they won
by twenty points, but it didn't even look like that.
But again, Tampa is they're one of those didn't go
their way in Detroit. They respond with a twenty point
win on the road in the Division there, they're those
Tier one teams.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
They are, and you kind of laid it out exactly.
I was gonna say it too. It's like they're a
pretty buttoned up organization that doesn't stumble very often. Okay,
you're losing Detroit. You lose Detroit, and then you go
to a team that you should win, and more so
than most teams in the league, beat the teams you
should win against. And what's interesting a little bit here
is maybe it's strong to say Rattler got benched. I mean,
(24:24):
he moved from the starting job to the bench. But
I think they want to see what they want to see.
Shot shock.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Ye.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
I don't know if that's a knock on Rattler, but
it's kind of like the Shador Dylan Gabriel stuff. We
got these young guys, we at least need to know
because we're gonna be picking high.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
We're gonna be picking high. We need to know if
we're if we're going after a quarterback or not. Absolutely,
you need all those data points on those guys at
this point as you can get at Mile High Stadium.
The Broncos another hot team. They moved to six and
two Matt forty four to twenty four over the Cowboys.
They were able to frustrate Dak Prescott. They ran the
ball well, they looked good in those throwback uniforms too,
(25:00):
Orange crush. The Broncos are starting to meet that preseason
expectation and hype that I think we had.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Yeah, and Dallas defense is really bad, their secondaries totally depleted.
Even Certaining was in and out of the lineup in
this one too. But Denver's also pretty impressive. I mean,
I think they've taken a nice step forward to Hey,
we're going to be in this thing till the end.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Tell you what, Kansas City it's like there? You know,
Oh yeah, that's gonna be a fun battle down the
stretch between those two teams.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
I think the Chiefs win the night, but they better
not stumbled. Chargers are strong and exactly wrong and that
division could put three in the playoffs, for sure.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
It absolutely could. And the Broncos after a little bit
of a Rocky star bow Knicks looking better too. Through
for four touchdowns. I mean, it's that Cowboys defense we
all know, but still much better couple of weeks for
bow Nicks and Denver starting to look the part. Finally, Matt,
we kind of touched on it a little bit at
least you did with some of those. Jonathan Taylor numbers
one hundred and fifty three yards on just twelve carries.
(26:02):
The Colts roll at home thirty eight to fourteen over
the Titans. The Colts are seven to one. They're a
perfect five and zero at home. Daniel Jones twenty one
of twenty nine, two hundred and seventy two yards and
three touchdown passes.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
I'm totally in on the Colts. I mean, I think
they're the best offense in the league, and they're good
on d and I think he should be Coach of
the Year and Taylor should be Offensive Player of the Year,
you know. I mean that's uh, he won't win MVPCA,
he's not a quarterback, but that that Player of the
Year thing is just screaming for him. That being said,
this Titans team is horrific and didn't have Jeffrey Simmons,
(26:38):
didn't have a couple of their best players anywhere, not
that they have many to give up any well. I
mean that they were the worst team in the league
last year yesterday.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
And we could get into this more tomorrow when we
do our Tuesday power rankings. But are they the if
they're thirty. If every team is you know, you're doing
the what's the spread type thing? Or like, is even
the Jets maybe a point and a half favorite over
Tennessee at this point?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
I think so even said that when the Titans beat
the Cardinals, everyone moved them from thirty two to like
twenty nine in the power ranks. I'm like, the Jets
are still better. They just are. I mean the Cardinals
fumbled going over the gold line and goofy stuff.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yeah, yeah, the Titans. Man, I feel for cam Ward.
You watch that game, like his body language, he's frustrated, really.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Frustrated, and I really didn't play. I mean, like, you know,
they have like four good players and three of them
didn't play.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
You know, I think a lot of times fans can
be hyperball. It can be like, oh, we're at rock
bottom when they're like five hundred. Yeah, but this feels
like I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Some of the tweets were getting Steelers are at rock bottom?
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Have no idea what Tennessee Titans at one and seven
and not much moving, not much to even hang your
hat hat on is a tough place to be in
Music City, that is for sure. There's our Sunday kind
of slate covered for you when we come back on
the other side. Let's close things down. I do want
to talk a little bit more about that Monday night
(27:59):
foot game tonight, because a key one for both of
these teams, for the Chiefs to kind of keep pace
with the Broncos and continue to look more like the
Kansas City Chiefs of you know, this past decade, and
for the Commanders, a team that's now three and four
and could be slipping away a little bit if you
drop another one from a team that was just in
(28:20):
the NFC Championship game last year. We'll talk a little
Monday Football, get to some of your tweets as well too,
before we get up out of here. West Shuler, Matt Williamson,
It's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network, your tuned.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Final segment of the Drive here on a commiseration Monday.
I think we've covered the bases pretty well. Matt. Yeah,
we will have our Tuesday rewind tomorrow and get some
more into this game. It's not going anywhere for the
next couple days. That's what happens when you lose.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
We'll address it.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
But we I think have done a pretty good job
of covering most of the major kind of day after
reactions here on this Monday before we talk about Monday
Night football and closed down with a couple tweets. I
did want to run this by you as well too.
You rightfully brought up just some of that crazy. Hey,
here's an early snippet at what Jonathan Taylor is doing
before we get too much into the Colts this week.
(29:38):
Did you see what the great Bob Labriola, the Dean
of Doom, the lord of living in his fears? He
might be the Minister of misery this week as well too,
when we talked to him on Thursday. Did you see
what he sent us about Tyler Warren?
Speaker 3 (29:51):
No, it's in my inbox to open. I think I
got it while I was in the parking lot here.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
It's crazy impressive stuff, But what really stands out to
me is most receiving yards by a rookie tight end
through the first eight weeks of the season in NFL history.
Tyler Warren trails only Rock Bowers and what he did
last year. Okay, by his story by like thirty some yards,
so not too far off. And Mike ditt gah all
(30:17):
the way back in nineteen sixty one.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Times were a little different back then, Dick Ga.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Dick got that Bears. Yeah. So not only is Jonathan
Taylor having one of the best rushing seasons running back
in league history, certainly of the twenty first century, Tyler
Warren is doing the same for rookie tight ends. National
end Day just crazy. Yeah, yesterday was national There is
a national day now for everything, isn't there?
Speaker 3 (30:44):
I think?
Speaker 2 (30:45):
So when's when's National radio host Day?
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Exactly?
Speaker 2 (30:48):
When's National podcaster Day? Around around these parts.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
One thing about Warren, I know we'll talk a lot
about the Colts, but they really scheme him up well,
and much like Penn State did. Like they'll give him
carries and sweeps and direct snaps and things like that,
and it seems like so many times when you watch
him catch passes, not that he's bad on his own,
he's just wide open, you know. And they got a
lot of weapons.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
They got a lot of that going on on the offense.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
They do. They're really playing well, they're really coached well.
Steelers have to play a lot better to be dead team.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Yes, they do. Yes, they do. I think that is uh,
that's at the forefront of all the discussions that will
have over the next four days or so, as we
obviously will anticipate that. And you know what, on the
backdrop of that two Matt and we can get more
into this later in the week as well. But this
is the twenty year anniversary Sunday game of the Steelers'
(31:41):
Super Bowl forty championship team. These one for the Thumb,
the Jerome Bettis team in Seattle, up in Detroit, they're
all in town. They've got a big alumni thing Saturday night,
big alumni dinner game they're doing. And then they're all
getting honored at halftime. Okay, you can't give up thirty
plus points and get diced by the Colts with these
guys in attended camp Smith, Troy and Pasy and Potzi
(32:07):
and Foot.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Like, to me, that's not to the same level of
the Dublin game or the Rogers thing. But you feel
their presence. I mean, there's no doubt. You walk in
the sidelines and there's Troy and Ben.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah. I mean, come on, I've told you this before.
I don't know if I've said this on these airwaves
here on the drive. I'm sure I did at some
point with the Steelers Blitz. Like you and I are
both very fortunate to do what we do. We say
that all the time. With that comes like we spend
a lot of time around quote unquote famous people.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Right right, right right.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
It takes a lot to star strike me. It takes
a lot for me to get starstruck. And you know
this too, like growing up, my dad was a violinist,
bumps some shoulders with some musicians, and so everyone would
and even kind of like my dad started that to
me as a kid, like they're just normal people too,
you know, like it takes a lot for me to
get starstruck. But man, when when me Joe Green walks
(33:01):
in the room, you sit up. When Troy Paulamalo walks
by you on campus at Saint Vincent College, oh.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
My goodness, every eye is on him still.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
And there's there's a lot of a lot of those
guys around the Steelers organization, and there will be a
lot of those guys around this weekend. Yeah, get it,
get it done for those boys, all right.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Their presence will be felt, yes, it will, It certainly will, rightfully,
So Chiefs at home tonight, Matt the four and three Chiefs,
who are playing much better as of late, hosting the
three and four Washington Commanders, who have let a couple
get away and are kind of struggling and reeling a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Kansas City nine and a half point favorites tonight.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
At home, the big number. I love where Kansas City's at.
They're gonna be rested. Washington doesn't have Jade Daniels, that's huge,
but they do have Deebo and McLaurin back.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
It looks like they do. They just played open.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
He's not terrible.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Yeah, he has played. He's one of the better backups
in the NFL. It's a tough spot for the Commanders.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
I admit. When it was kind of during that Arthur
Smith falcons here, I'm like, boy, Mary Ode is shot.
I can't believe that he I thought his career was over.
He couldn't complete a pass there for a while. I'm like,
poor Arthur. I mean, he doesn't have anybody that can
do anything for him. And Mariote has gotten a lot better.
I mean he's a really good backup, the perfect guy
to back up Jayden Daniels mentor you know, not run
(34:21):
a different off or you know, similar offense. I'm still
taking the Chiefs at home Monday night.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
I think so too. They they're really harm you and
I have been saying this for the last two weeks,
but I think we're all going to get to Thanksgiving
and be like, here come the Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Yeah, they're favorite.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
They're four and three now, they'll be nine and four
at that point or something, you know. I I am
thinking that they have they have awoken there in Kansas City.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Their receivers are healthy now too. The raceie Rice thing
means a lot.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
They go out tonight and beat the Commanders by two scores,
and that might kind of be the I can see
that the last the last thoughts of the Chiefs fallen
off this year, all right, Matt, A couple of tweets
on here to get us up out of here today.
A bunch of people have tweeted. Annie tweeted, Checker thirty
two tweeted, Mike tweeted, Will tweeted asking about your trade
(35:21):
deadline thoughts. Would you go after a receiver, would you
go after a safety, would you go after both? Something else?
We still got one more game before you really have
to make that decision. Now, trade deadline is eight days away.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
My opinion on receiver hasn't changed that I'm still actively talking.
I mean, and Roman Wilson can we should have mentioned
he had a nice game.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Marquez Voudez Scantling visiting the Steelers today as well too.
I don't know if I didn't MVS in town for
a visit. According to Jordan.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Schultz, okay, so I mean they're still have the door
open for a bring a guy in, and I would too.
I mean, there's some good names out there, all these
of course, it goes out saying depends what you have
to pay in the contracts and all that stuff too.
We have we didn haven't talked much about the injuries.
I guess that's something we'll know more tomorrow. But I
(36:12):
don't have any faith that Elliott's going to be back, right,
I mean, I'm going to plant seeds that aren't there.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
And but but a lot of a lot of times too.
You can kind of the tone and posture of Mike
Tomlin's post game when he discusses.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
The injuries sometimes you know, season enders, you know, kind.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Of sounded a little bit like the same type of
tone he took with Miles Killerbrew a couple of weeks ago. Yeah,
and he's he's usually he's usually very clear if he
thinks it's just bumps and bruises.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Associated with play, or will evaluate it later.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
We'll evaluate it later in the week. When he kind
of says right away that it's you know, it's going
to be something significant, significant long term, that's.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
Yes, I'm not counting on Elliott for the rest of
the year. But well, that's more of a tomorrow project.
It'd be nice to say, I'd like to get a
six offensive lineman, but you're not going to, so I'm
not even gonna pretend. Yeah, Now this is more of
a down the line and beat reporter conversation too. Maybe
is does Ramsey become more of a full time safety?
Speaker 2 (37:09):
I was it's funny you say that. Yeah, Matt, I'm
a I'm a dork like you, but in kind of
a different sense. All right, So you lay there in
bed at night and think about what player you would
add from each team, and you go across the division.
I sit there and bed at night and lay out
the show the rest of the week in my mind.
And one of the things that I had for tomorrow
when we do our Tuesday, rewatch is to talk more
(37:30):
about Ramsey safety, especially if this is a.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Secondary as a whole.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
We'll have the best guys. We'll have Mike Tomlin's press
conference tomorrow too before we go on air, so we
could have more clarity around the Seawan Elliotts, let's let's
table that one for tomorrow and talk.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Because potentially you could trade for a corner and make
sure Ramsey is safety, or you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Or you could just say, you know what, Joey Porter, Junior,
Brandon Echols, let's go.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Yeah. I sorting out your best five and your pecking order,
your best six defensive backs now is going to be
a challenge, and I think there's a couple of ways
to skin that cat.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
You know, completely agree, completely agree. Funny tweet here from Brad.
He goes, sure, I know we're spending the day detailing
the coverage failures and the performance of the defense, but
let's not truly miss the momentous occurrence that we witnessed yesterday.
Spencer Anderson one target, one catch, four yards, So the
legend begins.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
How about it?
Speaker 2 (38:24):
And then he had to move into guard. I mean,
I'll tell you what, but that was you guys should
have seen Max Stark's jump to use a Halloween reference,
jumping up and down like a ten year old on
Halloween when they put on their Power Rangers. Cost to
Starks was so excited about that.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
That's awesome. I can't believe they actually threw it too.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I can't either, especially in like a situation like that.
It wasn't a worth a goal line. This is a
gadget type play like this is like in the eck
in the open field, Aaron Rodgers throwing it to him.
A couple more here. Swing State samps and tweets and says,
now that we have a pretty solid sample size, what
three to five quarterbacks in college football do you think
(39:04):
are worthy of a first round pick as of now?
We'll get plenty more into this. On Wednesday, said, this
is a Wednesday around campus thing, and I'm really excited
for the conversation this for this week.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
I watched more than usual college football this Saturday.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
I'm even more excited for it than but Fernando Mendoza absolutely,
Dante Moore absolutely, Leonora's Sellers absolutely.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
I was very impressive.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Sellers his maybe best performance or maybe since that opener
against Virginia Tech the best that he's looked. I know
he's only started seven games in his collegiate career, but
I am loving Ty Simpson, the Alabama quarterback. What we've
seen from sims uh Man, I really like what we've
really like what we've seen from him. So those are
four that I think are going to be pretty clear
(39:46):
cut if they all decide to come out, because Dante
Moore and I think Simpson too could come back for
another year if they wanted to. Sellers could come back.
I think Mendoza is the only one who who is
for sure coming out now he won't be the old
only one, but no, But there's four names for you
that I absolutely think are at the top of the
pecking order. And there's probably five other names that we
(40:07):
should discuss that we will on Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
And LSU made a coaching change, right Yeah, what.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
A l already, Matt, And there's gonna be more. It's
not even Halloween. LSU, Florida, Penn State, Arkansas, Oklahoma State,
Virginia Tech, U C l A.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
I didn't realize there's that many that's big time program.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
Big time programs. Yeah, especially Penn State, Florida.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
LSU and Penn State. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
I was getting into this with Max a little bit
yesterday because you know, he's a proud Florida GA. I
told him, uh, you know that I think LSU is
a much better job and one of the top five
jobs in college football.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
And I leaned towards you.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Yeah, the unquestioned best four jobs in my in my
own personal, humble opinion in college football are Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, LSU,
not Georgia. They would be in the conversation for five them,
USC and Missionchigan would be in my conversation for when
you consider read.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
A little behind they are but recently.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
But the resources, the money, the recruiting area, the history
for job ranking best jobs, that's what you're looking for.
The recruit Notre Dame would be close to They're just
not the Oklahoma would be in the top ten. But
like think of the recruiting area and the money, the Texas,
you know, Alabama, LSU.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Trust me, I watched Texas recruiting film. It's different than
everywhere else. Yeah. Yeah, and and they have so.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Much money they do in Ohio. I mean the history,
the tradition, all those things. That's a that's a fun
maybe once like the draft. Maybe that's something we can
in the off season where we need to kill a segment.
Talk a little bit more about uh last one here
today Matt Chris you you laughed, and we did get
a couple of these, but this is the one I'll
go with. He said, Boys, I think we are way
(41:52):
past panic time. It's time to go straight to the
season is done. The defensive concepts haven't changed. It's mind
blogg boggling. Every team knows how to attack this team.
I don't dig the first part of that eval first
part of that of it. It's done and blow it
(42:12):
up and everything.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Yeah, yeah, yah, yeah, I'm not there.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
It ain't over till it's over. But I do agree
that it's as you mentioned, it's it's time to change something.
You cannot do the definition of insanity thing. Now, seven
games into.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
This, I think you have to take a microscope to
every aspect of your defense.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
That's a very good way to put it, especially your past.
No stone left unturned, right, you know.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
And be willing to make hard decisions. Yes, absolutely, And
that's again, I mean that's the deal.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
That's it, and that is Hey, fortune favors the bold,
so I've been told and uh, and we'll see what
that looks like this week for the Steelers. That'll do
it for us today. It'll be a big day Tomorrow.
We'll get into some Tuesday rewatch stuff. I do want
to talk about some of that Ramsey and secondary stuff
that Matt brought up there as well too. We'll dive
deeper into that. We will have a Mike tomin press
(42:58):
conference tomorrow by the time we go on air, so
maybe some some injury clarity.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
Yeah, I'm not by by.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
That by that standpoint. Yeah, And and plenty more to
get to on a on a busy Tuesday as well too.
Thanks to Rob King for joining us here on this
Monday Monday, and a big shout out as always to
Matt Williamson. I'm wesh Hueler. Take care everybody. Thanks for
those of you that that tweeted in and participated as always, Uh,
you know where to find us. We'll be back tomorrow,
(43:26):
same time, same place. It's on your twenty four to
seven home of the Black and the Gold Steelers Nation
Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Your tunees about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good evening, Steeler Nation. How we doing eh us too,
our number two here of the Drive.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
We get cheerier throughout the week, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yeah, absolutely, Well don't worry. We'll start letting people merging
traffic again tomorrow. We will be starting to fill up
on Halloween candy too as the week goes along. I
feel like that always helps. But it was a bit
of a rocky picture horror show for the Steelers last
night at Akroschuer Stadium. Our number two here breaking down
(00:52):
dissecting these Steelers second straight defeat, this one, thirty five
to twenty five to Green Bay. And Matt I got
a simple question for you. This is a thirty thousand
foot view question.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
This is a thing that Motes and I used to
do some sometimes in times like this, we would call
it the c CWP meter. Okay, and very simply calm, concerned,
worried or panicked? That's the CCWP meter. Okay? You calm?
Are you concerned? Are you worried? Are you panicked? Where
are you with this Pittsburgh Steelers team right now?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
It's not panic time yet. It's not panic time, no,
but it's worried time. I think, so I might be
somewhere between concerned and worried. In fact, I might even
I might even be on the over the fence and
on that worried yeahide of the yard.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And my logic behind worried is ninety The defense, you know,
like down by down defensive play all year has been
way way below the line, you know, splash reliant.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
When you are a And the biggest thing with that
is like, let's not kid ourselves. We know this is
an organization, this is a team, this is a franchise,
this is a coaching staff, this is a management group,
an entire city, in a fan base. It's predicated on defense,
Like everybody knows that, yeah it is.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And I don't even care about the investments in the
salaries on that's that doesn't matter on game, it doesn't
I'm off season stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Because the reason why that that doesn't matter to me
is because everybody whenever the Steelers defense gives up thirty
five points like they did this week and thirty three
on last Thursday to Cincinnati, everyone brings that up on
hundred and eighty million dollars right right, second, everyone says
highest paid. It's actually the second highest paid defense in
the NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
But that's not let details getting away of a good story.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Let's not let details get in the way of a
good story. If the Steelers defense was locked down, if
they were the best in the league or one of
the best two or three in the league, and they
were giving up nineteen points a game, I don't think
everyone would be screaming one hundred and eighty million bucks looks,
but look what it's buying. Yes, you know, like it's
only it's only we only do that when it's the negative.
But that to me, like I think you you have
(03:00):
to be worried in that regard. It would be one
thing if you were the Buffalo Bills and had Josh
Allen and you know, you know what, we're gonna get
shot but we're gonna, we're gonna we're gonna get more
shots off than Yeah. Like, this is a team that
to get to where they want to go, to be
who they want to be, the defense doesn't have to
be everyone's making the historically, you know, great jokes again
(03:21):
in the in the last twenty four hours as well too.
They don't need to be a historically great defense for
this team to get where they're trying to go. But
they can't be what they've been through these first seven games,
through these first eight weeks.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah, and I'm officially worried about the defense, y know,
on that that meter you're talking about. I mean, I'm.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Worried relatively calm with the offense honestly, yes, except.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
The way that the offense is wired cann't make up
for the bad defense, you know what I mean? Like
I trust Rogers, can I mean, like you mentioned, well,
if you have Josh Allen, you what.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
About two We haven't discussed this three carries in the
second half of the Steelers right now.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I have a problem with that too, And not even feel.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Of not bringing that up until this point.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Right because they ten minutes of time possession the second half.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
You can kind of insulate your defense a little bit. Yes,
you can run the ball and again not get out
snapped every game, not lose the time of possession. Six
out of seven games, you.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Were winning time possession very nicely. Going in the half.
You were very much winning the running differential. You were
the much better running team, the much better running defense,
and they kicked to you.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
So you got the ball to start.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
The half, come out running. Yeah, I mean it's working,
make your defense the life a little easier. So the
second half only having like ten minutes of time possession
was a two prong sword without a doubt. But they
were on completions too, you know. I mean, the clocks
is running with after the catch completions can't off field
hand not Halloween candy, you know. But there's a little
(04:54):
to be blamed with that too. But my reason for
team worry is, Okay, we had the Tomlin conversation. If
I have to play go for more and fourth less
field goals, that's not really how this offense is built.
And the conversation we had with with Rob and I
(05:16):
did with Mike that's going to air tonight, was okay,
do you and this is more down the road stuff,
but do you say I'm more apt to go get
that wide receiver and try to score everyone.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
We've got a lot of tweets about like what do
we do ahead of the trade deadline? Receiver safety both.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Or I keep investing in safeties. Do I sell the farm.
I don't think that's the answer. I don't think that's
the and that won't be the case either way. But
it's like, Okay, we're at a crossroads. And if you're
at a crossroads, I think being worried is legit and healthy.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It is, and I think everybody in that building would
tell you that's part of what that's part of what
you do in the National Football Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
This happens every year to some regard.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
You know, and I'm not drawing this as a parallel
for the Steelers right now, but like you have to
in this profession, you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Yeah,
I know, I've told you this story before, this up
on air, like Motes and I would laugh all the
time at the run that this Chiefs have been on
in the last seven years. Right. They go to the
(06:19):
that that first year with Mahomes his second year when
he was really the guy, Right, Alix Smith is gone,
it's Patrick Mahomes. They go to the AFC Championship game,
host it against Brady, right that was that was that
was Brady's last Patriots Super Bowl year run. And they
lose in overtime to Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
It's like, okay, Wow, we can hang with the biggest
of dogs.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
First year with Mahomes is a starter. We've got this
Tyreek Hill guy and this Kareem Hunt guy, and our
defense is getting there, you know what I mean, Like
we're gonna be fine.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I'm looking back on history. That was the beginning of
the changing of the guard in the.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
AF exactly right, exactly right. The next year, going into Thanksgiving,
they were like seven and four, seven and five, and
there were articles all throughout Kansas City It's time to
move on from Andy Reid. It's this is the same
thing we've been getting all of this in that.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Reed's been one of the most criticized head coaches in
NFL history. And then they go back to some Philadelphia clippings,
this guy will never win a big One.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Two and a half months later, guess what he did.
He won the Big One against San Francisco and and
and he got his first super Bowl and that kick
started in history. Now people would argue he's maybe the
best coaching NFL history. I mean, it is amazing how
quick that can happen. And I'm not saying the Steelers
are about to go on a six or seven year
run like that, but that's how quickly narratives can shift
(07:35):
in this league.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
There's been a couple with the Eagles over the last
couple There's.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Been a couple with the Eagles miserable over the last
couple of years, and so and so, Man, you are again,
you are far from a finished product. Here is it's
October twenty seventh, not even Halloween yet, as we're getting
close and real quick.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
I think the Steelers still have very good players on defense.
Maybe some of them aren't as good as I thought
they were in training camp. But I don't think that's
like they don't make good. They got nothing. It's not
like the Titans. It's not like this is going to
be the worst and should be because they don't have
anyone's any good.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
If you are, if you are waking up today as
the biggest pessimist in Steeler Nation, sell the farm fire
everybody right, right, the disaster, focus on the future. You know,
be bad rest of this year, next year, whatever, Get
high draft picks, all that stuff. Even if you're somebody
who's is who would be like on that side of pessimism.
(08:34):
I I don't know, Matt. I don't think it's never
Here's what I'm trying to say, it's never as bad
as you think it is when things are crappy. It's
never as good as you think it is when things
are great, you know.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
And I think even those back to back good defensive
performances started in Dublin probably weren't quite as good as
we thought either, because steal down to down, they weren't.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Great, absolutely right, right, Absolutely, that's a great that's a
that's a great example as well too. But even if so,
even if you are someone who's on the complete pessimism,
it's over, they're finished, they're old, blow this thing up
side of things, I don't you can sell me on. Okay.
TJ is not as dominant as he was a couple
(09:17):
of years ago. Jalen Ramsey's not as dominant as he
was a couple of years ago. They're still great football players,
right right.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
That It doesn't mean they went from defense Player of
the Year to battle They didn't go from all pros
to suck to right to be unemployed.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Exactly right. There is a middle ground there, and I'm
still convinced there's a middle ground for this defense. Again,
they might not be one of the best three units
in the league like we all hoped, and expected when
we left Latrobe in August. But they're they're not this either.
They're not that they they they can't be the team
that's given up thirty points like it's Halloween candy.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah, yeah, no, I mean, that's totally unacceptable. But it's
not like they have all replacement level guys out there either.
I mean, to me, that gives you some hope. It's
time to It's a crossroads.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
It's across. It's a cross roads, and you could go
one of two directions and listen, it does not get easier.
You've got the you've got the Colts who are set
in the world on fire from town, and then you
have to go across the country primetime game against the
Chargers team that again maybe isn't what we thought they
were going to be a couple months ago, but it's
pretty good as well too, and a great quarterback, great
(10:23):
quarterback Joe Walt's gonna be back, the offensive line improving,
they're well coached, like they've got an identity there under Harbaugh.
It's a tough stretch, it absolutely is. The Bears look
much more daunting than they than they do right now. Heck,
the Miami Dolphins or even winning games yea.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
And frankly, I don't even care about what's on the.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Stode, so you're right with that. You have to get
you it's I don't want to look at my neighbors
landscaping and go, man, they've got some great mulch and
great grass and who planted those flowers? You got to
you gotta focus on your own.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Yard, yes, ten your own garden, you know. And again
I don't even care who's on the upcoming schedule as
much as is it just being shown that you can
hang with the big dogs, you know what I mean? Like, Okay,
maybe you do get into the playoffs, and we've seen
that story too many times where yeah, that's a heck
of a lot better than being the Browns. I'll fight that
to no end. I am not a blow the thing
(11:13):
up and be terrible for ten years guy. I would
much rather be in it and in it and in
it and see what where the chips fall. But these
last two games just shown a defense that isn't playoff,
let alone championship caliber. Well that worries me. And that's
the w you know, And the exerciser is did you know, Yes,
it's worrisome, right.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
It's worrisome. And I think two of all the things
that we could have roadblocks for the if we were
laying out potential downfalls for this team in August again,
I think someone would have said, the defense isn't as
good as we think they are. You know, Cam is older,
TJ's alder, Ramsey's older, all these things. But it can't
(11:53):
it can't be this. It can't be this bad, right,
it can't be it can't be this bad day. You
have challenged completions, right, hey, you have you have got
to make it more difficult on quarterbacks. You've got to
make it more difficult on receivers and tight ends. And
that's I mean, hey, that's the task at hand here
now is they navigate what is not going to be
a fun week for anybody involved down there on.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
The side should be and no one says it's supposed
to be rainbows and unicorns, right, And every team has
these moments.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Every coach has these moments. Like I told you, you're
in this league, like you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
It is never going to be sunshine and rainbows and and.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
It's very unforgiving, and it's very very competitive and It's
a very very high end, right, and that's why we
all watch and love it.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
And the Packers are what five to one and one
a pretty pretty good team in their own right. They
are absolutely but you know what, you you've got to
rise up. You got to meet that challenge and uh,
it certainly starts here in the next couple of days,
getting getting that tape digested and uh and getting the
corrections made. Matt, let's take a break here, come back
on the other side. You want to go around the
(12:58):
league a little bit, talk about some of the other
NFL games from Sunday. We got some of your tweets
that will close down with as well too. Well, Shooler,
Matt Williamson. It is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio
on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black.
Speaker 5 (13:22):
And Goal, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
A busy weekend across the National Football League, A intriguing
one tonight on Monday Night football. We'll get to that
in a little bit, But Matt, what do you say
we kind of do what we always do here on
a Monday, run through the gauntlet of other NFL games
not involving are Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Yeah, and I'll say it's one of the least interesting
Mondays from that regard. Were bad teams lost, good teams
won very convincingly at times. And I hate to say it,
but I think you got a lump the Packers and
Steelers in there too. I mean, green Bay made a statement, Matt.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
I don't want to, you know, patch you on the
back too much, but you called it with Tucker Craft.
You also did say there's a chance we come in
here on Monday and we're talking about the Steelers. I
don't remember if you use the word blowout specifically, but
a game really yeah, yeah, a game that the Steelers
lost comfortably might have been.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
The said something like that. Might come in and be like, yes, yeah, yes,
And I think it's safe say we're saying, uh.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
And you know what not to pat ourself and now
I'm trying myself on the back. I think we did
pretty well with predicting a lot of these other games
around the league except Dolphins Falcons. But who saw that one? Yeah,
thirty four thirty four to ten to Miami in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
They had no one to throw too. Cousins didn't even
play bad. Their tackling was terrible, their defense was terrible.
I'm talking about Atlanta here, and London not playing was
really big for them.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
They miss him big time.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, Monday or Miami's easy to make fun of and
all that, but their offense when it starts humming, especially
in good weather, is legit.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
They've got weapons. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Yeah, he's a good offensive mind. And to Will played
his best game, Yes he did. They're still a little
dangerous like that. They're a perfect example of on any
given Sunday, maybe they could knock off a big Merrill Hodge.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Yeah, underestimate an embarrassed professional, and you're absolutely right. Jets Bengals. Wow,
for the first time in his career, justin Fields, he
did it. Man, he did it. Yeah, he finally did it.
You could put that stat to bed. His defense gave
up more than twenty points and he got the w
thirty nine to thirty eight. In a crazy one. Breist
(15:47):
Hall ran for two touchdowns through for a touchdown, a
rough loss for the Bengals, and hey, you win that one.
You're four and four. You're a half game behind the
Steelers with a tie breaker. Yeah, now you drop that
one at home as well too, And you're back to
three and five for Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Yeah, and good for Justin. I mean, he's easy to
root for. I don't know if he's a long term answer,
but they're going into their by and the head coach
still hasn't committed to him. But I don't know why
you wouldn't. I mean at this stage, and okay, fine,
but the Bengals now are at another crossroads, is it? Yeah?
Henderson got hurt in that game too, Is it trade? Guys?
Does it go all in? You know? And I leaned
(16:26):
towards them being out of it. I thought if they
beat the Steelers, beat the Jets, like, oh no, they're
dangerous again. But that might have been close to the
final nail.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
They've got the Bears at home on Sunday, probably.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
A dog in that game. Don't you think I would
have thought that.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Past week either. Yeah, that's that rock comes down to
win or loss. There is rough one for Cincinnati for sure,
and hey, you know what, good for the Jets organization
on a rough day with the man sad tragic news
of Nick mangled just forty one years old.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I know I watched him in high school, offered him
a scholarship. I mean one of those guys.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
I think he was one of those guys that you
know everyone didn't matter who you're rooted for across the NFL,
you knew who that guy was. You respected that guy
in his game. And uh yeah, just forty one years old,
way too young. So are our thoughts obviously with everyone
and his family and his friends. But hopefully the Jets
win brought brought some type of smile to their face. Yesterday.
(17:25):
The Patriots took care of business. Matt too. Maybe this
was a one other area where we were off. We
thought that this would be a like Cleveland would find
a way to hang around. Yeah, but your boy, Drake
may my goodness, continues to look at your card. Thirty
two to thirteen. The Patriots five wins in a row
on the bounce, there's don't don't look now. But with
a very favorable schedule the rest of the way too,
(17:46):
the Patriots are six and two.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
I think they're going to the playoffs. They might win
that division, they might win the division. I mean, you
already got six wins in the bank, and again any
given Sunday, all that stuff, but the teams lined up,
especially with Cleveland this past week. I think Saints last week,
like they're playing the teams that we picked in the
top ten.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Like they've got the Titans coming up. I think they've
got the Bengals and the Dolphins coming up.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
And this sounds nuts. But if they win eleven games,
May's gonna get MVP votes. Yes, I mean, he's playing
at that level right now. But I think because you
know where we're the airwaves were on, let's concentrate on
the Browns real quick. Jarrett had five sacks. I mean, dude,
it was a.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Madman first time in NFL, I think in the modern era,
like Sugar Bowl era or since they started tracking sacks,
which was.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Like nineteen eighty eighty. Yeah, I like it right around there.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
That somebody has had five or more sacks in a
game and their team has lost by three or more points.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
So there had been a few instances of exactly right,
if a guy having five or more sacks and his
team loss, but it was always a three point or
less loss.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Which makes sense. You don't get any pass rush opportunity
when you're losing by a million, right, But I think
it's time for Shador.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah, why not?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I mean, I think Gabriel's very much, showing that he
has backed up written all over them.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
We don't think about this kind of stuff in Pittsburgh
as much, Matt, But if you're Cleveland too, it might
be the time where like we got to we got
to keep people's attention. It's not even Halloween yet, Like,
we can't lose.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
Somebody needs to show up and buy beers.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
On Somebody needs to show up and spend twelve dollars
on a beer and one hundred and twenty dollars on
a jersey and fifty bucks for parking. That that might
be a good call.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
I also know Na Djoku and Judy and those guys
will be around much longer either.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Two things that we absolutely nailed, Matt. First, the Eagles,
you know they they embarrassing performance on the road Thursday
night against the Giants. Giants had some fun at their expense.
Uh We figured that the Eagles would kind of, hey,
welcome back to reality here New York. And they did
thirty eight to twenty. They win, and for New.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
York, handful of these contending teams, including Green Bay that
looked like, okay, we're the tier one, We're.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Starting to hit our stra Yeah. Yeah, and uh man
ugly rough injury to Cams Scataboo.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I love to say his
name and sometimes make fun of them a little bit,
but that's terrible. I mean, and Giants are it's gonna
be a rough year.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
It sure is. It's gonna be a long rest of
the season for them. I think one thing not to
pat myself on the back, Matt, but I told you
that the Bills were gonna roll. And Charlotte hadn't won
a game in off of two straight losses and a bye,
hadn't won a game in a month. Seventy five percent
Bills fans there in in Carolina forty to I mean
even I didn't think it was gonna be.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Forty dominant performance, right.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Utterly dominant. And you know, here here comes Buffalo looking
like the team that we kind of thought that they would.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Yeah, James Cook just rolling all over those guys and Carolina.
What I didn't see coming is I thought Dalton would
be better for the Panthers. He was horrendousness game.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Yeah he struggled, Yeah he really did. Had that bad
interception through for just one hundred and seventy five yards. Matt.
The Ravens some signs of life. Yeah, without Lamar, they
moved to two and five thirty to sixteen at home
over the Bears, who I think they dropped early.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
Unfortunate for the Steelers. They're back to be in the
Vegas favored odds this morning.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Ravens of the division favorite this morning once again, and according.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
To Miami third very slight, like very slight.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Yeah, yeah, but still now is that in Miami or
is that.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
In Balkets in Baltimore?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Miami plays Miami.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Oh, is it okay?
Speaker 2 (21:21):
They're on the road for their next three at Miami,
at Minnesota, at Cleveland. That's tough.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Reed was brutal. Yeah, I didn't realize it.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Was straight road games is always a oh yeah, yeah, recipe.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
And sharpen these guys. It's better in particularly have done
the homework and it doesn't matter who you play. But like,
if you go back in the NFL history, that third
game terrible, you like an eleven percent chance of winning
all three.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
But the Ravens, they do have some signs of life.
They Yeah, Monty Python not dead yet. Thirty to sixteen
over Chicago and a frustrating afternoon for Caleb Williams after
he had shown a lot of steps forward, and the last.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Two weeks he's had a real hard time completing passes
and just when he was And that's the thing with
these quarterbacks. Two steps forward, one step back, one step forward,
two steps back, three steps forward, two steps back. You know,
like that's what he's doing right now.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Maybe also in that in that church, pew is C. J. Stroud,
he was great. He I tell you what, three hundred
a night very touchdowns. Don't be Texans, Monty Python. They're
not dead yet.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
They get to three and four with a impressive twenty
six to fifteen win at home over the Niners.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
So a couple of notes for this game. They used
a sixth offensive lineman more than any team in the
history in the in the league this whole season, including
all the Steeler Anderson stuff. It used to be Steelers dominate.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
That really struggled to run the ball.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Yeah, and they've there are lines, been a nightmare, and
they took a different approach. You know, coaches are allowed
to change their tune, and their young guys really stepped up.
They didn't have Nico, but the two Iowa State receiver
and Marx what he Marx all made a lot of
plays and Stroud was great. I mean, I'm a Stroud believer,
and he played. I mean, they took care of business.
They dominated time possession of this game.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
They really did. They played well. I mean they won
by eleven, but it was I think even more comfortable
than that. Yeah and yeah, if Stroud plays like that
every week, they watch out because the Texans. Texans are
gonna be tough.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
They could make noise.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
They might be too far behind to catch the Colts
at this point, but they could. They could be one
of those wildcard d's nobody wants rolling into their stadium
Wildcard weekend. A buttoned up professional performance from Tampa Bay
matte twenty three to three over the Saints. Nothing crazy
from Baker Mayfield threw for just one hundred and fifty
two yards, But again it was one of those like
(23:44):
they just controlled the game from start to finish. It
wasn't anything world beating. I mean, I know they won
by twenty points, but it didn't even look like that.
But again, Tampa is they're one of those didn't go
their way in Detroit. They respond with a twenty point
win on the road in the Division there, they're those
Tier one teams.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
They are, and you kind of laid it out exactly.
I was gonna say it too. It's like they're a
pretty buttoned up organization that doesn't stumble very often. Okay,
you're losing Detroit. You lose Detroit, and then you go
to a team that you should win, and more so
than most teams in the league, beat the teams you
should win against. And what's interesting a little bit here
is maybe it's strong to say Rattler got benched. I mean,
(24:24):
he moved from the starting job to the bench. But
I think they want to see what they want to see.
Shot shock.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Ye.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
I don't know if that's a knock on Rattler, but
it's kind of like the Shador Dylan Gabriel stuff. We
got these young guys, we at least need to know
because we're gonna be picking high.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
We're gonna be picking high. We need to know if
we're if we're going after a quarterback or not. Absolutely,
you need all those data points on those guys at
this point as you can get at Mile High Stadium.
The Broncos another hot team. They moved to six and
two Matt forty four to twenty four over the Cowboys.
They were able to frustrate Dak Prescott. They ran the
ball well, they looked good in those throwback uniforms too,
(25:00):
Orange crush. The Broncos are starting to meet that preseason
expectation and hype that I think we had.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Yeah, and Dallas defense is really bad, their secondaries totally depleted.
Even Certaining was in and out of the lineup in
this one too. But Denver's also pretty impressive. I mean,
I think they've taken a nice step forward to Hey,
we're going to be in this thing till the end.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Tell you what, Kansas City it's like there? You know,
Oh yeah, that's gonna be a fun battle down the
stretch between those two teams.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
I think the Chiefs win the night, but they better
not stumbled. Chargers are strong and exactly wrong and that
division could put three in the playoffs, for sure.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
It absolutely could. And the Broncos after a little bit
of a Rocky star bow Knicks looking better too. Through
for four touchdowns. I mean, it's that Cowboys defense we
all know, but still much better couple of weeks for
bow Nicks and Denver starting to look the part. Finally, Matt,
we kind of touched on it a little bit at
least you did with some of those. Jonathan Taylor numbers
one hundred and fifty three yards on just twelve carries.
(26:02):
The Colts roll at home thirty eight to fourteen over
the Titans. The Colts are seven to one. They're a
perfect five and zero at home. Daniel Jones twenty one
of twenty nine, two hundred and seventy two yards and
three touchdown passes.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
I'm totally in on the Colts. I mean, I think
they're the best offense in the league, and they're good
on d and I think he should be Coach of
the Year and Taylor should be Offensive Player of the Year,
you know. I mean that's uh, he won't win MVPCA,
he's not a quarterback, but that that Player of the
Year thing is just screaming for him. That being said,
this Titans team is horrific and didn't have Jeffrey Simmons,
(26:38):
didn't have a couple of their best players anywhere, not
that they have many to give up any well. I
mean that they were the worst team in the league
last year yesterday.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
And we could get into this more tomorrow when we
do our Tuesday power rankings. But are they the if
they're thirty. If every team is you know, you're doing
the what's the spread type thing? Or like, is even
the Jets maybe a point and a half favorite over
Tennessee at this point?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
I think so even said that when the Titans beat
the Cardinals, everyone moved them from thirty two to like
twenty nine in the power ranks. I'm like, the Jets
are still better. They just are. I mean the Cardinals
fumbled going over the gold line and goofy stuff.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yeah, yeah, the Titans. Man, I feel for cam Ward.
You watch that game, like his body language, he's frustrated, really.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Frustrated, and I really didn't play. I mean, like, you know,
they have like four good players and three of them
didn't play.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
You know, I think a lot of times fans can
be hyperball. It can be like, oh, we're at rock
bottom when they're like five hundred. Yeah, but this feels
like I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Some of the tweets were getting Steelers are at rock bottom?
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Have no idea what Tennessee Titans at one and seven
and not much moving, not much to even hang your
hat hat on is a tough place to be in
Music City, that is for sure. There's our Sunday kind
of slate covered for you when we come back on
the other side. Let's close things down. I do want
to talk a little bit more about that Monday night
(27:59):
foot game tonight, because a key one for both of
these teams, for the Chiefs to kind of keep pace
with the Broncos and continue to look more like the
Kansas City Chiefs of you know, this past decade, and
for the Commanders, a team that's now three and four
and could be slipping away a little bit if you
drop another one from a team that was just in
(28:20):
the NFC Championship game last year. We'll talk a little
Monday Football, get to some of your tweets as well too,
before we get up out of here. West Shuler, Matt Williamson,
It's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network, your tuned.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Final segment of the Drive here on a commiseration Monday.
I think we've covered the bases pretty well. Matt. Yeah,
we will have our Tuesday rewind tomorrow and get some
more into this game. It's not going anywhere for the
next couple days. That's what happens when you lose.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
We'll address it.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
But we I think have done a pretty good job
of covering most of the major kind of day after
reactions here on this Monday before we talk about Monday
Night football and closed down with a couple tweets. I
did want to run this by you as well too.
You rightfully brought up just some of that crazy. Hey,
here's an early snippet at what Jonathan Taylor is doing
before we get too much into the Colts this week.
(29:38):
Did you see what the great Bob Labriola, the Dean
of Doom, the lord of living in his fears? He
might be the Minister of misery this week as well too,
when we talked to him on Thursday. Did you see
what he sent us about Tyler Warren?
Speaker 3 (29:51):
No, it's in my inbox to open. I think I
got it while I was in the parking lot here.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
It's crazy impressive stuff, But what really stands out to
me is most receiving yards by a rookie tight end
through the first eight weeks of the season in NFL history.
Tyler Warren trails only Rock Bowers and what he did
last year. Okay, by his story by like thirty some yards,
so not too far off. And Mike ditt gah all
(30:17):
the way back in nineteen sixty one.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Times were a little different back then, Dick Ga.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Dick got that Bears. Yeah. So not only is Jonathan
Taylor having one of the best rushing seasons running back
in league history, certainly of the twenty first century, Tyler
Warren is doing the same for rookie tight ends. National
end Day just crazy. Yeah, yesterday was national There is
a national day now for everything, isn't there?
Speaker 3 (30:44):
I think?
Speaker 2 (30:45):
So when's when's National radio host Day?
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Exactly?
Speaker 2 (30:48):
When's National podcaster Day? Around around these parts.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
One thing about Warren, I know we'll talk a lot
about the Colts, but they really scheme him up well,
and much like Penn State did. Like they'll give him
carries and sweeps and direct snaps and things like that,
and it seems like so many times when you watch
him catch passes, not that he's bad on his own,
he's just wide open, you know. And they got a
lot of weapons.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
They got a lot of that going on on the offense.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
They do. They're really playing well, they're really coached well.
Steelers have to play a lot better to be dead team.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Yes, they do. Yes, they do. I think that is uh,
that's at the forefront of all the discussions that will
have over the next four days or so, as we
obviously will anticipate that. And you know what, on the
backdrop of that two Matt and we can get more
into this later in the week as well. But this
is the twenty year anniversary Sunday game of the Steelers'
(31:41):
Super Bowl forty championship team. These one for the Thumb,
the Jerome Bettis team in Seattle, up in Detroit, they're
all in town. They've got a big alumni thing Saturday night,
big alumni dinner game they're doing. And then they're all
getting honored at halftime. Okay, you can't give up thirty
plus points and get diced by the Colts with these
guys in attended camp Smith, Troy and Pasy and Potzi
(32:07):
and Foot.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Like, to me, that's not to the same level of
the Dublin game or the Rogers thing. But you feel
their presence. I mean, there's no doubt. You walk in
the sidelines and there's Troy and Ben.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah. I mean, come on, I've told you this before.
I don't know if I've said this on these airwaves
here on the drive. I'm sure I did at some
point with the Steelers Blitz. Like you and I are
both very fortunate to do what we do. We say
that all the time. With that comes like we spend
a lot of time around quote unquote famous people.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Right right, right right.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
It takes a lot to star strike me. It takes
a lot for me to get starstruck. And you know
this too, like growing up, my dad was a violinist,
bumps some shoulders with some musicians, and so everyone would
and even kind of like my dad started that to
me as a kid, like they're just normal people too,
you know, like it takes a lot for me to
get starstruck. But man, when when me Joe Green walks
(33:01):
in the room, you sit up. When Troy Paulamalo walks
by you on campus at Saint Vincent College, oh.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
My goodness, every eye is on him still.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
And there's there's a lot of a lot of those
guys around the Steelers organization, and there will be a
lot of those guys around this weekend. Yeah, get it,
get it done for those boys, all right.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Their presence will be felt, yes, it will, It certainly will, rightfully,
So Chiefs at home tonight, Matt the four and three Chiefs,
who are playing much better as of late, hosting the
three and four Washington Commanders, who have let a couple
get away and are kind of struggling and reeling a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
Kansas City nine and a half point favorites tonight.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
At home, the big number. I love where Kansas City's at.
They're gonna be rested. Washington doesn't have Jade Daniels, that's huge,
but they do have Deebo and McLaurin back.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
It looks like they do. They just played open.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
He's not terrible.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Yeah, he has played. He's one of the better backups
in the NFL. It's a tough spot for the Commanders.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
I admit. When it was kind of during that Arthur
Smith falcons here, I'm like, boy, Mary Ode is shot.
I can't believe that he I thought his career was over.
He couldn't complete a pass there for a while. I'm like,
poor Arthur. I mean, he doesn't have anybody that can
do anything for him. And Mariote has gotten a lot better.
I mean he's a really good backup, the perfect guy
to back up Jayden Daniels mentor you know, not run
(34:21):
a different off or you know, similar offense. I'm still
taking the Chiefs at home Monday night.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
I think so too. They they're really harm you and
I have been saying this for the last two weeks,
but I think we're all going to get to Thanksgiving
and be like, here come the Chiefs.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Yeah, they're favorite.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
They're four and three now, they'll be nine and four
at that point or something, you know. I I am
thinking that they have they have awoken there in Kansas City.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Their receivers are healthy now too. The raceie Rice thing
means a lot.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
They go out tonight and beat the Commanders by two scores,
and that might kind of be the I can see
that the last the last thoughts of the Chiefs fallen
off this year, all right, Matt, A couple of tweets
on here to get us up out of here today.
A bunch of people have tweeted. Annie tweeted, Checker thirty
two tweeted, Mike tweeted, Will tweeted asking about your trade
(35:21):
deadline thoughts. Would you go after a receiver, would you
go after a safety, would you go after both? Something else?
We still got one more game before you really have
to make that decision. Now, trade deadline is eight days away.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
My opinion on receiver hasn't changed that I'm still actively talking.
I mean, and Roman Wilson can we should have mentioned
he had a nice game.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Marquez Voudez Scantling visiting the Steelers today as well too.
I don't know if I didn't MVS in town for
a visit. According to Jordan.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Schultz, okay, so I mean they're still have the door
open for a bring a guy in, and I would too.
I mean, there's some good names out there, all these
of course, it goes out saying depends what you have
to pay in the contracts and all that stuff too.
We have we didn haven't talked much about the injuries.
I guess that's something we'll know more tomorrow. But I
(36:12):
don't have any faith that Elliott's going to be back, right,
I mean, I'm going to plant seeds that aren't there.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
And but but a lot of a lot of times too.
You can kind of the tone and posture of Mike
Tomlin's post game when he discusses.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
The injuries sometimes you know, season enders, you know, kind.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Of sounded a little bit like the same type of
tone he took with Miles Killerbrew a couple of weeks ago. Yeah,
and he's he's usually he's usually very clear if he
thinks it's just bumps and bruises.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Associated with play, or will evaluate it later.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
We'll evaluate it later in the week. When he kind
of says right away that it's you know, it's going
to be something significant, significant long term, that's.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
Yes, I'm not counting on Elliott for the rest of
the year. But well, that's more of a tomorrow project.
It'd be nice to say, I'd like to get a
six offensive lineman, but you're not going to, so I'm
not even gonna pretend. Yeah, Now this is more of
a down the line and beat reporter conversation too. Maybe
is does Ramsey become more of a full time safety?
Speaker 2 (37:09):
I was it's funny you say that. Yeah, Matt, I'm
a I'm a dork like you, but in kind of
a different sense. All right, So you lay there in
bed at night and think about what player you would
add from each team, and you go across the division.
I sit there and bed at night and lay out
the show the rest of the week in my mind.
And one of the things that I had for tomorrow
when we do our Tuesday, rewatch is to talk more
(37:30):
about Ramsey safety, especially if this is a.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Secondary as a whole.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
We'll have the best guys. We'll have Mike Tomlin's press
conference tomorrow too before we go on air, so we
could have more clarity around the Seawan Elliotts, let's let's
table that one for tomorrow and talk.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Because potentially you could trade for a corner and make
sure Ramsey is safety, or you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Or you could just say, you know what, Joey Porter, Junior,
Brandon Echols, let's go.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Yeah. I sorting out your best five and your pecking order,
your best six defensive backs now is going to be
a challenge, and I think there's a couple of ways
to skin that cat.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
You know, completely agree, completely agree. Funny tweet here from Brad.
He goes, sure, I know we're spending the day detailing
the coverage failures and the performance of the defense, but
let's not truly miss the momentous occurrence that we witnessed yesterday.
Spencer Anderson one target, one catch, four yards, So the
legend begins.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
How about it?
Speaker 2 (38:24):
And then he had to move into guard. I mean,
I'll tell you what, but that was you guys should
have seen Max Stark's jump to use a Halloween reference,
jumping up and down like a ten year old on
Halloween when they put on their Power Rangers. Cost to
Starks was so excited about that.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
That's awesome. I can't believe they actually threw it too.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I can't either, especially in like a situation like that.
It wasn't a worth a goal line. This is a
gadget type play like this is like in the eck
in the open field, Aaron Rodgers throwing it to him.
A couple more here. Swing State samps and tweets and says,
now that we have a pretty solid sample size, what
three to five quarterbacks in college football do you think
(39:04):
are worthy of a first round pick as of now?
We'll get plenty more into this. On Wednesday, said, this
is a Wednesday around campus thing, and I'm really excited
for the conversation this for this week.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
I watched more than usual college football this Saturday.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
I'm even more excited for it than but Fernando Mendoza absolutely,
Dante Moore absolutely, Leonora's Sellers absolutely.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
I was very impressive.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Sellers his maybe best performance or maybe since that opener
against Virginia Tech the best that he's looked. I know
he's only started seven games in his collegiate career, but
I am loving Ty Simpson, the Alabama quarterback. What we've
seen from sims uh Man, I really like what we've
really like what we've seen from him. So those are
four that I think are going to be pretty clear
(39:46):
cut if they all decide to come out, because Dante
Moore and I think Simpson too could come back for
another year if they wanted to. Sellers could come back.
I think Mendoza is the only one who who is
for sure coming out now he won't be the old
only one, but no, But there's four names for you
that I absolutely think are at the top of the
pecking order. And there's probably five other names that we
(40:07):
should discuss that we will on Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
And LSU made a coaching change, right Yeah, what.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
A l already, Matt, And there's gonna be more. It's
not even Halloween. LSU, Florida, Penn State, Arkansas, Oklahoma State,
Virginia Tech, U C l A.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
I didn't realize there's that many that's big time program.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
Big time programs. Yeah, especially Penn State, Florida.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
LSU and Penn State. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
I was getting into this with Max a little bit
yesterday because you know, he's a proud Florida GA. I
told him, uh, you know that I think LSU is
a much better job and one of the top five
jobs in college football.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
And I leaned towards you.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Yeah, the unquestioned best four jobs in my in my
own personal, humble opinion in college football are Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, LSU,
not Georgia. They would be in the conversation for five them,
USC and Missionchigan would be in my conversation for when
you consider read.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
A little behind they are but recently.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
But the resources, the money, the recruiting area, the history
for job ranking best jobs, that's what you're looking for.
The recruit Notre Dame would be close to They're just
not the Oklahoma would be in the top ten. But
like think of the recruiting area and the money, the Texas,
you know, Alabama, LSU.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Trust me, I watched Texas recruiting film. It's different than
everywhere else. Yeah. Yeah, and and they have so.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Much money they do in Ohio. I mean the history,
the tradition, all those things. That's a that's a fun
maybe once like the draft. Maybe that's something we can
in the off season where we need to kill a segment.
Talk a little bit more about uh last one here
today Matt Chris you you laughed, and we did get
a couple of these, but this is the one I'll
go with. He said, Boys, I think we are way
(41:52):
past panic time. It's time to go straight to the
season is done. The defensive concepts haven't changed. It's mind
blogg boggling. Every team knows how to attack this team.
I don't dig the first part of that eval first
part of that of it. It's done and blow it
(42:12):
up and everything.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Yeah, yeah, yah, yeah, I'm not there.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
It ain't over till it's over. But I do agree
that it's as you mentioned, it's it's time to change something.
You cannot do the definition of insanity thing. Now, seven
games into.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
This, I think you have to take a microscope to
every aspect of your defense.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
That's a very good way to put it, especially your past.
No stone left unturned, right, you know.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
And be willing to make hard decisions. Yes, absolutely, And
that's again, I mean that's the deal.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
That's it, and that is Hey, fortune favors the bold,
so I've been told and uh, and we'll see what
that looks like this week for the Steelers. That'll do
it for us today. It'll be a big day Tomorrow.
We'll get into some Tuesday rewatch stuff. I do want
to talk about some of that Ramsey and secondary stuff
that Matt brought up there as well too. We'll dive
deeper into that. We will have a Mike tomin press
(42:58):
conference tomorrow by the time we go on air, so
maybe some some injury clarity.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
Yeah, I'm not by by.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
That by that standpoint. Yeah, And and plenty more to
get to on a on a busy Tuesday as well too.
Thanks to Rob King for joining us here on this
Monday Monday, and a big shout out as always to
Matt Williamson. I'm wesh Hueler. Take care everybody. Thanks for
those of you that that tweeted in and participated as always, Uh,
you know where to find us. We'll be back tomorrow,
(43:26):
same time, same place. It's on your twenty four to
seven home of the Black and the Gold Steelers Nation
Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com