December 4, 2025 • 44 mins
Bob Labriola joins Matt and Wes to help paint the picture of the rivalry between Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good evening, Steeler Nation. How we doing well? That's good
us too.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
It is our number two of the Drive here on
the Steelers Audio Network, Wes Shuoler and Matt Williamson. And
joining us now is Steeler's historian, the Dean of Doom,
the lord of living in his fears. It's the great
Bob Labriola. Happy to have him back in the fold
after we all took last Thursday off for a little
Thanksgiving celebration. Labs, thank you for taking the time as always,
(00:43):
and just bigger picture question for you here for us
to get started, Steelers Ravens. I mean a lot of
things have changed in football over the years in the
twenty first century. The way the game is played, the
way the game is officiated, the calendar and the schedule
of the league. A lot of these things have changed
and evolved. The man, it feels like every year it
(01:05):
doesn't matter if they're fourteen win teams or if they're
six and six teams, as Steelers Ravens is still Steelers Ravens.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Yeah, and you mentioned, you know, the way the game
is played and the rules of the game. Well, you
can trace that back to the two thousand and eight
AFC Champions because there is no question in my mind
that as much as everyone in that press box loved
(01:34):
that game, I think it scared the NFL. I really do.
The violence it was, I mean, it was great to watch,
but I mean there was it was brutal. And yeah,
I think that a lot of what we see today
(01:55):
now in terms of you know, the NFL, the way
the game has changed, a lot of the player safety
initiatives and what they have chosen to kind of remove
from the game was because of the way the Steelers
and Ravens played. So yeah, Steelers Ravens is I think that,
(02:23):
you know, in the future, people might look back on
this rivalry and point to it as what I just said,
this was the turning point. This was when you know,
the whole concept of defenseless receivers.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
To me.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Came from this game. Ask Willis McGahee about that. So, uh,
you know, I'm not again, I can understand why that happened.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing. You know, protecting
people's heads and you know, their future lives and that
(03:05):
kind of stuff. I mean, that's very worthwhile endeavor. Fir No.
I mean, that's not a sarcastic thing, but I mean
I think you can definitely trace it to these two teams.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
So Labs, I half to field conditions in the first segment,
and I half told the story of when the Raiders
came here in the seventies. I was like three years old,
and magically the middle of the field had gotten covered,
but outside the numbers was all Ice and Cliff Branch
and Al Davis wasn't happy with it. And when I
(03:36):
was very young, lad my parents in folks that taught
me football, told me, the Raiders is who you hate most, Matt.
It's not the Browns, It's not the Bengals, it's the Raiders.
In the seventies, has this rivalry surpassed Steelers Raiders of
the Glory years?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, I mean I think that gone on long well,
and you're you're playing them every year twice a year.
Rivalry with the Raiders was intense for you know, five
or six year period. And but even in all of
those years, they didn't necessarily play every year in the
regular season. I mean Steelers Ravens is twice a year
(04:21):
sometimes yes, at least at least twice a year. And
you know, the the here's part of it too, and
I think a lot of times, you know, people kind
of forget this. The Steelers' biggest rivalry rival maybe in
(04:47):
the history of the franchise was against the Browns. As
soon as the Browns came into the league, were part
of admitted to the league in nineteen fifty from the
All American Football Conference. The Steelers in the Browns play
twice a year all the time, oftentimes more than that
because you know, back in those days, ticket sales, you know,
(05:10):
the TV rights, TV broadcasting contracts were not what they
are now in terms of the lucrative nature of them,
the amounts that teams get from broadcast networks and so
selling tickets was huge and there was a you know,
the the game that always sold out at Pitts Stadium
for the Steelers was the Browns game. And in Cleveland,
(05:34):
that big barn dump that they used to play in.
You know that sell eighty that's sell eighty six thousand
tickets to that every year. And there were at the time, Yeah,
and you know, uh Art Modell and Art Rooney Sr.
Would have loved they used to play some exhibition games.
(05:56):
The Steelers and Browns would play an occasional exhibition game
every now and then, and sometimes they would even do
an exhibition doubleheader where there would be four teams and
two games in the exhibition season, and then they'd sell
it out eighty six, eighty eight, whatever it is, thousand now, right, Yeah,
(06:17):
the owners loved it because you know, it made a
lot of money, but the coaches of the teams did not,
because you know, you don't want to be playing your
most bitter rival three times a year. Once that doesn't
even come. So there was that now that the Ravens
(06:37):
are the Browns. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean you could
say whatever you want about the Ravens. This the Ravens,
that they're the Browns. They are art modeaus, right, and
so that that's that's laid the foundation for the hate
that you know, kind of germinated despite the move to Baltimore. So,
(07:00):
you know, Steelers Ravens isn't something that just started in
nineteen ninety six when the franchise, I won't say it
was founded because it wasn't. It wasn't a new franchise.
But the first year in Baltimore, the inaugural season in
Baltimore for the Ravens was nineteen ninety six. Steelers Ravens
(07:22):
was not born that year. That rivalry was born in
nineteen fifty. So yeah, it's it's it's there's not a
whole lot of love lost. I mean, you know Art
Modell's team, you know, Chuck Noll and Art Modell. Chuck
(07:44):
Nole played for the Browns, he played for Paul Brown.
Art Modell fired Paul Brown. There was all kinds of
you know, you can if you want to go and
try and dig around in the roots of the hatred.
There's all kind of crossovers and you know, mixed marriages
(08:04):
and you know that kind of stuff going on between
these two franchises over the course of their respective histories.
So yeah, I would say that, you know, it was
Steelers Browns before it was ever Steelers Ravens. Now that
the games didn't have that kind of significance because the
Steelers stunk, you know, throughout.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Most of that, you know, right, I mean that was auto.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Because my mother's family, uh, it was from Cleveland, and
so her brother was a season ticket older and they
used to play in Cleveland on Saturday night. Steelers at
Cleveland on Saturday night.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
So you have Cleveland blood in your veins.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Well, I mean, so did stand savereign?
Speaker 4 (08:56):
And he was right right because if anything, what that
what that taught me because I used to go to
those games. You know, my dad would put me on
the Greyhound bus. That was okay to do that for
a kid, and you know, go there and my uncle
would beat me and would go to the game Saturday
and I'd come back Sunday. I never saw them win
(09:18):
there until about six or seven games, never saw them win.
And you just you sit there and I mean I was,
I was young, but you know I could learn to
hate at a young age. And that's that's how that happens.
So yeah, it was it was Brown Steelers way before
(09:39):
it was ever Raiders Steelers. And uh then it just
you know, they just moved a little bit east and
south the Model's team.
Speaker 5 (09:51):
And it's so important that they both were so good
at the same time in recent memory. You know.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Well, and here's another thing. Uh when the merger nineteen
seventy merger, because of the numbers of that you had
in the NFL and the numbers of teams in the AFL,
they were merging. Well, you had to. Three teams had
to move from the NFL to the what's going to
become the AFC, and Art Rooney and Art Modell kind
(10:22):
of got together and said, let's be a package deal.
This way we can keep art what we got going going. So,
you know, there was there was there was a lot
of again, there was it was competitive, bitter, there was
hatred among the fan bases, but there was also a
(10:42):
sense of shrewd business involved too, and you know, dealing
with the other team, you know, as part of that
good business. And you know, the stealers, Art Rooney and
Modell at that point in nineteen seventy or obviously good
(11:02):
enough businessmen to realize that you can hate each other,
but you kind of need each other because that hate,
that emotion, excuse me, that emotion translates into good business.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
It certainly does. We see that at all levels of football.
You breed some hatred, some familiarity, breeds contempt, and you
get more butts in the seats, more eyeballs watching, more
people engaged and involved and labs.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
You know, for a.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Long time, two mainstays of this rivalry, of course, have
been the two head coaches on each sideline. Mike Tomlin
and John Harbaugh, they have played thirty seven times in
the past. That's second most between two coaches and NFL
history only George Hallis and Curly Lambeau with more head
to head matchups. How much is that a real factor
(11:50):
in preparation in the three hours that play out on
Sunday Labs? You know, like we just saw the Steelers.
You know, you go against the Colts it's Shane Steiken
as the head coach for the first time. Bears, it's
Ben Johnson for the first time as opposed to a
head coach. Now that you've seen nearly, you know, forty times,
if you're Mike Tomlin, how does that change things? How
(12:10):
does that affect things?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
You know? I don't know. It's kind of a I
would imagine there aren't many surprises, you know, when when
you're going against someone like that all that time. I
would imagine each each of those two men on those
the in terms of the other uh, in terms of professionally,
they have an intimate knowledge of each other. How could
(12:36):
you not because you have to, you know, not only
do you have to play them, but you kind of
have to when you're when you're building your team or
building your ross or whatever, you kind of have to
think about, you know, are these guys that we're adding
going to be Are they going to have the right
(12:57):
stuff for these kinds of games? You know, I remember
Mike Tomlin mentioned in one time this was twenty ten Marquees.
Pouncey was the he was a rookie and you know
Pouncey they played you know, Florida, The Gators were very
good then when he was in college. You know, the
(13:19):
Tim Tebow teams. They had a lot of bitter rivalries
in the SEC and all that kind of stuff. And
you know, Pouncey was told pretty much early on the
first Ravens week. You know, this ain't Tennessee. We're playing Sunday.
I mean, you think you know you played in rivalries.
(13:42):
This is different, and it is uh so I have
seen you know, this has always been one of my
points whenever on the pregame show or whatever, when we're
talking about games around the NFL. And I believe this.
(14:04):
I believe this for years and I still believe this now.
If you see an NFL team that doesn't play play
the Ravens often, they cannot handle it. They cannot handle
the intensity. They cannot handle the physicality, and they are
behind right away. Not necessarily on the scoreboard, which may
be the case as well, but in terms of, you know,
(14:26):
the battle of the hitting. You know, they're taking more
punches than their throwing, and you cannot play them that way.
You cannot. They know they can't play the Steelers that way.
The Steelers know they cannot play the Ravens that way.
And that's why, of all the other things that you
can say about Steelers Ravens, it ain't ever going to
(14:48):
be flexed out of any time slots because I don't care.
You know, when they say you can throw out the records,
this is one where, yeah, you can't do that because
they're gonna go after each other, you know what. To me.
One of the the signature games of this rivalry was
(15:13):
the season finale, regular season finale in two thousand and three.
The Steelers were out of it. The Ravens had their playoffs.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I know where this is going.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Yeah, the Ravens had their playoffs, standing set, seating set,
and Steelers go to Baltimore. Brian Billock was so he
was more interested in inflicting punishment and embarrassment.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Oh, no, do we lose Labs right in the middle
of his story, Labs, if you're so good one too, Labs,
can you hear us by chance? Uh?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Hold on, let me try calling you back here real quick, partner.
It is a great story. It's one that leads to
the Steelers getting one of the most important pieces in
franchise history, just because of some pride for from Brian Bellock.
Let's see if we can get Labs back here quickly.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I think we got it to an automatic voice missage.
Oh no, oh no, not say it ain't so, Labs.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
All right, let's try one more time here. If not,
I can tell the story. But it's not as good
coming for me as it is as it is from.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
The great Bob Labriola. All right, here we go. I
think I think we.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Got to an automatic voice.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Oh no, we lost them. We last we kept We did,
we did. Here's the story.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Ravens already have their playoff spots sewn up in two thousand.
Nothing no seating, no nothing to play for. But Brian
Billick goes the Steelers stink. We're gonna beat the crap
out of them. We're gonna roll some momentum into the
playoffs and embarrass them in the process. That game plays out,
it goes to overtime. Baltimore wins in overtime with all
(16:49):
their starters in Week seventeen in a meaningless game.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Yeah, meaningless as it can be. Between Pittsburgh and Body.
Speaker 5 (16:54):
It's a physical five quarter battle. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Because of that loss, the Steelers dropped down a few
spots in the NFL Draft. They would have been like fourteenth,
ended up at eleventh, I think it was. And the
rest is history because that afforded the Pittsburgh Steelers the
opportunity to draft one Ben Roethlisberger. Yeah, yeah, yeah, not
too shabby. Huh, not too shabby. How that worked out?
Speaker 5 (17:17):
So it went on many times, many times.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Yeah, and once famously even in an AFC Championship game
with the Steelers went on to capture their record setting
sixth Super Bowl. Baby that two thousand and eight Nasty
Armageddon AFC game that Labs referenced there. I got a
text message in the group and we were all talking
about this are our radio booth crew, Rob Max, Missy, myself,
(17:44):
Dan Quinlan about how the Ravens it's the twenty fifth
anniversary of their Super Bowl two thousand.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Team makes sense.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
The Trent Dilford team that beat you know, the beat
Kerry Collins and the Giants and the Super Bowl, one
of the first Super Bowls that I really I was
like an eight nine, really vividly remember watching and remembering
the details and all that. They're getting honored at halftime.
Ravens team for their twenty fifth for their twenty fifth anniversary.
(18:11):
We should go over and shake Brian Billick's hand. Hey,
thanks for Ben Roethlisberger that one. That one worked out
pretty well for us. And thanks to Bob Labriola for
his time kind enough to lend it to us as always,
And yeah, it would have been much better for him
to tell that story, but at least I kind of
knew where he was going there and was able to
color in some.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Of the lines.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Let's get to our first break of the second hour. Here,
more Matt stats more. You know, we got to talk
what we kind of do every week. We have to
revisit explosive play, differential, sack, differential differential, some of that
stuff that we've been tracking throughout the season. We'll do
that more when we return on the other Sidey Sheeler,
Matt Williams, and it's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio
(18:50):
on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 6 (18:56):
You were two weeks.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
More Ravens and Steelers' numbers and analytics, and we got
to get to our differential conversation here that we've been
tracking throughout the year.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
But we do have these Steelers Thursday practice reports.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
I'm curious some stuff here first.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Here, Matt, let's get to that is that is some
pertinent news. Of course, Derek Harmon did not practice. He
has already been ruled out for this upcoming contest. Mike
Tomlin did that on Tuesday at his weekly press conference,
told us that Derek Harmon would not playing.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
So not a lot of surprise there.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
I think you're can see a lot of Derek Henry
aimed in that general direction.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
I think that is a safe bet.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
If I were a betting man, if I were Mike Pursuda,
I'd be putting some coin on that one, for sure.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Calvin Anderson did not practice today with a knee injury.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Okay, don't love to see that one, as you're a
little thin in that regard, But.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Yeah, did not practice. I'm not sure. Good news.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
James Pierre full participant today, good in practice. I gotta think, Yeah,
the wait and monitor him tomorrow how he responds all that.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
And that's one of those crazy things with concussions.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
Is could be worse.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
You're right, but I like I know a lot of
athletes who deal with concussions. It's like you'll think, Okay,
I'm back, I'm good everything, and then you'll go out
and you'll have a two hour practice and then the next.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Day you wake up feeling weird and dizzy and stuff again.
So obviously there is a strict protocol. Yeah, not out
of the woods.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
But that's good step one.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
But good step one and good sign for James Pierre.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Dante Kent, who of course was activated this week in
his twenty one day window, did not practice with an
ankle and a knee. I don't know if that was
a scheduled thing, if a setback thing, whatever the case
may be.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
There he was gonna play a week either one was
gonna be this week either way.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
But hopefully he's able to get some practice in at
least here in this three week window.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Kyle Dugger, friend of the program, here did not practice
today with a hand injury.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
That's news.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Huh, that's news.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I wouldn't call that great, and that's certainly something to
keep an eye on tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Yeah, I'm not sure what's going on with your bil peppers,
but I've been interested to see more of them, But
the fact that we haven't might be telling. I don't know.
Douger has been a success since he's been here. Certainly
has as many tight ends as you're gonna see on
the field against these guys. I mean, I think Dougger
is pretty important.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I would concur and you're already just thin the secondary
finite safety thin. A lot of moving parts there entire season. Yeah, yeah,
when you started without the Shawn Elliott, then he was back,
then you lost him, you moved Ramsey Slay has been
a big key and now off the roster.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
I mean, there's been a lot.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
Of and Douggers were both not on the roster. They weren't.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Right at one point. He's no longer on the roster,
so ye, less less moving parts the better. Joey Porter
Junior limited today with an elbow.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Uh, we'll keep an eye on that.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
I hope that's just kind of some load stuff and
you know, out of precaution and we don't need you
in a full week of practice.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Just be ready to go for stort. Thursday report Thursday reports.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Ben Skronick limited with a shoulder. Good news, Aaron Rodgers
full practice participant today on this Thursday, So that is fantastic.
Patrick Queen limited today with uh that glute injury that
he's been dealing with, so at least he was out
there but in a limited capacity.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
And champion Champ.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Chap.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
We had this debate the other day, play the bird
and then uh.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Let's see here, Jalen Ramsey, it looks like got a
veteran rest day, did not practice?
Speaker 5 (22:58):
Remember what was there was something yesterday? Sorry?
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yes, he did not practice yesterday with a toe, but
was listed as a full practice participant today.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
Yeah, there was one big name guy I couldn't remember. Yes,
So Dougger is the one I guess to keep it.
Keep an eye on. It's new or you know.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Right, so maybe not so good news with him or
at least something to monitor there, and maybe potentially better
news with Pierre than we expected.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Yeah, okay, that's good things to take away.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Keep an eye on Joey Porter Junior too.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
Obviously, I have been keeping up with Ravens practice sports either.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
I was just gonna say, I've been trying to find
one here and haven't been able to.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Maybe in the next two segments.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, maybe maybe before we get out of here, we will.
I have the Ravens Wednesday report, but not there one
from today.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
We did not give me the highlights real quick.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
The clip.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Lamar Jackson was limited with an ankle. That's important. That's
the first Wednesday practice he's had since like September.
Speaker 5 (23:54):
As to say, I don't think he ever practiced on
Wednesday since he's been back. Yes, so that is the
day longer.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
That they did as well. Yes, the ten day rest
from playing on Thanksgiving against the Bengals. Rashard Bateman full
participant with that ankle injury. Tavius Robinson limited. He's in
that twenty one day window to return from IR same
with our Darius Washington, the safety with his achilles injury.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
There's some optimism he could be back, which.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Would be important for Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Davonte's Walker wide receiver was a full participant with his
groin injury, and then Nate Wiggins, the corner limited with
a foot.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
I would keep an eye on Wiggins. Wiggins were my
favorite young corners.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
A good player.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Yeah, really long, fast man coverage, modern day corner, and
he left that game, So keep an eye on Wiggins.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
There is what we know about the Ravens from yesterday.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
If we get any newer, updated information before we get
up out of here this evening, we will share that
with you. But obviously tomorrow will have the big kind
of Friday. Who's out, who's questionable, and who's probable, all
that good stuff. On tomorrow's show.
Speaker 5 (25:02):
Two reasonably healthy teams are on all though I was
gonna say that'd be nice of Harmon, but.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
You know, other than Harmon, and you know, Robert.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
Jones is out too. I mean, but you know we
knew that the IR guys, you know.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
But for Baltimore too.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
For an injury report that was very lengthy at times
this season, there's only five or six names.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
Yeah, they're in pretty good shape for early.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
December, and I think, yeah, the best shape that they've
been in a while. In pretty good shape overall for
early in December.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
And I'm not sure if we talked about this, but
this ten days for Lamar worries me because watching that game,
some of his movements and running in athleticism was better
in spurts this past week than it was any of
the last four. Like he might be trending the right direction,
(25:49):
getting healthy and maybe ten days is the remedy he needs.
He looked like himself again. I'm just throwing it out there.
It's possibility, you know.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Don't love that now, but I also think you might
be onto something.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
Yeah, I mean it could be you don't want to
be the team or oh now he looks like Lamar again. Great,
that was our week.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Let's not Let's not go down that route. Matt.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
It's time to check in on our Steelers twenty twenty
five differential spreadsheet. Yeah yeah, we'll start with turnover differential.
Last week, the Steelers for the second straight week were neutral.
You know, two turnovers, two takeaways. That puts them at
plus eight for the season. They were neutral against Chicago
(26:33):
as well. Let's see here, where is my explosive pass play?
Speaker 2 (26:41):
I gotta scroll to the right.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
You'ller not good.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
It is currently negative thirty nine on the season. You
were minus four in the explosive play differential against Baltimore
minus five in the run differential. You actually were plus
one in the past differential, but that might be just because.
Speaker 5 (26:59):
They never threw.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Never know, they were just run, run, run, and having
a lot of success and gashing. You're doing it so
on the year as a whole. In the run game,
remember explosive play in the run game ten or more
yards pass game twenty or more yards minus thirteen in
the run game minus twenty six in the past game.
You have those two numbers up minus thirty nine on
the season.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
It's a big problem. I mean, it's to me, it's
right there with the time and possession thing that we
talk about over and over and over, but we don't
talk about the explosive play differential nearly enough because both
sides of the ball are to blame. You know that
it's not an explosive offense running or passing compared to
the league, and they've allowed too many explosives on defense,
(27:40):
both in both phases. So it's a hard one to
say how you fix it, but it's hurting.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Them, and that is I think even more concerning in
the scope of the time of possession conversation.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
If you've won or the other great a lot of times,
if you look at the best to offenses in the
NFL in high level college football, they don't have the
best time of possession difference.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
That's because their offensive scoring in four or five plays.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Right right, You're hitting these Oregon offenses and you know
they just boo boo right down the field.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Touchdown. Yeah, Okay, well then their defense is back out there.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
But that is not the case as it relates to
the Steelers, which I think makes it even a little
more perplexing. Teams are hitting explosives on you, which means
they're having quicker drives you are not, which means you're
having to elongate drives and work your way down the field.
And despite all of that, time of possession still a
real negative.
Speaker 5 (28:36):
Yeah, and it's funny. I heard a baseball analogy that's
stuck with me with this whole conversation. Is time of
possessions like that that average hitter, you know that that
the guy that hits first in the line, you know
every year, gets on base of time, a lot of walks,
you know, small.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Ball, he'll lean in and take one off the shoulder
when the time's right.
Speaker 5 (28:57):
But explosive is a home run hitter, know, so I
wouldn't mind nine home run hitters in my lineup, and
if I have some strikeouts, so be it. I wouldn't
mind nine big time average hitters in my lineup either. No,
it's nice to have a blend of all. You know,
get the guy on base.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
And then Mariage judge nine times through the line.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
Right, But right now the Steelers aren't getting either exactly right.
You know, you're getting the two forties.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
They don't have anybody slapping you know, singles into the
left field gap, and they don't have anybody hitting them
five hundred feet.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
And it's not just allega both sides of the ball, Yeah,
because the defense on the field too much, and they're
allowing to make closes.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
Into the Allegheny or into the mad TV which one
when people when people jack home runs at P and
C Park and it goes into the water. Is that
that's the mad isn't it? Is it the Alleghany? I
think it's the mon Not sure our our resident stack
guy will get on it for us. But regardless, you
get what you get what I'm saying, you need to
slap some singles into the left field. You need to
hit some Alleghany is it the Alleghany. Yeah, okay, you
(29:56):
need to hit some into the Allegheny.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
And uh, it took us way too long.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Did take us late, way too long to figure.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
That one out, doing too much here at one time.
Explosive differential negative thirty nine. Yeah, rough way to make
a live living. In your last one two, three, four, five, six,
seven games, you've only won the explosive play differential once
and that was in the win at home against Cincinnati.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
Okay, and explosive pass differential is the worst of them all, right.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yes, negative twenty six through twelve games, so basically a
little over two times.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
A game the big plays which pass is pretty significant.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
It is, it is, So you're allowing two big pass
plays per game more. That means at least twenty It
could be an eighty.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
You know, if you're getting two, they're getting four. Right,
If you're getting three, they're getting five. If you're getting none,
they're still getting two.
Speaker 5 (30:45):
Now, sack differential still decent.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Sack differential is still decent. You're plus twelve on the year.
That's one of the better sack differentials in the National.
Like the Steelers turnover number, it doesn't blow your doors off,
but it's one of the better.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Numbers at least.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
What can earns me, though, Matt now is it's now
been three straight.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
Weeks, so we haven't felt it lately.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
It's been four weeks. The last time the Steelers won
the sack differential was actually in that game Sunday Night
Football against the Chargers at SOFI Stadium. They were neutral
in that department against Cincinnati, and then they lost it
at Chicago and lost it against Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (31:21):
Yeah, so it's not trending the way you want.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
It's not.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
And so far this year, the Steelers have played twelve games, right,
simple math, one, two, three, four, Five of those they've
lost the sack differential.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
When they've won it, they've won it, Hugh.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
So I'm just going it's almost like feast or feast
or famine cluster, which, hey, when it happens against the
Colts and it happens against the Patriots, awesome.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
Awesome, Right, we beat good teams.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Right, it's like the stock market up and down as
opposed to just steady games.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
I know, and this is a trend across the league,
but just more consistency with this team and almost every
facet of football would be wonderful.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Would be outstanding. The whackam will come station outstanding.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Two other things that you uh that you track in
here that I think are important, not not obviously as
big as those three, but but still deserve just a
minute of conversation before we get out of here. Fourth
down differential. The Steelers are neutral in that regard.
Speaker 5 (32:16):
Right, and again I count that as a turnover.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Yes, like going forward to that, I should have explained
that better to the audience going forward on fourth down
possession downs, how often your defense stops it and gets
off the field, how often your offense converts it an
extended drive?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
And that's not Steelers are are are zero, They're there.
Speaker 5 (32:33):
They didn't explain that exactly how I track it. To
be honest with you, those are just failed attempts. It's
not your percentage of like gotcha if you if you
if you made two fours and I was one for two,
that's not bad. That's a bad example. But I mean
just it's how many failed ones, because that's when you
actually because I treat it as a turnover.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
So it's not a plus one forgetting it.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
You don't get it. It's just a mind same field
goals make I'm expecting you to make them make sense.
If you don't, you handle ball the other team often
in a bad situation.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Ye, midfield right, right right, missed field goal differential. You
mentioned it there, which was a huge number for the
Steelers last year. I think, right, it was like, it's not.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
An interesting conversation.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Yeah, plus one right now.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
Yeah, And it's not that Boz has gotten bad.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
Exactly right, right, It's just that they haven't had the
field goal luck of teams missing them against them like
they did last year.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
The other thing too, and I mean to bring this
up is.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
And Prater did miss an extra point.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
We just bring up Boz's name so much less than
we used to, like he's he might be your best player.
Now I'm not saying he should be out there, more
like it's not up to him when he goes out
there or the situations. And frankly, they're making they're scoring
a lot more touchdowns, so part of it's a good thing.
But it's also weird to me this year that one
(33:53):
of the things that you've done best, you're not doing
a lot of you know what I mean, which isn't
necessarily bad because I'd rather score touchdowns and trot him
out there in the twenty.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Yard line, no doubt, you know, like we like we said,
we've said a million times it's a testament to him.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
But we don't want Chris Boswell to be our team MVP.
Speaker 5 (34:10):
Right, we talk about him anymore? You know, last year
you talk about him all the time. It's very last
five years, you talk about him all the time. I
hadn't ninety had it, But we don't talk about him much.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Hadn't thought about that, Yeah, had not thought about that.
But you are spot on kind.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Of how you perceive it, right, right, right, right. But
but if I have a bunch of as in my
hand and I can't use this one, and again it's
not a bad.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Thing, but right, no, it might be like if it's
not snow and you're not using your snowplow, it's not
a bad thing.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
But I have the best plow last, right, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:47):
Matt, let's get to our last commercial break. We'll cross
some te's dot some eyes on the other side. We've
also got a couple tweets to get to before we
get up out of here. Well Shuler, Matt Williamson final segment.
When we return, it's the drive on Steelers Nation Radio
on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Your Tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal.
Speaker 6 (35:16):
Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Final segment here of the Drive on a Thursday, And Matt,
I know we talked about this more so yesterday. We
kind of spent like a segment and a half deep
diving into all the different playoff scenarios in the AFC.
Speaker 5 (35:44):
Yeah, it's a fun get hold of wormhole to go down.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Especially this time of year it is with the roads
and narrow and strangely the Steelers, right, it's the conversation.
Speaker 5 (35:57):
Yeah, but there's isn't a wormy you know, it's like
the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
Of these teams, two dogs, one bone to go. And
I said to Labs, it's not you know who's going
to be the one of the two seed and have
home field advantage and that kind of stuff.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
But still, why are you probably staying home and when
he's probably going to the playoffs and see how goes?
Speaker 3 (36:16):
You know, plenty on the line, Uh, Steelers Ravens one
of those massive massive playoff implication games this weekend. Texans
and Chiefs massive massive playoff implication game this weekend. But
there is a third in this week fourteen slate Matt,
and it is tonight at eight fifteen. I'm very excited
(36:37):
for this evening.
Speaker 5 (36:38):
I am too. I think it's a really really good game.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
Leaving here and going to Robinson to meet my wife
and my two daughters. We're gonna have some dinner nice
and we're taking presents to stuff a bus. You friends,
Pike and Big Bob everyone, they do a great thing
every Christmas. Stuff of bus. People donate toys, They load
up like third some forty some school buses.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Has heard every.
Speaker 5 (37:02):
Insane it's the mass of it all.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Yeah, a lot of times, Matt.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
I think people like to talk up charity stuff to
feel better about themselves and pat themselves on the back.
But what and I am not doing this to like
carry water for the company.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
But what the But what the DV Moore are friends
of the DV Morning Show pursuita Bowman Abbey. You know
Bill Crawford until recently when when he left the show.
What they do every year raising over a million dollars
with the radio fun for Children's Hospital is incredible. They
raise over a million dollars for Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh
every year. It's incredible. And on the kiss side of things, Mikey,
(37:45):
Big Bob Tall, Kathy, our guy justin dan Quinlan. They
stuffed forty fifty something buses full of toys to give
the underprivileged kids. It's really cool. Yeah, and my girls
are at the age now where I thought it would
be fun. I was like, sweetheart, like, let's go. Last
night we went out and yeah, they probably understand now,
(38:05):
they understand, and like we had to explain to them, like,
you are not buying these toys for yourself. You are
buying these for kids who can't afford it, who get
nothing for Christmas. And it's a good conversation to have
with them.
Speaker 5 (38:15):
You're lucky enough that you get stuff for Christmas.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
And so we let them each go and pick out
a couple of things that they want to give to
the kids for Christmas. And you know me, I got
a football of basketball and a soccer ball to throw
in there, because you gotta get some you gotta get
some sports in there.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
That's for the kids. Right.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
So yeah, we're going over there to to drop off
at stuff a bus and but I'm excited to get home,
put them down to bed and watch another massive playoff
implication game.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Tonight is a playoff game. It almost is.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
People say that stuff too early in the season, but
this is.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
This is about as you get for one of those.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Yeah, Dallas at Detroit six' five and one against seven
and five.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
One of these teams, whoever wins is.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Gonna have a chance at a wild card. Whoever loses
is going to be really swimming.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Up without a paddle, super close.
Speaker 3 (39:06):
Especially Detroit favored by three and a half. I realized
they're at Hope, but I still that's a big number.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
I'm picking Dallas to win. I think they're playing better.
I think they're playing as well as anyone in the league.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
And I mean I say that like the Patriots have
one ten the.
Speaker 5 (39:23):
Benver right, I mean, if you lie, I just think
they can line up with anyone. How they're playing right
now in a big way. And what's crazy about the
Cowboys is getting some dudes back from injury trade deadline.
They basically added six new starters on defense, two linebackers,
Quinn Williams, a safety corner. You know, like, that's nuts,
(39:45):
and they're all playing well and might be too little,
too late, but I look at Detroit and think inter
the road lines banged up and ain't what it used
to be. That's why they wanted ragnow to come back.
And now that the Cowboys have three big times.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
That's a as Max Starks would say, barbecue chicken match
up there.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
For that Dallas defensive line, they're just to.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
Keep rotating them in. I don't think Saint Brown's playing
I think that's a conclusion, correct.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
I believe you are. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (40:14):
I mean like they're pretty lean when they hit the ball,
and their offense hasn't been as good with this coordinator
as last year's to begin with. And the Lions these fine,
but it's not great. They don't rush the passer super well.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
It's fine, but it's not what it was last year.
Speaker 5 (40:32):
Dealing with Pickens and Lamb right now is a nightmare.
And Dak is really, really good. They got a lot
invested in their ow line and it's start there. They're
starting to gel. They've a young O line like the Steelers. Yeah,
they've They've had a lot of high picks there and
it's starting to like, Oh, I'm starting to see the
vision come together. I think Dallas is clearly the better
team and there's no rest Desisi crazy.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
If you would have told us two months ago we're
gonna say and the Cowboys are a better team than
the Lions, would have been like, what are those what
are those guys having before the show?
Speaker 5 (41:03):
Now, I'm sure it's not going to be an easy place
to play.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
No doubt. Night Thursday night, desperate game jacked up.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
Yeah, but hey, for Dallas, you're not traveling to Michigan
in December and playing an outdoor game, right, It's nice.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
It's not going to Lambeau again and trying to get
the ball to pick.
Speaker 5 (41:17):
On the road. Yeah you played on Thanksgiving, you know.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (41:21):
No, I think Dallas wins.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
One tweet here from Tyler all right, because we got
like sixty seconds so we got to go, and this
has nothing to do with anything we're talking about, so
I figured it would play quickly here Tyler tweets not
a Steelers question. But with the Formula One season coming
to an end this weekend, it reminded me a couple
of months ago Matt mentioned that he watches it or
at least loved the series on Netflix. I'm curious if
Matt has a favorite Formula One team or driver.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
Thanks guys, Love the show.
Speaker 5 (41:47):
Kinda, but it's funny. My son and were talking about
my son a lot lately. He texted me yesterday's will
be because he's super into it.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Now, Okay, yeah, Uk hoops in Formula one.
Speaker 5 (41:57):
Yeah, So we talked about it a tom when he's home.
You know, he watches it steadily and he's like, Dad,
this is gonna be the best F one race we've
ever seen. And I'm like, they raced on Sunday, Mike,
I can't watch it. So really the last couple of months,
I am totally out of the loop. But Max Versapping
is Papa Holmes. Dude, he's iceman. Oh he is a
(42:19):
bad ass.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
I love that. I am. I'm not into Formula one
at all.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
I'm not saying I like dislike it.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
In fact, it's very cool. It's kind of the opposite.
Speaker 7 (42:30):
I know.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
I told you this story.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
I very loosely followed international soccer when I was growing up. Yeah,
and then when I got to college, me and my
buddies would would Saturday and Sunday mornings there's no football
on till noon or one o'clock. We'd be like, well,
what do we want? I will throw on those throw
on the Manchester United in Chelsea game, and that's how
I really really started getting into it. And I'd be
working the six am shift at the radio station in
(42:54):
Morgantown and at seven am there's Toottenham and Fulham game,
you know what I mean, Like it's live sports. I'm
gonna throw it on and I got hooked, Like I
love the English Premier League.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
And I know they.
Speaker 5 (43:03):
Lay weird times. I know ones a crazy times. They
could be in Belgium or they could be in right,
right right all over the place right.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
I know that if I tried dipping my toe into
the Formula one pool.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
I'd end up cannonballing in.
Speaker 5 (43:17):
It's cool.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
I would love it.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
And I just got between my job and football and
everything else and the Mountaineers all the stuff I do there,
like to do there.
Speaker 5 (43:25):
I have so many questions I don't understand about it,
but still I love it.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
I would.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
I have a feeling, you know, like when people are
like I like, I can't have a cigarette.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
I've got an addictive personality. I'll get hooked.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
That's me with that f One's like a pack of
cigarettes that I'm like, that looks tempting, but I know
if I have one, I'll have a hundred.
Speaker 5 (43:42):
That's why I don't golf. A personality. I can't play
eighteen holes and spend all that money every Saturday, Sunday
and every day off I have. It's exactly why I
don't golf.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Formula one is my country club membership. Maybe one day,
but not today. Fun show today, enjoyed it. Thanks to
Labs for joining us.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Big shout out as always to our video producer Tyler
V mister TV for making sure we look handsome on
the YouTube. And a big thank you to Matt Williamson.
Who you know, mister f one, mister UK hoops all.
It's all happening in the Williamson household lot going on
big show tomorrow on Friday. To get you ready for Armageddon.
(44:24):
We'll do five Star Friday. We'll talk to Missy Matthews.
We'll go around the gambit of the NFL for a
huge week fourteen across the league.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
Take care, everybody. We will talk to you tomorrow. As always.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
You know where to find us. It's on your twenty
four to seven home of the Black and Gold. It's
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good evening, Steeler Nation. How we doing well? That's good
us too.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
It is our number two of the Drive here on
the Steelers Audio Network, Wes Shuoler and Matt Williamson. And
joining us now is Steeler's historian, the Dean of Doom,
the lord of living in his fears. It's the great
Bob Labriola. Happy to have him back in the fold
after we all took last Thursday off for a little
Thanksgiving celebration. Labs, thank you for taking the time as always,
(00:43):
and just bigger picture question for you here for us
to get started, Steelers Ravens. I mean a lot of
things have changed in football over the years in the
twenty first century. The way the game is played, the
way the game is officiated, the calendar and the schedule
of the league. A lot of these things have changed
and evolved. The man, it feels like every year it
(01:05):
doesn't matter if they're fourteen win teams or if they're
six and six teams, as Steelers Ravens is still Steelers Ravens.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Yeah, and you mentioned, you know, the way the game
is played and the rules of the game. Well, you
can trace that back to the two thousand and eight
AFC Champions because there is no question in my mind
that as much as everyone in that press box loved
(01:34):
that game, I think it scared the NFL. I really do.
The violence it was, I mean, it was great to watch,
but I mean there was it was brutal. And yeah,
I think that a lot of what we see today
(01:55):
now in terms of you know, the NFL, the way
the game has changed, a lot of the player safety
initiatives and what they have chosen to kind of remove
from the game was because of the way the Steelers
and Ravens played. So yeah, Steelers Ravens is I think that,
(02:23):
you know, in the future, people might look back on
this rivalry and point to it as what I just said,
this was the turning point. This was when you know,
the whole concept of defenseless receivers.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
To me.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Came from this game. Ask Willis McGahee about that. So, uh,
you know, I'm not again, I can understand why that happened.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing. You know, protecting
people's heads and you know, their future lives and that
(03:05):
kind of stuff. I mean, that's very worthwhile endeavor. Fir No.
I mean, that's not a sarcastic thing, but I mean
I think you can definitely trace it to these two teams.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
So Labs, I half to field conditions in the first segment,
and I half told the story of when the Raiders
came here in the seventies. I was like three years old,
and magically the middle of the field had gotten covered,
but outside the numbers was all Ice and Cliff Branch
and Al Davis wasn't happy with it. And when I
(03:36):
was very young, lad my parents in folks that taught
me football, told me, the Raiders is who you hate most, Matt.
It's not the Browns, It's not the Bengals, it's the Raiders.
In the seventies, has this rivalry surpassed Steelers Raiders of
the Glory years?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, I mean I think that gone on long well,
and you're you're playing them every year twice a year.
Rivalry with the Raiders was intense for you know, five
or six year period. And but even in all of
those years, they didn't necessarily play every year in the
regular season. I mean Steelers Ravens is twice a year
(04:21):
sometimes yes, at least at least twice a year. And
you know, the the here's part of it too, and
I think a lot of times, you know, people kind
of forget this. The Steelers' biggest rivalry rival maybe in
(04:47):
the history of the franchise was against the Browns. As
soon as the Browns came into the league, were part
of admitted to the league in nineteen fifty from the
All American Football Conference. The Steelers in the Browns play
twice a year all the time, oftentimes more than that
because you know, back in those days, ticket sales, you know,
(05:10):
the TV rights, TV broadcasting contracts were not what they
are now in terms of the lucrative nature of them,
the amounts that teams get from broadcast networks and so
selling tickets was huge and there was a you know,
the the game that always sold out at Pitts Stadium
for the Steelers was the Browns game. And in Cleveland,
(05:34):
that big barn dump that they used to play in.
You know that sell eighty that's sell eighty six thousand
tickets to that every year. And there were at the time, Yeah,
and you know, uh Art Modell and Art Rooney Sr.
Would have loved they used to play some exhibition games.
(05:56):
The Steelers and Browns would play an occasional exhibition game
every now and then, and sometimes they would even do
an exhibition doubleheader where there would be four teams and
two games in the exhibition season, and then they'd sell
it out eighty six, eighty eight, whatever it is, thousand now, right, Yeah,
(06:17):
the owners loved it because you know, it made a
lot of money, but the coaches of the teams did not,
because you know, you don't want to be playing your
most bitter rival three times a year. Once that doesn't
even come. So there was that now that the Ravens
(06:37):
are the Browns. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean you could
say whatever you want about the Ravens. This the Ravens,
that they're the Browns. They are art modeaus, right, and
so that that's that's laid the foundation for the hate
that you know, kind of germinated despite the move to Baltimore. So,
(07:00):
you know, Steelers Ravens isn't something that just started in
nineteen ninety six when the franchise, I won't say it
was founded because it wasn't. It wasn't a new franchise.
But the first year in Baltimore, the inaugural season in
Baltimore for the Ravens was nineteen ninety six. Steelers Ravens
(07:22):
was not born that year. That rivalry was born in
nineteen fifty. So yeah, it's it's it's there's not a
whole lot of love lost. I mean, you know Art
Modell's team, you know, Chuck Noll and Art Modell. Chuck
(07:44):
Nole played for the Browns, he played for Paul Brown.
Art Modell fired Paul Brown. There was all kinds of
you know, you can if you want to go and
try and dig around in the roots of the hatred.
There's all kind of crossovers and you know, mixed marriages
(08:04):
and you know that kind of stuff going on between
these two franchises over the course of their respective histories.
So yeah, I would say that, you know, it was
Steelers Browns before it was ever Steelers Ravens. Now that
the games didn't have that kind of significance because the
Steelers stunk, you know, throughout.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Most of that, you know, right, I mean that was auto.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Because my mother's family, uh, it was from Cleveland, and
so her brother was a season ticket older and they
used to play in Cleveland on Saturday night. Steelers at
Cleveland on Saturday night.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
So you have Cleveland blood in your veins.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Well, I mean, so did stand savereign?
Speaker 4 (08:56):
And he was right right because if anything, what that
what that taught me because I used to go to
those games. You know, my dad would put me on
the Greyhound bus. That was okay to do that for
a kid, and you know, go there and my uncle
would beat me and would go to the game Saturday
and I'd come back Sunday. I never saw them win
(09:18):
there until about six or seven games, never saw them win.
And you just you sit there and I mean I was,
I was young, but you know I could learn to
hate at a young age. And that's that's how that happens.
So yeah, it was it was Brown Steelers way before
(09:39):
it was ever Raiders Steelers. And uh then it just
you know, they just moved a little bit east and
south the Model's team.
Speaker 5 (09:51):
And it's so important that they both were so good
at the same time in recent memory. You know.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Well, and here's another thing. Uh when the merger nineteen
seventy merger, because of the numbers of that you had
in the NFL and the numbers of teams in the AFL,
they were merging. Well, you had to. Three teams had
to move from the NFL to the what's going to
become the AFC, and Art Rooney and Art Modell kind
(10:22):
of got together and said, let's be a package deal.
This way we can keep art what we got going going. So,
you know, there was there was there was a lot
of again, there was it was competitive, bitter, there was
hatred among the fan bases, but there was also a
(10:42):
sense of shrewd business involved too, and you know, dealing
with the other team, you know, as part of that
good business. And you know, the stealers, Art Rooney and
Modell at that point in nineteen seventy or obviously good
(11:02):
enough businessmen to realize that you can hate each other,
but you kind of need each other because that hate,
that emotion, excuse me, that emotion translates into good business.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
It certainly does. We see that at all levels of football.
You breed some hatred, some familiarity, breeds contempt, and you
get more butts in the seats, more eyeballs watching, more
people engaged and involved and labs.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
You know, for a.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Long time, two mainstays of this rivalry, of course, have
been the two head coaches on each sideline. Mike Tomlin
and John Harbaugh, they have played thirty seven times in
the past. That's second most between two coaches and NFL
history only George Hallis and Curly Lambeau with more head
to head matchups. How much is that a real factor
(11:50):
in preparation in the three hours that play out on
Sunday Labs? You know, like we just saw the Steelers.
You know, you go against the Colts it's Shane Steiken
as the head coach for the first time. Bears, it's
Ben Johnson for the first time as opposed to a
head coach. Now that you've seen nearly, you know, forty times,
if you're Mike Tomlin, how does that change things? How
(12:10):
does that affect things?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
You know? I don't know. It's kind of a I
would imagine there aren't many surprises, you know, when when
you're going against someone like that all that time. I
would imagine each each of those two men on those
the in terms of the other uh, in terms of professionally,
they have an intimate knowledge of each other. How could
(12:36):
you not because you have to, you know, not only
do you have to play them, but you kind of
have to when you're when you're building your team or
building your ross or whatever, you kind of have to
think about, you know, are these guys that we're adding
going to be Are they going to have the right
(12:57):
stuff for these kinds of games? You know, I remember
Mike Tomlin mentioned in one time this was twenty ten Marquees.
Pouncey was the he was a rookie and you know
Pouncey they played you know, Florida, The Gators were very
good then when he was in college. You know, the
(13:19):
Tim Tebow teams. They had a lot of bitter rivalries
in the SEC and all that kind of stuff. And
you know, Pouncey was told pretty much early on the
first Ravens week. You know, this ain't Tennessee. We're playing Sunday.
I mean, you think you know you played in rivalries.
(13:42):
This is different, and it is uh so I have
seen you know, this has always been one of my
points whenever on the pregame show or whatever, when we're
talking about games around the NFL. And I believe this.
(14:04):
I believe this for years and I still believe this now.
If you see an NFL team that doesn't play play
the Ravens often, they cannot handle it. They cannot handle
the intensity. They cannot handle the physicality, and they are
behind right away. Not necessarily on the scoreboard, which may
be the case as well, but in terms of, you know,
(14:26):
the battle of the hitting. You know, they're taking more
punches than their throwing, and you cannot play them that way.
You cannot. They know they can't play the Steelers that way.
The Steelers know they cannot play the Ravens that way.
And that's why, of all the other things that you
can say about Steelers Ravens, it ain't ever going to
(14:48):
be flexed out of any time slots because I don't care.
You know, when they say you can throw out the records,
this is one where, yeah, you can't do that because
they're gonna go after each other, you know what. To me.
One of the the signature games of this rivalry was
(15:13):
the season finale, regular season finale in two thousand and three.
The Steelers were out of it. The Ravens had their playoffs.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I know where this is going.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Yeah, the Ravens had their playoffs, standing set, seating set,
and Steelers go to Baltimore. Brian Billock was so he
was more interested in inflicting punishment and embarrassment.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Oh, no, do we lose Labs right in the middle
of his story, Labs, if you're so good one too, Labs,
can you hear us by chance? Uh?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Hold on, let me try calling you back here real quick, partner.
It is a great story. It's one that leads to
the Steelers getting one of the most important pieces in
franchise history, just because of some pride for from Brian Bellock.
Let's see if we can get Labs back here quickly.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I think we got it to an automatic voice missage.
Oh no, oh no, not say it ain't so, Labs.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
All right, let's try one more time here. If not,
I can tell the story. But it's not as good
coming for me as it is as it is from.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
The great Bob Labriola. All right, here we go. I
think I think we.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
Got to an automatic voice.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Oh no, we lost them. We last we kept We did,
we did. Here's the story.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Ravens already have their playoff spots sewn up in two thousand.
Nothing no seating, no nothing to play for. But Brian
Billick goes the Steelers stink. We're gonna beat the crap
out of them. We're gonna roll some momentum into the
playoffs and embarrass them in the process. That game plays out,
it goes to overtime. Baltimore wins in overtime with all
(16:49):
their starters in Week seventeen in a meaningless game.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Yeah, meaningless as it can be. Between Pittsburgh and Body.
Speaker 5 (16:54):
It's a physical five quarter battle. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Because of that loss, the Steelers dropped down a few
spots in the NFL Draft. They would have been like fourteenth,
ended up at eleventh, I think it was. And the
rest is history because that afforded the Pittsburgh Steelers the
opportunity to draft one Ben Roethlisberger. Yeah, yeah, yeah, not
too shabby. Huh, not too shabby. How that worked out?
Speaker 5 (17:17):
So it went on many times, many times.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Yeah, and once famously even in an AFC Championship game
with the Steelers went on to capture their record setting
sixth Super Bowl. Baby that two thousand and eight Nasty
Armageddon AFC game that Labs referenced there. I got a
text message in the group and we were all talking
about this are our radio booth crew, Rob Max, Missy, myself,
(17:44):
Dan Quinlan about how the Ravens it's the twenty fifth
anniversary of their Super Bowl two thousand.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Team makes sense.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
The Trent Dilford team that beat you know, the beat
Kerry Collins and the Giants and the Super Bowl, one
of the first Super Bowls that I really I was
like an eight nine, really vividly remember watching and remembering
the details and all that. They're getting honored at halftime.
Ravens team for their twenty fifth for their twenty fifth anniversary.
(18:11):
We should go over and shake Brian Billick's hand. Hey,
thanks for Ben Roethlisberger that one. That one worked out
pretty well for us. And thanks to Bob Labriola for
his time kind enough to lend it to us as always,
And yeah, it would have been much better for him
to tell that story, but at least I kind of
knew where he was going there and was able to
color in some.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Of the lines.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Let's get to our first break of the second hour. Here,
more Matt stats more. You know, we got to talk
what we kind of do every week. We have to
revisit explosive play, differential, sack, differential differential, some of that
stuff that we've been tracking throughout the season. We'll do
that more when we return on the other Sidey Sheeler,
Matt Williams, and it's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio
(18:50):
on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 6 (18:56):
You were two weeks.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
More Ravens and Steelers' numbers and analytics, and we got
to get to our differential conversation here that we've been
tracking throughout the year.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
But we do have these Steelers Thursday practice reports.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
I'm curious some stuff here first.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Here, Matt, let's get to that is that is some
pertinent news. Of course, Derek Harmon did not practice. He
has already been ruled out for this upcoming contest. Mike
Tomlin did that on Tuesday at his weekly press conference,
told us that Derek Harmon would not playing.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
So not a lot of surprise there.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
I think you're can see a lot of Derek Henry
aimed in that general direction.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
I think that is a safe bet.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
If I were a betting man, if I were Mike Pursuda,
I'd be putting some coin on that one, for sure.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Calvin Anderson did not practice today with a knee injury.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Okay, don't love to see that one, as you're a
little thin in that regard, But.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Yeah, did not practice. I'm not sure. Good news.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
James Pierre full participant today, good in practice. I gotta think, Yeah,
the wait and monitor him tomorrow how he responds all that.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
And that's one of those crazy things with concussions.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
Is could be worse.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
You're right, but I like I know a lot of
athletes who deal with concussions. It's like you'll think, Okay,
I'm back, I'm good everything, and then you'll go out
and you'll have a two hour practice and then the next.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Day you wake up feeling weird and dizzy and stuff again.
So obviously there is a strict protocol. Yeah, not out
of the woods.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
But that's good step one.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
But good step one and good sign for James Pierre.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Dante Kent, who of course was activated this week in
his twenty one day window, did not practice with an
ankle and a knee. I don't know if that was
a scheduled thing, if a setback thing, whatever the case
may be.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
There he was gonna play a week either one was
gonna be this week either way.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
But hopefully he's able to get some practice in at
least here in this three week window.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Kyle Dugger, friend of the program, here did not practice
today with a hand injury.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
That's news.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Huh, that's news.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
I wouldn't call that great, and that's certainly something to
keep an eye on tomorrow.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
Yeah, I'm not sure what's going on with your bil peppers,
but I've been interested to see more of them, But
the fact that we haven't might be telling. I don't know.
Douger has been a success since he's been here. Certainly
has as many tight ends as you're gonna see on
the field against these guys. I mean, I think Dougger
is pretty important.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I would concur and you're already just thin the secondary
finite safety thin. A lot of moving parts there entire season. Yeah, yeah,
when you started without the Shawn Elliott, then he was back,
then you lost him, you moved Ramsey Slay has been
a big key and now off the roster.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
I mean, there's been a lot.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
Of and Douggers were both not on the roster. They weren't.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Right at one point. He's no longer on the roster,
so ye, less less moving parts the better. Joey Porter
Junior limited today with an elbow.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Uh, we'll keep an eye on that.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
I hope that's just kind of some load stuff and
you know, out of precaution and we don't need you
in a full week of practice.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Just be ready to go for stort. Thursday report Thursday reports.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Ben Skronick limited with a shoulder. Good news, Aaron Rodgers
full practice participant today on this Thursday, So that is fantastic.
Patrick Queen limited today with uh that glute injury that
he's been dealing with, so at least he was out
there but in a limited capacity.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
And champion Champ.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Chap.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
We had this debate the other day, play the bird
and then uh.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Let's see here, Jalen Ramsey, it looks like got a
veteran rest day, did not practice?
Speaker 5 (22:58):
Remember what was there was something yesterday? Sorry?
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yes, he did not practice yesterday with a toe, but
was listed as a full practice participant today.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
Yeah, there was one big name guy I couldn't remember. Yes,
So Dougger is the one I guess to keep it.
Keep an eye on. It's new or you know.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Right, so maybe not so good news with him or
at least something to monitor there, and maybe potentially better
news with Pierre than we expected.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Yeah, okay, that's good things to take away.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Keep an eye on Joey Porter Junior too.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
Obviously, I have been keeping up with Ravens practice sports either.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
I was just gonna say, I've been trying to find
one here and haven't been able to.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Maybe in the next two segments.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, maybe maybe before we get out of here, we will.
I have the Ravens Wednesday report, but not there one
from today.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
We did not give me the highlights real quick.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
The clip.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Lamar Jackson was limited with an ankle. That's important. That's
the first Wednesday practice he's had since like September.
Speaker 5 (23:54):
As to say, I don't think he ever practiced on
Wednesday since he's been back. Yes, so that is the
day longer.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
That they did as well. Yes, the ten day rest
from playing on Thanksgiving against the Bengals. Rashard Bateman full
participant with that ankle injury. Tavius Robinson limited. He's in
that twenty one day window to return from IR same
with our Darius Washington, the safety with his achilles injury.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
There's some optimism he could be back, which.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Would be important for Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Davonte's Walker wide receiver was a full participant with his
groin injury, and then Nate Wiggins, the corner limited with
a foot.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
I would keep an eye on Wiggins. Wiggins were my
favorite young corners.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
A good player.
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Yeah, really long, fast man coverage, modern day corner, and
he left that game, So keep an eye on Wiggins.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
There is what we know about the Ravens from yesterday.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
If we get any newer, updated information before we get
up out of here this evening, we will share that
with you. But obviously tomorrow will have the big kind
of Friday. Who's out, who's questionable, and who's probable, all
that good stuff. On tomorrow's show.
Speaker 5 (25:02):
Two reasonably healthy teams are on all though I was
gonna say that'd be nice of Harmon, but.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
You know, other than Harmon, and you know, Robert.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
Jones is out too. I mean, but you know we
knew that the IR guys, you know.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
But for Baltimore too.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
For an injury report that was very lengthy at times
this season, there's only five or six names.
Speaker 5 (25:19):
Yeah, they're in pretty good shape for early.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
December, and I think, yeah, the best shape that they've
been in a while. In pretty good shape overall for
early in December.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
And I'm not sure if we talked about this, but
this ten days for Lamar worries me because watching that game,
some of his movements and running in athleticism was better
in spurts this past week than it was any of
the last four. Like he might be trending the right direction,
(25:49):
getting healthy and maybe ten days is the remedy he needs.
He looked like himself again. I'm just throwing it out there.
It's possibility, you know.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
Don't love that now, but I also think you might
be onto something.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
Yeah, I mean it could be you don't want to
be the team or oh now he looks like Lamar again. Great,
that was our week.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Let's not Let's not go down that route. Matt.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
It's time to check in on our Steelers twenty twenty
five differential spreadsheet. Yeah yeah, we'll start with turnover differential.
Last week, the Steelers for the second straight week were neutral.
You know, two turnovers, two takeaways. That puts them at
plus eight for the season. They were neutral against Chicago
(26:33):
as well. Let's see here, where is my explosive pass play?
Speaker 2 (26:41):
I gotta scroll to the right.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
You'ller not good.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
It is currently negative thirty nine on the season. You
were minus four in the explosive play differential against Baltimore
minus five in the run differential. You actually were plus
one in the past differential, but that might be just because.
Speaker 5 (26:59):
They never threw.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Never know, they were just run, run, run, and having
a lot of success and gashing. You're doing it so
on the year as a whole. In the run game,
remember explosive play in the run game ten or more
yards pass game twenty or more yards minus thirteen in
the run game minus twenty six in the past game.
You have those two numbers up minus thirty nine on
the season.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
It's a big problem. I mean, it's to me, it's
right there with the time and possession thing that we
talk about over and over and over, but we don't
talk about the explosive play differential nearly enough because both
sides of the ball are to blame. You know that
it's not an explosive offense running or passing compared to
the league, and they've allowed too many explosives on defense,
(27:40):
both in both phases. So it's a hard one to
say how you fix it, but it's hurting.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Them, and that is I think even more concerning in
the scope of the time of possession conversation.
Speaker 7 (27:54):
If you've won or the other great a lot of times,
if you look at the best to offenses in the
NFL in high level college football, they don't have the
best time of possession difference.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
That's because their offensive scoring in four or five plays.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Right right, You're hitting these Oregon offenses and you know
they just boo boo right down the field.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Touchdown. Yeah, Okay, well then their defense is back out there.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
But that is not the case as it relates to
the Steelers, which I think makes it even a little
more perplexing. Teams are hitting explosives on you, which means
they're having quicker drives you are not, which means you're
having to elongate drives and work your way down the field.
And despite all of that, time of possession still a
real negative.
Speaker 5 (28:36):
Yeah, and it's funny. I heard a baseball analogy that's
stuck with me with this whole conversation. Is time of
possessions like that that average hitter, you know that that
the guy that hits first in the line, you know
every year, gets on base of time, a lot of walks,
you know, small.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Ball, he'll lean in and take one off the shoulder
when the time's right.
Speaker 5 (28:57):
But explosive is a home run hitter, know, so I
wouldn't mind nine home run hitters in my lineup, and
if I have some strikeouts, so be it. I wouldn't
mind nine big time average hitters in my lineup either. No,
it's nice to have a blend of all. You know,
get the guy on base.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
And then Mariage judge nine times through the line.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
Right, But right now the Steelers aren't getting either exactly right.
You know, you're getting the two forties.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
They don't have anybody slapping you know, singles into the
left field gap, and they don't have anybody hitting them
five hundred feet.
Speaker 5 (29:29):
And it's not just allega both sides of the ball, Yeah,
because the defense on the field too much, and they're
allowing to make closes.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
Into the Allegheny or into the mad TV which one
when people when people jack home runs at P and
C Park and it goes into the water. Is that
that's the mad isn't it? Is it the Alleghany? I
think it's the mon Not sure our our resident stack
guy will get on it for us. But regardless, you
get what you get what I'm saying, you need to
slap some singles into the left field. You need to
hit some Alleghany is it the Alleghany. Yeah, okay, you
(29:56):
need to hit some into the Allegheny.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
And uh, it took us way too long.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Did take us late, way too long to figure.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
That one out, doing too much here at one time.
Explosive differential negative thirty nine. Yeah, rough way to make
a live living. In your last one two, three, four, five, six,
seven games, you've only won the explosive play differential once
and that was in the win at home against Cincinnati.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
Okay, and explosive pass differential is the worst of them all, right.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yes, negative twenty six through twelve games, so basically a
little over two times.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
A game the big plays which pass is pretty significant.
Speaker 5 (30:33):
It is, it is, So you're allowing two big pass
plays per game more. That means at least twenty It
could be an eighty.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
You know, if you're getting two, they're getting four. Right,
If you're getting three, they're getting five. If you're getting none,
they're still getting two.
Speaker 5 (30:45):
Now, sack differential still decent.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Sack differential is still decent. You're plus twelve on the year.
That's one of the better sack differentials in the National.
Like the Steelers turnover number, it doesn't blow your doors off,
but it's one of the better.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Numbers at least.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
What can earns me, though, Matt now is it's now
been three straight.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
Weeks, so we haven't felt it lately.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
It's been four weeks. The last time the Steelers won
the sack differential was actually in that game Sunday Night
Football against the Chargers at SOFI Stadium. They were neutral
in that department against Cincinnati, and then they lost it
at Chicago and lost it against Buffalo.
Speaker 5 (31:21):
Yeah, so it's not trending the way you want.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
It's not.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
And so far this year, the Steelers have played twelve games, right,
simple math, one, two, three, four, Five of those they've
lost the sack differential.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
When they've won it, they've won it, Hugh.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
So I'm just going it's almost like feast or feast
or famine cluster, which, hey, when it happens against the
Colts and it happens against the Patriots, awesome.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
Awesome, Right, we beat good teams.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Right, it's like the stock market up and down as
opposed to just steady games.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
I know, and this is a trend across the league,
but just more consistency with this team and almost every
facet of football would be wonderful.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Would be outstanding. The whackam will come station outstanding.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Two other things that you uh that you track in
here that I think are important, not not obviously as
big as those three, but but still deserve just a
minute of conversation before we get out of here. Fourth
down differential. The Steelers are neutral in that regard.
Speaker 5 (32:16):
Right, and again I count that as a turnover.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Yes, like going forward to that, I should have explained
that better to the audience going forward on fourth down
possession downs, how often your defense stops it and gets
off the field, how often your offense converts it an
extended drive?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
And that's not Steelers are are are zero, They're there.
Speaker 5 (32:33):
They didn't explain that exactly how I track it. To
be honest with you, those are just failed attempts. It's
not your percentage of like gotcha if you if you
if you made two fours and I was one for two,
that's not bad. That's a bad example. But I mean
just it's how many failed ones, because that's when you
actually because I treat it as a turnover.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
So it's not a plus one forgetting it.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
You don't get it. It's just a mind same field
goals make I'm expecting you to make them make sense.
If you don't, you handle ball the other team often
in a bad situation.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Ye, midfield right, right right, missed field goal differential. You
mentioned it there, which was a huge number for the
Steelers last year. I think, right, it was like, it's not.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
An interesting conversation.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Yeah, plus one right now.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
Yeah, And it's not that Boz has gotten bad.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
Exactly right, right, It's just that they haven't had the
field goal luck of teams missing them against them like
they did last year.
Speaker 5 (33:28):
The other thing too, and I mean to bring this
up is.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
And Prater did miss an extra point.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
We just bring up Boz's name so much less than
we used to, like he's he might be your best player.
Now I'm not saying he should be out there, more
like it's not up to him when he goes out
there or the situations. And frankly, they're making they're scoring
a lot more touchdowns, so part of it's a good thing.
But it's also weird to me this year that one
(33:53):
of the things that you've done best, you're not doing
a lot of you know what I mean, which isn't
necessarily bad because I'd rather score touchdowns and trot him
out there in the twenty.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
Yard line, no doubt, you know, like we like we said,
we've said a million times it's a testament to him.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
But we don't want Chris Boswell to be our team MVP.
Speaker 5 (34:10):
Right, we talk about him anymore? You know, last year
you talk about him all the time. It's very last
five years, you talk about him all the time. I
hadn't ninety had it, But we don't talk about him much.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Hadn't thought about that, Yeah, had not thought about that.
But you are spot on kind.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Of how you perceive it, right, right, right, right. But
but if I have a bunch of as in my
hand and I can't use this one, and again it's
not a bad.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Thing, but right, no, it might be like if it's
not snow and you're not using your snowplow, it's not
a bad thing.
Speaker 5 (34:42):
But I have the best plow last, right, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:47):
Matt, let's get to our last commercial break. We'll cross
some te's dot some eyes on the other side. We've
also got a couple tweets to get to before we
get up out of here. Well Shuler, Matt Williamson final segment.
When we return, it's the drive on Steelers Nation Radio
on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Your Tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goal.
Speaker 6 (35:16):
Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Final segment here of the Drive on a Thursday, And Matt,
I know we talked about this more so yesterday. We
kind of spent like a segment and a half deep
diving into all the different playoff scenarios in the AFC.
Speaker 5 (35:44):
Yeah, it's a fun get hold of wormhole to go down.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Especially this time of year it is with the roads
and narrow and strangely the Steelers, right, it's the conversation.
Speaker 5 (35:57):
Yeah, but there's isn't a wormy you know, it's like
the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
Of these teams, two dogs, one bone to go. And
I said to Labs, it's not you know who's going
to be the one of the two seed and have
home field advantage and that kind of stuff.
Speaker 5 (36:11):
But still, why are you probably staying home and when
he's probably going to the playoffs and see how goes?
Speaker 3 (36:16):
You know, plenty on the line, Uh, Steelers Ravens one
of those massive massive playoff implication games this weekend. Texans
and Chiefs massive massive playoff implication game this weekend. But
there is a third in this week fourteen slate Matt,
and it is tonight at eight fifteen. I'm very excited
(36:37):
for this evening.
Speaker 5 (36:38):
I am too. I think it's a really really good game.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
Leaving here and going to Robinson to meet my wife
and my two daughters. We're gonna have some dinner nice
and we're taking presents to stuff a bus. You friends,
Pike and Big Bob everyone, they do a great thing
every Christmas. Stuff of bus. People donate toys, They load
up like third some forty some school buses.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Has heard every.
Speaker 5 (37:02):
Insane it's the mass of it all.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Yeah, a lot of times, Matt.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
I think people like to talk up charity stuff to
feel better about themselves and pat themselves on the back.
But what and I am not doing this to like
carry water for the company.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
But what the But what the DV Moore are friends
of the DV Morning Show pursuita Bowman Abbey. You know
Bill Crawford until recently when when he left the show.
What they do every year raising over a million dollars
with the radio fun for Children's Hospital is incredible. They
raise over a million dollars for Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh
every year. It's incredible. And on the kiss side of things, Mikey,
(37:45):
Big Bob Tall, Kathy, our guy justin dan Quinlan. They
stuffed forty fifty something buses full of toys to give
the underprivileged kids. It's really cool. Yeah, and my girls
are at the age now where I thought it would
be fun. I was like, sweetheart, like, let's go. Last
night we went out and yeah, they probably understand now,
(38:05):
they understand, and like we had to explain to them, like,
you are not buying these toys for yourself. You are
buying these for kids who can't afford it, who get
nothing for Christmas. And it's a good conversation to have
with them.
Speaker 5 (38:15):
You're lucky enough that you get stuff for Christmas.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
And so we let them each go and pick out
a couple of things that they want to give to
the kids for Christmas. And you know me, I got
a football of basketball and a soccer ball to throw
in there, because you gotta get some you gotta get
some sports in there.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
That's for the kids. Right.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
So yeah, we're going over there to to drop off
at stuff a bus and but I'm excited to get home,
put them down to bed and watch another massive playoff
implication game.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Tonight is a playoff game. It almost is.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
People say that stuff too early in the season, but
this is.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
This is about as you get for one of those.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Yeah, Dallas at Detroit six' five and one against seven
and five.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
One of these teams, whoever wins is.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Gonna have a chance at a wild card. Whoever loses
is going to be really swimming.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Up without a paddle, super close.
Speaker 3 (39:06):
Especially Detroit favored by three and a half. I realized
they're at Hope, but I still that's a big number.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
I'm picking Dallas to win. I think they're playing better.
I think they're playing as well as anyone in the league.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
And I mean I say that like the Patriots have
one ten the.
Speaker 5 (39:23):
Benver right, I mean, if you lie, I just think
they can line up with anyone. How they're playing right
now in a big way. And what's crazy about the
Cowboys is getting some dudes back from injury trade deadline.
They basically added six new starters on defense, two linebackers,
Quinn Williams, a safety corner. You know, like, that's nuts,
(39:45):
and they're all playing well and might be too little,
too late, but I look at Detroit and think inter
the road lines banged up and ain't what it used
to be. That's why they wanted ragnow to come back.
And now that the Cowboys have three big times.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
That's a as Max Starks would say, barbecue chicken match
up there.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
For that Dallas defensive line, they're just to.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
Keep rotating them in. I don't think Saint Brown's playing
I think that's a conclusion, correct.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
I believe you are. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (40:14):
I mean like they're pretty lean when they hit the ball,
and their offense hasn't been as good with this coordinator
as last year's to begin with. And the Lions these fine,
but it's not great. They don't rush the passer super well.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
It's fine, but it's not what it was last year.
Speaker 5 (40:32):
Dealing with Pickens and Lamb right now is a nightmare.
And Dak is really, really good. They got a lot
invested in their ow line and it's start there. They're
starting to gel. They've a young O line like the Steelers. Yeah,
they've They've had a lot of high picks there and
it's starting to like, Oh, I'm starting to see the
vision come together. I think Dallas is clearly the better
team and there's no rest Desisi crazy.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
If you would have told us two months ago we're
gonna say and the Cowboys are a better team than
the Lions, would have been like, what are those what
are those guys having before the show?
Speaker 5 (41:03):
Now, I'm sure it's not going to be an easy place
to play.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
No doubt. Night Thursday night, desperate game jacked up.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
Yeah, but hey, for Dallas, you're not traveling to Michigan
in December and playing an outdoor game, right, It's nice.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
It's not going to Lambeau again and trying to get
the ball to pick.
Speaker 5 (41:17):
On the road. Yeah you played on Thanksgiving, you know.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (41:21):
No, I think Dallas wins.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
One tweet here from Tyler all right, because we got
like sixty seconds so we got to go, and this
has nothing to do with anything we're talking about, so
I figured it would play quickly here Tyler tweets not
a Steelers question. But with the Formula One season coming
to an end this weekend, it reminded me a couple
of months ago Matt mentioned that he watches it or
at least loved the series on Netflix. I'm curious if
Matt has a favorite Formula One team or driver.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
Thanks guys, Love the show.
Speaker 5 (41:47):
Kinda, but it's funny. My son and were talking about
my son a lot lately. He texted me yesterday's will
be because he's super into it.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Now, Okay, yeah, Uk hoops in Formula one.
Speaker 5 (41:57):
Yeah, So we talked about it a tom when he's home.
You know, he watches it steadily and he's like, Dad,
this is gonna be the best F one race we've
ever seen. And I'm like, they raced on Sunday, Mike,
I can't watch it. So really the last couple of months,
I am totally out of the loop. But Max Versapping
is Papa Holmes. Dude, he's iceman. Oh he is a
(42:19):
bad ass.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
I love that. I am. I'm not into Formula one
at all.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
I'm not saying I like dislike it.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
In fact, it's very cool. It's kind of the opposite.
Speaker 7 (42:30):
I know.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
I told you this story.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
I very loosely followed international soccer when I was growing up. Yeah,
and then when I got to college, me and my
buddies would would Saturday and Sunday mornings there's no football
on till noon or one o'clock. We'd be like, well,
what do we want? I will throw on those throw
on the Manchester United in Chelsea game, and that's how
I really really started getting into it. And I'd be
working the six am shift at the radio station in
(42:54):
Morgantown and at seven am there's Toottenham and Fulham game,
you know what I mean, Like it's live sports. I'm
gonna throw it on and I got hooked, Like I
love the English Premier League.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
And I know they.
Speaker 5 (43:03):
Lay weird times. I know ones a crazy times. They
could be in Belgium or they could be in right,
right right all over the place right.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
I know that if I tried dipping my toe into
the Formula one pool.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
I'd end up cannonballing in.
Speaker 5 (43:17):
It's cool.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
I would love it.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
And I just got between my job and football and
everything else and the Mountaineers all the stuff I do there,
like to do there.
Speaker 5 (43:25):
I have so many questions I don't understand about it,
but still I love it.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
I would.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
I have a feeling, you know, like when people are
like I like, I can't have a cigarette.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
I've got an addictive personality. I'll get hooked.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
That's me with that f One's like a pack of
cigarettes that I'm like, that looks tempting, but I know
if I have one, I'll have a hundred.
Speaker 5 (43:42):
That's why I don't golf. A personality. I can't play
eighteen holes and spend all that money every Saturday, Sunday
and every day off I have. It's exactly why I
don't golf.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Formula one is my country club membership. Maybe one day,
but not today. Fun show today, enjoyed it. Thanks to
Labs for joining us.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Big shout out as always to our video producer Tyler
V mister TV for making sure we look handsome on
the YouTube. And a big thank you to Matt Williamson.
Who you know, mister f one, mister UK hoops all.
It's all happening in the Williamson household lot going on
big show tomorrow on Friday. To get you ready for Armageddon.
(44:24):
We'll do five Star Friday. We'll talk to Missy Matthews.
We'll go around the gambit of the NFL for a
huge week fourteen across the league.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
Take care, everybody. We will talk to you tomorrow. As always.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
You know where to find us. It's on your twenty
four to seven home of the Black and Gold. It's
Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
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