December 11, 2025 • 45 mins
Matt and Wes continue to dive into the upcomg matchup against the Miami Dolphins. They are joined by Bob Labriola to break down various storylines surrounding the team. The guys break down injury reports, and other stories around both teams.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goals, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good evening, Steeler Nation. How we doing well?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
That's good us too, our number two here of the
Drive on the Steelers Audio Network and joining us now,
the Dean of Doom, the Lord of living in his fears,
the Great Bob Labriola, Steelers Historian, Steelers Digest, Steelers.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Dot Com Labs.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Thank you for taking the time as always, and I
just got to ask you. I think we've all been
very encouraged by that offensive performance that we saw from
the Steelers pass game from DK Metcalf and I think
particularly Aaron Rodgers. Was that the most impressive performance that
we've seen from the future Hall of Famer in the
Black and Gold so far this season?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Oh, I don't think there's any question. Yeah, I think
it's what you know, it's it's it's gonna be what
the Steelers need moving forward every game, every game. If
Aaron Rodgers can put up twenty five plus points and
nope and not turn the ball over, I'll take that,
and I think it's gonna be It's going to require
(01:19):
something very similarly to that number of points. Uh, and
that you know, turnover ratio kind of thing in their
favor moving forward every game the rest of this regular
season and then into the playoffs is I think if
they if Aaron Rodgers can continue to deliver, that the
(01:42):
Steelers will have a chance in every game they play. Now, obviously,
you know the other part portions of the team have
to chip in. I mean, I'm not laying this all
on Aaron Rodgers. You've got to produce this these kinds
of numbers, you know, all on his own, so to speak.
But you know, you need I think you need a
(02:04):
certain level of play from your quarterback at this stage
of the regular season in the NFL, and then the
postseason is just an extension of that. And that's why
they got Aaron Rodgers. I mean, that's to me, this
is why he is here for this time of the
year and to give the Steelers a chance in these
(02:24):
games that they will be playing at this time of
the year.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Yeah, I think that's really well said in one thousand percent,
you know, I mean, in order to get where you
want to go and win playoff games, your quarterback's going
to have to compete with other great quarterbacks. I know
they're not head to head. But I think that's really
well said, Labs. I wonder if you have any insight
on this because I have a hard time with it.
But I think it's remarkable and I think everyone knows
(02:47):
it at this point that Mike Tomlin on Monday night
is incredibly good, like the best coach in NFL history,
but as impressive, and obviously they overlap. They're twenty two
to oh at home in their last twenty two Monday
night home games. I mean, the NFL does not schedule
crappy teams for Monday night either why yeah all no
(03:14):
mean games or he's good to have with a little
extra rest. I mean, I don't know, but it's remarkable.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yeah, it is. Uh And you know the Steelers of
the franchise are pretty good at home on Monday nights too,
So there's that, you know. I no, I really can't.
I mean, I can't give you any specific This is
the secret sauce answer to that question. I'm sure that
(03:41):
at different times it has been different things. Yeah, yeah,
you know, I think there have been some Certainly there
had to have been some occasions where playing at home
was a significant advantage over the opponent. I think there
have been times when maybe the extra rest really came
in hand. You know, whatever weather and who you're playing.
(04:05):
Maybe this is one of those where you know you're
getting the South Florida team and the teams in terms
of the temperature. So yeah, I know what all I
can say is that, yes, what you just recited, Matt
were facts. Why those have happened? I mean, I'm just
(04:27):
like everybody else. I can guess, but I don't know.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
Yeah, I don't think it's because the fans had three
more irons than they did for a four o'clock game,
you know, but who knows.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
I mean, maybe there is some sort of uh, you know,
extra frenzy for Monday night in Pittsburgh. You know, I
don't know. It's hard, right, it is hard to ignore.
But let me say this. It's not that stat that
bit of history is not going to be good enough
on Monday night.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
No, Miami doesn't care, right, Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:05):
You know what? What? What is it that the that
the financial advisors say past performance is no indication of
you know future reason does? Right? Who's going to play
left tackle right on Monday night? And I don't know,
(05:26):
you guys may have talked about this already uh t
J Watts lung condition. I mean, I don't know what
that is.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
Concerning, right?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Does it sound great here as we sit here on
four at four point thirty pm on Thursday. Maybe this
is one of those the extra day situations. Maybe the
extra day comes in handy for the guys that are
in the concussion protocol this time around. Because I'll tell
(05:57):
you what something else. You know, the Dean of doom
Me is starting to get a little nervous about this.
I won't say that. The number of injuries, yeah, and
the way they're kind of clustered at some important positions.
You all due respect to Dylan Cook, I mean, you'll
want to be bringing a guy off the practice squad
(06:19):
and starting him on December fifteenth, especially in that position,
right at that position.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
So it is Bob Labriola with us here on the
Drive Labs. I wanted to make sure and ask you,
I think, the same question I've probably asked you of
vast majority of these Thursdays that we've had you on.
But I feel like a broken record, But how do
they get this run game going it? You know, we're
(06:50):
going through Matt's stats packet and there's only been two teams,
two instances of a team in the NFL this season
winning a game when they rushed for less than forty yards,
and it was the both times against the Colts at
home and then on the road last Sunday against Baltimore. Again,
broken record, because it feels like this is something we've
been discussing pretty much every week this season, except for
(07:11):
the you know, the couple of times that they have
had really strong performances on the ground. Anything that you're seeing,
is it just simplifying, is it just a commitment to it?
Is it more push up front? It's got to be
better than.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
The four yards bringing how about bringing tackles up off
the practice squall. I mean there's that too. And you know,
to me the the Ravens game that that's always an outlier,
you know, thinking that we're pointing to the fact that
you didn't run the ball against the Ravens. I mean,
let's go back to how many games in this series
(07:46):
and how many times did the Steelers run the ball
well against the Ravens. It doesn't happen. And so I
think that sometimes the smart thing to do is or
the savvy thing to do, is to understand, now you
don't not run the ball at all. But they have
a lot of run game equivalent things, quick passes, you know,
sideline throws, you know that kind of stuff, And there
(08:10):
could have been a lot more of that if Darneld
Washington didn't get knocked out. But you know, numbers, statistics again,
I'm not I don't care if the Steelers don't run
the ball statistically effectively. It doesn't matter. It really doesn't.
(08:31):
As long as, as I said, if Aaron Rodgers is
engineering enough offense to score twenty five plus points and
not turn the ball over, I'll take my chances. I
don't care what the final status sheet looks like. Those
are the stats that I'm interested in. I'm not interested
in how many plays they run, as opposed how many
(08:53):
plays the Steelers run, you know, all of that kind
of stuff that a lot of outlets or media members
like to latch onto. Yeah, that's a story for that game.
But trying to take that and make it, you know,
some sort of trend that is either you know it
(09:14):
has to be overcome, or you know it cannot continue,
or you know, that's a guest who knows.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
There's definitely a lot of ways to win in this.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
League, right, And again I think it was I forget
who I was talking to talking about the Steelers identity.
You know, Mike Tomlin made this point a while a
few years ago to me that an identity, in a
lot of ways, all that is is a tendency that
(09:46):
you're giving to the opponent, which is, if your identity
is we're going to run the football, well that's a
significant if you're really if you really believe in that
and adhere to it, that's a pretty valuable piece of
information for every opponent you play.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
I've always hated that term too. I think an identity
is you're tough, you're physical, or like in Miami's case,
you're fast, you know, like not they run the ball
a lot, or you know what actually happens on you know,
plates and things like that. I think it's more right
what you.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Call in certain situations, right. I don't know that you
want to have an identity, correct, So you know, and
I don't mean this to any disrespect to you guys,
I truly do not. But that kind of stuff, the
stats and looking at trends and stuff, that's good talk
show stuff. It is, but that's all it is. So
(10:42):
and we May next Thursday. You may be saying to me, see,
they didn't run the ball again and it cost him
a game against the Dolphins, And that could very well
be the case, but it's for that specific you know, game,
in that in that specific situation against that specific opponent.
(11:03):
Easy for me to say. So that's I mean, I
just kind of look at these each as an individual,
standalone situation, and you will you analyze it for what
it was at that point and how it either contributed
to a win or loss, and then you flush it
and move on to the next game.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
And we saw a lot of instances of Belichick and
Brady facing Casey Hampton and not even try to run
once and they walk out with a win.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Yes, yeah, Or the Steelers playing Brady and Belichick with
a Hall of Fame running back who's on a roll,
or a guy who is the best running back in
the league that year, Le'Veon Bell in twenty sixteen I
think was the year and gee, three carries, four carries
(11:57):
in the first quarter, he gets injured. Done problem for
that game? Now where are you? So? Like I said,
it's the way I choose to look at it. And
I'm not saying I'm right. This is just what works
for me. I tend to take each game as a
standalone thing, try and figure out why they won or
(12:19):
lost and point that out. And then after that and
then you've got to work on who the next opponent
is until you're either in or you're eliminated.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
La, I want to go outside the Steeler comfort zone
for a minute, because I can't wait to hear your
opinion on this, Philip Rivers. I mean, have you ever
seen anything like this in NFL history? I mean, like
George Bland to do this, I mean, I can't imagine
it goes well, But I have to know your opinion
to him coming five years off the off retirement to
(12:53):
come back to play a couple of games.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Doesn't have anything to do with him. It has to
do with the Indianapolis Colts, their management and you know,
their their decision. I mean, Philip Rivers, He's just the
tool of that of what I see as their desperation.
You know, I think that because it's quarterback, the position
(13:19):
we're talking about, the understanding of the system, the plays,
uh and a relationship with the coaching staff is much
more important than if it would be a another position.
We were talking about receiver, running back, a defensive player, whatever.
(13:40):
So you know, the Philip Rivers thing. They obviously believe
that's their best chance. I don't know enough about around
the league to know whether that is true or not.
I don't know who else is on practice squads.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Not allowed to pick from. I can promise you that you.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Know, Okay, well I didn't think that there was I mean,
you know, this is the NFL in December, like it.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
I mean, like Flacco's because even you know.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
Right well, even the the George Bland of reference, I
mean they made it. He played quarterback, but he was
still on he was always on.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
The team as the kicker.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
It's not like he wasn't you know. He was literally
on his couch playing with his grandchildren, which Philip Rivers
can biologically. Do you know. That's not some you know,
analogy or hyperbole to prove the point that he's an
old man. I mean that is actually a fact. So yeah,
I don't, I don't know. And who you know if
(14:45):
you figure the Steelers are going to be the fourth seed,
okay if they get into the playoffs, kind of rooting
for Indy to.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Make it as the top and now all of a
sudden like. I hope he kind of rejuvenates himself and
gets him back in it. It's better than playing Josh
Allen or that guy that.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
They played last week. What was his name again?
Speaker 2 (15:06):
I forget mister Jackson.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Mister m v P. But you know, no, I have
never to finally get to it. I can't recall anything
remotely because he was going to be in the Hall
of Fame ballot this year.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
He's a semi finalist. Yeah, well, I guess we could
start start that over.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
Right if he if he takes a snap, you start
that clock all over all, all the way. And that's why,
as I remember, that kept Bill Belichick out for or
excuse me, Bill Parcells out the Hall of Fame for
a while because no one was convinced that he was done. Okay,
on the on the on the.
Speaker 6 (15:52):
Board of the committee, the selection committee, interesting, so they
didn't vote for him, even though you know with coaches
and con it is this one year or it was
at one time anyway, one year, and there was no
confidence that Parcells was done, and so it took him
a while to get in.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
As because I don't think it would have taken him
that time to get in if everyone was confident that
he was not coming back.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Makes sense.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
And guys, just to cap this off across the timeline,
here just a few minutes ago from Adam Schefter, Philip
Rivers is tracking to start Sunday in Seattle. Oh boy,
well that'll make Aaron Rodgers happy. He won't be the
oldest player in the National Football League anymore.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
And if he's like two full years older than Darren.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Well, and he's four full years older than Flacco. So
if Flacco and Rogers was the Icy Hot Bowl, if
Rivers and Rodgers meet, maybe it's the aar P Bowl. Labs,
thank you so much, Thank you so much for taking
the time as always here on a Thursday, and we'll
talk to you on Monday.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
All right, falls see on Monday night.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
There he goes the Dina Doom, the lord of living
in his fears, the great Bob Labriola, Steelers Historian, Steelers
Steelers dot Com, And of course he will be that
pregame show.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
And I heard this morning just about Rivers because I
want to make sure we brought it up here. I
forget what I was listening to, but I think there's
a little bit of a loophole in this Hall of
Fame thing is right now as often as the case,
like the Steelers signed to Sante Samuel to the practice squad,
and that's not uncommon. You're still because you can always
elevate him, you know what I mean. So Rivers is
(17:25):
a practice squad player right now. Yes, you get three times.
You can elevate him for free, so he's not on
the Colts roster. The second he is on the Colts roster,
then his Hall of Fame clock resets. So hypothetically they
could call him up this week, start him, call him
(17:46):
up next week, start him three times, do it again,
be eliminated, not ask him to play week for eighteen
interesting and it wouldn't kill him.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I'm sure that's a conversation they've had.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
I'm sure everyone was aware of going in.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
And I bet you if Philip Rivers probably said, I
don't give a toss, Like, who cares if it restarts
my five years?
Speaker 2 (18:06):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (18:07):
Like he said, I'm probably willing to give that up
if we're in the hunt, and I'm still that means
they've won game, yes, and that means he could go
to the playoffs, you know, like, hey, if I end
up with the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
I'll restart my five years or if.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
I'm playing for a playoff seating in week eighteen, we
must don something good during those three weeks. I'm willing
to trash it. But if we're zero and three and
we got beat by a million and nothing, and I
just got my head beat in.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
For three weeks and we're eight and eight and playing
for nothing, I'm not gonna play that last game.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Makes a ton of sense.
Speaker 5 (18:34):
So I thought that was kind of cool. That made
more sense to me.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Aaron Rodgers was asked about Philip rivers return today. He
said an I quote, well, I'm not the oldest guy
in the league anymore.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Love that. Oh man, it.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Does sound like we could and potentially even looking probable
that Philip Rivers will be under center Sunday for the
Indianapolis Colts.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
I don't think many of us had that on our
twenty twenty five big card. When we come back.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
On the other side, we do have the Steelers latest
injury practice report.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
We'll get into all of that.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
What's the latest with some of these big names that
we've been keeping an eye on the last few days.
We'll have some clarity when we return Weshuuler, Matt Williamson.
It is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
You were tuned about Drive on your twenty four to
seven home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Rolling along here on the Drive on a Thursday, and
it is time now to take a look at the
Steelers Thursday injury participation practice report. Of course, all in
advance of Monday night's action against the Miami Dolphins. Wanted
to make sure to clarify that because Thursday is typically
like the big deal day of these practice reports this week.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
But it's almost kind of like it's a Wednesday. Yeah, yea,
oh grain of salt everything.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Like typically if you see a guy did not practice
on Thursday, like, oh no, that's not great for his
status this weekend. Pretend like it's Wednesday and we're still
early doors in this process. So with that, Derek Harman
did not practice today.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Okay, we didn't Tom say something like we're going to
bring him a.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Long sloping to bring him along, So I like I
would have I would have been encouraged if he was
limited today. Yeah, but it's in this exercise of how
we typically do it for a Sunday game. It's still
really only Wednesday in the timeline. Let's wait and see
if he does anything tomorrow. If he doesn't practice again
completely tomorrow, then I would be pretty concerned for for
(20:40):
Monday night, but hopefully maybe tomorrow he'll be available in
at least a limited capacity.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
I think that's a good way of putting it, like
only I would only look at it positively, not negatively. Today.
If today, you know, like, if you practice, wow, that's
ahead of schedule. Didn't then that's kind of expected.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
You know, Tomorrow is really the first day where yeah,
then it might If he's a d NP tomorrow, it's like,
oh man, you know, I'd like to see him limited tomorrow.
But again, that's something that will keep an eye on tomorrow. Obviously, TJ.
Watt did not practice today, that we knew that was
gonna be the case. Ben Skronick did not practice hand injury,
(21:17):
James Pierre did not practice calf injury, Andres Pete did
not practice still in concussion protocol.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Okay, nothing shocking there for a Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Nothing you know that's gonna throw me off for the
rest of the segment. Limited practice participants today, mister Williamson.
Both guys that are in that concussion Protocol limited today,
Malik Harrison and Darnell Washington.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
That's good news.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
Yeah, that means they took step one.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
That that means they took step one. I don't know,
like that's clear, Like cleared from the protocol is not
the right term for it. But they were at least
in a position where they thought they could do some activity.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Yes, so dy'e used to lay this out really well,
almost on a weekly basis, because somebody would have it incusion. Sure,
but there is a proto call. You have to do.
You have to do something on day one.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
You have to crawl. You have to crawl before you walk,
before you run.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
Right, So check the first box for both those guys.
They did as much as they're allowed to do, and
that's all we know they can they move on to
step two. They're in second grade now, you know.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Like the Billy Madison way, a couple couple weeks in
first grade, then you're back up the second grade. Full
practice participants. Here's the good news, Kyle Duggar, full practice participant.
That to me on a on a Wednesday, right right right,
is very good.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
That makes me think he's playing starting great, Okay.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
DK Metcalf full practice participant.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Remember it now you can almost forget it or or
just at the back of your mind because of the TJ.
Watt news and everything that came up there. But there
was just an incident with DK Metcalf and having to
stay in Baltimore and have it, having that and having
I bet I forgot about it until I just saw
him on the report there. Remember he stayed in Baltimore
Sunday night, fly home with the team, flew home you know,
(23:09):
separately Monday.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
So him being a full pra.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Him being a full practice participant this early in the
in the week prep, I think is a very good sign.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
That's great, Okay, Okay, And I forgot about that too. Yep.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Same same here with the just kind of you know,
getting later in the week and then obviously the big
t J. Watts story earlier today. But DK Metcalf was
dealing with some stuff with his abdomen as well. But
full practice participant today. That's great to see.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
I'm expecting another big game on him too. Their corners
are not good.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
I again, like lab said, it's not meaning to like
put it all on Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf. But
if you could get some semblance of what we saw
on Sunday for the rest of the year, Yeah, I
think we're gonna really like our our chances to uh
to sure up this division and maybe even feel good about,
you know, potentially the opponent that you end up drawing
(24:03):
in January.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
So I was want to throw one thing out there
and get back to practice report in a second, because
Rob mentioned this when we did the video today. Obviously,
Minca was traded for Ramsey. These two teams made a
huge deal not long ago, and we were featuring Minco
on the video and they're so their safeties aren't great.
Nothing about the secondary it's great, but there's corners are
so bad. Minca is playing a lot more slot yeah
(24:27):
in Miami than he did here. Well, Rob made the observation,
it's pretty funny, is like you traded your free safety
for a slot corner and now the slot corner is
playing free safety and the free safety.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Play like backwards day here.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Yeah exactly. You know, like maybe both teams should just
kept their guy or you know, it's just it's just
funny how the league works, you.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Know, the weird world of Matt Williamson. They traded this
guy to play safety.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
He went upgrade slot and he's playing slot.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
They traded this guy to play slot. Now he's playing safety.
And around and around we go. It's a very very
mad word. Patrick Queen full practice participant today with the
hip engine outstanding.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
Aaron didn't mention him after the game, but like just
watching the TV.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Without a doubt, without a doubt. So that's good, I
mean really good news. And for Dugger, for Metcalf, for Queen.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
That great. Aaron Rodgers full practice participant.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Today, outstanding, the veteran day off.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
He had been doing that most of the year until
a couple of weeks there with the wrist where he
rightfully so you know, took an extra day. But Aaron
Rodgers back to business, back to UH to practice today,
which is great to see why a Black full practice
participant with that shoulder, Keanu Betton full practice participant with
that ankle, so good.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
Mostly I don't see any bad news there. If we're
not gonna call Harmon bad news. Was there a concussion
guy that didn't play?
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Pete?
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Okay, I think Cook's gonna be the start of there.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Malie.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
I thought that was.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Yeah, Malik Harrison and Darnell were both limited and then
one and then Pete was was was not a participant
in today's practice. So that's the three, the three concussion guys. Yeah,
I'm leaning. I'm leaning towards that way as well.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
And that's that's.
Speaker 5 (26:21):
Not the end of the world. I saw know who
the third tackle is if Pete's out and Broderick's out,
I don't I should know who that is.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
It is somebody in the.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Practice squad, somebody on the practice squad.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Somebody on the prectice squad. Is not what you want.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
No, they brought back Doug Nestor yesterday. I don't know
if you if you saw that who.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
He's really a pinch to play tackle.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
He's more of a guard. Yes, absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Hey, there's always always room for mountaineers in western Pennsylvania.
Got a few, got a few of those around here. Uh,
just across the timeline, now, Matt, the Broncos waived tight
end Mercedes Lewis.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Wouldn't that be wouldn't that be something I don't Rogers,
he sure did for for a little bit of time.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
Washington before Darnel Washington. He's a great blocker. But you
talking about old men.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
I mean he's forty one.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
He's forty one, which, hey, for a quarterback is one
thing for for for a route runner tight end lining
up in the trenches, that's a pretty impressive.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Honestly, it's really a good career. He was the first
round pick and lasted this long. Yes, yes, that's not bad.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Exactly right, exactly right. So that's.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
You know, I think that's the Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
The news of the day. I have not seen anything
yet for the Dolphins.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Worried about a chan but I think he's gonna play.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I think he's gonna play too.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
But that's that's when the kicker, that's the kicker is like,
is he gonna be a full participant all week?
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Is he going to be limited? Is he gonna miss practice?
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Exactly what it looks like, because maybe he's on a
little bit of a snap count type thing on Monday.
But again we're going I mean, people have especially for
a running back where you're I mean, you're the hit
and hit and hit.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
He gets a helmet in the ribs early in the game.
Maybe a change of things cool. I mean not that
I've ever had them, but a lot of folks and athletes.
It's ribs. It's like I never get any good sleep,
you know, like you know you don't sleep, you know,
stuff like that. It's like I'm never comfortable all night.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
You're tossing, you're turning, You're sleeping in a lazy boy chair.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
That can't work out all week because everything hurts. But
I get the impression.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
His minor Matt and how about this. I love it
when a plan comes together. Dolphins injury report across the time.
DeVaan a Chain with those ribs was a limited participant
today in practice for a Wednesday. Makes a ton of
sense as also limited Chop Robinson with the oblique Russeull
(28:48):
Douglas from Yeah, West Virginia University. He was also limited
with that foot injury today. Let's see here. Darren Waller
was limited, although they just listed him as a veteran
rest day to.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
Say, no, I don't think he practices Wenesday.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Yeah, no specific injury designation. Let's see here. Other than that, at.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
Least, I don't know what what else even look for
for that.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Yeah, Caleb Johnson did not practice with a shoulder. Elijah
Campbell didn't practice with an ankle.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
I think they're pretty healthy, with the exception of really
like the most important.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
With the exception of, yeah, they're number one running back,
Chop Robinson an important piece. Rull Douglas is their number
two corner I think, right.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
And there's like two and a half sacks the last
two days too.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Yeah, starter type, those are starter type. Yeah, not all
pro pro bowlers, but starter type guys. So that's the latest. Okay,
mostly good news for them. I think having having a
chain and chop and those guys limited today on a
you know again a quote unquote wednesday is mostly positive.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
It's had a massive workload already this year might have
been the MP if he was totally healthy this late
in the year.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
On point, you know what I mean, that's a good point.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
And maybe that was also as much as poss Maybe
that was just one of those things of like, hey,
let's get you out there today just to see how
you respond and how it feels, and you can rest
the rest of the week.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
You could take it easy the.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Rest of the week, but let's just see how those
ribs feel out there after running around for a couple
hours this afternoon.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
If anybody will tell you that goes to practice regularly limited,
could be really limited.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Oh, like he could have done he could have done
a didn't break a sweat. I'm not even gonna shower.
I'm out of here, he as, I'll see you later.
I'll see you later. Yeah, I mean he that's a
great point by you. Maybe that was gonna be in
the cards anyways, even if he hadn't kind of nicked
up his ribs a little bit in met Life Stadium,
(30:46):
three one hundred yard games in their last four, and
let's be honest, would have been four for four. He
exited that game on seven carries ninety two yards in
the first half.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
My team are like this play four quarters?
Speaker 2 (31:01):
I'm sure did you? And Rob King?
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Did Rob King give you his his a chain fantasy story.
Yet this year he's in like similar to you and
I and most people, He's in a couple of leagues,
but there's like one that he really cares about. Yeah,
it's like his big money league. It's like me and
my buddies from high school that you know twenty years
and the one you really care about he had like
he's doing his draft on the computer. And Kinger for
(31:24):
being a really smart and bright guys, can be a
technological dfist a little.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Bit at times.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Yeah, yeah, you've seen that.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Yes, he tried to draft it was a wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
I forget who, but it was like an early pick,
early pick, not Jefferson or Chase, you know, but like
a pretty good let's say I'm on Ross Saint.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
Brown, Yeah, you know, second round guy.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Yeah, and he accidentally flubbed it and hit the wrong
button and drafted a chain and he's like, he's like,
the best decisions.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Maybe it was what, maybe it was Maybe it was
what Uh no, it wouldn't have been Tyree Kill that early,
but it was someone. It was a wide receiver too.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
It didn't work.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
It hasn't worked out this year that it's had like
a down year injuries or whatever. And he accidentally drafted
the guy who's third in the league and rushing right now.
There you go, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful mistakes do happen sometimes.
But yeah, so that one was pretty funny. But that's
that's the latest for the Dolphins. There kind of what
we know in that regard from from both of the
(32:23):
both the teams here on this quote unquote Wednesday esque
typically type practice, Matt, why do you say we take
a commercial break here, we'll come back on the other
side for our final segment of the day.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
I want to talk with you a little bit about
Thursday Night football tonight.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
A couple more teased across, and i's to dot before
we get up out of here on the Drive, West Huler,
Matt Williamson here on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio,
your tuns.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
Final segment here of the Drive on this Thursday that
kind of feels like a Wednesday, but also feels I
don't know, it's just different, these Monday night games.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
They're always a little bit weird.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
This time of year is just always bizarre because it's
like such a fever pitch with work and down the
stretch and season and everything andlidays, holidays and real life
and weather and all kinds of stuff going on. But
obviously it's exciting as well too, so we enjoy we
enjoy that aspect of it without a doubt. Matt, I
(33:43):
did want to just kind of take a look tonight
Thursday Night football.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Do we have two more?
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Because through thing through Christmas would make so yeah, So
through Week seventeen. Week eighteen's the one where.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
Is Christmas on a Friday this year?
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Chris was on a Thursday this year. So the Chiefs
play on Christmas third straight year. There's three games on
Christmas this year, Dallas at Washington, Detroit at Minnesota, Denver
at Kansas City.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
Which could mean something. The third one. Absolutely, it doesn't
break my heart that they're not have to watch every
snap games on christ.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
Like it was last year, but it was Steelers, Steelers,
Chiefs and then the Ravens Texans. Yeah, it doesn't break
my heart either. Call me crazy, but that's maybe one
day of the year where I'm alright, not being concerned
about football and just hanging with the fam and everything
that's going on. But yeah, I remember, remember, I think
it was maybe earlier this week or last week.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
I was like, Wow, the Chiefs are on Christmas Day
for the second straight year. It's actually the third straight year.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
No one's gonna get more.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
It's tough being popular out here, man. You know, it's
very very next.
Speaker 5 (34:49):
Year to make any difference. If they don't make the playoffs, I.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Think you might be onto something that Travis Kelsey retires.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
And that might slow down that could be the thing,
that could be the one that does it. Tonight Atlanta
at Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay five and a half point favorites.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
I don't like how either team's playing.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
I don't know absolutely, but for Tampa at least they
still have something to play for.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
Yeah, it's at Tampa too.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
It's at Tampa, it's at home. It's against the divisional foe.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
I think has been cleared, which just makes me happy.
This warms my soul.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
I'm with you on that.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
And maybe this is a little too early for him
on a short week to get back out there, but
maybe not with his status and he's in.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Yeah, exactly right.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
Gayfield's been playing really poorly though. The offense has struggled
as a whole, and they're a lot different places than
they were a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
So many of those kind of people that we mentioned,
is like the early season MVP conversation, the Baker Mayfields, Yeah,
the Daniel Jones' situation, Jared Goff. I mean a lot
of these guys have not been utter disasters, but have
certainly not maintained that that high level of performance.
Speaker 5 (35:54):
Mahomes actually was number one for a while too. They're
like Week five six, you know, the shortest odds. I
guess i'd take the bucks. I don't know what the
over under is. I might lean towards the under because
neither neither offense is playing well at all. Drake London's out.
They have nothing at wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
For three and a half.
Speaker 5 (36:14):
Okay, Atlanta, this is hindsight, but they were so aggressive
trading up, you know, trading future first to get a
pass rush, and their defense or their their draft was
almost all defense, and their defense has been a problem.
But it's hard to ignore. And they really ignored an
entire side of the ball for an offseason, and they're
(36:37):
paying for it, you know, like if they were taking
a third round receiver, they could be in better shape
than they are now. You know, like drafting no offensive
lineman makes it tough and the side that used to
be a strength all of a sudden starting to crumble. Yes,
and you know, yes, yeah, you can't just ignore one.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
No, you absolutely cannot.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
I like to think I'd lay the I'm laying the
five and a half with Tampa tonight.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Like see a close, ugly game, though.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
At some point it feels like the Panthers are nipping
at their heels. They've just felt off lately. Can they
get it turned around. We've talked about kind of the
advantage of being at home on a Thursday night as
opposed to as opposed to having to travel on a
short week.
Speaker 5 (37:17):
And needing it much more than Atlanta. Atlanta might be
cashing things.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
In CanCon on three for Atlanta.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
Short week doesn't sound much fun in the fourth quarter.
You know, it's a good pointing to play for, and
you know, cousins getting beat up and absolutely fired, and
you know, yeah, that's not a great environment. What's thee
Then maybe Tampa after, you know, if they can win
the night and then get that ten days before they
go to Carolina, hmm, maybe they put some momentum together,
(37:46):
you know, and rest their bones a little bit and
get some stuff fixed.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
They do go to Carolina on ten days rest, and
then they go to Miami the weekend after Christmas, and
then they host the Panthers the final week and the
season and the tead Again.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
The NFL really hit it with some of these games this.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Year at the end of the the year that could
have major major division playoff ramifications.
Speaker 5 (38:11):
I don't think you know, the either the Panthers or
Bucks getting in the NFC playoffs is going to change
the balance of power of who goes to the super
Bowl all that much. No, but it's really darn cool
that to the last three games against the two teams.
Awesome battling for it. It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
It's it's you know, it's perfect.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
It's not quite to the same extent of like Packers
and Bears right where you could see one of those
teams going on a run and being a real player
in the super Bowl conversation.
Speaker 5 (38:37):
But still he maybe turning it around. But don't about
super Bowl conversation. But like waitning a playoff game.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Yes, hosting, and they're in all likelihood, I mean they're
going to host one or not go.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
So yeah, they probably get Seattle or somebody.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
And as you and I have outlined, they've been to
the playoffs five straight years, this would be six again.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
Really successful organization for a long time.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
They know what it takes, without a doubt.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
Matt.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
A couple of tweets to close us down here. Frankie
tweets us and says, if all capitals, if Aaron Rodgers retires,
the draft falls. As you guys highlighted on yesterday's show,
that would be Mendoza going first overall to.
Speaker 5 (39:11):
The somebody trade up Jets Jets, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
And Dante Moore going second overall to the Raiders. That
was the scenario we went through yesterday. The top quarterbacks
are gone by the time the Steelers pick. There's no
noteworthy free agent acquisitions available at quarterback that you would
be interested in. Okay, so you've fallen along with this
hypothetical already.
Speaker 5 (39:31):
Because there aren't going to be a lot of quarterbacks
on the move that are that are starter for sure,
less than most.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Years, It's going to be a lot of Mac Jones's
and Kyler Murray's and not guys that don't belong in
the league.
Speaker 5 (39:41):
Right, Not like you could go land your guy and
be set for years.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
Probably, So, frankie Ze says, if that scenario you guys
highlighted plays out, with Mendoza and more going one and
two in the draft, no other quarterbacks to take, no
worthwhile free agents that you would want to sign, would
you roll with Mason or Will Howard? And also how
would you rank and discuss Will Howard if he was
in this year's quarterback class.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
M that's okay of good question to ask because I also.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
First part of that, absolutely Mason Rudolph of the two. Yeah,
if it's Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and then another rookie
who you drafted in the fourth or fifth round, or
a journeyman type quarterback that you signed free agency.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
I mean, there's no way they're going Latrobe. But just
Mason and Will Howard, no chance, No, absolutely not in
a Skyler Thompson type. Would be somebody better than that.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
Whether it's at this moment, whether it's a Joe Flacco
esque veteran.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
Mary Oda or Mary I'm just trying to free agent, yeah,
or something. I mean, it would not just be Rudolph
and Howard battling it out, or imagine.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
You know, a Hayes King in the fifth or sixth round,
or that's possible.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
So you're Robinson on Day three something like that. It
would absolutely be. It would be, and I would want
it to be Mason Rudolph who gets the first team
start in the first team reps.
Speaker 5 (41:01):
Yeah. Yeah, but Howard maybe.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
But what happened this would for the for Howard, for
Will Howard nation.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
There's a lot of them out there.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
This this would be the ideal scenario for Will Howard nation.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
That's what everybody wants to do.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Mason is the number one, he's the number two.
Speaker 5 (41:17):
And he's just so good he blows him on the
water and he takes over the job.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Or he at least gets he at least gets a
real crack at it, because.
Speaker 5 (41:22):
I think he can get a crack at it if
that was actually.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
If they were the top two, yes, because if it's
let's let's go total pie in the sky, right, Steelers
trade up and they get a Mendoza or a Dante
Moore type, they're gonna be the one competing with Mason Howard.
And or when Mason Howard Mason Rudolph pardon me, and
Will Howard would be the clear third, not that he had,
not that he wouldn't get reps, not that he wouldn't
get opportunity, but he would be the clear third to
(41:47):
start camp as opposed to the clear number two.
Speaker 5 (41:49):
Right, much like it, much different than like a Rogers
who doesn't want any preseason snaps. Howard, do you want
to give all of them to you? Couldn't. You can't
do that with the first round rookie. He needs to
get a lot of that kind of stuff. Yes, I
don't in terms of the question Frank's he's tweet's.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
Good, He's a loyal he's a loyal tweeter.
Speaker 5 (42:06):
But I don't know how to possibly rank a six
round quarterback from last year again this quarterback class. He's
not better than more Rendozo. No, he's not better than
the guys we talked.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
I think he might be better.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
If he might be, and again we still have to
What makes this difficult is we don't know what that
you know they are with that four through ten of
the quarterbacks, that's going to be who's going to go,
who's going to stay? The clash should they stay or
should they go is still up in the air.
Speaker 5 (42:33):
But I would expect to do a lot work homework
on him too. I don't even know who they are.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
I would expect he would fare slightly better amongst this
class than he did last year. Not that he would
go in the third round all of a sudden, but
I think I think I think he could go higher,
certainly than he than he did this past year.
Speaker 5 (42:49):
Like if he was doing what he did last year
for Ohio State this year, maybe were talking about him
at the end of day two.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
You know, yes, okay, yes, maybe he'd be the Dylan
Gabriel type in this year or even the fifth round
shitt Or Sanders. He moved, he moves up around. I
think those are real possible. Yeah, last one here before
we go. Joe tweets us and says, I love the
show and the quick peaks at your inside lives.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Remember we discussed that yesterday.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
He said, how about a quick backstory on why you
guys call Chris Adamski buzz.
Speaker 5 (43:18):
I have no idea, but I mean to ask you
that for three months, so.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
So I don't know the backstory.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
I just know that when I got to the Steelers,
when I got to this job in twenty eighteen, and
I was just producing and doing behind the scenes stuff
at that point. But you know, when I was out
in La Trobe in twenty eighteen and met you and
Dale for the first time and working with Tounching Wolf
and all that stuff, Chris Adamski had a nickname that
a lot of the people on the.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
Beat would call him Buzzsaw.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Okay, I don't know if that's like a WWE thing,
if that's something from college. I have no idea. We'll
have to ask him how he got the nickname buzz Saw.
But that was a nick that that was a nickname
that he had that just got shortened to buzz Okay,
that's where it comes from. Yeah, I had no clue,
But I don't know how he got the nickname buzz Saw.
We'll have to ask him that. But buzz Saw was
his nickname, and is that often happens it got shortened
to buzz And so I, I honestly don't even know
(44:07):
if a ton of people call him that, other than
maybe like a few of the you know, the the
Sharkis regulars and things like that. But I just started
calling him buzz you know, seven or eight years when
the first.
Speaker 5 (44:17):
Time really yeah yeah, yeah, so interesting.
Speaker 3 (44:21):
And I think part of it for me too was
there's already enough Chris Is. There's Chris Halleck, There's Chris Carter,
there's Chris A. Damski, there's a lot of there's a
lot of Chris Is on the beat. And so I
think that was part of the reason why I stuck
with calling him buzz too, Because you'd be at Sharky's
and you go Chris and three people would turn around
and go, yeah, I supposed to way.
Speaker 2 (44:40):
If you go buzz, it's just him.
Speaker 5 (44:41):
I thought maybe you knew somehow through high school or whatever,
right connection.
Speaker 3 (44:45):
Yeah, I don't know if it's a Mars Planets thing,
if he got that nickname in high school, in college,
when he got on the beat, whatever the case may be.
But we'll have to find that out. We'll have to
get some backstory. We'll have to get some backstory from
a Damski. But that will do it for us today.
Thanks to everybody who tweeted in. Thanks to Labs for
his time on the phone lines. Thanks to Nathan for
producing mister Television, Tyler V himself for doing the yeoman's
(45:07):
work on the video side of things. Here for today's show.
Tomorrow on the program, Missy Matthews, five star Friday NFL
picks Steelers Dolphins, all that good stuff as we continue
to get ready for Monday Night football for Matt Williamson.
I'm Wes Shuler. Take care, everybody. We'll talk to you tomorrow.
As always, you know where to find us. It's on
your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and
(45:27):
Gold Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goals, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good evening, Steeler Nation. How we doing well?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
That's good us too, our number two here of the
Drive on the Steelers Audio Network and joining us now,
the Dean of Doom, the Lord of living in his fears,
the Great Bob Labriola, Steelers Historian, Steelers Digest, Steelers.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Dot Com Labs.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Thank you for taking the time as always, and I
just got to ask you. I think we've all been
very encouraged by that offensive performance that we saw from
the Steelers pass game from DK Metcalf and I think
particularly Aaron Rodgers. Was that the most impressive performance that
we've seen from the future Hall of Famer in the
Black and Gold so far this season?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Oh, I don't think there's any question. Yeah, I think
it's what you know, it's it's it's gonna be what
the Steelers need moving forward every game, every game. If
Aaron Rodgers can put up twenty five plus points and
nope and not turn the ball over, I'll take that,
and I think it's gonna be It's going to require
(01:19):
something very similarly to that number of points. Uh, and
that you know, turnover ratio kind of thing in their
favor moving forward every game the rest of this regular
season and then into the playoffs is I think if
they if Aaron Rodgers can continue to deliver, that the
(01:42):
Steelers will have a chance in every game they play. Now, obviously,
you know the other part portions of the team have
to chip in. I mean, I'm not laying this all
on Aaron Rodgers. You've got to produce this these kinds
of numbers, you know, all on his own, so to speak.
But you know, you need I think you need a
(02:04):
certain level of play from your quarterback at this stage
of the regular season in the NFL, and then the
postseason is just an extension of that. And that's why
they got Aaron Rodgers. I mean, that's to me, this
is why he is here for this time of the
year and to give the Steelers a chance in these
(02:24):
games that they will be playing at this time of
the year.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Yeah, I think that's really well said in one thousand percent,
you know, I mean, in order to get where you
want to go and win playoff games, your quarterback's going
to have to compete with other great quarterbacks. I know
they're not head to head. But I think that's really
well said, Labs. I wonder if you have any insight
on this because I have a hard time with it.
But I think it's remarkable and I think everyone knows
(02:47):
it at this point that Mike Tomlin on Monday night
is incredibly good, like the best coach in NFL history,
but as impressive, and obviously they overlap. They're twenty two
to oh at home in their last twenty two Monday
night home games. I mean, the NFL does not schedule
crappy teams for Monday night either why yeah all no
(03:14):
mean games or he's good to have with a little
extra rest. I mean, I don't know, but it's remarkable.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yeah, it is. Uh And you know the Steelers of
the franchise are pretty good at home on Monday nights too,
So there's that, you know. I no, I really can't.
I mean, I can't give you any specific This is
the secret sauce answer to that question. I'm sure that
(03:41):
at different times it has been different things. Yeah, yeah,
you know, I think there have been some Certainly there
had to have been some occasions where playing at home
was a significant advantage over the opponent. I think there
have been times when maybe the extra rest really came
in hand. You know, whatever weather and who you're playing.
(04:05):
Maybe this is one of those where you know you're
getting the South Florida team and the teams in terms
of the temperature. So yeah, I know what all I
can say is that, yes, what you just recited, Matt
were facts. Why those have happened? I mean, I'm just
(04:27):
like everybody else. I can guess, but I don't know.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
Yeah, I don't think it's because the fans had three
more irons than they did for a four o'clock game,
you know, but who knows.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
I mean, maybe there is some sort of uh, you know,
extra frenzy for Monday night in Pittsburgh. You know, I
don't know. It's hard, right, it is hard to ignore.
But let me say this. It's not that stat that
bit of history is not going to be good enough
on Monday night.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
No, Miami doesn't care, right, Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:05):
You know what? What? What is it that the that
the financial advisors say past performance is no indication of
you know future reason does? Right? Who's going to play
left tackle right on Monday night? And I don't know,
(05:26):
you guys may have talked about this already uh t
J Watts lung condition. I mean, I don't know what
that is.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
Concerning, right?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Does it sound great here as we sit here on
four at four point thirty pm on Thursday. Maybe this
is one of those the extra day situations. Maybe the
extra day comes in handy for the guys that are
in the concussion protocol this time around. Because I'll tell
(05:57):
you what something else. You know, the Dean of doom
Me is starting to get a little nervous about this.
I won't say that. The number of injuries, yeah, and
the way they're kind of clustered at some important positions.
You all due respect to Dylan Cook, I mean, you'll
want to be bringing a guy off the practice squad
(06:19):
and starting him on December fifteenth, especially in that position,
right at that position.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
So it is Bob Labriola with us here on the
Drive Labs. I wanted to make sure and ask you,
I think, the same question I've probably asked you of
vast majority of these Thursdays that we've had you on.
But I feel like a broken record, But how do
they get this run game going it? You know, we're
(06:50):
going through Matt's stats packet and there's only been two teams,
two instances of a team in the NFL this season
winning a game when they rushed for less than forty yards,
and it was the both times against the Colts at
home and then on the road last Sunday against Baltimore. Again,
broken record, because it feels like this is something we've
been discussing pretty much every week this season, except for
(07:11):
the you know, the couple of times that they have
had really strong performances on the ground. Anything that you're seeing,
is it just simplifying, is it just a commitment to it?
Is it more push up front? It's got to be
better than.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
The four yards bringing how about bringing tackles up off
the practice squall. I mean there's that too. And you know,
to me the the Ravens game that that's always an outlier,
you know, thinking that we're pointing to the fact that
you didn't run the ball against the Ravens. I mean,
let's go back to how many games in this series
(07:46):
and how many times did the Steelers run the ball
well against the Ravens. It doesn't happen. And so I
think that sometimes the smart thing to do is or
the savvy thing to do, is to understand, now you
don't not run the ball at all. But they have
a lot of run game equivalent things, quick passes, you know,
sideline throws, you know that kind of stuff, And there
(08:10):
could have been a lot more of that if Darneld
Washington didn't get knocked out. But you know, numbers, statistics again,
I'm not I don't care if the Steelers don't run
the ball statistically effectively. It doesn't matter. It really doesn't.
(08:31):
As long as, as I said, if Aaron Rodgers is
engineering enough offense to score twenty five plus points and
not turn the ball over, I'll take my chances. I
don't care what the final status sheet looks like. Those
are the stats that I'm interested in. I'm not interested
in how many plays they run, as opposed how many
(08:53):
plays the Steelers run, you know, all of that kind
of stuff that a lot of outlets or media members
like to latch onto. Yeah, that's a story for that game.
But trying to take that and make it, you know,
some sort of trend that is either you know it
(09:14):
has to be overcome, or you know it cannot continue,
or you know, that's a guest who knows.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
There's definitely a lot of ways to win in this.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
League, right, And again I think it was I forget
who I was talking to talking about the Steelers identity.
You know, Mike Tomlin made this point a while a
few years ago to me that an identity, in a
lot of ways, all that is is a tendency that
(09:46):
you're giving to the opponent, which is, if your identity
is we're going to run the football, well that's a
significant if you're really if you really believe in that
and adhere to it, that's a pretty valuable piece of
information for every opponent you play.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
I've always hated that term too. I think an identity
is you're tough, you're physical, or like in Miami's case,
you're fast, you know, like not they run the ball
a lot, or you know what actually happens on you know,
plates and things like that. I think it's more right
what you.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Call in certain situations, right. I don't know that you
want to have an identity, correct, So you know, and
I don't mean this to any disrespect to you guys,
I truly do not. But that kind of stuff, the
stats and looking at trends and stuff, that's good talk
show stuff. It is, but that's all it is. So
(10:42):
and we May next Thursday. You may be saying to me, see,
they didn't run the ball again and it cost him
a game against the Dolphins, And that could very well
be the case, but it's for that specific you know, game,
in that in that specific situation against that specific opponent.
(11:03):
Easy for me to say. So that's I mean, I
just kind of look at these each as an individual,
standalone situation, and you will you analyze it for what
it was at that point and how it either contributed
to a win or loss, and then you flush it
and move on to the next game.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
And we saw a lot of instances of Belichick and
Brady facing Casey Hampton and not even try to run
once and they walk out with a win.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Yes, yeah, Or the Steelers playing Brady and Belichick with
a Hall of Fame running back who's on a roll,
or a guy who is the best running back in
the league that year, Le'Veon Bell in twenty sixteen I
think was the year and gee, three carries, four carries
(11:57):
in the first quarter, he gets injured. Done problem for
that game? Now where are you? So? Like I said,
it's the way I choose to look at it. And
I'm not saying I'm right. This is just what works
for me. I tend to take each game as a
standalone thing, try and figure out why they won or
(12:19):
lost and point that out. And then after that and
then you've got to work on who the next opponent
is until you're either in or you're eliminated.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
La, I want to go outside the Steeler comfort zone
for a minute, because I can't wait to hear your
opinion on this, Philip Rivers. I mean, have you ever
seen anything like this in NFL history? I mean, like
George Bland to do this, I mean, I can't imagine
it goes well, But I have to know your opinion
to him coming five years off the off retirement to
(12:53):
come back to play a couple of games.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Doesn't have anything to do with him. It has to
do with the Indianapolis Colts, their management and you know,
their their decision. I mean, Philip Rivers, He's just the
tool of that of what I see as their desperation.
You know, I think that because it's quarterback, the position
(13:19):
we're talking about, the understanding of the system, the plays,
uh and a relationship with the coaching staff is much
more important than if it would be a another position.
We were talking about receiver, running back, a defensive player, whatever.
(13:40):
So you know, the Philip Rivers thing. They obviously believe
that's their best chance. I don't know enough about around
the league to know whether that is true or not.
I don't know who else is on practice squads.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Not allowed to pick from. I can promise you that you.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Know, Okay, well I didn't think that there was I mean,
you know, this is the NFL in December, like it.
Speaker 5 (14:04):
I mean, like Flacco's because even you know.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
Right well, even the the George Bland of reference, I
mean they made it. He played quarterback, but he was
still on he was always on.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
The team as the kicker.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
It's not like he wasn't you know. He was literally
on his couch playing with his grandchildren, which Philip Rivers
can biologically. Do you know. That's not some you know,
analogy or hyperbole to prove the point that he's an
old man. I mean that is actually a fact. So yeah,
I don't, I don't know. And who you know if
(14:45):
you figure the Steelers are going to be the fourth seed,
okay if they get into the playoffs, kind of rooting
for Indy to.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Make it as the top and now all of a
sudden like. I hope he kind of rejuvenates himself and
gets him back in it. It's better than playing Josh
Allen or that guy that.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
They played last week. What was his name again?
Speaker 2 (15:06):
I forget mister Jackson.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Mister m v P. But you know, no, I have
never to finally get to it. I can't recall anything
remotely because he was going to be in the Hall
of Fame ballot this year.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
He's a semi finalist. Yeah, well, I guess we could
start start that over.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
Right if he if he takes a snap, you start
that clock all over all, all the way. And that's why,
as I remember, that kept Bill Belichick out for or
excuse me, Bill Parcells out the Hall of Fame for
a while because no one was convinced that he was done. Okay,
on the on the on the.
Speaker 6 (15:52):
Board of the committee, the selection committee, interesting, so they
didn't vote for him, even though you know with coaches
and con it is this one year or it was
at one time anyway, one year, and there was no
confidence that Parcells was done, and so it took him
a while to get in.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
As because I don't think it would have taken him
that time to get in if everyone was confident that
he was not coming back.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Makes sense.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
And guys, just to cap this off across the timeline,
here just a few minutes ago from Adam Schefter, Philip
Rivers is tracking to start Sunday in Seattle. Oh boy,
well that'll make Aaron Rodgers happy. He won't be the
oldest player in the National Football League anymore.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
And if he's like two full years older than Darren.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Well, and he's four full years older than Flacco. So
if Flacco and Rogers was the Icy Hot Bowl, if
Rivers and Rodgers meet, maybe it's the aar P Bowl. Labs,
thank you so much, Thank you so much for taking
the time as always here on a Thursday, and we'll
talk to you on Monday.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
All right, falls see on Monday night.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
There he goes the Dina Doom, the lord of living
in his fears, the great Bob Labriola, Steelers Historian, Steelers
Steelers dot Com, And of course he will be that
pregame show.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
And I heard this morning just about Rivers because I
want to make sure we brought it up here. I
forget what I was listening to, but I think there's
a little bit of a loophole in this Hall of
Fame thing is right now as often as the case,
like the Steelers signed to Sante Samuel to the practice squad,
and that's not uncommon. You're still because you can always
elevate him, you know what I mean. So Rivers is
(17:25):
a practice squad player right now. Yes, you get three times.
You can elevate him for free, so he's not on
the Colts roster. The second he is on the Colts roster,
then his Hall of Fame clock resets. So hypothetically they
could call him up this week, start him, call him
(17:46):
up next week, start him three times, do it again,
be eliminated, not ask him to play week for eighteen
interesting and it wouldn't kill him.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I'm sure that's a conversation they've had.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
I'm sure everyone was aware of going in.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
And I bet you if Philip Rivers probably said, I
don't give a toss, Like, who cares if it restarts
my five years?
Speaker 2 (18:06):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 5 (18:07):
Like he said, I'm probably willing to give that up
if we're in the hunt, and I'm still that means
they've won game, yes, and that means he could go
to the playoffs, you know, like, hey, if I end
up with the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
I'll restart my five years or if.
Speaker 5 (18:19):
I'm playing for a playoff seating in week eighteen, we
must don something good during those three weeks. I'm willing
to trash it. But if we're zero and three and
we got beat by a million and nothing, and I
just got my head beat in.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
For three weeks and we're eight and eight and playing
for nothing, I'm not gonna play that last game.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Makes a ton of sense.
Speaker 5 (18:34):
So I thought that was kind of cool. That made
more sense to me.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Aaron Rodgers was asked about Philip rivers return today. He
said an I quote, well, I'm not the oldest guy
in the league anymore.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Love that. Oh man, it.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Does sound like we could and potentially even looking probable
that Philip Rivers will be under center Sunday for the
Indianapolis Colts.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
I don't think many of us had that on our
twenty twenty five big card. When we come back.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
On the other side, we do have the Steelers latest
injury practice report.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
We'll get into all of that.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
What's the latest with some of these big names that
we've been keeping an eye on the last few days.
We'll have some clarity when we return Weshuuler, Matt Williamson.
It is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
You were tuned about Drive on your twenty four to
seven home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Rolling along here on the Drive on a Thursday, and
it is time now to take a look at the
Steelers Thursday injury participation practice report. Of course, all in
advance of Monday night's action against the Miami Dolphins. Wanted
to make sure to clarify that because Thursday is typically
like the big deal day of these practice reports this week.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
But it's almost kind of like it's a Wednesday. Yeah, yea,
oh grain of salt everything.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Like typically if you see a guy did not practice
on Thursday, like, oh no, that's not great for his
status this weekend. Pretend like it's Wednesday and we're still
early doors in this process. So with that, Derek Harman
did not practice today.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Okay, we didn't Tom say something like we're going to
bring him a.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Long sloping to bring him along, So I like I
would have I would have been encouraged if he was
limited today. Yeah, but it's in this exercise of how
we typically do it for a Sunday game. It's still
really only Wednesday in the timeline. Let's wait and see
if he does anything tomorrow. If he doesn't practice again
completely tomorrow, then I would be pretty concerned for for
(20:40):
Monday night, but hopefully maybe tomorrow he'll be available in
at least a limited capacity.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
I think that's a good way of putting it, like
only I would only look at it positively, not negatively. Today.
If today, you know, like, if you practice, wow, that's
ahead of schedule. Didn't then that's kind of expected.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
You know, Tomorrow is really the first day where yeah,
then it might If he's a d NP tomorrow, it's like,
oh man, you know, I'd like to see him limited tomorrow.
But again, that's something that will keep an eye on tomorrow. Obviously, TJ.
Watt did not practice today, that we knew that was
gonna be the case. Ben Skronick did not practice hand injury,
(21:17):
James Pierre did not practice calf injury, Andres Pete did
not practice still in concussion protocol.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Okay, nothing shocking there for a Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Nothing you know that's gonna throw me off for the
rest of the segment. Limited practice participants today, mister Williamson.
Both guys that are in that concussion Protocol limited today,
Malik Harrison and Darnell Washington.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
That's good news.
Speaker 5 (21:41):
Yeah, that means they took step one.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
That that means they took step one. I don't know,
like that's clear, Like cleared from the protocol is not
the right term for it. But they were at least
in a position where they thought they could do some activity.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Yes, so dy'e used to lay this out really well,
almost on a weekly basis, because somebody would have it incusion. Sure,
but there is a proto call. You have to do.
You have to do something on day one.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
You have to crawl. You have to crawl before you walk,
before you run.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
Right, So check the first box for both those guys.
They did as much as they're allowed to do, and
that's all we know they can they move on to
step two. They're in second grade now, you know.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Like the Billy Madison way, a couple couple weeks in
first grade, then you're back up the second grade. Full
practice participants. Here's the good news, Kyle Duggar, full practice participant.
That to me on a on a Wednesday, right right right,
is very good.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
That makes me think he's playing starting great, Okay.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
DK Metcalf full practice participant.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Remember it now you can almost forget it or or
just at the back of your mind because of the TJ.
Watt news and everything that came up there. But there
was just an incident with DK Metcalf and having to
stay in Baltimore and have it, having that and having
I bet I forgot about it until I just saw
him on the report there. Remember he stayed in Baltimore
Sunday night, fly home with the team, flew home you know,
(23:09):
separately Monday.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
So him being a full pra.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Him being a full practice participant this early in the
in the week prep, I think is a very good sign.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
That's great, Okay, Okay, And I forgot about that too. Yep.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Same same here with the just kind of you know,
getting later in the week and then obviously the big
t J. Watts story earlier today. But DK Metcalf was
dealing with some stuff with his abdomen as well. But
full practice participant today. That's great to see.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
I'm expecting another big game on him too. Their corners
are not good.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
I again, like lab said, it's not meaning to like
put it all on Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf. But
if you could get some semblance of what we saw
on Sunday for the rest of the year, Yeah, I
think we're gonna really like our our chances to uh
to sure up this division and maybe even feel good about,
you know, potentially the opponent that you end up drawing
(24:03):
in January.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
So I was want to throw one thing out there
and get back to practice report in a second, because
Rob mentioned this when we did the video today. Obviously,
Minca was traded for Ramsey. These two teams made a
huge deal not long ago, and we were featuring Minco
on the video and they're so their safeties aren't great.
Nothing about the secondary it's great, but there's corners are
so bad. Minca is playing a lot more slot yeah
(24:27):
in Miami than he did here. Well, Rob made the observation,
it's pretty funny, is like you traded your free safety
for a slot corner and now the slot corner is
playing free safety and the free safety.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Play like backwards day here.
Speaker 5 (24:41):
Yeah exactly. You know, like maybe both teams should just
kept their guy or you know, it's just it's just
funny how the league works, you.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Know, the weird world of Matt Williamson. They traded this
guy to play safety.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
He went upgrade slot and he's playing slot.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
They traded this guy to play slot. Now he's playing safety.
And around and around we go. It's a very very
mad word. Patrick Queen full practice participant today with the
hip engine outstanding.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
Aaron didn't mention him after the game, but like just
watching the TV.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Without a doubt, without a doubt. So that's good, I
mean really good news. And for Dugger, for Metcalf, for Queen.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
That great. Aaron Rodgers full practice participant.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Today, outstanding, the veteran day off.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
He had been doing that most of the year until
a couple of weeks there with the wrist where he
rightfully so you know, took an extra day. But Aaron
Rodgers back to business, back to UH to practice today,
which is great to see why a Black full practice
participant with that shoulder, Keanu Betton full practice participant with
that ankle, so good.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
Mostly I don't see any bad news there. If we're
not gonna call Harmon bad news. Was there a concussion
guy that didn't play?
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Pete?
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Okay, I think Cook's gonna be the start of there.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Malie.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
I thought that was.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Yeah, Malik Harrison and Darnell were both limited and then
one and then Pete was was was not a participant
in today's practice. So that's the three, the three concussion guys. Yeah,
I'm leaning. I'm leaning towards that way as well.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
And that's that's.
Speaker 5 (26:21):
Not the end of the world. I saw know who
the third tackle is if Pete's out and Broderick's out,
I don't I should know who that is.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
It is somebody in the.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Practice squad, somebody on the practice squad.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Somebody on the prectice squad. Is not what you want.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
No, they brought back Doug Nestor yesterday. I don't know
if you if you saw that who.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
He's really a pinch to play tackle.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
He's more of a guard. Yes, absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Hey, there's always always room for mountaineers in western Pennsylvania.
Got a few, got a few of those around here. Uh,
just across the timeline, now, Matt, the Broncos waived tight
end Mercedes Lewis.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Wouldn't that be wouldn't that be something I don't Rogers,
he sure did for for a little bit of time.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
Washington before Darnel Washington. He's a great blocker. But you
talking about old men.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
I mean he's forty one.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
He's forty one, which, hey, for a quarterback is one
thing for for for a route runner tight end lining
up in the trenches, that's a pretty impressive.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Honestly, it's really a good career. He was the first
round pick and lasted this long. Yes, yes, that's not bad.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Exactly right, exactly right. So that's.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
You know, I think that's the Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
The news of the day. I have not seen anything
yet for the Dolphins.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Worried about a chan but I think he's gonna play.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I think he's gonna play too.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
But that's that's when the kicker, that's the kicker is like,
is he gonna be a full participant all week?
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Is he going to be limited? Is he gonna miss practice?
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Exactly what it looks like, because maybe he's on a
little bit of a snap count type thing on Monday.
But again we're going I mean, people have especially for
a running back where you're I mean, you're the hit
and hit and hit.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
He gets a helmet in the ribs early in the game.
Maybe a change of things cool. I mean not that
I've ever had them, but a lot of folks and athletes.
It's ribs. It's like I never get any good sleep,
you know, like you know you don't sleep, you know,
stuff like that. It's like I'm never comfortable all night.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
You're tossing, you're turning, You're sleeping in a lazy boy chair.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
That can't work out all week because everything hurts. But
I get the impression.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
His minor Matt and how about this. I love it
when a plan comes together. Dolphins injury report across the time.
DeVaan a Chain with those ribs was a limited participant
today in practice for a Wednesday. Makes a ton of
sense as also limited Chop Robinson with the oblique Russeull
(28:48):
Douglas from Yeah, West Virginia University. He was also limited
with that foot injury today. Let's see here. Darren Waller
was limited, although they just listed him as a veteran
rest day to.
Speaker 5 (29:00):
Say, no, I don't think he practices Wenesday.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Yeah, no specific injury designation. Let's see here. Other than that, at.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
Least, I don't know what what else even look for
for that.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Yeah, Caleb Johnson did not practice with a shoulder. Elijah
Campbell didn't practice with an ankle.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
I think they're pretty healthy, with the exception of really
like the most important.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
With the exception of, yeah, they're number one running back,
Chop Robinson an important piece. Rull Douglas is their number
two corner I think, right.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
And there's like two and a half sacks the last
two days too.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Yeah, starter type, those are starter type. Yeah, not all
pro pro bowlers, but starter type guys. So that's the latest. Okay,
mostly good news for them. I think having having a
chain and chop and those guys limited today on a
you know again a quote unquote wednesday is mostly positive.
Speaker 5 (29:54):
It's had a massive workload already this year might have
been the MP if he was totally healthy this late
in the year.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
On point, you know what I mean, that's a good point.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
And maybe that was also as much as poss Maybe
that was just one of those things of like, hey,
let's get you out there today just to see how
you respond and how it feels, and you can rest
the rest of the week.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
You could take it easy the.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Rest of the week, but let's just see how those
ribs feel out there after running around for a couple
hours this afternoon.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
If anybody will tell you that goes to practice regularly limited,
could be really limited.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Oh, like he could have done he could have done
a didn't break a sweat. I'm not even gonna shower.
I'm out of here, he as, I'll see you later.
I'll see you later. Yeah, I mean he that's a
great point by you. Maybe that was gonna be in
the cards anyways, even if he hadn't kind of nicked
up his ribs a little bit in met Life Stadium,
(30:46):
three one hundred yard games in their last four, and
let's be honest, would have been four for four. He
exited that game on seven carries ninety two yards in
the first half.
Speaker 5 (30:58):
My team are like this play four quarters?
Speaker 2 (31:01):
I'm sure did you? And Rob King?
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Did Rob King give you his his a chain fantasy story.
Yet this year he's in like similar to you and
I and most people, He's in a couple of leagues,
but there's like one that he really cares about. Yeah,
it's like his big money league. It's like me and
my buddies from high school that you know twenty years
and the one you really care about he had like
he's doing his draft on the computer. And Kinger for
(31:24):
being a really smart and bright guys, can be a
technological dfist a little.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Bit at times.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Yeah, yeah, you've seen that.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Yes, he tried to draft it was a wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
I forget who, but it was like an early pick,
early pick, not Jefferson or Chase, you know, but like
a pretty good let's say I'm on Ross Saint.
Speaker 5 (31:43):
Brown, Yeah, you know, second round guy.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Yeah, and he accidentally flubbed it and hit the wrong
button and drafted a chain and he's like, he's like,
the best decisions.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Maybe it was what, maybe it was Maybe it was
what Uh no, it wouldn't have been Tyree Kill that early,
but it was someone. It was a wide receiver too.
Speaker 5 (31:59):
It didn't work.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
It hasn't worked out this year that it's had like
a down year injuries or whatever. And he accidentally drafted
the guy who's third in the league and rushing right now.
There you go, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful mistakes do happen sometimes.
But yeah, so that one was pretty funny. But that's
that's the latest for the Dolphins. There kind of what
we know in that regard from from both of the
(32:23):
both the teams here on this quote unquote Wednesday esque
typically type practice, Matt, why do you say we take
a commercial break here, we'll come back on the other
side for our final segment of the day.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
I want to talk with you a little bit about
Thursday Night football tonight.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
A couple more teased across, and i's to dot before
we get up out of here on the Drive, West Huler,
Matt Williamson here on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio,
your tuns.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
Final segment here of the Drive on this Thursday that
kind of feels like a Wednesday, but also feels I
don't know, it's just different, these Monday night games.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
They're always a little bit weird.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
This time of year is just always bizarre because it's
like such a fever pitch with work and down the
stretch and season and everything andlidays, holidays and real life
and weather and all kinds of stuff going on. But
obviously it's exciting as well too, so we enjoy we
enjoy that aspect of it without a doubt. Matt, I
(33:43):
did want to just kind of take a look tonight
Thursday Night football.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Do we have two more?
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Because through thing through Christmas would make so yeah, So
through Week seventeen. Week eighteen's the one where.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
Is Christmas on a Friday this year?
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Chris was on a Thursday this year. So the Chiefs
play on Christmas third straight year. There's three games on
Christmas this year, Dallas at Washington, Detroit at Minnesota, Denver
at Kansas City.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
Which could mean something. The third one. Absolutely, it doesn't
break my heart that they're not have to watch every
snap games on christ.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
Like it was last year, but it was Steelers, Steelers,
Chiefs and then the Ravens Texans. Yeah, it doesn't break
my heart either. Call me crazy, but that's maybe one
day of the year where I'm alright, not being concerned
about football and just hanging with the fam and everything
that's going on. But yeah, I remember, remember, I think
it was maybe earlier this week or last week.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
I was like, Wow, the Chiefs are on Christmas Day
for the second straight year. It's actually the third straight year.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
No one's gonna get more.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
It's tough being popular out here, man. You know, it's
very very next.
Speaker 5 (34:49):
Year to make any difference. If they don't make the playoffs, I.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Think you might be onto something that Travis Kelsey retires.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
And that might slow down that could be the thing,
that could be the one that does it. Tonight Atlanta
at Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay five and a half point favorites.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
I don't like how either team's playing.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
I don't know absolutely, but for Tampa at least they
still have something to play for.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
Yeah, it's at Tampa too.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
It's at Tampa, it's at home. It's against the divisional foe.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
I think has been cleared, which just makes me happy.
This warms my soul.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
I'm with you on that.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
And maybe this is a little too early for him
on a short week to get back out there, but
maybe not with his status and he's in.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Yeah, exactly right.
Speaker 5 (35:30):
Gayfield's been playing really poorly though. The offense has struggled
as a whole, and they're a lot different places than
they were a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (35:36):
So many of those kind of people that we mentioned,
is like the early season MVP conversation, the Baker Mayfields, Yeah,
the Daniel Jones' situation, Jared Goff. I mean a lot
of these guys have not been utter disasters, but have
certainly not maintained that that high level of performance.
Speaker 5 (35:54):
Mahomes actually was number one for a while too. They're
like Week five six, you know, the shortest odds. I
guess i'd take the bucks. I don't know what the
over under is. I might lean towards the under because
neither neither offense is playing well at all. Drake London's out.
They have nothing at wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
For three and a half.
Speaker 5 (36:14):
Okay, Atlanta, this is hindsight, but they were so aggressive
trading up, you know, trading future first to get a
pass rush, and their defense or their their draft was
almost all defense, and their defense has been a problem.
But it's hard to ignore. And they really ignored an
entire side of the ball for an offseason, and they're
(36:37):
paying for it, you know, like if they were taking
a third round receiver, they could be in better shape
than they are now. You know, like drafting no offensive
lineman makes it tough and the side that used to
be a strength all of a sudden starting to crumble. Yes,
and you know, yes, yeah, you can't just ignore one.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
No, you absolutely cannot.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
I like to think I'd lay the I'm laying the
five and a half with Tampa tonight.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Like see a close, ugly game, though.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
At some point it feels like the Panthers are nipping
at their heels. They've just felt off lately. Can they
get it turned around. We've talked about kind of the
advantage of being at home on a Thursday night as
opposed to as opposed to having to travel on a
short week.
Speaker 5 (37:17):
And needing it much more than Atlanta. Atlanta might be
cashing things.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
In CanCon on three for Atlanta.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
Short week doesn't sound much fun in the fourth quarter.
You know, it's a good pointing to play for, and
you know, cousins getting beat up and absolutely fired, and
you know, yeah, that's not a great environment. What's thee
Then maybe Tampa after, you know, if they can win
the night and then get that ten days before they
go to Carolina, hmm, maybe they put some momentum together,
(37:46):
you know, and rest their bones a little bit and
get some stuff fixed.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
They do go to Carolina on ten days rest, and
then they go to Miami the weekend after Christmas, and
then they host the Panthers the final week and the
season and the tead Again.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
The NFL really hit it with some of these games this.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Year at the end of the the year that could
have major major division playoff ramifications.
Speaker 5 (38:11):
I don't think you know, the either the Panthers or
Bucks getting in the NFC playoffs is going to change
the balance of power of who goes to the super
Bowl all that much. No, but it's really darn cool
that to the last three games against the two teams.
Awesome battling for it. It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
It's it's you know, it's perfect.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
It's not quite to the same extent of like Packers
and Bears right where you could see one of those
teams going on a run and being a real player
in the super Bowl conversation.
Speaker 5 (38:37):
But still he maybe turning it around. But don't about
super Bowl conversation. But like waitning a playoff game.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Yes, hosting, and they're in all likelihood, I mean they're
going to host one or not go.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
So yeah, they probably get Seattle or somebody.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
And as you and I have outlined, they've been to
the playoffs five straight years, this would be six again.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
Really successful organization for a long time.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
They know what it takes, without a doubt.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
Matt.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
A couple of tweets to close us down here. Frankie
tweets us and says, if all capitals, if Aaron Rodgers retires,
the draft falls. As you guys highlighted on yesterday's show,
that would be Mendoza going first overall to.
Speaker 5 (39:11):
The somebody trade up Jets Jets, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
And Dante Moore going second overall to the Raiders. That
was the scenario we went through yesterday. The top quarterbacks
are gone by the time the Steelers pick. There's no
noteworthy free agent acquisitions available at quarterback that you would
be interested in. Okay, so you've fallen along with this
hypothetical already.
Speaker 5 (39:31):
Because there aren't going to be a lot of quarterbacks
on the move that are that are starter for sure,
less than most.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Years, It's going to be a lot of Mac Jones's
and Kyler Murray's and not guys that don't belong in
the league.
Speaker 5 (39:41):
Right, Not like you could go land your guy and
be set for years.
Speaker 3 (39:45):
Probably, So, frankie Ze says, if that scenario you guys
highlighted plays out, with Mendoza and more going one and
two in the draft, no other quarterbacks to take, no
worthwhile free agents that you would want to sign, would
you roll with Mason or Will Howard? And also how
would you rank and discuss Will Howard if he was
in this year's quarterback class.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
M that's okay of good question to ask because I also.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
First part of that, absolutely Mason Rudolph of the two. Yeah,
if it's Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and then another rookie
who you drafted in the fourth or fifth round, or
a journeyman type quarterback that you signed free agency.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
I mean, there's no way they're going Latrobe. But just
Mason and Will Howard, no chance, No, absolutely not in
a Skyler Thompson type. Would be somebody better than that.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
Whether it's at this moment, whether it's a Joe Flacco
esque veteran.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
Mary Oda or Mary I'm just trying to free agent, yeah,
or something. I mean, it would not just be Rudolph
and Howard battling it out, or imagine.
Speaker 2 (40:47):
You know, a Hayes King in the fifth or sixth round,
or that's possible.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
So you're Robinson on Day three something like that. It
would absolutely be. It would be, and I would want
it to be Mason Rudolph who gets the first team
start in the first team reps.
Speaker 5 (41:01):
Yeah. Yeah, but Howard maybe.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
But what happened this would for the for Howard, for
Will Howard nation.
Speaker 5 (41:09):
There's a lot of them out there.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
This this would be the ideal scenario for Will Howard nation.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
That's what everybody wants to do.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
Mason is the number one, he's the number two.
Speaker 5 (41:17):
And he's just so good he blows him on the
water and he takes over the job.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Or he at least gets he at least gets a
real crack at it, because.
Speaker 5 (41:22):
I think he can get a crack at it if
that was actually.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
If they were the top two, yes, because if it's
let's let's go total pie in the sky, right, Steelers
trade up and they get a Mendoza or a Dante
Moore type, they're gonna be the one competing with Mason Howard.
And or when Mason Howard Mason Rudolph pardon me, and
Will Howard would be the clear third, not that he had,
not that he wouldn't get reps, not that he wouldn't
get opportunity, but he would be the clear third to
(41:47):
start camp as opposed to the clear number two.
Speaker 5 (41:49):
Right, much like it, much different than like a Rogers
who doesn't want any preseason snaps. Howard, do you want
to give all of them to you? Couldn't. You can't
do that with the first round rookie. He needs to
get a lot of that kind of stuff. Yes, I
don't in terms of the question Frank's he's tweet's.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
Good, He's a loyal he's a loyal tweeter.
Speaker 5 (42:06):
But I don't know how to possibly rank a six
round quarterback from last year again this quarterback class. He's
not better than more Rendozo. No, he's not better than
the guys we talked.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
I think he might be better.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
If he might be, and again we still have to
What makes this difficult is we don't know what that
you know they are with that four through ten of
the quarterbacks, that's going to be who's going to go,
who's going to stay? The clash should they stay or
should they go is still up in the air.
Speaker 5 (42:33):
But I would expect to do a lot work homework
on him too. I don't even know who they are.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
I would expect he would fare slightly better amongst this
class than he did last year. Not that he would
go in the third round all of a sudden, but
I think I think I think he could go higher,
certainly than he than he did this past year.
Speaker 5 (42:49):
Like if he was doing what he did last year
for Ohio State this year, maybe were talking about him
at the end of day two.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
You know, yes, okay, yes, maybe he'd be the Dylan
Gabriel type in this year or even the fifth round
shitt Or Sanders. He moved, he moves up around. I
think those are real possible. Yeah, last one here before
we go. Joe tweets us and says, I love the
show and the quick peaks at your inside lives.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Remember we discussed that yesterday.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
He said, how about a quick backstory on why you
guys call Chris Adamski buzz.
Speaker 5 (43:18):
I have no idea, but I mean to ask you
that for three months, so.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
So I don't know the backstory.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
I just know that when I got to the Steelers,
when I got to this job in twenty eighteen, and
I was just producing and doing behind the scenes stuff
at that point. But you know, when I was out
in La Trobe in twenty eighteen and met you and
Dale for the first time and working with Tounching Wolf
and all that stuff, Chris Adamski had a nickname that
a lot of the people on the.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
Beat would call him Buzzsaw.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Okay, I don't know if that's like a WWE thing,
if that's something from college. I have no idea. We'll
have to ask him how he got the nickname buzz Saw.
But that was a nick that that was a nickname
that he had that just got shortened to buzz Okay,
that's where it comes from. Yeah, I had no clue,
But I don't know how he got the nickname buzz Saw.
We'll have to ask him that. But buzz Saw was
his nickname, and is that often happens it got shortened
to buzz And so I, I honestly don't even know
(44:07):
if a ton of people call him that, other than
maybe like a few of the you know, the the
Sharkis regulars and things like that. But I just started
calling him buzz you know, seven or eight years when
the first.
Speaker 5 (44:17):
Time really yeah yeah, yeah, so interesting.
Speaker 3 (44:21):
And I think part of it for me too was
there's already enough Chris Is. There's Chris Halleck, There's Chris Carter,
there's Chris A. Damski, there's a lot of there's a
lot of Chris Is on the beat. And so I
think that was part of the reason why I stuck
with calling him buzz too, Because you'd be at Sharky's
and you go Chris and three people would turn around
and go, yeah, I supposed to way.
Speaker 2 (44:40):
If you go buzz, it's just him.
Speaker 5 (44:41):
I thought maybe you knew somehow through high school or whatever,
right connection.
Speaker 3 (44:45):
Yeah, I don't know if it's a Mars Planets thing,
if he got that nickname in high school, in college,
when he got on the beat, whatever the case may be.
But we'll have to find that out. We'll have to
get some backstory. We'll have to get some backstory from
a Damski. But that will do it for us today.
Thanks to everybody who tweeted in. Thanks to Labs for
his time on the phone lines. Thanks to Nathan for
producing mister Television, Tyler V himself for doing the yeoman's
(45:07):
work on the video side of things. Here for today's show.
Tomorrow on the program, Missy Matthews, five star Friday NFL
picks Steelers Dolphins, all that good stuff as we continue
to get ready for Monday Night football for Matt Williamson.
I'm Wes Shuler. Take care, everybody. We'll talk to you tomorrow.
As always, you know where to find us. It's on
your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and
(45:27):
Gold Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
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