HR3: Live from Mini Camp

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson
show on your twenty four to seven home of the
Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
It is high noon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That means it's
our number three of our mini camp coverage here on
Steelers Nation Radio. It's a special edition of the Drive
West s Yuler Matt Williamson. An hour left here today
on our penn ultimate day down here in mister Rooney's
backyard at the upmc rooney Sports Complex. Practice will be
getting going here in about an hour. Plenty of moving

(00:39):
and shaking this morning. A lot of attention obviously on
the offense, Matt, as we've been discussing, and we all
know with the addition of Aaron Rodgers DK Metcalf being
here for the first time as well too, and.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
That was mentioned too, like when we're down here, the
offense is in the correct the fields right in front
of us, correct roam around. We got these headsets on
and we're trotting with all you guys, so I don't
see much defense that.

Speaker 4 (00:59):
Is exactly right.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
And with that, as you can imagine, Arthur Smith a
popular person to talk to all the time, but especially
this week, and he took a few minutes after before.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
We get there. I just want to make this note
too about Rogers adjusting to this offense. So I went
through it yesterday. But Arthur Smith and Lafloor were together
with the Titans. Lafloor gets a head job in Green Bay,
wants to take Arthur Smith with him. Rabel says, no,
we'll make you the offensive coordinator. So they were, and
then Lafloor coaches Rogers Bay.

Speaker 4 (01:33):
They speak a lot of the same language.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
So, including Lafloor, two of Rogers's last three play callers
were all from this tree, you know, including one with
the Jets. So his adjustment to this offense will take
five seconds, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
With the somewhat background that he already has his and
his footballing brain.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
I think about two seconds is a good.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
I think he'll be adding to it before you know
it completely digests it.

Speaker 5 (01:56):
You know, I.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Completely agree Arthur Smith taking some time just about an
hour ago to catch up with the media and discuss
everything that's been happening this week at mini camp.

Speaker 4 (02:04):
Here's what the Steelers OC had to say.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
Hard things you can bring you to football.

Speaker 6 (02:08):
There's a lot, you know, I've got to know Aaron
outside of football the last couple of years. I mean,
you're talking about one of the all time great quarterbacks
and the things he's accomplished in this league. Really enjoyed,
you know, obviously getting to know him as a you know, player, coach,
relationship with the football stuff. I'm just really excited.

Speaker 5 (02:27):
To have him here. It's gonna be a fun journey.

Speaker 6 (02:30):
Uh, you know, I know we're only a couple of
days in, but he's been awesome game.

Speaker 5 (02:37):
Got a lot of things in the game. But he'll well,
you know, every year is going to be different.

Speaker 6 (02:47):
You have ball depending on you know, obviously who you've
got personnel wise and strategically, you know, things you want
to evolve to. And that's a lot of times how
Rosterson's getting made. And then you see it through offseason acquisitions,
free agency draft. Uh, when you put those strategies in place,
like leave evallved every year, you know, you you have
to so a lot of times out of necessity. And really,

(03:08):
you know, had a a lot of different quarterbacks with
a lot of different skill sets, and in our job,
especially as a coach, is you know, play to the
strengths of your players. And then we have our foundation
things that don't change. But whether you lean into certain schemes,
you have to year you adapt again to the personnel
you've got. Uh, That's what we try to.

Speaker 5 (03:25):
Do and ultimately to win games and and set guys
up for success.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, how much have you been in playing to buy
in shananthan he does And how do you think that
might help me and and Aeroncility to get on the
team or.

Speaker 5 (03:41):
Yeah, I was saying a lot of players I've had.

Speaker 6 (03:43):
I mean, it just goes back to when you know,
I've been fortunate. I've been in a lot of different systems,
and even as a defensive coach, you're wondering terminology from
defensive coordinators, and you know when you get into the
league and you're studying guys on the other side of
the ball. And then I've had some great mentors and
you know, things that go back, you know, even pre
date talking about the Cower era, predates Ben with Mike

(04:04):
Malarkey and then Ken Wizen Hunts and you know the
history and different philosophies. And when I got to Atlanta,
Matt Ryan's first coordinator was Mike Malarkey, so I knew
some of the terms. It just helps you as you're
trying to problem solve and plays they run the pass
like you've got some fineriarity with it. So a little
bit with Aaron. You know, people change.

Speaker 5 (04:20):
I mean Matt change.

Speaker 6 (04:21):
When Matt Lafleur and I were together in eighteen and
then he goes to Green Bay and I changed some terms.
You know, I changed some terms like the gating coordinator.
You know, whether you wanna call plays a little bit different,
shortened calls and whatever it is that you're trying to
problem solve. But you have reference points and that helps.
And uh, you know obviously no one Todd Downing who
Parrold was with last year.

Speaker 5 (04:41):
With the Jets. Uh, you know you change. I got
changed when I got here.

Speaker 6 (04:44):
I mean you always try to empower people and try
to improve as a coach. You know, you hire, you know,
staff changes. You try to if they's a better way
to call something or whatever, same thing. You pick players' brains.
I mean, you didn't never stop learning. I mean I
just think of guys. It's not always the starter. Like
I really appreciated Kyle Allen, and you know, he was
a guy who's been a different system to pick his brain,
how they did something in a place he's been and

(05:06):
that's how you learn and learn.

Speaker 5 (05:07):
What other people are doing or something that may help you.
So it's no different with Aaron ever.

Speaker 4 (05:12):
Think you just mentioned in powering the players and you
know it's a while until you get on the field
and the game situation.

Speaker 5 (05:17):
But how much freedom do you into private Aaron having
to be able to change the play call?

Speaker 6 (05:22):
Yeah, you know, I know that's a hot button issue.
Here is the first place I've ever been in in
the NFL, Like you know, so you get a little
of the history of place. And again, every quarterback is different,
and every offensive scheme is different. And again I've never
had the privilege of working with Ben and you know,
you're talking about a Hall of Fame quarterback and you
know he was here for a long time and he's
a gold jacket player and I'm not sure I wasn't

(05:43):
here how he did things. So you know, sometimes when
you're answering questions that maybe the reference point. You know,
a lot of times last year I've like every quarterback
I've had. You know, audible is such a vague turn,
so you know, not to get two people in the.

Speaker 5 (05:58):
Weiser, the scheme.

Speaker 6 (05:59):
But you're talking about we've got multiple things and have
bolved every year. I think who the quarterback is and
just like we did last year, and it didn't change,
you know, with Justin or Russ and the way we
tried to evolve, it didn't change. You know that those elements,
whether we're talking about cans, checks, alerts, signals, you know,
you want to put those in audibles. Great, but we

(06:19):
never fundamentally changed. I mean, we obviously schematically shifted to
try to play a little bit different Justin with Russ,
but the operation ever changed. So whatever fantastical narrative was
that we're just calling plays of the line, I don't
know the history of reference. I just know what we
did in Pittsburgh in twenty four and that didn't you know,
our issue at the end of the.

Speaker 5 (06:38):
Year wasn't good enough. And as a leader you take
accountability and that's on you.

Speaker 6 (06:42):
But there's multiple issues and we got to be play
our best at the end of the year, you know
we're rolling. We didn't and that's where you got to
be accountable as a leader. And so obviously we had
a different set up this year roster wise, obviously new player,
it's d K, Aaron, some of the other guys we
brought in game well drove the Caleb and and so

(07:02):
every year's a different journey and it's a it's exciting,
uh to have Aaron here and to get to work
with him.

Speaker 4 (07:07):
You guys get hold you guess they called them generals.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
How it's a sort of interested with how good.

Speaker 6 (07:13):
Yeah, that's a better question for Omar and Mike. But
just just I could tell you, cause I've bet in
both roles, and every building's different, you know, you talk
about every building set up different, how they wanna do personnel,
personnel transactions. Sometimes you know, you get a list of
guys and you give your opinion, and my job is
the is the coach the guys that are here and
so different from player to player.

Speaker 5 (07:35):
But ultimately that's yeah, you know Omar and Mike and
those are those decisions, and that's a better question for them.

Speaker 4 (07:41):
Have you fixed that four praying about what it's like
to do Sharon?

Speaker 5 (07:44):
It all?

Speaker 6 (07:44):
Yeah, I talk to a lot of people, just as
Aaron probably talked a lot of people too.

Speaker 5 (07:47):
I mean that's pretty normal. You know, any player you've had,
I mean, same thing with DK. You know, I had A. J.

Speaker 6 (07:53):
Brown and then they were their good buddies and college teammates.
And he done his homework. I'd done my homework. It's
why you need to do it on the front end
or your study.

Speaker 5 (08:00):
In the draft to know the league.

Speaker 6 (08:01):
And uh sure, but again, you know, take opinions for everybody.
But you know, circumstances changed, and you know when you
get til you really get to know somebody and who'll
spend a ton of bound.

Speaker 5 (08:11):
Together and like come looking forward to him, what do
you think he does? Well? You know, with just this agent,
we face almost.

Speaker 6 (08:17):
Sis and well, you know, you really look at the
end of last year. I mean, the guy's throwing the
ball the a the strame a the high level. I
mean you talk about one of the greatest passers in
the history of this game. I mean, uh, and not
many guys have thrown the ball from the football like
Aaron Rodgers.

Speaker 5 (08:33):
And obviously he's still doing that at a high level. Uh.

Speaker 6 (08:36):
I believe he sets up in similar yesterday. You know, again,
where you have a guy like I had Matt Ryan
at in his career, not as a younger player, was
a little bit different, right, Uh, you know Aaron's you
don't sure, the way he sees the game is different
than he was when he was twenty five the tod
been in his you know.

Speaker 5 (08:52):
Early forties. But he's still throwing the ball at a
high level. Would you talk about offensive like ken? And
once he does ring the ball fourth most, you through
the balls second. So how do you marry you say
that again, I'm sorry you guys playing the ball.

Speaker 2 (09:05):
Fourth most, you had the second most happen happen, So
how do you marry together?

Speaker 5 (09:11):
You know, past happen kind of quarterbacks, the run.

Speaker 6 (09:14):
Heading fourth game again, those are things I mean, ah,
I mean we end up having to throw it a
lot more at the end of the year. I mean,
that's what happens when you're down and then you know,
and you're getting into some no huddle, uh, you know,
and things that were issued last year, you know, some
of the untimely turnovers that cost you, you know, big
momentum swings and games and you're you get it more

(09:34):
plays in because you're going a little you know, more
hurry up and so you know that's a little bit different.
But you know, again we're we played with a lot
of the our owd.

Speaker 5 (09:45):
Lineman early in the year.

Speaker 6 (09:45):
You know some things you're trying to guys get their
feet wet, and so we did run out a little
bit more.

Speaker 5 (09:49):
You'd love to be more balanced. You're not obvious depending
on how you gonna tap this defense. Where you think
they're strengths weaknesses are.

Speaker 6 (09:55):
I mean that's the game is played every Sunday, you know,
and obviously as your roster evolves, and.

Speaker 5 (09:59):
Mean obviously we didn't bring Aaron in here and signed
DK for all that money to go run the wishbone.
So you know, you try to play to the strengths
of your team.

Speaker 6 (10:08):
What's that?

Speaker 3 (10:08):
What's it been like working with EP back cast so far?

Speaker 5 (10:11):
It's been great. I mean talking to a guy that's
you know, I've watched him Afar. I mean he's in
phenomenal shape. I mean he's a.

Speaker 6 (10:18):
Physical white out. Uh I can bring an explosive, elementary
offense is what we're looking for. You know, we don't
wanna be three yards in a cloud of dust. And
there's the ways to do it, but in the run
game and obviously the passing game. Uh So we're gonna
decide to have DK here based on the er ross
or pull an offense once we expect from a scoring
stand point, how much do you believe you, Dad, I

(10:40):
guess oppersive.

Speaker 5 (10:41):
You have improved with the school.

Speaker 6 (10:44):
Well, I mean at one point, I didn't think we
were middle part of the year. We were at a
eight game stretch where we're down there at thirty points
a game.

Speaker 5 (10:50):
I mean, obviously we did. We didn't want to get
another than in a year.

Speaker 6 (10:54):
So if you wanna be is explosive, you wanna be
the best offensive league.

Speaker 5 (10:57):
That's your goal.

Speaker 6 (10:58):
And you know, obviously on a Sunday, you know you
win seventeen sixteen, you know you get the win, but
you're you're chasing more so to put a number on it.
I mean, we're we're trying to be the best version
and and we wanna be the most explosive offensive league.
And we got a lot of work to do, but
that's the goal every week. I mean, I'm not gonna
feel great if we lo lose a game forty two
to thirty five and we have five hundred yards and

(11:20):
so I'm that's not wired that way. I'm not one
of those guys that did you know, giddy about stats? Oh,
we did our job. No, it's a team game. It's
the ultimate team game. We wanna be explosive every year.
We gotta improve as an offense and it'll be a
long journey during the season.

Speaker 5 (11:33):
You men, you mentioned the offensive line is second to go.

Speaker 3 (11:36):
Where do you see them at this point in the
year of coursus where they were a year ago.

Speaker 4 (11:40):
Do you get the sense that.

Speaker 5 (11:41):
They are selling more early on because they have more
experience in the Yeah.

Speaker 6 (11:46):
Absolutely, I mean I think that experience of those guys
got those young guys Sack Mason Spencer. You know we
were playing when we had a different lineup Camire every
week early on, and you know, we had injuries. It
was one of those years you'd love to have the
same five for every game.

Speaker 4 (12:01):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (12:01):
That helps them when they got there.

Speaker 6 (12:03):
They're not rookies anymore, you know, Troy getting Troy back,
he played a game.

Speaker 5 (12:07):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (12:07):
But it helps those guys that have been around each other.
That's that's the position. We've had at least amount of
turnover and that's what you expect. So when you're those
guys should be further along. We get to the throw
and obviously early in the year, which allows you to
do a lot more too.

Speaker 5 (12:20):
How have you been in a situation where new quarterback
new number one, the senior where the potentially a running
back is gonna get a lot of carriers, and how
do you feel about trying to piece out all the
around copy of the challenges. That's the situation in front
of us, you know.

Speaker 6 (12:34):
I mean, yeah, I loved orklend Naje and appreciate it,
and and Nick Russ and Justin did and and and
George and but that's just a life that we're in
right now. In the NFL, there's a turnover. I mean it,
it didn't happen that way in terms of ball and
the acquisitions, but just you know, in nineteen, I mean
it happened in the early part of the year with Tannehill.
We drafted AJ Brown, I mean Derek the year before.

(12:57):
You know, he'd been there and he kind of got
going in the year, but you know, Dean Lue was
playing in front of him, and so it felt like
you had three new And it was my first year
calling it in Atlanta. You know, every year we had
a different starting quarterback Matt Ryan to Marcus the Dez
and then ended up playing Heinekey a little bit. Drafted
young guys, so done it before. That's our situation and

(13:17):
we're we're excited about it.

Speaker 3 (13:19):
Hey, get in the competition in his backfield? How is
jaalen warn role football being?

Speaker 5 (13:24):
And is is he a clear cut RB one in
your offense? Right now, We've got a lot of weapons
back there.

Speaker 6 (13:29):
You know, they all got different skill sets, explosive players,
and then they're in a little different way like you know,
just talking about you know, Caleb different style player than Jalen,
and you know we had a game.

Speaker 5 (13:42):
Well there was depth in that room. So we gonna
work itself out, you know.

Speaker 6 (13:46):
We we we've got a lot of weapons back there,
and then how we deploy them and that's what we'll
get into the latrobe.

Speaker 5 (13:51):
And then sometimes if the injuries happened some guys.

Speaker 6 (13:53):
They had had to carry the load for whatever one
week or the other.

Speaker 5 (13:56):
And we're really excited about that room. Okay, guys, thank you,
thank you.

Speaker 2 (14:02):
That's Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith there just about an
hour ninety minutes or so ago, after this morning's walk through,
ahead of this afternoon's practice which will begin here about
forty five minutes or so. That's how long Matt and
I will be with you up until one o'clock a
couple of things that that coach discussed there that I
want to, you know, get into more in depth when

(14:23):
we return on the other side. West Shuler Matt Williamson
forty five more minutes or so, here to go some
more conversation about the offense.

Speaker 3 (14:32):
These yard markers or Rogers.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
Took a secondary. I was like, what is he talking about?
The company that makes the yard markers is Rogers.

Speaker 3 (14:41):
Rogers, so you already had his name on the place
before he got I.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
Also just noticed too, quite right, but right, they just
have double zeros for all the line marks for I
didn't know.

Speaker 4 (14:50):
I didn't notice that. I guess it's not one hundred yards,
so you it has you.

Speaker 2 (14:57):
But it is funny all the yard markers are just
double zero autum. Now that Matt has me being but forty,
but we don't.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
Go to fifty, you know, but then fifty but not
there's a fifty.

Speaker 4 (15:08):
But they almost have the fields set up to be running.

Speaker 3 (15:11):
Actually the fifties to our right, and then our fifties are.

Speaker 5 (15:14):
Left over here.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
So maybe it just depends on what side of the
football field. It's above our pay grade, right.

Speaker 3 (15:19):
All those guys need a visual to know we're all
we know is that.

Speaker 2 (15:21):
Aaron Rodgers is so massive that his name is now
on the yard mark everywhere here at the up MC
Sports complexes.

Speaker 3 (15:28):
Well, Wilson was last year.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
He's right over here, Wilson, with all these footballs over here.
Maybe that's the key to being a great NFL, right right,
someone's got.

Speaker 3 (15:36):
A chicken or egg thing is if you're that good.
They started naming things after.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
Their quarterback coming out named leather next year or pig skin,
because I'd really like to take that guy. Uh More
conversation on the offense on what Arthur Smith had to
say there As Matt and I roll along on this
special edition of The Drive, Day number two Mini camp
here on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (16:00):
This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson
on your twenty four to seven home of the Black
and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (16:19):
Rolling along here down the home stretch, penultimate segment of
our day to coverage of many Camper Miner. We will
be back with you one more time tomorrow from ten
until one right here on Steelers Nation Radio. Before we
not go away, Matt, but I think we all get
a much needed step back for six or seven weeks until.

Speaker 3 (16:38):
Yeah, right, work on the family relations and yeah and
xal a little bit, and of course we're all going
to be creating content. But what we'll be talking about
stuff I don't know about creating content. There's not much
to create at that point. I mean, the league truly
does shut down there for a stretch.

Speaker 2 (16:55):
And the NFL does such a good job of never
going away. But that's about the point. But here's the thing.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
You might see a signing here there, you might see
a signing. Unfortunately, you'll see an arrest.

Speaker 2 (17:06):
I was going to say, you will always see an
arrest or two that will end up being headlines. But
for the most part, unless you create the news by
doing something dumb, there is no There is not much
during that period.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
And I think every team does this. But when they
break on Friday, I bet there's some sort of team
meeting either before that practice or after that practice, of
don't be that guy. You know, right, everything that's happened
in these next six weeks or so, publicity wise and
media wise, is bad.

Speaker 2 (17:35):
Don't believe the only way you're gonna be in the
news is if you do something stupid, right, right, it's
not gonna be for something you did out on the
practice field.

Speaker 4 (17:40):
It's not gonna be for a contract extension.

Speaker 2 (17:43):
It's gonna be because them, right right, So yeah, it
is absolutely it is the time that we hope it's quiet,
right uh.

Speaker 3 (17:51):
And with teams have driving services that will pick you
up if you're in trouble, and you know, right right,
there's no excuses.

Speaker 4 (17:57):
There's there's no excuses.

Speaker 2 (17:59):
I mean they're never really was many excuses, but especially
now in the modern time period, definitely no excuses. And
like you said, for us, I think the rare time
of year that we get to acknowledge the existence of
our families. And maybe I'm all right, so you'll laugh
at this, I gotta I gotta tell you something funny.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
You know, I do some much like you, I do
some other stuff in the media realm.

Speaker 3 (18:21):
Right of course.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
Of course, with one of the shows that I do,
we have a potential big guest lined up for next week, okay,
and I already told my co hosts I'm out, can't
do it. I said, I'm going to be at the
beach next week. And I said, I said, if I
tell my wife that I have to disappear for an
hour to go to go to go interview somebody.

Speaker 4 (18:39):
She will murder me. I will not have a wife anymore.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
Right, she gets like six weeks, she gets like six
weeks a year where I could truly unplug, and I
better unplug, or she will eat me for dinner.

Speaker 3 (18:49):
Yeah, I done. As you can imagine. I've done so
many radio hits and interviews from everywhere, everywhere you can imagine,
you know, like I'll get time for a fifteen minute
hits or whatever like this walk away for at least
a week or so.

Speaker 5 (19:01):
You know.

Speaker 3 (19:02):
Right, it's good for you.

Speaker 4 (19:03):
It's very good for you.

Speaker 2 (19:04):
It's healthy, it's needed because kind of like as we say,
tongue makes you better your job too.

Speaker 3 (19:09):
I'll tell you've been long doing this, long enough to
realize sometimes I feel like I'm saying the same things
over and over.

Speaker 4 (19:14):
Yes, it gets redundant.

Speaker 3 (19:16):
You feel football on the beach too, don't get and
I'm reading, But you get a new perspective when you
don't say things over.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
Is He just lets your you let your creativity kind
of refresh and replenish a little bit, you know. Yeah, yeah,
it is, as Aaron Rodgers, important for the soul what
do you got on the what do you got on
the docket for summer trips?

Speaker 3 (19:37):
Much less than usual?

Speaker 4 (19:38):
You know, you got to you gotta son you're moving
into right, you.

Speaker 3 (19:41):
Know, like we're playing in a humongous graduation party that
just keeps growing and growing and growing and then getting
him ready for school. I'm gonna take him. He's going
to the University of Kentucky. I'm gonna take him for
a day of orientation, which I can't wait this to
see the campus and that kind of stuff.

Speaker 4 (19:54):
Toot Lexington and some of the establishments there.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
Usually we have a nice expensive trip every year, but
I think college is the expensive thing this year, and
then my daughter will be the next year doing the
exact same thing. So yeah, So like our big purchase,
as I mentioned you off the air is a one
of those drink mixers that slushy lushy machines that just

(20:18):
got ordered yesterday, that should be here any minute now.

Speaker 4 (20:20):
So for all the time, all the time you're gonna
spend at the house this summer.

Speaker 3 (20:25):
Right right, Yeah, And that's kind of where I was,
that's our vacation.

Speaker 2 (20:27):
That's kind of where I was the past previous summers
because as you know, my my wife and I have
had two kids in the last few years.

Speaker 4 (20:33):
It's right, it gets tough, it gets it gets tough
to take a long trip.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
Oh yeah, so we would just kind of do like
long weekends here and there, not too far away. But
we're getting back to the grind of you know, going
to Hilton Head for a few weeks, going to out
to the Jersey Shore with her family for a full week.

Speaker 4 (20:48):
But I'm really looking forward to it. But of course
obviously plenty more than.

Speaker 3 (20:50):
Also, I mean considering my I know a ton of
my son's friends and their dads too, So we've gone
to a million graduation parties too in the last couple
of weeks. More coming up, so it's not like we're
not doing things. I feel like we're busier than ever.

Speaker 2 (21:02):
But in another another four, five, six years, all those
kids that are having grab parties now will be having weddings,
and you'll be You'll be You'll be going to all
their weddings four five, six, seven years from now.

Speaker 4 (21:12):
It never ends in these different phases of life.

Speaker 2 (21:16):
But as this phase of the off season gets closer
to conclusion, yeah, we're we got another proud.

Speaker 4 (21:21):
At halftime here another another.

Speaker 2 (21:23):
Practice this afternoon, and then and then tomorrow, and then
that'll be it for that little pause period that we discussed.
I did want to ask you about some of the
things that Arthur Smith discussed UH today.

Speaker 3 (21:33):
He said, a lot of good stuff there.

Speaker 2 (21:34):
A lot of good stuff there, namely and hey, this
might be starting with some low hanging fruit. But one
of the lines that he had there that I wrote
down was, every year we have to improve.

Speaker 4 (21:42):
As an offense.

Speaker 3 (21:43):
It's a great way looking at it, right.

Speaker 2 (21:45):
Where's the number one area this year of improvements? Is
it in a red zone? Is it on third downs?
Is it in the run game efficiency? Where is it
going to be? Where would you like it to be?

Speaker 3 (21:57):
So I've had two huge themes of the Steelers that
I've been harping on heavily this offseason that I think
can take the team as a whole to the next step.
And it might not seem like much, but when you
look at team yards per carry they were they were
at the bottom league last year. And we know they've
all they run the ball a lot. We know they're
gonna run the ball a lot, but you can't I

(22:18):
think they were at four oh or four to one
yards per carry, and there was only two or three
teams below them, you know, so it doesn't seem like
a lot, and it really isn't. But if you could
get this team over the course and down I did
the math of it, and how much, how many more
yardage it would produce, et cetera, seventeen games plus playoffs.

(22:39):
If you could go from four to h four to
one to four three or four four, I'm not even
talking about best in the league. I mean the Eagles
were at like.

Speaker 4 (22:48):
Five and the number is insane. I'm not mar Jackson.

Speaker 3 (22:53):
Yeah right, if you could get to fourteenth in the
league as much as you run the ball, and how
many third and longs you'd be out of To me,
that has to be like the biggest overriding goal and
big picture type goal on that side of the ball.
That if I were, uh, you know, the head coach
of the team, like a couple of things we need

(23:13):
to get done this offseason to prepare ourselves to be
more successful during the season. On offense, I need that
run game to produce zero point three more yards per carry.
We're not These aren't insane goals. I'm not saying Pat
Mahomes has the fall of the sky and you know,
justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase, I mean, I'm not talking
about insane goals. Let's get this running game to be

(23:34):
more efficient. Is the word you said. You know, you
know it's gonna be voluminous.

Speaker 4 (23:37):
I love that word voluminous.

Speaker 3 (23:43):
You're spot on, And I don't think that's much much
to ask.

Speaker 4 (23:45):
I don't think that that's much to ask.

Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yeah, with the addition of Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf an
offensive line that should stake it take a step forward
a little bit older, right, Caleb Johnson, that we're excited
about Sharan Warren, who's capable of your two of the scheme,
Year two of the scheme, all these things, and I
think a lot of this works in concert with some
of the conversations about the run game and where the
Jets numbers were last year that we were having early

(24:08):
on in the program as well too, because.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
Youish rushing at them.

Speaker 2 (24:10):
For example, we got a couple tweets when we were
talking about that how the Jets were at the bottom
of the league and rushing attempts, and you know that
won't be the case for Aaron Rodgers team this year,
you know, like we got a couple tweets from people,
you know an hour or two ago, like are we
sure Aaron Rodgers is gonna let them run as much
as you guys think?

Speaker 5 (24:25):
So?

Speaker 3 (24:26):
All right, you said, Jets fans hounded me with that, like, oh,
he doesn't know what he's getting into. Williamson doesn't know. Okay,
who's gonna tell him? They kept saying, you know, like
like yeah, we'll see.

Speaker 2 (24:36):
But you could still have a net success, a net
improvement even if voluminous. Right, you go down a little bit,
but you're much more efficient, Like that would still work out.
If we're gonna go down a little bit in volume
but get more efficient.

Speaker 3 (24:49):
Great, right, And I'm not asking to be top ten, Frankly,
there's some things working against the Steelers. Is they don't
have a quarterback that's gonna run for a lot of
yards justin fields helped their cause obviously, Lamar, we talked
about hurts. I mean, the team's at the top of
the list, even Allen, right, and even like here's a
crazy stat for you, like before Derrick Henry even became

(25:12):
a raven, running backs who really weren't that good, like
Dobbins and Edwards and Gus Edwards and dudes like that
averaged five yards of carry when Lamar Jackson was on
the field, you know, like Chris Johnson ran for all
his yards when Vince Young was on the field. You know,
like correct TJ. Duckett and wark done. If you go
in the way back machine with Vic Segan.

Speaker 4 (25:33):
Barkley just had one of the best seasons of all
time for a running back with Jalen Hurt.

Speaker 3 (25:36):
So there's not only does your quarterback contribute chunk runs
which the Steelers won't, but he also makes it harder,
as the Steelers found out in the playoff game, to
defend the running.

Speaker 4 (25:46):
Back guys in the run game. Not ten.

Speaker 3 (25:50):
So I'm not shooting for top ten. I mean, that's
the structure of the offense considering the quarterback running stuff
won't be there. I also don't think despite Kayler Johnson
breaking off a lot of long runs at Iowa, even
though he didn't run a grade forty, he does have
a lot of long runs. I don't think they're gonna
get many eighty yards sake one runs, you know what
I mean. I mean Jamal Charles or Chris Johnson or

(26:13):
you know, I mean, so, I don't think their running
backs will be at the top of the league. That's
why I'm not asking for much. Just give me zero
point three more yards per carry. We don't have to
get the five, you know, just you can't beat the bottom.

Speaker 2 (26:24):
But over the course of the game, that gives you
twenty extra rushing yards, right, twenty five extra rushing yard,
more first downs, three less serious.

Speaker 3 (26:31):
For long time of possession, goes off on many defense, right,
little things that add up dramatically over the course weeks,
you know, right, right, right right, and defense gets a
little bit more of a breather. You're a little more physical.
Four fourth quarters go your way a little more because
you've been pounding the rock, you know what I mean, Like,

(26:53):
just give me a little more. Boxes get a little
more full when Rogers hits metcalf over the top one
more time the course of the year.

Speaker 2 (27:01):
Little things, yep, I I think that that is like
that is I would have been in lockstep with you
on everything right there. I think it's not that much
ask It's not that that's that's what makes it I
think exciting and realistic is you You You're not asking
to reinvent the wheel. You're just asking to get a
little bit better in an area that you should clearly
be able to with what you have now at quarterback
and the investment you've made around them. Okay, so I'm

(27:25):
with you on that run game efficiency has to improve
as an offense this year. Anything else stand out to you?
Third down efficiency, red zone efficiency. It feels like it's
been an issue in the red zone the last Yeah,
just talking offense, This one I.

Speaker 3 (27:40):
Almost know will happen unless there's a bunch of O
line injuries, but sack sacks allowed will go down. And
people know I'm into my numbers, Matt stats, et cetera,
et cetera. But this is one of my favorites from
last year's team that I think should be extremely encouraging
for our listeners is I think everyone at this point

(28:01):
knows what a pressure is. You know, it's now an
official stats. Watt had one sack and the six pressures
in this game. You know everyone knows what a pressure is.
But if you break it down even further, what is
the average time to pressure? Okay, so when a pressure
is recorded against the Steelers, how many seconds or point seconds?

(28:23):
You know, two point three, three point six whatever seconds
were off the clock on average. Well, their number of
time to pressure offensively was very high, which is exactly
what you want. By the time we allow a pressure,
it was very late in the down. Yes, the only
teams better were the Chiefs and the raven And they

(28:46):
have extremely mobile quarterbacks. They're the the best offenses in
the league. You know, like they're going to be great
at this. So their time to pressure was third best
in the league. That means to me and the tape
backs us up that the pass protection was fine, but
the sacks, which were high, is on the quarterbacks and

(29:06):
they won't be with Rod, they won't be Like I
can promise you that will get better. You know what
I mean. The ball's gonna come out. The ball's gonna
come out.

Speaker 5 (29:12):
You know.

Speaker 2 (29:13):
It's like you hear the term coverage sacks sometimes, right,
Like I thin there's there's like a quarterback sack as
well too.

Speaker 3 (29:18):
Dale and I talk about this all the time. The
same is true for pressures, but it's more relevant with sacks.
It's as much and maybe even more a quarterback stat
than an offensive line stat. Peyton Manning didn't take sack completely.
I mean, you know what you know, yeah, and I
forget who it was. It's one of the Oh it's Aikman.
Aikman is you know who's on the radio or on

(29:39):
TV all the time. Has really come around to this.
And I've heard him publicly say this on Game day.

Speaker 4 (29:44):
Broad broadcast with Joe Budd.

Speaker 3 (29:45):
You know that He'll say, you don't have to take
a sack if you don't want you right how if
you think about it, there's a way that I don't
take a sack, And sacks are massive drive killers time
and time again. Don't take the sack, you know, thirty
feet you know what I mean? Like man you know,
don't take the hit. I mean Manning never took it,

(30:07):
never never, you know, right the ball balls out of there,
We're gonna take it right now. He's not gonna take
that many sacks.

Speaker 4 (30:12):
No, especially not at this stage for his career.

Speaker 3 (30:14):
And so those are two things that have a huge
ripple effect. I don't know if the ground, if the
yards for carry thing will improve, but I'll be critical
if it doesn't.

Speaker 4 (30:23):
Yes, I think that's fair. Yea, it better improved it better.

Speaker 3 (30:25):
I'm sure the sack thing will improve.

Speaker 4 (30:27):
Yeah, you feel even more confident about that than the
run game because the quarterback, because the quarterback.

Speaker 3 (30:31):
Yeah yeah, and then the numbers already showed that when
they were allowing bad things to happen in their quarterback
in the passing game, it was late in the down
right now, if they the hole for offensive line gets hurt,
it's me and you block it.

Speaker 2 (30:43):
For them, right, different conversation. I don't like our chances
very much, even with a guy like Aaron Rodgers behind us.
Mouths Garrett and right, yeah, well did you see him
running his mouth again yesterday? No, they asked him, and
to be fair, like he's asked the question, he answers it. Yeah,
it's a lot of tiring. A lot of times. I
feel a lot of times I feel like guys get
crushed for the questions that they're asked.

Speaker 5 (31:03):
Like.

Speaker 4 (31:03):
It's not like he was went out there and talked
about Aaron Rodgers.

Speaker 2 (31:06):
He was asked yesterday after practice by one of you know,
he's doing one of those classic media scrumbs and someone says,
any thoughts on Aaron Rodgers officially being in the division
as a as a Steeler And he goes, yeah, you know,
one more bodied it for me to add to the graveyard,
you know, like something like that, because that's his whole
thing thing.

Speaker 4 (31:20):
When he sacks a quarterback, he adds them to the graveyard.

Speaker 3 (31:23):
And everyone's hating it. But if he was a Steeler
would think it's funny.

Speaker 4 (31:25):
You know, yeah, no doubt.

Speaker 2 (31:26):
But there is also something, And there is the Pittsburgh
in the Cleveland so always and the what Garrett thing too,
For an organization that is like they are many, they.

Speaker 4 (31:36):
Make a lot of noise.

Speaker 2 (31:38):
They make a lot of noise for being at the
bottom of the barrel. And I know he's great, and
I know he's been a defensive Player of the Year,
but he.

Speaker 4 (31:45):
Makes a lot of noise too.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
Every time he's on national TV, he's taking shots at
TJ and Max Crosby and and Micah Parsons and you know,
oh my.

Speaker 4 (31:55):
Goodness, it's just hey when.

Speaker 2 (31:58):
Some when when some game, I mean, he just he
was just crapping on his own organization a couple months ago,
talking about how he's not gonna win here.

Speaker 3 (32:04):
And now they throw at the problem, which is what
they always do.

Speaker 2 (32:06):
Well, all of a sudden, he's gonna he's gonna add
maybe the best quarterback of all time to the graveyard.

Speaker 4 (32:11):
All right, just settled down.

Speaker 2 (32:14):
A couple more things here as we round out the
show and kind of this hour of offense and improvement
conversation that I want to get to you with a
little bit more on red zone efficiency to close the
show down, and we will turn if that, If that
works out all right for you, we will do all
of that and more as we wrap this thing up
on the other side Westfielders.

Speaker 4 (32:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
Yeah, let's let's get into all of that to close
this thing down when we return on the other side
on our penultimate day of Mini camp, having some fun
on a Wednesday.

Speaker 4 (32:42):
One more segment to go.

Speaker 2 (32:43):
It's a special edition of the Drive here on Steelers
Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 1 (32:52):
This is the Drive with Dale, Lolly and Matt Williamson
on your twenty four to seven home of the Black
and Gold, Steeler Nation Radio.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
It's the final segment here on a beautiful Wednesday of
Mini Camp coverage on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers
Audio Network. A special edition of the Drive. Myself and
Matt Williamson with you here. We got the skinnered crankin Matt.
The music is on, the sun is out. It's good,
it's go time, baby, It certainly is.

Speaker 3 (33:24):
It's bringing players on the field, your beauty.

Speaker 1 (33:26):
Say.

Speaker 2 (33:28):
When the music turns on and all the you know,
the photographers and video people start to gather around the entrance,
that's when you know it's go time. Tunes are cranking,
the content, people are ready for the content, and we
are putting a bow on this show. It is our
eighth that we have done down here in total, between
OTA's and Mini Camp. We have the ninth and final

(33:48):
show from ten until one tomorrow on Thursday, as not
like Leonard Skinner, but much like Led Zeppelin, will bring
it on home tomorrow. But before we get there, Matt,
a final piece of this conversation, I want to talk
to you a little bit about red zone efficiency.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
Yeah, you pointed some things out off the air that
are disturbing.

Speaker 2 (34:07):
In twenty eighteen, and that was the last year the
Steelers had Antonio Brown. That was also important to note
the last year before Ben Roethlisberger had his major elbow injury.

Speaker 3 (34:14):
As great as ab is and useful to any team,
to say the least, I think it's more quarterback than.

Speaker 2 (34:19):
I no doubt, no doubt. And James Connor had a
great season that year as well too. It was a
pro bowler.

Speaker 3 (34:24):
Physical short yardage red zone two.

Speaker 2 (34:26):
Yes, yes, they were first in the league in red
zone efficiency and nom that for those that's how often
you're scoring a touchdown when you get to the red zone? Right?

Speaker 3 (34:37):
Not righting for three, it's you put it in the paint?

Speaker 4 (34:39):
How often?

Speaker 2 (34:40):
How often that you are getting seven points out of there?
Seventy three point five percent of the time, So nearly
nearly seventy five percent of the time they manage the
red zone.

Speaker 4 (34:49):
They scored a touchdown in twenty twenty yards.

Speaker 3 (34:51):
That's not necessarily getting down to two. You know what
I mean?

Speaker 2 (34:53):
That is like, that's elite. I mean that is that
is outstanding. This year, only one team was above seventy percent.
It was the ball Moore Ravens, first in the league.

Speaker 3 (35:02):
Cause think about it. Sometimes on a third down you
might get stopped on the nineteen yard line and it's
fourth and one. Correct, that's a failed red zone of town. Correct,
you know what I mean? Exactly right, got in there,
but you didn't put it in the paint.

Speaker 2 (35:15):
Exactly right, Yeah, exactly right. How often you're inside the
twenty that you are you are putting it in the paint.
Baltimore was first last year, Buffalo, Detroit, Tampa Bay A
lot of teams.

Speaker 3 (35:25):
The most successful teams only the most successful.

Speaker 4 (35:27):
Washington was sixth.

Speaker 3 (35:29):
Washington was crazy. Just a side note, they were like
eighty percent of four thousands too, Like they won't keep
that up.

Speaker 4 (35:35):
No, no, they will not.

Speaker 5 (35:37):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (35:37):
Philadelphia, the Super Bowl champions, were tenth in this category.

Speaker 3 (35:40):
Their collective win totals were for those teams the Steels.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
The Steelers were twenty ninth in the league. Only New England,
Dallas and the Giants. Company You Did Not Want to
Keep was worse than the Steelers.

Speaker 3 (35:51):
Dallas did in dak from US of the year right exactly.

Speaker 2 (35:53):
Just forty eight point two percent of the time. The
Steelers were in the red zone last year, uh, scoring
touchdowns the season before.

Speaker 4 (36:01):
Matt not much better.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
In twenty twenty three, they were twenty fifth overall, once
again below that fifty percent market forty eight percent.

Speaker 4 (36:09):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (36:09):
And if I could go through twenty twenty two to
twenty one bad twenty nineteen they were dead last.

Speaker 4 (36:14):
In the league, right, bad, bad bad?

Speaker 2 (36:16):
How does how can having a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers help?
And what is another one? Of these kind of key
efficiency type of indicators.

Speaker 3 (36:24):
Yeah, so many of these. You know we talked about this.

Speaker 4 (36:26):
Time teams in the league or at the top of
these lists.

Speaker 3 (36:28):
Yeah yeah, I mean I don't reference Matt stats that much,
but when we break that stuff down during the week,
during the season, there's so many of these little outlier
stats that add up hitting, yardage, penalties, you know, things
like that. You know that over the course of the
you look at the box score, they don't you don't
really on top of that. First of all, what if
they didn't at Bosworth?

Speaker 4 (36:50):
What if you had a Boswell kicker? I do that,
good lord Brian Bosworth.

Speaker 3 (36:54):
But what if they'd a bad kicker over those five years,
you know, and you're settling for three and he's missing mission.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
At least you could go to Atlanta and the season
opener and Boswell makes five field goals, six field goals
and has a big punt.

Speaker 4 (37:06):
For you at the end of the game too, they
would not have You could get.

Speaker 3 (37:09):
Out of there with a victory, but Tomlin streak would
not be there, no doubt, you know, No, I mean
that's a lot of points you could have left on
the field with a bad kicker. I mean, if you
would have been the opposite end, not even having one
of the best, I think a lot of its quarterback
Now that's kind of the short answer.

Speaker 2 (37:25):
I mean, look at the teams that are at the
top of the list quarterbacks Lamar and Josh Allen and
Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield and Joe Burrow and Jaden Daniels.

Speaker 3 (37:33):
I mean, I also think they've had a subparo line
for a lot of that stretch too. I mean there's
sometimes where you just need to get behind Pennay Soul
with David Montgomery and pick up the two yard, get
behind dirt, get behind Fanica, you know whatever. So hopefully
that's trending the right direction. I think it is. Fields

(37:55):
traditionally has been a bad red zone quarterback, and but
Wilson has traditionally been a very good yeah, you know
from last year. I mean a very high touchdown guy.
Rogers has always been great in his career. Of course,
that's a great question. I mean we could sit here
and blame play calling. Matt Canada good in the red zone. No,

(38:16):
he really wasn't.

Speaker 4 (38:17):
But I mean is that I mean, it's not like
I took a big step forward last, right?

Speaker 3 (38:21):
Or were they great before him? Were they great after him?

Speaker 5 (38:23):
Right?

Speaker 2 (38:23):
No, haven't been great since two thousand and eight. I
mean you've been great at this since ab and James
Connor were still in the.

Speaker 3 (38:28):
Bend was at his best? I mean that's the shortest answer.
But it's a group problem too. Could they throw to
tight ends more? Could they have a big body go
up and get it? Receiver Pickens kind of had that.
I mean, like, I don't have a short answer other
than quarterback. Yeah, but I do think it's a collective problem.

(38:48):
But it's a problem. Yeah, oh no, it's a lot
of points. I do think a running quarterback helps.

Speaker 5 (38:54):
You.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
Look at most of the teams at the top of
this legue other than it was I was gonna say,
like even the Baker may Fields and the Joe Burrows,
they move, they run.

Speaker 3 (39:02):
They oh yeah, yeah, they're not statues, but right, you know,
an improv quarterback, you know, the Lamar and those type.

Speaker 2 (39:08):
Of like Chicago was top ten on this list despite
the terrible year that they had last year. But I
think a lot of that is probably because the skill
set of Caleb Willis.

Speaker 3 (39:14):
And steroids and stairway Wednesday.

Speaker 4 (39:18):
It's right.

Speaker 2 (39:20):
Because yeah, because you because even a guy, even a
guy like like Caleb Williams, who had obviously well documented
struggles in the organization, in the offense, he took a
ton of sacks and they were seventh best at this
in the league because he's mobile and he could do
the improvised thing.

Speaker 4 (39:33):
He can run.

Speaker 2 (39:35):
Even Carolina, like Chicago is so efficient if you can.
Chicago and Carolina are the two outliers of teams here
in the top ten who had bad years.

Speaker 4 (39:43):
When you think about the type of quarterbacks that they have,
it makes sense.

Speaker 2 (39:45):
And Bryce Young and Caleb Williams guys that can move,
guys that can use their legs, guys that can add.

Speaker 4 (39:49):
So everybody passed out.

Speaker 3 (39:51):
It's like, you guys like the music.

Speaker 4 (39:52):
You guys like the music.

Speaker 3 (39:53):
You want to tune me into the music on Wednesdays, they.

Speaker 4 (39:57):
Gotta love it.

Speaker 2 (39:59):
Listen if they want to play some skinnered in, some
ACDC and some Zeppelin, that is h That is fine,
but don't listen. Don't throw some grateful dead on next
or I'll have to get up and damn might happen.
How much of the skill set that Aaron Rodgers possession
so as I think we were in agreement that.

Speaker 3 (40:15):
A lot of it's not as good of an improv
guy as he once was.

Speaker 2 (40:17):
He is not right, but I think he, as you
have alluded too many times, his above shoulder stuff is outstanding,
elite dynamic. And I think too maybe his willingness to
use the middle of the field might help in this
regard as well.

Speaker 3 (40:30):
And he's not bashful, I mean like he will definitely
thread the needle or attempts to, you know what I mean, Like,
he's not going to be bashful. I this might go
without saying, but why is red zone so toughs You're
putting twenty two guys in a thirty yard stretch, including
the end zone at most, and there's just not as

(40:50):
much going on, so everything has to be crisper, you know,
your anticipation has to be better, your accuracy. Windows at
the windows are smaller. I mean, it's it's always it's
going to be harder. It's just a lot of bodies
and frankly, if the first play call or your first
read doesn't happen, well, now it's improv time a little
bit more so then I can maybe pat the ball

(41:10):
and there's a lot more field to defend, et cetera,
et cetera. So that'll be a test because I thought
for sure, and I guess it was. They did throw
for more touchdowns than There was a stretch there where
they had like thirteen touchdown passes in a season, right,
I mean, there was some not rare numbers. I mean,
so last year was better in terms of touchdown passes,

(41:31):
but a lot of them did come from distance on
moonballs and stuff too. So I expect Rogers to be
better at it. Will they lead the league?

Speaker 5 (41:40):
No?

Speaker 2 (41:41):
Probably not so, Like Kansas City is another outlier. They
were twenty first, so they're back in the.

Speaker 3 (41:47):
Bottom half at everything. I have there in the top
half this year, right, you know what I mean. But
even if Kelsey and Mahomes and that's probably an outlier
for them.

Speaker 2 (41:54):
You know, the Chargers were eighteenth, San Francisco was fourteenth.
Something in that range would work. Oh yeah, yeah, even again,
don't Minnesota's nineteenth, you know what I mean, Like in
that range, just give me, give me in the in
the twelve to twenty one range, you know exactly.

Speaker 3 (42:10):
It's kind of like the ards per carry thing. Just
don't be the worst, Just don't be at bottom third,
get what at bottom ten percent?

Speaker 2 (42:17):
So, like I said, last year, the Steelers forty eight
percent of the time forty eight point two percent of
the time scored touchdowns in the red zone. If they
just got to fifty six percent, that would put them
sixteenth in the league, right in the middle.

Speaker 3 (42:29):
Again, it's a lot like the yards per carry thing.
It's we're not asking for you to make twenty percent more, right,
you know, right, I mean, these are incremental changes that
maybe the quarterbacks.

Speaker 2 (42:40):
Enough, certainly, and like you said, the improv element is
obviously not there for Aaron Rodgers at his age like
it was at times earlier in his career and is
with some of these new very mobile quarterbacks.

Speaker 3 (42:52):
But hopefully also now that I think about it, too,
is a large stretch of that what five year stretch
one of the youngest offenses in the league too, to
young offense in the road on the road, tight quarters,
blah blah.

Speaker 4 (43:06):
No more ab no more leve Bell, no more, no
more to Castro, no more Ben Right.

Speaker 3 (43:10):
I mean, I think red zone and third downs and
things like that, youth shows up more totally, no question,
you know, Because.

Speaker 2 (43:17):
Again, where those windows shrink, where that margin for air
shrinks right right, that you know that game savvy brain, Yeah,
that you that you.

Speaker 4 (43:25):
Always talk about. I think that's that's a great point.

Speaker 2 (43:26):
That's definitely you think of how experienced their quarterback was,
their skill position players, their offensive line at that time
compared to now where they're hopefully have the foundation laid
to get to that point.

Speaker 4 (43:38):
But that was them firing on all cylinders.

Speaker 3 (43:40):
And we know it won't be the case yet again
this year, but it's nice having the same quarterback year
after year two totally. You know there's gonna be probably
growing pains early in the season all those years with
a new quarterback, right.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
And even listen, I pointed that twenty eighteen years the
crowning example. I mean, the Steelers led the league and
nearly seventy five percent of the time in the red
zone they scored a touchdown, which is just crazy. You
also had Juju Smith Schuster right as a number two
wide receiver going over a thousand yards.

Speaker 3 (44:06):
And that's when the line had like no turnover. You know,
it was the same five.

Speaker 2 (44:11):
Free Pro bowlers on that offensive line when when Big
Owl was making it there for a year or.

Speaker 3 (44:15):
Two and like the Owls and Fosters were still there
year after year, and it was a lot of the
same people.

Speaker 2 (44:21):
You know it was it was, and so hopefully that's
what we're building towards. But in the meantime, let's see
that in the matt I think, if you know, if
you and I are sitting here three hundred and sixty
five ish days from now and we're talking about how
the offense succeeded and becoming more efficient in the run game,
more efficient in the red zone, I think there's a
much better chance that we enjoyed the end of the
season much more than we did than we did.

Speaker 3 (44:43):
This previous year.

Speaker 2 (44:46):
Matthew, the players are trickling out onto the field here,
the stairway is getting ready to rip into a wonderful
Jimmy Page solo.

Speaker 4 (44:53):
That means it is time. That means it is time
for us to get up out of here.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
But before we do so, a big thank you to
Justin back at the ranch, our guy CJ here on site,
and everybody that is part of the facilities of getting
us set up down here as well too. We will
be back for tomorrow for our final live shows on
location live shows until we get to training camps. So
make sure you don't miss it ten to one on

(45:18):
SNR for Matt Williamson and Dale Lawllie. I'm Wes s Huler.
Thanks for listening to this special edition of the Drive.
We'll talk to you tomorrow at the upmc rooney Sports
Complex ten am. Right here on Steelers Nation Radio on
the Steelers Audio Network.