Episode 43: Good to be Back

The Week In Review looks back at the home opener win against the Chargers, and previews the upcoming clash with the Colts.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
He's the Steelers Week in Review with Wesley Hueler on
Steelers Nation Radio at Steelers dot com.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Hello Steelers Nation, and welcome to the Steelers Week in Review,
your one stop shop for all the current news and
headlines for your Pittsburgh Steelers. I'm Wes Steeler, host of
the Steelers Blitz on the Steelers Audio Network. Let's get
you up to speed on all the latest for the
Black and Gold. The Steelers start three to oh after
a win over the Chargers and the home opener on Sunday,
Mike Tomlins spoke on the effort it took to secure
a third straight victory to begin the season.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
As we stood in here last week and talked styles,
make fights, we knew it would be an entertaining game,
a competitive game. Some similarities between the two teams I
really thought was significant. Defenses were led by edge rush tandems.
They had a chance to change the trajectory of the game.
I'm glad it was ours. Both teams got a commitment

(00:52):
to running the football. I thought we did a nice
job of minimizing days. I thought ours kind of revealed
itself as the game were on, and obviously was tough
sledding early. We anticipated that they got a really good defense,
but I thought that four minute possession at the end
was kind of indicative of our commitment to pounding away
at until we had a breakthrough. And I thought there

(01:15):
in the waning moments of the game, we found our breakthrough.
But there was a lot to be excited about in
the game. There's also a lot to work on in
the special teams game. I can't say enough about Corlis
Weightman at punter for us Man. This guy's got on
a moving train, and I thought he did a nice
job of flipping the field and upholding his end of
the bargain. We've had some turnover in some of that space.

(01:37):
I thought we had two or three new guys on
punt team, and I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge
those contributions from a coach's perspective, as you check all
the boxes in preparation. When you got new people on
your punt team that has a lot of your attention.
It might not get a lot of attention, but as
a coach, it has yours. And I just thought some

(01:58):
of those guys that were new contributors to Special teams,
Roddy Williams got elevated, for example, had a tackle on kickoff.
I was very reliable in the punt game as an
example of what I'm talking about in those spaces offensively,
you know, we didn't start with the level of fluid
fluidity that I would like. We got to get that solved,

(02:21):
and get it solved quickly. I think, particularly at the
early stages of the season, as you pursue and attained victory,
you better continually work on the things that could be
troublesome for you as you continue through the journey. And
and lack of fluidity in our starts, three and outs
and things of that nature just doesn't tee us up
to play this type of ball that we desire to play. Thankfully,

(02:44):
we were in our home venue in our defense, I
was playing really good there at the early stages of
the game to minimize some of that. We're not assured
of those things, particularly as we get into a hostile
environment this week in Indy, and so that has our attention.
And in terms of areas of need to improvement of work. Defensively,

(03:05):
great defenses communicate. Great defenses specialize in terms of variety
of personnel groups and schematics within those variety of personnel groups,
and we just got to continue to work in those spaces.
We've had some success, but we've also had some real
JV moments, if you will. The longest runner the day

(03:25):
was thirteen yards. That happened when we had ten guys
on the field because of our inability to exchange people
appropriately and handle some of those things that really tee
up good defenses, as I mentioned, And so although we
were playing good ball, it's still about us. It's still
about how we function. It's still about utilizing the players

(03:46):
that are available to us and in their talents and
formulating a plan that allows us to do the desired job.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
And as he always does, Mike Tomlin outline injury concerns
and updates for the Steelers ahead of this weekend's clash
with the Indianapolis Cults.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
From a health standpoint, I hit on a few things.
Prow It will probably still be out this week with
his knee injury. Corey Trice looks to be out with
the hamstring injury that he sustained in game. Alex Hotsmith
looks to be out with the growing injury that he
sustained in game. Some guys whose participation is in question,

(04:26):
and we'll let their participation, the quality of that participation,
and win that participation ticks up be our guide in
terms of planning with these people. Jalen Warren and Isaac.
Isaac is working his way back in the offensive line.
We'll see what his participation looks like this week and

(04:48):
let the quality and amount of that participation be our
guide in terms of his participation. And in the meanwhile,
when he's not participating, we'll continue to do some of
the things that we did at Left Guard last week
in terms of Spencer and Mason both getting work and
watching those guys throughout the week to kind of decide
how we divvy up the labor based on that performance.

(05:11):
And obviously that discussion is exclusive or aside from Isaac's availability.
Still very much in the same place with Russ this
week as we were last week, at least at the
beginning of the week. I just met with him and
our head athletic trainer and talked about what tomorrow looks like.
Tomorrow is a limited participation day from a scheduling perspective.

(05:34):
He had a good workout today. We'll see how he
feels in the morning. But I'm not expecting him to
be a full participant tomorrow, And so as we walk
in the building tomorrow and want justin singularly focused on
starting for us and doing what's required to be ready
to do that. And so although I'm sure you got questions,
I probably got similar answers that I had a week ago.

(05:55):
And we'll see where the week leads us. If his
availability or the if his practice participation picks up, maybe
we'll consider that later in the week. If it doesn't,
then it won't be a consideration and we'll just continue
with where we are right now.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
The Steelers are back on the road again this weekend,
heading to Andy to take on the Colts. Mike Tomlin
outline the challenge that awaits the Steelers Sunday afternoon.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
Now turned my attention toward the Indianapolis Colts, their team
that's coming off of a big victory last week. If
you look at them offensively, first and foremost, we got
to deal with with Jonathan Taylor. He is super talented,
but we've seen some talented backs. Jon is super talented.
JK is super talented, and that just goes to show

(06:41):
you how competitive this league is week in and week out.
Man we got a big challenge in Jonathan Taylor. I
think that that challenge is intensified because of Richardson's mobility
and their willingness to use schematics regarding Richardson's mobility and so, Man,
it is a big run game emphasis for us as

(07:02):
I sit here right now at the early outset of
the week looking at things that they do well and
the things that we need to do well. Obviously, Man,
they got a talented receiving corps that supplements that run game.
Pierspan is getting behind secondaries. Man, he has always done it.
He did it at the University of Cincinnati. I was

(07:23):
at his pro day and studied him. They drafted him
to do it, and he's been behind defenses the whole
time he's in the league. I think he leaves the
NFL and plus forty yard plays at this juncture on
a short period of time. Man, Richison has the arm
strength to really highlight that component of his game. We
got to keep a lid on it. You don't keep
a lint on it, you're gonna have major problems playing anyone,

(07:45):
but particularly a group like this in their venue. You
gotta make them earn it. You can't allow them to
get yards in chunks. Michael Pittman is a high volume
catch guy, a front side route runner good versus z
Owe Good versus Man Good in weighty moments and chain
moving circumstances. They got some talented young people like Downs
and others that supplement those two. They just do a

(08:06):
really good job with their eligible spreading the ball around.
They got a diverse group with with with various kinds
of talent that you have to plan for, not only
in terms of personnel matchups, but the schimatic component. They
got a really diverse offense in terms of r PO
football and run pass options. They don't allow you to
stack the box and an effort to minimize tailor. You

(08:29):
got to play the cat and mouse game with them
in terms of some of those things. And so I
respect this schematic component of the matchup as well. On
the defensive side of the ball, you know it's Gus
Bradley Man. He's been there, done that guy. We've been
in some circumstances to get him against him. Got a
lot of respect for his approach to ball and and

(08:50):
and how he works. Obviously they've had some issues in
terms of stopping to run, but When you watch their tape,
you really see Gus's intentions in terms of defining that man.
They were really sound last week. They were in gaps,
they were aggressive. I think that as indicative of his defenses.

(09:11):
I got a lot of respect for a lot of
the people up front. Quity pay in Grover I think
provide the standard for them on the edge and on
the inside. But they play a lot of people. They
run waves of d linemen and rushman at you. That's
one of the signatures of their attack at the linebacker level.
Man Franklin, I just got a lot of respect for man.

(09:32):
That's a homegrown talent. They took him late in the
draft in twenty eighteen just to watch his role evolve
over his time there. You know, sixth round pick. That
became a core teamer, that became a situation to defender,
that became a green dot defender. He's a high volume tackler,
one hundred and sixty tackles, hundred and seventy tackles in

(09:53):
the last two years. Specifically, he's a really good blitzer.
He's just good in space, vertical space, horizontal space. They
employed the Tampa two that requires him to run down
the middle of the field. He's good at that. He's
good in three D and underneath coverage. He is just
a well rounded player that's a big time catalyst for

(10:15):
a lot of what goes on with them. Kenny Moore
at outside corner and Nickel is another guy that's homegrown.
He has played a lot of quality football there. There's
a splash playmaker. He controls the perimeter, play wide receiver screens,
bubble screens, and things of that nature that goes on
out in that nickel space. His talents and his experience

(10:38):
make that very difficult. He's very good in terms of
fitting in the run game and blitzing. They ask him
to blitz quite a bit. He's just got a well
rounded game. He's a veteran guy. He's got good vision.
He turns up in a lot of circumstances. Really enjoyed
watching the safety tandem. Although I've been watching them for
a couple of years. Young guys. I see their evolution.

(10:59):
Both got a high volume tacklers and making a bunch
of splash plays. Both guys had major interceptions against us
when we played in Indie last year. Respect that component
of the matchup, but they're not the same player as
they were. They're evolve and I see it. Nick Cross
in particular is making a bunch of plays in the
run game. He's a high volume tackler. He's a good

(11:22):
cover man. He's oftentimes down covering tight ends and things
of that nature in one dimensional passing circumstances. You know.
So they got a well balanced group on both sides
of the ball. They're coming off of a victory. We're
playing them in their venue. They've got quarterback mobility and
a top notch runner. There's a lot of things that
have our attentions and appropriately so at the beginning of

(11:45):
the week, as we begin to lay a foundational plan
and ready our guys for the challenges of the week.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
It'll be Steelers Colts Lucas Oil Stadium, one pm on Sunday.
I'm Steelers Audio Network host Wes Huler. Thanks for listening
to this episode of the Steelers Week in Review. Take
care and I'll talk to you ends next week.