December 6, 2023 • 12 mins
The Week in Review looks back on a tough loss to Arizona, and ahead to a crucial short week showdown with New England.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
He's the Steelers Week in Review with Wesley Euler 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 Wesley Yuler, host of
the Steelers Blitz on SNR. Let's get you up to
speed on all the latest for the Black and Gold.
A disappointing effort for the Steelers at home on Sunday
as they fell to the Arizona Cardinals twenty four to
(00:28):
ten at Akroscher Stadium. Mike Tomlin spoke on what went
wrong in the loss this morning.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
The tape didn't look much different than it did in
stadium yesterday. Man, there were some areas when we failed miserably,
quite honestly, and it produced the outcome on the offensive side.
Some pre snap penalties and procedural things really kind of
hurt our efforts.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
We had two poor snaps.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
One was a turnover, another one I was on a
possession down early on that costs a possession. And oftentimes
I say routine things routinely, it doesn't lessen the importance.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Of routine things.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Is if anything, it's the exact opposite man. There needs
to be extreme urgency around the routine things so that
they are routine, and they weren't in that instance, and
they cost us, and it cost us in a big way.
We had three pre snap penalties that hurt our efforts
and that's just unacceptable, particularly at this juncture. And so
(01:30):
we're going to turn the stones over in terms of
the people and the things that we're asking them to
do to make sure that gets to zero and zero quickly.
Penalties and things are a component of the game, particularly
in play, but pre snap things are things that you
have complete control of pre snap, post play, or examples
of things that we expect to be at zero.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I thought it was.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Significant obviously when we didn't win the fourth and one
in the red area. Oftentimes that is our posture, particularly
in the first half of football games. We need to
get seven, no question, don't second guess that there. But
the combination of that failure and the subsequent drive by
(02:16):
them really made it really made it a challenge for us.
Oftentimes we are aggressive in those moments because we realize
the field positioning component of play in the defense's ability
to oftentimes back up our offense in those moments and
put us right back into short field. But that didn't
(02:37):
didn't occur. Let's talk about why that didn't occur. We
gave up I think three or four possession downs in
that sequence, oftentimes kind of in the interior portions.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Of the field.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We had the land and Roberts go down in the
first half of that game. We had some adjustments planned
to cover at the half. Obviously, that sequence occurred prior
to the half, and we weren't as in sync from
an adjustment standpoint as we would like adjusting to the
loss of the landing, and we were limited. There were
(03:12):
limited from a communications standpoint, from a schematic standpoint, and
we felt that they're tied end with significant of the
interior portions of the field were significant. We felt like
we were able to comment down some after giving an
ability to communicate and make some adjustments at the half,
but as it pertained to that sequence of events, the
(03:34):
damage was done. We talked about a fourteen point swing
right there, if you will, you know, in terms of
how those plays unfolded, I thought we were able to
do some things in the running game that we desired.
We didn't win enough possession downs, particularly early, I think
maybe one of six or so in the first half.
(03:54):
And so possession downs obviously extend drives and it really
gives the run game has to take hold and where
your opponent down. We weren't able to do that, although
I thought the run game had the makings of an
effective kind of day, largely on the defensive side. It
was about it was about connectedness and communication and both
(04:18):
were challenging. And so now that we have some time
to prepare, you know, we need to solidify some of
those things. I'll be talking to you a little bit
later about some guys that we could utilize, Guys like
Blake Martinez, Guys like Miles Jack, Guys that we have
in our programs that are veteran players. We've kind of
outlined it in here in the past about their function
(04:39):
within the program and having the ability to call upon
some guys with some NFL plan experience, but not only
plan experience, hub.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Of communication experience.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Essentially, we lost our defensive quarterback in the land and
Roberts when he went down with the injury. Coupled with
the fact that obviously we've lost Colon and Kwan in
previous weeks, really put a strain on us at that
position in playmaking and communication.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
As he always does. Mike tom and outline injury concerns
and updates for the Steelers ahead of this week's clash
with New England.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Kenny has a high ankles brain. He had it surgically
repaired this morning in an effort to accelerate the healing process.
Don't have a lot of information on the status of
that yet, just rest assured that he is out this week.
Isaac can be described as questionable. He's got a shoulder
(05:38):
he landing with his growing could definitively be described as questionable.
James Pierre worked all last week with a shoulder, was
able to go in game, but feeling the effects of that.
He could be described as questionable from an availability standpoint
as well. Got very little concerned about out man Adams availability.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
It was questionable a week ago.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
I don't think it's questionable moving forward, and so we'll
we'll have mand on Thursday night in our defensive front.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It is a short week up coming from Pittsburgh as
the Patriots head to town for Thursday night football. Mike
Tomlins spoke on the urgency needed during this quick.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Week now on to New England. Been watching a lot
of their tape. I'll start first with the defensive side
of the ball.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Man.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
They're they're doing an awesome job keeping scores down. When
you look at them, I think you just look first
and foremost at this safety tandem, Uh, Duggar and Pepper's
they do a lot. They do a lot schematically. Both
guys are capable of playing in deep defense and do.
Both guys are capable of playing at the linebacker level
(06:51):
and functioning on the second level of defense and are
very capable tacklers, good at shedding blocks, big blockers. Offensive
linemen did not form or to playing in the trenches.
Both guys are really capable blitzers. They get opportunities to
do that in all phases phases of the game. First, second,
and third down. They getting their sub package ball and
(07:14):
they bring in excuse me, Mills and others, and boy,
that really allows Peppers and Dugger to get down and
and do things on and around the line of scrimmage
and really highlight that versatility. If we're talking about moving
the ball and moving the ball with fluidity against these guys, Man,
we better locate those two understand Uh, the structure in
(07:37):
which they play in in in the various packages, and
how they move those guys around to highlight their skill set.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Up front, they.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Got a veteran group, Guy Wise, Barrymore, diving Man. They've
been together there for a number of years, and I
think that's a component of why they've been able to
really keep scores down.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Man.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
They they're very stout against the run. They're where they're
supposed to be. They're very good technically in terms of
hand usage and gap control and gap elimination. They give
up very few explosion plays via the run. Can't say
enough about Bentley as an inside linebacker and a guy
that plays behind that group and doing a really good
(08:21):
job of minimizing that component of play. They're multiple on
the back end. They are they play a variety of
zones and bogus zones. They play man to man, they
bring pressure, they do four man Russian man to man.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
They do a really good.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Job, particularly in situational moments, in terms of some of
their schematics and the multitude of their schematics in the secondary,
and I think those are the reasons why, particularly of late,
they've done an awesome job of keeping scores down and
keeping themselves in play. They play extremely hard, they're good tackler,
(09:00):
and as I mentioned, Man, the safeties provide the wave
that others ride. I just finished looking at their turnover
real before I came over here, and those two safeties
have half of the collective's turnovers, for example, And so
they're big time splash playmakers, and we better take care
of the ball. We better locate those guys and work
to minimize their impact on the game.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
On the other side, looking.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
At their offense, particularly on the short week, Man, I'm
really concerned about the quarterback position and the things that
they're doing at the quarterback position. From our preparedness standpoint,
they got two guys that are somewhat similar in Mac
and Zapp of Malie Cunningham potentially is very different, and
(09:44):
they had all three up just yesterday, and so that
has our attention as we prepare. The quarterback mobility component,
particularly on the short week, is something to be focused
on and to make sure that we're solid.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Thankfully, we play.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Enough quarterback mobility that we're not starting at ground zero,
and hopefully cumulative history against quarterback mobility will allow us
to make some quick decisions and so forth. Because when
you're working in a short week, there's a limited amount
of physical reps that you get, and so when you're
looking at something potentially like wildcat or quarterback mobility or
(10:23):
design quarterback runs period, they have your attention and it
would behoove us to be prepared in that way given
their present circumstance, the things been going on with them
at quarterback, I guess Stevenson may be somewhat limited, and
that don't know the status of some of the running
back things. Obviously, they've got Ezekiel Elliott, and so we're
(10:46):
working with an edge preparing ourselves for the things that
they're capable of doing offensively, particularly as it pertains the
quarterback mobility. Man they've acquired some quality players on the
receiving end due to free agency that we have to
be prepared for. Juju Smith Schuster. Obviously we're very familiar
with tough guy football player. Got a lot of respect
(11:09):
for Juju. But at the tight end position, Hunter is
a guy that they've acquired. They required a guy from Miami.
They got some dynamic tight ends in the passing game
that are potentially challenging for us, particularly given some of
the things that that we've given up on the interior
portions of the field as recently is yesterday, we got
(11:32):
to be real solid versus that dynamic tight end group
and in the multitude of things that they do with
that group in the special teams game, and they they
got Matt Slater. In no way you play New England
and not mentioned Matt Slater as a high quality teamer.
It looks like he's got a got a young partner,
that that young man from Texas forty one has already
(11:55):
got double digit tackles.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I think he's got eleven.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
There's always a couple of guys in New England that
are really zeroed in on a special teams phase and
I just just got so much respectless later in what
he's been able to do.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
And there he's got a new partner.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
I think he's got eleven tackles in a kick block already.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
And so those are some of the.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Things that occupy our attention here on a short week,
a lot of work ahead of us, obviously a lot
of things to correct.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
It's a quick turnaround back home at Akroshuer Stadium, Steelers Patriots,
eight fifteen pm on Thursday night. I'm messing our host
Wesley Yueler, Thanks for listening to this episode of the
Steelers Week in Review. Take care and I'll talk to
ends next week.
He's the Steelers Week in Review with Wesley Euler 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 Wesley Yuler, host of
the Steelers Blitz on SNR. Let's get you up to
speed on all the latest for the Black and Gold.
A disappointing effort for the Steelers at home on Sunday
as they fell to the Arizona Cardinals twenty four to
(00:28):
ten at Akroscher Stadium. Mike Tomlin spoke on what went
wrong in the loss this morning.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
The tape didn't look much different than it did in
stadium yesterday. Man, there were some areas when we failed miserably,
quite honestly, and it produced the outcome on the offensive side.
Some pre snap penalties and procedural things really kind of
hurt our efforts.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
We had two poor snaps.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
One was a turnover, another one I was on a
possession down early on that costs a possession. And oftentimes
I say routine things routinely, it doesn't lessen the importance.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Of routine things.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Is if anything, it's the exact opposite man. There needs
to be extreme urgency around the routine things so that
they are routine, and they weren't in that instance, and
they cost us, and it cost us in a big way.
We had three pre snap penalties that hurt our efforts
and that's just unacceptable, particularly at this juncture. And so
(01:30):
we're going to turn the stones over in terms of
the people and the things that we're asking them to
do to make sure that gets to zero and zero quickly.
Penalties and things are a component of the game, particularly
in play, but pre snap things are things that you
have complete control of pre snap, post play, or examples
of things that we expect to be at zero.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I thought it was.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Significant obviously when we didn't win the fourth and one
in the red area. Oftentimes that is our posture, particularly
in the first half of football games. We need to
get seven, no question, don't second guess that there. But
the combination of that failure and the subsequent drive by
(02:16):
them really made it really made it a challenge for us.
Oftentimes we are aggressive in those moments because we realize
the field positioning component of play in the defense's ability
to oftentimes back up our offense in those moments and
put us right back into short field. But that didn't
(02:37):
didn't occur. Let's talk about why that didn't occur. We
gave up I think three or four possession downs in
that sequence, oftentimes kind of in the interior portions.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Of the field.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We had the land and Roberts go down in the
first half of that game. We had some adjustments planned
to cover at the half. Obviously, that sequence occurred prior
to the half, and we weren't as in sync from
an adjustment standpoint as we would like adjusting to the
loss of the landing, and we were limited. There were
(03:12):
limited from a communications standpoint, from a schematic standpoint, and
we felt that they're tied end with significant of the
interior portions of the field were significant. We felt like
we were able to comment down some after giving an
ability to communicate and make some adjustments at the half,
but as it pertained to that sequence of events, the
(03:34):
damage was done. We talked about a fourteen point swing
right there, if you will, you know, in terms of
how those plays unfolded, I thought we were able to
do some things in the running game that we desired.
We didn't win enough possession downs, particularly early, I think
maybe one of six or so in the first half.
(03:54):
And so possession downs obviously extend drives and it really
gives the run game has to take hold and where
your opponent down. We weren't able to do that, although
I thought the run game had the makings of an
effective kind of day, largely on the defensive side. It
was about it was about connectedness and communication and both
(04:18):
were challenging. And so now that we have some time
to prepare, you know, we need to solidify some of
those things. I'll be talking to you a little bit
later about some guys that we could utilize, Guys like
Blake Martinez, Guys like Miles Jack, Guys that we have
in our programs that are veteran players. We've kind of
outlined it in here in the past about their function
(04:39):
within the program and having the ability to call upon
some guys with some NFL plan experience, but not only
plan experience, hub.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Of communication experience.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Essentially, we lost our defensive quarterback in the land and
Roberts when he went down with the injury. Coupled with
the fact that obviously we've lost Colon and Kwan in
previous weeks, really put a strain on us at that
position in playmaking and communication.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
As he always does. Mike tom and outline injury concerns
and updates for the Steelers ahead of this week's clash
with New England.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Kenny has a high ankles brain. He had it surgically
repaired this morning in an effort to accelerate the healing process.
Don't have a lot of information on the status of
that yet, just rest assured that he is out this week.
Isaac can be described as questionable. He's got a shoulder
(05:38):
he landing with his growing could definitively be described as questionable.
James Pierre worked all last week with a shoulder, was
able to go in game, but feeling the effects of that.
He could be described as questionable from an availability standpoint
as well. Got very little concerned about out man Adams availability.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
It was questionable a week ago.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
I don't think it's questionable moving forward, and so we'll
we'll have mand on Thursday night in our defensive front.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It is a short week up coming from Pittsburgh as
the Patriots head to town for Thursday night football. Mike
Tomlins spoke on the urgency needed during this quick.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Week now on to New England. Been watching a lot
of their tape. I'll start first with the defensive side
of the ball.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Man.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
They're they're doing an awesome job keeping scores down. When
you look at them, I think you just look first
and foremost at this safety tandem, Uh, Duggar and Pepper's
they do a lot. They do a lot schematically. Both
guys are capable of playing in deep defense and do.
Both guys are capable of playing at the linebacker level
(06:51):
and functioning on the second level of defense and are
very capable tacklers, good at shedding blocks, big blockers. Offensive
linemen did not form or to playing in the trenches.
Both guys are really capable blitzers. They get opportunities to
do that in all phases phases of the game. First, second,
and third down. They getting their sub package ball and
(07:14):
they bring in excuse me, Mills and others, and boy,
that really allows Peppers and Dugger to get down and
and do things on and around the line of scrimmage
and really highlight that versatility. If we're talking about moving
the ball and moving the ball with fluidity against these guys, Man,
we better locate those two understand Uh, the structure in
(07:37):
which they play in in in the various packages, and
how they move those guys around to highlight their skill set.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Up front, they.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Got a veteran group, Guy Wise, Barrymore, diving Man. They've
been together there for a number of years, and I
think that's a component of why they've been able to
really keep scores down.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Man.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
They they're very stout against the run. They're where they're
supposed to be. They're very good technically in terms of
hand usage and gap control and gap elimination. They give
up very few explosion plays via the run. Can't say
enough about Bentley as an inside linebacker and a guy
that plays behind that group and doing a really good
(08:21):
job of minimizing that component of play. They're multiple on
the back end. They are they play a variety of
zones and bogus zones. They play man to man, they
bring pressure, they do four man Russian man to man.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
They do a really good.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Job, particularly in situational moments, in terms of some of
their schematics and the multitude of their schematics in the secondary,
and I think those are the reasons why, particularly of late,
they've done an awesome job of keeping scores down and
keeping themselves in play. They play extremely hard, they're good tackler,
(09:00):
and as I mentioned, Man, the safeties provide the wave
that others ride. I just finished looking at their turnover
real before I came over here, and those two safeties
have half of the collective's turnovers, for example, And so
they're big time splash playmakers, and we better take care
of the ball. We better locate those guys and work
to minimize their impact on the game.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
On the other side, looking.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
At their offense, particularly on the short week, Man, I'm
really concerned about the quarterback position and the things that
they're doing at the quarterback position. From our preparedness standpoint,
they got two guys that are somewhat similar in Mac
and Zapp of Malie Cunningham potentially is very different, and
(09:44):
they had all three up just yesterday, and so that
has our attention as we prepare. The quarterback mobility component,
particularly on the short week, is something to be focused
on and to make sure that we're solid.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
Thankfully, we play.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Enough quarterback mobility that we're not starting at ground zero,
and hopefully cumulative history against quarterback mobility will allow us
to make some quick decisions and so forth. Because when
you're working in a short week, there's a limited amount
of physical reps that you get, and so when you're
looking at something potentially like wildcat or quarterback mobility or
(10:23):
design quarterback runs period, they have your attention and it
would behoove us to be prepared in that way given
their present circumstance, the things been going on with them
at quarterback, I guess Stevenson may be somewhat limited, and
that don't know the status of some of the running
back things. Obviously, they've got Ezekiel Elliott, and so we're
(10:46):
working with an edge preparing ourselves for the things that
they're capable of doing offensively, particularly as it pertains the
quarterback mobility. Man they've acquired some quality players on the
receiving end due to free agency that we have to
be prepared for. Juju Smith Schuster. Obviously we're very familiar
with tough guy football player. Got a lot of respect
(11:09):
for Juju. But at the tight end position, Hunter is
a guy that they've acquired. They required a guy from Miami.
They got some dynamic tight ends in the passing game
that are potentially challenging for us, particularly given some of
the things that that we've given up on the interior
portions of the field as recently is yesterday, we got
(11:32):
to be real solid versus that dynamic tight end group
and in the multitude of things that they do with
that group in the special teams game, and they they
got Matt Slater. In no way you play New England
and not mentioned Matt Slater as a high quality teamer.
It looks like he's got a got a young partner,
that that young man from Texas forty one has already
(11:55):
got double digit tackles.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I think he's got eleven.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
There's always a couple of guys in New England that
are really zeroed in on a special teams phase and
I just just got so much respectless later in what
he's been able to do.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
And there he's got a new partner.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
I think he's got eleven tackles in a kick block already.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
And so those are some of the.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Things that occupy our attention here on a short week,
a lot of work ahead of us, obviously a lot
of things to correct.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
It's a quick turnaround back home at Akroshuer Stadium, Steelers Patriots,
eight fifteen pm on Thursday night. I'm messing our host
Wesley Yueler, Thanks for listening to this episode of the
Steelers Week in Review. Take care and I'll talk to
ends next week.
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