November 27, 2024 • 44 mins
The trio of Mike Prisuta, Matt Williamson, and Merril Hoge have been waiting for this one as the crew prepares you for the Steelers' next divisional foe in the Cincinnati Bengals as the two teams face off on Sunday in Ohio.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Steelers Preview show on w dB E Pittsburgh,
brought to you by your neighborhood thought store. The F
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by Brian Patton and associates. It's all about the benefits
and by the Steelers Pro Shop. Get it to wreck
from the team at shop dot Steelers dot com. And
now here are your hosts, Merril Hodge, Matt Williamson, and
(00:21):
Mike Persuda.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good evening and welcome to our pre Thanksgiving special edition
to Steelers Preview. Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson with you
to break down Steelers and the Bengals Sunday in Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Are factor back. Merril Hodge will.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Be with us momentarily, but Matt, let's get the social
graces out of the way. I am truly thankful to
be doing this show with you again, this.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Show, yeah, as am I I have a blast.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
And Happy Thanksgiving to you. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Yeah,
and everybody out there listening. Not sure how thankful the
Steelers are for this schedule. That's not It's a nice
non contending with.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Here, but I think the grind really started against Washington
and then Baltimore, and then four days later on the
road in Cleveland, and.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Now at Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
But I know we'll get into this with Merrill in
more detail, but pay no attention to the man behind
the curtain who says this team is four and seven. Oh,
I agree, this one's going to be problematic. Problematic.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
I mean, I think there are five quarterbacks in the
league right now that are heads above everyone else, and
Burrows at very much in that mix.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I mean, I don't like using.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
The word elite, but he's an elite football player at
the most important position on the field. And this offense
is phenomenal. They do not look like a four and
seven team to me, and everything they do so well
on offense is almost exactly counteracted by the other side
of the ball. It's remarkable. I mean, some of the
numbers that they've put up this year are crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Let's kick things off tonight the way we always still will.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Take a look at the practice participation for today Wednesday.
Normally do this on a Thursday and there's a little
more clarity. But first practice of the week. You know,
they did some running around Tuesday, but today's when things
really start to focus in and Alex Heismith did not
practice for the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
That's the one I'm keeping an eye on.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Obviously, right some running yesterday, did some stuff today on
his own. Talked to him yesterday, said he really wants
to play, but as he pointed out, Matt, it's his
left ankle and the side of the field he's on.
The left leg's a big deal. It's got to be
right or he can't go. It's his push off.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
Yea.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
I hadn't thought about the left right situation, but that
makes all the sense in the world.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Great player.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
But they can live without him though, Yeah, I mean,
but it is the most important Steeler injury to me.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Do you know they're uh six and zero with him?
I heard and two and three without him. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I wasn't aware of that till yesterday. Dale told me
that the other day. Yeah, I guess that adds up
Montravius Adams defensive tackle and Corey Trice junior cornerback, both
full participants.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Those guys are still on the.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Twenty one day IR window clock to see whether they
can come back and stick their hand in the big fan.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I'd like to see him get in there.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah, and boy has the defensive line sagged a little
bit in his absence.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
I just don't think bentons and nose and I think
he's more Cam Hayward than he is nose tackle.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Something's a little missed there. For Cincinnati, much more pressing concerns.
Two guys didn't practice today, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankin's illness
and linebacker Logan Wilson knee.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
He's one of their key guys.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, they're left tackle Orlando Brown has missed three consecutive
games fibula. He was limited today, as was the right tackle,
rookie a Marius Mims ankle. But the real problems in
the secondary because two names I did not mention on
the practice participation report aren't on it because they're on
(03:54):
the reserve injured list. That would be cornerback DJ Turner
and cornerback Dax Hill. The Bengals Matt Michigan Wolverine. They't
have as much luck with Michigan corners as the Steelers
are with Michigan wide receiver. Well' that's the two starting corners, right,
I mean they're first and the second round.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Maybe this is a big the.
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Worst in progress, to say the least, they're both really
good athletes that aren't as good as football players. That's
a big deal. The the high Smith injuries and one
to work. Look at it in the Steelers. But I
think Orlando Brown and Wilson or the two to really
pay attention to. With the Bengals. I mean, Wilson's a
green dot guy. Cody Fords had to fill in for
Orlando Brown. He came in the league as a second
(04:35):
round pick because they weren't sure is he a tackle?
Is he a guard? He's really neither and if anything,
he's a guard. He's been misplaced. I mean he's their
fourth offensive tackle this year. Well, it didn't work out
so well in the Cleveland game. Now he's fourth offensive tackle. Matchup,
he's a problem.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
It was the same thing and they didn't exploit it.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Oh, I see what you're saying, right right.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yeah. The other guy, Mims is rookie.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, he was not as highly regarded as some of
those guys that went higher than him. But I have
in my notes off the Bengals Chargers game both ots suspect.
Would you say that's an accurate assessment.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
I think Ford's just a bad player. Mims to me,
is a really good prospect. But right now, Trem Brown
was supposed to be the right tackle. Orlando Brown was
supposed to be the left tackle. Trim Brown, as he
usually does, got hurt really early in the process because
Mims needs a year. I mean, they drafted in the
first round not wanting him to start. I think he's
got a bright future and he's done some good things.
(05:32):
But if he's the old TJ. Watt over and over
and over alone, that's going to be a problem. So
that's why the Orlando Brown thinks so important. Because a
forge's playing, you have to help him. If he isn't,
I'm sure Orlando Brown will be on an island all
day long.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I think one of the reasons that people are looking
at this game with as much trepidation as I since
throughout Steeler Nation. When you looked at the schedule after
the Baltimore game, I was thinking, Okay, beat Cleveland and
then Cincinnati's and maybe, but you're not in bad shape
if you lose that one.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
As long as you take care of business in Cleveland,
one of the two would be great.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Well, now they have not taken care of business against Cleveland,
and they put a whole lot more I think on
this one because of that, I tend.
Speaker 5 (06:16):
To agree, but there's so much more weight on the
Bengal shoulders. I mean, if you look where they're at
at four and seven. I know it's not what you
asked or thought they brought up, but they're four and seven.
They really don't have a shot to win the North.
I mean, I think that's a pipe dream. But they
already have five conference losses. Oh, they can't lose again.
They can't lose again, especially in conference, so they got
(06:38):
no chance at a wild card. So this is kind
of a you know, loser leave town match for them.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
And I thought, you know, credit to James Winston who
he has transformed Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I think they played well. I'm not saying the Browns
should be playing in a parade anytime soon, but they
were fairly different teams.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Horrifically bad with Deshaul Watson. Incredible I think was the
term I would use. Yeah, I think the way they
played what bothered you the most about the Steelers performance
pass rush.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
There's a lot to pick from there is.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
I'm not trying to candy coade it, but the loss
didn't bother me as much as it bothered Steel a
Nation or everyone else involved apparently, like we do a
schedule release show and that one came out. I'm like,
that's probably a loss, and a lot's changed since now
on the schedule release show. But I don't think there's
a lot of I don't know if you have to
hang your head so low to lose on the road
(07:31):
in that building, in a tundra in the second half
against a credible team, you know, like I made the
mistake going into that game thinking this is one of
the worst teams in the league. The twenty twenty four
Browns are one of the worst teams in the league.
The Winston to Now version is an average NFL team.
You know, Miles Garrett's good, and they have a good defense.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
And the more than two and two they are with Winston, Yes,
they're gonna win more game than the one and six
they were garbage they were before, right, I mean, they're
gonna they might go, you know, win three more games
this year. I don't think they're a disaster. Here's what
really bothered me about that game. It put me in
The pass rush was number one. Put me in a
bad mood. Watch in the entirety of it because the
first five possessions, Cleveland went three and out twice. Pittsburgh
(08:16):
moved the ball up and down the field. The total
yards after the Steelers' third possession, which was the fifth
possession of the game, were one hundred and fifty four
for the Steelers and nine for the Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
I think time of possession was like seventeen minutes to three.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And the score was three to nothing. Yeah, and you
just let them. It should have been seventeen to nothing
and the game should have been all but over.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
We should have been stepping on their throat at that
point for a team that has nothing to play for.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
By declining to finish drives. Yep, yep, yeah, they said, Okay,
Brown's alive. I want this one. You got a shot. Yeah,
let's let's play.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
You know, the Browns are on fire and you're covering
them up with a blanket and fire out, you know
what I mean, instead of throwing gas on it.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
So my question for you is against a bad defense,
can the Steelers come out smoking at pay Course Stadium
and get the jump and they men have to They
might have to keep up.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Who knows.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I don't know how Cincinnati's gonna do the Bengals. To me,
their numbers are great, but they have ups and downs
in games like most teams. Sure, sure they're incredibly combustible
at times and at times they struggle like everybody. Yeah,
but do you think the Steelers can can start fast
and go faster?
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I think it'll be really telling.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
I mean, can we stop talking about the red zone
woes after this game? Because not only are they terrible
in the red zone, they keep getting worse and worse
the Bengals defense, I mean, and I don't know that
this is an offense though that's gonna come out and
be fourteen nothing before you know it, or seventeen nothing
at the half. But I do think it'll be telling
(09:48):
of where the Steelers offense is at.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I would I would agree. Yeah, I'm not sure I
want the answer, but yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
I don't get one, But I agree with you that
this is a very bad defense.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
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what to get me for Christmas, Matt, I know you're
thinking about it.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Oh, I'm gonna draw it down right now. I'm a
big authentic memorabilia guy. Okay, that's a good thing, just
how I roll. Yeah, hold my breath on that one.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
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Speaker 3 (10:38):
When we come back, we get the ball of the
factor back.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Meryl Hodge gives us his pre Thanksgiving thoughts on what
he anticipates might turn out to be the critical factor
of Sunday when the Steelers h Hornets Nest Alamo game.
The Bengals are gonna it's Gettysburg and they're the twentieth Maine.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
They're gonna defend to the last Man and the Alamo.
I mean, this is their season, Oh it is.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
It really is a loss here I think eliminates them,
which could make weight Week eighteen a heck of a
lot easier on you too.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
If they have nothing to play for. That's the cherry
on top of the Sunday. If you get it done,
Meryl's next. You're listening to Steelers.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Preview right here on your Steelers Flagship one O two
point five DVE and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DVE.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Welcome back to.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
A pre Thanksgiving special holiday edition of Steelers Preview. Mike
Pursuit It and Matt Williamson getting you ready for the
Steelers at the Bengals.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Sunday.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Time now to welcome the factor back of our show,
Merril Hodge to the program, Meryl, before we take a
deep dive into Steelers Bengles Happy Thanksgiving.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Well, okay, buch, you guys now, you guys all have
a worst Thanksgiving and everybody else well said.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I've been thinking about this game is I'm sure a
lot of people have, because I think it's one that
can go either way. And my study of the Bengals
goes two games deep. And here's what I've concluded from
that two game deep dive. The Bengals are very very
good offensively. They stink defensively, so you're gonna have to
(12:21):
score some points to beat him, and the way to
limit them offensively as best you can. You got to
get to Joe Burrow. He's been really mobile the games
I watched the second Ravens game and the Chargers game.
He's been phenomenal at dealing with pressure and duress and
finding a way to allow himself.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
To throw the ball. In that regard, if they round
really well, if.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
They're gonna hold these guys down at.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
All, they got to get Burrow on the ground.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
What do you think, Well, actually, I WoT there's all
unpacked there. I'm gonna start with the defense, and I
disagree that they're They're terrible. They have terrible moments. I'll
give you two scenarios. Last week's scenario in the raven scenario. Okay,
excuse me. Two weeks ago, and they played the Chargers.
(13:10):
This is almost identically what happened to him. Defensively, for
fifty nine minutes, they were absolutely, really rock solid. Lamar
Jackson made some you know, just some incredible stupid MVP
type plays on them, Okay, up to the point, and
they held Henry in check. They held the Chargers in
(13:31):
check almost the entire game until the last minute. You know,
they fell apart. You know, Chargers got a big run
on to win the game.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Well, you said fell apart forty five seconds left, twenty
eight yard past twenty seven yard past twenty nine yard
run ball game.
Speaker 6 (13:47):
Yeah, yeah, And so so for fifty nine minutes, they're like,
they're really good and they actually do some really good things,
you know, other.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Than the ending business and what did you think of
the play?
Speaker 6 (13:59):
Yeah, and that's almost true. You know, I don't just
tell you like you can't get lost in the you
know when you when you say that, like, I think
people will.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Think, oh, these guys are just not very.
Speaker 6 (14:07):
Good and as a whole, you know, based on how
they've lost people, as a whole, they're not very good.
And actually that's not true. They are pretty good now,
you know. They lost I think the last names Reader.
Their defense is tackle to the Lions, and I really
feel like they lost their the heart of their defense.
(14:28):
Like that dude, most people would not know him, People
would never recognize him. And I can watch Reader play
all day.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
I checked.
Speaker 6 (14:43):
Could he absolutely rex people? I mean, listen to the Lions,
you know, not to sidetracked area, but the Lions really,
you know, Hutchinson, they lose Hutchinson. They think if the
Steelers lost d J. Watt, but you do not know
that they've lost Hutchinson. You know Huncheon makes those you
(15:05):
know those places they missed that. But as a defense
as a whole, they're playing championship style defense. What they're doing,
I mean the way they swum to the football, the
way they control the middle of your team, how well
they play it front. You know, they've dialed up some
pressures that they didn't have to use before because of
Leman say, like they did it fall apart and a
(15:27):
lot of it is because of the club.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Their team.
Speaker 6 (15:29):
Like people were asking you, I figured I was somewhere
somebody goes, hey, where would you start building a team?
I will build a team from the ball out. I
will never build a team from the outside inn. I
will never build my offense around wide receiver ever ever,
I don't care who he is. I will never do that.
(15:49):
I will say, there's a value in them, there's extreme value. However,
if you want to really be a championship team, man,
you're good. The better you are closer to the ball,
the chances you win win in a championship and you
when they lost that guy, they just they're just not
the staying from that perspective that they are not bad.
I mean they these are bad moments, and you hope
(16:12):
you you know, you get those bad moments on him.
And you know you mentioned Joe Burrow. I you know,
I did a playbook, uh for the Steers the show.
And then I think that you try to you try
to give them example some examples of his greatness. I
think he's the best quarterback in the NFL from here,
early pocket processing and accuracy. Nobody better and that includes everybody. Okay, yes,
(16:40):
Patrick Mahomes, he Pat Mahomes and he is good. Pat
Maholmes good. He's not as good as Joe Burrow. Joe
Burrow processes things quickly, decisively, and then the ball comes
out with actually and about it too, about an eighty
percent time. He's gonna sting you. If you don't get
pressure on him, then you get pressure on like you
(17:00):
have to treat you him like Lamar Jackson in the
sense of you can't give him an escape lane because
now he's not gonna run. I mean he'll run on you,
not like Lamarl wrong you. He'll run on you and
damage it. But he's gonna run to the final Senate
final line. And then he's gonna annail you if you
if you make a mistake on coverage, I mean an
alliate And it's just, man, it is a big ask
(17:24):
of your team. You've got to be as buttoned up
as they've been all year. It's it's it's equivalent to
Lamar only worsh because you know, Lamar keep me in
the pocket. And he when he's just steeling consistent enough
that he's gonna give you some chances. Now, Joe Burrow,
let's keep you that chance. He's gonna annally you. So
(17:45):
you know you gotta get there and finish as quick
as you can. And that's a hard thing. That's that's
that's a that's a big ask of of your defense
and caho your defense is so this is not an
easy one by any stretch of the imagination.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
Certainly feel it's free to disagree, but it's early in
the week. We got to make these decisions quick with Thanksgiving.
But I think if I'm game planning against the Bengals defense,
I know I'm gonna give up yards, i know I'm
gonna give up points. They're gonna get theirs no matter what.
Even though the Steelers are not a heavy cover two team.
I think I'm putting two deep safeties and playing with
(18:20):
lighter boxes. And if they handed the Chase Brown over
and over, so be it. If they nickel and die
me with Higgins and Chase, so be it. But those
two are great after the catch, I can't let them
get over my head. And frankly, after the way the
Steelers front played last week for ten days, if I
were Tomlin, I would Needle, Hayward and Watt to no
(18:40):
end that you guys have to win this game with
the four man rush.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
Yeah, well, I lock up. The one thing every chance
argue is they have playmaker ability and explosive ability that
is unmatched. You know, it's unmatched. I mean there's not
one guy, there's two and possibly three guys that you
got to worry about with that team. You know that,
(19:06):
you know they're running game. Just enough aggravation, you know,
and give them the thirty hill. You know, he runs hard,
he you know, he'll do enough things that might make
you want to come out of but I you know, look,
let's kind of like we are on a staff meeting
right now. Anybody that would say, well, you know what,
(19:28):
let's you know, let's let's prioritize, you know, not letting
them run too and you'd be you probably get kicked
out of the meeting. You got to meet you all right.
You just you've got to find ways it coverage wise,
that you just don't give up big time explosive plays
(19:48):
because they find ways no matter what coverage is. You
know the playbook I showed her, I think it was
a cover. It was a quarters coverage, So quarters coverage
for people that I'm like, what's that?
Speaker 2 (19:57):
What do you have?
Speaker 6 (19:57):
Like four across? You know, you know, you corner safety, safety, corner,
And it doesn't matter what coverg you get in. They
find ways to manipulate and attack it and beat it,
you know, especially don't get get pressure on the broken off.
So your point, I don't think that. I think there
will be something within the scope of that. You know,
(20:19):
you got you got guys on there. Just there'll struggle
on that printer too. Let's let's add that layer. You know,
their tackles struggle. You know, it isn't like you can't
what you're asking can't be done.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
You could do that.
Speaker 6 (20:36):
You know, their offices line a little better, but they're
not juggernaut that they can't just leave their right tackle
and their left tackle alone all day. They got to
do stuff helped them out. So I'm not going to disagree.
If you hell eventually come to what game plan, whatever
it comes down to, it's going to be one that says, well,
(20:58):
you can't let them kill us with exposed plays and
big time touchdowns. And that just happened for like the
last months too, by the way, I guess everybody. So
it's it's a big ask of your team, but that
has to be the priority because that there's nothing more
devastating than a quick death, you know, in football, and
I can and.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
I can do it for you.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah, like Williams has covered two idea a great deal.
Let's follow up on that.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Would you blitz expecting that he'll see it coming and
check it down? And that's one way to also prevent
those uh you know, field field flipping plays.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I can remember a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Uh Meryl, I can't remember if you were on the
team at this time or not, but they the Steelers
actually did that to Dan Marino and all he did
was store sideways all day and they won the game
because he saw it, well, he saw the blitz coming
and oh, where's the checkdown guy.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
There you go, all right, second and seven.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
I will tell you, though, Burrows one of the least
blitz quarterback in the league. That's not the approach most
defenses tamed because.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
He's you man, if I'm doing if I'm playing chess here,
I'm not blitzing to sack him. I'm blitzing the force
and making a short sideways pass instead of a long
down the field path.
Speaker 6 (22:12):
I hear, well, here's the comment to do here, here's
the here's the key factor in all all of that.
There's a reason Joe Burrow isn't blitzed lot because you're
right when he does, the taises you and he stings you,
and you're like, oh my gosh, I'm not done doing that.
It's how you play first and second down. You know
where are where are you in third down? Are you
third and eighth? Are you third and three? There's your
(22:36):
there's a deciding factor. I mean, do we wait till
third down? Or do we do it all first down?
We do it on the downs that we you know, like,
you know third down, we all know. I mean it
kind of is somewhat of a throwing down to it
don't matter kind of it's the third and two. It's
the shorter, you know, which you can throw running there
as a possibility. But I think where you have to
(22:56):
think outside the boxes. Let's not blitz on on bullitsing downs.
Let's maybe do it when they least expect it and
even break our own tendencies. You know, let's let's come
on first down, let's come on second down. Let's come
on downs that you know, we put them behind the
chains early versus weight till third down to make that decision,
(23:18):
you know, And and if you don't do that, then
third down does make your decision, you know, if you're
third and five or less always starn a sedition probably
don't do that.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
You know.
Speaker 6 (23:27):
It's you know, because he can't throw it sideways and'll
still be going a first down. The way that the
way they're built, you know, you have to be third
and long really to actually to ratter that up. So
you know, maybe it's it's the first and second downs
that we do it to try to get them into
bad situations now on third down, but on second down
(23:48):
as well. So but you have to think like that,
that that's how just how good he is. You have
to think like that, you know, you have to operate
like that. That's what makes it fun. That's what That's
what I love about the NFL. Like you watch college football,
Let's say George and Alabama played, they ain't talking about this,
they are doing this down stuff. The family is a
godge football. I mean, yeah, that's what the NFL is.
(24:09):
You know, people are going what's hardest about you know,
trying to going from college of the NFL and go
to ich of the game. It is schematics. It starts
and ends there. Like if you can out wrap your
brain around stuff like this and be able to adjust
in a few short days and transfer that you you
just don't care what you're skill stedy, how talented you are.
It just needs advised to have. If you can't do that,
(24:30):
you've got to be able to do that. I an't
se what position. It's our quarterback, this's not just quarterbacks, everybody.
You've got to do that as a team, you know,
so the team that can best, you know, create that,
you know, except the plan is created. You know, Mike
to your point, but having ten days that doesn't help
the new situations when you're playing somebody with complex of
(24:52):
an issue as you're dealing with it's a lot better
to have ten versus seven.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
So I think t Higgins is a really really good
player having a great year. But I think what Chase
and Burrow have going back to LSU is truly special
and probably the best combination in the league. But I
think if you just isolate Chase, I think people don't
realize how good he is on his own no matter
who his quarterback is, and the numbers wouldn't be the same,
(25:21):
but in his own right standalone, just watching his tape,
I think he's as good as any receiver.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
In the league.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Oh an argument here, I think you know the physician
where they put him, You know it's hard. You know
that he doesn't just he's like a career like Peyton Manning, Harrison.
You know he's gonna be on right side period.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
You know that's where he is.
Speaker 6 (25:48):
H Stah does not do that. They they're moving everywhere.
You know Higgins, you know he is He could be
a number one by himself, and he is. He is
a problem too. You can't can't sleep on but he
You know that the chemistry that you you talked about
shows up with those guys, you know, and it shows
up you know not, that's just the structured stuff that
(26:10):
they do so well. But when he escapes, that's when
I think it really magnifies itself. That's why, you know,
letting him escape is a danger. You know, I still
think I would rather be go back to your point, Matt,
what you're thinking about, Let's keep in the pocket. I
know he's wicked there, but let's not let him. You know,
(26:31):
throw a bomb on a seventy yard. Didn't do that
twice in the game, by the way, you know, no
matter what down he does that you know just don't
want we just can't have that turn of events happen
where it's explosively play fears touchdown, play like that. You know,
if they get us a seventy, make sure it's in place.
You know it's sixty, make sure it's eight, but it ain't.
(26:53):
It ain't one or two. Because of that, you know,
my career that you know that that's what they built
and ll you know, I remember they played I can't
remember who they played in the Bowl in the National
Championship Game. I think it was was it Georgian No
Clemson and Clemson rattled Dan. I mean, I've never seen jokes.
I'm watching studying Joe Burrow all year. I get to
(27:17):
the Bowl game and like for the first two series,
like they had Joe Burrows went around at the top
and this is probably this was the deciding factor in
my perspective, is how he shook that off adjusted to
it and started briefing and Duncan until he reset the
(27:37):
offense and reset himself and then they just destroyed Clemson.
That's probably. I was like, okayse that dude. They just
don't see dudes like that very often, you know, I
mean that cat special. After he did stuff like that,
I was like, theres so even if he gets rattling
like like we've talked about that, that doesn't mean you
got him. You know. That's the that's the problem with
(28:00):
this game. In the record, everybody's going to just assume that,
you know, Pittsford should beat them, and that's a that's
a bad assumption.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
I would agree. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
One point loss to Kansas City, three point loss to
Baltimore in overtime, one point loss to Baltimore on a
two point conversion where there were three face masks that
weren't called uh. Seven point loss to the Chargers, five
point loss to the Commanders. Yeah, they're in a lot
of games against quality teams. They just haven't gotten over
to hump yet. But let's flip the switch here, Merrill.
(28:33):
We got the defensive game plan figured out. Offensively, are
the Steelers trying to possess it for forty minutes, run
it and grind it? Or do you go into this
thinking thirty five thirty eight points is the goal? We're
not kicking field goals on fourth and two from the
fourteen yard line, things of that nature.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
Well, you know, Mike Jess, Yeah, that's a good point,
and it's a great question. And here's what I will
go back to, Like, Okay, when I when I coached
in these scenarios, I like, Okay, the first thing you
can't do is do something that you're not you know,
you don't go out and thinking, okay, guys, you know,
I know we really run the ball. Well, we compliment
(29:14):
that our quarterback. You know we're going to go five
wideing'gran to chuck all over the place because we got
to keep points up. Then that's the last thing you
need to do. First of all, they didn't play very
well in every phase, Like they're off. The line was
savor across the board. Ayas the worst day ever and
and it also did not have a good day, you know,
(29:35):
and you miss some guys, didn't see some guys and
have people wide open. Now we're does some differences in
the game, quite honestly.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
So the everything.
Speaker 6 (29:43):
The first thing you need to do is re establish
who you are and what you do really well, and
that is how we run the football because that controls
the temple of the game, and that's your goal. You
got to control the temple of the game. But yeah,
you gotta score points off that. But let's let's score
them and based on how we could school and we
don't just have explosive plays all over the place like
(30:04):
they do. We might get there and then we try
to target those, but we've got to go back to
the team that we are and how we go about
even the football and how we go about controlling the temple,
because that's one of the most important aspects we need. You.
I'll give you a great example of like the mismatch
that this looks like. Okay, remember the Super Bowl Buffalo
(30:26):
and uh oh go I stayed in Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
And them Giants can Yeah, Buffalo and the Giants.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
The kid the giants did exactly that. That's exactly what
you have to do. And there's been many scenarios, examples
like I've just that we just talk to my head.
That's how you have to go about playing these games
because that's who you are. And if you if you
try to do anything outside of that, then you've lost
the game before you started. And so just to reset
(30:55):
yourself in the things that you do well, and you
have done well because off Cincinnati. You know, if you
do that, you and you're crazy if expulsive plays off them.
I'm know for a second saying you know, run first, second,
third down, and you know you thirty short, you round again.
And now I mean you look for explosively fighting. And
Russell's good at that too, by the way. You know,
when you get him the situations, he's a great guy.
(31:17):
He does a great job of complimenting. It's when he
just forced them to send the pocket, have to read
things and go through certain progressions. He struggles with That's
why they That's why I struggled in Denver with them,
you know, and that's why that's such a good job here.
They've kept him in his lane. They've asked him to
do the things he does really really well and when
they keep him there and then he makes explosive plays,
(31:37):
he does really good things. So that's what I'll go
back to. That's what I would be thinking, and that's
what I would expect.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
In this one.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
So, Meryl, I think we got this figured out. Uh
blitz when they don't expect it on defense and then
run the ball and then hit some playoffs and explosives,
don't have any turnovers, don't have any penalties, win the game.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Sounds like a plan not into it.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
Well, honestly, all those things you just said, it's that way.
The most important well, one of the most important was turnovers.
If you do that and you can reset yourself, I
mean you can. Yeah, you can beat this thing. You
know it will be a tight game. But you didn't
beat this game. There's no doubt about that.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Based on what you just said, Meryl, I feel better
talking this out with you. I was worried about this game.
I no longer have for this. This I truly thankful.
I have a great thanksgiving, Meryl. I love you, ele Me.
Thanks Jimmy mel Hods the factor back.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
I meant to ask him what kind of beasts does
he eat on? Thanksgiving, whatever he kills or whatever is
running around out back. Maybe yeah, ins.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Flexible that way.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
But now I'll tell you what the point he made about,
you know, the in depth schematic discussions. Our goal here
isn't to be too inside baseball, but we do want
to get to the heart of the matter, and I
think nobody does that better than than Merrill. Absolutely good stuff, well,
good stuff coming, So keep it here with Matt Williamson
and Mike Pursuda. You're listening to Steelers Preview right here
(33:02):
on your Steelers Flagship one of two point five DVE
and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DV.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Welcome back, Mike Pursuer, Matt Williamson getting ready for the
Steelers and the Bengals Sunday in Cincinnati on this a
Thanksgiving Eve special edition of Steelers Preview right here on
Flagship one of two point five TV and the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Matt, I don't mind arguing with Merrill.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
Sometimes I didn't feel as if tonight it was the
way to go because I don't know, I'm overcome with
holiday cheer and.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Rally and all that.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
But when he says they are a good defense that
has bad moments. I only noticed those moments when the
other team has the ball and snaps. They said, there's
a lot of moments.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Then, Yeah, I'm just gonna run down some numbers in
And I know Meryl's not a stats guy. Sure, stats
don't tell you the entirety of the story.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
But this Bengals defense at the Steelers going up against
twenty third in yards per game, twenty first in rushing
yards per game, twenty third in passing yards per game,
twenty seventh in third down efficiency, thirty first in red zone,
and twenty eighth in points per game against. Yeah, I
(34:19):
mean that those are bad numbers across.
Speaker 5 (34:21):
Would you say red zone was or was like right
the bottom of lead.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
Thirty first, they're allowing touchdowns on seventy point five to
nine percent of opponents trips inside the twenty and over.
Speaker 5 (34:31):
The last three weeks they've allowed like eighty five percent.
I mean, I mean, it's just like letting people roam
into the end zone. It's it's really rough. Like as
great as their offenses, they only produce one more yard
per game than they allow, you know what I mean,
Like it is equally bad. Even Steven and then every
close game they find a way to lose part of
(34:53):
it because their kicker doesn't make many field goals.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
That is part of the thing.
Speaker 5 (34:57):
Like, I'm not going to crush you with stats, but
this one me away. I mean, they have three losses
this year where they've scored thirty three loins or more.
The rest of the league has two combined. It just
sums up there. Their season in a nutshell.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
I got a similar one. Knock it down to thirty points. Okay,
they're two and three when they score thirty points. Yeah,
the rest of the league is sixty three and three.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
Sixty three and three. That's and you watch the games
stats aside, there's ends of these games where Chase and
Burrow are kind of like, what more do you want
me to do? You know, like, I've been near perfect
today playing elite level football. This is getting old man.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
What to expect is brought to you by Brian Patton
and associates. It's all about the benefits. I expect the
Bengals to heat up at some point, and I want
to go back to that Chargers game again. Meryl referenced
that he and I saw a little bit of a
different game there because the Chargers got out to a
twenty seven to six lead, and it looked like they
could do whatever they wanted it.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
Yeah, late second half was a lot different.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Late third quarter, five thirty left, Bengals have a fourth
and goal at the four. Burrow hits t Higgins for
a touchdown to make a twenty seven to thirteen. Then
the defense came up with a three and out. Then
the Chargers came up with a thirty two yard punt.
Wrong time to have a bad punt. Sorry, too soon.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Now another fourth down, fourth and two at the fifty.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
This time Burrow goes downtown to Higgins touchdown, forty two
yard touchdown, then a fumble recovery, and then one more touchdown.
Three touchdowns in eight minutes, give or take, and all
of a sudden, it's a tie game.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
Yeah. I mean, they were doing nothing in the first.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Half and they just hit a fourth down and got cooking,
and man, were they unstoppable for a brief period there.
Speaker 5 (36:50):
I mentioned I think there's five elite quarterbacks on the
planet right now, and one.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
Of them's Hurder, one of them's Lamar, one of them's Burrow.
Speaker 5 (36:58):
And watching those guys do, whether it's one half along
as the other one to the other or drive after
drive or or whatever is really something and with all
respector Russ, you can't get in that kind of game
with this team. I mean, the Steelers aren't built that way.
Although it's such a quarterback centric league.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
I do expect that at Summit they were gonna be
a spot.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
They're gonna heat up and it's gonna be, oh boy,
what do you do now? Because they're rolling and they're
gonna score a couple of quick ones.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
He's remarkably competitive and he's unbelievable from the backup in
all facets, and that's.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Why gotta be able to steal that momentum back. That
was what to expect, brought to you by Brian Patten
and Associates. It's all about the benefits regarding the point
you made a minute ago about they find a way
to lose all that stuff. I just told you about
the combustible period when they came back from twenty seven
to six to tie it to twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
You know what happened after that?
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Money mack Evan McPherson, the field goal kicker, missed two
field goals.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
He's like seventy two percent for the year forty.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Eight yarder and a fifty one yarder, both of those
who have given Cincinnati the lead. In the fourth quarter,
a couple punts were exchanged, and then I mentioned this
brief flue to Merril. Chargers got the ball back with
forty five seconds left at their own sixteen yard line
and went twenty eight yard pass to Ladd McConkie, twenty
(38:19):
seven yard pass to Ladd McConkie, and then Dobbins JK.
Dobbins finished it off with a twenty nine yard touchdown run.
The Bengals gate did all that work and came all
that way back just to hemorrhage three huge plays at
the precise time when you can't do that, forty five
seconds from overtime and they couldn't get there.
Speaker 5 (38:38):
And you mentioned the secondary issues, which are very real,
but a lot of it's because they're such a bad
pass rushing team. You know, they can't put teams away
in those instances. The only two teams that have that
are worst rushing the passer right now are the Panthers,
and I forget my head, somebody terrible. Thank god. They
have the guy leading the league in sacks and they
have the guy leading the league in sacks but nothing else.
(39:01):
And he's a phenomenal player. But if you look, he's
gotten his sacks and clusters against the real bad teams.
I think he has like four versa Raiders, two against
the Browns when they had backups after backups. If you
put Darnell Washington next to Dan Moore and just don't
let him reek havoc, they have a real hard time
putting teams away.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Did you think they did a good enough job against
Garrett because I thought's comatic. I don't like the drive
by chip against a guy like that. I'm keeping warn
in the back. That's like a hitting. Yeah, I mean
it was ineffective.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
I mean we laugh at it whenever Kyle Pitts in
Week one would brush against Watt. Yeah, you know, and
Garrett's even more physical to handle those things.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
I mean to me, you know he's coming, you take
you take thirty out of the route and stick him
there on Wilson's left side and say.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
Yeah, keep this guy off of it.
Speaker 5 (39:51):
Unlike why that don't mean to compare the two like
one of garrett sacks with him looping into Frasier, you know,
like he's not always in the same spot. He's a
force of nature. I mean, there's no right answer to
take him out of the game when he's playing that well.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
But I'm with yeah, I'm apparently motivated. Yeah, but just.
Speaker 5 (40:08):
Brushing against him on the way out to a route
is not even going to impair him.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
We talked about how the Bengals find ways to lose games.
Now the Steelers, that's normally not how they rolled, and
boy did they find three in Cleveland. Everything that went
wrong in that game and they were able to somehow
take the lead in the fourth quarter. Yeah, and you
get the interception I was Dante Jackson with four minutes
(40:34):
and twenty two seconds left.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Then you go three and out fifteen yard punt. The
punt was the biggest play the game.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
And then the defense can't get off the field on
four and three and eventually gives fourth and three and
eventually gives up the game winning touchdown drive, all three
phases collapsing at the moment of truth. I hope that's
not who they are. It's not who they've been. And
now if that's who they are, and they're not going anywhere.
Speaker 5 (40:54):
Either, especially in the AFC with the quarterbacks out of
the face and the playoffs and all those type because they,
like Merrill said, he'll make you pay. Yeah, I mean,
you make those kind of mistakes. It's this guy will
make you pay. My homes will make you pay. I
don't will make you pay. There were two points in
that game when they hit Austin for the touchdown and
when they intercepted Winston that I would have bet my
(41:15):
mortgage the Steelers were gonna win. I'm like, Wow, they
got away with one. They won this game, and then
they didn't.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Well you think the great subject of great debate putting
fields in to throw down the field to Pickens, what'd
you think?
Speaker 5 (41:27):
I dislike it a great deal because Wilson's a very
good depasser.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
It's kind of like I know that you know that.
I know that you know.
Speaker 5 (41:34):
I don't need fade routes of Corrol Patterson Eaters either.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
I love the Pickens play because it was zero coverage,
as Mike tom Will pointed out, and I feel comfortable
quoting this because I pointed it out on Friday after
the game. All the defenders within five yards of the
line of scrimmage and they had no better than their
third corner on Pickens. One on one and looking at it,
the throw was there. Oh, it's the play you have
(41:58):
to make, right, a white play call. It didn't fail
because Fields was rusty or oh okay, yeah, he put
the ball where he needed to be put pickings, turned
himself around. He might have got interfered with. Bottom line,
he didn't catch the ball. Your best guy needs to
come through for you. Yeah's heart put the game away.
Speaker 5 (42:15):
It's kind of like the fake punt thing, like they're
gonna give you that look. You have to take it,
and more often than not you're gonna convert it.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
You didn't in that instant, So do you keep the.
Speaker 5 (42:24):
Pedal down on the field stuff? Because I don't love it.
I don't hate it either. I understand both sides. I
could be the lawyer on either side of that, you know, litigation.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Hey, if they can't figure out a play where you
turn around and hand it's the nausey and it works.
I'm all for running that right, But their short yardage
is not up to speed now it's below the line.
You got to figure something out.
Speaker 5 (42:45):
Like It bothers me that people cite the stats about
Fields is so much better in the red zone. Well,
I think Wilson could have handed at the warrant and
got a touchdown too, you know, like they scored a
touchdown with fields behind center. But he handed the war like.
It wasn't like he did something spectacular.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (43:02):
I mean, I think it does disrupt the rhythm of
the offense a little bit, but I understand having him
knock get his jersey dirty for sixty minutes also doesn't
make a lot of sense.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
They can have got it right, right, I got to
take advantage of him. And here's a number you'll like.
Speaker 5 (43:14):
By far, the worst team in the league in terms
of allowing quarterback rushing yards. They're thirty second, and whoever
thirty one is is one hundred yards behind them.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
I think Taysom Hill skewer it down a little wit
a little bit. Yeah, yeah, let's go do it for
us tonight.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Thanks to Merrill for joining us as he always does. Matt,
thanks for being here. Thanksgiving, Happy Thanks Thanks to Justin
Miller for his flawless work pushing the buttons and turning
the dials and keeping everything just as it needs to be.
Speaker 3 (43:44):
Is good enough. He's talking about flawless.
Speaker 2 (43:46):
Hope we got yourself, you know, I'm gonna easy, greater.
I hope we got you ready reason as you can be.
For Steelers and the Bengals will do this again next week.
We'll be back onto our regular thing Thursday schedule until then,
For Matt Williams said on Mike Persuda, this has been
Steels preview right here on your Steelers flagship one of
(44:08):
two point five DVE and the Steelers Audio Network. Happy
Thanksgiving and good night everybody,
Welcome to the Steelers Preview show on w dB E Pittsburgh,
brought to you by your neighborhood thought store. The F
one fifty is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers
by Brian Patton and associates. It's all about the benefits
and by the Steelers Pro Shop. Get it to wreck
from the team at shop dot Steelers dot com. And
now here are your hosts, Merril Hodge, Matt Williamson, and
(00:21):
Mike Persuda.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good evening and welcome to our pre Thanksgiving special edition
to Steelers Preview. Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson with you
to break down Steelers and the Bengals Sunday in Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Are factor back. Merril Hodge will.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Be with us momentarily, but Matt, let's get the social
graces out of the way. I am truly thankful to
be doing this show with you again, this.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Show, yeah, as am I I have a blast.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
And Happy Thanksgiving to you. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Yeah,
and everybody out there listening. Not sure how thankful the
Steelers are for this schedule. That's not It's a nice
non contending with.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Here, but I think the grind really started against Washington
and then Baltimore, and then four days later on the
road in Cleveland, and.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Now at Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
But I know we'll get into this with Merrill in
more detail, but pay no attention to the man behind
the curtain who says this team is four and seven. Oh,
I agree, this one's going to be problematic. Problematic.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
I mean, I think there are five quarterbacks in the
league right now that are heads above everyone else, and
Burrows at very much in that mix.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I mean, I don't like using.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
The word elite, but he's an elite football player at
the most important position on the field. And this offense
is phenomenal. They do not look like a four and
seven team to me, and everything they do so well
on offense is almost exactly counteracted by the other side
of the ball. It's remarkable. I mean, some of the
numbers that they've put up this year are crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Let's kick things off tonight the way we always still will.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Take a look at the practice participation for today Wednesday.
Normally do this on a Thursday and there's a little
more clarity. But first practice of the week. You know,
they did some running around Tuesday, but today's when things
really start to focus in and Alex Heismith did not
practice for the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
That's the one I'm keeping an eye on.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Obviously, right some running yesterday, did some stuff today on
his own. Talked to him yesterday, said he really wants
to play, but as he pointed out, Matt, it's his
left ankle and the side of the field he's on.
The left leg's a big deal. It's got to be
right or he can't go. It's his push off.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
Yea.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
I hadn't thought about the left right situation, but that
makes all the sense in the world.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Great player.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
But they can live without him though, Yeah, I mean,
but it is the most important Steeler injury to me.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Do you know they're uh six and zero with him?
I heard and two and three without him. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I wasn't aware of that till yesterday. Dale told me
that the other day. Yeah, I guess that adds up
Montravius Adams defensive tackle and Corey Trice junior cornerback, both
full participants.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Those guys are still on the.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Twenty one day IR window clock to see whether they
can come back and stick their hand in the big fan.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I'd like to see him get in there.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah, and boy has the defensive line sagged a little
bit in his absence.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
I just don't think bentons and nose and I think
he's more Cam Hayward than he is nose tackle.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Something's a little missed there. For Cincinnati, much more pressing concerns.
Two guys didn't practice today, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankin's illness
and linebacker Logan Wilson knee.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
He's one of their key guys.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, they're left tackle Orlando Brown has missed three consecutive
games fibula. He was limited today, as was the right tackle,
rookie a Marius Mims ankle. But the real problems in
the secondary because two names I did not mention on
the practice participation report aren't on it because they're on
(03:54):
the reserve injured list. That would be cornerback DJ Turner
and cornerback Dax Hill. The Bengals Matt Michigan Wolverine. They't
have as much luck with Michigan corners as the Steelers
are with Michigan wide receiver. Well' that's the two starting corners, right,
I mean they're first and the second round.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Maybe this is a big the.
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Worst in progress, to say the least, they're both really
good athletes that aren't as good as football players. That's
a big deal. The the high Smith injuries and one
to work. Look at it in the Steelers. But I
think Orlando Brown and Wilson or the two to really
pay attention to. With the Bengals. I mean, Wilson's a
green dot guy. Cody Fords had to fill in for
Orlando Brown. He came in the league as a second
(04:35):
round pick because they weren't sure is he a tackle?
Is he a guard? He's really neither and if anything,
he's a guard. He's been misplaced. I mean he's their
fourth offensive tackle this year. Well, it didn't work out
so well in the Cleveland game. Now he's fourth offensive tackle. Matchup,
he's a problem.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
It was the same thing and they didn't exploit it.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Oh, I see what you're saying, right right.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yeah. The other guy, Mims is rookie.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, he was not as highly regarded as some of
those guys that went higher than him. But I have
in my notes off the Bengals Chargers game both ots suspect.
Would you say that's an accurate assessment.
Speaker 5 (05:11):
I think Ford's just a bad player. Mims to me,
is a really good prospect. But right now, Trem Brown
was supposed to be the right tackle. Orlando Brown was
supposed to be the left tackle. Trim Brown, as he
usually does, got hurt really early in the process because
Mims needs a year. I mean, they drafted in the
first round not wanting him to start. I think he's
got a bright future and he's done some good things.
(05:32):
But if he's the old TJ. Watt over and over
and over alone, that's going to be a problem. So
that's why the Orlando Brown thinks so important. Because a
forge's playing, you have to help him. If he isn't,
I'm sure Orlando Brown will be on an island all
day long.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I think one of the reasons that people are looking
at this game with as much trepidation as I since
throughout Steeler Nation. When you looked at the schedule after
the Baltimore game, I was thinking, Okay, beat Cleveland and
then Cincinnati's and maybe, but you're not in bad shape
if you lose that one.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
As long as you take care of business in Cleveland,
one of the two would be great.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Well, now they have not taken care of business against Cleveland,
and they put a whole lot more I think on
this one because of that, I tend.
Speaker 5 (06:16):
To agree, but there's so much more weight on the
Bengal shoulders. I mean, if you look where they're at
at four and seven. I know it's not what you
asked or thought they brought up, but they're four and seven.
They really don't have a shot to win the North.
I mean, I think that's a pipe dream. But they
already have five conference losses. Oh, they can't lose again.
They can't lose again, especially in conference, so they got
(06:38):
no chance at a wild card. So this is kind
of a you know, loser leave town match for them.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
And I thought, you know, credit to James Winston who
he has transformed Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I think they played well. I'm not saying the Browns
should be playing in a parade anytime soon, but they
were fairly different teams.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Horrifically bad with Deshaul Watson. Incredible I think was the
term I would use. Yeah, I think the way they
played what bothered you the most about the Steelers performance
pass rush.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
There's a lot to pick from there is.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
I'm not trying to candy coade it, but the loss
didn't bother me as much as it bothered Steel a
Nation or everyone else involved apparently, like we do a
schedule release show and that one came out. I'm like,
that's probably a loss, and a lot's changed since now
on the schedule release show. But I don't think there's
a lot of I don't know if you have to
hang your head so low to lose on the road
(07:31):
in that building, in a tundra in the second half
against a credible team, you know, like I made the
mistake going into that game thinking this is one of
the worst teams in the league. The twenty twenty four
Browns are one of the worst teams in the league.
The Winston to Now version is an average NFL team.
You know, Miles Garrett's good, and they have a good defense.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
And the more than two and two they are with Winston, Yes,
they're gonna win more game than the one and six
they were garbage they were before, right, I mean, they're
gonna they might go, you know, win three more games
this year. I don't think they're a disaster. Here's what
really bothered me about that game. It put me in
The pass rush was number one. Put me in a
bad mood. Watch in the entirety of it because the
first five possessions, Cleveland went three and out twice. Pittsburgh
(08:16):
moved the ball up and down the field. The total
yards after the Steelers' third possession, which was the fifth
possession of the game, were one hundred and fifty four
for the Steelers and nine for the Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
I think time of possession was like seventeen minutes to three.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And the score was three to nothing. Yeah, and you
just let them. It should have been seventeen to nothing
and the game should have been all but over.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
We should have been stepping on their throat at that
point for a team that has nothing to play for.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
By declining to finish drives. Yep, yep, yeah, they said, Okay,
Brown's alive. I want this one. You got a shot. Yeah,
let's let's play.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
You know, the Browns are on fire and you're covering
them up with a blanket and fire out, you know
what I mean, instead of throwing gas on it.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
So my question for you is against a bad defense,
can the Steelers come out smoking at pay Course Stadium
and get the jump and they men have to They
might have to keep up.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Who knows.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I don't know how Cincinnati's gonna do the Bengals. To me,
their numbers are great, but they have ups and downs
in games like most teams. Sure, sure they're incredibly combustible
at times and at times they struggle like everybody. Yeah,
but do you think the Steelers can can start fast
and go faster?
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I think it'll be really telling.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
I mean, can we stop talking about the red zone
woes after this game? Because not only are they terrible
in the red zone, they keep getting worse and worse
the Bengals defense, I mean, and I don't know that
this is an offense though that's gonna come out and
be fourteen nothing before you know it, or seventeen nothing
at the half. But I do think it'll be telling
(09:48):
of where the Steelers offense is at.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I would I would agree. Yeah, I'm not sure I
want the answer, but yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
I don't get one, But I agree with you that
this is a very bad defense.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Steel's Previews brought to you in part by the Steelers
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Speaker 3 (10:15):
Oh, I'm gonna draw it down right now. I'm a
big authentic memorabilia guy. Okay, that's a good thing, just
how I roll. Yeah, hold my breath on that one.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
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Speaker 3 (10:38):
When we come back, we get the ball of the
factor back.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Meryl Hodge gives us his pre Thanksgiving thoughts on what
he anticipates might turn out to be the critical factor
of Sunday when the Steelers h Hornets Nest Alamo game.
The Bengals are gonna it's Gettysburg and they're the twentieth Maine.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
They're gonna defend to the last Man and the Alamo.
I mean, this is their season, Oh it is.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
It really is a loss here I think eliminates them,
which could make weight Week eighteen a heck of a
lot easier on you too.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
If they have nothing to play for. That's the cherry
on top of the Sunday. If you get it done,
Meryl's next. You're listening to Steelers.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Preview right here on your Steelers Flagship one O two
point five DVE and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DVE.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Welcome back to.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
A pre Thanksgiving special holiday edition of Steelers Preview. Mike
Pursuit It and Matt Williamson getting you ready for the
Steelers at the Bengals.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Sunday.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Time now to welcome the factor back of our show,
Merril Hodge to the program, Meryl, before we take a
deep dive into Steelers Bengles Happy Thanksgiving.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Well, okay, buch, you guys now, you guys all have
a worst Thanksgiving and everybody else well said.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I've been thinking about this game is I'm sure a
lot of people have, because I think it's one that
can go either way. And my study of the Bengals
goes two games deep. And here's what I've concluded from
that two game deep dive. The Bengals are very very
good offensively. They stink defensively, so you're gonna have to
(12:21):
score some points to beat him, and the way to
limit them offensively as best you can. You got to
get to Joe Burrow. He's been really mobile the games
I watched the second Ravens game and the Chargers game.
He's been phenomenal at dealing with pressure and duress and
finding a way to allow himself.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
To throw the ball. In that regard, if they round
really well, if.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
They're gonna hold these guys down at.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
All, they got to get Burrow on the ground.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
What do you think, Well, actually, I WoT there's all
unpacked there. I'm gonna start with the defense, and I
disagree that they're They're terrible. They have terrible moments. I'll
give you two scenarios. Last week's scenario in the raven scenario. Okay,
excuse me. Two weeks ago, and they played the Chargers.
(13:10):
This is almost identically what happened to him. Defensively, for
fifty nine minutes, they were absolutely, really rock solid. Lamar
Jackson made some you know, just some incredible stupid MVP
type plays on them, Okay, up to the point, and
they held Henry in check. They held the Chargers in
(13:31):
check almost the entire game until the last minute. You know,
they fell apart. You know, Chargers got a big run
on to win the game.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Well, you said fell apart forty five seconds left, twenty
eight yard past twenty seven yard past twenty nine yard
run ball game.
Speaker 6 (13:47):
Yeah, yeah, And so so for fifty nine minutes, they're like,
they're really good and they actually do some really good things,
you know, other.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Than the ending business and what did you think of
the play?
Speaker 6 (13:59):
Yeah, and that's almost true. You know, I don't just
tell you like you can't get lost in the you
know when you when you say that, like, I think
people will.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Think, oh, these guys are just not very.
Speaker 6 (14:07):
Good and as a whole, you know, based on how
they've lost people, as a whole, they're not very good.
And actually that's not true. They are pretty good now,
you know. They lost I think the last names Reader.
Their defense is tackle to the Lions, and I really
feel like they lost their the heart of their defense.
(14:28):
Like that dude, most people would not know him, People
would never recognize him. And I can watch Reader play
all day.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
I checked.
Speaker 6 (14:43):
Could he absolutely rex people? I mean, listen to the Lions,
you know, not to sidetracked area, but the Lions really,
you know, Hutchinson, they lose Hutchinson. They think if the
Steelers lost d J. Watt, but you do not know
that they've lost Hutchinson. You know Huncheon makes those you
(15:05):
know those places they missed that. But as a defense
as a whole, they're playing championship style defense. What they're doing,
I mean the way they swum to the football, the
way they control the middle of your team, how well
they play it front. You know, they've dialed up some
pressures that they didn't have to use before because of
Leman say, like they did it fall apart and a
(15:27):
lot of it is because of the club.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Their team.
Speaker 6 (15:29):
Like people were asking you, I figured I was somewhere
somebody goes, hey, where would you start building a team?
I will build a team from the ball out. I
will never build a team from the outside inn. I
will never build my offense around wide receiver ever ever,
I don't care who he is. I will never do that.
(15:49):
I will say, there's a value in them, there's extreme value. However,
if you want to really be a championship team, man,
you're good. The better you are closer to the ball,
the chances you win win in a championship and you
when they lost that guy, they just they're just not
the staying from that perspective that they are not bad.
I mean they these are bad moments, and you hope
(16:12):
you you know, you get those bad moments on him.
And you know you mentioned Joe Burrow. I you know,
I did a playbook, uh for the Steers the show.
And then I think that you try to you try
to give them example some examples of his greatness. I
think he's the best quarterback in the NFL from here,
early pocket processing and accuracy. Nobody better and that includes everybody. Okay, yes,
(16:40):
Patrick Mahomes, he Pat Mahomes and he is good. Pat
Maholmes good. He's not as good as Joe Burrow. Joe
Burrow processes things quickly, decisively, and then the ball comes
out with actually and about it too, about an eighty
percent time. He's gonna sting you. If you don't get
pressure on him, then you get pressure on like you
(17:00):
have to treat you him like Lamar Jackson in the
sense of you can't give him an escape lane because
now he's not gonna run. I mean he'll run on you,
not like Lamarl wrong you. He'll run on you and
damage it. But he's gonna run to the final Senate
final line. And then he's gonna annail you if you
if you make a mistake on coverage, I mean an
alliate And it's just, man, it is a big ask
(17:24):
of your team. You've got to be as buttoned up
as they've been all year. It's it's it's equivalent to
Lamar only worsh because you know, Lamar keep me in
the pocket. And he when he's just steeling consistent enough
that he's gonna give you some chances. Now, Joe Burrow,
let's keep you that chance. He's gonna annally you. So
(17:45):
you know you gotta get there and finish as quick
as you can. And that's a hard thing. That's that's
that's a that's a big ask of of your defense
and caho your defense is so this is not an
easy one by any stretch of the imagination.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
Certainly feel it's free to disagree, but it's early in
the week. We got to make these decisions quick with Thanksgiving.
But I think if I'm game planning against the Bengals defense,
I know I'm gonna give up yards, i know I'm
gonna give up points. They're gonna get theirs no matter what.
Even though the Steelers are not a heavy cover two team.
I think I'm putting two deep safeties and playing with
(18:20):
lighter boxes. And if they handed the Chase Brown over
and over, so be it. If they nickel and die
me with Higgins and Chase, so be it. But those
two are great after the catch, I can't let them
get over my head. And frankly, after the way the
Steelers front played last week for ten days, if I
were Tomlin, I would Needle, Hayward and Watt to no
(18:40):
end that you guys have to win this game with
the four man rush.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
Yeah, well, I lock up. The one thing every chance
argue is they have playmaker ability and explosive ability that
is unmatched. You know, it's unmatched. I mean there's not
one guy, there's two and possibly three guys that you
got to worry about with that team. You know that,
(19:06):
you know they're running game. Just enough aggravation, you know,
and give them the thirty hill. You know, he runs hard,
he you know, he'll do enough things that might make
you want to come out of but I you know, look,
let's kind of like we are on a staff meeting
right now. Anybody that would say, well, you know what,
(19:28):
let's you know, let's let's prioritize, you know, not letting
them run too and you'd be you probably get kicked
out of the meeting. You got to meet you all right.
You just you've got to find ways it coverage wise,
that you just don't give up big time explosive plays
(19:48):
because they find ways no matter what coverage is. You
know the playbook I showed her, I think it was
a cover. It was a quarters coverage, So quarters coverage
for people that I'm like, what's that?
Speaker 2 (19:57):
What do you have?
Speaker 6 (19:57):
Like four across? You know, you know, you corner safety, safety, corner,
And it doesn't matter what coverg you get in. They
find ways to manipulate and attack it and beat it,
you know, especially don't get get pressure on the broken off.
So your point, I don't think that. I think there
will be something within the scope of that. You know,
(20:19):
you got you got guys on there. Just there'll struggle
on that printer too. Let's let's add that layer. You know,
their tackles struggle. You know, it isn't like you can't
what you're asking can't be done.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
You could do that.
Speaker 6 (20:36):
You know, their offices line a little better, but they're
not juggernaut that they can't just leave their right tackle
and their left tackle alone all day. They got to
do stuff helped them out. So I'm not going to disagree.
If you hell eventually come to what game plan, whatever
it comes down to, it's going to be one that says, well,
(20:58):
you can't let them kill us with exposed plays and
big time touchdowns. And that just happened for like the
last months too, by the way, I guess everybody. So
it's it's a big ask of your team, but that
has to be the priority because that there's nothing more
devastating than a quick death, you know, in football, and
I can and.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
I can do it for you.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Yeah, like Williams has covered two idea a great deal.
Let's follow up on that.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Would you blitz expecting that he'll see it coming and
check it down? And that's one way to also prevent
those uh you know, field field flipping plays.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I can remember a long time ago.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Uh Meryl, I can't remember if you were on the
team at this time or not, but they the Steelers
actually did that to Dan Marino and all he did
was store sideways all day and they won the game
because he saw it, well, he saw the blitz coming
and oh, where's the checkdown guy.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
There you go, all right, second and seven.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
I will tell you, though, Burrows one of the least
blitz quarterback in the league. That's not the approach most
defenses tamed because.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
He's you man, if I'm doing if I'm playing chess here,
I'm not blitzing to sack him. I'm blitzing the force
and making a short sideways pass instead of a long
down the field path.
Speaker 6 (22:12):
I hear, well, here's the comment to do here, here's
the here's the key factor in all all of that.
There's a reason Joe Burrow isn't blitzed lot because you're
right when he does, the taises you and he stings you,
and you're like, oh my gosh, I'm not done doing that.
It's how you play first and second down. You know
where are where are you in third down? Are you
third and eighth? Are you third and three? There's your
(22:36):
there's a deciding factor. I mean, do we wait till
third down? Or do we do it all first down?
We do it on the downs that we you know, like,
you know third down, we all know. I mean it
kind of is somewhat of a throwing down to it
don't matter kind of it's the third and two. It's
the shorter, you know, which you can throw running there
as a possibility. But I think where you have to
(22:56):
think outside the boxes. Let's not blitz on on bullitsing downs.
Let's maybe do it when they least expect it and
even break our own tendencies. You know, let's let's come
on first down, let's come on second down. Let's come
on downs that you know, we put them behind the
chains early versus weight till third down to make that decision,
(23:18):
you know, And and if you don't do that, then
third down does make your decision, you know, if you're
third and five or less always starn a sedition probably
don't do that.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
You know.
Speaker 6 (23:27):
It's you know, because he can't throw it sideways and'll
still be going a first down. The way that the
way they're built, you know, you have to be third
and long really to actually to ratter that up. So
you know, maybe it's it's the first and second downs
that we do it to try to get them into
bad situations now on third down, but on second down
(23:48):
as well. So but you have to think like that,
that that's how just how good he is. You have
to think like that, you know, you have to operate
like that. That's what makes it fun. That's what That's
what I love about the NFL. Like you watch college football,
Let's say George and Alabama played, they ain't talking about this,
they are doing this down stuff. The family is a
godge football. I mean, yeah, that's what the NFL is.
(24:09):
You know, people are going what's hardest about you know,
trying to going from college of the NFL and go
to ich of the game. It is schematics. It starts
and ends there. Like if you can out wrap your
brain around stuff like this and be able to adjust
in a few short days and transfer that you you
just don't care what you're skill stedy, how talented you are.
It just needs advised to have. If you can't do that,
(24:30):
you've got to be able to do that. I an't
se what position. It's our quarterback, this's not just quarterbacks, everybody.
You've got to do that as a team, you know,
so the team that can best, you know, create that,
you know, except the plan is created. You know, Mike
to your point, but having ten days that doesn't help
the new situations when you're playing somebody with complex of
(24:52):
an issue as you're dealing with it's a lot better
to have ten versus seven.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
So I think t Higgins is a really really good
player having a great year. But I think what Chase
and Burrow have going back to LSU is truly special
and probably the best combination in the league. But I
think if you just isolate Chase, I think people don't
realize how good he is on his own no matter
who his quarterback is, and the numbers wouldn't be the same,
(25:21):
but in his own right standalone, just watching his tape,
I think he's as good as any receiver.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
In the league.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Oh an argument here, I think you know the physician
where they put him, You know it's hard. You know
that he doesn't just he's like a career like Peyton Manning, Harrison.
You know he's gonna be on right side period.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
You know that's where he is.
Speaker 6 (25:48):
H Stah does not do that. They they're moving everywhere.
You know Higgins, you know he is He could be
a number one by himself, and he is. He is
a problem too. You can't can't sleep on but he
You know that the chemistry that you you talked about
shows up with those guys, you know, and it shows
up you know not, that's just the structured stuff that
(26:10):
they do so well. But when he escapes, that's when
I think it really magnifies itself. That's why, you know,
letting him escape is a danger. You know, I still
think I would rather be go back to your point, Matt,
what you're thinking about, Let's keep in the pocket. I
know he's wicked there, but let's not let him. You know,
(26:31):
throw a bomb on a seventy yard. Didn't do that
twice in the game, by the way, you know, no
matter what down he does that you know just don't
want we just can't have that turn of events happen
where it's explosively play fears touchdown, play like that. You know,
if they get us a seventy, make sure it's in place.
You know it's sixty, make sure it's eight, but it ain't.
(26:53):
It ain't one or two. Because of that, you know,
my career that you know that that's what they built
and ll you know, I remember they played I can't
remember who they played in the Bowl in the National
Championship Game. I think it was was it Georgian No
Clemson and Clemson rattled Dan. I mean, I've never seen jokes.
I'm watching studying Joe Burrow all year. I get to
(27:17):
the Bowl game and like for the first two series,
like they had Joe Burrows went around at the top
and this is probably this was the deciding factor in
my perspective, is how he shook that off adjusted to
it and started briefing and Duncan until he reset the
(27:37):
offense and reset himself and then they just destroyed Clemson.
That's probably. I was like, okayse that dude. They just
don't see dudes like that very often, you know, I
mean that cat special. After he did stuff like that,
I was like, theres so even if he gets rattling
like like we've talked about that, that doesn't mean you
got him. You know. That's the that's the problem with
(28:00):
this game. In the record, everybody's going to just assume that,
you know, Pittsford should beat them, and that's a that's
a bad assumption.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
I would agree. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
One point loss to Kansas City, three point loss to
Baltimore in overtime, one point loss to Baltimore on a
two point conversion where there were three face masks that
weren't called uh. Seven point loss to the Chargers, five
point loss to the Commanders. Yeah, they're in a lot
of games against quality teams. They just haven't gotten over
to hump yet. But let's flip the switch here, Merrill.
(28:33):
We got the defensive game plan figured out. Offensively, are
the Steelers trying to possess it for forty minutes, run
it and grind it? Or do you go into this
thinking thirty five thirty eight points is the goal? We're
not kicking field goals on fourth and two from the
fourteen yard line, things of that nature.
Speaker 6 (28:53):
Well, you know, Mike Jess, Yeah, that's a good point,
and it's a great question. And here's what I will
go back to, Like, Okay, when I when I coached
in these scenarios, I like, Okay, the first thing you
can't do is do something that you're not you know,
you don't go out and thinking, okay, guys, you know,
I know we really run the ball. Well, we compliment
(29:14):
that our quarterback. You know we're going to go five
wideing'gran to chuck all over the place because we got
to keep points up. Then that's the last thing you
need to do. First of all, they didn't play very
well in every phase, Like they're off. The line was
savor across the board. Ayas the worst day ever and
and it also did not have a good day, you know,
(29:35):
and you miss some guys, didn't see some guys and
have people wide open. Now we're does some differences in
the game, quite honestly.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
So the everything.
Speaker 6 (29:43):
The first thing you need to do is re establish
who you are and what you do really well, and
that is how we run the football because that controls
the temple of the game, and that's your goal. You
got to control the temple of the game. But yeah,
you gotta score points off that. But let's let's score
them and based on how we could school and we
don't just have explosive plays all over the place like
(30:04):
they do. We might get there and then we try
to target those, but we've got to go back to
the team that we are and how we go about
even the football and how we go about controlling the temple,
because that's one of the most important aspects we need. You.
I'll give you a great example of like the mismatch
that this looks like. Okay, remember the Super Bowl Buffalo
(30:26):
and uh oh go I stayed in Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
And them Giants can Yeah, Buffalo and the Giants.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
The kid the giants did exactly that. That's exactly what
you have to do. And there's been many scenarios, examples
like I've just that we just talk to my head.
That's how you have to go about playing these games
because that's who you are. And if you if you
try to do anything outside of that, then you've lost
the game before you started. And so just to reset
(30:55):
yourself in the things that you do well, and you
have done well because off Cincinnati. You know, if you
do that, you and you're crazy if expulsive plays off them.
I'm know for a second saying you know, run first, second,
third down, and you know you thirty short, you round again.
And now I mean you look for explosively fighting. And
Russell's good at that too, by the way. You know,
when you get him the situations, he's a great guy.
(31:17):
He does a great job of complimenting. It's when he
just forced them to send the pocket, have to read
things and go through certain progressions. He struggles with That's
why they That's why I struggled in Denver with them,
you know, and that's why that's such a good job here.
They've kept him in his lane. They've asked him to
do the things he does really really well and when
they keep him there and then he makes explosive plays,
(31:37):
he does really good things. So that's what I'll go
back to. That's what I would be thinking, and that's
what I would expect.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
In this one.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
So, Meryl, I think we got this figured out. Uh
blitz when they don't expect it on defense and then
run the ball and then hit some playoffs and explosives,
don't have any turnovers, don't have any penalties, win the game.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Sounds like a plan not into it.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
Well, honestly, all those things you just said, it's that way.
The most important well, one of the most important was turnovers.
If you do that and you can reset yourself, I
mean you can. Yeah, you can beat this thing. You
know it will be a tight game. But you didn't
beat this game. There's no doubt about that.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Based on what you just said, Meryl, I feel better
talking this out with you. I was worried about this game.
I no longer have for this. This I truly thankful.
I have a great thanksgiving, Meryl. I love you, ele Me.
Thanks Jimmy mel Hods the factor back.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
I meant to ask him what kind of beasts does
he eat on? Thanksgiving, whatever he kills or whatever is
running around out back. Maybe yeah, ins.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Flexible that way.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
But now I'll tell you what the point he made about,
you know, the in depth schematic discussions. Our goal here
isn't to be too inside baseball, but we do want
to get to the heart of the matter, and I
think nobody does that better than than Merrill. Absolutely good stuff, well,
good stuff coming, So keep it here with Matt Williamson
and Mike Pursuda. You're listening to Steelers Preview right here
(33:02):
on your Steelers Flagship one of two point five DVE
and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DV.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
Welcome back, Mike Pursuer, Matt Williamson getting ready for the
Steelers and the Bengals Sunday in Cincinnati on this a
Thanksgiving Eve special edition of Steelers Preview right here on
Flagship one of two point five TV and the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Matt, I don't mind arguing with Merrill.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
Sometimes I didn't feel as if tonight it was the
way to go because I don't know, I'm overcome with
holiday cheer and.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Rally and all that.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
But when he says they are a good defense that
has bad moments. I only noticed those moments when the
other team has the ball and snaps. They said, there's
a lot of moments.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Then, Yeah, I'm just gonna run down some numbers in
And I know Meryl's not a stats guy. Sure, stats
don't tell you the entirety of the story.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
But this Bengals defense at the Steelers going up against
twenty third in yards per game, twenty first in rushing
yards per game, twenty third in passing yards per game,
twenty seventh in third down efficiency, thirty first in red zone,
and twenty eighth in points per game against. Yeah, I
(34:19):
mean that those are bad numbers across.
Speaker 5 (34:21):
Would you say red zone was or was like right
the bottom of lead.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
Thirty first, they're allowing touchdowns on seventy point five to
nine percent of opponents trips inside the twenty and over.
Speaker 5 (34:31):
The last three weeks they've allowed like eighty five percent.
I mean, I mean, it's just like letting people roam
into the end zone. It's it's really rough. Like as
great as their offenses, they only produce one more yard
per game than they allow, you know what I mean,
Like it is equally bad. Even Steven and then every
close game they find a way to lose part of
(34:53):
it because their kicker doesn't make many field goals.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
That is part of the thing.
Speaker 5 (34:57):
Like, I'm not going to crush you with stats, but
this one me away. I mean, they have three losses
this year where they've scored thirty three loins or more.
The rest of the league has two combined. It just
sums up there. Their season in a nutshell.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
I got a similar one. Knock it down to thirty points. Okay,
they're two and three when they score thirty points. Yeah,
the rest of the league is sixty three and three.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
Sixty three and three. That's and you watch the games
stats aside, there's ends of these games where Chase and
Burrow are kind of like, what more do you want
me to do? You know, like, I've been near perfect
today playing elite level football. This is getting old man.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
What to expect is brought to you by Brian Patton
and associates. It's all about the benefits. I expect the
Bengals to heat up at some point, and I want
to go back to that Chargers game again. Meryl referenced
that he and I saw a little bit of a
different game there because the Chargers got out to a
twenty seven to six lead, and it looked like they
could do whatever they wanted it.
Speaker 3 (35:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
Yeah, late second half was a lot different.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Late third quarter, five thirty left, Bengals have a fourth
and goal at the four. Burrow hits t Higgins for
a touchdown to make a twenty seven to thirteen. Then
the defense came up with a three and out. Then
the Chargers came up with a thirty two yard punt.
Wrong time to have a bad punt. Sorry, too soon.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Now another fourth down, fourth and two at the fifty.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
This time Burrow goes downtown to Higgins touchdown, forty two
yard touchdown, then a fumble recovery, and then one more touchdown.
Three touchdowns in eight minutes, give or take, and all
of a sudden, it's a tie game.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
Yeah. I mean, they were doing nothing in the first.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Half and they just hit a fourth down and got cooking,
and man, were they unstoppable for a brief period there.
Speaker 5 (36:50):
I mentioned I think there's five elite quarterbacks on the
planet right now, and one.
Speaker 6 (36:55):
Of them's Hurder, one of them's Lamar, one of them's Burrow.
Speaker 5 (36:58):
And watching those guys do, whether it's one half along
as the other one to the other or drive after
drive or or whatever is really something and with all
respector Russ, you can't get in that kind of game
with this team. I mean, the Steelers aren't built that way.
Although it's such a quarterback centric league.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
I do expect that at Summit they were gonna be
a spot.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
They're gonna heat up and it's gonna be, oh boy,
what do you do now? Because they're rolling and they're
gonna score a couple of quick ones.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
He's remarkably competitive and he's unbelievable from the backup in
all facets, and that's.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Why gotta be able to steal that momentum back. That
was what to expect, brought to you by Brian Patten
and Associates. It's all about the benefits regarding the point
you made a minute ago about they find a way
to lose all that stuff. I just told you about
the combustible period when they came back from twenty seven
to six to tie it to twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
You know what happened after that?
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Money mack Evan McPherson, the field goal kicker, missed two
field goals.
Speaker 5 (37:55):
He's like seventy two percent for the year forty.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Eight yarder and a fifty one yarder, both of those
who have given Cincinnati the lead. In the fourth quarter,
a couple punts were exchanged, and then I mentioned this
brief flue to Merril. Chargers got the ball back with
forty five seconds left at their own sixteen yard line
and went twenty eight yard pass to Ladd McConkie, twenty
(38:19):
seven yard pass to Ladd McConkie, and then Dobbins JK.
Dobbins finished it off with a twenty nine yard touchdown run.
The Bengals gate did all that work and came all
that way back just to hemorrhage three huge plays at
the precise time when you can't do that, forty five
seconds from overtime and they couldn't get there.
Speaker 5 (38:38):
And you mentioned the secondary issues, which are very real,
but a lot of it's because they're such a bad
pass rushing team. You know, they can't put teams away
in those instances. The only two teams that have that
are worst rushing the passer right now are the Panthers,
and I forget my head, somebody terrible. Thank god. They
have the guy leading the league in sacks and they
have the guy leading the league in sacks but nothing else.
(39:01):
And he's a phenomenal player. But if you look, he's
gotten his sacks and clusters against the real bad teams.
I think he has like four versa Raiders, two against
the Browns when they had backups after backups. If you
put Darnell Washington next to Dan Moore and just don't
let him reek havoc, they have a real hard time
putting teams away.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Did you think they did a good enough job against
Garrett because I thought's comatic. I don't like the drive
by chip against a guy like that. I'm keeping warn
in the back. That's like a hitting. Yeah, I mean
it was ineffective.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
I mean we laugh at it whenever Kyle Pitts in
Week one would brush against Watt. Yeah, you know, and
Garrett's even more physical to handle those things.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
I mean to me, you know he's coming, you take
you take thirty out of the route and stick him
there on Wilson's left side and say.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
Yeah, keep this guy off of it.
Speaker 5 (39:51):
Unlike why that don't mean to compare the two like
one of garrett sacks with him looping into Frasier, you know,
like he's not always in the same spot. He's a
force of nature. I mean, there's no right answer to
take him out of the game when he's playing that well.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
But I'm with yeah, I'm apparently motivated. Yeah, but just.
Speaker 5 (40:08):
Brushing against him on the way out to a route
is not even going to impair him.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
We talked about how the Bengals find ways to lose games.
Now the Steelers, that's normally not how they rolled, and
boy did they find three in Cleveland. Everything that went
wrong in that game and they were able to somehow
take the lead in the fourth quarter. Yeah, and you
get the interception I was Dante Jackson with four minutes
(40:34):
and twenty two seconds left.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
Then you go three and out fifteen yard punt. The
punt was the biggest play the game.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
And then the defense can't get off the field on
four and three and eventually gives fourth and three and
eventually gives up the game winning touchdown drive, all three
phases collapsing at the moment of truth. I hope that's
not who they are. It's not who they've been. And
now if that's who they are, and they're not going anywhere.
Speaker 5 (40:54):
Either, especially in the AFC with the quarterbacks out of
the face and the playoffs and all those type because they,
like Merrill said, he'll make you pay. Yeah, I mean,
you make those kind of mistakes. It's this guy will
make you pay. My homes will make you pay. I
don't will make you pay. There were two points in
that game when they hit Austin for the touchdown and
when they intercepted Winston that I would have bet my
(41:15):
mortgage the Steelers were gonna win. I'm like, Wow, they
got away with one. They won this game, and then
they didn't.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Well you think the great subject of great debate putting
fields in to throw down the field to Pickens, what'd
you think?
Speaker 5 (41:27):
I dislike it a great deal because Wilson's a very
good depasser.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
It's kind of like I know that you know that.
I know that you know.
Speaker 5 (41:34):
I don't need fade routes of Corrol Patterson Eaters either.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
I love the Pickens play because it was zero coverage,
as Mike tom Will pointed out, and I feel comfortable
quoting this because I pointed it out on Friday after
the game. All the defenders within five yards of the
line of scrimmage and they had no better than their
third corner on Pickens. One on one and looking at it,
the throw was there. Oh, it's the play you have
(41:58):
to make, right, a white play call. It didn't fail
because Fields was rusty or oh okay, yeah, he put
the ball where he needed to be put pickings, turned
himself around. He might have got interfered with. Bottom line,
he didn't catch the ball. Your best guy needs to
come through for you. Yeah's heart put the game away.
Speaker 5 (42:15):
It's kind of like the fake punt thing, like they're
gonna give you that look. You have to take it,
and more often than not you're gonna convert it.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
You didn't in that instant, So do you keep the.
Speaker 5 (42:24):
Pedal down on the field stuff? Because I don't love it.
I don't hate it either. I understand both sides. I
could be the lawyer on either side of that, you know, litigation.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Hey, if they can't figure out a play where you
turn around and hand it's the nausey and it works.
I'm all for running that right, But their short yardage
is not up to speed now it's below the line.
You got to figure something out.
Speaker 5 (42:45):
Like It bothers me that people cite the stats about
Fields is so much better in the red zone. Well,
I think Wilson could have handed at the warrant and
got a touchdown too, you know, like they scored a
touchdown with fields behind center. But he handed the war like.
It wasn't like he did something spectacular.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (43:02):
I mean, I think it does disrupt the rhythm of
the offense a little bit, but I understand having him
knock get his jersey dirty for sixty minutes also doesn't
make a lot of sense.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
They can have got it right, right, I got to
take advantage of him. And here's a number you'll like.
Speaker 5 (43:14):
By far, the worst team in the league in terms
of allowing quarterback rushing yards. They're thirty second, and whoever
thirty one is is one hundred yards behind them.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
I think Taysom Hill skewer it down a little wit
a little bit. Yeah, yeah, let's go do it for
us tonight.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Thanks to Merrill for joining us as he always does. Matt,
thanks for being here. Thanksgiving, Happy Thanks Thanks to Justin
Miller for his flawless work pushing the buttons and turning
the dials and keeping everything just as it needs to be.
Speaker 3 (43:44):
Is good enough. He's talking about flawless.
Speaker 2 (43:46):
Hope we got yourself, you know, I'm gonna easy, greater.
I hope we got you ready reason as you can be.
For Steelers and the Bengals will do this again next week.
We'll be back onto our regular thing Thursday schedule until then,
For Matt Williams said on Mike Persuda, this has been
Steels preview right here on your Steelers flagship one of
(44:08):
two point five DVE and the Steelers Audio Network. Happy
Thanksgiving and good night everybody,
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