December 26, 2024 • 42 mins
With the wild schedule of late, this week's 'preview' is a special 'review' edition as Mike, Matt, and Merril recap the rather disappointing game for the Steelers on Christmas Day against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Steelers Preview show on wdv E Pittsburgh,
brought to you by your neighborhood Ford 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):
Goodnight, Bing and welcome to another Thursday night edition, not
of Steelers Preview, but of Steeler's Review. Because the schedule's
been so goofy of late and Christmas week and all
of that, We're going to review the Kansas City game
for you tonight. We'll get around to previewing the Bengal
game because they're not.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Playing that one for a while yet.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
But uh, Matt, Matt Williamson and Mike Persuda with you.
Our factor back. Meryl Hodge will be along shortly and Matt.
I spent a lot of time leading up to the
Chiefs game and on the pregame yesterday, even on the
post game a little bit, you know, making Christmas movie analogies,
and I have things of that because of the season.
(01:01):
But what I'm stuck on today in the wake of
Chiefs twenty nine and Steelers ten is a Bill Murray
movie stripes where it's early in the movie and he
loses his job and he loses his girlfriend and everything's
crashing down around him, and he says, and then depression
(01:23):
said in Yeah, it's like because I'm struggling to find
something that I can hang my hat on and say, well,
it's not that bad.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yeah it's rough, you.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Know, an old saying.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
They was saying, you know, I'm as bad as you
think you are, and you're not as good as they
say you are.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I think they might be.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yesterday they were as bad as it was, pretty miserable
as it could be.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Now I'm gonna make excuses. I mean, we saw this today.
The schedule came out that three games in eleven days
is really really brutal. But all four teams have played
yesterday had the exact same situation. You know, some on
the road, some of the buys are different, blah blah blah.
But they still played three and eleven and Houston got
blown out. The Steelers got blown out. Now I do
think these last three losses, as miserable as they are,
(02:07):
are absolutely against three of the maybe top four or
five teams in the league, and probably someone that they
played against his last three weeks is going to win
or go to the super Bowl. I mean, I think
there's a good chance of that. But it's a kick
in the face. I mean, you thought you could maybe
hang with these teams. Yeah, becoming really clear they on
(02:29):
that level.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
You know, I looked at it a little differently. I
know a lot of people said, Okay, it's three games
against three.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Of the best teams. Yeah, we know it's gonna be
a measuring stick and all that. They never win in
Philly historically, right, and Philly is really good side zero
expectations for that one.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
And oh, by the way, he didn't have George pickets
right us for Baltimore is a division game. They had
a great run against Baltimore one, eight and nine. Okay,
the Ravens got one. Yeah, it's a back and forth
type of rivalry. Doesn't mean the Ravens are ten times
better than Steelers. No, No, he's they won that day.
They again, No, George Picketts, I could live with that one.
Got hurt in that game yesterday, they got almost everybody
(03:04):
back in the lineup. Didn't have Joey Porter junior, but
they had a representative lineup on offense and defense. Sure,
the Chiefs had won eleven games and their fourteen by
one possession. They had blown out almost no one. They
never reached thirty points all year. They were a team
who had to travel on Christmas. I just thought the Steelers,
this was the game.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
They were going to make a statement.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, come out and play well, say, okay, still in
control of the division. Just beat the defending champs. What
else you got and did not happen? Didn't come close
to happening. And here's what I'm stuck on. All the
issues and you could pick one, you could pick one
of a multitude of issues on either side of the ball.
(03:45):
My hot take is, ever since last season ended, they
have tried to move heaven and earth to change the
offense and make it better. They changed the coordinator, they
changed all the quarterbacks. They've changed the lineman, they've changed
the receivers, they've changed the assistant coaches.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
They scored four touchdowns in these three games.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
These three games, here we are again, Yeah, right back
where you were exactly.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
And the big thing I'm getting from my Twitter followers
and people all that is this is the most expensive
in defense in the league. And that's unacceptable. Okay, you know,
I mean some of that's misleading, you know. I mean,
they don't necessarily want to be the most expensive about
defense in the league. But I think that's the root
of it, is what you're saying, you know, like Mahome's
gonna score points, Jackson's gonna score points. Those guys have
(04:32):
MVPs and Super Bowls. I mean, they score against everybody,
but you gotta put points on the board.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Yeah, you know, these defenses are fine, but they're not
the eighty five Bears.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
I'm not trying to get the defensive pass, no, not
at all.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
It's everyone's a blame here.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
But I think part of my analysis is also I'm
still having a hard time wrapping my head around what
I'm seeing defensively, and I don't think that's who.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
They are, right. I think there's a lot more mental
wearer on that side of the back.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I think they're better than that, and I think they
can be better than they Still went into this weekend
tied for seventh in scoring defense, now that'll change. Yeah,
but they're capable rising up, They're capable of getting red
zone stops, they're capable taking the ball away.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
They certainly a big playability, you know, turnover sacks.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Back to questioning whether the offense can keep up.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Yes, especially as the going gets the road narrows as
arrows right, and the playoffs loom and even Burrow come
into town in ten days or whatever, like, can you
keep up with that guy even if their defense is horrendous.
I know we saw that game, not recently, not that
long ago, but even back to just the three game stretch. Okay,
they never win in Philly, Lamar was due. You know,
(05:39):
the Chiefs frankly look better than they have all year.
I think you're getting them at a bad time too.
I mean, these are really difficult.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I guess they decided they wanted to put away that
number one seed thing.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
Yes, yeah, and they were really really sharp, they were
really buttoned up.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
But he collectively shouldn't lose those three games by fifty points.
You know, you're not.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
A bottom feeding Titans team, or you know one of
these teams are three wins. That's you know, flooded the
league all of a sudden. I mean, you should be
a playoff caliber, contending football team that's well coached, with leadership,
with talent, you know, to make these games more competitive.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
At least one thing Mike Tomlins said it stuck with
me yesterday, Matt in terms of schematics, in terms of
the division of labor, I'm open to whatever change is
necessary in an effort to change the outcome.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Now he.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Doesn't resort to that often. I questioned, what is that
he can actually do at this late stage. I don't
think you changed quarterbacks, don't think I don't think you
fired the defensive coordinator, right.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Like if fields was healthy, I don't think you pull
them or anything right right.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
But one thing we've talked about, and I think this
might be a way that they go, uh streamlining who
you're throwing out there on offense. Yeah, they have on
adamant about using all these different combinations of three wides
and different combinations at tight ends. I'd start playing Pickings
and Austin and maybe Jayleen Warren over Nausey, yeah, and Friarmouth.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
And Washington and those are your guys defensively.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Sometimes Camp Sutton's the nickel sometimes to Sean Elliott's the
nickel sometimes makes in center field. Sometimes Mike is in
the box.
Speaker 6 (07:22):
Now.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
I know Mike Tomlin has said, and I agree with
him on this, you have to have a lot of
defense against a good quarterback. Is a good quarterback will
figure you out. But to me, if you're constantly breaking
down and leaving guys wide open because you're not on
the same page with the people you have out there,
you gotta compartmentalize, right yea yeah, do less with fewer
(07:44):
people and see if you can do that well and
then build off of that, because right now the quarterbacks
aren't figuring them out, they're just opening the door.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
We're gonna talk to Meryl here real soon. And he
always says, we've been doing the show for a long time.
And of course he's a running back and loves a
run game. But he always talks about when the offense
falls apart, you get back to your three best running
plays and then start from scratch again. You know, like
maybe defensively they need that same parallel. Let's get back
to just three things we do well.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Whether it's predictable.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Next time you.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Play Kelsey say hey, Mink, you got him all day long,
right and you're an All pro, he's an All Pro.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Let's see who wins.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Just battle it out.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
We're gonna we're not gonna try to scheme it and
pass them off and zone man under a rotate whatever.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Blah blah blah.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Yeah, yeah, play football.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Don't leave the guy fifteen yards open so he can
catch the ball and turn around and walk into the enzione.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Right that. That's been mind boggling to me too.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
I mean, yes, the Chiefs is to a lot of
teams where they just start figuring out the soft spot
and zones. And I think the lack of man coverage
ability is big in this instance too, But it's too easy.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I still think they're better than this. I think they're
way ahead of where they were last year. But if
you watched yesterday you could make the argument they're not.
So let's see where it's like the.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
High test version of losing to the Patriots and Cardinals
last year. You know, like it's a bad stretch late year.
But they're not the worst teams in the league. Theyre
the best teams in the league. But you're getting hammered.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I do like it to have some time here, oh
h if much needed. If it is to be fixed.
This is a good time to have some time.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
They need it, they absolutely need it.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yeah, a lot to get to on the show today,
Matt and I just getting warmed up, so you're gonna
want to keep it here. When we come back, we'll
welcome our factor back, Merril Hodge to the program and
he'll break down all that went wrong against Kansas City.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Boy. Where do we start. I'll start start with the defense. No,
start with the offense, special teams.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
They didn't recover that fumble.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
A lot to get to, so you're gonna want to
keep it here.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
With Matt Williamson, I'm Mike Persuda, and this is a
special edition of Steelers Preview Slash Review right here on
your Steelers Flagship one o two point five DVE and
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DV. Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
It's actually the Steelers Review, not the Steelers Preview. You know,
Christmas week, it's been a bit of a condensed schedule
and we're doing what we have to do to get
to you on a weekly basis. Mike Pursuda and Matt
Williamson with you as we do a review of Chiefs
twenty nine, Steelers ten, and time down to welcome the
(10:26):
factor back Merril Hodge the Show.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I'm hoping Meryl can.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Make some sense out of this, because if you were
with us for our first segment, you know that I'm
not feeling real confident about this team moving forward. But
there is time left, one more regular season game to play,
and then it's looking like a first round matchup against
Houston that could still change. A lot of things can
happen between now and the end of the regular season,
(10:51):
But Meryl, first, let's start with what we saw yesterday.
What is the biggest concern either from losing three in
a row at Philly, at Baltimore and to Kansas City,
or just playing the two time defending champs at home
with a lot of guys coming back in the lineup
and still a lot to play for, still control of
(11:13):
the division, and then and laying such a profound egg
as the Steelers laid yesterday.
Speaker 6 (11:19):
Right, we all depends on what side of the ball
we want to start. You know, now, even before I
dive into it, listen to all these are somewhat self inflicted.
I always do so the caveat we sometimes forget that
the other guys are really good too. They get paid,
you know, and and at times you're gonna get beat,
you know, and teams are gonna out scheme you and
do some things. It's when you do things that are
(11:43):
when you have mental ayerrors. Listen Ember, one of my
first weeks in training camp, Chuck Noll was ripping the
running back and made the same mistake over and he's like, okay.
Speaker 7 (11:52):
That's it out.
Speaker 6 (11:53):
So the guy comes walking about how he says no, no, no,
no, no out and he keeps no, no, no no. Hey Tom
Tom Donaho was the assistant Jim And the time I
think he's ahead and he's like, get him out of here.
They walk him off the field. He goes up to
the building there at La Trobe and then look about
an hour later, I see a white band leave and
I never saw the guy again. I remember I never
(12:16):
want to go away in the white band. And number
nine because you're never coming back. And at number two
is like, don't make mental layers. Just don't make them.
You can do it once, but if you do it
again to see, coaches can't trust you. And when you
can't trust the player when they make menal layers. I
don't do anything more unprofessional and more disturbing than that.
Speaker 7 (12:40):
Okay, I learned that.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
I learned that a long time ago.
Speaker 6 (12:43):
I could give We could do a whole show on
story after story after story after story from not just
in my environment, but playing teams that had real smart
players like CLAYT. Matthews. Okay, well, gee, you talking about
me realizing the level of IQ it takes to play
this lead. Okay, playing against that guy. But he knew
if your hand was in the dirt hard soft, he
(13:04):
knew if your right foot was upright. He knew everything,
and everything gave him a read on what you were doing. Anyway,
going to that, I'll start at the defense side. Since
we stopped with the you know, the defensive player.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Let me throw one thing in quick. I mean you
mentioned the opponent too.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
Kansas City looked like a pretty buttoned up unit from
that perspective too.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
I mean like I didn't see from them at all.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
You know, you hardly see any now and then what
they really do, good like they may make see they
make critical adjustments in the court. Okay, let's go back
to the Casey Kelsey touchdown. Okay, that was a pure
adjustment off of a zone coverage and an instinct to
draw to just float back into the end zone. Okay,
(13:49):
you know they're technically I think the students are trying
to live like they're playing a Tampa two.
Speaker 7 (13:55):
You know.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
So here on the sidelinebacker turned to the three side
and Kelsey has that. Now they throw a corner on
the backside, so the safety screens over the top the help.
So the the end zone is completely wide open. Chris,
So what does he do? He drifts back there because
there's nobody back there. Now from a defensive perspective, you
gotta know that too, you got you gotta have the
(14:15):
same type of instincts. Okay, this field is really short. Okay,
I have an area to cover, but there's nobody in
my area. Don't just stay in the area. I gotta
I gotta be instinctive too. And if my guy floats back,
I got to drip back with him. I got nothing
underneath me, I got you know. So those instincts are
applicable too, you know. In what would see Tom Coffin.
(14:39):
I remember having a conversation with him about his linebackers
and he's like, may my linebackers, they're so good. When
I tell him to be at six yards, They're gonna
be at six yards When I tell him to be
at seven yards, they're gonna be seven years. When I
tell them to be on the right hash, they're gonna
be on the right hash. But you know what, that's
not how this game is played. You have to instinctively,
instinctively adjust when they do something. And my guys don't
(15:02):
do that.
Speaker 7 (15:03):
And I'm man, that was that was.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
I've known that as a player, but it really magnified
from you know, how I how I studied things and
how I looked at things, and there was a lot
of those places. I mean, that was a great example
of Okay, you got a linebacker and you got a
slot defender, you got nobody in your area, nobody, and
you let the best player drift in the back by himself.
(15:25):
They just again, he only did that instinctively. He would
turn around, He's like, oh wait a minute, back here,
we'll come back here. So okay, so they don't do that.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
A lot of guys come in the grass, you know, right.
Speaker 6 (15:34):
Although I'm saying instincts, you gotta you gotta, you know,
got to having instincts, and when you don't have any,
when you struggle with that.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
You know, well, so here's what troubles to me about that,
Meryl is the week before it was Mark Andrews. All right,
and he's there, you know, red zone guy in there there,
guy that they go to when they're in trouble and
the guy that they go to when they need to play.
It just me, you know, being a media guy looking
on the outside and looking in, I would think, well.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I probably want to cover the best player on a
critical down.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Red zone alerts on Kelsey and Andrews.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Two weeks it didn't happen. What should I expect it
to happen next week?
Speaker 7 (16:08):
Probably not?
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Okay, So to be honest, probably not.
Speaker 7 (16:11):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
Now now, now that right there, you know, is that's
kind of the difference there why they're world champs and
why you the Steers are quite I'm not quite there yet. Okay,
there's a little difference.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
Because I think we all know Mahomes and Kelsey are
like the best I've ever seen doing these, So let's.
Speaker 6 (16:30):
Be fair, right, So that's true. Listen, this isn't like, okay,
you know this is Cleveland Browns, did you know, And
you're like that would be really disturbing, Okay, best the
world just did it to you. Okay, So that being said, Okay,
that was.
Speaker 7 (16:43):
Just one play.
Speaker 6 (16:46):
The mental bus that there. I think I always talked
about this almost every show that teams are going to
keep doing this. There's a reason that they run trips
and three wide receivers and motion people up, especially when
they're playing Man, because they know the Steelers, especially number
six and especially number twenty when he's in there, they
they they get confused for whatever reason. They don't make
(17:10):
the proper adjustments.
Speaker 7 (17:12):
They don't read things right.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
Everybody's on a different page once they snapped the ball,
and this is I'm talking about Man. And so when yeah,
or a bunch of at least three guys, at least
three guys over there could be two tight ends and
but three guys, you know, there's gonna be two guys.
And then the motion I got across and it's man
coverage and so now everybody, now you're bringing somebody into
(17:36):
the fold. So that is when you really have to
work well together. That's when you really have to see
things right. And there's rules for all of this, by
the way, you know, listen, that's why I'm saying the
coach has all the power, no control. Once you step
inside the white lines, it's on the player.
Speaker 7 (17:49):
Okay, I will promise you this.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
They went over this, they've gone over this, and they've
gone over this, and they've gone over this. Well, when
they snapped the ball and they go inside the white lines,
it's still on the players and they keep making those
same mistakes. You know, you got six and twenty blitzing,
and eighty seven's all by himself. Okay, one of you
guys didn't wasn't supposed to blitz because there's nobody over
there to cover the guy. You got three people, then
(18:13):
you got two only two defenders, so somebody shouldn't have
been blitzing. I'm not gonna I'm not going to point
fingers to who it was, but it's gotta be twenty
or six. And if like six's body language, I didn't
look good.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Well on the start of that play, Kelsey went in
motion and six Patrick Queen followed him, and then that.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Was a different play. That was the touchdown.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Yeah, yeah, because that yeah, that don't talk about different plays.
Actually and end up this and actually this just happened
like several times. These are recurring things.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Yeah, it happened several times.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
My point is that, hey, one time, if it happens
like really we discussed it if it was the game,
the game winning play, but it's it's happens about three. Next,
there's times they do this really well too. Now okay,
this isn't like we're talking about the three or four
plays they don't do very well.
Speaker 7 (19:06):
But how about this.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
It's the difference, like he can't have those?
Speaker 7 (19:11):
Can you have one?
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Uh? I didn't even like to say you can have
one because it's like, because you're making that own mistakes.
But okay, one we could probably get away with. But
when you have three and four every game, that's the problem. Okay,
so that's ownership of a player. You see that is listen,
Then just another one where they are you would not know.
(19:33):
They didn't know what they're proper Leland, their quarterback Patrick
Mahoonmes is so good and so smart. He comes out,
he sees him talking, he snaps the ball. He snaps
the ball because he knows, he don't they don't know,
and they're not ready, and then he just dumps the
ball out to the guy who's the defender. That's the
furthest off. They dump it to him and next thing.
You know, you've got eight to ten yards. I mean
there's dog of those plays too, when you play really
(19:55):
smart guys talk about the IQ game. He see him talking,
He's like, snaps it it throws it over to.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Master performance by mahomes masterful.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
Oh yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like, if it's place
like that, he goes up there, he sees them talking,
he knows they're confused, they're all looking at each other.
He snaps the ball and throws it out to eighty
seven or nine or one or whoever it is. And
they did another. They did a great job of motioning
into into the formation, sitting the guy down and then
at the snap of the ball, running him across the formation.
(20:29):
And no one based on if no non tendencies obviously.
Speaker 7 (20:32):
That they know it's man.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
They get a wide sheet ronal linebacker. They create a
great matchups, you know, and then that transition, well we'll
fitish here. But they our offense did that a little bit.
And number three, you know, he didn't. He didn't take
advantage of the matchups. I think, you know, there might
be some frustrating there's gonna be some frustration with him
because he's not reading things properly from the snap and
(20:56):
giving up some opportunities for really chunks of plays, especially
early in the game, and you.
Speaker 7 (21:03):
Can't do that.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
You just can't get that when you dial up I
know now I'm switching over the office side. So here's
the office side of that. You're dialing up some actual
plays that are working, and guys are open, and matchups
that you like, wide receivers on linebackers tied in on
safety with good leverage and he's wide open, linebacker works
away and you throw it to the you don't even
(21:25):
start to that side. You're late, and then you come
back and you don't throw it and you have no
pressure on you. So getting okay, what's good about all this?
Speaker 7 (21:34):
Okay, really is correctable. It's awesome, is correctible, and if you.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
Can correct it, you've got a couple of weeks to
get your act together to do that.
Speaker 7 (21:44):
Said is Houston.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
Houston's got a lot of problems, a lot of problems,
you know, and you know you got a chance and
just once you get there, we all know what anything
can happen.
Speaker 7 (21:53):
You can get on a roll and you can fix
these things.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
But there's where I would in fact have hope is
that they're not. Like I'm just telling you, they do
everything right and they're getting beat.
Speaker 7 (22:03):
It's just not good enough. So they actually are so
much better.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
So back to the defense.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
And I understand not every team has Rod Woodson and
mel Blonde, of course, you know what I mean. But
it became pretty clear after the first drive that Case
wasn't even running the ball hardly anymore, and the ball
was coming out in two point three seconds, I mean
remarkably quick to me, not being a defensive coordinator. The
obvious counter would be if we had corners that could
(22:29):
press man, we could at least slow things up and
not let the ball come out in two three and
then the pass rush could actually affect them. But I
don't see man coverage corners on this team not named
Porter and he was inactive.
Speaker 6 (22:41):
Yeah, that's the scary part about Yeah, when you don't
trust your guys to do that, you know, you know,
to your point, you know, let's say that's maybe not
what we do well enough to trust and you know,
and all they got to do is we'll go to
the biggest play of the game the first quarter to
watching you know, he runs. Now he's not being pressed,
(23:03):
but he was nothing. He was like a year or
two off, and he did a great job of attacking
and stacking. You know, receiver that attacks you and freezes
you and then gets around you and then get you
in behind. That's what I'm talking about. He just did
like that's an all time pro move. And once you
do that, if you're open in the NFL, you're open
(23:25):
and every time. Yeah, and he's gonna be on the money.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
Ain't gonna miss it, you know.
Speaker 6 (23:31):
So you know, that's what great about the NFL, All
these little detail things about like you you watch college football,
you're like, oh, Joe, and you know we're talking take
in the NFL.
Speaker 7 (23:41):
This is what makes you know, the really.
Speaker 6 (23:44):
To the elite teams and the championship teams and you know, uh,
and that it's a lot you're are you're gonna correct
it all. There's some things you can you correct enough
to make you a much better team going into the playoffs.
And that is the truth. Are you going to be
as good as the Kansasity Chiefs. Probably not, But you
can be a lot better than you are right now.
(24:06):
That is a fact.
Speaker 7 (24:07):
They really can be.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Merol.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I want to ask you about the interception that Russell
Wilson threw in the end zone. Charlie Batch and I
were kicking this around on the post game a little bit,
and Russell Wilson kind of confirmed it. He was asked
if he thought Pickens, who was on the near side sideline,
was going to run a vertical route and draw the
safety number number twenty three for Kansas City Drew Tranquill.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
On the TV broadcast, picking.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Over to the sideline and Pickens got bumped a little bit,
but then he just kind of stood there almost like
he ran a short out. He wasn't going vertical. They
had friar Mouth had inside position on the linebacker.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Tranquill. I like Friarmuth against the linebacker.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Wilson throws it and the safety is where Wilson didn't
think he was going to be, and he picks it off.
Speaker 6 (25:00):
Okay, okay, by rule, we can walk through this and
a couple of them ones. There's been times where we
have game plan that type of coverage. Exactly what you said.
George Pickens is key to that. If he does not,
he cannot get pressed. He's got to get vertical fast.
And just because it's George Pickens, that safety's going there
(25:22):
right now. If he doesn't go there, really our quarterback,
you know, depends on who that with the George Pickens,
I would never say, hey, you know what, George is
gonna track him over there, so the little will be open.
More than likely that's what's going to happen if that
safety falls asleep thought to him. Okay, so you still
have time to do That's where you know, and Russell
(25:42):
Wilson's not. I mean, he's got plenty of experience for that.
So now let's go back to the tight end and
the actual route. The actual route was not very good.
The route was not vertical. The route actually looked like
it was like an over route, which makes it even worse.
Speaker 7 (26:01):
Because you don't.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Once you do that, then you bring the other safety involved.
Even if he had gone over there, he becomes a player.
You still have to Now. Okay, so by rule you're right,
George Pickens. But the route that was run and the
way he Russell Wilson through that, there's there's no way
(26:23):
you make that throw without really knowing where that safety
is at. You know, you gotta know, especially if you're
gonna throw it across the other ash. Now, if you're
gonna keep him down the right hash.
Speaker 7 (26:32):
Keep in mind.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
Okay, so we're going down in the middle of the field here,
Briargany gets almost over to the left hash. Now once
you get you there, I'm gonna just tell you this,
just by where you're on the field, that's danger. In
cover two, that's danger. That's risking it. And if you're
gonna do that, but you better know that safety went
over there. You know, there's still some responsibility to the
quarterback based on the route, you know, and where he
(26:55):
was gonna have to throw that man, you better know where.
Speaker 7 (26:58):
That safety's at. You better that he committed, you know.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
So it's yeah, but I guess my bigger question. I
get where you're coming from. But Pickens not getting down
the sideline to me, that that that's a red flag
that I can't trust this guy when he knows he's
not getting the ball to do what he needs to do.
So the guy that's getting the ball can get the ball.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
And he's their best player, George Pickens, he's their best player.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
And they missed him desperately when he was out, but
he didn't help him.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Enough when he was back in.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
But he's not the most trustworthy.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Yeah, I mean, how do you scheme around that?
Speaker 5 (27:33):
But part of me was sitting there thinking the same
thing as the Kafflin linebacker conversation. You can't just be
the quarterback that drops the six then he drops a
seven leg. I tell him you gotta be a football
player too, and don't throw it, you know.
Speaker 6 (27:44):
Right well from Russell Wilson's precise absolutely, But if you
want and there's the growth of George Pickens, you know
that there's the real like, Okay, a really good pro
I mean a guy Jerry Rice is gonna run that route.
Really good pros are gonna run that route. I gotta
fight through that press. They're gonna get there, They're gonna
(28:04):
threaten that.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Yeah, I gotta get down to the five guard line.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
The play doesn't work.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Everything depends on me getting by this cornerback.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I should be able to get by because I'm a big,
strong young guy that if I know what I'm doing,
I do it.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
Well, that see, that's that's where, yes, there's a zero
argument here. There's a zero argument here. You know, that's
where you know there's your difference. There's a difference. That's
why you know the chiefs are what the what the
chiefs are if you watch them, whoever's running route, whoever's
going somewhere, but never run with the purpose.
Speaker 7 (28:37):
That's not teams win championships.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
That's exactly why teams win championships, and that's exactly why
teams lose championships.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
The merrill.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
Something that's really concerning me more and more by the
week snowballing and maybe even for the future years is
I think a lot of our listeners would be like, boy,
the past protection stinks. This line is not any good.
I look at it like I've all always said, sacks
are as much quarterbacks sat as they are protection stat
And I'm thinking more and more as I watch the
(29:05):
league it's even more on quarterbacks. There's a handful of
quarterbacks just don't take sacks, and the Steelers guy does, and.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
As the down goes on, he seems to get worse.
Speaker 6 (29:16):
Yeah, and I listen, I go back to the hike
is a problem in the NFL when you're below six feet,
when you're five ten, I mean, windows start closing. Okay,
I'm listening. Played in the pocket, played on third down,
stood there with I'm six y one, okay, and I've
stood there with guys that are six three and sixty four,
and I know the difference from even just being six
(29:36):
to one to sixty three. I just know what that
I know what that environment's like. I know I got
it the way I gotta see things. It's really no
differently him on I did never have to do for
a nearly decade to stow the ball, Okay, so I
know how how dirty it can be and how tough
it can be. Man, when you're five ten, there're just
things that you don't can't see. Ya. This plays when
(29:57):
I'm looking at this, I'm looking at this one player
right now.
Speaker 7 (29:59):
Actually I got up screen. I'm like, he starts wrong,
but when he comes.
Speaker 6 (30:04):
Back, I'm like the guard the bark is great, though
from perfective, but I'm like, I'm based on the angle
of where the tackle is pushing the right guard back
to whar they're saying.
Speaker 7 (30:13):
I'm like, I don't know if you could see it.
Speaker 6 (30:15):
And I'm the skinned out fairness like, I don't know
if he saw it. And there's a lot of players
where he misses check downs and misses some things. The
longer he goes in the pocket and the more condensed
it becomes, I think the harder it is for him
to see some stuff and he misses stuff.
Speaker 7 (30:31):
That's why he's so good.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
When they do run action, they paralyze the box, they
freeze the line of scrimmage, and he's got depth. Man,
then then you know he's a different player there. He'll
get to a check down, he'll get to his deep ball,
but from a true drop back, unless that ball comes
out under two seconds, I mean like once youkil boom,
that would becomes the problem once that pocket collapses. And
(30:55):
that's just that's just what you have to That's the
unfortunate thing you gotta do with somebody who's can you know,
you gotta you gotta work around that. And that's why
you know, it's really important that he starts in the
right spot from the very beginning. That's why I'm actually
looking at this places on the second passes of the game.
It's like, based on the linebackers, I don't I mean,
(31:15):
based on the coverage of the linebacker would give them
miss away. And I'm start with the right and our
tight end kills the safety. You know, it's worth fifty
if he catches it and we make the throw. So
you know, you just can't miss plays like that. Too
from a quarterback perspective, cause those are pretty simple and
they're dialed up and it's somewhat routine, but you can't
miss them.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
You gotta see.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
We got thrown, Meryl, we got uh.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
We did a pretty good job here of breaking down
what went wrong against the Chiefs. Can you do one
more quick segment and we'll figure out how.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
They get out of this?
Speaker 6 (31:45):
Absolutely bro all right, stick around.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
We'll do a bonus second segment with Merrill here on
Steelers Review.
Speaker 6 (31:53):
UH.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Steel's Preview Slash Review is brought to you in part
by the Steels Pro Shop. Gear up with the latest
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(32:15):
or you can gear up online at shop dot Steelers
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is Steelers Preview Slash Review right here on your Steelers
flagship one of two point five dve and the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Back to the Steelers preview show on DVE.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Welcome back, Mike, pursuit of Matt Williamson and Meryl Hodge
for an extended factor back doubleheader type of segment here
as we were not previewing Cincinnati, but we are reviewing
Chiefs twenty nine, Steelers ten yesterday at Akrosser Stadium.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Not so merry Christmas for the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
Meryl, I think be back Thursday at a preview to
preview the back Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Right, Meryl, I think we did a good job explaining.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
You know, I thought you were pretty clear on a
lot of these problems they can fix. It's it's not
you know, you're just you're getting beat You're getting overwhelmed.
You you're beating yourself in a lot of instances. Uh,
when it happens as often as it has happened to
the Steelers here at this juncture of the season, how
do you pull out of it? Mike Tomlins, for example,
(33:18):
yesterday said he's open to whatever change uh needs to
be made schematically divisional labor. Uh, you know he was
fire and brimstone. We're not going to take this. We're
not going to put up with this, But you're you're
kind of on the path you're on right, I mean,
what what what are the realistic changes they can make
that will facilitate better performance.
Speaker 6 (33:40):
Well, you know we have like you know, we'll just
change change in personnel, you know, people that aren't doing
it right. You know, you got to realize this. Fifty
three guys on a on a roster, he said, not
a lot of people on a roster. You know, I
always get fascinated, but we're looking at the sideline. I'm
an NFL game versus college game. You know, be lined
(34:00):
up on the sideline. In college, there's so many people
on the team. And then you're like, see there's only
a few players left on the sideline when there's eleven
out there playing. You know, now and you and you
you brought some guys in here to make a difference.
Speaker 7 (34:14):
So you know, like you know, Patrick McQueen, Queen's had.
Speaker 6 (34:17):
Some issues, twenties had some issues and de bench because
we've had some issues. Well, now, maybe in some situations
where they keep struggling, you know, in certain third downs,
maybe you maybe you put somebody else out there that
you may trust better and has has communicates better and
has but you know that's a that's.
Speaker 7 (34:36):
A big move.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
You know, that's a big change. You just got to
ask you guys to get better and button it up.
I mean, you know, challenge you know, I'm sure they've
already been challenged. You know what I'm saying is probably
already been done. Don't think you could do.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
And you aren't walking through the door in the next
week either. I mean, this is these guys you got.
You know, you're right, so.
Speaker 7 (34:58):
You got to deal with what you got.
Speaker 6 (34:59):
And you know, you know, you know, avenu is not
the easiest thing to do. I mean, it's it's you know,
that's a reaction, not a response, and you're better to
respond to things than react reactions and emotions. And they
usually make mistakes when we do it that way. So
(35:19):
you know, you have to walk through this one, you know,
extremely intelligently without making you got time too, because he's
got ten days, you know, to plain some things up. Now.
Maybe it is two about you know, calm things a
little differently, you know, not because they struggle with some areas,
you know, with communication aspect. But it isn't like they
(35:40):
play well. They still make some mistakes and zone all
they though they make less than than they doing Man,
you know, so maybe it's like, well we just do
less Man, look at our own tendencies, and that might
help us going forward because people think we're going to
play Man in these situations, and now we're going to
play his zone, and we'll be much better in that
than than Man. I mean, that would be one thing
that I walk through and talk about. You know, are
(36:02):
we vulnerable there? Do we think we can be better there?
Because our mistakes in Man are killing us, whereas our
zolen mistakes they won't hurt us. If we make the mistake,
they don't kill us like Man is killing us, and
we play him better. So I'm just I'm not saying
that's what they're gonna do. I just those are the
scenarios you got to talk about, you know, and the
(36:22):
options that you have, you know, because you only have
so many players, you know, and and you got to
deal with the players that you got and somehow button
them up, make them better before before you enter the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (36:37):
Back to something you're saying at the end of the
last segment, though, whether it's height or whatever the issue
is with Russell Wilson, there's never a stat for the past,
you should attempt that you don't. And I also think
there's not many things that make offensive coordinators crazier. When
you get the look he wants, he makes the right play,
oh and it doesn't come out. Are you seeing more
(36:59):
of that or is that something that's been a trend
with Wilson from the.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
Get go all year.
Speaker 6 (37:05):
Well, you know, when they lose, they that's trend. When
they do, you know, it's it's interesting. It's just it's
very interesting. It's like you know, watching him like, wow,
this is you know, some guys watching like, oh, he
don't miss nothing comes out. Yeah, yeah, and those words,
I mean those where he's gone, you know, this is
(37:26):
you know, that's why he's a great compliment, Like you know,
you get you you look if you somebody studying him
from North Carolina, then Wisconsin, the Seattle and he is
clearly at his best even in steel environment. Man, when
they run the football, they paralyze that box and they
(37:47):
give them either or he's unbelievable when it's a processing
of the entire field. It's just different. He's just different.
I mean, at the end of the day, that's the
conflict they ran into in Denver. That's what I mean,
that's why just he did it doesn't functioned consistently enough
like that, and that's where the fallout started.
Speaker 7 (38:12):
You still have to do some of those things, you know.
Speaker 6 (38:14):
I mean Arthur Smith has I think done a really
good job of trying to minimize that. But sure I
do stuff like that and the stuff that you know,
for example of this plan, looking at three of the
second player past play of the game. Okay, they have
an empty set. It's a three by two. The linebacker
works away. Your safety is to that two receiver side,
not to the three receiver side.
Speaker 7 (38:35):
Well three, your.
Speaker 6 (38:37):
Series side based on the slot defender to his outside leverage,
and your tight ends got an inside and breaking around,
you know. But he's too late when he goes back there,
you know, and he and he doesn't make to throw,
and so I you know, it's just okay, it's one example,
and someone can argue, well, it's just one example. Well
it's actually one example of a lot of examples that
(38:59):
keep happen. Mean you know that are costly, you know,
and it's a it's a third and two by the way,
you know, and you end up taking a sack and
we punt, so you know, you're playing the Raiders. Yeah,
of course, let's people adding layers to this. Okay, this
is this is a chance for and we're crossing the
fifty with the catch. Okay, so and we're first and ten.
(39:21):
We're not punning it. So you know, there's a difference
in moving the chains. You know, you either got to
get first downs or touchdowns when you go out, you know,
and especially when it's not complicated, you know, and the
pockets people like all the things that could create problems,
they're not there. They're part of that play. And so
(39:41):
that's what you know that some coaches do get like, god,
dang it, why start there? Everything tells you there, Everything
tells you that to start there.
Speaker 7 (39:52):
Force. So it's again we'll talk.
Speaker 6 (39:56):
About right now, very correctable, very correctble Russe Wilson had
enough experience, smart enough incorrect that next time it presents itself.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
Last thing, last thing I got for you, Merril.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
Do you think this team's confidence is fragile based on
what you've seen it go through and how you've seen
it perform, and uh, whether it is or is not,
what a good performance against Cincinnati kind of get the
train back on the track and get everybody's head where.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
It needs to be going into the post.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
And do you think they're mentally and physically fatigued after
this three game stretch too?
Speaker 6 (40:30):
Oh well, I'm sure they are. Here's a great thing
about it. Here's a great thing about it is you
got ten days, you know, really much to resurrect yourself. Yeah,
and you know, Mike, to answer your question, I don't
think they're they're fragile. I actually think it's a better thing.
I you know, I go back to you know, and
(40:50):
never underestimated a professional. After you've been embarrassed. I can
tell you this, they've been embarrassed. They have to walk
in film and watch this. Okay, there's nothing more humiliated
and embarrassing and you know, thought provoking and challenging than
when you watch yourself, you know, as a team making
mistakes and doing things that are unacceptable and unprofessional.
Speaker 7 (41:13):
So I think it actually.
Speaker 6 (41:16):
I'd rather have that on my side than a team
that is devastated, you know, and I know sense that
they're devastated. I just have a sense that, you know,
these type of things can be more of a motivation
thing to them, which hopefully inspires them to button what
(41:36):
they've been struggling with all year and clean it up.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
That is amazing that you would come back to that,
because I don't know how many times we've brought that
up over the years doing this show when they're playing
a Cleveland or somebody that you don't think they have
any chance to lose to, and Meryl will always say
throwing underestimated. Now the underestimation is on the other foot,
but maybe that does work out for the Steelers. Meryl,
great stuff, Belated, Merry Christmas and happy to you, and
(42:01):
we'll do this again before the regular season finale against Cincinnati.
Speaker 6 (42:05):
You got a fellas always the best Mark Chris doesn't
happen to your voice. See guys, that was.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
Our factor back Merril Hodge and that's gonna do it
for us. Thanks to Justin Miller for keeping us up
and running as he always does. Thank you for tuning in.
We'll be back in advance of the Bengals game the
regular season finale, and hopefully we'll have some more answers
because right now there's more questions.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
Times are tough at the moment.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Yeah, then answers for Matt Williamson Mike.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Pursuit of this has been Steeler's preview slash review right
here on your Steelers flagship one on two point five
DVE and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
Good Night, everybody,
Welcome to the Steelers Preview show on wdv E Pittsburgh,
brought to you by your neighborhood Ford 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):
Goodnight, Bing and welcome to another Thursday night edition, not
of Steelers Preview, but of Steeler's Review. Because the schedule's
been so goofy of late and Christmas week and all
of that, We're going to review the Kansas City game
for you tonight. We'll get around to previewing the Bengal
game because they're not.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Playing that one for a while yet.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
But uh, Matt, Matt Williamson and Mike Persuda with you.
Our factor back. Meryl Hodge will be along shortly and Matt.
I spent a lot of time leading up to the
Chiefs game and on the pregame yesterday, even on the
post game a little bit, you know, making Christmas movie analogies,
and I have things of that because of the season.
(01:01):
But what I'm stuck on today in the wake of
Chiefs twenty nine and Steelers ten is a Bill Murray
movie stripes where it's early in the movie and he
loses his job and he loses his girlfriend and everything's
crashing down around him, and he says, and then depression
(01:23):
said in Yeah, it's like because I'm struggling to find
something that I can hang my hat on and say, well,
it's not that bad.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yeah it's rough, you.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Know, an old saying.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
They was saying, you know, I'm as bad as you
think you are, and you're not as good as they
say you are.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
I think they might be.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yesterday they were as bad as it was, pretty miserable
as it could be.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Now I'm gonna make excuses. I mean, we saw this today.
The schedule came out that three games in eleven days
is really really brutal. But all four teams have played
yesterday had the exact same situation. You know, some on
the road, some of the buys are different, blah blah blah.
But they still played three and eleven and Houston got
blown out. The Steelers got blown out. Now I do
think these last three losses, as miserable as they are,
(02:07):
are absolutely against three of the maybe top four or
five teams in the league, and probably someone that they
played against his last three weeks is going to win
or go to the super Bowl. I mean, I think
there's a good chance of that. But it's a kick
in the face. I mean, you thought you could maybe
hang with these teams. Yeah, becoming really clear they on
(02:29):
that level.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
You know, I looked at it a little differently. I
know a lot of people said, Okay, it's three games
against three.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Of the best teams. Yeah, we know it's gonna be
a measuring stick and all that. They never win in
Philly historically, right, and Philly is really good side zero
expectations for that one.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
And oh, by the way, he didn't have George pickets
right us for Baltimore is a division game. They had
a great run against Baltimore one, eight and nine. Okay,
the Ravens got one. Yeah, it's a back and forth
type of rivalry. Doesn't mean the Ravens are ten times
better than Steelers. No, No, he's they won that day.
They again, No, George Picketts, I could live with that one.
Got hurt in that game yesterday, they got almost everybody
(03:04):
back in the lineup. Didn't have Joey Porter junior, but
they had a representative lineup on offense and defense. Sure,
the Chiefs had won eleven games and their fourteen by
one possession. They had blown out almost no one. They
never reached thirty points all year. They were a team
who had to travel on Christmas. I just thought the Steelers,
this was the game.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
They were going to make a statement.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, come out and play well, say, okay, still in
control of the division. Just beat the defending champs. What
else you got and did not happen? Didn't come close
to happening. And here's what I'm stuck on. All the
issues and you could pick one, you could pick one
of a multitude of issues on either side of the ball.
(03:45):
My hot take is, ever since last season ended, they
have tried to move heaven and earth to change the
offense and make it better. They changed the coordinator, they
changed all the quarterbacks. They've changed the lineman, they've changed
the receivers, they've changed the assistant coaches.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
They scored four touchdowns in these three games.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
These three games, here we are again, Yeah, right back
where you were exactly.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
And the big thing I'm getting from my Twitter followers
and people all that is this is the most expensive
in defense in the league. And that's unacceptable. Okay, you know,
I mean some of that's misleading, you know. I mean,
they don't necessarily want to be the most expensive about
defense in the league. But I think that's the root
of it, is what you're saying, you know, like Mahome's
gonna score points, Jackson's gonna score points. Those guys have
(04:32):
MVPs and Super Bowls. I mean, they score against everybody,
but you gotta put points on the board.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Yeah, you know, these defenses are fine, but they're not
the eighty five Bears.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
I'm not trying to get the defensive pass, no, not
at all.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
It's everyone's a blame here.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
But I think part of my analysis is also I'm
still having a hard time wrapping my head around what
I'm seeing defensively, and I don't think that's who.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
They are, right. I think there's a lot more mental
wearer on that side of the back.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I think they're better than that, and I think they
can be better than they Still went into this weekend
tied for seventh in scoring defense, now that'll change. Yeah,
but they're capable rising up, They're capable of getting red
zone stops, they're capable taking the ball away.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
They certainly a big playability, you know, turnover sacks.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Back to questioning whether the offense can keep up.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Yes, especially as the going gets the road narrows as
arrows right, and the playoffs loom and even Burrow come
into town in ten days or whatever, like, can you
keep up with that guy even if their defense is horrendous.
I know we saw that game, not recently, not that
long ago, but even back to just the three game stretch. Okay,
they never win in Philly, Lamar was due. You know,
(05:39):
the Chiefs frankly look better than they have all year.
I think you're getting them at a bad time too.
I mean, these are really difficult.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I guess they decided they wanted to put away that
number one seed thing.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
Yes, yeah, and they were really really sharp, they were
really buttoned up.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
But he collectively shouldn't lose those three games by fifty points.
You know, you're not.
Speaker 5 (06:00):
A bottom feeding Titans team, or you know one of
these teams are three wins. That's you know, flooded the
league all of a sudden. I mean, you should be
a playoff caliber, contending football team that's well coached, with leadership,
with talent, you know, to make these games more competitive.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
At least one thing Mike Tomlins said it stuck with
me yesterday, Matt in terms of schematics, in terms of
the division of labor, I'm open to whatever change is
necessary in an effort to change the outcome.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Now he.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Doesn't resort to that often. I questioned, what is that
he can actually do at this late stage. I don't
think you changed quarterbacks, don't think I don't think you
fired the defensive coordinator, right.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Like if fields was healthy, I don't think you pull
them or anything right right.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
But one thing we've talked about, and I think this
might be a way that they go, uh streamlining who
you're throwing out there on offense. Yeah, they have on
adamant about using all these different combinations of three wides
and different combinations at tight ends. I'd start playing Pickings
and Austin and maybe Jayleen Warren over Nausey, yeah, and Friarmouth.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
And Washington and those are your guys defensively.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Sometimes Camp Sutton's the nickel sometimes to Sean Elliott's the
nickel sometimes makes in center field. Sometimes Mike is in
the box.
Speaker 6 (07:22):
Now.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
I know Mike Tomlin has said, and I agree with
him on this, you have to have a lot of
defense against a good quarterback. Is a good quarterback will
figure you out. But to me, if you're constantly breaking
down and leaving guys wide open because you're not on
the same page with the people you have out there,
you gotta compartmentalize, right yea yeah, do less with fewer
(07:44):
people and see if you can do that well and
then build off of that, because right now the quarterbacks
aren't figuring them out, they're just opening the door.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
We're gonna talk to Meryl here real soon. And he
always says, we've been doing the show for a long time.
And of course he's a running back and loves a
run game. But he always talks about when the offense
falls apart, you get back to your three best running
plays and then start from scratch again. You know, like
maybe defensively they need that same parallel. Let's get back
to just three things we do well.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Whether it's predictable.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Next time you.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Play Kelsey say hey, Mink, you got him all day long,
right and you're an All pro, he's an All Pro.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Let's see who wins.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Just battle it out.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
We're gonna we're not gonna try to scheme it and
pass them off and zone man under a rotate whatever.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Blah blah blah.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Yeah, yeah, play football.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Don't leave the guy fifteen yards open so he can
catch the ball and turn around and walk into the enzione.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Right that. That's been mind boggling to me too.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
I mean, yes, the Chiefs is to a lot of
teams where they just start figuring out the soft spot
and zones. And I think the lack of man coverage
ability is big in this instance too, But it's too easy.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I still think they're better than this. I think they're
way ahead of where they were last year. But if
you watched yesterday you could make the argument they're not.
So let's see where it's like the.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
High test version of losing to the Patriots and Cardinals
last year. You know, like it's a bad stretch late year.
But they're not the worst teams in the league. Theyre
the best teams in the league. But you're getting hammered.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I do like it to have some time here, oh
h if much needed. If it is to be fixed.
This is a good time to have some time.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
They need it, they absolutely need it.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yeah, a lot to get to on the show today,
Matt and I just getting warmed up, so you're gonna
want to keep it here. When we come back, we'll
welcome our factor back, Merril Hodge to the program and
he'll break down all that went wrong against Kansas City.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Boy. Where do we start. I'll start start with the defense. No,
start with the offense, special teams.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
They didn't recover that fumble.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
A lot to get to, so you're gonna want to
keep it here.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
With Matt Williamson, I'm Mike Persuda, and this is a
special edition of Steelers Preview Slash Review right here on
your Steelers Flagship one o two point five DVE and
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DV. Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
It's actually the Steelers Review, not the Steelers Preview. You know,
Christmas week, it's been a bit of a condensed schedule
and we're doing what we have to do to get
to you on a weekly basis. Mike Pursuda and Matt
Williamson with you as we do a review of Chiefs
twenty nine, Steelers ten, and time down to welcome the
(10:26):
factor back Merril Hodge the Show.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
I'm hoping Meryl can.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Make some sense out of this, because if you were
with us for our first segment, you know that I'm
not feeling real confident about this team moving forward. But
there is time left, one more regular season game to play,
and then it's looking like a first round matchup against
Houston that could still change. A lot of things can
happen between now and the end of the regular season,
(10:51):
But Meryl, first, let's start with what we saw yesterday.
What is the biggest concern either from losing three in
a row at Philly, at Baltimore and to Kansas City,
or just playing the two time defending champs at home
with a lot of guys coming back in the lineup
and still a lot to play for, still control of
(11:13):
the division, and then and laying such a profound egg
as the Steelers laid yesterday.
Speaker 6 (11:19):
Right, we all depends on what side of the ball
we want to start. You know, now, even before I
dive into it, listen to all these are somewhat self inflicted.
I always do so the caveat we sometimes forget that
the other guys are really good too. They get paid,
you know, and and at times you're gonna get beat,
you know, and teams are gonna out scheme you and
do some things. It's when you do things that are
(11:43):
when you have mental ayerrors. Listen Ember, one of my
first weeks in training camp, Chuck Noll was ripping the
running back and made the same mistake over and he's like, okay.
Speaker 7 (11:52):
That's it out.
Speaker 6 (11:53):
So the guy comes walking about how he says no, no, no,
no, no out and he keeps no, no, no no. Hey Tom
Tom Donaho was the assistant Jim And the time I
think he's ahead and he's like, get him out of here.
They walk him off the field. He goes up to
the building there at La Trobe and then look about
an hour later, I see a white band leave and
I never saw the guy again. I remember I never
(12:16):
want to go away in the white band. And number
nine because you're never coming back. And at number two
is like, don't make mental layers. Just don't make them.
You can do it once, but if you do it
again to see, coaches can't trust you. And when you
can't trust the player when they make menal layers. I
don't do anything more unprofessional and more disturbing than that.
Speaker 7 (12:40):
Okay, I learned that.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
I learned that a long time ago.
Speaker 6 (12:43):
I could give We could do a whole show on
story after story after story after story from not just
in my environment, but playing teams that had real smart
players like CLAYT. Matthews. Okay, well, gee, you talking about
me realizing the level of IQ it takes to play
this lead. Okay, playing against that guy. But he knew
if your hand was in the dirt hard soft, he
(13:04):
knew if your right foot was upright. He knew everything,
and everything gave him a read on what you were doing. Anyway,
going to that, I'll start at the defense side. Since
we stopped with the you know, the defensive player.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Let me throw one thing in quick. I mean you
mentioned the opponent too.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
Kansas City looked like a pretty buttoned up unit from
that perspective too.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
I mean like I didn't see from them at all.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
You know, you hardly see any now and then what
they really do, good like they may make see they
make critical adjustments in the court. Okay, let's go back
to the Casey Kelsey touchdown. Okay, that was a pure
adjustment off of a zone coverage and an instinct to
draw to just float back into the end zone. Okay,
(13:49):
you know they're technically I think the students are trying
to live like they're playing a Tampa two.
Speaker 7 (13:55):
You know.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
So here on the sidelinebacker turned to the three side
and Kelsey has that. Now they throw a corner on
the backside, so the safety screens over the top the help.
So the the end zone is completely wide open. Chris,
So what does he do? He drifts back there because
there's nobody back there. Now from a defensive perspective, you
gotta know that too, you got you gotta have the
(14:15):
same type of instincts. Okay, this field is really short. Okay,
I have an area to cover, but there's nobody in
my area. Don't just stay in the area. I gotta
I gotta be instinctive too. And if my guy floats back,
I got to drip back with him. I got nothing
underneath me, I got you know. So those instincts are
applicable too, you know. In what would see Tom Coffin.
(14:39):
I remember having a conversation with him about his linebackers
and he's like, may my linebackers, they're so good. When
I tell him to be at six yards, They're gonna
be at six yards When I tell him to be
at seven yards, they're gonna be seven years. When I
tell them to be on the right hash, they're gonna
be on the right hash. But you know what, that's
not how this game is played. You have to instinctively,
instinctively adjust when they do something. And my guys don't
(15:02):
do that.
Speaker 7 (15:03):
And I'm man, that was that was.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
I've known that as a player, but it really magnified
from you know, how I how I studied things and
how I looked at things, and there was a lot
of those places. I mean, that was a great example
of Okay, you got a linebacker and you got a
slot defender, you got nobody in your area, nobody, and
you let the best player drift in the back by himself.
(15:25):
They just again, he only did that instinctively. He would
turn around, He's like, oh wait a minute, back here,
we'll come back here. So okay, so they don't do that.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
A lot of guys come in the grass, you know, right.
Speaker 6 (15:34):
Although I'm saying instincts, you gotta you gotta, you know,
got to having instincts, and when you don't have any,
when you struggle with that.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
You know, well, so here's what troubles to me about that,
Meryl is the week before it was Mark Andrews. All right,
and he's there, you know, red zone guy in there there,
guy that they go to when they're in trouble and
the guy that they go to when they need to play.
It just me, you know, being a media guy looking
on the outside and looking in, I would think, well.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
I probably want to cover the best player on a
critical down.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Red zone alerts on Kelsey and Andrews.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Two weeks it didn't happen. What should I expect it
to happen next week?
Speaker 7 (16:08):
Probably not?
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Okay, So to be honest, probably not.
Speaker 7 (16:11):
Okay.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
Now now, now that right there, you know, is that's
kind of the difference there why they're world champs and
why you the Steers are quite I'm not quite there yet. Okay,
there's a little difference.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
Because I think we all know Mahomes and Kelsey are
like the best I've ever seen doing these, So let's.
Speaker 6 (16:30):
Be fair, right, So that's true. Listen, this isn't like, okay,
you know this is Cleveland Browns, did you know, And
you're like that would be really disturbing, Okay, best the
world just did it to you. Okay, So that being said, Okay,
that was.
Speaker 7 (16:43):
Just one play.
Speaker 6 (16:46):
The mental bus that there. I think I always talked
about this almost every show that teams are going to
keep doing this. There's a reason that they run trips
and three wide receivers and motion people up, especially when
they're playing Man, because they know the Steelers, especially number
six and especially number twenty when he's in there, they
they they get confused for whatever reason. They don't make
(17:10):
the proper adjustments.
Speaker 7 (17:12):
They don't read things right.
Speaker 6 (17:14):
Everybody's on a different page once they snapped the ball,
and this is I'm talking about Man. And so when yeah,
or a bunch of at least three guys, at least
three guys over there could be two tight ends and
but three guys, you know, there's gonna be two guys.
And then the motion I got across and it's man
coverage and so now everybody, now you're bringing somebody into
(17:36):
the fold. So that is when you really have to
work well together. That's when you really have to see
things right. And there's rules for all of this, by
the way, you know, listen, that's why I'm saying the
coach has all the power, no control. Once you step
inside the white lines, it's on the player.
Speaker 7 (17:49):
Okay, I will promise you this.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
They went over this, they've gone over this, and they've
gone over this, and they've gone over this. Well, when
they snapped the ball and they go inside the white lines,
it's still on the players and they keep making those
same mistakes. You know, you got six and twenty blitzing,
and eighty seven's all by himself. Okay, one of you
guys didn't wasn't supposed to blitz because there's nobody over
there to cover the guy. You got three people, then
(18:13):
you got two only two defenders, so somebody shouldn't have
been blitzing. I'm not gonna I'm not going to point
fingers to who it was, but it's gotta be twenty
or six. And if like six's body language, I didn't
look good.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Well on the start of that play, Kelsey went in
motion and six Patrick Queen followed him, and then that.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Was a different play. That was the touchdown.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Yeah, yeah, because that yeah, that don't talk about different plays.
Actually and end up this and actually this just happened
like several times. These are recurring things.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Yeah, it happened several times.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
My point is that, hey, one time, if it happens
like really we discussed it if it was the game,
the game winning play, but it's it's happens about three. Next,
there's times they do this really well too. Now okay,
this isn't like we're talking about the three or four
plays they don't do very well.
Speaker 7 (19:06):
But how about this.
Speaker 6 (19:07):
It's the difference, like he can't have those?
Speaker 7 (19:11):
Can you have one?
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Uh? I didn't even like to say you can have
one because it's like, because you're making that own mistakes.
But okay, one we could probably get away with. But
when you have three and four every game, that's the problem. Okay,
so that's ownership of a player. You see that is listen,
Then just another one where they are you would not know.
(19:33):
They didn't know what they're proper Leland, their quarterback Patrick
Mahoonmes is so good and so smart. He comes out,
he sees him talking, he snaps the ball. He snaps
the ball because he knows, he don't they don't know,
and they're not ready, and then he just dumps the
ball out to the guy who's the defender. That's the
furthest off. They dump it to him and next thing.
You know, you've got eight to ten yards. I mean
there's dog of those plays too, when you play really
(19:55):
smart guys talk about the IQ game. He see him talking,
He's like, snaps it it throws it over to.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Master performance by mahomes masterful.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
Oh yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like, if it's place
like that, he goes up there, he sees them talking,
he knows they're confused, they're all looking at each other.
He snaps the ball and throws it out to eighty
seven or nine or one or whoever it is. And
they did another. They did a great job of motioning
into into the formation, sitting the guy down and then
at the snap of the ball, running him across the formation.
(20:29):
And no one based on if no non tendencies obviously.
Speaker 7 (20:32):
That they know it's man.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
They get a wide sheet ronal linebacker. They create a
great matchups, you know, and then that transition, well we'll
fitish here. But they our offense did that a little bit.
And number three, you know, he didn't. He didn't take
advantage of the matchups. I think, you know, there might
be some frustrating there's gonna be some frustration with him
because he's not reading things properly from the snap and
(20:56):
giving up some opportunities for really chunks of plays, especially
early in the game, and you.
Speaker 7 (21:03):
Can't do that.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
You just can't get that when you dial up I
know now I'm switching over the office side. So here's
the office side of that. You're dialing up some actual
plays that are working, and guys are open, and matchups
that you like, wide receivers on linebackers tied in on
safety with good leverage and he's wide open, linebacker works
away and you throw it to the you don't even
(21:25):
start to that side. You're late, and then you come
back and you don't throw it and you have no
pressure on you. So getting okay, what's good about all this?
Speaker 7 (21:34):
Okay, really is correctable. It's awesome, is correctible, and if you.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
Can correct it, you've got a couple of weeks to
get your act together to do that.
Speaker 7 (21:44):
Said is Houston.
Speaker 6 (21:44):
Houston's got a lot of problems, a lot of problems,
you know, and you know you got a chance and
just once you get there, we all know what anything
can happen.
Speaker 7 (21:53):
You can get on a roll and you can fix
these things.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
But there's where I would in fact have hope is
that they're not. Like I'm just telling you, they do
everything right and they're getting beat.
Speaker 7 (22:03):
It's just not good enough. So they actually are so
much better.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
So back to the defense.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
And I understand not every team has Rod Woodson and
mel Blonde, of course, you know what I mean. But
it became pretty clear after the first drive that Case
wasn't even running the ball hardly anymore, and the ball
was coming out in two point three seconds, I mean
remarkably quick to me, not being a defensive coordinator. The
obvious counter would be if we had corners that could
(22:29):
press man, we could at least slow things up and
not let the ball come out in two three and
then the pass rush could actually affect them. But I
don't see man coverage corners on this team not named
Porter and he was inactive.
Speaker 6 (22:41):
Yeah, that's the scary part about Yeah, when you don't
trust your guys to do that, you know, you know,
to your point, you know, let's say that's maybe not
what we do well enough to trust and you know,
and all they got to do is we'll go to
the biggest play of the game the first quarter to
watching you know, he runs. Now he's not being pressed,
(23:03):
but he was nothing. He was like a year or
two off, and he did a great job of attacking
and stacking. You know, receiver that attacks you and freezes
you and then gets around you and then get you
in behind. That's what I'm talking about. He just did
like that's an all time pro move. And once you
do that, if you're open in the NFL, you're open
(23:25):
and every time. Yeah, and he's gonna be on the money.
Speaker 7 (23:30):
Ain't gonna miss it, you know.
Speaker 6 (23:31):
So you know, that's what great about the NFL, All
these little detail things about like you you watch college football,
you're like, oh, Joe, and you know we're talking take
in the NFL.
Speaker 7 (23:41):
This is what makes you know, the really.
Speaker 6 (23:44):
To the elite teams and the championship teams and you know, uh,
and that it's a lot you're are you're gonna correct
it all. There's some things you can you correct enough
to make you a much better team going into the playoffs.
And that is the truth. Are you going to be
as good as the Kansasity Chiefs. Probably not, But you
can be a lot better than you are right now.
(24:06):
That is a fact.
Speaker 7 (24:07):
They really can be.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Merol.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I want to ask you about the interception that Russell
Wilson threw in the end zone. Charlie Batch and I
were kicking this around on the post game a little bit,
and Russell Wilson kind of confirmed it. He was asked
if he thought Pickens, who was on the near side sideline,
was going to run a vertical route and draw the
safety number number twenty three for Kansas City Drew Tranquill.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
On the TV broadcast, picking.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Over to the sideline and Pickens got bumped a little bit,
but then he just kind of stood there almost like
he ran a short out. He wasn't going vertical. They
had friar Mouth had inside position on the linebacker.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Tranquill. I like Friarmuth against the linebacker.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Wilson throws it and the safety is where Wilson didn't
think he was going to be, and he picks it off.
Speaker 6 (25:00):
Okay, okay, by rule, we can walk through this and
a couple of them ones. There's been times where we
have game plan that type of coverage. Exactly what you said.
George Pickens is key to that. If he does not,
he cannot get pressed. He's got to get vertical fast.
And just because it's George Pickens, that safety's going there
(25:22):
right now. If he doesn't go there, really our quarterback,
you know, depends on who that with the George Pickens,
I would never say, hey, you know what, George is
gonna track him over there, so the little will be open.
More than likely that's what's going to happen if that
safety falls asleep thought to him. Okay, so you still
have time to do That's where you know, and Russell
(25:42):
Wilson's not. I mean, he's got plenty of experience for that.
So now let's go back to the tight end and
the actual route. The actual route was not very good.
The route was not vertical. The route actually looked like
it was like an over route, which makes it even worse.
Speaker 7 (26:01):
Because you don't.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Once you do that, then you bring the other safety involved.
Even if he had gone over there, he becomes a player.
You still have to Now. Okay, so by rule you're right,
George Pickens. But the route that was run and the
way he Russell Wilson through that, there's there's no way
(26:23):
you make that throw without really knowing where that safety
is at. You know, you gotta know, especially if you're
gonna throw it across the other ash. Now, if you're
gonna keep him down the right hash.
Speaker 7 (26:32):
Keep in mind.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
Okay, so we're going down in the middle of the field here,
Briargany gets almost over to the left hash. Now once
you get you there, I'm gonna just tell you this,
just by where you're on the field, that's danger. In
cover two, that's danger. That's risking it. And if you're
gonna do that, but you better know that safety went
over there. You know, there's still some responsibility to the
quarterback based on the route, you know, and where he
(26:55):
was gonna have to throw that man, you better know where.
Speaker 7 (26:58):
That safety's at. You better that he committed, you know.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
So it's yeah, but I guess my bigger question. I
get where you're coming from. But Pickens not getting down
the sideline to me, that that that's a red flag
that I can't trust this guy when he knows he's
not getting the ball to do what he needs to do.
So the guy that's getting the ball can get the ball.
Speaker 6 (27:19):
And he's their best player, George Pickens, he's their best player.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
And they missed him desperately when he was out, but
he didn't help him.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Enough when he was back in.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
But he's not the most trustworthy.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Yeah, I mean, how do you scheme around that?
Speaker 5 (27:33):
But part of me was sitting there thinking the same
thing as the Kafflin linebacker conversation. You can't just be
the quarterback that drops the six then he drops a
seven leg. I tell him you gotta be a football
player too, and don't throw it, you know.
Speaker 6 (27:44):
Right well from Russell Wilson's precise absolutely, But if you
want and there's the growth of George Pickens, you know
that there's the real like, Okay, a really good pro
I mean a guy Jerry Rice is gonna run that route.
Really good pros are gonna run that route. I gotta
fight through that press. They're gonna get there, They're gonna
(28:04):
threaten that.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Yeah, I gotta get down to the five guard line.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
The play doesn't work.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
Everything depends on me getting by this cornerback.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I should be able to get by because I'm a big,
strong young guy that if I know what I'm doing,
I do it.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
Well, that see, that's that's where, yes, there's a zero
argument here. There's a zero argument here. You know, that's
where you know there's your difference. There's a difference. That's
why you know the chiefs are what the what the
chiefs are if you watch them, whoever's running route, whoever's
going somewhere, but never run with the purpose.
Speaker 7 (28:37):
That's not teams win championships.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
That's exactly why teams win championships, and that's exactly why
teams lose championships.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
The merrill.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
Something that's really concerning me more and more by the
week snowballing and maybe even for the future years is
I think a lot of our listeners would be like, boy,
the past protection stinks. This line is not any good.
I look at it like I've all always said, sacks
are as much quarterbacks sat as they are protection stat
And I'm thinking more and more as I watch the
(29:05):
league it's even more on quarterbacks. There's a handful of
quarterbacks just don't take sacks, and the Steelers guy does, and.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
As the down goes on, he seems to get worse.
Speaker 6 (29:16):
Yeah, and I listen, I go back to the hike
is a problem in the NFL when you're below six feet,
when you're five ten, I mean, windows start closing. Okay,
I'm listening. Played in the pocket, played on third down,
stood there with I'm six y one, okay, and I've
stood there with guys that are six three and sixty four,
and I know the difference from even just being six
(29:36):
to one to sixty three. I just know what that
I know what that environment's like. I know I got
it the way I gotta see things. It's really no
differently him on I did never have to do for
a nearly decade to stow the ball, Okay, so I
know how how dirty it can be and how tough
it can be. Man, when you're five ten, there're just
things that you don't can't see. Ya. This plays when
(29:57):
I'm looking at this, I'm looking at this one player
right now.
Speaker 7 (29:59):
Actually I got up screen. I'm like, he starts wrong,
but when he comes.
Speaker 6 (30:04):
Back, I'm like the guard the bark is great, though
from perfective, but I'm like, I'm based on the angle
of where the tackle is pushing the right guard back
to whar they're saying.
Speaker 7 (30:13):
I'm like, I don't know if you could see it.
Speaker 6 (30:15):
And I'm the skinned out fairness like, I don't know
if he saw it. And there's a lot of players
where he misses check downs and misses some things. The
longer he goes in the pocket and the more condensed
it becomes, I think the harder it is for him
to see some stuff and he misses stuff.
Speaker 7 (30:31):
That's why he's so good.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
When they do run action, they paralyze the box, they
freeze the line of scrimmage, and he's got depth. Man,
then then you know he's a different player there. He'll
get to a check down, he'll get to his deep ball,
but from a true drop back, unless that ball comes
out under two seconds, I mean like once youkil boom,
that would becomes the problem once that pocket collapses. And
(30:55):
that's just that's just what you have to That's the
unfortunate thing you gotta do with somebody who's can you know,
you gotta you gotta work around that. And that's why
you know, it's really important that he starts in the
right spot from the very beginning. That's why I'm actually
looking at this places on the second passes of the game.
It's like, based on the linebackers, I don't I mean,
(31:15):
based on the coverage of the linebacker would give them
miss away. And I'm start with the right and our
tight end kills the safety. You know, it's worth fifty
if he catches it and we make the throw. So
you know, you just can't miss plays like that. Too
from a quarterback perspective, cause those are pretty simple and
they're dialed up and it's somewhat routine, but you can't
miss them.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
You gotta see.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
We got thrown, Meryl, we got uh.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
We did a pretty good job here of breaking down
what went wrong against the Chiefs. Can you do one
more quick segment and we'll figure out how.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
They get out of this?
Speaker 6 (31:45):
Absolutely bro all right, stick around.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
We'll do a bonus second segment with Merrill here on
Steelers Review.
Speaker 6 (31:53):
UH.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Steel's Preview Slash Review is brought to you in part
by the Steels Pro Shop. Gear up with the latest
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the latest sideline apperil, Jersey's Terrible Towels, authentic memorabilia, and
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Visit one of the official Steelers Pro shops located at
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(32:15):
or you can gear up online at shop dot Steelers
dot com. More with Merrill when we come back. This
is Steelers Preview Slash Review right here on your Steelers
flagship one of two point five dve and the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Back to the Steelers preview show on DVE.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Welcome back, Mike, pursuit of Matt Williamson and Meryl Hodge
for an extended factor back doubleheader type of segment here
as we were not previewing Cincinnati, but we are reviewing
Chiefs twenty nine, Steelers ten yesterday at Akrosser Stadium.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Not so merry Christmas for the Steelers.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
Meryl, I think be back Thursday at a preview to
preview the back Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Right, Meryl, I think we did a good job explaining.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
You know, I thought you were pretty clear on a
lot of these problems they can fix. It's it's not
you know, you're just you're getting beat You're getting overwhelmed.
You you're beating yourself in a lot of instances. Uh,
when it happens as often as it has happened to
the Steelers here at this juncture of the season, how
do you pull out of it? Mike Tomlins, for example,
(33:18):
yesterday said he's open to whatever change uh needs to
be made schematically divisional labor. Uh, you know he was
fire and brimstone. We're not going to take this. We're
not going to put up with this, But you're you're
kind of on the path you're on right, I mean,
what what what are the realistic changes they can make
that will facilitate better performance.
Speaker 6 (33:40):
Well, you know we have like you know, we'll just
change change in personnel, you know, people that aren't doing
it right. You know, you got to realize this. Fifty
three guys on a on a roster, he said, not
a lot of people on a roster. You know, I
always get fascinated, but we're looking at the sideline. I'm
an NFL game versus college game. You know, be lined
(34:00):
up on the sideline. In college, there's so many people
on the team. And then you're like, see there's only
a few players left on the sideline when there's eleven
out there playing. You know, now and you and you
you brought some guys in here to make a difference.
Speaker 7 (34:14):
So you know, like you know, Patrick McQueen, Queen's had.
Speaker 6 (34:17):
Some issues, twenties had some issues and de bench because
we've had some issues. Well, now, maybe in some situations
where they keep struggling, you know, in certain third downs,
maybe you maybe you put somebody else out there that
you may trust better and has has communicates better and
has but you know that's a that's.
Speaker 7 (34:36):
A big move.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
You know, that's a big change. You just got to
ask you guys to get better and button it up.
I mean, you know, challenge you know, I'm sure they've
already been challenged. You know what I'm saying is probably
already been done. Don't think you could do.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
And you aren't walking through the door in the next
week either. I mean, this is these guys you got.
You know, you're right, so.
Speaker 7 (34:58):
You got to deal with what you got.
Speaker 6 (34:59):
And you know, you know, you know, avenu is not
the easiest thing to do. I mean, it's it's you know,
that's a reaction, not a response, and you're better to
respond to things than react reactions and emotions. And they
usually make mistakes when we do it that way. So
(35:19):
you know, you have to walk through this one, you know,
extremely intelligently without making you got time too, because he's
got ten days, you know, to plain some things up. Now.
Maybe it is two about you know, calm things a
little differently, you know, not because they struggle with some areas,
you know, with communication aspect. But it isn't like they
(35:40):
play well. They still make some mistakes and zone all
they though they make less than than they doing Man,
you know, so maybe it's like, well we just do
less Man, look at our own tendencies, and that might
help us going forward because people think we're going to
play Man in these situations, and now we're going to
play his zone, and we'll be much better in that
than than Man. I mean, that would be one thing
that I walk through and talk about. You know, are
(36:02):
we vulnerable there? Do we think we can be better there?
Because our mistakes in Man are killing us, whereas our
zolen mistakes they won't hurt us. If we make the mistake,
they don't kill us like Man is killing us, and
we play him better. So I'm just I'm not saying
that's what they're gonna do. I just those are the
scenarios you got to talk about, you know, and the
(36:22):
options that you have, you know, because you only have
so many players, you know, and and you got to
deal with the players that you got and somehow button
them up, make them better before before you enter the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (36:37):
Back to something you're saying at the end of the
last segment, though, whether it's height or whatever the issue
is with Russell Wilson, there's never a stat for the past,
you should attempt that you don't. And I also think
there's not many things that make offensive coordinators crazier. When
you get the look he wants, he makes the right play,
oh and it doesn't come out. Are you seeing more
(36:59):
of that or is that something that's been a trend
with Wilson from the.
Speaker 4 (37:02):
Get go all year.
Speaker 6 (37:05):
Well, you know, when they lose, they that's trend. When
they do, you know, it's it's interesting. It's just it's
very interesting. It's like you know, watching him like, wow,
this is you know, some guys watching like, oh, he
don't miss nothing comes out. Yeah, yeah, and those words,
I mean those where he's gone, you know, this is
(37:26):
you know, that's why he's a great compliment, Like you know,
you get you you look if you somebody studying him
from North Carolina, then Wisconsin, the Seattle and he is
clearly at his best even in steel environment. Man, when
they run the football, they paralyze that box and they
(37:47):
give them either or he's unbelievable when it's a processing
of the entire field. It's just different. He's just different.
I mean, at the end of the day, that's the
conflict they ran into in Denver. That's what I mean,
that's why just he did it doesn't functioned consistently enough
like that, and that's where the fallout started.
Speaker 7 (38:12):
You still have to do some of those things, you know.
Speaker 6 (38:14):
I mean Arthur Smith has I think done a really
good job of trying to minimize that. But sure I
do stuff like that and the stuff that you know,
for example of this plan, looking at three of the
second player past play of the game. Okay, they have
an empty set. It's a three by two. The linebacker
works away. Your safety is to that two receiver side,
not to the three receiver side.
Speaker 7 (38:35):
Well three, your.
Speaker 6 (38:37):
Series side based on the slot defender to his outside leverage,
and your tight ends got an inside and breaking around,
you know. But he's too late when he goes back there,
you know, and he and he doesn't make to throw,
and so I you know, it's just okay, it's one example,
and someone can argue, well, it's just one example. Well
it's actually one example of a lot of examples that
(38:59):
keep happen. Mean you know that are costly, you know,
and it's a it's a third and two by the way,
you know, and you end up taking a sack and
we punt, so you know, you're playing the Raiders. Yeah,
of course, let's people adding layers to this. Okay, this
is this is a chance for and we're crossing the
fifty with the catch. Okay, so and we're first and ten.
(39:21):
We're not punning it. So you know, there's a difference
in moving the chains. You know, you either got to
get first downs or touchdowns when you go out, you know,
and especially when it's not complicated, you know, and the
pockets people like all the things that could create problems,
they're not there. They're part of that play. And so
(39:41):
that's what you know that some coaches do get like, god,
dang it, why start there? Everything tells you there, Everything
tells you that to start there.
Speaker 7 (39:52):
Force. So it's again we'll talk.
Speaker 6 (39:56):
About right now, very correctable, very correctble Russe Wilson had
enough experience, smart enough incorrect that next time it presents itself.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
Last thing, last thing I got for you, Merril.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
Do you think this team's confidence is fragile based on
what you've seen it go through and how you've seen
it perform, and uh, whether it is or is not,
what a good performance against Cincinnati kind of get the
train back on the track and get everybody's head where.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
It needs to be going into the post.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
And do you think they're mentally and physically fatigued after
this three game stretch too?
Speaker 6 (40:30):
Oh well, I'm sure they are. Here's a great thing
about it. Here's a great thing about it is you
got ten days, you know, really much to resurrect yourself. Yeah,
and you know, Mike, to answer your question, I don't
think they're they're fragile. I actually think it's a better thing.
I you know, I go back to you know, and
(40:50):
never underestimated a professional. After you've been embarrassed. I can
tell you this, they've been embarrassed. They have to walk
in film and watch this. Okay, there's nothing more humiliated
and embarrassing and you know, thought provoking and challenging than
when you watch yourself, you know, as a team making
mistakes and doing things that are unacceptable and unprofessional.
Speaker 7 (41:13):
So I think it actually.
Speaker 6 (41:16):
I'd rather have that on my side than a team
that is devastated, you know, and I know sense that
they're devastated. I just have a sense that, you know,
these type of things can be more of a motivation
thing to them, which hopefully inspires them to button what
(41:36):
they've been struggling with all year and clean it up.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
That is amazing that you would come back to that,
because I don't know how many times we've brought that
up over the years doing this show when they're playing
a Cleveland or somebody that you don't think they have
any chance to lose to, and Meryl will always say
throwing underestimated. Now the underestimation is on the other foot,
but maybe that does work out for the Steelers. Meryl,
great stuff, Belated, Merry Christmas and happy to you, and
(42:01):
we'll do this again before the regular season finale against Cincinnati.
Speaker 6 (42:05):
You got a fellas always the best Mark Chris doesn't
happen to your voice. See guys, that was.
Speaker 2 (42:10):
Our factor back Merril Hodge and that's gonna do it
for us. Thanks to Justin Miller for keeping us up
and running as he always does. Thank you for tuning in.
We'll be back in advance of the Bengals game the
regular season finale, and hopefully we'll have some more answers
because right now there's more questions.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
Times are tough at the moment.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Yeah, then answers for Matt Williamson Mike.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Pursuit of this has been Steeler's preview slash review right
here on your Steelers flagship one on two point five
DVE and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
Good Night, everybody,
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