November 13, 2025 • 45 mins
Mike, Matt, and Merril try to pinpoint what is needed by the Steelers to secure a victory against the Bengals Sunday afternoon.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Steelers Preview show on WDVE Pittsburgh, brought
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team at shop dot Steelers dot com. And now here
are your hosts, Merril Hodge, Matt Williamson and Mike Persuda.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good evening and welcome to another edition of Steelers Preview
right here on your Steelers Flagship one or two point
five DVE and Steelers Nation Radio. Mike Persuda and Matt
Williamson with you to get you set for the Steelers
in the Bengals Sunday at Acroashure.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Our factor back.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Meryl Hodge will be around for our second segment, as
Merrill always is, and we'll begin breaking down in great
detail the Steelers in the Bengals. But Matt and I
usually start things off with the daily practice support. We're
going to delay that for just a second because I
wanted to a bounce something off you that.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I heard from Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
This okay, and a lot of people did if they
listened to his Wednesday session with the media.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Tho's been pretty good this year, pretty informative, deep I
love his outlook.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Yeah, deep dives are taken into football and I've enjoyed that.
But he was asked about what he himself called a
stinker of a performance in Los Angeles and how he
would bounce back from that, and he said, you don't
need to freak out, and I thought, I don't know, man,
I'm pretty close.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I'm pretty close, because I mean no one seemed to
notice it with a Colt game before that, but the
offense wasn't particularly great. He wasn't particularly great. So there's
been a slight decline each week in the offense as
a whole and not coincidentally, and the quarterback as a whole.
And he's old. I mean, like, I don't think that's
(01:50):
a controversial statement. He's old and forty two on December second, okay,
I mean the riggers of the season start to add
up a little bit more for those guys, so I'm concerned.
But he's at one bag game.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Yeah, I'm willing to give him one back game.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
But beyond the bad game part with what got me
concerned and you know, at least searching for the freak
out button, if not actually pushing it.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And there were a couple of throws.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Like this throughout, but the one that really jumped off
the TV screen at me watching that Chargers game, the
third and six to Kenneth game, Well, from the ten
yard line, he was open, there was a linebacker sort
of in the vicinity. Yeah, if he puts it on
him from eight yards away, it's at least a first down,
if not a touchdown. Pressure was coming, and that looked
(02:42):
like Chuck and Duck to me, like I'm getting rid
of it and I'm cringing.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
There were times I went back and I watched all
his Jets tape, you know, after Steelers signed him and
it was the off season, had tie in my hands, and.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Plus what else would you do life?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
So there was some of that, especially when the Jets
season didn't really matter anymore, you know, and or even
early he was coming off a major injury and it's like, yeah,
he's not super, he doesn't trust his movement skills. Kind
of looked like Week one whenever he said he had
a bad back against the Jets, And frankly, I've been
saying it in a positive manner. Up until now, I've
(03:21):
seen no reluctance of getting hit, you know, for none
someone his age, right, I mean he's standing in there
and hey, I'm just like everybody else. You know. If
he wasn't older, and we never even brought it up,
there was some of the jets, and in this game
there could have been some.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Now, yeah, I'll put an asterisk on what Rogers called
a stinker because in the first quarter there was a
play where he got flush left away from pressure and
he had to turn his shoulders and he had DK
Metcalf one on one on his safety and he threw
the ball and Metcalf bented out just a little bit
at the end of the route and the ball landed
in the end zone, and the whole world's thinking he overthrew.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Them, right.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Metcalf said this week that he flattened her out out
it was it was on him. Yeah, when I watched,
and I wasn't sure, Okay, did he have a hard
time picking up the ball?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
You know, because I don't know where the route's supposed
to go. I don't know where the balls but it
looked like.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Well, that's odd because those two guys are both good
and they shouldn't miss.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
By that much.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
And I'll be like everyone else, I'm watching it on TV,
going Aaron overthrew, yeah, and he's not looking.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Sharp to but you go back and Metcalf's running that
diagonal line and he just sort of bent a little bit.
Then it was then he adjusted it again and didn't
get there. So if they hit that, it's seven to
nothing and they're rolling.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
We're having a whole different conversation, of course.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
And then we're not talking about batty.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Look.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, and uh there you know, ball off of Calvin
Austin's arms gets picked.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I mean that's not on him.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
I mean, he did not have a lot of help.
I mean, to be very honest, I mean you mentioned
Metcalf one on one that didn't happen very often, that
he was flat out one on one.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
A reason why when it's him in his safety, you
gotta you gotta, you gotta exploit that.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
You gotta take a shot, right, you got to you
got to hit it. You gotta hit it.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
You're right. But like the safety I thought was bad.
I mean some of the early protection stuff looked like
it got to him and I don't know this, but
he's going five against Harbaugh. Does Harbaugh kind of have
something that.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Is does he have a way of yes before.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I think I brought this up to you and you're like, wow,
he's probably tapping his phones.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And don't put anything past them, anything to win.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
So that it could have been better, but it wasn't.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
But it was when it's all said down as a
poor show.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
And now they need it to be better. The other
one that that I still can't get over.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Uh some play.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I think it was on that same goal line series.
They were supposed to run and Rogers checked to a pass.
It was gonna be a slant of Metcalf. I think
it was second down on that goal line series, and
they motioned Ben Skernic from the left side of formation
to the right because he was supposed to help on
the run right, and Bud Dufree had a clear path
(06:09):
to the quarterback and he didn't come.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
And come I'm coaching.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Is that the first time in Bud's life he didn't
take a free pass to the quarterback right and Rogers
saw him and he couldn't get the ball to Metcalf
and he just threw it into the ground.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
They got me there.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
But see, but I think when you get out guessed
by Bud Dufree, it ain't your night.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Well.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I think Bud's had a nice career, but he never
struck me as a cerebral I'm gonna outthink you kind
of guy.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I see what you're saying.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
There is that a correct assessment.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I don't know Bud, but I can I see where
you're going. He might not be lukele or ray Lewis.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
He was just use a physical speed, brute pass rusher
and made his made his money in the backfield coming forward.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Now I bet that was not on Bud,
but it's sometime when I actually talked to it. Merrill
is as much short passing as they do. I'm not
saying I'm a big I'm not a big believer in
here's the blueprint against this guy. But I do think
I have a new respect for the Chargers defense for
one thing. And mintor their defensive coordinator might be a
(07:12):
head coach as soon as next year, and you start
seeing those edge guys and defensive ends dropping and taking
away the quick slants and the quick game. Serios better
get used to that stuff, you know, and you better
have been more of an answer.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
And answer got to be running at him, right.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
I think so. I think the biggest thing going right
now is you got to get back to run the
football more because you're seeing a lot of too high stuff.
I mean, Metcalf's getting extra attention. Even when you bring
out jumbo and these huge offensive sets, they still have
two high safeties. Run the football, yeah, and do it.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
And then again, got to hit Metcalf.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I don't care how many catches he has, but he
has to be impactful.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
You have to feel his present.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
The deep ball is a chance for him to score touchdowns.
The fade on fourth down, which wasn't a fade, it
was more of a line drive and thrown inside.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Rogers said it was in a double I don't think
it was double.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
I don't call that double coverage.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
There was there was a safety on the near hash.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
It looked like double coverage at the snap, but the
guy never got there.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
I don't think he could have made a playoff.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
So if you give Metcalf either a jump ball or
a back shoulder, it's money.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah. I didn't kind of thought he was trying to
throw a back shoulder.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
And it just missed it, right, Yeah, just missed it.
Can't you know?
Speaker 2 (08:21):
If DK metcalf has three catches and two of them
are for touchdowns, I'm okay with that. Yeah, and I
don't care if you guys you know what the yardage is.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
You got to feel his presidence all the time.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
That's a great way to describe it.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Now, let's take a look at that practice report, as
we usually do in segment number one. Just to highlights here,
matt Darius Slay concussion did not practice for a second
consecutive day.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
That almost rules him out right. I just know how
the protocol protocol goes, but I'm not counting on him.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
They would not specifically tear all Austin would not rubber
stamp but Sante Samuel Junior into the lineup. But he's
out there practicing and there's not a ton of cornerbacks.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
I don't know. Trice is out of the picture now, Yeah,
I guess well, I think he's on the list, But
I don't know what to think of the same. I like,
I like the Samuel acquisition. I altill know what to
think about for this week. I mean, the guys in
Warpads are a helmet in a long time.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Run and cover've been doing it your whole life than
you to do it.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
He's smart, I mean, he's a good zone guy.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Alex high Smith Peck did not practice for the second
consecutive day. He told me it was an in game
injury and he played through its Sunday night. He said
he's optimistic. Feels like he's trending in the right direction.
I don't think he was I'm gonna play, but yeah, yeah, optimistic.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
And I don't think tom On needs him to practice
on Thursday or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Broderick Jones growing elevated from did not practice to limited.
Broderick told me he's playing.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Good, good and right direction.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Isaac say Mola limited for a second consecutive day.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
But being the vet that.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
He is, I mean he usually gets a veteran day
off and he didn't even get that.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So seeing him out there in a helmet, yeah yeah. Encouraging.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Scotty Miller finger full participant for the second consecutive day.
Aaron Rodgers mentioned Miller this week as a guy who
runs fast, and yeah, they're looking for any and all
till they can get a wide receiver.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
And that showed up to in this game. You know,
like We can talk all we want about Metcalf, but
if he's getting doubled like crazy, somebody needs to step up.
And he's getting doubled like crazy.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
On the Bengals side, Joe Burrow's back practicing limited again today.
He's not going to play Sunday. But there's some scuttle
button Cincinnati that maybe the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
On Thanksgiving, I think.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Burrow said something along the lines of that's what he's
shooting for.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Although quarterback is not their problem.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
No, they need Aaron Donald to come.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Trey Hendrickson, speaking of guys who can wrect the game
on defense, did not practice again. The coach, Zach Taylor,
was not optimistic at the outset of the week that
he would play sama J.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
P Ryan, their number two running back ankle.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I think he's out for a couple weeks.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Did not practice again today. And Schmar Stewart, their rookie
edge guy knee did not practice for a second consecutive day.
He's got six tackles in five games start.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
And so they draft all these guys so high on
defense and getting nothing out of any of them. Really,
DJ Turner is like the only guy playing well that
they've drafted high.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
So like a lot of games, it looks winnable, and
like a lot of games, you could see the game
getting away from them, particularly after last Sunday.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Yeah, and I'll be honest, like there's a lot of
analysis we do on this show and I do on
the Drive. This game's pretty cut and dry to me.
I mean, you would hope the defense is a great
deodorant for what we saw from Rogers and the Bengals
defense is a great deodorant saw from the stinky offense.
(11:36):
Whatever it does the job man, some of the extra strength,
and you know, the offense is gonna score points against everybody.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
The Battles offense. I don't think they're gonna come out
and hold them to ten.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
No, I don't think it's a race to fifteen.
Speaker 6 (11:48):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Right when we come back, Meryl Hodge joins the show.
So you're gonna want to keep it here for that.
Steelers preview presented by your neighborhood Ford store, The F
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one or two point five dve.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DVE.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Welcome back to the preview, Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson
getting you sent for the Steelers in the Bengals Sunday.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
At Akrosher Stadium.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Time now to welcome the factor back of our show,
Meryl Hodge to the program. Meryl is gonna help us
take a little bit of a deeper dive into Steelers Bengals.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Meryl, how are you tonight?
Speaker 6 (12:32):
Well, after the Schultz Ford and Luthor Ford team saved
me from a transmission issue, I'm great.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
There you go. Hey, it happens even to the best
of us.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Apparently, Yeah, Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Anyways, Meryl, you've seen a lot of football. You've seen
a lot of football players. Matt and I both spent
a lot of the first segment discussing how for the
first time this season we thought we saw a little
chuck and duck out of Aaron Rodgers in Los Angeles
last Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Prior to that game.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
You wouldn't know he was forty one years old in
that one he looked at would you see?
Speaker 6 (13:17):
Well, listen, I've always said this, I don't care how
old you are and how many how long you've played
you know when you should remember watching Tom Brady flinching
like you know, like he had nerves. He had no nerves.
I mean he was he was shell shocked. I can't
see Chief's on Monday night game. They had him so rattled.
(13:39):
It looked like the end of his career. So if
you haven't anybody at any time, just you know, the
more you get hit and the more you're pressured, you
just can't help but start playing a little fast.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
I don't care who you are.
Speaker 6 (13:54):
It's like if you walked in in the door, I
hit you with a two by four. The next time
you walk in that door, you probably wouldn't do anything
because it's a one time thing now. But I kept
I kept hitting it with a two by four. You
probably stop going through the door or you're going to
flinch every time you go through the door. And you know,
they just, I mean, they didn't do a good job
(14:14):
up front. You know, there was immediate pressure from the
very beginning, breakdowns everywhere. Charged it a good job getting
you know, winning there one on one matchups.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
The pressures were good. Not that being said.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
When you know when he had time, listen, he did
under three guys that were open he over threw guys
that were open, and that's uncharacteristic. Like the one where
he moved to the left and missed DK that not
to listen, that's a tough throw. You moved your left,
you got to throw all the way across the road.
And I mean that's I'm gonna talk about those.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
And by the way, on that one, weroll DK Metcalf
said he flattened a rout at the end.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Yeah, he put that on himself.
Speaker 6 (14:50):
So yeah, but I wouldn't even blame Aaron on that one.
And that's a tough throw. You know, it's but you know,
you got nineteen on a on a corner and he
unthrows it. You know, you got your tied in wide
open and nobody around you, and it's off the bust
of coverage and you're overthrowing. I mean, usually he doesn't
miss those those types of throws. But you know, the
(15:14):
office line has been has had its moments when it's
been really good.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
But they have not been consistent, you know.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
And you know the left side is you know, gives
up some pressures that are you know that you just
you constantly you don't get to you don't even get
two seconds and then it's a second and a half,
and you know in our league, you know you at
least need two and a half from a protection aspect,
(15:41):
and he's as good as anybody getting it out of two.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
So not all on him.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
I understand why I played a little faster, but the
other throws were on him, so you still got to
make those those those happen. I'm just saying, the more
that happens to you, I don't care how long you play,
you just stop trusting things.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
So he obviously didn't play particularly well. And I'll be honest,
I vastly underrated the Chargers defense. I thought they played
a really good game, and sometimes you got to recognize that.
You know, they're getting paid to and they're well coach
and all that good stuff. But was there any aspect
of the Steeler passing game that you thought was a
positive in that game? It's hard to find. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
(16:25):
I can't say I dud.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
Yeah, you know, now, Scheme wise, they did a really
good job of really disrupting the line of scrimmage, and
they were fantastic up front initially, and then I thought
what they were really great, which actually defensively, this is
actually the opposite where we struggled defensively is that they
did not give them access to the middle of the field.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
I mean, they were not allowing people in the middle
of the field. They took that away.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
And you know, not that we're talking about bart, I
don't know why from our defensive perspective we get beat
inside so easily. It's almost like we're funneling people inside.
And I'm just going to tell you this. I played
this at this lovel for almost a decade, Okay, I
ran routes all the time. It was one of my
strengths and in my in my game, we always talk
(17:18):
about winning inside. We always winning inside because it gives
you more access and easier throws. You know, that's why
you funnel people to the outside because it's a harder
throw and you have the sideline, so you have an
acce like a defender basically that you're working with.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
You know, if you're the only guy not in the middle,
you don't And it's dang.
Speaker 6 (17:38):
I mean, it did a great job of not allowing
that to happen, and we and we gave up.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
We have a b access all the time in the
middle of field. It's just it's just.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Interesting, Meryl.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
The Bengals ran the ball on the Steelers the first
time back in October, and its probably one of the
only times they've run the ball well all year.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
They're not very good at it.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
H Or Austin, defensive coordinator of the Steelers, talked in
Pittsburgh today and he said, and I quote, the goal
is not to let the run game get going, but
if it does, we'll have a different mindset maybe in
terms of how we recalibrate. Obviously what I did the
first time didn't work. I think we'll be better prepared
for it. Is he telling us in his way that
(18:21):
they got surprised that the Bengals ran the ball, and
they weren't really and they weren't really sure what to
do when Cincinnati started running it, right.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
I could tell you this that you know, going into
that game, they didn't even commit to it. You know,
there was nothing that I took to their defense. You
know that you would say, listen, they don't. They just
haven't been successful. But man, they're committed to it. It's
like they have abandoned that. Even when Joe Burrow got hurt.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I don't even think we talked about it. It was
it was an afterthought.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
Yeah, well well right, yeah, because there was a zero
evidence there, but they were to be committed to it
or they wanted to do it.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
I think they were averaging like two point six yards
of carry at that point as a team.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Horrible.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
Yeah, listen, all that being said, you know, from a
schematic ass aspect, their passing game is about as wicked
is there is in the NFL. I mean, you just,
I mean, what you have to defend and how you've
got to defend it is.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
A daunting task. You know.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
They you know, the Steelers are a couple of times they
doubled you know, Higgins and Jamar Chase. You know, they
did their very best to get those guys doubled as
much as possible, and their third best guy is winning.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Yeah, that's just.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
How That's how monumental it is. Listen, it is everybody.
It isn't like you know, it's just the Steelers. They
they they put thirty forty, almost fifty on everybody they play.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
That's how.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
That's why what I think defense where offensively, where we
lost the game is the touchdown that got called back.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
I believe we only.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
Got a field goal on that drive, and you have
two turnovers downs scoring territory.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
You just can't do that against that team.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
You've got to control the tempo of the game and
you've got to score points, and you can't turn the
ball over. Not not with those guys. You know, they
just too lethal and you can't ask game. There's no
defense that's going to shut down them down.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
You know.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
The problem is they just their defense is they got
some problems defensively that we you know, we actually took
advantage of. But honestly, like there are their perimeter run
defense is borderline awful. Like they just do not know
how to handle the perimeter in the running game, and
(20:50):
it doesn't matter what type of run you run up.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Then they are.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
They are lost on assignments. They do not know how
to tackle. Their safety that might be the poorest tackle
safety a football.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
I hit trying to hit you, but he ain't tackle you.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah, I mean you're talking about twenty twenty two or
twenty seven.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
Both really, but twenty seven plays a little much better.
Speaker 6 (21:11):
No, I mean they're lost half the time, they're confused
half the time, and it doesn't get any better.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
You know that.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
That's why I go to our turnovers and that holding
penalty that brought back a touchdown.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
You know, that's just you just you can't do that.
Speaker 6 (21:29):
You just because they score too many game points on it.
You know, they just do too and they got too
many ways to do it. In the passing cos it
doesn't matter it's man ours own. They can whip you
with a variety of people.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
So, speaking of man versus own Steeler defense, do you
think it's pretty clear now that they're going to trend
towards less blitz less man. You know that the Slay
and Echols of the world and Ramsey you aren't the
man cover shut down guys that they hoped they would be.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
The right.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
When you say that, and then I I see the
voids that you know, our zone covers say it also
encompasses linebackers.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
We often forget that.
Speaker 6 (22:18):
You know, linebackers are critical component of our coverage perspective
when you're playing zone and we we we have struggled
at times where you know, you say, listen, we've got
to be on the towy. Let's say we're doing Cover two,
we're dropping. You know, we've got to be on the
numbers here based on this formation. Well, formation is not
(22:38):
the same and you don't have anybody threatening you outside
those numbers. Everybody's inside the numbers. You don't need to
cover the numbers. You know, instinctively you should know those
things like this. So the spacing, you know, like yeah, yeah,
it's throwing the football. Here's are two critical things. Timing
and spacing. You know that is just so critical and
(23:00):
throwing the football. What's really say with zone coverage, like spacing,
you know, well, who you covering? You know, why are
you at the numbers and there's nobody even at the numbers.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
Or outside the numbers.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Who are you covering?
Speaker 6 (23:13):
You know, and you're giving all this access in the
middle of the field. So he was higgins one big
touchdown was the zone coverage. He hit the void and
he's he's split the safeties and it was over. So
like when you somebody asked me that, I'm like.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Woof, I don't know man much better.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
Yeah, yeah, because when I start, when you see that
was You're like, woof, I think they're better off making
playing man and making them throws tough, you know, tougher,
I should say, because when it was zone man, there
was some big voids, big boys, and they were catching
and not just big yards.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
They were going touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I was like, jeezus, know, well one of the I
was gonna say one of the talking points from Tara
lost and say another one and Mike I'm alluded to
this on Tuesday. They think they have more stability was
the word they both used with Ramsey and Douggar at safety.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Uh buying any of that?
Speaker 5 (24:11):
So they feel stability from a zone concept.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Well, I didn't really get that deep into it, but
just two guys on the backs of the defense that
they trust.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Yeah, well guys aren't coming, guys aren't.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Coming in and out of the game, and there's yeah,
less miscommunication potential and all that good stuff.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Yeah, well, let's go this way. Ramsey, you know, safety wise,
pretty good covered at it.
Speaker 6 (24:33):
You know, I don't know many safeties like that they
can cover like Ramsey can't still just you know, if
there's a point of his career where he's got to
cover who he's got to cover, let's just put it
that way.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
Well, I can just.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
Tell you this, there's you never do just one thing.
You know, this this league is built on, you know,
can you do a lot of things?
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Well?
Speaker 6 (24:56):
And you know there are teams that have pass they're
just gonna play pure man. They're gonna they're gonna stress
every throw you have. You know, that's when you really
have to kind of cover guys across the board. You
can do that with and when you when you don't,
then you're you're asking for trouble. But I I don't
think they come into this game and say now we're
(25:17):
gonna play the man. We're not gonna or play Zell
and there. I still think situations dictate those things. You know,
how the game is evolving dictates a lot of that,
those choices and decisions. But I still think w a
variety of things they always have to do that. You know,
especially against Flat though, who's been around forever. You know,
(25:39):
you just can't keep giving him the the same thing
because then it's easier for him to torture.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
You like the UH Steelers chances in this one bouncing back?
Or do you like the Bengals desperations stay in the hunt.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
In the division? Who's who's got the emotional.
Speaker 6 (26:00):
Honestly, I think the Steels are a better team. Okay,
across the board, they're better team. You know, you take
away those turnovers and that touchdown fall back, and it's
a different game.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
You know.
Speaker 6 (26:13):
Well, offensively, they they've got to do Listen, I don't
think there's any question they'll move the ball and score points.
I think they can run the football on them and
on the perimeter at will, okay, at will. In the
passing game, that they got to do a better job
of complimenting, you know, and finishing drives and not making
mistakes when you score a touchdown and getting things called back,
(26:33):
like I think the holding penalty is the most devastating
penalty in football. You get it, you get a holding
penalty and I don't know, I will I'm sure there's
a statistic on it. You know how many drives are
derailed because of that?
Speaker 5 (26:48):
You know that five yard not big deal? Ten big deal?
And you know when you.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
Lose points off of that and you're in scoring territory.
The two turnovers, which was were kind of a flukey deal,
but they still they still happen. They still count. They
don't do that, Yes to they'll beat them.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
You just can't predicted that thing that happened.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Well, hopefully that happens. And you're spot on, Meryl.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
I'm glad we had a successful transmission tonight.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Uh look forward to.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Talking to you again next week for the Merrill Hodge
Bowls Steelers against the Bears.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
Ah yes, oh no, this this would be fun. I'm
looking forward to that. That'll be That'll be a good
game man. Well, thank you boys, Love you guys.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Great stuff, Meryl, Meryl Hodge.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Right here on the preview, you can gear up with
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(27:53):
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One more segment to go, so keep it here with
Matt Williamson on Mike Persuda. Steelers Preview presented by your
neighborhood Ford Store. The F one fifty is the official
truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers, comes to you on Steelers
Nation Radio and your Steelers Flagship.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
One of two point five DVE.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Back to the Steelers preview show on DVE.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Welcome back Mike Pursuita and Matt Williamson.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Collecting ourselves again after another spirited Merrill Hodge session as
we continue getting you ready for the Steelers and the
Bengals Sunday at Akroshuer Stadium. The injury report is presented
by your neighborhood Ford store. The F one fifty is
the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Matt, I
wanted to talk about a guy tonight who is not
(28:42):
on the injury report, but the reason he's in Pittsburgh
is because he was injured.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yes, would be cornerback Sante Samuel Junior. Played four games
for the Chargers last year. Underwent spinal surgery right here
in Pittsburgh, one of the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
Yeah, Steelers did the surgery and now he's to give.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Him the The end with this guy, I mean he
tore a bunch of different places. Why do you pick Pittsford.
I mean I might have something to do with it.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Who would have a better insight in his metal too,
right than the Steelers? He said this week, Uh, he
had shoulder issues that ended up being related to this
fine pace and correct me if I'm wrong. His rep
has always been great ballhawk, terrible, terrible tackler, a little undersize, yeah,
(29:31):
five ten buck eighty.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Not really a man, A man guy smart breaks on
the ball well right now.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
He was asked if his condition affected his ability to
tackle and and like a pro, he said, there's no
excuses out there. A lot of guys play at less
than one hundred percent. Sure, I've been playing with my
whole career. I played, but.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Then the folk.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
So this has gone on for a while since he
got to the NFL. Oh okay. I thought it was like, no, yeah,
this was a recurring thing. Okay, okay, And now.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
He's the shoulders are good, the back's good.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
Yeah uh.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
And I asked him, is there a chance you're as
healthy as you've ever been? He said absolutely.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
It never felt better.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
Because watching him as a tackler, it wasn't like he
was bashful. He wasn't. He didn't turn him down. He
wasn't particularly good at it, and he's not the biggest
guy out there.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
That's justess interialting.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Maybe his wrapping power wasn't as good enough or something
along those lines.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
We didn't want to. Maybe he's one of those guys
that's better hitting.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
I don't know, right, but it's not like he just
turned things down and made business decisions. So that's good.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
But was slaying a concussion protocol? Yeah, James Pierre is
in line to play.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
He even better lately, by the way, Brandon.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Echols is in line to be the slot again, and
Joe Porter Junior is in the line to be on
the other side against the Bengals Armada.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
But you need a fourth I mean, he address somebody.
I mean, I mean, I know Ramsey could bump out there.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I think we might see him.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
How long was Dougger here before he played a couple
of days?
Speaker 4 (30:50):
I mean at least Dugger though wore a helmet and
played football recently though, you know, I mean this is
a little bit different transition games last year and that
was so it's been well over a year since he
put shoulder pads on.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Till this week again.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Tarrell Austin, the defensive coordinator, non committal today, not in
a bad way, just say, hey, we got to see
what we have see somebody knows and what he can
do and where he might fit.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
It also implies to me that they're going to play
a lot more zone. I mean, I think the man demand,
especially against the Bengals, experiment that hey we got all
these man corners where it's going to man up and blitz.
I think those days are gone. I think it's let's
drop a lot of people in coverage. Our four man
rush will get home. And Samuel's very good at that.
It was, I mean, pre injury, he was.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
If it's a simple zone on them all four it
if it's the miscommunication, right, leave Jamar Chase running a
shallow cross so uncovered that there's nobody in the TV
frame when he catches the ball on the way to
setting up the winning points.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
That I gotta have a problem with that.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
And then a bunch of linebackers and safeties put their
palms in the air and look at each other and
blame each other. Yeah, I'm not good on that either.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Let's talk about this Bengals defense because it is historically bad.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
It's historically like people throw that term around, but it
is historically bad.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Thirty three point three points a game allowed to this point,
the most in a single season since the nineteen sixty
six New York Football Giants. Thirty five point eight points
a game four hundred and twenty six point six total
net yards allowed per game, the second most in a
single season in the Super Bowl era behind the twenty
(32:21):
twelve New Orleans Saints for forty point one.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Pretty nuts. They're bat at everything. Hendrickson seems unlikely to play,
as we talked about in the first segment. I like
the Turner kid. He's the one that ripped the ball
away from Metcalf in the first He's been like the
only bright spot just I.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Think he's played far their best defensive back.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
No question, and probably their best defensive player. Henderson's not
in the mix. They blamed the coordinator last year, who
we saw with Indianapolis and is helping lead a team
to the best record in the league in Indy. I
don't think it was his fault. They've draft the guys
on defense like crazy, which makes sense because all of
(33:04):
a sudden, their offense is super expensive, so they're trying
to get cheap labor on defense. And the defense is bad,
but it's not getting any better, and they're they're bad
at everything, but they're really bad against the run. Tight
ends and we've seen Friarmouth have destroyed this team. I
mean throughout his career, not just yeah yeah yeah. They're
(33:24):
off the ball. Linebacker play is terrible, and now Wilson's
not even there as a fallback option. He's in Dallas.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
More fun with stats, The Bengals have become the second
team in NFL history to score thirty eight plus points
in consecutive games and lose both.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
I think it was that sixty six Giants team.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
You must have seen the same note time reading from
the Bengals lost to the Jets thirty nine to thirty
eight when they got nipped by twenty three points allowed
in the fourth quarter, fourth quarter, right, and then they
got beat forty seven to forty two by the Bears,
colossal collapse. On the November two, Chicago was up fourteen points.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
So is that sixty five points they've let up in
the last seventy in the last five quarters?
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Seventy okay, forty seventy game up.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Forty seven and twenty three Yeah, okay, that's a lot.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Those those sixty six New York Football Giants lost a
couple of heartbreakers back to back, seventy two to forty
one and forty nine to forty ouch. And those Giants
finished one twelve and one.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
The Bengals are better off than that, they're still in
the playoff hunt. But man, that this defense is again
it has to be you're deodorant and you gotta win
time possession and if you'd you're not putting up a
lot of points against these guys. I think it's time
to officially worry.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
You know, the numbers tell the story, but sometimes you
just have to watch them play and then listen to
the guy talking about how they're playing. You know my
process by now, I watch the opponent in its most
recent game and and uh, that was the Chicago by
folks you don't know, Yeah, that was Chicago game on
November the two. Adam Archiletta is doing color for CBS,
(35:08):
and he had this to say early in the game, quote,
they have a bad combination their inability to stop the
run and also their inability to rush the passer. If
you can't do either, it's going to be really tough
to play good defense.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
Good place to start.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
I can't argue that he.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Can't stop the run and you can't stop the pass.
Playing defense is going to be problematic.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
He's one thousand percent right about that, and he's a thousand, right,
that they don't do either well late in the third quarter.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
It's starting to become one of those games, you know,
make it, take it. They're just both Bengals are moving
up and down.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
Two years now.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Archiletta observes, quote, I don't know defensively how they're going
to be able to stop the Bears. Their defense is
significantly letting them down. And then, last, but not least
crazy game like Chicago was up fourteen points with two
minutes and to forty two left in regulation and had
(36:03):
the ball, gave up a touchdown, Bengals got an on
side kick, they got another touchdown. Yeah, and because they
went for two after the first one and made it,
all they had to do was kick the extra point
for forty to forty one lead. Chicago gets the ball
back with fifty four seconds left, no timeouts.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Needs a field goal to win, and scored a touch.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
A touchdown with little resistance.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Didn't even have to score a touch right, right, but
we'll take it.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
It was a pass to Colston Lovelan, a rookie tight end,
and three guys didn't tackle him and he just ran
into the end.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
I forgot how easy that was. That was a couple
of weeks ago. It was two weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
It was.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
It's remarkable every Bengals games like this. I mean they
always score and they always let up a ton and
they usually come up a point or two short. Last
time the Steelers played him, it was the other way around.
But I still think reviewing that game, you can't let
Brown run on you. I mean, he doesn't run on anybody.
(37:02):
They don't run on anybody, And if he could just
get in that particular game, he got no defensive splash
and the Bengals got a little bit of defensive splash,
And to me, that was the difference between winning loss, Oh,
no question, because.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
The Bengals defensive splash took points away.
Speaker 4 (37:17):
From Pittsburgh and that's what you needed.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Particularly the ball that Turner ripped out of Metcalf's hand huge.
Instead of a completion, that's an interception, instead of a
field goal or a touchdown. They got on to get
a touchdown before the end of the half. Steels also
had that hideous false start on a toush push on
fourth and one. Yeah, I think the only team that
got a penalty on the touch push. Right, Philly just
(37:40):
does whatever it wants.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
The guards leave like a second early, right, So they
were going to.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Go for it there.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
And now it's not a guarantee they would have made it,
but that could have been a touchdown. Instead, they kicked
a field goal for a ten to nothing lead instead
of a fourteen nothing lead. Potentially, there was a chance
to step on that game early and they didn't do it.
Speaker 4 (37:57):
They did true, and this Bengals defense is so bad
that they have to steal a possession off you, you know,
I mean just to kind of hang around, you know,
they need to get the ball nine times if you
get it eight, you know. And because the defense doesn't
stop anyone, I can't say it enough. I mean, I'm
gonna look at kind of through a negative light because
(38:17):
the Steelers' last offensive performance was negative. But if you
don't get it right against these guys, I think it's
time to worry.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
Here's how bad they are. They even got no I mean,
you can't make this stuff up. Now they got to
stop against the Bears, and so Chicago opted for a
field goal and dj Ivy, one of the defense backs,
lined up off side on the end of the field
goal block team. The guy missed the field goal offside
defense first down, Chicago stuck it in the end zone.
(38:48):
Of course they can't afford. They get a stop once
a month. They can't give it back. They can't you
know what I mean. I mean, I'm exaggerating a little bit,
not much.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
I mean, these are just facts. We're not picking on
the opponent or here.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
This is just facts.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
It is that bad now in terms of slowing that
offense down, I mean, it is majestic. And some of
the things that I wrote down in my notes with Flacco,
I think Joe Flacco surprised a lot of Steelers fans
who maybe didn't watch him play against Green Bay in
his Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Debut, and they thought, oh, this guy's old. He just
got there.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
He's stunk in Cleveland, this is a layup. Well, he's
been really good with Cincinnati. Some of the stuff I
wrote down off that Chicago game. Quick decisions finds the
one on one audibles ball placement. The eligibles are eligible,
meaning he'll find you, you know, if you double Chase
(39:42):
and Higgins, as the Steelers found.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
Out, he'll go to.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Chase. Brown's catching a lot of balls down too.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
You know, he is playing the way Aaron Rodgers was
playing up until that Chargers game. Like a veteran guy
just knows what's going on, and he's still got the
arm to take advantage of what he knows.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Yeah, he's always had a monster arm. I mean, I've
said told a story a million times, but I recruited
him out of Auduban High School and he's like, who's
this six or five guy that no one's watching that
has a rifle for a right arm? And he's always
and now he's you know, above of the neck, about
as good as anyone too, with all of experience, And
it's been quite the story.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
You know, if you're thinking, well, just run the ball,
throw it short, hold the ball, possess it. You know,
we talked about that before the Colts game, but is
this the ideal blueprint? Just keep that offense off the field. Well,
much like Indianapolis, Cincinnati don't need a ton of time
to score. Now, they're terrible time posession that Colts game now,
or excuse me, the Bears game. They did have a
(40:43):
kickoff return for a touchdown, but they got forty two
points in twenty five minutes and twenty seconds.
Speaker 4 (40:50):
I mean, they are quick hitters. Their receivers are incredible
Flacco still has the deep ball. But I still think
the biggest problem with the Steel big picture, and there's
many reasons that feed into it, is time of possession.
I mean, they're just not running enough plays on offense.
I mean, I'm asked all week why doesn't Metcalf get
more balls? And John I'm like, they don't run any plays.
(41:13):
They've run the fewest plays in the league, and the
defense has played so many more snaps in the offense
that if it keeps up, the defense is going to
play the equivalent of three more games than the offense.
I mean, like the damn's going to really start to break.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Yeah, it can't have that. No, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
You here, got to get the ball to Metcalf, war
Warren's got to carry more. No, they got to get
friar Mouth more involved. Well it's all great in theory,
but the way this offense is supposed to work is
one of those is supposed to work to give it down.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
It's supposed to keep moving around.
Speaker 4 (41:45):
Yeah, yeah, and they're just not.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
They're not. You go three at a time and you
don't get to anybody.
Speaker 4 (41:49):
No, I mean, the pie is just so small in
terms of slicing it up now. I think at this
point you might want to concentrate your touches a little bit.
To me, Warren Metcalf and Friarmuth should be the guy
that your primary options to try to design things to
get the ball in their hands. I think they're the
most trustworthy dudes and offer the most with the ball
(42:12):
in their hands.
Speaker 3 (42:13):
Interesting. Aaron Rodgers talked about that this week.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
Matt and uh We mentioned Fararmuth has had big games
against Cincinnati toom Party, including this year. Rodgers thinks he
needs to be out there more. From my observation, if
it's a two tight end set, it's Friarmuth and John
Smith usually.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
Uh. If Washington's out there, Friarmuth is not usually.
Speaker 6 (42:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (42:40):
I don't know if there's a ton of rhyme and
reason to it. I think it's sort of dependent because
Washington and Johnny are so different.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
And three wides which they rarely go to. Friarmuth is
usually out there. Yeah, But I'm wondering if we might
see more eighty eight and eighty one, it weren't eighty eight.
Speaker 4 (42:54):
And eighty like I would say, I think he should
eighty eight. This is the bottom line. Yeah, I think
that's the way to do it, because he's not a
nothing as a blocker. Bet he's not Mark Bruner, but
he or Washington. But he's serviceable and will help you,
and he's a reliable, good player.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
They are five and four, Ravens are charging hard in
the North. You still got to play them twice, so
there's still a lot of football to be played. But
the way I'm feeling about this game now, maybe they
lose on a seventy yard field goal with the gun
and then they play a great game, but yeah, it
doesn't work out. But if it looks like it's looked
(43:35):
recently and they fall to five and five and you've
lost four out of five, I think that's problematic.
Speaker 4 (43:40):
Yeah, And frankly, I mean, I know we're here previewing
the Steelers, but if the Bengals lose, I think you
pretty much get them out of the picture. If they win,
all of a sudden, they have life two in the
division and Burrows at practice, and you know, hopes are
up where I think your point's very well taken, not
only like the fan base and our listeners right now,
but the Steelers lose us the game in any way,
(44:01):
shape or form, I'm a little concerned. Yeah, that's a
crucial game.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
Aaron Rodgers said, don't freak out if they lose. There's
gonna be some freaking out.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
Yeah, there'll be some freaking out.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
What happens.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
I think they win. I mean, I just expect the
defense to get more splashed than they did the first
time around. I think there'll be a lot of points.
I trust Rogers to quote good, get it right. But
I also trust Chase and Higgins to put up a
lot of yardage and do a lot of good stuff.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
Sounds like a decent theory that's gonna do it for
us tonight. I have no idea what's gonna happen. I'm
not even I'm not even gonna hazard a guess. And
I think most of the games the rest of the way,
other than maybe at Detroit, I.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Think they could win. They could lose.
Speaker 4 (44:40):
Yeah, I just look at more through a Bengals lens.
Every Bengals game is the same.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Thanks a lot to Justin Miller for keeping things running
here in house. Thanks to Brian law Martine for the
job he does with Steelers Nation Radio. Thanks to you
for finding us wherever and however you found us. We
will do it again next week before the Steelers get
ready to take on the Chicago Bears. Until then, for
Meher Hodge and Matt Williamson on Mike Persuda, this has
(45:08):
been Steelers Preview, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store. The
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Speaker 3 (45:18):
One O two point five dve E. Good Night, everybody,
Welcome to the Steelers Preview show on WDVE Pittsburgh, brought
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are your hosts, Merril Hodge, Matt Williamson and Mike Persuda.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good evening and welcome to another edition of Steelers Preview
right here on your Steelers Flagship one or two point
five DVE and Steelers Nation Radio. Mike Persuda and Matt
Williamson with you to get you set for the Steelers
in the Bengals Sunday at Acroashure.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Our factor back.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Meryl Hodge will be around for our second segment, as
Merrill always is, and we'll begin breaking down in great
detail the Steelers in the Bengals. But Matt and I
usually start things off with the daily practice support. We're
going to delay that for just a second because I
wanted to a bounce something off you that.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
I heard from Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
This okay, and a lot of people did if they
listened to his Wednesday session with the media.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Tho's been pretty good this year, pretty informative, deep I
love his outlook.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Yeah, deep dives are taken into football and I've enjoyed that.
But he was asked about what he himself called a
stinker of a performance in Los Angeles and how he
would bounce back from that, and he said, you don't
need to freak out, and I thought, I don't know, man,
I'm pretty close.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
I'm pretty close, because I mean no one seemed to
notice it with a Colt game before that, but the
offense wasn't particularly great. He wasn't particularly great. So there's
been a slight decline each week in the offense as
a whole and not coincidentally, and the quarterback as a whole.
And he's old. I mean, like, I don't think that's
(01:50):
a controversial statement. He's old and forty two on December second, okay,
I mean the riggers of the season start to add
up a little bit more for those guys, so I'm concerned.
But he's at one bag game.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Yeah, I'm willing to give him one back game.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
But beyond the bad game part with what got me
concerned and you know, at least searching for the freak
out button, if not actually pushing it.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And there were a couple of throws.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Like this throughout, but the one that really jumped off
the TV screen at me watching that Chargers game, the
third and six to Kenneth game, Well, from the ten
yard line, he was open, there was a linebacker sort
of in the vicinity. Yeah, if he puts it on
him from eight yards away, it's at least a first down,
if not a touchdown. Pressure was coming, and that looked
(02:42):
like Chuck and Duck to me, like I'm getting rid
of it and I'm cringing.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
There were times I went back and I watched all
his Jets tape, you know, after Steelers signed him and
it was the off season, had tie in my hands, and.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Plus what else would you do life?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
So there was some of that, especially when the Jets
season didn't really matter anymore, you know, and or even
early he was coming off a major injury and it's like, yeah,
he's not super, he doesn't trust his movement skills. Kind
of looked like Week one whenever he said he had
a bad back against the Jets, And frankly, I've been
saying it in a positive manner. Up until now, I've
(03:21):
seen no reluctance of getting hit, you know, for none
someone his age, right, I mean he's standing in there
and hey, I'm just like everybody else. You know. If
he wasn't older, and we never even brought it up,
there was some of the jets, and in this game
there could have been some.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Now, yeah, I'll put an asterisk on what Rogers called
a stinker because in the first quarter there was a
play where he got flush left away from pressure and
he had to turn his shoulders and he had DK
Metcalf one on one on his safety and he threw
the ball and Metcalf bented out just a little bit
at the end of the route and the ball landed
in the end zone, and the whole world's thinking he overthrew.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Them, right.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Metcalf said this week that he flattened her out out
it was it was on him. Yeah, when I watched,
and I wasn't sure, Okay, did he have a hard
time picking up the ball?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
You know, because I don't know where the route's supposed
to go. I don't know where the balls but it
looked like.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Well, that's odd because those two guys are both good
and they shouldn't miss.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
By that much.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
And I'll be like everyone else, I'm watching it on TV,
going Aaron overthrew, yeah, and he's not looking.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Sharp to but you go back and Metcalf's running that
diagonal line and he just sort of bent a little bit.
Then it was then he adjusted it again and didn't
get there. So if they hit that, it's seven to
nothing and they're rolling.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
We're having a whole different conversation, of course.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
And then we're not talking about batty.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
Look.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yeah, and uh there you know, ball off of Calvin
Austin's arms gets picked.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I mean that's not on him.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
I mean, he did not have a lot of help.
I mean, to be very honest, I mean you mentioned
Metcalf one on one that didn't happen very often, that
he was flat out one on one.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
A reason why when it's him in his safety, you
gotta you gotta, you gotta exploit that.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
You gotta take a shot, right, you got to you
got to hit it. You gotta hit it.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
You're right. But like the safety I thought was bad.
I mean some of the early protection stuff looked like
it got to him and I don't know this, but
he's going five against Harbaugh. Does Harbaugh kind of have
something that.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Is does he have a way of yes before.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I think I brought this up to you and you're like, wow,
he's probably tapping his phones.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And don't put anything past them, anything to win.
Speaker 5 (05:34):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
So that it could have been better, but it wasn't.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
But it was when it's all said down as a
poor show.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
And now they need it to be better. The other
one that that I still can't get over.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Uh some play.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I think it was on that same goal line series.
They were supposed to run and Rogers checked to a pass.
It was gonna be a slant of Metcalf. I think
it was second down on that goal line series, and
they motioned Ben Skernic from the left side of formation
to the right because he was supposed to help on
the run right, and Bud Dufree had a clear path
(06:09):
to the quarterback and he didn't come.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
And come I'm coaching.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Is that the first time in Bud's life he didn't
take a free pass to the quarterback right and Rogers
saw him and he couldn't get the ball to Metcalf
and he just threw it into the ground.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
They got me there.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
But see, but I think when you get out guessed
by Bud Dufree, it ain't your night.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Well.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I think Bud's had a nice career, but he never
struck me as a cerebral I'm gonna outthink you kind
of guy.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I see what you're saying.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
There is that a correct assessment.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I don't know Bud, but I can I see where
you're going. He might not be lukele or ray Lewis.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
He was just use a physical speed, brute pass rusher
and made his made his money in the backfield coming forward.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Yeah yeah, yeah, Now I bet that was not on Bud,
but it's sometime when I actually talked to it. Merrill
is as much short passing as they do. I'm not
saying I'm a big I'm not a big believer in
here's the blueprint against this guy. But I do think
I have a new respect for the Chargers defense for
one thing. And mintor their defensive coordinator might be a
(07:12):
head coach as soon as next year, and you start
seeing those edge guys and defensive ends dropping and taking
away the quick slants and the quick game. Serios better
get used to that stuff, you know, and you better
have been more of an answer.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
And answer got to be running at him, right.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
I think so. I think the biggest thing going right
now is you got to get back to run the
football more because you're seeing a lot of too high stuff.
I mean, Metcalf's getting extra attention. Even when you bring
out jumbo and these huge offensive sets, they still have
two high safeties. Run the football, yeah, and do it.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
And then again, got to hit Metcalf.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I don't care how many catches he has, but he
has to be impactful.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
You have to feel his present.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
The deep ball is a chance for him to score touchdowns.
The fade on fourth down, which wasn't a fade, it
was more of a line drive and thrown inside.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Rogers said it was in a double I don't think
it was double.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
I don't call that double coverage.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
There was there was a safety on the near hash.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
It looked like double coverage at the snap, but the
guy never got there.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
I don't think he could have made a playoff.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
So if you give Metcalf either a jump ball or
a back shoulder, it's money.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah. I didn't kind of thought he was trying to
throw a back shoulder.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
And it just missed it, right, Yeah, just missed it.
Can't you know?
Speaker 2 (08:21):
If DK metcalf has three catches and two of them
are for touchdowns, I'm okay with that. Yeah, and I
don't care if you guys you know what the yardage is.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
You got to feel his presidence all the time.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
That's a great way to describe it.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Now, let's take a look at that practice report, as
we usually do in segment number one. Just to highlights here,
matt Darius Slay concussion did not practice for a second
consecutive day.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
That almost rules him out right. I just know how
the protocol protocol goes, but I'm not counting on him.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
They would not specifically tear all Austin would not rubber
stamp but Sante Samuel Junior into the lineup. But he's
out there practicing and there's not a ton of cornerbacks.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
I don't know. Trice is out of the picture now, Yeah,
I guess well, I think he's on the list, But
I don't know what to think of the same. I like,
I like the Samuel acquisition. I altill know what to
think about for this week. I mean, the guys in
Warpads are a helmet in a long time.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Run and cover've been doing it your whole life than
you to do it.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
He's smart, I mean, he's a good zone guy.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Alex high Smith Peck did not practice for the second
consecutive day. He told me it was an in game
injury and he played through its Sunday night. He said
he's optimistic. Feels like he's trending in the right direction.
I don't think he was I'm gonna play, but yeah, yeah, optimistic.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
And I don't think tom On needs him to practice
on Thursday or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Broderick Jones growing elevated from did not practice to limited.
Broderick told me he's playing.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Good, good and right direction.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Isaac say Mola limited for a second consecutive day.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
But being the vet that.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
He is, I mean he usually gets a veteran day
off and he didn't even get that.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So seeing him out there in a helmet, yeah yeah. Encouraging.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Scotty Miller finger full participant for the second consecutive day.
Aaron Rodgers mentioned Miller this week as a guy who
runs fast, and yeah, they're looking for any and all
till they can get a wide receiver.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
And that showed up to in this game. You know,
like We can talk all we want about Metcalf, but
if he's getting doubled like crazy, somebody needs to step up.
And he's getting doubled like crazy.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
On the Bengals side, Joe Burrow's back practicing limited again today.
He's not going to play Sunday. But there's some scuttle
button Cincinnati that maybe the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
On Thanksgiving, I think.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
Burrow said something along the lines of that's what he's
shooting for.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Although quarterback is not their problem.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
No, they need Aaron Donald to come.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Trey Hendrickson, speaking of guys who can wrect the game
on defense, did not practice again. The coach, Zach Taylor,
was not optimistic at the outset of the week that
he would play sama J.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
P Ryan, their number two running back ankle.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
I think he's out for a couple weeks.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Did not practice again today. And Schmar Stewart, their rookie
edge guy knee did not practice for a second consecutive day.
He's got six tackles in five games start.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
And so they draft all these guys so high on
defense and getting nothing out of any of them. Really,
DJ Turner is like the only guy playing well that
they've drafted high.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
So like a lot of games, it looks winnable, and
like a lot of games, you could see the game
getting away from them, particularly after last Sunday.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Yeah, and I'll be honest, like there's a lot of
analysis we do on this show and I do on
the Drive. This game's pretty cut and dry to me.
I mean, you would hope the defense is a great
deodorant for what we saw from Rogers and the Bengals
defense is a great deodorant saw from the stinky offense.
(11:36):
Whatever it does the job man, some of the extra strength,
and you know, the offense is gonna score points against everybody.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
The Battles offense. I don't think they're gonna come out
and hold them to ten.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
No, I don't think it's a race to fifteen.
Speaker 6 (11:48):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Right when we come back, Meryl Hodge joins the show.
So you're gonna want to keep it here for that.
Steelers preview presented by your neighborhood Ford store, The F
one fifties, the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers, comes
at you on Steelers Nation Radio and your Steelers flagship
one or two point five dve.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DVE.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Welcome back to the preview, Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson
getting you sent for the Steelers in the Bengals Sunday.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
At Akrosher Stadium.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Time now to welcome the factor back of our show,
Meryl Hodge to the program. Meryl is gonna help us
take a little bit of a deeper dive into Steelers Bengals.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Meryl, how are you tonight?
Speaker 6 (12:32):
Well, after the Schultz Ford and Luthor Ford team saved
me from a transmission issue, I'm great.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
There you go. Hey, it happens even to the best
of us.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Apparently, Yeah, Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Anyways, Meryl, you've seen a lot of football. You've seen
a lot of football players. Matt and I both spent
a lot of the first segment discussing how for the
first time this season we thought we saw a little
chuck and duck out of Aaron Rodgers in Los Angeles
last Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Prior to that game.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
You wouldn't know he was forty one years old in
that one he looked at would you see?
Speaker 6 (13:17):
Well, listen, I've always said this, I don't care how
old you are and how many how long you've played
you know when you should remember watching Tom Brady flinching
like you know, like he had nerves. He had no nerves.
I mean he was he was shell shocked. I can't
see Chief's on Monday night game. They had him so rattled.
(13:39):
It looked like the end of his career. So if
you haven't anybody at any time, just you know, the
more you get hit and the more you're pressured, you
just can't help but start playing a little fast.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
I don't care who you are.
Speaker 6 (13:54):
It's like if you walked in in the door, I
hit you with a two by four. The next time
you walk in that door, you probably wouldn't do anything
because it's a one time thing now. But I kept
I kept hitting it with a two by four. You
probably stop going through the door or you're going to
flinch every time you go through the door. And you know,
they just, I mean, they didn't do a good job
(14:14):
up front. You know, there was immediate pressure from the
very beginning, breakdowns everywhere. Charged it a good job getting
you know, winning there one on one matchups.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
The pressures were good. Not that being said.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
When you know when he had time, listen, he did
under three guys that were open he over threw guys
that were open, and that's uncharacteristic. Like the one where
he moved to the left and missed DK that not
to listen, that's a tough throw. You moved your left,
you got to throw all the way across the road.
And I mean that's I'm gonna talk about those.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
And by the way, on that one, weroll DK Metcalf
said he flattened a rout at the end.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Yeah, he put that on himself.
Speaker 6 (14:50):
So yeah, but I wouldn't even blame Aaron on that one.
And that's a tough throw. You know, it's but you know,
you got nineteen on a on a corner and he
unthrows it. You know, you got your tied in wide
open and nobody around you, and it's off the bust
of coverage and you're overthrowing. I mean, usually he doesn't
miss those those types of throws. But you know, the
(15:14):
office line has been has had its moments when it's
been really good.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
But they have not been consistent, you know.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
And you know the left side is you know, gives
up some pressures that are you know that you just
you constantly you don't get to you don't even get
two seconds and then it's a second and a half,
and you know in our league, you know you at
least need two and a half from a protection aspect,
(15:41):
and he's as good as anybody getting it out of two.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
So not all on him.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
I understand why I played a little faster, but the
other throws were on him, so you still got to
make those those those happen. I'm just saying, the more
that happens to you, I don't care how long you play,
you just stop trusting things.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
So he obviously didn't play particularly well. And I'll be honest,
I vastly underrated the Chargers defense. I thought they played
a really good game, and sometimes you got to recognize that.
You know, they're getting paid to and they're well coach
and all that good stuff. But was there any aspect
of the Steeler passing game that you thought was a
positive in that game? It's hard to find. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
(16:25):
I can't say I dud.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
Yeah, you know, now, Scheme wise, they did a really
good job of really disrupting the line of scrimmage, and
they were fantastic up front initially, and then I thought
what they were really great, which actually defensively, this is
actually the opposite where we struggled defensively is that they
did not give them access to the middle of the field.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
I mean, they were not allowing people in the middle
of the field. They took that away.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
And you know, not that we're talking about bart, I
don't know why from our defensive perspective we get beat
inside so easily. It's almost like we're funneling people inside.
And I'm just going to tell you this. I played
this at this lovel for almost a decade, Okay, I
ran routes all the time. It was one of my
strengths and in my in my game, we always talk
(17:18):
about winning inside. We always winning inside because it gives
you more access and easier throws. You know, that's why
you funnel people to the outside because it's a harder
throw and you have the sideline, so you have an
acce like a defender basically that you're working with.
Speaker 5 (17:33):
You know, if you're the only guy not in the middle,
you don't And it's dang.
Speaker 6 (17:38):
I mean, it did a great job of not allowing
that to happen, and we and we gave up.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
We have a b access all the time in the
middle of field. It's just it's just.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Interesting, Meryl.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
The Bengals ran the ball on the Steelers the first
time back in October, and its probably one of the
only times they've run the ball well all year.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
They're not very good at it.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
H Or Austin, defensive coordinator of the Steelers, talked in
Pittsburgh today and he said, and I quote, the goal
is not to let the run game get going, but
if it does, we'll have a different mindset maybe in
terms of how we recalibrate. Obviously what I did the
first time didn't work. I think we'll be better prepared
for it. Is he telling us in his way that
(18:21):
they got surprised that the Bengals ran the ball, and
they weren't really and they weren't really sure what to
do when Cincinnati started running it, right.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
I could tell you this that you know, going into
that game, they didn't even commit to it. You know,
there was nothing that I took to their defense. You
know that you would say, listen, they don't. They just
haven't been successful. But man, they're committed to it. It's
like they have abandoned that. Even when Joe Burrow got hurt.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I don't even think we talked about it. It was
it was an afterthought.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
Yeah, well well right, yeah, because there was a zero
evidence there, but they were to be committed to it
or they wanted to do it.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
I think they were averaging like two point six yards
of carry at that point as a team.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Horrible.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
Yeah, listen, all that being said, you know, from a
schematic ass aspect, their passing game is about as wicked
is there is in the NFL. I mean, you just,
I mean, what you have to defend and how you've
got to defend it is.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
A daunting task. You know.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
They you know, the Steelers are a couple of times they
doubled you know, Higgins and Jamar Chase. You know, they
did their very best to get those guys doubled as
much as possible, and their third best guy is winning.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
Yeah, that's just.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
How That's how monumental it is. Listen, it is everybody.
It isn't like you know, it's just the Steelers. They
they they put thirty forty, almost fifty on everybody they play.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
That's how.
Speaker 6 (19:58):
That's why what I think defense where offensively, where we
lost the game is the touchdown that got called back.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
I believe we only.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
Got a field goal on that drive, and you have
two turnovers downs scoring territory.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
You just can't do that against that team.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
You've got to control the tempo of the game and
you've got to score points, and you can't turn the
ball over. Not not with those guys. You know, they
just too lethal and you can't ask game. There's no
defense that's going to shut down them down.
Speaker 5 (20:28):
You know.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
The problem is they just their defense is they got
some problems defensively that we you know, we actually took
advantage of. But honestly, like there are their perimeter run
defense is borderline awful. Like they just do not know
how to handle the perimeter in the running game, and
(20:50):
it doesn't matter what type of run you run up.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Then they are.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
They are lost on assignments. They do not know how
to tackle. Their safety that might be the poorest tackle
safety a football.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
I hit trying to hit you, but he ain't tackle you.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah, I mean you're talking about twenty twenty two or
twenty seven.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
Both really, but twenty seven plays a little much better.
Speaker 6 (21:11):
No, I mean they're lost half the time, they're confused
half the time, and it doesn't get any better.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
You know that.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
That's why I go to our turnovers and that holding
penalty that brought back a touchdown.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
You know, that's just you just you can't do that.
Speaker 6 (21:29):
You just because they score too many game points on it.
You know, they just do too and they got too
many ways to do it. In the passing cos it
doesn't matter it's man ours own. They can whip you
with a variety of people.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
So, speaking of man versus own Steeler defense, do you
think it's pretty clear now that they're going to trend
towards less blitz less man. You know that the Slay
and Echols of the world and Ramsey you aren't the
man cover shut down guys that they hoped they would be.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
The right.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
When you say that, and then I I see the
voids that you know, our zone covers say it also
encompasses linebackers.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
We often forget that.
Speaker 6 (22:18):
You know, linebackers are critical component of our coverage perspective
when you're playing zone and we we we have struggled
at times where you know, you say, listen, we've got
to be on the towy. Let's say we're doing Cover two,
we're dropping. You know, we've got to be on the
numbers here based on this formation. Well, formation is not
(22:38):
the same and you don't have anybody threatening you outside
those numbers. Everybody's inside the numbers. You don't need to
cover the numbers. You know, instinctively you should know those
things like this. So the spacing, you know, like yeah, yeah,
it's throwing the football. Here's are two critical things. Timing
and spacing. You know that is just so critical and
(23:00):
throwing the football. What's really say with zone coverage, like spacing,
you know, well, who you covering? You know, why are
you at the numbers and there's nobody even at the numbers.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
Or outside the numbers.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Who are you covering?
Speaker 6 (23:13):
You know, and you're giving all this access in the
middle of the field. So he was higgins one big
touchdown was the zone coverage. He hit the void and
he's he's split the safeties and it was over. So
like when you somebody asked me that, I'm like.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Woof, I don't know man much better.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
Yeah, yeah, because when I start, when you see that
was You're like, woof, I think they're better off making
playing man and making them throws tough, you know, tougher,
I should say, because when it was zone man, there
was some big voids, big boys, and they were catching
and not just big yards.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
They were going touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I was like, jeezus, know, well one of the I
was gonna say one of the talking points from Tara
lost and say another one and Mike I'm alluded to
this on Tuesday. They think they have more stability was
the word they both used with Ramsey and Douggar at safety.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Uh buying any of that?
Speaker 5 (24:11):
So they feel stability from a zone concept.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Well, I didn't really get that deep into it, but
just two guys on the backs of the defense that
they trust.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Yeah, well guys aren't coming, guys aren't.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Coming in and out of the game, and there's yeah,
less miscommunication potential and all that good stuff.
Speaker 5 (24:28):
Yeah, well, let's go this way. Ramsey, you know, safety wise,
pretty good covered at it.
Speaker 6 (24:33):
You know, I don't know many safeties like that they
can cover like Ramsey can't still just you know, if
there's a point of his career where he's got to
cover who he's got to cover, let's just put it
that way.
Speaker 5 (24:46):
Well, I can just.
Speaker 6 (24:46):
Tell you this, there's you never do just one thing.
You know, this this league is built on, you know,
can you do a lot of things?
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Well?
Speaker 6 (24:56):
And you know there are teams that have pass they're
just gonna play pure man. They're gonna they're gonna stress
every throw you have. You know, that's when you really
have to kind of cover guys across the board. You
can do that with and when you when you don't,
then you're you're asking for trouble. But I I don't
think they come into this game and say now we're
(25:17):
gonna play the man. We're not gonna or play Zell
and there. I still think situations dictate those things. You know,
how the game is evolving dictates a lot of that,
those choices and decisions. But I still think w a
variety of things they always have to do that. You know,
especially against Flat though, who's been around forever. You know,
(25:39):
you just can't keep giving him the the same thing
because then it's easier for him to torture.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
You like the UH Steelers chances in this one bouncing back?
Or do you like the Bengals desperations stay in the hunt.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
In the division? Who's who's got the emotional.
Speaker 6 (26:00):
Honestly, I think the Steels are a better team. Okay,
across the board, they're better team. You know, you take
away those turnovers and that touchdown fall back, and it's
a different game.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
You know.
Speaker 6 (26:13):
Well, offensively, they they've got to do Listen, I don't
think there's any question they'll move the ball and score points.
I think they can run the football on them and
on the perimeter at will, okay, at will. In the
passing game, that they got to do a better job
of complimenting, you know, and finishing drives and not making
mistakes when you score a touchdown and getting things called back,
(26:33):
like I think the holding penalty is the most devastating
penalty in football. You get it, you get a holding
penalty and I don't know, I will I'm sure there's
a statistic on it. You know how many drives are
derailed because of that?
Speaker 5 (26:48):
You know that five yard not big deal? Ten big deal?
And you know when you.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
Lose points off of that and you're in scoring territory.
The two turnovers, which was were kind of a flukey deal,
but they still they still happen. They still count. They
don't do that, Yes to they'll beat them.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
You just can't predicted that thing that happened.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Well, hopefully that happens. And you're spot on, Meryl.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
I'm glad we had a successful transmission tonight.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Uh look forward to.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Talking to you again next week for the Merrill Hodge
Bowls Steelers against the Bears.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
Ah yes, oh no, this this would be fun. I'm
looking forward to that. That'll be That'll be a good
game man. Well, thank you boys, Love you guys.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Great stuff, Meryl, Meryl Hodge.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Right here on the preview, you can gear up with
the latest game day necessities at the Official Steelers Pro Shops.
Get the latest sideline apparel, jerseys, terrible towels, authentic memorabilia
and custom exclusives you can only find directly from the team.
This is one of the official Steelers Pro shops located
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(27:53):
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at the Steelers Pro Shop at shop dot Steelers dot com.
One more segment to go, so keep it here with
Matt Williamson on Mike Persuda. Steelers Preview presented by your
neighborhood Ford Store. The F one fifty is the official
truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers, comes to you on Steelers
Nation Radio and your Steelers Flagship.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
One of two point five DVE.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Back to the Steelers preview show on DVE.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Welcome back Mike Pursuita and Matt Williamson.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Collecting ourselves again after another spirited Merrill Hodge session as
we continue getting you ready for the Steelers and the
Bengals Sunday at Akroshuer Stadium. The injury report is presented
by your neighborhood Ford store. The F one fifty is
the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Matt, I
wanted to talk about a guy tonight who is not
(28:42):
on the injury report, but the reason he's in Pittsburgh
is because he was injured.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Yes, would be cornerback Sante Samuel Junior. Played four games
for the Chargers last year. Underwent spinal surgery right here
in Pittsburgh, one of the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
Yeah, Steelers did the surgery and now he's to give.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Him the The end with this guy, I mean he
tore a bunch of different places. Why do you pick Pittsford.
I mean I might have something to do with it.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
Who would have a better insight in his metal too,
right than the Steelers? He said this week, Uh, he
had shoulder issues that ended up being related to this
fine pace and correct me if I'm wrong. His rep
has always been great ballhawk, terrible, terrible tackler, a little undersize, yeah,
(29:31):
five ten buck eighty.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Not really a man, A man guy smart breaks on
the ball well right now.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
He was asked if his condition affected his ability to
tackle and and like a pro, he said, there's no
excuses out there. A lot of guys play at less
than one hundred percent. Sure, I've been playing with my
whole career. I played, but.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Then the folk.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
So this has gone on for a while since he
got to the NFL. Oh okay. I thought it was like, no, yeah,
this was a recurring thing. Okay, okay, And now.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
He's the shoulders are good, the back's good.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
Yeah uh.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
And I asked him, is there a chance you're as
healthy as you've ever been? He said absolutely.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
It never felt better.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
Because watching him as a tackler, it wasn't like he
was bashful. He wasn't. He didn't turn him down. He
wasn't particularly good at it, and he's not the biggest
guy out there.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
That's justess interialting.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
Maybe his wrapping power wasn't as good enough or something
along those lines.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
We didn't want to. Maybe he's one of those guys
that's better hitting.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
I don't know, right, but it's not like he just
turned things down and made business decisions. So that's good.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
But was slaying a concussion protocol? Yeah, James Pierre is
in line to play.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
He even better lately, by the way, Brandon.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Echols is in line to be the slot again, and
Joe Porter Junior is in the line to be on
the other side against the Bengals Armada.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
But you need a fourth I mean, he address somebody.
I mean, I mean, I know Ramsey could bump out there.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I think we might see him.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
How long was Dougger here before he played a couple
of days?
Speaker 4 (30:50):
I mean at least Dugger though wore a helmet and
played football recently though, you know, I mean this is
a little bit different transition games last year and that
was so it's been well over a year since he
put shoulder pads on.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Till this week again.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Tarrell Austin, the defensive coordinator, non committal today, not in
a bad way, just say, hey, we got to see
what we have see somebody knows and what he can
do and where he might fit.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
It also implies to me that they're going to play
a lot more zone. I mean, I think the man demand,
especially against the Bengals, experiment that hey we got all
these man corners where it's going to man up and blitz.
I think those days are gone. I think it's let's
drop a lot of people in coverage. Our four man
rush will get home. And Samuel's very good at that.
It was, I mean, pre injury, he was.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
If it's a simple zone on them all four it
if it's the miscommunication, right, leave Jamar Chase running a
shallow cross so uncovered that there's nobody in the TV
frame when he catches the ball on the way to
setting up the winning points.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
That I gotta have a problem with that.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
And then a bunch of linebackers and safeties put their
palms in the air and look at each other and
blame each other. Yeah, I'm not good on that either.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Let's talk about this Bengals defense because it is historically bad.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
It's historically like people throw that term around, but it
is historically bad.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Thirty three point three points a game allowed to this point,
the most in a single season since the nineteen sixty
six New York Football Giants. Thirty five point eight points
a game four hundred and twenty six point six total
net yards allowed per game, the second most in a
single season in the Super Bowl era behind the twenty
(32:21):
twelve New Orleans Saints for forty point one.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
Pretty nuts. They're bat at everything. Hendrickson seems unlikely to play,
as we talked about in the first segment. I like
the Turner kid. He's the one that ripped the ball
away from Metcalf in the first He's been like the
only bright spot just I.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Think he's played far their best defensive back.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
No question, and probably their best defensive player. Henderson's not
in the mix. They blamed the coordinator last year, who
we saw with Indianapolis and is helping lead a team
to the best record in the league in Indy. I
don't think it was his fault. They've draft the guys
on defense like crazy, which makes sense because all of
(33:04):
a sudden, their offense is super expensive, so they're trying
to get cheap labor on defense. And the defense is bad,
but it's not getting any better, and they're they're bad
at everything, but they're really bad against the run. Tight
ends and we've seen Friarmouth have destroyed this team. I
mean throughout his career, not just yeah yeah yeah. They're
(33:24):
off the ball. Linebacker play is terrible, and now Wilson's
not even there as a fallback option. He's in Dallas.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
More fun with stats, The Bengals have become the second
team in NFL history to score thirty eight plus points
in consecutive games and lose both.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
I think it was that sixty six Giants team.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
You must have seen the same note time reading from
the Bengals lost to the Jets thirty nine to thirty
eight when they got nipped by twenty three points allowed
in the fourth quarter, fourth quarter, right, and then they
got beat forty seven to forty two by the Bears,
colossal collapse. On the November two, Chicago was up fourteen points.
Speaker 4 (34:04):
So is that sixty five points they've let up in
the last seventy in the last five quarters?
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Seventy okay, forty seventy game up.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Forty seven and twenty three Yeah, okay, that's a lot.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Those those sixty six New York Football Giants lost a
couple of heartbreakers back to back, seventy two to forty
one and forty nine to forty ouch. And those Giants
finished one twelve and one.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
The Bengals are better off than that, they're still in
the playoff hunt. But man, that this defense is again
it has to be you're deodorant and you gotta win
time possession and if you'd you're not putting up a
lot of points against these guys. I think it's time
to officially worry.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
You know, the numbers tell the story, but sometimes you
just have to watch them play and then listen to
the guy talking about how they're playing. You know my
process by now, I watch the opponent in its most
recent game and and uh, that was the Chicago by
folks you don't know, Yeah, that was Chicago game on
November the two. Adam Archiletta is doing color for CBS,
(35:08):
and he had this to say early in the game, quote,
they have a bad combination their inability to stop the
run and also their inability to rush the passer. If
you can't do either, it's going to be really tough
to play good defense.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
Good place to start.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
I can't argue that he.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Can't stop the run and you can't stop the pass.
Playing defense is going to be problematic.
Speaker 4 (35:30):
He's one thousand percent right about that, and he's a thousand, right,
that they don't do either well late in the third quarter.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
It's starting to become one of those games, you know,
make it, take it. They're just both Bengals are moving
up and down.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
Two years now.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Archiletta observes, quote, I don't know defensively how they're going
to be able to stop the Bears. Their defense is
significantly letting them down. And then, last, but not least
crazy game like Chicago was up fourteen points with two
minutes and to forty two left in regulation and had
(36:03):
the ball, gave up a touchdown, Bengals got an on
side kick, they got another touchdown. Yeah, and because they
went for two after the first one and made it,
all they had to do was kick the extra point
for forty to forty one lead. Chicago gets the ball
back with fifty four seconds left, no timeouts.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Needs a field goal to win, and scored a touch.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
A touchdown with little resistance.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Didn't even have to score a touch right, right, but
we'll take it.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
It was a pass to Colston Lovelan, a rookie tight end,
and three guys didn't tackle him and he just ran
into the end.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
I forgot how easy that was. That was a couple
of weeks ago. It was two weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
It was.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
It's remarkable every Bengals games like this. I mean they
always score and they always let up a ton and
they usually come up a point or two short. Last
time the Steelers played him, it was the other way around.
But I still think reviewing that game, you can't let
Brown run on you. I mean, he doesn't run on anybody.
(37:02):
They don't run on anybody, And if he could just
get in that particular game, he got no defensive splash
and the Bengals got a little bit of defensive splash,
And to me, that was the difference between winning loss, Oh,
no question, because.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
The Bengals defensive splash took points away.
Speaker 4 (37:17):
From Pittsburgh and that's what you needed.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Particularly the ball that Turner ripped out of Metcalf's hand huge.
Instead of a completion, that's an interception, instead of a
field goal or a touchdown. They got on to get
a touchdown before the end of the half. Steels also
had that hideous false start on a toush push on
fourth and one. Yeah, I think the only team that
got a penalty on the touch push. Right, Philly just
(37:40):
does whatever it wants.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
The guards leave like a second early, right, So they
were going to.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Go for it there.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
And now it's not a guarantee they would have made it,
but that could have been a touchdown. Instead, they kicked
a field goal for a ten to nothing lead instead
of a fourteen nothing lead. Potentially, there was a chance
to step on that game early and they didn't do it.
Speaker 4 (37:57):
They did true, and this Bengals defense is so bad
that they have to steal a possession off you, you know,
I mean just to kind of hang around, you know,
they need to get the ball nine times if you
get it eight, you know. And because the defense doesn't
stop anyone, I can't say it enough. I mean, I'm
gonna look at kind of through a negative light because
(38:17):
the Steelers' last offensive performance was negative. But if you
don't get it right against these guys, I think it's
time to worry.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
Here's how bad they are. They even got no I mean,
you can't make this stuff up. Now they got to
stop against the Bears, and so Chicago opted for a
field goal and dj Ivy, one of the defense backs,
lined up off side on the end of the field
goal block team. The guy missed the field goal offside
defense first down, Chicago stuck it in the end zone.
(38:48):
Of course they can't afford. They get a stop once
a month. They can't give it back. They can't you
know what I mean. I mean, I'm exaggerating a little bit,
not much.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
I mean, these are just facts. We're not picking on
the opponent or here.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
This is just facts.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
It is that bad now in terms of slowing that
offense down, I mean, it is majestic. And some of
the things that I wrote down in my notes with Flacco,
I think Joe Flacco surprised a lot of Steelers fans
who maybe didn't watch him play against Green Bay in
his Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Debut, and they thought, oh, this guy's old. He just
got there.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
He's stunk in Cleveland, this is a layup. Well, he's
been really good with Cincinnati. Some of the stuff I
wrote down off that Chicago game. Quick decisions finds the
one on one audibles ball placement. The eligibles are eligible,
meaning he'll find you, you know, if you double Chase
(39:42):
and Higgins, as the Steelers found.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
Out, he'll go to.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Chase. Brown's catching a lot of balls down too.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
You know, he is playing the way Aaron Rodgers was
playing up until that Chargers game. Like a veteran guy
just knows what's going on, and he's still got the
arm to take advantage of what he knows.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Yeah, he's always had a monster arm. I mean, I've
said told a story a million times, but I recruited
him out of Auduban High School and he's like, who's
this six or five guy that no one's watching that
has a rifle for a right arm? And he's always
and now he's you know, above of the neck, about
as good as anyone too, with all of experience, And
it's been quite the story.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
You know, if you're thinking, well, just run the ball,
throw it short, hold the ball, possess it. You know,
we talked about that before the Colts game, but is
this the ideal blueprint? Just keep that offense off the field. Well,
much like Indianapolis, Cincinnati don't need a ton of time
to score. Now, they're terrible time posession that Colts game now,
or excuse me, the Bears game. They did have a
(40:43):
kickoff return for a touchdown, but they got forty two
points in twenty five minutes and twenty seconds.
Speaker 4 (40:50):
I mean, they are quick hitters. Their receivers are incredible
Flacco still has the deep ball. But I still think
the biggest problem with the Steel big picture, and there's
many reasons that feed into it, is time of possession.
I mean, they're just not running enough plays on offense.
I mean, I'm asked all week why doesn't Metcalf get
more balls? And John I'm like, they don't run any plays.
(41:13):
They've run the fewest plays in the league, and the
defense has played so many more snaps in the offense
that if it keeps up, the defense is going to
play the equivalent of three more games than the offense.
I mean, like the damn's going to really start to break.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Yeah, it can't have that. No, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
You here, got to get the ball to Metcalf, war
Warren's got to carry more. No, they got to get
friar Mouth more involved. Well it's all great in theory,
but the way this offense is supposed to work is
one of those is supposed to work to give it down.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
It's supposed to keep moving around.
Speaker 4 (41:45):
Yeah, yeah, and they're just not.
Speaker 3 (41:46):
They're not. You go three at a time and you
don't get to anybody.
Speaker 4 (41:49):
No, I mean, the pie is just so small in
terms of slicing it up now. I think at this
point you might want to concentrate your touches a little bit.
To me, Warren Metcalf and Friarmuth should be the guy
that your primary options to try to design things to
get the ball in their hands. I think they're the
most trustworthy dudes and offer the most with the ball
(42:12):
in their hands.
Speaker 3 (42:13):
Interesting. Aaron Rodgers talked about that this week.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
Matt and uh We mentioned Fararmuth has had big games
against Cincinnati toom Party, including this year. Rodgers thinks he
needs to be out there more. From my observation, if
it's a two tight end set, it's Friarmuth and John
Smith usually.
Speaker 3 (42:35):
Uh. If Washington's out there, Friarmuth is not usually.
Speaker 6 (42:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (42:40):
I don't know if there's a ton of rhyme and
reason to it. I think it's sort of dependent because
Washington and Johnny are so different.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
And three wides which they rarely go to. Friarmuth is
usually out there. Yeah, But I'm wondering if we might
see more eighty eight and eighty one, it weren't eighty eight.
Speaker 4 (42:54):
And eighty like I would say, I think he should
eighty eight. This is the bottom line. Yeah, I think
that's the way to do it, because he's not a
nothing as a blocker. Bet he's not Mark Bruner, but
he or Washington. But he's serviceable and will help you,
and he's a reliable, good player.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
They are five and four, Ravens are charging hard in
the North. You still got to play them twice, so
there's still a lot of football to be played. But
the way I'm feeling about this game now, maybe they
lose on a seventy yard field goal with the gun
and then they play a great game, but yeah, it
doesn't work out. But if it looks like it's looked
(43:35):
recently and they fall to five and five and you've
lost four out of five, I think that's problematic.
Speaker 4 (43:40):
Yeah, And frankly, I mean, I know we're here previewing
the Steelers, but if the Bengals lose, I think you
pretty much get them out of the picture. If they win,
all of a sudden, they have life two in the
division and Burrows at practice, and you know, hopes are
up where I think your point's very well taken, not
only like the fan base and our listeners right now,
but the Steelers lose us the game in any way,
(44:01):
shape or form, I'm a little concerned. Yeah, that's a
crucial game.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
Aaron Rodgers said, don't freak out if they lose. There's
gonna be some freaking out.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
Yeah, there'll be some freaking out.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
What happens.
Speaker 4 (44:12):
I think they win. I mean, I just expect the
defense to get more splashed than they did the first
time around. I think there'll be a lot of points.
I trust Rogers to quote good, get it right. But
I also trust Chase and Higgins to put up a
lot of yardage and do a lot of good stuff.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
Sounds like a decent theory that's gonna do it for
us tonight. I have no idea what's gonna happen. I'm
not even I'm not even gonna hazard a guess. And
I think most of the games the rest of the way,
other than maybe at Detroit, I.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Think they could win. They could lose.
Speaker 4 (44:40):
Yeah, I just look at more through a Bengals lens.
Every Bengals game is the same.
Speaker 2 (44:47):
Thanks a lot to Justin Miller for keeping things running
here in house. Thanks to Brian law Martine for the
job he does with Steelers Nation Radio. Thanks to you
for finding us wherever and however you found us. We
will do it again next week before the Steelers get
ready to take on the Chicago Bears. Until then, for
Meher Hodge and Matt Williamson on Mike Persuda, this has
(45:08):
been Steelers Preview, presented by your neighborhood Ford Store. The
F one fifty is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers,
right here on Steelers Nation Radio and your Steelers flagship.
Speaker 3 (45:18):
One O two point five dve E. Good Night, everybody,
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