November 20, 2025 • 45 mins
The crew of Mike Prisuta, Matt Williamson, and Merril Hoge prepare you for the Steelers Bears matchup in Chicago this upcoming Sunday afternoon.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Steelers Preview show on w dv E Pittsburgh,
brought to you by your neighborhood Ford Store. The F
one fifty is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers
by Brian Patton and Associates. It's all about the benefits
and by the Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct from
the 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 of two point
five DVE and Steelers Nation Radio. Mike Persuda and Matt
Williamson with you to preview the Steelers at the Bears
on Sunday in Chicago. Our factor back, Merril Hodge, will
be along shortly to take a real deep dive as
(00:43):
Meryl likes to do into the upcoming matchup field of alumni.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Of both teams.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Thissa is employed by both these organizations.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, so I'm sure Meryl have a lot to say,
as he always does. But Matt, we usually start with
the practice report, and there's one name in particular the
top of.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
The practice of interest.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
The one game one name I think everybody cares about
more than every other. That would be Aaron Rodgers, quarterback
left wrist limited. That is an upgrade from did not
practice on Wednesday.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I talked to Broderick Jones after practice and asked him
if he thought Mason Rudolph would be starting, okay, and
Broderick said, quote, that's who I've had in practice with me,
so I would guess so, But you never know when
game time rolls around fair enough, particularly the veteran of Rogers' stature. So, uh,
(01:36):
maybe we learned something tomorrow. Maybe we do not, but
let's uh speculate. Since so we got there's.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Two different paths, and I think they're both interesting, and
start with Rogers is obviously he's super proud, super accomplished,
has destroyed the Bears over his career. You might say, yeah,
in fact he has any fact the numbers are insane.
Win lost stuff is insane. I don't have in front
of me, but I think he's like twenty four and
(02:03):
five against him.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You include the playoffs, it's twenty six and five.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Wow, with an insane sound interception race. Pretty good, pretty good,
So I'm sure it reminds me like Ben versus Brown's.
You're like, so I want to miss that one? You know,
I would think not. But I also think there's a
lot of value in playing Rudolph. And I don't mean
any of this to be necessarily negative to Rogers, but
(02:28):
Rogers has not played his best lately. I think that's
undisputable at this point. He's soon to be forty two
years old, and they had a very the earliest by
you possibly can. So I'm sure his knees, shoulders, back,
big toe would love a week off. Let alone the
(02:49):
broken bone in his left hand. I'm sure so much
of his body would be like, thank you, that feels
great for a week. And I also think there's some
value well, first of all, all games are important, but
this is not a division game. It's not even a
conference game. If you happen to put out a lesser
product and lose to an NFC team, it doesn't hurt
you as much as losing to the Ravens or even
(03:09):
the Chargers or whoever. And the other thing is and
I kind of want to bring this up to Merril.
Is I assume that they've done some sort of game
planning Rudolph versus Rogers. Like, it's not a whole different playbook,
but you're gonna call different plays, You're going to gain
plan differently. They're two different human beings. So if you
(03:31):
do things differently and the offense hasn't played great, maybe
you can take away three or four nuggets that you
did against the Bears and incorporate them for when Aaron
comes back, presumably in a week. You know, like, why
not try something a little different. Oh, we did more
play action in this game. It worked, Let's try that
against next week.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
You know, I agree with almost all that.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
I'm not as certain about the Nuggets thing because I
think the game plan stuff would be pretty close to
the same you think.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
I know they've said that, And.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I think the advantage with Rogers over Rudolph would be
at the line of scrimmage. What he choose, what he
chooses in the moment. Yeah, but that said, and I
agree thousand percent. I think Rogers, up until the Chargers game,
was having a phenomenal season. They had said he was
exceeding or delivering everything they hoped he would on and
(04:26):
off the field, And I concur but it hasn't gone
great lately, and he is going to be forty two,
and he could probably use a standing eight count to
use just sort of exhale, clear his head a little bit,
take a step back, and then come back ready to
go attack Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
And he may not see it that way. He probably
want to be out there, right.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
I'm sure he does not.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
I've never and I want to talk to this about
Merrill because I never got. For example, Ben Roethlisberger always
wanted to stay in during a blowout to the end
of the game.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Because he wanted to be out there with his guys.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I would be yanking my quarterback if I'm way ahead
or I'm way behind, and resting him any chance I
could get.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Like Belichick always do that with Brady, and it made
no sense to me. They're up forty and Brady's.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Out there and not expose him to injury. Any chance
I could.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Get center could step on, anything could happen, all right.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So I just I think Rogers could use a little break.
And I also think that there is a genuine belief
in Mason Rudolph in that room.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
And that's a thing too.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
I talked to a couple of guys after Rodgers, Broderick
Jones and Pat Fryermuth were both with Rudolph in twenty
twenty three when he came in and won the last
three games of the season and got him into the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Played very well the year.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Rudolph saved Christmas the red zone there, and I think
he has come back a confident guy, maybe.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
More understanding of his role.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, you have to work hard, you have to be ready,
and chances are you're not going to get to do
anything with that prep. But he certainly was ready against
the Bengals.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I think he would be ready if he had to
come in against Chicago, So why not just start them
and play it that way? I think the Bears at
seven to three, Hey, god bless them, new coach, new attitude,
they're doing better. Oh yeah, they're not going to go
five and twelve this year, But I don't know how
many more games that team's gonna win.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Quite frankly, looking at its schedule.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
I didn't. I've been looked ahead, but I've looked behind,
and they're in first place. They're way ahead of schedule
as an organization, but it's they have not mowed down
Babe Ruth and lou Gerriic Murderer's row either, you know,
but I give them credit. They're a weird organization right now.
And first off, I think Bears fans should be as
(06:34):
encouraged and excited about their team since Ditka, you know,
like they have a coach, they have a quarterback, the offense,
everything they planned in the offseason is going to script.
But they are. They come from behind, it like the
two minute situation every week. And I know the Steelers
this way too, but so turnover dependent. Like I'm not
(06:57):
sure if they're good or not, I mean, or how
good they are not bad.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Here's what we know and talking about our context here
is records now yeah yeah, yeah, not necessarily when the
Bears played these teams, but they've played one team with
a winning record. Detroit got beat fifty two to twenty one.
Baltimore is currently five and five, and the Ravens beat
the Bears thirty to sixteen. They've beaten Dallas, they've beaten Vegas.
(07:25):
They've beaten the Commanders, They've beaten the Saints, They've beaten
the Bengals, the Giants, the Vikings also lost to the Vikings, none.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Of whom have been good this year at any point.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Really, here's what's left on the schedule.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Steelers Sunday at Philly at Green Bay, Cleveland at home.
Probably win that one, green Bay, San francisc at San Francisco, Detroit.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Wow, they might be favored this week and the Browns
and that's it.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Don't see a lot of doves left on that schedule.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
I don't either, But again, I think the organization is
doing a lot of good things and trending the right direction.
But they're a hard team. I mean, it's Thursday night
and I still haven't figured out Who'm gonna pick the
win the game. I just don't have a grasp on
this opponent very well, Like the Bengals was the opposite.
I'm like, probably will be forty five to forty four,
and the Bengals will lose somehow. You know, that's it's
(08:17):
not out went. But this is an unpredictable team.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Oh, I think it's a winnable game. I also think
I think it's a losable game.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
I agree.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Probably quarterback.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Why they're gonna play, Yeah, Darius Slay, second consecutive day
full participant coming off his concussion. Mike Tomlin had said
on Tuesday that if healthy, Slave would start, but he
also said they're going to play James Pierre. Can you
envision a scenario where Pierre plays more snaps than.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Slay Yes, and I'm kind of hoping that way. I
think Pierre's playing better now, not just a second, but
the last three four weeks than slayh has at any
point as a Steeler.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Jalen Warren ankle upgrade from did not practice to limited.
Did some video him today? He looked pretty good good.
Alex high Smith peck upgraded from did not practice to limited.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
I thought that was the most encouraging thing I saw
from the practice report.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
And Cole Holcombe second consecutive day of full participation. The
rest is some maintenance stuff or some guys that were
resting other than Keishawn Williams, wide receiver upgraded the full
participant from limited trying to work through a concussion. Do
you think Holcombe replaces Harrison in the three inside linebackers.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
I was about to ask you the same thing, and
I leaned towards no. My thoughts on it, and I
don't feel super strong about it. Is when they have
those three off the ball linebackers out there together, they
often have a big umbrella behind them. It's not a
single high loaded box situation. So I think they want
(09:53):
Harrison to be the banger, you know, like if we're
gonna be a little light in the.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Box, particular, if you only have one defensive lineman exactly
which they.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Often have, they often do in that situation. So I
thought that might just be a Jonathan Taylor only thing.
It's been more than that. But I don't think Hulcombe
fits the mold of I'm not saying Harrison's Lebron Kirklin,
but I mean a big body, downhill thumper that you
don't want in coverage.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Yeah, Hohlkm I think is more of a two way guy.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
I think he backs up the other two.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
But they already have Wilson and Queen to be two
way guys.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
I'm with you. I like and that.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I like Harrison in that package, and that is fast
becoming my favorite package. Really, I far prefer to the
normal Nickel because the normal nickel gets wrong on.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Normal nickel is rung on the run. Defense has been
pretty good lately. Better, Yeah, much better. It's gonna happen.
It's a good running team.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It's gonna have to be good against Chicago. For the Bears,
They've got some interesting entries on their practice participation report.
I want to start in the secondary uh, because they've
had they've been going out without a couple of key guys.
J Jalen Johnson, cornerback is supposed to be a starter.
He had his window to come back from i R
opened last Friday. Yes, he goes up from limited to
(11:03):
full today. And Kyler Gordon, who's supposed to be their nickel,
he had his window opened on Wednesday yesterday.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
I think there's a strong argument that they are their
best two defensive players. I think both are great.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
I don't know about Gordon.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
He's limited with a calf and he's only practiced limited
in two days. I think Johnson might be ready to
come back.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
It sounds like Johnson's ready to come back. I'd have
to study it a little more. I don't know if
he'll travel with metcalf. But he's one of the few
guys I would say that's a number one corner and
they paid him top of the market money, big time
guy with a lot of traits. Gordon's the modern day
nickel that does everything you know. I mean, he's the
jack of all trades, tough guy. I don't know if
(11:43):
he'll be back or not, but Johnson would be somebody
they could really use. As we'll talk about all hour,
they're phenomenal taking the ball away and have not had
their two best defensive backs.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
The two starting inside linebackers, Tremaine Edmonds and Noah Sewell,
not that one of those guys has practiced yet this
week Seoul with an elbow, Edmunds with a groin. Left
tackle THEO Benedette is limited with a quad, the center
Drew Dolman is limited with a knee, and the right
tackle Darnell Wright is limited with a peck slash back.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Okay, so Dolman's become a really good center that they
paid good money. Right is maybe my favorite young right
tackle in the league, and they may even leave him alone.
On TJ is TJ Lang on that list to the
linebacker because you mentioned Seul and you mentioned Edmunds, I
thought Lang had something going on as well, because the
(12:38):
Edmonds and Lang will rotate some too. Those All three
of those guys play a fair amount, so they have
some names on there. That's interesting. The left tackles are
backup though I forget his name. I had never heard
of him before.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Benetette, Yeah, yeah, yeah, So if he doesn't play, then
you're down new the backups back up.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Well, I think I don't think he even starts anyway.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
I'll double check.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
I believe it is Okay. I didn't say. I'm not
sure what he did last game, but he's he should
not be the starter. Let's just put it that way.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, Meryl Hodge next, So keep it here. Steelers Preview
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store. The F one fifties
official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers is brought to you
right here on Steeler Nation Radio and your Steelers flagship
one or two point five DVE.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DVE.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Welcome back to the preview, Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson
getting set for the Steelers and the Bears on Sunday
in Chicago. Time down to welcome our factor back to
the program. Meryl Hodge joins Steelers Preview. Meryl, how are
you tonight?
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Van Cassie Brother. I'm an Eagle Land so you know,
I've got to deal with that ron Z Roorsky in
South Palantonio. So that's painful, But I really like I
really like sal Yeah, I've been doing it for thirty
two years. I can't believe thirty.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
He's the best.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
They We still don't know who's playing quarterback for the
Steelers now.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Aaron Rodgers was limited in practice today.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Uh, Broderick Jones thinks Mason Rudolph's playing, But Brodick was
quick to add, hey, and it can change my game day.
Matt and I just spent the first segment making really intelligent,
well thought out, and very compelling arguments that it would
probably be a good idea for the Steelers not to
play Aaron Rodgers this week. Give him a breather, give
him a game off, let him, let him heal up
(14:31):
a little bit, win, win the Bears game with Mason Rudolph,
and then get Rogers ready for Buffalo. What are you
thinking if either guy's available, which way do you lean?
Speaker 5 (14:41):
Well, it looks now this is from experience. Like I
wrote my left hand okay, and I remember they're gonna
cast it up. They were like, you can't play, and
I'm like so all night, I'm like, no way, I
ain't casting his hands. So I created a brace that
I could end up putting on my hand and play
with it. Now. The reason I share that is because
(15:02):
like a fracture or a break like like, it hurts.
I mean, I know he's not throwing the ball, that's
not he's throwing hand, but it still hurts, you know.
I mean it's hard to function, you know. I mean
it didn't hurt until I had to catch a ball
or you know, you just don't realize how many times
you get all these parts of your body hit. He
breaks something, I don't, but I didn't even know what
(15:26):
a week does for him. You know, it's not gonna
heal it. So if he can play with it, I don't.
And then you feel like, well there's no real nothing
more major you could do to it, and they can
find a way to brace that he can function. I
(15:46):
think he plays, And now that's just that's I'm just
unit from how I would how I did it. So
that's that's my experience, you know, with something similar, and
I I think he'll he'll want to play, and if
he feels like he can play and it can't further
the injury, then I think he'll play.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Part of what we were thinking was I bet the
rest of them could use a game off.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yeah, you know, he's probably pretty beat up.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
By this this point of the season, and I want
him at his best in January, not Sunday in Chicago.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
Yeah, but you got to win to get to January.
You know, he can't just assume. But that Ma said,
like Mason played well, you know, I would feel comfortable,
you know. I mean, if you're the staff and how
he's played, how he's how he's always prepared, his history
and stuff, and I feel very good about I comfortable
with you know, him having to go in chicauggle and
(16:41):
well execute the offense to the level's got to be
executed in order to win.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
How do you think it would look different? Like, I
don't think they're going to rewrite the playbook or anything
crazy like that, but my hunch is you would see
a little more intermediate the downfield passing, maybe a higher
percentage of run.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
If Rudolph was a quarterback, Yeah, I think you would
try to like not put a big load on him.
So there's your there's a priority to run and you know,
if there's you know, there's some I guess this bare defense,
you can run the ball and he's still committed to it.
You can run on them, and there's big play opportunities.
Especially on the perimeter. I mean, you can get some
big plays on the in this team, you know, via
the past. So although they've gotten better, you know, they're
(17:23):
getting better as a team than defense they have, there's
still those opportunities there. You know, it's not a shutdown defense,
and there's there's voids to be had in the running
game and passing games.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
You know, you mentioned the running game, and it just
feels to me, Meryl, like it's getting to that point
of the season where you have to lean into that,
particularly in the AFC North and the Northeast or the Midwest.
And I know it's just the Bengals, but the Steelers
ran it well with two backs. Yeah, last Sunday. The
Bears are vulnerable against them run. What do you think
of the Steelers run game right now, particularly with say
(17:56):
Malo back and the emergence that gain well again and even.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
A little did I see a little spark out at
number twenty Caleb Johnson? I thought, I did.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Yeah, I like you more of it though. Yeah, Well,
Caleb is a ball carrier right now, and that's just
because he has no confidence what happened to him with
that fumble. You're a ball carrier in the sense when
I say that you are worried about not making a mistake,
You're worried about not fumbling. And when you focus on
those things, you just can't be a runner. You know,
(18:27):
he's a ball carrier right now, but he's emerging into
a runner. Okay, So the more he touches the ball
and you'll see and he'll start. I mean, you guys
think you've seen hints of it already. You know, he's
starting to become a runner. But he is a ball
carrier right now. So but the more Repue gets, the
closer he comes to being a runner.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
So do you think they work him in just a
little more every week?
Speaker 5 (18:51):
You know, I you got three of them. You know,
I think every game is going to kind of dictate.
I think, here's here's what does happen. I know, if
from a player perspective, a coach at perspective, you have
a plan, then you get in the game and you
make a plan. You just a plan. You know, I
think that there's a plan. Yes, let's get everybody involved.
But you know, sometimes somebody just gets rolling and things
(19:12):
are just going in a way that you just get
caught up in play calling. It in certain personnel and
then the game's over for you know it. But I
just no matter what they do. Listen, if you're gonna
win a championship, if you're gonna win a division, if
you're gonna win, you have to run the football. It
is the most pivotal aspect to control the tempo. And
(19:33):
if you can't control the temple, you just got it's
hard to win in this league. And you can't ask
Naxon Rudolph throw up fifty times like this. That's a
that's a massive priority that you you don't just run
the ball, you run it successfully. That's what has to
be your goal. That's what has to be your mindset.
And that's what I think has to be a big
priority going into this one.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Yeah, I'm a little shocked at it. They haven't been
more run heavy, especially the last couple of weeks, especially
the Charger game, and this one, as you mentioned, sets
up that you would think you could be able to
do that.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
Well yeah, well I think you know that leads to
you know who your quarterback? When you have Aaron Rodgers,
you know you know your shoot. I got I got
a legend, you know, I got a Hall of Famer
and he's still elite skills, so you tend to lean
on that. Now, Mason I does a great job, but
they won't. They won't be thinking like that. It's a
trusting but let's let's not. We're not going to put
(20:29):
the load on him. And I just think they'll find
that they might be a little better going into this
one and that and that you know that that might
be some reason to give him a break, you know,
I mean you you try to lean on him so
much that you know, let's stop leaning on him, get him,
get him a break. Mason could do what we need
to do because we got to be a priority run
the gout ball on this one and be successful at it.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Maro, I want to I want to veer off of
the matchup for just a second and talk philosophically about quarterbacks.
Rogers is obviously a great competitor, and of course he
wants to play in this game and he wants to
practice all the time.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
And you know, why is.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
It that quarterbacks feel they have to lead that way?
You know, when Ben was here, they'd never take him
out when it was a blowout either way, and if
they tried to, he'd be upset about it. Like he
wanted to be out there with his guys all the time.
Does that sort of leadership really resonate with a team
or is that more ceremonial.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Man, it's not a quarterback, but one of the first
times I ever experienced people. I mean, We're in Arizona
playing the Cardinals, and we were down maybe twenty one whatever,
it was, seven minutes left in the game. We just
we just got the ball kicked off to us. We
get the ball to twenty and Chuck would ever pulled
(21:48):
off everybody at the time. It was my rookie. I
wasn't a starter. So I got to go in and
there was one guy who was still out there, and
that was Mike Webster. Mike's Webster pulled us and he said,
during the course of time out and he said, listen here,
the game ain't over. We're gonna take this ball. We're
gonna move with eighty yards down this field, and we're
(22:08):
gonna store a touchdown. Are we clear with that? Well,
we march at eighty yard, we scored a touchdown, and
I became a starter after that, you know. But I
so I'm just gonna tell you this that you have
that matters to your team. I don't want. I listen.
I've been on the sideline where things ain't going well.
(22:28):
It's bad. It's tough out there, and I got people pros. Oh,
i'mont go out there. I'm done, though, I'm like, are
you Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? I
no respect for players like that. You cannot be like
that and garner any respect from anybody. That's gotta that's
gonna matter when it does matter. And so I I
(22:52):
just love what they have that, but he has that,
you know, that's why they ship plays. I can't. He's like, hey, listen,
it's gonna get worse. Can brace it up. Don't have
to go with it. It hurts a little bit. I
just don't seem not playing. But you know, they may,
you know, step in and said some just you need
to we I mean, not let him play. But I don't.
(23:12):
I don't know how I can do that either.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
So you mentioned your career and you played for both
these organizations, and obviously times change and all those things.
But what were some of the obvious differences in the organizations.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Well, when I got there, it was coaching, you know,
that was the biggest difference. I played for Chuck Nolan,
Bill Kawer. Now they wantched that was the head coach there.
This is I don't want this to be come off
wrong because I loved They wants that. That's why I
went Chico Ben. He was a believer in me. I mean,
he wanted and he wanted to build. Here was his problem.
(23:48):
This is his first job, so everybody makes mistakes. He'd
never been a head coach. But she talked more about
the Dallas Cowboys because he was with that run where
they they they won all those Super Bowls. He was
a defensive coordinator there, and he made the mistake always
(24:09):
talking about the Cowboys and he never talked about the Bears.
And I was just like wow, because like even as
a team, we were like, man, are we the Dallas
Cowboys ago Bears? Yeah, So you just you know, it
was that was a big difference, you know, just the
(24:29):
leadership aspect of But if I played for Ron Turner,
who was a coordinator there, who was a fabulous coach,
and then Dave was a fabulous coach. I like him.
He just and you know that was his firsts actually
second year, you know, and I think he's still learning
how to be a head coach. But that was that
was a little different for me some of them, but
I think it was more similarities than differences, you know,
(24:50):
like uh, the family ownership, you know, uh, just the cities.
I love. The Bears is bluffish. I mean, they're just
like the part of it, you know, even though there's
great history and sports are like the Bears kind of rule.
I mean, same with Pittsburgh. You know, everybody the great
sports everywhere, but Steve has just have this woven fabric
(25:14):
in them. And both families were about a part of
the community, you know, a part of the city, and
that's what I think why they are like that. But
I find more comparisons than differences with them.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Just kind of that old school old garden fl yeah yeah, yeah,
yeah history franchises.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
Yes, Like I see, Mike Dicker wasn't there at the time,
but I worked from my work. Mike and I worked
together for like ten years ESPN and we' I'll tell
you a great story about that brings these two together.
So every night we would have dinner on Saturday nights,
we always had Sunday together and just one night and
the only time I ever bought dinner was when I
(25:53):
had it flown in. I had I had some Benison
flown in for the restaurant, couldn't force. So that's the
only time I WoT to course, Mike dig Mike Dick
is like the most genuine, genuine kind. I mean, I
call him the Elvis of the NFL. And his persona
is like bad, mean and he is like that, but
he is honestly just the greatest, one of the greatest
(26:15):
sham beings I have ever been around. But one night
at dinner, he just looks at me and he's like,
you know, Chuck is the greatest coach in the history
of the National Footballer, right, And interesting, I go, because
I got why would you say that he.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Played for Landry? Didn't he too?
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Yeah? Landry? He played in the Bears. I mean yeah, yeah,
I mean you got some history here with Alas. Yeah, yeah,
I played George Allis you know? Yeah? Like really, he goes, yeah,
he goes, Here's why. The ability to hold all of
the talent that he had together for as long as
(26:52):
he did it could never be done again or never
will be done again. He said, I had the same
amount the talent and I could only do it for
one year. I was just like, oh my gosh, you're right,
you're but that's honestly, was like, I couldn't do it. Man,
(27:12):
he got fell apart after coach. How he did that
is the most difficult. People will never understand, which I
do believe is true too, Like you know, people are
such a Chuck Chuck Down got coach in the year
until eighty nine. That's like, remember, it's like, really, I
can't even it is. It's nuts And everybody would not
(27:35):
give it to him because he had all this talent right,
so thin you could just win with talent, Man, somebody still
has to lead. You still got a lot of leader
that is like a powerful and a smart human being,
which Chuck was. He's a great man I've ever met,
ever been around. At twenty one. I was smart to
realize I will never ever be around another man like that,
(27:58):
and I haven't. But when he said that that night,
I was just like, there's so much and he lived
it and he's known it and he knows the history
that is me and I was like, wow, that's interesting.
That was powerful.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Meryl, thanks for checking that nineteen eighty nine Steelers box.
We've actually been lax referencing that team yeah, everything does
come back to the nineteen eighty nine Steelers.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Eventually.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
I wanted to get back to the run game in Chicago.
Obviously have two really good backs and Cam Hayward was
talking up about the Bears running game today and one
of the first words he used was commitment, and then
he went on He went on to say, there aren't
any non running downs for these I mean, I guess
third and fifteen maybe, but third and seven they might
(28:44):
run it.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Oh yeah, I mean they are committed to running the football.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
I imagine you see that and feel that when you watch.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
These guys, there's well, there's no question. I mean, if
we we're to talk about, what's the first thing on
your mind that concerns, worries, something you got to deal with,
it is their commitment to that. It is a good,
exactly word because they are committed. They deviating from it
because he came from he built, helped built Detroit. They're like,
if if you watched Detroit in the first few years,
there was one thing they were committed to, and one
(29:15):
thing they were really good at, and one thing they
did on everybody. They may have lost, but that's just
because the quarterback, the passing game hadn't involved, they were
going to run the ball. At some point, I think
they were called him the NFC Ravens. They were committed,
they would not deviate. And the Bears are like that.
They their tight ends are and their obvious lines got
so much better. Their tight ends are a part of it.
(29:36):
They're running in and their receivers are a part of it.
And that kid that they got number twenty five from Rutgers, man,
he came out like he was one of my favorite backs.
He's a wicked dude. Man, He's a wicked dude. I
love's listen, I'd love yes, because he you know, the
(29:57):
backs that we have, I mean, just the relentless pounding
that all the passion to give him. I'm just telling you,
he's he's he's a handle. I mean, you've got you
got your hands full with all of them.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
So Merrill, I think Williams a quarterback, has come a
very long way from year one to year two. He
still has a lot of things to work on. Accuracy, throws,
a lot of things on the line, got a ton
of ability. What's your thoughts on him overall?
Speaker 5 (30:25):
Well, he remember, everybody give me heat. When he came
out because they say it's Patrick Maholmes. I'm like, he's
not Patrick Mahomes for a litany of reasons. He's not
gonna he's not all going to grets coaching in NFL history,
he's not going to be a backup. He doesn't have
a mentor, he's not six y three. There's a litany
of things. And his pocket presence was he had none? Yeah, yeah,
(30:49):
but your point he is he's really developed on his
pocket presence. He's gotten much better there. In fact, I do.
I did a playbook for this because I think it's
the most danger is part of this game is the
things you can't predict, and his ability to get out
of a collapsed pocket is a concern, and you have
(31:12):
to do yes. And you've got to do that with
us as much discipline and structure as you possibly can't. Like,
the goal is to finish in the pocket. You know,
we collapse it. But you can't give him running lanes.
And when you get your hands on him, you got
to finish, you know, and so but you can't predict that.
You know, you don't well know what I mean when
that's gonna happen. So you know that's a big wildcard. Now, listen,
(31:35):
there's a lot of times he went to college. You know,
everybody raved about it. And that's why, really, why I
want to hide for a week. That's really what made
him so exciting, because, like I tell, people's exciting. It's
not a skill set, but he's so exciting people like that. Well,
if you looked at as I studied him, his ability
to move and throw is it's like a fifty to
(31:56):
fifty deal. It can he can make some spectactular thought
and then he can do some stuff You're like, oh
my gosh, I mean it can. It could be ugly too,
because he'll take some chances. But if you don't. But
I think to see the hurst the most is when
he doesn't and he runs and he gets yards and
he gets first downs. That's the thing that just uh,
(32:20):
I think you've got to manage that the best you can.
And if you can manage that, then that just helps
you in and help them and beating this team.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Meryl, great stuff is always enjoy Philly. Go get yourself
a patch steak and then drop it off on your
way to wherever you're going.
Speaker 5 (32:38):
All right, gentlemen, thanks a lot, man, Love you guys,
and go see this.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Merril Hodges. You know my notes on Caleb Williams.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
I have wow, and I have what with a question?
Speaker 3 (32:53):
What with a like? How you do that? And what
are you doing?
Speaker 4 (32:57):
What do you do that one for you?
Speaker 3 (32:58):
I'll see how it plays out.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
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
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Speaker 3 (33:11):
This is one of the.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
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(33:32):
on Steelers Nation Radio and your Steelers flagship one O
two point five.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Dve back to the Steelers Preview show on DV.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Welcome back, Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson with you here,
getting you ready for the Steelers and the Bears on
Sunday in Chicago. Matt, we didn't get around to this
detail with Merrill because Meryl's.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Not a detailed guy. He's a big picture yeah, and
a concept guy.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
But the player on the injured list for the Bears
that we were uncertain about, Theo Benedette, has been starting
at left tackle.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Their actual left tackle, Braxton.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Jones is he was the opening day guy. He played
about the first three or four games. He's on the
reserve injured list, so it could be down to the
third left tackle.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Yeah, right, right theory.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
They did draft Ousie Trapeos, the name I mentioned in
from Boston College in the second round. He's much more
of a right tackle only type, dude. But Darnell Wright
is one of the best right tackles in the league,
and so when they drafted your prio in the second round,
they experimented with him at left too, because the opening
day starter left is much weaker than right. So I
got a little confused there. Trapeo will be available though,
(34:44):
and he's, like you said, he's a swing guy.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Yeah, not just the swing guy. He'll be there.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Tackle number seventy yeah, yeah, which they like to do,
which everybody's doing it.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
It's it's a big trend in the league. You're seeing
a lot more bigger bodies on offense, extra tight ends
your offensive lineman. It's not just a Steeler thing, but
seers more than everybody.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
You know.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
We talked about how this is a hard game to handicap,
and you know you can predict the winner, but you're
probably not real sure about it. But the path for
both teams seems pretty obvious. They're both turnover heavy generators
on defense. I think the stat for the Bears is
in their seven wins they have generated twenty one turnovers.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
In their three losses, they have generated one.
Speaker 5 (35:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Okay, and Chicago runs the ball four point nine yards
per carry. Yeah, but opponents are averaging five point two
yards per carry against the Bears.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
On the ground. Swift is coming back.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
From injury, uh good lately. And they're rookie from Rutgers.
Kyle Manung guy.
Speaker 4 (35:48):
Yeah, little bowling ball A handful to get down, little ball.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
I hate kind of guy. Right, really runs hard. I
mean they're just gonna line up and run it, run it.
And if you let them run it, then.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
They'll stay with it.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Then they'll stay with put the loulso play off of
that and allow Caleb Williams to operate in rather relatively
stress free situation.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
And he's a dangerous runner too. I mean he adds
to their rushing yards and obviously their yards per carry too,
because Williams is fast and athletic and difficult to get
on the ground as well. I can't stress enough how
Lion centric this team is. I mean they really are.
They have this two headed rushing attack and I'm not
(36:29):
saying they're Montgomery and Gibbs, They're not. I mean, nobody's
that pairing. But they got a right tackle that's really
really athletic, kind of like Penna Seul. They're really physical.
They went out of their way this offseason to totally
rebuild guard center guard and spend a lot to do it.
First couple of draft picks are on offense as well.
Tight end wide receiver Manung guy who mentioned is in
(36:50):
the mix all of a sudden, So the whole off
season was let's make Kyle Williams and the new head coach,
who's an offensive minded dude from the Lions as comfortable
as possible, and I bet all next season will be
let's try to firm up this run defense and find
some dudes on defense.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Yeah, Bears check in fourth and total offense, second in
rushing offense, but on the defensive side twenty seventh in
total defense, twenty fifth in rush defense.
Speaker 4 (37:15):
It's not exactly the Bengals, but it's pretty clear that
one side of the ball is a thousand times better
than the other side of the ball.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Yeah, and you mentioned the best cornerbacks.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Have been out, true, and they still take the ball with.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
The pass rush has also sustained some injuries early. That
might be getting a little bit better. They're starting to
get some guys back there. But it seems like, you know,
the cliche game of the season, run the ball, protect
the football. The team that does those two things better
is probably going to win the football game.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Yeah, and you laid it out well. I mean, if
we were previewing every Bears game this week this year,
that probably would be the case. If we laid out
every Steeler game as we have, that's definitely the case.
With their turnover numbers, it's a little frustrating, though. I'd
like to see the Steelers run the ball better and more,
(38:08):
and I would hope this week I thought the Chargers
would be that week for it to happen, but I
would hope this week you can be in that situation.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
You know, one of the interesting statistical matchups red zone,
which to me, turnovers are great eraser on defense.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
They kill you on offense.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Yeah, a lot of yards you gain if you turn
the ball over, they're not worth anything. And defensively, who
cares if you gave up seventy yards if you turn
them over. I think the red zone is a pretty
big deal too. And you look at Pittsburgh sixth in
the NFL and red zone defense, oh yeah, fifty one
point four to three percent, and Chicago is twentieth in
(38:50):
red zone offense fifty four point twenty nine percent. So
does that, you know, skewer those offensive numbers of the
Bears being top five overall and in rushing, but they're
only eighth in scoring. I say, only eight Steelers are twelve.
There's about a little more than a point per game
difference between the two offenses in terms of red zone production.
Speaker 4 (39:12):
In terms of points oh in points, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
Twenty five point eight for Chicago twenty four point six
for Pittsburgh.
Speaker 4 (39:18):
A lot of times I look at red zone through
the lens of the quarterback, of course. And I really
think experience goes an extremely long way with red zone quarterbacking,
because if you just think about it, I mean, instead
of twenty two huge, fast, nasty human beings being on
one hundred and twenty yards of field, now they're on
(39:40):
thirty yards of field. So all those molecules you heat
up and condense, and all of a sudden, everything's a
little more intense and a little tighter. And I think Williams,
at this point, who I think is really progressing well,
still is not super red zone qualified yet. I mean,
he throws a lot of things on the line. Isn't
super quick processor accuracy? The little questionaboy do I still
(40:01):
think he doesn't have that you know arrow in his quiver.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
The flip side matchup that really favored Chicago is third down.
The Bears, in addition to getting all those turnovers they
get off the field man second in the NFL, their
defense allowing conversions on only thirty three point sixty five
percent third downs, and the Steelers at thirty eight point
zho five success rate.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
That's twentieth. And the arrow is pointing down there.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
Now it's pointing up a little because last week wasn't terrible,
but if you look at it was in the first half,
well true. I mean going back the last few weeks though,
the third down offense has been hideous. I don't know
what it is lately, but going in when we had
this show last week, the Steelers last three games, they
were at fifteen percent combined. I mean, it's terrible.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
And uh last but not least. It's kind of a
is what it is? Type of stat. I file this
one in the same categories all that Aaron Rodgers stuff
when he was with Green Bay, what he did against
Chicago Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
All time in Chicago is one and twelve.
Speaker 4 (41:08):
I've heard it's bad.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
One and twelve.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Yeah, so I don't think it matters.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
I know.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
I think it's just one of those things.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Is our old buddy Doc Emrick used to say on
the NHL broadcast, it's history, not prophecy.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
I was just saying, that's great, our old buddy Dale Lawley,
happy birthday. It's his birthday today. By the way, in
you and guys that have been on the beat and
have gone to all those road games, took a long
time to me to be convinced from you guys like,
I'm not gonna win in Philly, Matt. I'm like, what
the Eagles think this year? I can win in Philly, Matt.
I mean, is this one of those cases where you
(41:43):
just had never seen it?
Speaker 3 (41:45):
Yeah, but I just can't.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
It was in Oakland that way too.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
You know they won in nineteen ninety five. Is that applicable, right?
Speaker 4 (41:52):
I know it's not even the same human beings. Yeah,
I mean they it's like they play there all the time.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
These numbers do tend to accumulate because they tend to accumulate.
Speaker 4 (41:59):
I mean some of those are from the forties probably, yes,
right where no human beings are alive, you know.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
I mean, we'll see what the Steelers can come up with.
Speaker 4 (42:09):
I mean that part you want Rogers he wins all
the time.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
Yeah, well bring him on the trip. I don't know
whether he plays or not. Just kind of show them
to the fans and that will, yeah, scare them, that'll
get everybody going.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
You mentioned it's an NFC game, and it's you know,
not a not an AFC game, not a division game.
You could see first place with a loss, but this
is going to come down and I'm talking about the
AFC North there. This is going to come down to
the two Pittsburgh Baltimore games.
Speaker 4 (42:36):
I think so right. I mean it's screaming that way.
I know the Ravens are a nice winning streak, but
I don't think they're this unstoppable force that I thought
they could have been when I looked at him in
the offseason. They still have some some wartz.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
I agree, Yeah, and hey, they've won a bunch of games.
I got back to five hundred. Credit to them, but
those games that are not games where you look at Baltimore's,
oh my god, who's going to stop them?
Speaker 5 (43:01):
No?
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Like last year, I looked at Baltimore like, Steelers, aren't
I much a chance in this one?
Speaker 5 (43:05):
You know?
Speaker 4 (43:05):
But this year I think Baltimore on both lines of
scrimmage and Miles Garrett at a million sacks against just
last week, you know, couldn't the Steelers do the same thing?
And Lamar is still.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
I saw a lot of Baltimore Cleveland game because it
was on while I was doing the postgame show. And
if Cleveland had gotten anything out of the quarterback position,
anything as bad.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
As you've ever seen. Yeah, I mean that's a hideous offense,
mostly because the quarterbacks.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
Are so bad, but their defense was really really good dictating.
Speaker 4 (43:32):
Yeah, I mean that was the best unit on the field.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
So we started the show, uh, wondering who's going to win?
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Now is the point of the program where we tell
people who we think is gonna win.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
I think it's gould be a really close game. And
it's too easy to say that whoever wins a turnover
battle probably wins, But in this case, it just screams
that way, which is unpredictable to me. I think I
expect the Steelers to protect the ball better than Chicago,
and I don't know the Chicago's drastic better at taking
it away. I'm gonna think the Steelers twenty one to twenty,
(44:03):
but I really don't have a real strong feeling about
this one.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
I'm the same way.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
I think the Steelers win a close one, maybe a
Bosball field goal late. If they don't win, I think
they'll do a credible job playing traditional run defense. What
scares me a little bit and what terror Lauston, a
defensive coordinator, talked about today, got to keep Caleb Williams
in the pocket.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
They're like the best in the league at it though.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
When he gets outside is when bad things really happen.
Speaker 4 (44:30):
Not just his running, he's really something.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
He's almost looking to an extent like a veteran, even
though he's not a veteran. But he's making big plays
outside the pocket.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
He used to be so bad at taking sacks, I mean,
his last couple of years in all through college, worst
you've seen in a long time as a rookie. This
year he's like the best in the league at a
looting sacks, extending plays really difficult to get on the ground,
whether he beats you through the air or with his
feet when the play breaks down, he is dangerous.
Speaker 3 (44:58):
That's gonna do it for us.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
Thanks for tuning in and finding us wherever and however
you found us. Thanks to Justin Miller for keeping everything
running so smoothly here in studio. Thanks for thanks to
Brian Lamartine for all the great work he does with
Steelers Nation Radio. We will be back at it again
next Thursday to get you ready for the Steelers and.
Speaker 3 (45:19):
The Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
And to that until then, For Matt Williamson on Mike Persuda,
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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 of two point
five DVE and Steelers Nation Radio. Mike Persuda and Matt
Williamson with you to preview the Steelers at the Bears
on Sunday in Chicago. Our factor back, Merril Hodge, will
be along shortly to take a real deep dive as
(00:43):
Meryl likes to do into the upcoming matchup field of alumni.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Of both teams.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Thissa is employed by both these organizations.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, so I'm sure Meryl have a lot to say,
as he always does. But Matt, we usually start with
the practice report, and there's one name in particular the
top of.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
The practice of interest.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
The one game one name I think everybody cares about
more than every other. That would be Aaron Rodgers, quarterback
left wrist limited. That is an upgrade from did not
practice on Wednesday.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I talked to Broderick Jones after practice and asked him
if he thought Mason Rudolph would be starting, okay, and
Broderick said, quote, that's who I've had in practice with me,
so I would guess so, But you never know when
game time rolls around fair enough, particularly the veteran of Rogers' stature. So, uh,
(01:36):
maybe we learned something tomorrow. Maybe we do not, but
let's uh speculate. Since so we got there's.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Two different paths, and I think they're both interesting, and
start with Rogers is obviously he's super proud, super accomplished,
has destroyed the Bears over his career. You might say, yeah,
in fact he has any fact the numbers are insane.
Win lost stuff is insane. I don't have in front
of me, but I think he's like twenty four and
(02:03):
five against him.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You include the playoffs, it's twenty six and five.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Wow, with an insane sound interception race. Pretty good, pretty good,
So I'm sure it reminds me like Ben versus Brown's.
You're like, so I want to miss that one? You know,
I would think not. But I also think there's a
lot of value in playing Rudolph. And I don't mean
any of this to be necessarily negative to Rogers, but
(02:28):
Rogers has not played his best lately. I think that's
undisputable at this point. He's soon to be forty two
years old, and they had a very the earliest by
you possibly can. So I'm sure his knees, shoulders, back,
big toe would love a week off. Let alone the
(02:49):
broken bone in his left hand. I'm sure so much
of his body would be like, thank you, that feels
great for a week. And I also think there's some
value well, first of all, all games are important, but
this is not a division game. It's not even a
conference game. If you happen to put out a lesser
product and lose to an NFC team, it doesn't hurt
you as much as losing to the Ravens or even
(03:09):
the Chargers or whoever. And the other thing is and
I kind of want to bring this up to Merril.
Is I assume that they've done some sort of game
planning Rudolph versus Rogers. Like, it's not a whole different playbook,
but you're gonna call different plays, You're going to gain
plan differently. They're two different human beings. So if you
(03:31):
do things differently and the offense hasn't played great, maybe
you can take away three or four nuggets that you
did against the Bears and incorporate them for when Aaron
comes back, presumably in a week. You know, like, why
not try something a little different. Oh, we did more
play action in this game. It worked, Let's try that
against next week.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
You know, I agree with almost all that.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
I'm not as certain about the Nuggets thing because I
think the game plan stuff would be pretty close to
the same you think.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
I know they've said that, And.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I think the advantage with Rogers over Rudolph would be
at the line of scrimmage. What he choose, what he
chooses in the moment. Yeah, but that said, and I
agree thousand percent. I think Rogers, up until the Chargers game,
was having a phenomenal season. They had said he was
exceeding or delivering everything they hoped he would on and
(04:26):
off the field, And I concur but it hasn't gone
great lately, and he is going to be forty two,
and he could probably use a standing eight count to
use just sort of exhale, clear his head a little bit,
take a step back, and then come back ready to
go attack Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
And he may not see it that way. He probably
want to be out there, right.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
I'm sure he does not.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
I've never and I want to talk to this about
Merrill because I never got. For example, Ben Roethlisberger always
wanted to stay in during a blowout to the end
of the game.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Because he wanted to be out there with his guys.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I would be yanking my quarterback if I'm way ahead
or I'm way behind, and resting him any chance I
could get.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Like Belichick always do that with Brady, and it made
no sense to me. They're up forty and Brady's.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Out there and not expose him to injury. Any chance
I could.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Get center could step on, anything could happen, all right.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So I just I think Rogers could use a little break.
And I also think that there is a genuine belief
in Mason Rudolph in that room.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
And that's a thing too.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
I talked to a couple of guys after Rodgers, Broderick
Jones and Pat Fryermuth were both with Rudolph in twenty
twenty three when he came in and won the last
three games of the season and got him into the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Played very well the year.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Rudolph saved Christmas the red zone there, and I think
he has come back a confident guy, maybe.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
More understanding of his role.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, you have to work hard, you have to be ready,
and chances are you're not going to get to do
anything with that prep. But he certainly was ready against
the Bengals.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I think he would be ready if he had to
come in against Chicago, So why not just start them
and play it that way? I think the Bears at
seven to three, Hey, god bless them, new coach, new attitude,
they're doing better. Oh yeah, they're not going to go
five and twelve this year, But I don't know how
many more games that team's gonna win.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Quite frankly, looking at its schedule.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
I didn't. I've been looked ahead, but I've looked behind,
and they're in first place. They're way ahead of schedule
as an organization, but it's they have not mowed down
Babe Ruth and lou Gerriic Murderer's row either, you know,
but I give them credit. They're a weird organization right now.
And first off, I think Bears fans should be as
(06:34):
encouraged and excited about their team since Ditka, you know,
like they have a coach, they have a quarterback, the offense,
everything they planned in the offseason is going to script.
But they are. They come from behind, it like the
two minute situation every week. And I know the Steelers
this way too, but so turnover dependent. Like I'm not
(06:57):
sure if they're good or not, I mean, or how
good they are not bad.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Here's what we know and talking about our context here
is records now yeah yeah, yeah, not necessarily when the
Bears played these teams, but they've played one team with
a winning record. Detroit got beat fifty two to twenty one.
Baltimore is currently five and five, and the Ravens beat
the Bears thirty to sixteen. They've beaten Dallas, they've beaten Vegas.
(07:25):
They've beaten the Commanders, They've beaten the Saints, They've beaten
the Bengals, the Giants, the Vikings also lost to the Vikings, none.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Of whom have been good this year at any point.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Really, here's what's left on the schedule.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Steelers Sunday at Philly at Green Bay, Cleveland at home.
Probably win that one, green Bay, San francisc at San Francisco, Detroit.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Wow, they might be favored this week and the Browns
and that's it.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Don't see a lot of doves left on that schedule.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
I don't either, But again, I think the organization is
doing a lot of good things and trending the right direction.
But they're a hard team. I mean, it's Thursday night
and I still haven't figured out Who'm gonna pick the
win the game. I just don't have a grasp on
this opponent very well, Like the Bengals was the opposite.
I'm like, probably will be forty five to forty four,
and the Bengals will lose somehow. You know, that's it's
(08:17):
not out went. But this is an unpredictable team.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Oh, I think it's a winnable game. I also think
I think it's a losable game.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
I agree.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Probably quarterback.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Why they're gonna play, Yeah, Darius Slay, second consecutive day
full participant coming off his concussion. Mike Tomlin had said
on Tuesday that if healthy, Slave would start, but he
also said they're going to play James Pierre. Can you
envision a scenario where Pierre plays more snaps than.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Slay Yes, and I'm kind of hoping that way. I
think Pierre's playing better now, not just a second, but
the last three four weeks than slayh has at any
point as a Steeler.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Jalen Warren ankle upgrade from did not practice to limited.
Did some video him today? He looked pretty good good.
Alex high Smith peck upgraded from did not practice to limited.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
I thought that was the most encouraging thing I saw
from the practice report.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
And Cole Holcombe second consecutive day of full participation. The
rest is some maintenance stuff or some guys that were
resting other than Keishawn Williams, wide receiver upgraded the full
participant from limited trying to work through a concussion. Do
you think Holcombe replaces Harrison in the three inside linebackers.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
I was about to ask you the same thing, and
I leaned towards no. My thoughts on it, and I
don't feel super strong about it. Is when they have
those three off the ball linebackers out there together, they
often have a big umbrella behind them. It's not a
single high loaded box situation. So I think they want
(09:53):
Harrison to be the banger, you know, like if we're
gonna be a little light in the.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Box, particular, if you only have one defensive lineman exactly
which they.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Often have, they often do in that situation. So I
thought that might just be a Jonathan Taylor only thing.
It's been more than that. But I don't think Hulcombe
fits the mold of I'm not saying Harrison's Lebron Kirklin,
but I mean a big body, downhill thumper that you
don't want in coverage.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Yeah, Hohlkm I think is more of a two way guy.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
I think he backs up the other two.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
But they already have Wilson and Queen to be two
way guys.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
I'm with you. I like and that.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I like Harrison in that package, and that is fast
becoming my favorite package. Really, I far prefer to the
normal Nickel because the normal nickel gets wrong on.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
Normal nickel is rung on the run. Defense has been
pretty good lately. Better, Yeah, much better. It's gonna happen.
It's a good running team.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It's gonna have to be good against Chicago. For the Bears,
They've got some interesting entries on their practice participation report.
I want to start in the secondary uh, because they've
had they've been going out without a couple of key guys.
J Jalen Johnson, cornerback is supposed to be a starter.
He had his window to come back from i R
opened last Friday. Yes, he goes up from limited to
(11:03):
full today. And Kyler Gordon, who's supposed to be their nickel,
he had his window opened on Wednesday yesterday.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
I think there's a strong argument that they are their
best two defensive players. I think both are great.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
I don't know about Gordon.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
He's limited with a calf and he's only practiced limited
in two days. I think Johnson might be ready to
come back.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
It sounds like Johnson's ready to come back. I'd have
to study it a little more. I don't know if
he'll travel with metcalf. But he's one of the few
guys I would say that's a number one corner and
they paid him top of the market money, big time
guy with a lot of traits. Gordon's the modern day
nickel that does everything you know. I mean, he's the
jack of all trades, tough guy. I don't know if
(11:43):
he'll be back or not, but Johnson would be somebody
they could really use. As we'll talk about all hour,
they're phenomenal taking the ball away and have not had
their two best defensive backs.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
The two starting inside linebackers, Tremaine Edmonds and Noah Sewell,
not that one of those guys has practiced yet this
week Seoul with an elbow, Edmunds with a groin. Left
tackle THEO Benedette is limited with a quad, the center
Drew Dolman is limited with a knee, and the right
tackle Darnell Wright is limited with a peck slash back.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Okay, so Dolman's become a really good center that they
paid good money. Right is maybe my favorite young right
tackle in the league, and they may even leave him alone.
On TJ is TJ Lang on that list to the
linebacker because you mentioned Seul and you mentioned Edmunds, I
thought Lang had something going on as well, because the
(12:38):
Edmonds and Lang will rotate some too. Those All three
of those guys play a fair amount, so they have
some names on there. That's interesting. The left tackles are
backup though I forget his name. I had never heard
of him before.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Benetette, Yeah, yeah, yeah, So if he doesn't play, then
you're down new the backups back up.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Well, I think I don't think he even starts anyway.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
I'll double check.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
I believe it is Okay. I didn't say. I'm not
sure what he did last game, but he's he should
not be the starter. Let's just put it that way.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, Meryl Hodge next, So keep it here. Steelers Preview
presented by your neighborhood Ford Store. The F one fifties
official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers is brought to you
right here on Steeler Nation Radio and your Steelers flagship
one or two point five DVE.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DVE.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Welcome back to the preview, Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson
getting set for the Steelers and the Bears on Sunday
in Chicago. Time down to welcome our factor back to
the program. Meryl Hodge joins Steelers Preview. Meryl, how are
you tonight?
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Van Cassie Brother. I'm an Eagle Land so you know,
I've got to deal with that ron Z Roorsky in
South Palantonio. So that's painful, But I really like I
really like sal Yeah, I've been doing it for thirty
two years. I can't believe thirty.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
He's the best.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
They We still don't know who's playing quarterback for the
Steelers now.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Aaron Rodgers was limited in practice today.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Uh, Broderick Jones thinks Mason Rudolph's playing, But Brodick was
quick to add, hey, and it can change my game day.
Matt and I just spent the first segment making really intelligent,
well thought out, and very compelling arguments that it would
probably be a good idea for the Steelers not to
play Aaron Rodgers this week. Give him a breather, give
him a game off, let him, let him heal up
(14:31):
a little bit, win, win the Bears game with Mason Rudolph,
and then get Rogers ready for Buffalo. What are you
thinking if either guy's available, which way do you lean?
Speaker 5 (14:41):
Well, it looks now this is from experience. Like I
wrote my left hand okay, and I remember they're gonna
cast it up. They were like, you can't play, and
I'm like so all night, I'm like, no way, I
ain't casting his hands. So I created a brace that
I could end up putting on my hand and play
with it. Now. The reason I share that is because
(15:02):
like a fracture or a break like like, it hurts.
I mean, I know he's not throwing the ball, that's
not he's throwing hand, but it still hurts, you know.
I mean it's hard to function, you know. I mean
it didn't hurt until I had to catch a ball
or you know, you just don't realize how many times
you get all these parts of your body hit. He
breaks something, I don't, but I didn't even know what
(15:26):
a week does for him. You know, it's not gonna
heal it. So if he can play with it, I don't.
And then you feel like, well there's no real nothing
more major you could do to it, and they can
find a way to brace that he can function. I
(15:46):
think he plays, And now that's just that's I'm just
unit from how I would how I did it. So
that's that's my experience, you know, with something similar, and
I I think he'll he'll want to play, and if
he feels like he can play and it can't further
the injury, then I think he'll play.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Part of what we were thinking was I bet the
rest of them could use a game off.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yeah, you know, he's probably pretty beat up.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
By this this point of the season, and I want
him at his best in January, not Sunday in Chicago.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
Yeah, but you got to win to get to January.
You know, he can't just assume. But that Ma said,
like Mason played well, you know, I would feel comfortable,
you know. I mean, if you're the staff and how
he's played, how he's how he's always prepared, his history
and stuff, and I feel very good about I comfortable
with you know, him having to go in chicauggle and
(16:41):
well execute the offense to the level's got to be
executed in order to win.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
How do you think it would look different? Like, I
don't think they're going to rewrite the playbook or anything
crazy like that, but my hunch is you would see
a little more intermediate the downfield passing, maybe a higher
percentage of run.
Speaker 5 (17:00):
If Rudolph was a quarterback, Yeah, I think you would
try to like not put a big load on him.
So there's your there's a priority to run and you know,
if there's you know, there's some I guess this bare defense,
you can run the ball and he's still committed to it.
You can run on them, and there's big play opportunities.
Especially on the perimeter. I mean, you can get some
big plays on the in this team, you know, via
the past. So although they've gotten better, you know, they're
(17:23):
getting better as a team than defense they have, there's
still those opportunities there. You know, it's not a shutdown defense,
and there's there's voids to be had in the running
game and passing games.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
You know, you mentioned the running game, and it just
feels to me, Meryl, like it's getting to that point
of the season where you have to lean into that,
particularly in the AFC North and the Northeast or the Midwest.
And I know it's just the Bengals, but the Steelers
ran it well with two backs. Yeah, last Sunday. The
Bears are vulnerable against them run. What do you think
of the Steelers run game right now, particularly with say
(17:56):
Malo back and the emergence that gain well again and even.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
A little did I see a little spark out at
number twenty Caleb Johnson? I thought, I did.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Yeah, I like you more of it though. Yeah, Well,
Caleb is a ball carrier right now, and that's just
because he has no confidence what happened to him with
that fumble. You're a ball carrier in the sense when
I say that you are worried about not making a mistake,
You're worried about not fumbling. And when you focus on
those things, you just can't be a runner. You know,
(18:27):
he's a ball carrier right now, but he's emerging into
a runner. Okay, So the more he touches the ball
and you'll see and he'll start. I mean, you guys
think you've seen hints of it already. You know, he's
starting to become a runner. But he is a ball
carrier right now. So but the more Repue gets, the
closer he comes to being a runner.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
So do you think they work him in just a
little more every week?
Speaker 5 (18:51):
You know, I you got three of them. You know,
I think every game is going to kind of dictate.
I think, here's here's what does happen. I know, if
from a player perspective, a coach at perspective, you have
a plan, then you get in the game and you
make a plan. You just a plan. You know, I
think that there's a plan. Yes, let's get everybody involved.
But you know, sometimes somebody just gets rolling and things
(19:12):
are just going in a way that you just get
caught up in play calling. It in certain personnel and
then the game's over for you know it. But I
just no matter what they do. Listen, if you're gonna
win a championship, if you're gonna win a division, if
you're gonna win, you have to run the football. It
is the most pivotal aspect to control the tempo. And
(19:33):
if you can't control the temple, you just got it's
hard to win in this league. And you can't ask
Naxon Rudolph throw up fifty times like this. That's a
that's a massive priority that you you don't just run
the ball, you run it successfully. That's what has to
be your goal. That's what has to be your mindset.
And that's what I think has to be a big
priority going into this one.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Yeah, I'm a little shocked at it. They haven't been
more run heavy, especially the last couple of weeks, especially
the Charger game, and this one, as you mentioned, sets
up that you would think you could be able to
do that.
Speaker 5 (20:06):
Well yeah, well I think you know that leads to
you know who your quarterback? When you have Aaron Rodgers,
you know you know your shoot. I got I got
a legend, you know, I got a Hall of Famer
and he's still elite skills, so you tend to lean
on that. Now, Mason I does a great job, but
they won't. They won't be thinking like that. It's a
trusting but let's let's not. We're not going to put
(20:29):
the load on him. And I just think they'll find
that they might be a little better going into this
one and that and that you know that that might
be some reason to give him a break, you know,
I mean you you try to lean on him so
much that you know, let's stop leaning on him, get him,
get him a break. Mason could do what we need
to do because we got to be a priority run
the gout ball on this one and be successful at it.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Maro, I want to I want to veer off of
the matchup for just a second and talk philosophically about quarterbacks.
Rogers is obviously a great competitor, and of course he
wants to play in this game and he wants to
practice all the time.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
And you know, why is.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
It that quarterbacks feel they have to lead that way?
You know, when Ben was here, they'd never take him
out when it was a blowout either way, and if
they tried to, he'd be upset about it. Like he
wanted to be out there with his guys all the time.
Does that sort of leadership really resonate with a team
or is that more ceremonial.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Man, it's not a quarterback, but one of the first
times I ever experienced people. I mean, We're in Arizona
playing the Cardinals, and we were down maybe twenty one whatever,
it was, seven minutes left in the game. We just
we just got the ball kicked off to us. We
get the ball to twenty and Chuck would ever pulled
(21:48):
off everybody at the time. It was my rookie. I
wasn't a starter. So I got to go in and
there was one guy who was still out there, and
that was Mike Webster. Mike's Webster pulled us and he said,
during the course of time out and he said, listen here,
the game ain't over. We're gonna take this ball. We're
gonna move with eighty yards down this field, and we're
(22:08):
gonna store a touchdown. Are we clear with that? Well,
we march at eighty yard, we scored a touchdown, and
I became a starter after that, you know. But I
so I'm just gonna tell you this that you have
that matters to your team. I don't want. I listen.
I've been on the sideline where things ain't going well.
(22:28):
It's bad. It's tough out there, and I got people pros. Oh,
i'mont go out there. I'm done, though, I'm like, are
you Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? I
no respect for players like that. You cannot be like
that and garner any respect from anybody. That's gotta that's
gonna matter when it does matter. And so I I
(22:52):
just love what they have that, but he has that,
you know, that's why they ship plays. I can't. He's like, hey, listen,
it's gonna get worse. Can brace it up. Don't have
to go with it. It hurts a little bit. I
just don't seem not playing. But you know, they may,
you know, step in and said some just you need
to we I mean, not let him play. But I don't.
(23:12):
I don't know how I can do that either.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
So you mentioned your career and you played for both
these organizations, and obviously times change and all those things.
But what were some of the obvious differences in the organizations.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
Well, when I got there, it was coaching, you know,
that was the biggest difference. I played for Chuck Nolan,
Bill Kawer. Now they wantched that was the head coach there.
This is I don't want this to be come off
wrong because I loved They wants that. That's why I
went Chico Ben. He was a believer in me. I mean,
he wanted and he wanted to build. Here was his problem.
(23:48):
This is his first job, so everybody makes mistakes. He'd
never been a head coach. But she talked more about
the Dallas Cowboys because he was with that run where
they they they won all those Super Bowls. He was
a defensive coordinator there, and he made the mistake always
(24:09):
talking about the Cowboys and he never talked about the Bears.
And I was just like wow, because like even as
a team, we were like, man, are we the Dallas
Cowboys ago Bears? Yeah, So you just you know, it
was that was a big difference, you know, just the
(24:29):
leadership aspect of But if I played for Ron Turner,
who was a coordinator there, who was a fabulous coach,
and then Dave was a fabulous coach. I like him.
He just and you know that was his firsts actually
second year, you know, and I think he's still learning
how to be a head coach. But that was that
was a little different for me some of them, but
I think it was more similarities than differences, you know,
(24:50):
like uh, the family ownership, you know, uh, just the cities.
I love. The Bears is bluffish. I mean, they're just
like the part of it, you know, even though there's
great history and sports are like the Bears kind of rule.
I mean, same with Pittsburgh. You know, everybody the great
sports everywhere, but Steve has just have this woven fabric
(25:14):
in them. And both families were about a part of
the community, you know, a part of the city, and
that's what I think why they are like that. But
I find more comparisons than differences with them.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Just kind of that old school old garden fl yeah yeah, yeah,
yeah history franchises.
Speaker 5 (25:33):
Yes, Like I see, Mike Dicker wasn't there at the time,
but I worked from my work. Mike and I worked
together for like ten years ESPN and we' I'll tell
you a great story about that brings these two together.
So every night we would have dinner on Saturday nights,
we always had Sunday together and just one night and
the only time I ever bought dinner was when I
(25:53):
had it flown in. I had I had some Benison
flown in for the restaurant, couldn't force. So that's the
only time I WoT to course, Mike dig Mike Dick
is like the most genuine, genuine kind. I mean, I
call him the Elvis of the NFL. And his persona
is like bad, mean and he is like that, but
he is honestly just the greatest, one of the greatest
(26:15):
sham beings I have ever been around. But one night
at dinner, he just looks at me and he's like,
you know, Chuck is the greatest coach in the history
of the National Footballer, right, And interesting, I go, because
I got why would you say that he.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Played for Landry? Didn't he too?
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Yeah? Landry? He played in the Bears. I mean yeah, yeah,
I mean you got some history here with Alas. Yeah, yeah,
I played George Allis you know? Yeah? Like really, he goes, yeah,
he goes, Here's why. The ability to hold all of
the talent that he had together for as long as
(26:52):
he did it could never be done again or never
will be done again. He said, I had the same
amount the talent and I could only do it for
one year. I was just like, oh my gosh, you're right,
you're but that's honestly, was like, I couldn't do it. Man,
(27:12):
he got fell apart after coach. How he did that
is the most difficult. People will never understand, which I
do believe is true too, Like you know, people are
such a Chuck Chuck Down got coach in the year
until eighty nine. That's like, remember, it's like, really, I
can't even it is. It's nuts And everybody would not
(27:35):
give it to him because he had all this talent right,
so thin you could just win with talent, Man, somebody still
has to lead. You still got a lot of leader
that is like a powerful and a smart human being,
which Chuck was. He's a great man I've ever met,
ever been around. At twenty one. I was smart to
realize I will never ever be around another man like that,
(27:58):
and I haven't. But when he said that that night,
I was just like, there's so much and he lived
it and he's known it and he knows the history
that is me and I was like, wow, that's interesting.
That was powerful.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Meryl, thanks for checking that nineteen eighty nine Steelers box.
We've actually been lax referencing that team yeah, everything does
come back to the nineteen eighty nine Steelers.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Eventually.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
I wanted to get back to the run game in Chicago.
Obviously have two really good backs and Cam Hayward was
talking up about the Bears running game today and one
of the first words he used was commitment, and then
he went on He went on to say, there aren't
any non running downs for these I mean, I guess
third and fifteen maybe, but third and seven they might
(28:44):
run it.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Oh yeah, I mean they are committed to running the football.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
I imagine you see that and feel that when you watch.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
These guys, there's well, there's no question. I mean, if
we we're to talk about, what's the first thing on
your mind that concerns, worries, something you got to deal with,
it is their commitment to that. It is a good,
exactly word because they are committed. They deviating from it
because he came from he built, helped built Detroit. They're like,
if if you watched Detroit in the first few years,
there was one thing they were committed to, and one
(29:15):
thing they were really good at, and one thing they
did on everybody. They may have lost, but that's just
because the quarterback, the passing game hadn't involved, they were
going to run the ball. At some point, I think
they were called him the NFC Ravens. They were committed,
they would not deviate. And the Bears are like that.
They their tight ends are and their obvious lines got
so much better. Their tight ends are a part of it.
(29:36):
They're running in and their receivers are a part of it.
And that kid that they got number twenty five from Rutgers, man,
he came out like he was one of my favorite backs.
He's a wicked dude. Man, He's a wicked dude. I
love's listen, I'd love yes, because he you know, the
(29:57):
backs that we have, I mean, just the relentless pounding
that all the passion to give him. I'm just telling you,
he's he's he's a handle. I mean, you've got you
got your hands full with all of them.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
So Merrill, I think Williams a quarterback, has come a
very long way from year one to year two. He
still has a lot of things to work on. Accuracy, throws,
a lot of things on the line, got a ton
of ability. What's your thoughts on him overall?
Speaker 5 (30:25):
Well, he remember, everybody give me heat. When he came
out because they say it's Patrick Maholmes. I'm like, he's
not Patrick Mahomes for a litany of reasons. He's not
gonna he's not all going to grets coaching in NFL history,
he's not going to be a backup. He doesn't have
a mentor, he's not six y three. There's a litany
of things. And his pocket presence was he had none? Yeah, yeah,
(30:49):
but your point he is he's really developed on his
pocket presence. He's gotten much better there. In fact, I do.
I did a playbook for this because I think it's
the most danger is part of this game is the
things you can't predict, and his ability to get out
of a collapsed pocket is a concern, and you have
(31:12):
to do yes. And you've got to do that with
us as much discipline and structure as you possibly can't. Like,
the goal is to finish in the pocket. You know,
we collapse it. But you can't give him running lanes.
And when you get your hands on him, you got
to finish, you know, and so but you can't predict that.
You know, you don't well know what I mean when
that's gonna happen. So you know that's a big wildcard. Now, listen,
(31:35):
there's a lot of times he went to college. You know,
everybody raved about it. And that's why, really, why I
want to hide for a week. That's really what made
him so exciting, because, like I tell, people's exciting. It's
not a skill set, but he's so exciting people like that. Well,
if you looked at as I studied him, his ability
to move and throw is it's like a fifty to
(31:56):
fifty deal. It can he can make some spectactular thought
and then he can do some stuff You're like, oh
my gosh, I mean it can. It could be ugly too,
because he'll take some chances. But if you don't. But
I think to see the hurst the most is when
he doesn't and he runs and he gets yards and
he gets first downs. That's the thing that just uh,
(32:20):
I think you've got to manage that the best you can.
And if you can manage that, then that just helps
you in and help them and beating this team.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Meryl, great stuff is always enjoy Philly. Go get yourself
a patch steak and then drop it off on your
way to wherever you're going.
Speaker 5 (32:38):
All right, gentlemen, thanks a lot, man, Love you guys,
and go see this.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Merril Hodges. You know my notes on Caleb Williams.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
I have wow, and I have what with a question?
Speaker 3 (32:53):
What with a like? How you do that? And what
are you doing?
Speaker 4 (32:57):
What do you do that one for you?
Speaker 3 (32:58):
I'll see how it plays out.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Gear up with the latest game day necessities at the
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Terrible towels, authentic memorabilia, and custom exclusives you can only
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Speaker 3 (33:11):
This is one of the.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Official Steelers Pro shops located at Akroscher Stadium, the Grove
City Premium Outlets, and the Tanger Outlets. You can also
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(33:32):
on Steelers Nation Radio and your Steelers flagship one O
two point five.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
Dve back to the Steelers Preview show on DV.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Welcome back, Mike Pursuda and Matt Williamson with you here,
getting you ready for the Steelers and the Bears on
Sunday in Chicago. Matt, we didn't get around to this
detail with Merrill because Meryl's.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Not a detailed guy. He's a big picture yeah, and
a concept guy.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
But the player on the injured list for the Bears
that we were uncertain about, Theo Benedette, has been starting
at left tackle.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Their actual left tackle, Braxton.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Jones is he was the opening day guy. He played
about the first three or four games. He's on the
reserve injured list, so it could be down to the
third left tackle.
Speaker 3 (34:18):
Yeah, right, right theory.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
They did draft Ousie Trapeos, the name I mentioned in
from Boston College in the second round. He's much more
of a right tackle only type, dude. But Darnell Wright
is one of the best right tackles in the league,
and so when they drafted your prio in the second round,
they experimented with him at left too, because the opening
day starter left is much weaker than right. So I
got a little confused there. Trapeo will be available though,
(34:44):
and he's, like you said, he's a swing guy.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Yeah, not just the swing guy. He'll be there.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Tackle number seventy yeah, yeah, which they like to do,
which everybody's doing it.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
It's it's a big trend in the league. You're seeing
a lot more bigger bodies on offense, extra tight ends
your offensive lineman. It's not just a Steeler thing, but
seers more than everybody.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
You know.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
We talked about how this is a hard game to handicap,
and you know you can predict the winner, but you're
probably not real sure about it. But the path for
both teams seems pretty obvious. They're both turnover heavy generators
on defense. I think the stat for the Bears is
in their seven wins they have generated twenty one turnovers.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
In their three losses, they have generated one.
Speaker 5 (35:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Okay, and Chicago runs the ball four point nine yards
per carry. Yeah, but opponents are averaging five point two
yards per carry against the Bears.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
On the ground. Swift is coming back.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
From injury, uh good lately. And they're rookie from Rutgers.
Kyle Manung guy.
Speaker 4 (35:48):
Yeah, little bowling ball A handful to get down, little ball.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
I hate kind of guy. Right, really runs hard. I
mean they're just gonna line up and run it, run it.
And if you let them run it, then.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
They'll stay with it.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Then they'll stay with put the loulso play off of
that and allow Caleb Williams to operate in rather relatively
stress free situation.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
And he's a dangerous runner too. I mean he adds
to their rushing yards and obviously their yards per carry too,
because Williams is fast and athletic and difficult to get
on the ground as well. I can't stress enough how
Lion centric this team is. I mean they really are.
They have this two headed rushing attack and I'm not
(36:29):
saying they're Montgomery and Gibbs, They're not. I mean, nobody's
that pairing. But they got a right tackle that's really
really athletic, kind of like Penna Seul. They're really physical.
They went out of their way this offseason to totally
rebuild guard center guard and spend a lot to do it.
First couple of draft picks are on offense as well.
Tight end wide receiver Manung guy who mentioned is in
(36:50):
the mix all of a sudden, So the whole off
season was let's make Kyle Williams and the new head coach,
who's an offensive minded dude from the Lions as comfortable
as possible, and I bet all next season will be
let's try to firm up this run defense and find
some dudes on defense.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Yeah, Bears check in fourth and total offense, second in
rushing offense, but on the defensive side twenty seventh in
total defense, twenty fifth in rush defense.
Speaker 4 (37:15):
It's not exactly the Bengals, but it's pretty clear that
one side of the ball is a thousand times better
than the other side of the ball.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Yeah, and you mentioned the best cornerbacks.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Have been out, true, and they still take the ball with.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
The pass rush has also sustained some injuries early. That
might be getting a little bit better. They're starting to
get some guys back there. But it seems like, you know,
the cliche game of the season, run the ball, protect
the football. The team that does those two things better
is probably going to win the football game.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Yeah, and you laid it out well. I mean, if
we were previewing every Bears game this week this year,
that probably would be the case. If we laid out
every Steeler game as we have, that's definitely the case.
With their turnover numbers, it's a little frustrating, though. I'd
like to see the Steelers run the ball better and more,
(38:08):
and I would hope this week I thought the Chargers
would be that week for it to happen, but I
would hope this week you can be in that situation.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
You know, one of the interesting statistical matchups red zone,
which to me, turnovers are great eraser on defense.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
They kill you on offense.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Yeah, a lot of yards you gain if you turn
the ball over, they're not worth anything. And defensively, who
cares if you gave up seventy yards if you turn
them over. I think the red zone is a pretty
big deal too. And you look at Pittsburgh sixth in
the NFL and red zone defense, oh yeah, fifty one
point four to three percent, and Chicago is twentieth in
(38:50):
red zone offense fifty four point twenty nine percent. So
does that, you know, skewer those offensive numbers of the
Bears being top five overall and in rushing, but they're
only eighth in scoring. I say, only eight Steelers are twelve.
There's about a little more than a point per game
difference between the two offenses in terms of red zone production.
Speaker 4 (39:12):
In terms of points oh in points, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
Twenty five point eight for Chicago twenty four point six
for Pittsburgh.
Speaker 4 (39:18):
A lot of times I look at red zone through
the lens of the quarterback, of course. And I really
think experience goes an extremely long way with red zone quarterbacking,
because if you just think about it, I mean, instead
of twenty two huge, fast, nasty human beings being on
one hundred and twenty yards of field, now they're on
(39:40):
thirty yards of field. So all those molecules you heat
up and condense, and all of a sudden, everything's a
little more intense and a little tighter. And I think Williams,
at this point, who I think is really progressing well,
still is not super red zone qualified yet. I mean,
he throws a lot of things on the line. Isn't
super quick processor accuracy? The little questionaboy do I still
(40:01):
think he doesn't have that you know arrow in his quiver.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
The flip side matchup that really favored Chicago is third down.
The Bears, in addition to getting all those turnovers they
get off the field man second in the NFL, their
defense allowing conversions on only thirty three point sixty five
percent third downs, and the Steelers at thirty eight point
zho five success rate.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
That's twentieth. And the arrow is pointing down there.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
Now it's pointing up a little because last week wasn't terrible,
but if you look at it was in the first half,
well true. I mean going back the last few weeks though,
the third down offense has been hideous. I don't know
what it is lately, but going in when we had
this show last week, the Steelers last three games, they
were at fifteen percent combined. I mean, it's terrible.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
And uh last but not least. It's kind of a
is what it is? Type of stat. I file this
one in the same categories all that Aaron Rodgers stuff
when he was with Green Bay, what he did against
Chicago Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
All time in Chicago is one and twelve.
Speaker 4 (41:08):
I've heard it's bad.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
One and twelve.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Yeah, so I don't think it matters.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
I know.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
I think it's just one of those things.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Is our old buddy Doc Emrick used to say on
the NHL broadcast, it's history, not prophecy.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
I was just saying, that's great, our old buddy Dale Lawley,
happy birthday. It's his birthday today. By the way, in
you and guys that have been on the beat and
have gone to all those road games, took a long
time to me to be convinced from you guys like,
I'm not gonna win in Philly, Matt. I'm like, what
the Eagles think this year? I can win in Philly, Matt.
I mean, is this one of those cases where you
(41:43):
just had never seen it?
Speaker 3 (41:45):
Yeah, but I just can't.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
It was in Oakland that way too.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
You know they won in nineteen ninety five. Is that applicable, right?
Speaker 4 (41:52):
I know it's not even the same human beings. Yeah,
I mean they it's like they play there all the time.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
These numbers do tend to accumulate because they tend to accumulate.
Speaker 4 (41:59):
I mean some of those are from the forties probably, yes,
right where no human beings are alive, you know.
Speaker 3 (42:06):
I mean, we'll see what the Steelers can come up with.
Speaker 4 (42:09):
I mean that part you want Rogers he wins all
the time.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
Yeah, well bring him on the trip. I don't know
whether he plays or not. Just kind of show them
to the fans and that will, yeah, scare them, that'll
get everybody going.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
You mentioned it's an NFC game, and it's you know,
not a not an AFC game, not a division game.
You could see first place with a loss, but this
is going to come down and I'm talking about the
AFC North there. This is going to come down to
the two Pittsburgh Baltimore games.
Speaker 4 (42:36):
I think so right. I mean it's screaming that way.
I know the Ravens are a nice winning streak, but
I don't think they're this unstoppable force that I thought
they could have been when I looked at him in
the offseason. They still have some some wartz.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
I agree, Yeah, and hey, they've won a bunch of games.
I got back to five hundred. Credit to them, but
those games that are not games where you look at Baltimore's,
oh my god, who's going to stop them?
Speaker 5 (43:01):
No?
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Like last year, I looked at Baltimore like, Steelers, aren't
I much a chance in this one?
Speaker 5 (43:05):
You know?
Speaker 4 (43:05):
But this year I think Baltimore on both lines of
scrimmage and Miles Garrett at a million sacks against just
last week, you know, couldn't the Steelers do the same thing?
And Lamar is still.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
I saw a lot of Baltimore Cleveland game because it
was on while I was doing the postgame show. And
if Cleveland had gotten anything out of the quarterback position,
anything as bad.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
As you've ever seen. Yeah, I mean that's a hideous offense,
mostly because the quarterbacks.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
Are so bad, but their defense was really really good dictating.
Speaker 4 (43:32):
Yeah, I mean that was the best unit on the field.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
So we started the show, uh, wondering who's going to win?
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Now is the point of the program where we tell
people who we think is gonna win.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
I think it's gould be a really close game. And
it's too easy to say that whoever wins a turnover
battle probably wins, But in this case, it just screams
that way, which is unpredictable to me. I think I
expect the Steelers to protect the ball better than Chicago,
and I don't know the Chicago's drastic better at taking
it away. I'm gonna think the Steelers twenty one to twenty,
(44:03):
but I really don't have a real strong feeling about
this one.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
I'm the same way.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
I think the Steelers win a close one, maybe a
Bosball field goal late. If they don't win, I think
they'll do a credible job playing traditional run defense. What
scares me a little bit and what terror Lauston, a
defensive coordinator, talked about today, got to keep Caleb Williams
in the pocket.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
They're like the best in the league at it though.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
When he gets outside is when bad things really happen.
Speaker 4 (44:30):
Not just his running, he's really something.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
He's almost looking to an extent like a veteran, even
though he's not a veteran. But he's making big plays
outside the pocket.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
He used to be so bad at taking sacks, I mean,
his last couple of years in all through college, worst
you've seen in a long time as a rookie. This
year he's like the best in the league at a
looting sacks, extending plays really difficult to get on the ground,
whether he beats you through the air or with his
feet when the play breaks down, he is dangerous.
Speaker 3 (44:58):
That's gonna do it for us.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
Thanks for tuning in and finding us wherever and however
you found us. Thanks to Justin Miller for keeping everything
running so smoothly here in studio. Thanks for thanks to
Brian Lamartine for all the great work he does with
Steelers Nation Radio. We will be back at it again
next Thursday to get you ready for the Steelers and.
Speaker 3 (45:19):
The Buffalo Bills.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
And to that until then, For Matt Williamson on Mike Persuda,
this has 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. One of two point five DVE
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