December 10, 2025 • 26 mins
Ed Troup and Jacob Recht break down Mike Tomlin’s press conference from yesterday to discuss what the coach had to say about the potential return of Derrick Harmon, the team’s approach to slowing down Miami’s De’Von Achane, and his expectations with the playoffs quickly approaching.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
The Steelers have won twenty two straight games on Monday
Night football. This impressive streak dates back to nineteen ninety two,
with their last home loss on a Monday Night occurring
in nineteen ninety one against the New York Giants. This
is the longest active home winning streak on Monday Night
football in the NFL. The Steelers will go for twenty
three straight wins this upcoming Monday Night when they host
(00:27):
the Miami Dolphins. Welcome into another edition of the Steelers
Standard here on Steelers Nation Radio and the Steelers Audio Network.
I am d troup enjoining me as always as Jacob
wrect Jacob. That streak began under head coach Bill Kauer
and has continued with coach Mike Tomlin, who has maintained
an undefeated home record throughout his coaching career on Monday
(00:47):
Night football, with a record of ten and zero and
twenty one and three overall, Tomlin and the Steelers have
been very good on Monday Nights.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, it's impressive.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I you know, you would assume like, oh, it's got
to be a home Monday Night winning streak, right, but no,
it's across the board. It's very impressive. I honestly didn't
realize one they had won. I would have guessed there
was a loss sprinkled in somewhere between either Cower or
Tomlin or both guys, but that clearly wasn't the case.
(01:18):
It's hard to believe going back to the Tomlin I'm
sorry to the Cower era, this streak has survived.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
It sure has.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And again overall Mike Tomlin twenty one and three. So
those three losses on Monday Nights occurring on the road,
and the Steelers under Mike Tomlin ten and zero at
Hines or current Accushore Stadium. Let's get into our first
segment here today called Tomlin Takes the Week. According to
Mike Tomlin, he had his weekly press conference yesterday, but
first on our opening drive, Jacob. In addition to Monday
(01:46):
Night football, on Monday Night, the Steelers are breaking out
their color Rush uniforms for the first time in twenty
twenty five. It'll be Monday Night versus the Dolphins at Accushore.
The organization is also honoring Joey Porter, Senior, Marquise Pouncey,
and Ben Roethlisberger is the newest members of the Hall
of Honor. On Monday nights, so they will be in
the house for Monday Night Football. The Steelers eight and
(02:07):
three all time in Color Rush games. They have the
black jerseys, the gold block numbers, the gold sleeve stripes,
black pants with a gold stripe, originally designed for Thursday
Night football.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But the Steelers Color Rush era.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
They became a fan and it became a player favorite.
Color Rush history. Notable wins Jacob twenty sixteen, the debut
on Christmas Day when they beat Bold Extension with Antonio
Brown YEP. Thirty one twenty seven to clinch the AFC North.
In twenty twenty or twenty seventeen, they beat the Titans
forty to seventeen. Twenty eighteen they wore twice. They won
(02:42):
both times. They beat Carolina fifty two to twenty one
and the New England Patriots seventeen to ten. That was
the regular season win. If you remember when right at
the end Joe Hates.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Joe Hayden made that leaping grab to make the interception
right before the end zone. I think over Rob Gronkowski.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
And it's a popular subject this week because that was
later on that was the playoff game.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Was that that?
Speaker 1 (03:02):
No, that wasn't that year against New England the Jesse
James drop.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
The Jesse James game was the year before the Joe
Hayden game seventeen.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Oh boy, twenty nineteen, let's not talk about that again.
Two games in twenty nineteen, the Monday Night Football win
over Miami twenty seven to fourteen. That season, they also
beat Baltimore nineteen to fourteen with color Rushes. In twenty
twenty and twenty twenty one beat Chicago, most recently a
win over the New York Giants twenty six to eighteen
on Monday Night Football. So the Steelers like to wear
(03:31):
the color Rush uniforms when they're on national television on
Monday Night Football quite a bit our. Tomlin takes the
weekly press conference yesterday. Some injury availability headlines. Jacob three
players in the concussion protocol after a very physical game
versus the Ravens on Sunday. Two defensive starters dealing with
lower league injuries as well. We'll start with Derek Harmon,
(03:52):
who missed the last two games and he's missed a
total four this season. Tomlin said Harmon will be limited
early in the week, but he's excited about having an
extra day of rest. And he's hopeful that he'll return
Monday night versus the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, I mean, it'd be a huge asset to get
him back, right.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
I don't know if you saw the stats with him
on the field versus off the field, the rushing defense
allows nearly one hundred yards more per game with him
off the field versus when he's on the field.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I didn't realize that it was going to be that
big of a difference.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
And you know, it's funny when we were talking about it,
waiting for him to make his NFL debut. I believe
what was it, what week three against the Patriots when
we had Ray Fadpaluldo on. We'd asked him, Ray, is
it a good thing or bad thing to be waiting
on a rookie like this to make that kind of impact.
Is it good because that means he's going to be
that talented and that worth of a first round draft pick?
(04:47):
Or is it bad that the Steelers defense is so
is struggling so much that they have to rely on
some hero to come in and save the day. And
Ray kind of this is like we did kind of
dance in the middle saying it's good and bad because
good because you know he's outed, but bad because it shows
you just how dire things are without him on the field.
And we kind of knew too it wasn't gonna be
(05:08):
a fix all either. Just because you have one guy
out there doesn't mean it's gonna be perfect. Obviously it's
not the case. Ninety is it? Ninety five yards allowed
with him on the field. That's pretty dang good. I mean,
in the modern NFL, with the league leaning toward being
offensively friendly, even though it's more passing offense, still to
allow less than one hundred yards per game on the
(05:29):
ground with him on the field, I take that any day.
Compared to what they do with him off.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
The field, I agree. And here's the stats. So you
mentioned this, Jacob.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Without Harmon, in four games, the Steelers have given up
one hundred and ninety one rushing yards per game allowed.
With Harmon nine games, ninety six rushing yards per game allows.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
So you're exactly right.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
And it doesn't help too.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
In two of those games that he was off the
field for, I'm sorry, the Bells game. In the Ravens game,
you're playing two of the best running offenses in all football. Buffalo.
We know with Josh Allen, who's very mobile and they're
running back. I'm just Mike James Cook. And then of
course in Baltimore with Derek Henry Lamar Jackson. Those are
(06:12):
dynamic rushing offenses and have been since those two guys
joined their respective teams.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
So yeah, they didn't have that.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You didn't have Harmon out there to kind of make
those numbers look even worse.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Tomlin said on Harmon, that's why you draft first rounders.
He's really talented. And that went into a discussion yesterday
with Mike Tomlin about the defensive interior line and the
Steelers made a conscious offseason decision to get bigger and
more physical there and after last year's playoff loss in Baltimore,
Cam Heyward thirty six yards, thirty six years old, not yards,
(06:43):
he's well, maybe gets some yards there too. As Mike
Tomlin said yesterday, he's an outliner per Tomlin, six hundred
and sixty seven snaps, fifty seven tackles so far this season.
He's still the leader in the anchor of that defensive line.
Keanu Benton. He also talked about him yesterday on that
defensive line, who had four and a half sacks and
ten quarterback hits over six hundred and two snaps. Rookies
(07:04):
really stepping up as well due to injuries to Dean Lowry,
Isaiah louder Milk, and Dan equally first round draft pick
Derek Harmon. As we said, three hundred and thirty one
snaps so far this season, twenty two tackles, four quarterback hits,
two sacks. Why yeah, Black, three hundred and thirty four
snaps this season, twenty three tackles, two forced fumbles, a
(07:25):
fumble recovery, a quarterback hit.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
These guys have really filled in.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Well, they're young, and they're getting a lot of playing
time this year, and that's a good thing, Jacob. The
more snaps they get, the better they'll become.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah, I mean, it's kind of being thrown into the fire.
We've seen it happen a lot, and this team where
usually the team kind of likes to allow rookies to
really take their time getting their experience. You saw for
so long in the Steelers history that a lot of
rookies wouldn't get a lot of playing time in their
first year. There were some exceptions, of course, Ben Roethlisberger
(07:58):
most notably, but as time went on, they really straight
away of throwing guys into the fire, but due to necessity,
they're going to have to do that.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
And then they have done that.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Guys like Whya Black's stepping up this year in the past,
you remember last year, Mason McCormick, the right guard has
really evolved and become a reliable starter despite being what
a third round draft pick from an FCS school. Nonetheless,
so yeah, it's always good to see these guys actually
step up to the plate when necessary.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
And again, why you have Black's numbers have been very
good when filling in for Derek Carmon the last two
weeks with twelve tackles, just one fewer than Cam Hayward
on that defensive line. Tomlin on Black says, one man's
misfortune is another man's opportunity. He loves that line, uses
it quite a bit, and on Ya he said he's
taken advantage. He expects continued growth there with more in
helmet experience. I think Whya Black, along with Derek Harmon,
(08:52):
the future of this defensive line. You have Keanu Betton there,
so there is a plan past Cam Hayward once Hayward retires.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Yeah, there are guys in play. We talked about this
yesterday when you asked me during our terrible take saying
the cornerbacks, the starting cornerback of next year will either
be one of James Perre or.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Brandon Nichols opposite at Joey Porter Jr.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And we had kind of gone through the needs for
the draft in the early rounds especially, and we listed
wide receiver, cornerback, and defensive line and maybe quarterback. It's
always hard to tell where the team will go with
the quarterback position, but those three groups specifically wide receiver, cornerback,
defensive line. Like you said, you have the defensive line
(09:32):
pieces between Black, Benton, and Harmon. But I think they
might want to take a similar approach to how they
addressed the offensive line right where they drafted Zach Frazier,
they drafted Roger Jones, they drafted Troy Fittanu, they drafted
Mason McCormick. These are all guys that were taken in
the first what three rounds or so? I was Mason
McCormick a third round or a fourth round?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
A round? I'm blanking on it. But regardless, you spent
four picks.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
You spent four picks in a span of two years
on one position group. You took Kieran and Bennet in
twenty twenty three. You took Derek Carmon in twenty twenty five.
I'm sorry, Kiana Bennet in twenty twenty four. You took
Derek Carmen in twenty twenty five. You took why Yeah
Black in twenty twenty five. Also, you're gonna want to.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
See maybe a little maybe one more, maybe one or two.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
More pieces taken in the draft coming up this year
to address that position group. But I agree with you, you
have at least some basis for the post post Cam
Hayward era.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
The last few years, they've really dove into the offense
and defensive line, and they had to. They had to
get younger, they had to get more physical, they had
to get better there. And Andy Widel, who came over
from the Philadelphia Eagles now here under Omar Kahan, did
that in Philly. That's how Philly built the Super Bowl
winner that they currently are. Their offensive and defensive lines
over the years, they developed them, they drafted them, They
got physical up front, and the Steelers have done that
(10:57):
on the defensive line. There are guys in play, as
we said, and we didn't even talk about louder Milk
and Logan Lee and some other key pieces of that
puzzle too.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
That'll continue to get better.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
But on the offensive line, that youth paying off to
Jacob Tomlin yesterday talked about that. He praised year two
jumps from Troy Fontano, Zach Fraser. You mentioned McCormick. He
talked about McCormick yesterday. They've combined for just four sacks allowed,
five penalties, and that's two two hundred and forty five
of two hundred and fifty snaps. I know that's a
(11:27):
big number, but they've only missed five snaps so far
this season. That's over twenty two one hundred snaps this season,
four sacks allowed and just five penalties between Fontanu, Fraser
and McCormick. We're not even talking about Roderick Jones, who's
now on the IR he says Tomlin did yesterday. That's
exactly what the team expected when they invested in those
high picks, this offensive line, and they struggled early in
(11:49):
the season. Remember the first couple games we cited the
great late Craig Woofley. What would Wolf say. He'd say,
settle down, These guys will get better. And they will
get there by the end of the season.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Now they have they are on their way at least, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Well the at least hope.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
So in the last couple of games, again no sacks
allowed last week in that game against the Ravens, who
are very physical on defense and big upfront, and only
one quarterback hit.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Rodgers was only hit once.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Now again, Aaron Rodgers also did a nice job of
sliding out of the pocket, extending some plays and making
some plays downfield. But facts are facts. They kept him
clean for the most part yesterday. On the injury front,
there's no practice today. The Steelers, with playing Monday Night,
will take an extra day of rest this week. They'll
get back on the practice field tomorrow on Thursday, and
again that's due to the upcoming Monday night game. In
(12:36):
the concussion protocol is Pete, Harrison and Washington. Other injuries
to Harmon Benton Pierre with a calf, Scronic with a finger,
and Dugger with a hand. Yeah yeah, yeah, Black, who
we just were talking about a second ago, also on
the injury list, but it's undisclosed what he's dealing with.
Clean with the hip and metcalf with a stomach pain
(12:58):
that he had after the game. Again, the Ravens all
should be probable. They may be limited here in the
early week, but they should all play this upcoming Monday night.
And again the goal is to get these guys an
extra day off today, get them healed, and increase their
availability for prep work as the year goes on to
is the week goes on to get ready for the
Dolphins on Monday Night.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Yeah, I mean, it's going to be an important game.
You have your lead in the division. You have a
team here who's vulnerable to be beaten. I know they have.
We just talked about it. The rushing game has been
struggling with versus without Derek Harmon, But if you can
get him back for this game, and luckily you have
kind of that extra day to rehabilitate with him playing
(13:38):
on Monday night, stopping Devin h And has to be
priority number one, and it's going to be a lot
easier to do with Derek Harmon out in the field.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Tomin was asked yesterday about Darnell Washington too, and the
loss of him on Sunday. He's been quietly one of
the best players six seven three and ten pounds, a
mismatch machine, as Mike Tomlin likes to call Darnell Washington.
His concussion status puts a huge dent in the run game,
in the red zone plan, so they hope to get
Washington back this upcoming week. Tomlin said yesterday, you can't
(14:07):
replace that type of body. There are weight classes for
a reason, and Garnell Washington is one of those reasons.
The run game also has struggled, only ninety yards rushing
in the last two weeks combined. That's two point six
yards per carry. This after nearly three hundred yards combined
the two weeks prior. So they were starting to get
some traction Jacob, but now they've regressed the last two games,
(14:28):
and Tomlin said yesterday that he's comfortable with that approach,
but notes multiple layers Washington leaving early last week, the
old line as well.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
As well.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
As they've played, they've also had some injuries. Remember Broderick
Jones Anderson Pete, those guys have gone down. Dylan Cook's
week to start at tackle last.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Week might be this week. Yeah, not bad last week.
It might be back this week yeah, week two.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
I mean, we were just talking about this guy's being
thrown into the fire and Dylan Cook without having a
start under his belt, really stepped up last week, like
you said, against the physical m.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
And I have to continue to be physical this week
too against the Miami Dolphins. Wherein our Tomlin takes the
week according to coach Mike here on the Standard here
Today Mike Tomlin's weekly press conference yesterday. He was also
asked yesterday about the controversial calls from that game against
the Ravens. Harball John Harball in his postgame comments and
since the Steelers Ravens game on Sunday, has blasted the
(15:21):
rest and even called the league office about the overturned
likely touchdown. Tomlin, not biting on that yesterday, though, said
he's learned to move on, but he did cite that
Jesse James play from twenty seventeen. I know you guys
talked about that this morning on the DV Morning Show.
He says he's moved on, but he still remembers Jesse James.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
He says he's moved on, but you wouldn't say you
wouldn't have brought it up if you didn't, if you
weren't actually still pissed off about it.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Tomlin said he's focusing on making enough play so officiating
isn't the story, and that's a smart thing. He also
reportedly called the league twice last year, but none that
we know of so far this season. Also asked about
why Roman Wilson sat yesterday. Wilson has been getting more
usage in separation, Tomlin says, but he still only has
twelve catches in twelve games. Tomlin originally said it was
(16:07):
due to adding Adam Thielen and elevating MVS. Last week Tuesday,
he shifted a bit and said Scottie Miller's value as
a backup punt returner made the difference. Reality is THELAN
playing heavy snaps and Wilson wasn't gonna see the field
much anyhow in that game with THELAN now being in
the mix, and I would expect THELAN to continue to
(16:27):
get more looks here being his second week in the building.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Yeah, I mean, it's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
We had this discussion yesterday which guy is gonna be
the guy to step up because of Roman Wilson not
getting the hat on Sunday against the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Will be mvs. Will it be THELAN or will Aaron.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Rodgers and Calvin Asin kind of regain that chemistry We
saw them have at the beginning of the season, gonna
it's gonna be interesting to see, but it's good that
they have options, right. I think now, even though you're
not throwing out there young guys who are on the rise,
You're you're throwing in veterans like mvs and Theeling, but
(17:06):
you still trust them to be capable of playing alongside
DK Metcalf and Aaron Rodgers. You feel better about the
wide receiver room this week and last week than you
had in a long time.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
I would say I agree, and I think when you
get that veteran leadership in that room, it can only
lead to good things. As the Steelers continue to move
on in their season with four games left here in
twenty twenty five, I am.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
In a trup.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
He is. Jacob Breckber Continuing here on the opening segment
here today of our Tomlin takes a few more notes
from Mike Tomlin's press conference yesterday here on the Steelers
Standard this morning, the Dolphins challenge. Miami's riding a four
game win streak, including two hundred and thirty nine rushing
yards last week versus the Jets. That's a big number.
(17:48):
H N And you talked about him just a bit ago.
The talented running back is third in the NFL and
rushing with twenty six yards on the season for the Dolphins.
He has a league best five point eight yards per
carry fifty five catches for three hundred and three yards
on the season as well a dual threat matchup issue
for the Steelers. He left last week with a rib injury,
but head coach Mike McDaniel said his status looks good
(18:09):
for this upcoming week. I think we're gonna see a
Chan and we'll probably see him in a big way.
He is the focus of this Miami offense, especially with
guys like Tyrie Kill on the IR.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Yeah, it's gonna be a Chan or a Chan and
Waddell Who are the focal points? And it's it all
comes down to, I think too, what Tua can do.
We know this guy struggled as a season progresses. He
gets worse once you get into December football. He also
does especially worse when you're playing on the road in
cold temperatures. This guy don't think he's won a game.
(18:38):
I think I saw the stat that was above forty
degrees in his professional career, or maybe he has one
way when the temperature is above forty and I think
I saw the projected temperature for kickoff on Monday night
seventeen degrees. So good luck to Tua Tagovlo in that weather.
But all he has to do is hand the ball
off to Devin h Chan and we'll see what he
(19:00):
can do with the rest of it just depends on
if Derek Harmon will actually be available.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
For the Steelers run defense.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, I'm thrilled that I'm not gonna be at home
in front of the television, that I'm gonna be there
with my son at the game on Monday night. Let
me tell you, I'm thrilled to be out there, Jacob.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
He could have picked like.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
An early season game in September October, Right, he has
to go. His birthday is December thirteenth, which is Saturday,
so we have to go to the game closest to
that and that's Monday night. So oh well, hey, it'll
be fun.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
As we said, eight Chan the focus of this offense,
and during this four game winning streak for Miami, Jacob,
they have one hundred and ninety two rushing yards per game.
That's our average in those four games, one hundred and
ninety two yards rushing. That is a big number, an
identity shift for them. The run game comes first now,
explosive speed everywhere. Remember it was their passing game with Waddle,
as you mentioned, when Tyreek Hill was healthy. That was
(19:48):
their focus, not the running for game. But now they've switched.
And Tomlin was asked yesterday about a chan and that
Miami offensive line. He said, look, they've anchored down, they've
established a personality, and that offensive line is playing well,
and they're running the football right now.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
We have to have an ability to stop them.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
But I will point out, and you know, we acknowledge
that of that four game winning streak, throw on one
of those teams is the Buffalo Bills. But if you remember,
in our game prep for the Bills, we had said, run, run,
run the football, because there are must much better pass
defense than they are a run defense.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
All low and behold.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Obviously, the Dolphins key to success in that game and
their victory over Buffalo was running the football through a chain.
And there are other three wins that are against the
Commanders of the Saints and the Jets, all pretty future
defenses and just bad teams overall. I'm not saying that
the Sewers have a stout defense. You know, we're very
aware of their struggles this season, so it's hard for
(20:39):
me to say, oh, well, now they're going up against
a legit defense. Overall, they're just playing a better team
this week. I know Buffalo is a great team overall,
but I just do think that the Sewers especially, It
all really comes down for me if the Stewers have
Derek Harmon available. If he's out there, I'll feel a
lot better about this game. If he's not, a chain
is capable of being the guy that can just win
(21:01):
you a game on his own shoulders. So it's gonna
be a lot of waiting and seeing and a lot
of baited breath for the Steelers practice reporter or practices
in the injury report to see how how big of
a participant Derek Harmon is day to day.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
They got to stack some wins. They have only stacked
wins one time this season, Jacob a three game winning streak.
If you remember when they beat the Patriots, the Vikings,
and then the Browns three wins in a row, and
that's been it. At any other game in which they
have won, they've lost the following week so far, this season.
So it's time to stack some wins, especially when it
counts here in December, or I should say every game counts,
(21:38):
but in December it counts even that much more. It's
that much more important when you get this late in
the season. So for the Steelers, stack some wins. Get
this game on Monday night. The Dolphins coming in on
a nice winning streak, but as you just pointed out,
not an impressive resume so far this season. But let
me ask you this question, Jacob. We had the same
conversation leading up to the Bears game. We looked at
(21:59):
the Bear schedule, that resume didn't really jump out at
us who they had beaten. Same can be said for Miami,
and we saw what happened with the Bears against the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
And the Bears have played pretty well.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I know they're coming off the loss against Green Bay
last week, a close game in green Bay, But Bears
are better than the Dolphins, right, I mean, I think
we can both agree on that, right absolutely.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
I mean we're talking about a team that was just
in first place in their conference a week ago in Chicago, right.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
So this Dolphins team, even though they have the same
theme as the Bears, with the teams that they beat
weren't that great.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
Are not the Bears.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
They're not the Bears coming in here Monday night. They're
the Dolphins. They started out the way they started out
for a reason this season. Now they've gotten a bit
on a roll. Hey give them credit. Winning in the NFL,
whether you're have a losing record or a winning record,
is still an accomplishment, especially when you're on the road.
It's tough to win in the NFL. So the Dolphins
have that going for him. The last note on the
Tomlin press conference yesterday was just the core themes for
(22:50):
this upcoming week.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
He said, this will be a trench game.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
The Steelers need their rookie defensive tackles to play like
veterans this week. And those are the guys we talked
of with And if they can get Derek Harmon back
in this mix.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
The return of Harmon could be the difference though in
this game, between managing Miami's run game or letting it
dictate the night. They have to shut down this Miami
running game early in the football game, just like they
limited the Ravens last week.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Yeah. Absolutely, you have to.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
You have to find the similar success you did against
Baltimore and channel it against Miami.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
I know that they kind of struggled.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
You know, the statue will say that you did struggle,
but it didn't kill you, right Like how we talked
about in Buffalo, it would just seemed ten yard game
after ten yard game after ten yard game for the
Buffalo Bills offense, whereas in Baltimore, it was just a
flash here and there, a big splash play here and there,
but it weren't It wasn't sustained drives that Baltimore was
(23:47):
carrying to to kind of kill the clock and win
the time of possession and eventually win the game.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
So if you can.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Kind of minimize the splashes the big plays for Miami's
offense to a minimum, I think you should be okay
against this against his team.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Tomlin said that the run fits the Miami Dolphins. Run
fits their physicality, and they also on the defensive side,
have some good depth that will be tested by the
NFL's fastest, most explosive backfield. When he speaks back to
the defensive backfield that they're very good and you know
who's in that defensive backfield for the Dolphins.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
Making his return.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Monday night, first that's right, mister Minka Fitzpatrick.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
No, he spoke highly of Mika Fitzpatrick yesterday and that
explosive backfield being one of the NFL's fastest and most physical. Finally,
one last one, I'll give you. I know I said
that was the last take. I'll give you one last
Tomlin take. Tomlin asked if he's feels about being on
the hot seat. His response said, I've been on the
hot seat for the last nineteen years. He said, he's
(24:46):
he feels that he has something to prove. It's how
he operates each and every year, so nothing changes. The
narrative never changes for Mike Tomlin. As I told you
last week, Jacob, and I'm going to stand by it.
I loved how coach t responded last week to criticism,
basically agreeing with it and said, hey, look, this is
an entertainment business. You have to win, and we are
not winning, so people are not being entertained, so they're
(25:08):
going to criticize me. And then last week bounces back
with that, and he's right. The NFL, year by year,
it doesn't There used to be a theme with head
coaches that if you won a Super Bowl, your job's safe.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Forever. That is no longer the case.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
No longer the case.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
No. I mean we see teams fire their NFL coaches
only a handful of years after winning a Super Bowl.
Look at college football. I mean, guys have no job
security whatsoever. It's it's kind of crazy, but that's the
that is the modern way of managing teams now for
front offices. If you don't win within this window that
(25:42):
we give you, then you're gone. But the Rooney's believe
in Mike Tomlin. That's why he's been here for nineteen years.
Next year will be next year, assuming he is still
the head coach for the Steelers, would be his twentieth
season as the head coach here.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
It's pretty remarkable, it is. It is remarkable. And I
know Steeler Day and sometimes does not like to hear this.
But if they get back to nine and eight or
better this year, which it looks like that's the path
they're back on, hey you'll have another non losing season
in all nineteen that he was coached.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I mean, for sure, now losing season.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
And that's that's that's a fact.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
So you know, whether you like it or not, it's
a fact that it's a pre remarkable feat in today's NFL.
When Jacob and I come back, we will talk with
Ray fit Apaldo from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and our
Steeler Spotlight segment. It is the Steeler Standard with Ed
Troop and Jacob Bret here on Steelers Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network
The Steelers have won twenty two straight games on Monday
Night football. This impressive streak dates back to nineteen ninety two,
with their last home loss on a Monday Night occurring
in nineteen ninety one against the New York Giants. This
is the longest active home winning streak on Monday Night
football in the NFL. The Steelers will go for twenty
three straight wins this upcoming Monday Night when they host
(00:27):
the Miami Dolphins. Welcome into another edition of the Steelers
Standard here on Steelers Nation Radio and the Steelers Audio Network.
I am d troup enjoining me as always as Jacob
wrect Jacob. That streak began under head coach Bill Kauer
and has continued with coach Mike Tomlin, who has maintained
an undefeated home record throughout his coaching career on Monday
(00:47):
Night football, with a record of ten and zero and
twenty one and three overall, Tomlin and the Steelers have
been very good on Monday Nights.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, it's impressive.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I you know, you would assume like, oh, it's got
to be a home Monday Night winning streak, right, but no,
it's across the board. It's very impressive. I honestly didn't
realize one they had won. I would have guessed there
was a loss sprinkled in somewhere between either Cower or
Tomlin or both guys, but that clearly wasn't the case.
(01:18):
It's hard to believe going back to the Tomlin I'm
sorry to the Cower era, this streak has survived.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
It sure has.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And again overall Mike Tomlin twenty one and three. So
those three losses on Monday Nights occurring on the road,
and the Steelers under Mike Tomlin ten and zero at
Hines or current Accushore Stadium. Let's get into our first
segment here today called Tomlin Takes the Week. According to
Mike Tomlin, he had his weekly press conference yesterday, but
first on our opening drive, Jacob. In addition to Monday
(01:46):
Night football, on Monday Night, the Steelers are breaking out
their color Rush uniforms for the first time in twenty
twenty five. It'll be Monday Night versus the Dolphins at Accushore.
The organization is also honoring Joey Porter, Senior, Marquise Pouncey,
and Ben Roethlisberger is the newest members of the Hall
of Honor. On Monday nights, so they will be in
the house for Monday Night Football. The Steelers eight and
(02:07):
three all time in Color Rush games. They have the
black jerseys, the gold block numbers, the gold sleeve stripes,
black pants with a gold stripe, originally designed for Thursday
Night football.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But the Steelers Color Rush era.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
They became a fan and it became a player favorite.
Color Rush history. Notable wins Jacob twenty sixteen, the debut
on Christmas Day when they beat Bold Extension with Antonio
Brown YEP. Thirty one twenty seven to clinch the AFC North.
In twenty twenty or twenty seventeen, they beat the Titans
forty to seventeen. Twenty eighteen they wore twice. They won
(02:42):
both times. They beat Carolina fifty two to twenty one
and the New England Patriots seventeen to ten. That was
the regular season win. If you remember when right at
the end Joe Hates.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Joe Hayden made that leaping grab to make the interception
right before the end zone. I think over Rob Gronkowski.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
And it's a popular subject this week because that was
later on that was the playoff game.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Was that that?
Speaker 1 (03:02):
No, that wasn't that year against New England the Jesse
James drop.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
The Jesse James game was the year before the Joe
Hayden game seventeen.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Oh boy, twenty nineteen, let's not talk about that again.
Two games in twenty nineteen, the Monday Night Football win
over Miami twenty seven to fourteen. That season, they also
beat Baltimore nineteen to fourteen with color Rushes. In twenty
twenty and twenty twenty one beat Chicago, most recently a
win over the New York Giants twenty six to eighteen
on Monday Night Football. So the Steelers like to wear
(03:31):
the color Rush uniforms when they're on national television on
Monday Night Football quite a bit our. Tomlin takes the
weekly press conference yesterday. Some injury availability headlines. Jacob three
players in the concussion protocol after a very physical game
versus the Ravens on Sunday. Two defensive starters dealing with
lower league injuries as well. We'll start with Derek Harmon,
(03:52):
who missed the last two games and he's missed a
total four this season. Tomlin said Harmon will be limited
early in the week, but he's excited about having an
extra day of rest. And he's hopeful that he'll return
Monday night versus the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, I mean, it'd be a huge asset to get
him back, right.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
I don't know if you saw the stats with him
on the field versus off the field, the rushing defense
allows nearly one hundred yards more per game with him
off the field versus when he's on the field.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I didn't realize that it was going to be that
big of a difference.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
And you know, it's funny when we were talking about it,
waiting for him to make his NFL debut. I believe
what was it, what week three against the Patriots when
we had Ray Fadpaluldo on. We'd asked him, Ray, is
it a good thing or bad thing to be waiting
on a rookie like this to make that kind of impact.
Is it good because that means he's going to be
that talented and that worth of a first round draft pick?
(04:47):
Or is it bad that the Steelers defense is so
is struggling so much that they have to rely on
some hero to come in and save the day. And
Ray kind of this is like we did kind of
dance in the middle saying it's good and bad because
good because you know he's outed, but bad because it shows
you just how dire things are without him on the field.
And we kind of knew too it wasn't gonna be
(05:08):
a fix all either. Just because you have one guy
out there doesn't mean it's gonna be perfect. Obviously it's
not the case. Ninety is it? Ninety five yards allowed
with him on the field. That's pretty dang good. I mean,
in the modern NFL, with the league leaning toward being
offensively friendly, even though it's more passing offense, still to
allow less than one hundred yards per game on the
(05:29):
ground with him on the field, I take that any day.
Compared to what they do with him off.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
The field, I agree. And here's the stats. So you
mentioned this, Jacob.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Without Harmon, in four games, the Steelers have given up
one hundred and ninety one rushing yards per game allowed.
With Harmon nine games, ninety six rushing yards per game allows.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
So you're exactly right.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
And it doesn't help too.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
In two of those games that he was off the
field for, I'm sorry, the Bells game. In the Ravens game,
you're playing two of the best running offenses in all football. Buffalo.
We know with Josh Allen, who's very mobile and they're
running back. I'm just Mike James Cook. And then of
course in Baltimore with Derek Henry Lamar Jackson. Those are
(06:12):
dynamic rushing offenses and have been since those two guys
joined their respective teams.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
So yeah, they didn't have that.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
You didn't have Harmon out there to kind of make
those numbers look even worse.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Tomlin said on Harmon, that's why you draft first rounders.
He's really talented. And that went into a discussion yesterday
with Mike Tomlin about the defensive interior line and the
Steelers made a conscious offseason decision to get bigger and
more physical there and after last year's playoff loss in Baltimore,
Cam Heyward thirty six yards, thirty six years old, not yards,
(06:43):
he's well, maybe gets some yards there too. As Mike
Tomlin said yesterday, he's an outliner per Tomlin, six hundred
and sixty seven snaps, fifty seven tackles so far this season.
He's still the leader in the anchor of that defensive line.
Keanu Benton. He also talked about him yesterday on that
defensive line, who had four and a half sacks and
ten quarterback hits over six hundred and two snaps. Rookies
(07:04):
really stepping up as well due to injuries to Dean Lowry,
Isaiah louder Milk, and Dan equally first round draft pick
Derek Harmon. As we said, three hundred and thirty one
snaps so far this season, twenty two tackles, four quarterback hits,
two sacks. Why yeah, Black, three hundred and thirty four
snaps this season, twenty three tackles, two forced fumbles, a
(07:25):
fumble recovery, a quarterback hit.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
These guys have really filled in.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Well, they're young, and they're getting a lot of playing
time this year, and that's a good thing, Jacob. The
more snaps they get, the better they'll become.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah, I mean, it's kind of being thrown into the fire.
We've seen it happen a lot, and this team where
usually the team kind of likes to allow rookies to
really take their time getting their experience. You saw for
so long in the Steelers history that a lot of
rookies wouldn't get a lot of playing time in their
first year. There were some exceptions, of course, Ben Roethlisberger
(07:58):
most notably, but as time went on, they really straight
away of throwing guys into the fire, but due to necessity,
they're going to have to do that.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
And then they have done that.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Guys like Whya Black's stepping up this year in the past,
you remember last year, Mason McCormick, the right guard has
really evolved and become a reliable starter despite being what
a third round draft pick from an FCS school. Nonetheless,
so yeah, it's always good to see these guys actually
step up to the plate when necessary.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
And again, why you have Black's numbers have been very
good when filling in for Derek Carmon the last two
weeks with twelve tackles, just one fewer than Cam Hayward
on that defensive line. Tomlin on Black says, one man's
misfortune is another man's opportunity. He loves that line, uses
it quite a bit, and on Ya he said he's
taken advantage. He expects continued growth there with more in
helmet experience. I think Whya Black, along with Derek Harmon,
(08:52):
the future of this defensive line. You have Keanu Betton there,
so there is a plan past Cam Hayward once Hayward retires.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Yeah, there are guys in play. We talked about this
yesterday when you asked me during our terrible take saying
the cornerbacks, the starting cornerback of next year will either
be one of James Perre or.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Brandon Nichols opposite at Joey Porter Jr.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And we had kind of gone through the needs for
the draft in the early rounds especially, and we listed
wide receiver, cornerback, and defensive line and maybe quarterback. It's
always hard to tell where the team will go with
the quarterback position, but those three groups specifically wide receiver, cornerback,
defensive line. Like you said, you have the defensive line
(09:32):
pieces between Black, Benton, and Harmon. But I think they
might want to take a similar approach to how they
addressed the offensive line right where they drafted Zach Frazier,
they drafted Roger Jones, they drafted Troy Fittanu, they drafted
Mason McCormick. These are all guys that were taken in
the first what three rounds or so? I was Mason
McCormick a third round or a fourth round?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
A round? I'm blanking on it. But regardless, you spent
four picks.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
You spent four picks in a span of two years
on one position group. You took Kieran and Bennet in
twenty twenty three. You took Derek Carmon in twenty twenty five.
I'm sorry, Kiana Bennet in twenty twenty four. You took
Derek Carmen in twenty twenty five. You took why Yeah
Black in twenty twenty five. Also, you're gonna want to.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
See maybe a little maybe one more, maybe one or two.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
More pieces taken in the draft coming up this year
to address that position group. But I agree with you, you
have at least some basis for the post post Cam
Hayward era.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
The last few years, they've really dove into the offense
and defensive line, and they had to. They had to
get younger, they had to get more physical, they had
to get better there. And Andy Widel, who came over
from the Philadelphia Eagles now here under Omar Kahan, did
that in Philly. That's how Philly built the Super Bowl
winner that they currently are. Their offensive and defensive lines
over the years, they developed them, they drafted them, They
got physical up front, and the Steelers have done that
(10:57):
on the defensive line. There are guys in play, as
we said, and we didn't even talk about louder Milk
and Logan Lee and some other key pieces of that
puzzle too.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
That'll continue to get better.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
But on the offensive line, that youth paying off to
Jacob Tomlin yesterday talked about that. He praised year two
jumps from Troy Fontano, Zach Fraser. You mentioned McCormick. He
talked about McCormick yesterday. They've combined for just four sacks allowed,
five penalties, and that's two two hundred and forty five
of two hundred and fifty snaps. I know that's a
(11:27):
big number, but they've only missed five snaps so far
this season. That's over twenty two one hundred snaps this season,
four sacks allowed and just five penalties between Fontanu, Fraser
and McCormick. We're not even talking about Roderick Jones, who's
now on the IR he says Tomlin did yesterday. That's
exactly what the team expected when they invested in those
high picks, this offensive line, and they struggled early in
(11:49):
the season. Remember the first couple games we cited the
great late Craig Woofley. What would Wolf say. He'd say,
settle down, These guys will get better. And they will
get there by the end of the season.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Now they have they are on their way at least, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Well the at least hope.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
So in the last couple of games, again no sacks
allowed last week in that game against the Ravens, who
are very physical on defense and big upfront, and only
one quarterback hit.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Rodgers was only hit once.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Now again, Aaron Rodgers also did a nice job of
sliding out of the pocket, extending some plays and making
some plays downfield. But facts are facts. They kept him
clean for the most part yesterday. On the injury front,
there's no practice today. The Steelers, with playing Monday Night,
will take an extra day of rest this week. They'll
get back on the practice field tomorrow on Thursday, and
again that's due to the upcoming Monday night game. In
(12:36):
the concussion protocol is Pete, Harrison and Washington. Other injuries
to Harmon Benton Pierre with a calf, Scronic with a finger,
and Dugger with a hand. Yeah yeah, yeah, Black, who
we just were talking about a second ago, also on
the injury list, but it's undisclosed what he's dealing with.
Clean with the hip and metcalf with a stomach pain
(12:58):
that he had after the game. Again, the Ravens all
should be probable. They may be limited here in the
early week, but they should all play this upcoming Monday night.
And again the goal is to get these guys an
extra day off today, get them healed, and increase their
availability for prep work as the year goes on to
is the week goes on to get ready for the
Dolphins on Monday Night.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Yeah, I mean, it's going to be an important game.
You have your lead in the division. You have a
team here who's vulnerable to be beaten. I know they have.
We just talked about it. The rushing game has been
struggling with versus without Derek Harmon, But if you can
get him back for this game, and luckily you have
kind of that extra day to rehabilitate with him playing
(13:38):
on Monday night, stopping Devin h And has to be
priority number one, and it's going to be a lot
easier to do with Derek Harmon out in the field.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Tomin was asked yesterday about Darnell Washington too, and the
loss of him on Sunday. He's been quietly one of
the best players six seven three and ten pounds, a
mismatch machine, as Mike Tomlin likes to call Darnell Washington.
His concussion status puts a huge dent in the run game,
in the red zone plan, so they hope to get
Washington back this upcoming week. Tomlin said yesterday, you can't
(14:07):
replace that type of body. There are weight classes for
a reason, and Garnell Washington is one of those reasons.
The run game also has struggled, only ninety yards rushing
in the last two weeks combined. That's two point six
yards per carry. This after nearly three hundred yards combined
the two weeks prior. So they were starting to get
some traction Jacob, but now they've regressed the last two games,
(14:28):
and Tomlin said yesterday that he's comfortable with that approach,
but notes multiple layers Washington leaving early last week, the
old line as well.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
As well.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
As they've played, they've also had some injuries. Remember Broderick
Jones Anderson Pete, those guys have gone down. Dylan Cook's
week to start at tackle last.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Week might be this week. Yeah, not bad last week.
It might be back this week yeah, week two.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
I mean, we were just talking about this guy's being
thrown into the fire and Dylan Cook without having a
start under his belt, really stepped up last week, like
you said, against the physical m.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
And I have to continue to be physical this week
too against the Miami Dolphins. Wherein our Tomlin takes the
week according to coach Mike here on the Standard here
Today Mike Tomlin's weekly press conference yesterday. He was also
asked yesterday about the controversial calls from that game against
the Ravens. Harball John Harball in his postgame comments and
since the Steelers Ravens game on Sunday, has blasted the
(15:21):
rest and even called the league office about the overturned
likely touchdown. Tomlin, not biting on that yesterday, though, said
he's learned to move on, but he did cite that
Jesse James play from twenty seventeen. I know you guys
talked about that this morning on the DV Morning Show.
He says he's moved on, but he still remembers Jesse James.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
He says he's moved on, but you wouldn't say you
wouldn't have brought it up if you didn't, if you
weren't actually still pissed off about it.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Tomlin said he's focusing on making enough play so officiating
isn't the story, and that's a smart thing. He also
reportedly called the league twice last year, but none that
we know of so far this season. Also asked about
why Roman Wilson sat yesterday. Wilson has been getting more
usage in separation, Tomlin says, but he still only has
twelve catches in twelve games. Tomlin originally said it was
(16:07):
due to adding Adam Thielen and elevating MVS. Last week Tuesday,
he shifted a bit and said Scottie Miller's value as
a backup punt returner made the difference. Reality is THELAN
playing heavy snaps and Wilson wasn't gonna see the field
much anyhow in that game with THELAN now being in
the mix, and I would expect THELAN to continue to
(16:27):
get more looks here being his second week in the building.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Yeah, I mean, it's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
We had this discussion yesterday which guy is gonna be
the guy to step up because of Roman Wilson not
getting the hat on Sunday against the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Will be mvs. Will it be THELAN or will Aaron.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Rodgers and Calvin Asin kind of regain that chemistry We
saw them have at the beginning of the season, gonna
it's gonna be interesting to see, but it's good that
they have options, right. I think now, even though you're
not throwing out there young guys who are on the rise,
You're you're throwing in veterans like mvs and Theeling, but
(17:06):
you still trust them to be capable of playing alongside
DK Metcalf and Aaron Rodgers. You feel better about the
wide receiver room this week and last week than you
had in a long time.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
I would say I agree, and I think when you
get that veteran leadership in that room, it can only
lead to good things. As the Steelers continue to move
on in their season with four games left here in
twenty twenty five, I am.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
In a trup.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
He is. Jacob Breckber Continuing here on the opening segment
here today of our Tomlin takes a few more notes
from Mike Tomlin's press conference yesterday here on the Steelers
Standard this morning, the Dolphins challenge. Miami's riding a four
game win streak, including two hundred and thirty nine rushing
yards last week versus the Jets. That's a big number.
(17:48):
H N And you talked about him just a bit ago.
The talented running back is third in the NFL and
rushing with twenty six yards on the season for the Dolphins.
He has a league best five point eight yards per
carry fifty five catches for three hundred and three yards
on the season as well a dual threat matchup issue
for the Steelers. He left last week with a rib injury,
but head coach Mike McDaniel said his status looks good
(18:09):
for this upcoming week. I think we're gonna see a
Chan and we'll probably see him in a big way.
He is the focus of this Miami offense, especially with
guys like Tyrie Kill on the IR.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Yeah, it's gonna be a Chan or a Chan and
Waddell Who are the focal points? And it's it all
comes down to, I think too, what Tua can do.
We know this guy struggled as a season progresses. He
gets worse once you get into December football. He also
does especially worse when you're playing on the road in
cold temperatures. This guy don't think he's won a game.
(18:38):
I think I saw the stat that was above forty
degrees in his professional career, or maybe he has one
way when the temperature is above forty and I think
I saw the projected temperature for kickoff on Monday night
seventeen degrees. So good luck to Tua Tagovlo in that weather.
But all he has to do is hand the ball
off to Devin h Chan and we'll see what he
(19:00):
can do with the rest of it just depends on
if Derek Harmon will actually be available.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
For the Steelers run defense.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, I'm thrilled that I'm not gonna be at home
in front of the television, that I'm gonna be there
with my son at the game on Monday night. Let
me tell you, I'm thrilled to be out there, Jacob.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
He could have picked like.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
An early season game in September October, Right, he has
to go. His birthday is December thirteenth, which is Saturday,
so we have to go to the game closest to
that and that's Monday night. So oh well, hey, it'll
be fun.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
As we said, eight Chan the focus of this offense,
and during this four game winning streak for Miami, Jacob,
they have one hundred and ninety two rushing yards per game.
That's our average in those four games, one hundred and
ninety two yards rushing. That is a big number, an
identity shift for them. The run game comes first now,
explosive speed everywhere. Remember it was their passing game with Waddle,
as you mentioned, when Tyreek Hill was healthy. That was
(19:48):
their focus, not the running for game. But now they've switched.
And Tomlin was asked yesterday about a chan and that
Miami offensive line. He said, look, they've anchored down, they've
established a personality, and that offensive line is playing well,
and they're running the football right now.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
We have to have an ability to stop them.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
But I will point out, and you know, we acknowledge
that of that four game winning streak, throw on one
of those teams is the Buffalo Bills. But if you remember,
in our game prep for the Bills, we had said, run, run,
run the football, because there are must much better pass
defense than they are a run defense.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
All low and behold.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Obviously, the Dolphins key to success in that game and
their victory over Buffalo was running the football through a chain.
And there are other three wins that are against the
Commanders of the Saints and the Jets, all pretty future
defenses and just bad teams overall. I'm not saying that
the Sewers have a stout defense. You know, we're very
aware of their struggles this season, so it's hard for
(20:39):
me to say, oh, well, now they're going up against
a legit defense. Overall, they're just playing a better team
this week. I know Buffalo is a great team overall,
but I just do think that the Sewers especially, It
all really comes down for me if the Stewers have
Derek Harmon available. If he's out there, I'll feel a
lot better about this game. If he's not, a chain
is capable of being the guy that can just win
(21:01):
you a game on his own shoulders. So it's gonna
be a lot of waiting and seeing and a lot
of baited breath for the Steelers practice reporter or practices
in the injury report to see how how big of
a participant Derek Harmon is day to day.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
They got to stack some wins. They have only stacked
wins one time this season, Jacob a three game winning streak.
If you remember when they beat the Patriots, the Vikings,
and then the Browns three wins in a row, and
that's been it. At any other game in which they
have won, they've lost the following week so far, this season.
So it's time to stack some wins, especially when it
counts here in December, or I should say every game counts,
(21:38):
but in December it counts even that much more. It's
that much more important when you get this late in
the season. So for the Steelers, stack some wins. Get
this game on Monday night. The Dolphins coming in on
a nice winning streak, but as you just pointed out,
not an impressive resume so far this season. But let
me ask you this question, Jacob. We had the same
conversation leading up to the Bears game. We looked at
(21:59):
the Bear schedule, that resume didn't really jump out at
us who they had beaten. Same can be said for Miami,
and we saw what happened with the Bears against the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
And the Bears have played pretty well.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I know they're coming off the loss against Green Bay
last week, a close game in green Bay, But Bears
are better than the Dolphins, right, I mean, I think
we can both agree on that, right absolutely.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
I mean we're talking about a team that was just
in first place in their conference a week ago in Chicago, right.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
So this Dolphins team, even though they have the same
theme as the Bears, with the teams that they beat
weren't that great.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
Are not the Bears.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
They're not the Bears coming in here Monday night. They're
the Dolphins. They started out the way they started out
for a reason this season. Now they've gotten a bit
on a roll. Hey give them credit. Winning in the NFL,
whether you're have a losing record or a winning record,
is still an accomplishment, especially when you're on the road.
It's tough to win in the NFL. So the Dolphins
have that going for him. The last note on the
Tomlin press conference yesterday was just the core themes for
(22:50):
this upcoming week.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
He said, this will be a trench game.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
The Steelers need their rookie defensive tackles to play like
veterans this week. And those are the guys we talked
of with And if they can get Derek Harmon back
in this mix.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
The return of Harmon could be the difference though in
this game, between managing Miami's run game or letting it
dictate the night. They have to shut down this Miami
running game early in the football game, just like they
limited the Ravens last week.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Yeah. Absolutely, you have to.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
You have to find the similar success you did against
Baltimore and channel it against Miami.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
I know that they kind of struggled.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
You know, the statue will say that you did struggle,
but it didn't kill you, right Like how we talked
about in Buffalo, it would just seemed ten yard game
after ten yard game after ten yard game for the
Buffalo Bills offense, whereas in Baltimore, it was just a
flash here and there, a big splash play here and there,
but it weren't It wasn't sustained drives that Baltimore was
(23:47):
carrying to to kind of kill the clock and win
the time of possession and eventually win the game.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
So if you can.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Kind of minimize the splashes the big plays for Miami's
offense to a minimum, I think you should be okay
against this against his team.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Tomlin said that the run fits the Miami Dolphins. Run
fits their physicality, and they also on the defensive side,
have some good depth that will be tested by the
NFL's fastest, most explosive backfield. When he speaks back to
the defensive backfield that they're very good and you know
who's in that defensive backfield for the Dolphins.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
Making his return.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Monday night, first that's right, mister Minka Fitzpatrick.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
No, he spoke highly of Mika Fitzpatrick yesterday and that
explosive backfield being one of the NFL's fastest and most physical. Finally,
one last one, I'll give you. I know I said
that was the last take. I'll give you one last
Tomlin take. Tomlin asked if he's feels about being on
the hot seat. His response said, I've been on the
hot seat for the last nineteen years. He said, he's
(24:46):
he feels that he has something to prove. It's how
he operates each and every year, so nothing changes. The
narrative never changes for Mike Tomlin. As I told you
last week, Jacob, and I'm going to stand by it.
I loved how coach t responded last week to criticism,
basically agreeing with it and said, hey, look, this is
an entertainment business. You have to win, and we are
not winning, so people are not being entertained, so they're
(25:08):
going to criticize me. And then last week bounces back
with that, and he's right. The NFL, year by year,
it doesn't There used to be a theme with head
coaches that if you won a Super Bowl, your job's safe.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Forever. That is no longer the case.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
No longer the case.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
No. I mean we see teams fire their NFL coaches
only a handful of years after winning a Super Bowl.
Look at college football. I mean, guys have no job
security whatsoever. It's it's kind of crazy, but that's the
that is the modern way of managing teams now for
front offices. If you don't win within this window that
(25:42):
we give you, then you're gone. But the Rooney's believe
in Mike Tomlin. That's why he's been here for nineteen years.
Next year will be next year, assuming he is still
the head coach for the Steelers, would be his twentieth
season as the head coach here.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
It's pretty remarkable, it is. It is remarkable. And I
know Steeler Day and sometimes does not like to hear this.
But if they get back to nine and eight or
better this year, which it looks like that's the path
they're back on, hey you'll have another non losing season
in all nineteen that he was coached.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I mean, for sure, now losing season.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
And that's that's that's a fact.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
So you know, whether you like it or not, it's
a fact that it's a pre remarkable feat in today's NFL.
When Jacob and I come back, we will talk with
Ray fit Apaldo from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and our
Steeler Spotlight segment. It is the Steeler Standard with Ed
Troop and Jacob Bret here on Steelers Nation Radio, part
of the Steelers Audio Network
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