December 10, 2025 • 28 mins
Ed Troup and Jacob Recht look at the highs and lows of the Steelers following their win last Sunday over the Ravens and looking ahead to the Dolphins this week.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back into the Steelers standard. I am at troop.
Joining me as always is Jacob Brect here on Steelers
Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network, and we
thank you for tuning in each and every day and
week to Jacob and I as we continue to talk
about the Pittsburgh Steelers here in their twenty twenty five season,
as they get set for this upcoming Monday Night against
(00:28):
the Miami Dolphins, who are six and seven the Steelers
now seven and six in front of the AFC North,
and again, as we've been talking about all morning long,
twenty two straight wins on Monday Night football, going all
the way back the nineteen ninety one. The last time
that they lost on Monday Night at home was against
the New York Giants. That was during the Chuck No years.
Bill Cower comes in in twenty nineteen ninety two. He
(00:50):
takes an undefeated at home Monday night winning streak and
hands it over to Mike Tomlin who's continued on with
a ten and oero record on Monday Nights at home overall,
twenty one one in three is coach t on Monday Nights,
and Jacob, I'm not sure if any of that matters
or not, but it sure feels good to talk about it.
Each season is a new roster, new situation, new developments,
(01:11):
if you will. One thing that could matter though, and
we keep talking about it. It's gonna be eighteen to
twenty degrees on Monday night, and you have a team
like the Miami Dolphins who play in warm weather coming
up here.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And again in today's NFL.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
And I remember Jacksonville years ago coming up here and
beating the Steelers in playoff games in late December games.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
But that still goes into some type of factor. You
got to think about it, and it's a reality.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Right, and we're not taking really I mean, we just
talked about it with Ray Tooa just had his potential
first or one of his only wins in cold weather games.
But like also Ray mentioned that game was played in
the middle of the afternoon in the meadowlands. It's a
lot different when it's gonna be thirty degrees colder at
night with the wind child coming off the three Rivers.
(01:53):
So I mean, I don't expect to thrive in that
kind of environment.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Let's get into our third Segon in here today.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
It's our seven shots of Steelers hits and seven shots
of Steeer misses before we start rolling into those, a
quick injury news update, and we talked about this during
our Tomlin Takes segment. Coach T's weekly press conference yesterday
updated us on a handful of players. Let me go
through them quickly, Jacob, And there's a lot of them,
so probably the most we've seen so far this season
in the concussion protocol this week is tight end Darnell Washington,
(02:24):
Malik Harrison, and Andreas Pete.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So we'll wait and see how that goes throughout the week.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Obviously, as the week progresses, if they can get on
the practice field, even in a limited fashion and a
full fashion, then they'll be fine for Sunday. But if
you continue to see them not practicing the deeper we
get into this week, that could potentially be a cause
for concern with Washington, Harrison or Pete. The good news
for the Steelers, for those guys and everyone on this list,
(02:48):
is they have an extra day off today. We're recording
this as of Wednesday. The team typically gets back onto
the practice field on Wednesdays, but they are off today
with an extra day because they don't have to play
until Monday. Night, so that could work in their favor,
especially with players in the concussion protocol. Keanu Benton will
be limited in the early week he has an ankle injury.
Brendan Eckles will also be limited along with Ben Scronik.
(03:09):
Why yeah, Black all limited early in the week, coach
Tomlin said in his weekly press conference yesterday, but he
expects all of them to play, as well as possibly
Kyle Dugger, who missed last week's game with a hand injury.
He'll be questionable this week along with Derek Harmon. Again,
you just heard Ray Filopato in our last Sigma Talk
that the Steelers feel optimistic about both Dugar and Harmon being.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Able to go on Monday Night against the Dolphins.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
That's good news for the Steelers, two key pieces to
the Steeler defense.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Sure, Duggar Knight's surprise this season made a couple of
splash plays, could have mean even more when you think
about all those pick sixties that he were in and
out of his hands. But still a good asset to have,
just another depth peats guy.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Pretty much, it's kind of crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Pretty much everyone the Steelers have brought in to kind
of help out patch up the secondary in relief of
Darius Slay has done a pretty good job. Right. They're
not playing on an all pro level, but collectively they
are doing better. I think I saw somewhere that had
said in the last four weeks the Steelers have not
allowed a passer to throw for over two hundred yards
(04:14):
or more. So that's a pretty big improving considering where
they started off the season. I think dead lasts as
a passing defense, so yeah, you have to feel optimistic
about where the passing, the direction the passing defense is moving.
And then, of course Derek Carmon. You know the difference.
We highlighted it in both the first and episodes of
today's show, the difference with Derek carmeron on versus off
(04:36):
the field. The Steelers are averaging nearly one hundred yards
more per game on the ground without Derek Harmon out there,
so no offense to Kyle Dugger. But the priority here
is getting Derek Carmen out in the field.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
On Monday night, the.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Only player rolled out for this week already is offensive
lineman Calvin Anderson.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
So he was Darnelle's not ruled out with that concussion.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Not yet, I don't, Okay, Washington Harrison and Pete are
all in the concussion protocol, so I don't think there
are one hundred percent out. Again, they got to get
on the practice field. Anytime you're in that concussion protocol,
even if you're just in a limited fashion, that's always
a good sign because you slowly ramp up the full
status of being able to play. But if you're not
at least limited, Jacob, and you're just simply out for
(05:17):
each practice, as each one goes on more and more,
it's more unlikely you're going to be coming out of
that protocol and being able to go. And we've seen
these concussion protocols go either way. You've seen some players
that have been able to bounce back within a day
or two, and we've seen.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Other players who have missed multiple Wow. Sure, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
The good news is it's the right thing to do,
especially in today's NFL. Again, you can go back through
history where how many fingers am I holding up?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
What day of the week? It is? Okay, yes, check
that box, secondut box, You're good to go.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
But now, obviously they take a lot of precautions, and
rightfully so, to protect their players, and not just at
the NFL level, the high school level and below even
down to the youth programs. You got to make sure
that any player that's playing tackle football at any level
is protected. Let's get into our seven shots of hits
and seven shots of misses. Jacob will start with a
hit with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He rebounded on Sunday and
(06:05):
on the season now he has completed sixty five percent
of his passes for two three hundred and seventy yards.
He's just six hundred and thirty yards away from a
three thousand yard passing season. Again, he could potentially get
that here in the next two to three games before
the end of the season. Twenty touchdowns now as well
in only seven interceptions, so he's a twenty plus touchdown
(06:27):
throwing season already, and again, just six hundred and thirty
yards away from three thousand yards passing on the season.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, it's great.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I mean again, I don't think the Steelers offense or
to the Steelers team in general, gets to where they
are without Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
You could throw in any myriad of names, whether.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
It's young rookies that could have taken a chance on
or other veterans out there, like if Philip Rivers or
Daniel Jones. I just don't think they get to this
point without Aaron Rodgers. I think he's got the talent
to make the most out of nothing, and that's kind
of what he was given. Besides Calvin Osky, I'm sorry,
besides DK Metcalf.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Yeah, I kind of a bunch of band in misfits.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
But he made the most out of it, Like you said,
having a pretty good season despite being forty two, just
just turning forty two just a week or two ago.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I think the other thing too with Rogers, and we've
been pleasantly surprised by this was when he came in.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
He came in with a lot of.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Noise during his last few years with the Green Bay Packers,
his couple of years in New York. When I say
outside noise, things off the field, right, polarizing player. He's
been outstanding, not good, but outstanding with the Pittsburgh Steelers
so far this season. He's been a true leader. Even
during the last few weeks that were bumpy. He didn't
play well, the offense didn't play well, the team didn't
(07:39):
play well. His leadership ability, especially last week, to call
players out and call the team out that missed meetings
or showed up for late for meetings, and then last
week coming out and saying, look, we had a great
week last week of practice, probably one of our best
all season long, and it resulted in a big win
in Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
So there is a formula there. But I really like
his leadership. Yeah absolutely, I mean how could you not.
I mean, this guy is a veteran heat this is
what he's done his whole career, and this is what
this team needs.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Right.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
It's a lot of I say unproven, but a lot
of guys who haven't been there, who haven't seen what
it takes to win a championship or to make a
playoff run at the minimum. So you need that kind
of guy on your team. And yeah, absolutely, it's been
a huge asset.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Our first miss on our seven shots of seven misses
is running back Jalen Warren. And we talked to Ray
about this rushing wise, and again not the passing game.
Let's just talk specifically about rushing the last five games,
going back to the Chargers game, fourteen carries for seventy
yards at home against Cincinnati in the win, ten catch,
ten rushes.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
For sixty two yards. sEH, I got my mind on
the receptions.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
This is all rushing eighteen rushes for sixty eight yards
in Chicago, ten for thirty five against the Bills at home,
and just eight carries for thirteen yards last week against
the Ravens. Jalen Warren only one one hundred yard game
on the season, and that was at Sin Sinnati when
he had sixteen carries for one hundred and twenty seven yards.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
So the miss isn't Jalen Warren.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
As a football player, he's outstanding, especially when it comes
to catching the football of the backfield. The myss not
just for Warren but the entire Steeler offense is running
the football. Those numbers have not been strong. You heard
Ray talk about it. It's just not the philosophy of
Arthur Smith in this offense right now. They're leaning on
throwing the ball out of the backfield and not running it.
But it's something that if you've been following the Pittsburgh
(09:25):
Steelers that you and I have our entire lives, it's
tough to get your hit at your head around because
they've always.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Been a run first, pound pound pound the ball.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
On the ground team, and that's not what they are
right now.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
But Ray Fitobado has also said to us in the
past that they consider those passes behind the line of
scrimmage as pretty much a de facto run. So it's
not it's just because they're not actually handing the ball
off directly to guys like Kenny g and Jalen Warren.
They're still getting those guys involved, and we know that
we've seen a lot of those passes be a part
of Arthur Smith's offense.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
But I'm with you, Ed, it's frustrating.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
It's been frustrating really ever since, even though he's not
on the team anymore.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Since Najie Harris rookie year.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Because you thought, here's a first round caliber guy on
a championship offense playing under a legendary head coach in
Nick Saban and Alabama. You would have thought Naja Harris,
they would have bringing him in, they would have changed
everything to become more of a run friendly or a
run first kind of offense. And unfortunate for Naji and
unfortunately for the team, the offensive line just never came
(10:21):
together in his four years here. Got better kind of
as time went on, but it never really came together
the way it's come together this year. Unfortunately, You don't
have that stud in a Naja Harris, even though you
really like Jalen Warren and what he can do for you.
You need a guy who can be RB one on
any team, not just a handful of teams similar to
(10:42):
Pittsburgh like Jalen Warren can be for you. I think
it's stud wide receiver or a stud running back could
do great things with an offensive line. Even though the
offensive line isn't playing its best football this year, you
could still say that Naja Harris could have had his
best year this year just because the offensive line was
at its best during his five would have been five
(11:02):
years here in Pittsburgh. So yeah, it is frustrating to
see the run game struggle, not just this year, but
even looking in a couple of years prior.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Our second shot of seven shots of seven hits is
the Steelers outside linebacker combo of TJ. Watt with seven sacks,
Nick Herbig with six and a half sacks, and Alex
high Smith with six and a half sacks.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
All three of those.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Players have a total of twenty sacks in thirteen games
this season. The Steelers overall have thirty six, so almost
half of their sack production has been their outside linebackers
with wat Herbig and high Smith.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
That's good stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Jacob, Yeah, absolutely, I mean that's been the better bread
and butter for this defense, even though we've seen kind
of TJ. Watt disappear at moments. But Nick Herbig, it's
just remarkable what he's done in such a short time
span of his career. And Alex Highsmith, we know, had
the biggest play of the game on Sunday against the
Ravens that chase down sack for Lamar. I'm not just
(11:59):
not trying to take a from TJ. Watt, but you
can elevate the play of a TJ. Watt because of
a guy like Alex Highsmith, and I think that's happened
during their time playing together. It's really great to see
that you have not just one, not just two, but
three elite pass rushers at the edge rusher position.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I agree, you'd like to see Watt have maybe double
his numbers, and he normally does. He has seven sacks
on the season in thirteen games. You'd almost think he
would be in double figures, if not more by this point.
But he's had an up and down season, but he
has made some big impact plays that are not on.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
The stat sheets.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Some quarterback pressure, some quarterback hits, hit Derek Henry in
the backfield a couple times lost.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Yeah, but you know, I mean, guys like Miles Garrett
are out there with twenty sacks and there's still four
games to be played. So yeah, you can always argue
always doing stuff beyond the statcheet.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
But still, Miles Garrett, it's remarkable what he's doing this year.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
And they pay TJ.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Watt exactly, They paying Miles Garrett money.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Right, exactly, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
On the other side, our second miss of our seven
shots seven misses is defensive tackle Kean two Benton. Now,
the good news about Benton is he leads a defensive
line with four and a half sacks, ten quarterback hits,
and that's over six hundred and two snaps, as Mike
Toblin pointed out yesterday so far the season. But Jacob
only one sack in his last five games, including zero
(13:17):
in his last four games, and just a total of
nineteen tackles in that five game span.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Much like TJ.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Watt Keonu, Benton at times has showed us what he
could possibly be on that defensive line, and other times
he's disappeared.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Yeah, it's disappointing. I mean he's in what his second
year now second round pick to boot. I mean, you
gotta do better if you're a Day one, especially especially
if you're a Day one guy, but even if you're
a Day two guy, a second or third round draft pick,
you have to be doing more in your second year
compared to what Keanu Benton has done so far with
the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Our third hit of seven shots of seven hits is
kicker Chris Boswell. We haven't talked about Boss the last
few weeks. Have He's quietly just showed up.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
To the God.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
They haven't needed him, I mean in the in their wins,
they haven't need in him. But even so, they're not
even pushing the ball enough to get him involved, to
get him set up in field goal position.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Well, let's give you some updated numbers on his twenty
twenty five season. He's twenty one of twenty four overall
at eighty seven percent with field goals. He's perfect. I'm
gonna knock on what as I say that thirty three
of thirty three. We don't want to jinx him on
extra points. Thus far this season, sixty has been his
longest that he had early on in the season seven
of eight from fifty plus, eight of nine between the
(14:28):
forty and forty nine range, So that puts him at
fifteen of seventeen from forty plus yards during this season.
Chris Boswell, I just saw a stat the other day
that came up that he isn't even in the top
five kickers. I think for Pro Bowl voting so far,
that needs to change. He's not one of the best.
In my opinion, he is the best in the game.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Yeah, I mean, of course, there's no doubt about it.
He's the best in the game. If not the best
in the game, there's really not much you can say.
It's one of the very few bright spots on the
season you could You could probably honestly talk about this
the twenty twenty five Steelers.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Oh, we were talking he could potentially be the MVP
of the team earlier this season.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
That probably that narrative probably.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I mean, we talked about this at the beginning of
the year. I forget which game it was, Oh it was.
It was the first game of the year, the Jets
game where he is a sixty yard field goal winner.
We had said, how many what would the Steelers record
be over the course of the last ten years when
he joined the team with versus without him. Right, how
many games has he won on an individual level for
(15:31):
the Steelers seems too too high to count really, so
that shows you his value to the team he is.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
He always kind of bounces around, but he's somewhere in
the top five most accurate kickers in NFL history. There
was at one point he was the most accurate. I
think he missed one or two which bumped it down
like second or third. But it just shows you if
we're talking about him being near the most accurate or
at one point the most accurate kicker, just shows you
how good the guy is.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Easy for you and.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
I to probably sit here and say, well, look, he's
not in the top five voting for kickers for the
Pro Bowl.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
You know who cares about.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
The Pro Bowl, But they do because a lot of
them have a lot of incentives in the Pro Bowl.
They make the Pro Bowl, they make more money. Not
sure about Chris boswell situation, but that'd be nice to
see him get recognized with a Pro Bowl berth later
on this year as one of the top kickers.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I'm sure he will.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
And I think that kid Brandon Aubrey in Dallas, he's
pretty good too. Got the first team All Pro head
not over over Boz last year or maybe hey, I
want to say, and then Boz got second team. But
Boz is just so damn good. I know Aubrey's really
good in Dallas, but Boss is just as talented.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
It's just Aubrey's younger.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Let's stay on the special teams, Jacob. For our next miss,
our third miss of seven shots of seven misses, is
the Steelers punt return on the season over only averaging
nine point seven yards per return. That's twenty returns for
one hundred and eighty four yards, seventeen being the longest,
and no touchdowns so far. Here in twenty twenty five,
the kickoff return not much better, no, only averaging about
(16:59):
twenty four yards per return their longest on the season
thirty seven, and they have zero touchdowns. So both units
returning on kickoffs or punts has struggled this year.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Yeah, it's been a disappointment, to say the least. It
hasn't been killer, though. I think the coverage has gotten
better as it's you've gone on, It's gotten better, just
not great, it's not elite and we know the return
When the Steelers are the returning team, there is nothing
exciting about it.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
There is no threat there.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
But let's be honest too, having a specific guy that
can get you twenty yards per return, twenty five yards
per return, it's pretty rare. It is not an easy
job to be a team's go to kickoff returner part returner.
So as long as the guy returning kicks isn't touching
the ball leaving it in the end zone for the
other team to recover, that's fine. Unfortunately, that happened to
(17:51):
the Steelers once already this year.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
That's gonna say, yeah, right, did.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Happen to them?
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Unfortunately, Caleb Johnson in Week two against the Seahawks. That
was pretty much the backbreaker in that game.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
It only cost them the game.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Besides that, though there has once they removed him from
that from that role, there's been no one that's been
costing the Steelers games because of their inability to return kicks.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
And I agree with you that's the main theme there.
Just yeah, just don't have it out, don't Yeah, don't
you exactly? Yeah, I like it all right. Next hit,
our fourth hit of seven shots of seven hits. The
Steelers are still plus nine in takeaways. The defense is
number eleven in the NFL with interceptions with eleven total
interceptions on the year, and number one when fumble recoveries
with twelve and number two overall with a total of
(18:34):
twenty three turnovers. That's been the theme all year this team,
and I think we heard Ray talk about that too.
When they don't turn the ball over and produce turnovers,
it's been a winning formula for the seven games that
they've won this year.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Absolutely, I think it's great to see them do so
well at this but and the point I wanted to
make most especially about it is they're no longer just
producing five turnovers in one game and they're going three
games without. It's becoming a more consistent part of their game.
Not just big games where they have a ton of
splash and then a lot of games where they had
(19:08):
zero splash at all. We're seeing this week after week
where they're forcing at least one, if not two turnovers
per game. So that's what you want to see a
model of consistency, and that's why you have to be
happier with the turnover numbers this year.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I'm going to combine our next two misses for you, Jacob.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Because we can end on the high note.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Well not yet, okay.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Okay, you know I always like to do that though,
right it's like what I'm shooting basketball, you you got
to end it with them with a make. But the
next two are the same theme. They're two the last
two third round picks for the Pittsburgh Steelers, first with
Caleb Johnson, the other one being last year in twenty
twenty four. Roman Wilson, so this year's pick, Caleb Johnson,
third round draft pick. In nine games only twenty six
(19:48):
carries on the year for sixty five yards, a two
point five average per carry. Roman Wilson, another third round
draft pick from twenty twenty four, a healthy scratch this
past week. On the season, in twelve only twelve receptions
for one hundred and sixty six yards. He does have
two touchdowns, though on twenty targets. The last two third
round draft picks, wide receiver Roman Wilson and Caleb Johnson
(20:10):
are number four and five on our misses, mainly because
there was a lot of expectations for both these players
to play key roles in this offense, and so far
for Roman Wilson his second year. Caleb Johnson is first
that has not turned out.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
No, it hasn't.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
It's been really disappointing, especially considering we thought this could
be the future at that position. We thought a lot
better about that pick because you were no longer compared
to the last time he took a running back in
the draft Nagie Harris. People were excited over the prospect
of Nausey, but a lot of people were also saying
you shouldn't take a first round draft pick on a
(20:45):
guy like a running back. That's not where you find
the value of that position unless you're taking some of
the top five and you're getna get Bejon Robinson or
Ejamier Gibbs or an Ashen genty they were taking I
think they took knowledge at like the twentieth overall. So
you took Caleb Johnson last year, you felt a lot
better about the value and you felt a lot better
about the upside, just because he wasn't coming in with
(21:08):
these expectations, these lofty expectations of having first round pedigree
coming from a national champion in Alabama. He was coming
from Iowa, a Big ten school, but not one of
the blue Bloods. But at school that was so true
to the running game, so you thought he was going
to be ready. Unfortunately that hasn't been the case. We
talked about this with ray F and Apodo a little
(21:28):
bit in our previous segment.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
They're going to move forward with him.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
It'd be foolish to just cut him right right before
the next season started. You want to give him a
shot in training camp. Yeah, but if he's still showing
signs of an unawareness or inability to keep up with
the speed of the NFL, it's gonna look like a
bus pretty early on next year.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Well, I know the problem, right, Roman Wilson from Michigan,
Caleb Johnson from Iowa to But maybe they just got
the wrong school. Maybe they should have went to Indiana
right when they should. Look at the Hoosiers.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
I might push back because I believe there's another guy
on the team from the Big A couple guys, where
did Cam.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Here we go to school? That's sorry the Ohio, I said,
where did TJ. Walk go to school?
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Wisconsin?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Those are big big Tencholnick, Exactly, Where did Nick Herby
go Exactly? Those are all Big ten schools? So the
Big ten can also help you. All right, we got you.
There's some Those are some great examples.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
All right. Our next hit not Big ten. We won't
talk about that yet.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Maybe maybe we will, though we have to hit your
Indiana Hoosiers for for a seven show.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
This could easily become the Indiana Hoosions.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I know, Nation Radio, right, that's I think I said
that yesterday.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Wide receiver DK Metcalf is averaging fourteen point five yards
per season now with fifteen fifty two catches, a lot
more than fifteen fifty two receptions, seven hundred and fifty
three yards, five touchdowns on eighty seven targets. Metcalf had
his best game this past Sunday in Baltimore. Boy, if
they can get that type of production out of him
these final four weeks, look out.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
DK Metcalf was brought here for exactly what we saw
on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Yeah, that's what it's all out. It's good that we
talked about this earlier today. It's good that you have
guys like MVS and feeling. We were saying, you feel
better about the receiving corps now than you need to at
the beginning of the season when it was you were
hoping to God that Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson and
whoever else was going to step up, and now you
brought in these two veterans. At least there's some kind
(23:20):
of safety blanket. But after watching that Baltimore game and
scene DK Metcalf towards the Ravens secondary, you have to say,
this is our This has to be our direction moving
forward for the rest of the season. Our offense has
to go through DK Metcalf, especially because, like how we
talked about it the beginning of the segment, our first
miss of the day the lack of run game, or
the lack of commitment to the run. If you're not
(23:42):
going to stick to the run at least if you're
going to pass the ball at least pass to the
DK metcalf.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Our final two misses, we're on number six and number
seven of our seven shots. Of seven misses, I'll put
these two together as well because they both are the
defensive numbers and they're not great Pittsburgh Steelers defense on
the season. On four the fourth down is giving up
a rate at seventy five percent twenty four of thirty two.
Not much better on third down either. It's gotten better.
(24:08):
Though this number was more towards fifty for the first
half of the season. They got it down to forty
three percent on third down eighty two of one to
ninety and also the Steelers have the twenty eighth ranked
defense with yards per game at three hundred and sixty nine,
twenty eighth against the run, and twenty first against the pass.
It's been a long time since the defensive numbers have
been in these areas, Jacob. Hopefully they get better by
(24:31):
the end. We shall see. They've been very up and
down and very inconsistent this season.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
Yeah, we know that.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
I mean, we know this team relies on splash plays
that comes from turnovers and sacks.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
We know they're a ben but no break kind of
defense where they allow a lot of yards. But they
still managed to win seven games on the season, and
that comes from their ability to turn the ball over
and get into the backfield and take down the quarterback.
That's just been what this team has done all season long.
On defense.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Those are our seven shots of seven misses. Let's give
you our five two shots of hits for our seven
shots of seven hits. The first the Steelers offense averaging
on the flip side almost three hundred yards per game
with two hundred and ninety five twenty four points per
game for a total three hundred and eight points scored
on the season. There was a time in which this
(25:18):
was flip flopped right. Defense was in the upper categories
and the offense struggle to score points and get yardage. Well,
now they flipped that narrative the other way. The offense
so far the season with Aaron Rodgers and company have
produced some big numbers.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Yeah, that's complimentary football, I guess lack thereof, right, every
time the offense seems to click, the defense fades away.
Every time the defense starts to click, the offense fades away.
You just can't get consistent football across the board from
this team this year or really in years past too.
It's really unfortunate. But you have to look at the
good here and that the positive is is the offense.
(25:51):
And you talked about it to start the segment, Aaron Rodgers' impact.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
You don't get to this point without Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
And it's upsetting because I think if you have him
in that Chicago game, you barely lost that game. I
think if you have them, I think you win that
game and instead of seven and six, you're eight and
five and feeling a lot better. I mean, Ray Fitopatto said,
the where we are all we are all aware that
the Stewers need to go just two and two down
the stretch and win one of those games against the Ravens.
(26:18):
If you beat the Bears, you were eight and five,
you probably just need to win one more game down
the stretch. And it doesn't even it doesn't even have
to be against the Ravens because you already have the
win against them in your pocket when you won last week.
So if you won in Chicago, you're eighte five this week.
If you get the win against the Dolphins this week,
you're nine and five. There's your winning record. You're probably
(26:38):
good to go for the playoffs. So it's unfortunately that
Rodgers wasn't out there for you against Chicago, but so
is life. You adjust, as Mike Tomlin always says, you
move forward. And you got two games left, So you
got four games left, Aaron Rodgers should be capable of
winning two out of those last four.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Our seventh and final hit of our seven shots of
seven hits. We've talked about this at the beginning of
the segment earlier this morning. The Steelers on Monday Night
Football twenty two straight wins Mike Tomlin ten and zero
in twenty three and three in those Monday Night matchups
as well, excuse me twenty one and three.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That was a typo on my sheet.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Twenty one and three overall on Monday Night football, Jacob,
they played very well Monday Night.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
You heard Ray.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
We don't know what the secret formula is. Teams change
year to year, but you can go all the way
back to nineteen ninety one, the last time that they
lost on Monday Night, and they'll have another one this
upcoming Monday Night against the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Yeah, it's incredible. Like I said to start our what
was it our first segment, I would have guessed Mike
Tomlin or Bill Cower had a loss thrown in there somewhere.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Never did.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
It's Mike Tomlin has never lost a game. I know
Bill Coward did eventually, or rather earlier on but the
shriek of winning consecutive Monday Night football games carries over
into both eras of Steelers head coaches. It's incredible and
like we said all throughout the day, two a second
by lower. It really struggles in cool weather games. You
(28:02):
marry that with the Steeer success on Monday night football games.
I think the Stewers win this game.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I'm with you, and we'll continue to preview that tomorrow
and as we get into next Monday Night here on
the Standard and joining us tomorrow, by the way, it
will be Wes Yuler from the Drive, so we'll get
west thoughts on the Steelers season so far and the
upcoming game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night. That's
gonna do it for the Steeler Standard for today. I
am ed Trup. He is Jacob Breck. Thank you for
(28:27):
listening here on Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
Welcome back into the Steelers standard. I am at troop.
Joining me as always is Jacob Brect here on Steelers
Nation Radio, part of the Steelers Audio Network, and we
thank you for tuning in each and every day and
week to Jacob and I as we continue to talk
about the Pittsburgh Steelers here in their twenty twenty five season,
as they get set for this upcoming Monday Night against
(00:28):
the Miami Dolphins, who are six and seven the Steelers
now seven and six in front of the AFC North,
and again, as we've been talking about all morning long,
twenty two straight wins on Monday Night football, going all
the way back the nineteen ninety one. The last time
that they lost on Monday Night at home was against
the New York Giants. That was during the Chuck No years.
Bill Cower comes in in twenty nineteen ninety two. He
(00:50):
takes an undefeated at home Monday night winning streak and
hands it over to Mike Tomlin who's continued on with
a ten and oero record on Monday Nights at home overall,
twenty one one in three is coach t on Monday Nights,
and Jacob, I'm not sure if any of that matters
or not, but it sure feels good to talk about it.
Each season is a new roster, new situation, new developments,
(01:11):
if you will. One thing that could matter though, and
we keep talking about it. It's gonna be eighteen to
twenty degrees on Monday night, and you have a team
like the Miami Dolphins who play in warm weather coming
up here.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And again in today's NFL.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
And I remember Jacksonville years ago coming up here and
beating the Steelers in playoff games in late December games.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
But that still goes into some type of factor. You
got to think about it, and it's a reality.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Right, and we're not taking really I mean, we just
talked about it with Ray Tooa just had his potential
first or one of his only wins in cold weather games.
But like also Ray mentioned that game was played in
the middle of the afternoon in the meadowlands. It's a
lot different when it's gonna be thirty degrees colder at
night with the wind child coming off the three Rivers.
(01:53):
So I mean, I don't expect to thrive in that
kind of environment.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Let's get into our third Segon in here today.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
It's our seven shots of Steelers hits and seven shots
of Steeer misses before we start rolling into those, a
quick injury news update, and we talked about this during
our Tomlin Takes segment. Coach T's weekly press conference yesterday
updated us on a handful of players. Let me go
through them quickly, Jacob, And there's a lot of them,
so probably the most we've seen so far this season
in the concussion protocol this week is tight end Darnell Washington,
(02:24):
Malik Harrison, and Andreas Pete.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So we'll wait and see how that goes throughout the week.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Obviously, as the week progresses, if they can get on
the practice field, even in a limited fashion and a
full fashion, then they'll be fine for Sunday. But if
you continue to see them not practicing the deeper we
get into this week, that could potentially be a cause
for concern with Washington, Harrison or Pete. The good news
for the Steelers, for those guys and everyone on this list,
(02:48):
is they have an extra day off today. We're recording
this as of Wednesday. The team typically gets back onto
the practice field on Wednesdays, but they are off today
with an extra day because they don't have to play
until Monday. Night, so that could work in their favor,
especially with players in the concussion protocol. Keanu Benton will
be limited in the early week he has an ankle injury.
Brendan Eckles will also be limited along with Ben Scronik.
(03:09):
Why yeah, Black all limited early in the week, coach
Tomlin said in his weekly press conference yesterday, but he
expects all of them to play, as well as possibly
Kyle Dugger, who missed last week's game with a hand injury.
He'll be questionable this week along with Derek Harmon. Again,
you just heard Ray Filopato in our last Sigma Talk
that the Steelers feel optimistic about both Dugar and Harmon being.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Able to go on Monday Night against the Dolphins.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
That's good news for the Steelers, two key pieces to
the Steeler defense.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Sure, Duggar Knight's surprise this season made a couple of
splash plays, could have mean even more when you think
about all those pick sixties that he were in and
out of his hands. But still a good asset to have,
just another depth peats guy.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Pretty much, it's kind of crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Pretty much everyone the Steelers have brought in to kind
of help out patch up the secondary in relief of
Darius Slay has done a pretty good job. Right. They're
not playing on an all pro level, but collectively they
are doing better. I think I saw somewhere that had
said in the last four weeks the Steelers have not
allowed a passer to throw for over two hundred yards
(04:14):
or more. So that's a pretty big improving considering where
they started off the season. I think dead lasts as
a passing defense, so yeah, you have to feel optimistic
about where the passing, the direction the passing defense is moving.
And then, of course Derek Carmon. You know the difference.
We highlighted it in both the first and episodes of
today's show, the difference with Derek carmeron on versus off
(04:36):
the field. The Steelers are averaging nearly one hundred yards
more per game on the ground without Derek Harmon out there,
so no offense to Kyle Dugger. But the priority here
is getting Derek Carmen out in the field.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
On Monday night, the.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Only player rolled out for this week already is offensive
lineman Calvin Anderson.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
So he was Darnelle's not ruled out with that concussion.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Not yet, I don't, Okay, Washington Harrison and Pete are
all in the concussion protocol, so I don't think there
are one hundred percent out. Again, they got to get
on the practice field. Anytime you're in that concussion protocol,
even if you're just in a limited fashion, that's always
a good sign because you slowly ramp up the full
status of being able to play. But if you're not
at least limited, Jacob, and you're just simply out for
(05:17):
each practice, as each one goes on more and more,
it's more unlikely you're going to be coming out of
that protocol and being able to go. And we've seen
these concussion protocols go either way. You've seen some players
that have been able to bounce back within a day
or two, and we've seen.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Other players who have missed multiple Wow. Sure, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
The good news is it's the right thing to do,
especially in today's NFL. Again, you can go back through
history where how many fingers am I holding up?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
What day of the week? It is? Okay, yes, check
that box, secondut box, You're good to go.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
But now, obviously they take a lot of precautions, and
rightfully so, to protect their players, and not just at
the NFL level, the high school level and below even
down to the youth programs. You got to make sure
that any player that's playing tackle football at any level
is protected. Let's get into our seven shots of hits
and seven shots of misses. Jacob will start with a
hit with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He rebounded on Sunday and
(06:05):
on the season now he has completed sixty five percent
of his passes for two three hundred and seventy yards.
He's just six hundred and thirty yards away from a
three thousand yard passing season. Again, he could potentially get
that here in the next two to three games before
the end of the season. Twenty touchdowns now as well
in only seven interceptions, so he's a twenty plus touchdown
(06:27):
throwing season already, and again, just six hundred and thirty
yards away from three thousand yards passing on the season.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, it's great.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I mean again, I don't think the Steelers offense or
to the Steelers team in general, gets to where they
are without Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
You could throw in any myriad of names, whether.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
It's young rookies that could have taken a chance on
or other veterans out there, like if Philip Rivers or
Daniel Jones. I just don't think they get to this
point without Aaron Rodgers. I think he's got the talent
to make the most out of nothing, and that's kind
of what he was given. Besides Calvin Osky, I'm sorry,
besides DK Metcalf.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Yeah, I kind of a bunch of band in misfits.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
But he made the most out of it, Like you said,
having a pretty good season despite being forty two, just
just turning forty two just a week or two ago.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I think the other thing too with Rogers, and we've
been pleasantly surprised by this was when he came in.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
He came in with a lot of.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Noise during his last few years with the Green Bay Packers,
his couple of years in New York. When I say
outside noise, things off the field, right, polarizing player. He's
been outstanding, not good, but outstanding with the Pittsburgh Steelers
so far this season. He's been a true leader. Even
during the last few weeks that were bumpy. He didn't
play well, the offense didn't play well, the team didn't
(07:39):
play well. His leadership ability, especially last week, to call
players out and call the team out that missed meetings
or showed up for late for meetings, and then last
week coming out and saying, look, we had a great
week last week of practice, probably one of our best
all season long, and it resulted in a big win
in Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
So there is a formula there. But I really like
his leadership. Yeah absolutely, I mean how could you not.
I mean, this guy is a veteran heat this is
what he's done his whole career, and this is what
this team needs.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Right.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
It's a lot of I say unproven, but a lot
of guys who haven't been there, who haven't seen what
it takes to win a championship or to make a
playoff run at the minimum. So you need that kind
of guy on your team. And yeah, absolutely, it's been
a huge asset.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Our first miss on our seven shots of seven misses
is running back Jalen Warren. And we talked to Ray
about this rushing wise, and again not the passing game.
Let's just talk specifically about rushing the last five games,
going back to the Chargers game, fourteen carries for seventy
yards at home against Cincinnati in the win, ten catch,
ten rushes.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
For sixty two yards. sEH, I got my mind on
the receptions.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
This is all rushing eighteen rushes for sixty eight yards
in Chicago, ten for thirty five against the Bills at home,
and just eight carries for thirteen yards last week against
the Ravens. Jalen Warren only one one hundred yard game
on the season, and that was at Sin Sinnati when
he had sixteen carries for one hundred and twenty seven yards.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
So the miss isn't Jalen Warren.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
As a football player, he's outstanding, especially when it comes
to catching the football of the backfield. The myss not
just for Warren but the entire Steeler offense is running
the football. Those numbers have not been strong. You heard
Ray talk about it. It's just not the philosophy of
Arthur Smith in this offense right now. They're leaning on
throwing the ball out of the backfield and not running it.
But it's something that if you've been following the Pittsburgh
(09:25):
Steelers that you and I have our entire lives, it's
tough to get your hit at your head around because
they've always.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Been a run first, pound pound pound the ball.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
On the ground team, and that's not what they are
right now.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
But Ray Fitobado has also said to us in the
past that they consider those passes behind the line of
scrimmage as pretty much a de facto run. So it's
not it's just because they're not actually handing the ball
off directly to guys like Kenny g and Jalen Warren.
They're still getting those guys involved, and we know that
we've seen a lot of those passes be a part
of Arthur Smith's offense.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
But I'm with you, Ed, it's frustrating.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
It's been frustrating really ever since, even though he's not
on the team anymore.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Since Najie Harris rookie year.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Because you thought, here's a first round caliber guy on
a championship offense playing under a legendary head coach in
Nick Saban and Alabama. You would have thought Naja Harris,
they would have bringing him in, they would have changed
everything to become more of a run friendly or a
run first kind of offense. And unfortunate for Naji and
unfortunately for the team, the offensive line just never came
(10:21):
together in his four years here. Got better kind of
as time went on, but it never really came together
the way it's come together this year. Unfortunately, You don't
have that stud in a Naja Harris, even though you
really like Jalen Warren and what he can do for you.
You need a guy who can be RB one on
any team, not just a handful of teams similar to
(10:42):
Pittsburgh like Jalen Warren can be for you. I think
it's stud wide receiver or a stud running back could
do great things with an offensive line. Even though the
offensive line isn't playing its best football this year, you
could still say that Naja Harris could have had his
best year this year just because the offensive line was
at its best during his five would have been five
(11:02):
years here in Pittsburgh. So yeah, it is frustrating to
see the run game struggle, not just this year, but
even looking in a couple of years prior.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Our second shot of seven shots of seven hits is
the Steelers outside linebacker combo of TJ. Watt with seven sacks,
Nick Herbig with six and a half sacks, and Alex
high Smith with six and a half sacks.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
All three of those.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Players have a total of twenty sacks in thirteen games
this season. The Steelers overall have thirty six, so almost
half of their sack production has been their outside linebackers
with wat Herbig and high Smith.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
That's good stuff.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Jacob, Yeah, absolutely, I mean that's been the better bread
and butter for this defense, even though we've seen kind
of TJ. Watt disappear at moments. But Nick Herbig, it's
just remarkable what he's done in such a short time
span of his career. And Alex Highsmith, we know, had
the biggest play of the game on Sunday against the
Ravens that chase down sack for Lamar. I'm not just
(11:59):
not trying to take a from TJ. Watt, but you
can elevate the play of a TJ. Watt because of
a guy like Alex Highsmith, and I think that's happened
during their time playing together. It's really great to see
that you have not just one, not just two, but
three elite pass rushers at the edge rusher position.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I agree, you'd like to see Watt have maybe double
his numbers, and he normally does. He has seven sacks
on the season in thirteen games. You'd almost think he
would be in double figures, if not more by this point.
But he's had an up and down season, but he
has made some big impact plays that are not on.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
The stat sheets.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Some quarterback pressure, some quarterback hits, hit Derek Henry in
the backfield a couple times lost.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Yeah, but you know, I mean, guys like Miles Garrett
are out there with twenty sacks and there's still four
games to be played. So yeah, you can always argue
always doing stuff beyond the statcheet.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
But still, Miles Garrett, it's remarkable what he's doing this year.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
And they pay TJ.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Watt exactly, They paying Miles Garrett money.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Right, exactly, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
On the other side, our second miss of our seven
shots seven misses is defensive tackle Kean two Benton. Now,
the good news about Benton is he leads a defensive
line with four and a half sacks, ten quarterback hits,
and that's over six hundred and two snaps, as Mike
Toblin pointed out yesterday so far the season. But Jacob
only one sack in his last five games, including zero
(13:17):
in his last four games, and just a total of
nineteen tackles in that five game span.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Much like TJ.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Watt Keonu, Benton at times has showed us what he
could possibly be on that defensive line, and other times
he's disappeared.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Yeah, it's disappointing. I mean he's in what his second
year now second round pick to boot. I mean, you
gotta do better if you're a Day one, especially especially
if you're a Day one guy, but even if you're
a Day two guy, a second or third round draft pick,
you have to be doing more in your second year
compared to what Keanu Benton has done so far with
the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Our third hit of seven shots of seven hits is
kicker Chris Boswell. We haven't talked about Boss the last
few weeks. Have He's quietly just showed up.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
To the God.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
They haven't needed him, I mean in the in their wins,
they haven't need in him. But even so, they're not
even pushing the ball enough to get him involved, to
get him set up in field goal position.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Well, let's give you some updated numbers on his twenty
twenty five season. He's twenty one of twenty four overall
at eighty seven percent with field goals. He's perfect. I'm
gonna knock on what as I say that thirty three
of thirty three. We don't want to jinx him on
extra points. Thus far this season, sixty has been his
longest that he had early on in the season seven
of eight from fifty plus, eight of nine between the
(14:28):
forty and forty nine range, So that puts him at
fifteen of seventeen from forty plus yards during this season.
Chris Boswell, I just saw a stat the other day
that came up that he isn't even in the top
five kickers. I think for Pro Bowl voting so far,
that needs to change. He's not one of the best.
In my opinion, he is the best in the game.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Yeah, I mean, of course, there's no doubt about it.
He's the best in the game. If not the best
in the game, there's really not much you can say.
It's one of the very few bright spots on the
season you could You could probably honestly talk about this
the twenty twenty five Steelers.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Oh, we were talking he could potentially be the MVP
of the team earlier this season.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
That probably that narrative probably.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I mean, we talked about this at the beginning of
the year. I forget which game it was, Oh it was.
It was the first game of the year, the Jets
game where he is a sixty yard field goal winner.
We had said, how many what would the Steelers record
be over the course of the last ten years when
he joined the team with versus without him. Right, how
many games has he won on an individual level for
(15:31):
the Steelers seems too too high to count really, so
that shows you his value to the team he is.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
He always kind of bounces around, but he's somewhere in
the top five most accurate kickers in NFL history. There
was at one point he was the most accurate. I
think he missed one or two which bumped it down
like second or third. But it just shows you if
we're talking about him being near the most accurate or
at one point the most accurate kicker, just shows you
how good the guy is.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Easy for you and.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
I to probably sit here and say, well, look, he's
not in the top five voting for kickers for the
Pro Bowl.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
You know who cares about.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
The Pro Bowl, But they do because a lot of
them have a lot of incentives in the Pro Bowl.
They make the Pro Bowl, they make more money. Not
sure about Chris boswell situation, but that'd be nice to
see him get recognized with a Pro Bowl berth later
on this year as one of the top kickers.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I'm sure he will.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
And I think that kid Brandon Aubrey in Dallas, he's
pretty good too. Got the first team All Pro head
not over over Boz last year or maybe hey, I
want to say, and then Boz got second team. But
Boz is just so damn good. I know Aubrey's really
good in Dallas, but Boss is just as talented.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
It's just Aubrey's younger.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
Let's stay on the special teams, Jacob. For our next miss,
our third miss of seven shots of seven misses, is
the Steelers punt return on the season over only averaging
nine point seven yards per return. That's twenty returns for
one hundred and eighty four yards, seventeen being the longest,
and no touchdowns so far. Here in twenty twenty five,
the kickoff return not much better, no, only averaging about
(16:59):
twenty four yards per return their longest on the season
thirty seven, and they have zero touchdowns. So both units
returning on kickoffs or punts has struggled this year.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Yeah, it's been a disappointment, to say the least. It
hasn't been killer, though. I think the coverage has gotten
better as it's you've gone on, It's gotten better, just
not great, it's not elite and we know the return
When the Steelers are the returning team, there is nothing
exciting about it.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
There is no threat there.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
But let's be honest too, having a specific guy that
can get you twenty yards per return, twenty five yards
per return, it's pretty rare. It is not an easy
job to be a team's go to kickoff returner part returner.
So as long as the guy returning kicks isn't touching
the ball leaving it in the end zone for the
other team to recover, that's fine. Unfortunately, that happened to
(17:51):
the Steelers once already this year.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
That's gonna say, yeah, right, did.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Happen to them?
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Unfortunately, Caleb Johnson in Week two against the Seahawks. That
was pretty much the backbreaker in that game.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
It only cost them the game.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Besides that, though there has once they removed him from
that from that role, there's been no one that's been
costing the Steelers games because of their inability to return kicks.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
And I agree with you that's the main theme there.
Just yeah, just don't have it out, don't Yeah, don't
you exactly? Yeah, I like it all right. Next hit,
our fourth hit of seven shots of seven hits. The
Steelers are still plus nine in takeaways. The defense is
number eleven in the NFL with interceptions with eleven total
interceptions on the year, and number one when fumble recoveries
with twelve and number two overall with a total of
(18:34):
twenty three turnovers. That's been the theme all year this team,
and I think we heard Ray talk about that too.
When they don't turn the ball over and produce turnovers,
it's been a winning formula for the seven games that
they've won this year.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Absolutely, I think it's great to see them do so
well at this but and the point I wanted to
make most especially about it is they're no longer just
producing five turnovers in one game and they're going three
games without. It's becoming a more consistent part of their game.
Not just big games where they have a ton of
splash and then a lot of games where they had
(19:08):
zero splash at all. We're seeing this week after week
where they're forcing at least one, if not two turnovers
per game. So that's what you want to see a
model of consistency, and that's why you have to be
happier with the turnover numbers this year.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
I'm going to combine our next two misses for you, Jacob.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Because we can end on the high note.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Well not yet, okay.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Okay, you know I always like to do that though,
right it's like what I'm shooting basketball, you you got
to end it with them with a make. But the
next two are the same theme. They're two the last
two third round picks for the Pittsburgh Steelers, first with
Caleb Johnson, the other one being last year in twenty
twenty four. Roman Wilson, so this year's pick, Caleb Johnson,
third round draft pick. In nine games only twenty six
(19:48):
carries on the year for sixty five yards, a two
point five average per carry. Roman Wilson, another third round
draft pick from twenty twenty four, a healthy scratch this
past week. On the season, in twelve only twelve receptions
for one hundred and sixty six yards. He does have
two touchdowns, though on twenty targets. The last two third
round draft picks, wide receiver Roman Wilson and Caleb Johnson
(20:10):
are number four and five on our misses, mainly because
there was a lot of expectations for both these players
to play key roles in this offense, and so far
for Roman Wilson his second year. Caleb Johnson is first
that has not turned out.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
No, it hasn't.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
It's been really disappointing, especially considering we thought this could
be the future at that position. We thought a lot
better about that pick because you were no longer compared
to the last time he took a running back in
the draft Nagie Harris. People were excited over the prospect
of Nausey, but a lot of people were also saying
you shouldn't take a first round draft pick on a
(20:45):
guy like a running back. That's not where you find
the value of that position unless you're taking some of
the top five and you're getna get Bejon Robinson or
Ejamier Gibbs or an Ashen genty they were taking I
think they took knowledge at like the twentieth overall. So
you took Caleb Johnson last year, you felt a lot
better about the value and you felt a lot better
about the upside, just because he wasn't coming in with
(21:08):
these expectations, these lofty expectations of having first round pedigree
coming from a national champion in Alabama. He was coming
from Iowa, a Big ten school, but not one of
the blue Bloods. But at school that was so true
to the running game, so you thought he was going
to be ready. Unfortunately that hasn't been the case. We
talked about this with ray F and Apodo a little
(21:28):
bit in our previous segment.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
They're going to move forward with him.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
It'd be foolish to just cut him right right before
the next season started. You want to give him a
shot in training camp. Yeah, but if he's still showing
signs of an unawareness or inability to keep up with
the speed of the NFL, it's gonna look like a
bus pretty early on next year.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Well, I know the problem, right, Roman Wilson from Michigan,
Caleb Johnson from Iowa to But maybe they just got
the wrong school. Maybe they should have went to Indiana
right when they should. Look at the Hoosiers.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
I might push back because I believe there's another guy
on the team from the Big A couple guys, where
did Cam.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Here we go to school? That's sorry the Ohio, I said,
where did TJ. Walk go to school?
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Wisconsin?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Those are big big Tencholnick, Exactly, Where did Nick Herby
go Exactly? Those are all Big ten schools? So the
Big ten can also help you. All right, we got you.
There's some Those are some great examples.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
All right. Our next hit not Big ten. We won't
talk about that yet.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Maybe maybe we will, though we have to hit your
Indiana Hoosiers for for a seven show.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
This could easily become the Indiana Hoosions.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I know, Nation Radio, right, that's I think I said
that yesterday.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Wide receiver DK Metcalf is averaging fourteen point five yards
per season now with fifteen fifty two catches, a lot
more than fifteen fifty two receptions, seven hundred and fifty
three yards, five touchdowns on eighty seven targets. Metcalf had
his best game this past Sunday in Baltimore. Boy, if
they can get that type of production out of him
these final four weeks, look out.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
DK Metcalf was brought here for exactly what we saw
on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Yeah, that's what it's all out. It's good that we
talked about this earlier today. It's good that you have
guys like MVS and feeling. We were saying, you feel
better about the receiving corps now than you need to at
the beginning of the season when it was you were
hoping to God that Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson and
whoever else was going to step up, and now you
brought in these two veterans. At least there's some kind
(23:20):
of safety blanket. But after watching that Baltimore game and
scene DK Metcalf towards the Ravens secondary, you have to say,
this is our This has to be our direction moving
forward for the rest of the season. Our offense has
to go through DK Metcalf, especially because, like how we
talked about it the beginning of the segment, our first
miss of the day the lack of run game, or
the lack of commitment to the run. If you're not
(23:42):
going to stick to the run at least if you're
going to pass the ball at least pass to the
DK metcalf.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Our final two misses, we're on number six and number
seven of our seven shots. Of seven misses, I'll put
these two together as well because they both are the
defensive numbers and they're not great Pittsburgh Steelers defense on
the season. On four the fourth down is giving up
a rate at seventy five percent twenty four of thirty two.
Not much better on third down either. It's gotten better.
(24:08):
Though this number was more towards fifty for the first
half of the season. They got it down to forty
three percent on third down eighty two of one to
ninety and also the Steelers have the twenty eighth ranked
defense with yards per game at three hundred and sixty nine,
twenty eighth against the run, and twenty first against the pass.
It's been a long time since the defensive numbers have
been in these areas, Jacob. Hopefully they get better by
(24:31):
the end. We shall see. They've been very up and
down and very inconsistent this season.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
Yeah, we know that.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
I mean, we know this team relies on splash plays
that comes from turnovers and sacks.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
We know they're a ben but no break kind of
defense where they allow a lot of yards. But they
still managed to win seven games on the season, and
that comes from their ability to turn the ball over
and get into the backfield and take down the quarterback.
That's just been what this team has done all season long.
On defense.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Those are our seven shots of seven misses. Let's give
you our five two shots of hits for our seven
shots of seven hits. The first the Steelers offense averaging
on the flip side almost three hundred yards per game
with two hundred and ninety five twenty four points per
game for a total three hundred and eight points scored
on the season. There was a time in which this
(25:18):
was flip flopped right. Defense was in the upper categories
and the offense struggle to score points and get yardage. Well,
now they flipped that narrative the other way. The offense
so far the season with Aaron Rodgers and company have
produced some big numbers.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Yeah, that's complimentary football, I guess lack thereof, right, every
time the offense seems to click, the defense fades away.
Every time the defense starts to click, the offense fades away.
You just can't get consistent football across the board from
this team this year or really in years past too.
It's really unfortunate. But you have to look at the
good here and that the positive is is the offense.
(25:51):
And you talked about it to start the segment, Aaron Rodgers' impact.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
You don't get to this point without Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
And it's upsetting because I think if you have him
in that Chicago game, you barely lost that game. I
think if you have them, I think you win that
game and instead of seven and six, you're eight and
five and feeling a lot better. I mean, Ray Fitopatto said,
the where we are all we are all aware that
the Stewers need to go just two and two down
the stretch and win one of those games against the Ravens.
(26:18):
If you beat the Bears, you were eight and five,
you probably just need to win one more game down
the stretch. And it doesn't even it doesn't even have
to be against the Ravens because you already have the
win against them in your pocket when you won last week.
So if you won in Chicago, you're eighte five this week.
If you get the win against the Dolphins this week,
you're nine and five. There's your winning record. You're probably
(26:38):
good to go for the playoffs. So it's unfortunately that
Rodgers wasn't out there for you against Chicago, but so
is life. You adjust, as Mike Tomlin always says, you
move forward. And you got two games left, So you
got four games left, Aaron Rodgers should be capable of
winning two out of those last four.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Our seventh and final hit of our seven shots of
seven hits. We've talked about this at the beginning of
the segment earlier this morning. The Steelers on Monday Night
Football twenty two straight wins Mike Tomlin ten and zero
in twenty three and three in those Monday Night matchups
as well, excuse me twenty one and three.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That was a typo on my sheet.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Twenty one and three overall on Monday Night football, Jacob,
they played very well Monday Night.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
You heard Ray.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
We don't know what the secret formula is. Teams change
year to year, but you can go all the way
back to nineteen ninety one, the last time that they
lost on Monday Night, and they'll have another one this
upcoming Monday Night against the Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Yeah, it's incredible. Like I said to start our what
was it our first segment, I would have guessed Mike
Tomlin or Bill Cower had a loss thrown in there somewhere.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Never did.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
It's Mike Tomlin has never lost a game. I know
Bill Coward did eventually, or rather earlier on but the
shriek of winning consecutive Monday Night football games carries over
into both eras of Steelers head coaches. It's incredible and
like we said all throughout the day, two a second
by lower. It really struggles in cool weather games. You
(28:02):
marry that with the Steeer success on Monday night football games.
I think the Stewers win this game.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
I'm with you, and we'll continue to preview that tomorrow
and as we get into next Monday Night here on
the Standard and joining us tomorrow, by the way, it
will be Wes Yuler from the Drive, so we'll get
west thoughts on the Steelers season so far and the
upcoming game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night. That's
gonna do it for the Steeler Standard for today. I
am ed Trup. He is Jacob Breck. Thank you for
(28:27):
listening here on Steelers Nation Radio, part of the Steelers
Audio Network.
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