November 24, 2025 • 45 mins
Rob, Mike, and Matt pick up the pieces and try to put them all together as the team is in a bit of a skid after another tough loss in Chicago.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Thank you very much for being with us for the
point after a percent of by your neighborhood court stour
and this to this pro.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Shop and get a direct from the team at shop
dot at talis dot com, here at DVE and this
Judi's Audio Network alongside Mike Persuda and Matt Williams, and
I'm Rob Kank, thanks.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Very much for being with us.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Disappointing loss yesterday thirty one to twenty eight to the
Chicago Bears in Chicago. Let's kind of get into sort
of overarching thoughts about the game before we dive into
some of the specifics. Matt, let's begin this week with
your impressions and thoughts of this Jus thirty one twenty
(00:43):
eight loss.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
A lot of good and a lot of bad. I
mean is often the case in close NFL games against
quality opponents. If you didn't have a horse in the race,
you'd say, boy, this was kind of a fun back
and forth game with a lot of action, And if
you did, you'd say, man, Steelers just came up a
little short on the road. I guess I'll start with
(01:05):
the good. I think the offensive line is in a
really good place right now, and the running game is
starting to emerge. The passing game wasn't the same, but
you had a backup quarterback and they did stop a
great Bears running game. But I also thought that both
I guess both run games were good for the Steelers,
(01:26):
both pass games were bad for the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Matt you mean, Mike, Yeah, let me keep going.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
I'm gonna take Matt and you king her back to
before the first preseason game and Mike Tomlin met the
media and he said one of the goals, wash, don't
kick your own ass, and they did. The mistakes are
they're periodic, and they are fatal. And with the defense,
(01:57):
I mean, everything about it, almost everything about it I
should say, was really good, except they still can't play
zone coverage and they're they're bad at it and they've
been bad at it all year, and that bit him again.
And then offensively, they took I think four deep shots
(02:17):
against one on one and the best they got out
of it was one pass interference against Chicago, and there
was also one interception and almost another interception. You gotta
be able to hit one or two of those, and
you can't sack strip fumble when you're in scoring territory,
and it's a six man protection against the three men pressure.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Can't happen, and I'll alad, you need to align yourself properly.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Another good one.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
That's kind of you know football one on one. Let's
get lined up properly.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
That's back to not kicking your own ass, isn't it right?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And Mason Rudolph scrambles and he's got it into Bears
territory and you got a fresh set it down and
you're in pretty good shape. You're one more first down
away from getting Chris Boswell field goal.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
TEP.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Now, of course you had that, you still got that opportunity,
but boy, it would have been nice to have had
that forty five seconds earlier.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
One thousand. Maybe they had to play with a little
more urgency late in the game when these extremely long drives.
But I think Mike's right. I mean, there's two or
three too many self inflicted wounds. I mean, you mentioned,
you know they can't they're not great at playing zone coverage.
(03:36):
I think that's clear. But the DJ Moore was he
just gave a free touchdown, you know, again because of
communication issues or whatever issue it was.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
They had four guys covering the twenty yard line. Yeah, yeah,
which is where the sticks was. It was third and six,
four guys across the pick of fence across the twenty
yard line.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
The problem was Bears ran four deep route right.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
Two guys on the outside were covered and Jalen Ramsey
was left in the middle to pick one.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Of two guys.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And there's no right choice.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
You go to one, they're gonna throw it to the other.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
How does that happen?
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yeah, and it's happened too much.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
The lining up wrong thing.
Speaker 5 (04:15):
I mean, Rogers saw it from the sideline, Calvin Austin
saw it from the slot. You can't do that there,
and that that sex strip fumble, you know. Mixon Rudolph
explained it after the game and he said, well, the
Bears did a good job. They pulled a defensive tackle
off to cover Jalen Warren, who was the checkout.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Okay, good.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
They had him covered with a six foot one, three
and forty pounds defensive tackle.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
You can't win that one on one.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Right right throw to him anyway? Yeah, let him make
a play against that guy, right?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Is that wrong?
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I mean, oh, well, I can't do that. They're covering
him with a defensive tackle.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I'm not trying to be funny, right, frustrating to me
because is that what you want?
Speaker 5 (04:57):
You know, you mentioned maybe the drives were too thoughticle.
Maybe they were, but weren't they after time of possession
and running more plays? What we complaining about that stuff?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Right?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Right? I didn't have any problem with that. I don't know.
I know. Listen, that's a funny, that's a beauty. Right.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
We can all look at the same thing and have
different reasons that we, you know, thought things went bad
or things went well.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
Thirteen plays, ninety five yards, seven fifty eight seven plays,
eighty yards two thirty seven seventeen plays, seventy three yards,
seven minutes, forty seven seconds. Those were their three touchdown drives.
That implies and suggests not just competence, but pretty good offense.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
To me, you just can't screw up.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You can't screw up, I get guess you look.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
At Interceptions are going to be thrown, Passes are going
to be dropped, balls are going.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
To be fumbled. Don't line up wrong when the.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Game's on the line.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah, a couple of times too, Like both sweat sacks.
From what I remember, they're not. Washington's a great blocking
tight end, But don't block their best pass rusher with
the tight end either you know, things.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Like that, right, that's right, and both of those were
in one of them.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
I think Rudolph sort of stepped into try to step
in step inside of that and get out wide.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
That is any.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Blockers nightmare because you can't you don't have eyes in
the back of your head.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Well, he almost got away on that one to almost Yeah,
we get you. That gets you six and five.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yes, And you know, I will say this before I
get to some of the things. One of the big
things that that makes me optimistic about the Steelers but
also has to be fixed for the Steelers to be
successful is you know these what you're talking about with
the zone coverage, and it feels like that when the
(06:41):
Steelers are running patterns on third and seven, third and eight,
there aren't a lot of guys open. There isn't a
lot of separation out there. When the other team runs
patterns on you know, third and ten, third and eleven,
as we've seen the last couple of weeks, it's like
an easy pitch and catch over the middle of the
field and a first down. Now, I don't know if
that's my perception. I don't know if I'm wrong on that,
(07:04):
it's what it looks like to me. Again, I don't
have the luxury of watching replays, and you know, I
have to get ready for the next play when I'm
up with the broadcast booth calling the game.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's what it looks like to me. Guys, is that
do you see that?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Or am I way oversimplifying what it appears to me
is I'm calling a game.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
I think it's a little oversimplified. But I also think
it's noteworthy that you mentioned over the middle of the
field because the Bears concentrated on attacking the middle of
the field. The Steelers were the total opposite. And I
just don't think you're operating with enough blades of grass
at your disposal that way.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Yeah, I'm not as fixated on the middle of the field.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
From what this now, the Bears had some guys open
because again, the Steelers don't play zone coverage very well.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Yeah, but they got away with it.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
Because Caleb Williams is not an accurate passer, and I
guess they didn't want Chicago to take the lit off
and you know, get behind them, wanting to make them
earn what they got, and uh, you know, Caleb Williams.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Came into that game.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
Is he had completed fifty nine point seven percent of
his passes, which stinks by NFL standard.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
It's like third worst in the league.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Right, he completed fifty four point three percent against the Steelers.
So I'm not going to sit here and say they
got sliced and diced. But there are the occasional wide
open easy play because of their again failure to grasp
how to play zone coverage. King or I do a
show with Matt and Merril Hodge every Thursday night. The
(08:37):
previous show, Meryl is on the morning show with us Matt.
How many times would you say Meryl has brought up
they don't grasp playing zone.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
They they pretty much a weekly basis.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
They cover grass, not not guys.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Right, they can't figure out there's nobody on.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
You know, you're supposed to drop my assignment to the number.
There's nobody there. Do something else. Don't just stand there, Okay,
I got the I ain't in twenty on the.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Ground covered doing my job, coach.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
It's happening all year, and I think drop up to
your point, a couple three of those a game make
it look way worse than it is.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Huge yeah, make it look way worse difference. I mean,
you know, think about that. Uh, now you wind up
running the Bengals out of the building, but I think
it was the Bengals very first third down of the game. Man,
wouldn't it be nice to set a tone and get
it early three and out? It just it seems like
that's but it also, I mean, when it's happening this
late in the season, you wonder if it can be fixed.
(09:33):
But that's one of the things to me that I
think can be fixed. And you know, you think about
all the yardages dealers have given up, and the passing
yardages dealers have given up. I'd love to know how
many of those are in that sort of situation, and
and things that appear to be fixable, like hey, if
they're running four guys on go routes, you know, uh,
(09:57):
maybe somebody needs to figure that out and and defend it.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
So that's you know, that's one thing.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
But the bigger thing for me, you know, the Steelers
is six and five because you did not play a
good game in LA against the desperate A Chargers team
that really needed to win that game on the road
Sunday night. You didn't play well, and then you lost
the game against the Bengals on Thursday night. We know
the opponent's record in the AFC North on the road
on Thursday nights. And even in that game, remember the
(10:24):
Steelers had to lead, and they had opportunities early to
stretch the game out.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I don't want to talk about those.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
What I want to talk about is the three top
flight NFC teams that you've beaten. And I'm gonna lay
my case out as to why I still think there's
more there for the Steelers. Whether they'll get there or not,
I don't know, because it's six and five. They haven't
gotten there enough. They have beaten two of the top
teams in the AFC. They beat the Patriots, and they
(10:49):
beat the Colts. They've played three top NFC teams. They've
played the Packers, they played the Seahawks, and they just
played the Bears. In all three of those games games
the Steelers were not only leading at the half, but
they got the ball to begin the second half.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
The kind of games in which if you put a
drive together against any of those teams, it is minimum
a two.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Score lead and you are in control of the football game.
And yet yesterday they flashed up a statistic on CBS
saying at one point the Steelers were out gained one
hundred and twelve to thirteen. It was late in the
third quarter. First of all, that's way too many yards
to give up in a quarter. One hundred and twelve
yards and the quarter wasn't even done yet, and then
(11:39):
you got thirteen yards. You got the ball first and
had two possessions. Like, I don't understand how you can
start the game so fast and do so well on
your opening drives and come out and for whatever reason
not be good in the third quarter. So when I say,
see a team that beat two of the top AFC teams,
were leading three of the top NFC teams and had
(12:01):
the ball to begin the second half, it just feels
like that's something that should be fixable and should give
me optimism that the Studers can play with anybody and
beat anybody in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
It's a good way looking at it, you know, because
the Green Bay game really stands out from that perspective.
It is like I thought, they man, they got them
where they want them. At the halftime, it's a good
Packer team. They're running down their throats and then Warren
gets three carries in the second half, and that's not
the only reason that went south, but I think it
had something to do with it. But what's interesting to
me is like last year, you know how I harp
(12:37):
on the numbers, you know, I mean, first quarter they
had the worst point differential in the whole league, but
third quarter they were like near the top. So it's
not like, right.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Right, right, this is not the way this goes back, right,
right right.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
They know how to make halftime adjustments. They got years
and years of you know, being able to do that.
They've a lot of the same players. There's some new guys,
but it is a hard thing just to pin down
as to why.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Though.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
You look at yesterday's situation and it came out and
got the ball and they're winning the game, and they
went run to Warren, uh and then Rudolph bootlegged I
think that was it wasn't a design play, but he
decided to keep it and then they ran Warren again
first down. Then he got sacked and that was the
one where he tried to step up and they got
(13:24):
grabbed by the Yeah jersey, you know, you didn't get
lit up, but he get they got them on the ground.
So they run Warren again on second of fourteen. That's
third and ten. Here we go one on one deep
shot to Roman Wilson down the sideline and Rudolf threw
a duck.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
I mean, were you're right about there's one on one
deep shot, you got complete one.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
I get that.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
It's a it's a.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
Hard play to make, but this is big boy football.
They're they're daring you to throw that. Yeah, yeah, So take.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Them up on it and hit a third of them,
hit half of them.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
You gotta hit at least one or hit a cover.
Yeah yeah, you know, you leave all those on the
fields that hard, and you know, until they fix that,
I think. I think a healthy Aaron Rodgers would have
won that game yesterday.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
And now I was fully in favor of Rudolph playing
because I didn't think Rogers was healthy enough and I
thought he needed a little bit of a blow. But
if they're going to be better down to stretch, Rob,
it's they're gonna get back to hitting that they were
hitting those early in the season. I remember the New
England game, Calvin Austin critical play late in the game.
It's tied and Rogers was able to sense one on
(14:30):
one for Austin and he took it downtown and they
scored the game winning touchdown on it. I think Austin
was an option yesterday on that fourth down pass that
had no chance even if it got the metcals didn't
look like your options there were dumping down the game. Well,
and see if he beats a linebacker. I never heard
of one on one in the flat and runs to
the stick and out of bounds. Or take your deep
(14:51):
shot to Calvin Austin, hit it, kick the field goal
and go to overtime.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Notither thing happened.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
They're good, but they're not good enough to beat themselves,
and they got to be a little bit better than
they were yesterday and.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Can't leave those opportunities on the field, not all of them.
And yeah, am I wrong that?
Speaker 5 (15:10):
Like when Austin got hurt, that's when all of a sudden,
Metcalf started having problems. And since Austin, since Austin has
come back, he has not been the player for whatever
reason from an impact or effectiveness standpoint.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
So now you're just wallowing.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
You know, you're trying to go tight end and figure
out ways to throw it sideways and get something out
of that, and it was it was working pretty well
that the play they ran at the goal line the
metcalf was beautiful, the three tight ends leading the charge.
Surprised they didn't go back to that. Maybe do a
misdirection and take it the other way, or fake fake
the handoff on the jet, sweet type of thing.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
It's it's there. They're just not finishing it enough.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
And I don't expect them to do it all the time,
but they got to do it a couple three more
times than they're doing it.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Agreed, Steve has lose.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Disappointing game obviously, the outcome to the Chicago Bears, a
team I thought they were better than the Bears, and
it didn't. And I've got some stats to to further
confuse and confound and we're gonna get to that when
we continue on the Point After presented by our neighborhood
Forward Store and buy the Steelers Pro shop get it
(16:19):
direct from the team at shop dot Steelers dot com
here on DVE and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Back to the Point After on DV.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
E Warren, who is the long setback Washington in motion
left the right under center the pitch and Warren scoots
around the right end zone and it from Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown.
Excuse and thanks very much for being with us for
the point after, presented by our neighborhood Ford Store and
the Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct from the team
at shop dot Steelers dot com. So I know Mike
(16:51):
Persuda is interested in odds and lines and things of
that nature. So let me run down some numbers and
you tell me who's going to win this game?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
You ready?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Yardage three forty five to three, twenty eight total offensive plays,
Thank you for the first time this year. Yeah, sixty
nine to sixty one, time of possession thirty three to
oh nine to twenty six, fifty one yards rushing one
eighty six to ninety nine for a team that was
(17:26):
the second best rushing team in the NFL. I tell
you those numbers before the game begins. Mike, are you
interested in perhaps that enough evidence for you to be
encouraged to perhaps think about things in terms of team.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
A without question? But you left one out turnovers. Yeah,
and I counted as four to two in Chicago's favor
because I count a turnover on downs as a turnover
it is.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And then the football.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
They turned it over on the field tush push, which
I think succeeded. But yeah, sometimes you gotta work. Sometimes
you've gotta work around a bad call and then the
one at the end of the game. Those cost you points.
But yeah, and that's why Rob. You know, I get
how frustrated fans are. Then I get that because I
listened to them for two and a half hours after.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
The I'm sure they were thrilled with this, you know, so, oh.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
God, the offense is terrible, the defense is no good.
That's not the case, but it's kind of stuck in
this mode between good and good enough, you know what
I mean, Like the self inflicted wounds. That's my theme
of the week for this week. They just they got
to clean it up. And here we are through ten
(18:44):
games and eleven games and they haven't cleaned it up yet.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
So I'm starting to wonder if they ever will.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I think it's a really good question, and it's the
one that we're gonna find out the answer to. That's
the beauty about playing football. You'll find out the answers
to these questions. Because you know, a few years ago,
the last time Mason Rudolph stepped in he started, Kenny
Pickett was hurt. Kenny Pickett was you know, they did
that the procedure on the ankle. Now he's ready to
come back. Let's ride Mason. He's the hot hand. And
(19:12):
they went up to Buffalo, and coincidentally, Buffalo is a
team coming here on Sunday, and it just felt like, Okay,
how many things have to go right for this Yearers
to win this game?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Right?
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Not not can they line up and play and beat them,
and not can they make an adjustment or two, But
a lot of things had to go You probably need
a you know, a turnover that results in a touchdown,
maybe a special team's play, you know, a lot of
They felt like they weren't in the same class as Buffalo.
That's what it felt like to me going into that game.
(19:45):
Now here they are a couple of years later. I
think the roster's better. I think it's deeper. You know,
as I mentioned, they beat New England, they beat the Colts.
To the top teams, maybe the two top teams in
the AFC, you beat them both, you have an opportunity,
obviously coming up against the Bills, another opportunity to win
a game. Then you'll have the Ravens just still have games
(20:06):
to play. And then I just mentioned, you know, the
three teams, the three elite teams in the NFC that
you were, you were leading at half and had the
ball to begin the second half. I just feel like
this isn't a matter of a talent gap, like, oh,
we just can't play with these guys, Matt. It's a
matter of Okay, we got to clean up this. We
got to clean up the zone defense, we got to
(20:26):
clean up come out of the locker room in the
third quarter and doing something on offense to put a
good team on the ropes and think about that. Not
only is it a two score game, but think how
much that helps your offense right or helps your defense.
I mean, now Sam Darnold has to throw, Jordan Love
has to throw, Caleb Williams has to throw, and now
(20:47):
you get to unleash the defense the way you want to,
or they're padding that ball for a second longer because
they're trying to make a play further down the field
and now here comes to stripsack and now you start
adding to that lead, as we've seen happen a couple time.
I'm just here, I just it's not to me a
matter of well, they're just they've just been they've been
out talented like I thought they were, you know, several
(21:08):
years ago, when they clawed and scratched to win games.
I don't know, maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way,
but that's just that's what I see.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yeah, I lean that way as well. And I like
that you brought up last year's Bills playoff example, because
that felt like a super Bowl contender. Like people ask me,
is this team a contender? Michael, what do you mean
by contender? The last year's Bills team was a super
Bowl contender. They could win the whole thing. Where I
thought the Steelers team going to Buffalo was a playoff contender.
(21:38):
You know that they can get in the playoffs, they
can maybe win a game, who knows, you know. I
mean so, And that's how it played out. And it
goes back to for me what you mentioned in the
first segment about let me make sure I get them
all Seattle, Green Bay, Indie, the Patriots, the Bears, and
you've basically split against those teams and they're all going.
(22:01):
All those teams are playoff teams. I mean, I think
every one of the teams you mentioned that in that segment,
I might even missed one are going to the playoffs,
and Seattle might even be a Super Bowl contender. I mean,
heck maybe if the Patriots are or the Colts are.
I'm not even sure. But you hung with the best
teams in the league basically split with them. To me,
that means that you have the horses, you know what
(22:22):
I mean.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
I think it's a very good point. Looking at last year.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
Yeah, when they collapsed down to stretch right, you know,
the narrative and had some truth to it was, oh well,
you started playing the real teams late in the year
and you got exposed and it showed what you are
not and to there was some truth to that, no doubt.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
This year, when you.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Squashed three of them in the eleven days, you can't
say that this year, no, But yet you found a
way to lose to Cincinnati and Rob you were talking
about winning at halftime.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
They were beating Cincinnati with two minutes left in the game.
That's right, right, it's you know, so close yet so
far away, right. I mean, how.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Closers lost in the Bengals loss are pretty close to
coin flips, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
And you're in a different landscape. Turn both of them around,
and you're talking about competing for a buy, And.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yes, it's it's uncharacteristic of the way the Steelers have
have played recently in won games recently, which is clinging
and and to me, clinging and scrapping and clawing to
beat average or maybe slightly above average teams and just
not being in there with the big guys. And I'm
glad you mentioned went back to last year because I
(23:34):
feel like there is and I feel like I see
the evidence here. And I'm not trying to be a Pollyanna.
I'm not, but I just and and this is the
way I felt at the beginning of the season. Look,
two years ago, you go up to Buffalo, you don't
really you're not competing with the big boys. And we
saw over the stretch of a two or three year span, uh,
the Steelers getting blown out by some top competition right
(23:57):
then last year, even in that five game stretch. And again,
I'm not trying to make more of this than it is,
because you lost them all and other than the game
against Baltimore where you got worked in the playoff game,
and I just think you were down and out by then.
If you go back and look at all of those games.
Horrendous start against the Eagles, and yet late in the
(24:18):
third quarter, there you are marching down the field with
a chance to tie the game. Overcome that horrible start.
You pitch it to Nogen for some reason not you
never fumbles, just drops the pitch. You turn it over,
and the game's over. Baltimore. Whatever can go wrong will
go wrong. Kind of game still claude your way to
get back in that and then some things happen. There's
(24:38):
a holding penalty and a kickoff that goes out of bounds,
and things that happened that cost you in that game.
Even the Chiefs right a dubious holding call takes back
a Jail and Warren touchdown that gives you the lead
going into the half. Now, ultimately they weren't good enough
to beat those teams, but I felt like at least
they gave those teams a scrap, whereas in previous years
(24:59):
they just weren't good enough to do that. So to me,
this year this is the logical progression. Okay, two years ago,
playoff team but not a contender. Last year, you know better,
closer to those top teams, but certainly not good enough
this year. The evidence I'm seeing is you're good enough.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Now.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Why it's not happening is a head scratcher to me.
I'm not sure why some of these things are occurring,
but I still hold out hope that they can find
a way. Now they've they're running out of rope, right,
I mean, they're you know, they had rope, and they've
all that rope slipped through their fingers and now they're
clinging onto that knob end as they're you know, trying
not to get dragged into the water here. I understand
(25:38):
that you're out of options in you know, in able
being able to lose games, But I still think there's
I still think there's something there because I've seen it
far more than i've seen it in the previous seasons.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I just haven't seen the results.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Rob real quick to your point. In my warped mind,
often on overreaction, mondays, I like to think at least
a half hour during the day, or bring it up
on the drive. What if we were hosting this show
at the opposing cities, you know, if this was a
Chicago radio show, you know, and if this was a
(26:16):
Chicago radio show, we'd all be like, man, We've won
what is it, eight to nine or seven out of eight,
We're in first place, we have a coach, we have
a quarterback. We're unbelievable, We're unstoppable. You know, two doesn't matter.
If we're losing with two minutes left to go, we're
gonna come down and score. But this team that the
Steelers just lost to, and all those things are true,
(26:37):
are probably three bounces away from being below five hundred
and the Chicago fan base going man and frankly over
that stretch. There's still only like a plus nine point
differential for the seasons on this season, right, And if
they have two different bounces that the Steelers didn't get,
(26:59):
all of a sudden, we're saying, I don't know about
this coach Kayleb Williams, doesn't complete enough passes, worst defense
I've ever seen, can't get a break, you know, like
it's the Godfather thing. Think as those around you do.
I love to do spend a couple of minutes every
overreaction Monday and pretend like I'm broadcasting from the other city.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
You know, I mentioned this speaking to the other city
coming up. I mentioned this on the morning show today.
There's a guy working in Buffalo. Vic Carucci's doing this
for a thousand years, and he's working in TV now,
but he does some write ups for his TV station's website.
And he had this to say after the Bills went
to Houston, and.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Just on a short week on Thursday nights, all right.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
And I think this applies to a lot of teams
in both conferences. Quote, the high hopes for this team
seem a bit lower, but the week to week nature
of the NFL keeps all the goals in play, reaching
them might be more challenging than expected. Nailed it, yep, right,
That's why he's doing it for a thousand years.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Just the perception in Pittsburgh today versus perception in Chicago
is a thousand times different, but it really shouldn't be.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
Is it inconceivable to think the Steels could beat the
Bills at home, beat the Ravens on the road, beat
the Dolphins at home all of a sudden beyond a roll?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (28:16):
No it's not.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
It's not insane nothing.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
But it's also not inconceivable to think they're gonna lose
all three of those games right where.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
I do think going to Buffalo in the postseason is
built as you know, I was mentioned here a second
ago by Rob probably was pretty inconceivable, you know, like
you were in trouble for that game.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
And even that was a seven point game in the
fourth quarter, m true, and then Buffalo just drove it
down a film score again and that was that. But yeah,
it's just it's really frustrating because you you keep seeing
the warts, but you also see some pretty good football.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Yeah, and all these teams.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Awards, yeah they do, they do any and we see
and that's a good point and we can get to
that coming up in the next segment. But again, you know,
like I use the h I use a puzzle analogy
in my mind, even though I don't know why I
do that, because I can't stand puzzles. You know, my mother,
My mother's here, she's here for the holidays, for Thanksgiving,
(29:10):
and she loves a puzzle.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
She'll sit downstairs and do a puzzle.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
And I always try to put one piece in place,
usually around the edge, because those are the easiest, and
then I can say, hey, how's that you helped me out.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
With that puzzle that I started there the other day,
you know. But anyway, the point is that I don't
know why I use the analogy.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
I don't like puzzles, but I feel like all the
puzzle pieces are there. They're all there, and you just
they just at this stage of the game at six
and five, they just don't seem to fit. And you know,
you hope that they can go on one of those runs.
But that that's kind of the way I look at
it right now, like I see the elements and then
let's forget about the elements that are making it not fit.
(29:48):
I just see enough there that that it should fit,
and it's just not fitting together.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I think they're missing a couple.
Speaker 6 (29:55):
Naming namely pieces second wide receiver, second wide receiver out. Yeah,
you know, they they emphasized in the spring the coaches.
I'm talking about Calvin Austin's a legit number two and
the skeptical and then at the start of the season I.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Was like, yeah, you're right, yeah it could be yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
And then as already as we already talked about on
this show, he went away for a while injured and
he's come back and just not impactful.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Roman Wilson.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
I can't wait to hear how great Roman Wilson practiced
again after a two targets, zero catch performance, in how
many snaps?
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Was it a lot?
Speaker 3 (30:31):
So I didnt these last two weeks tell us a
ton though. Like last week, Roman, you're gonna be the two,
here's your opportunity. This week they made Calvin the two
again because they're searching.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
And it didn't matter.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
And it didn't did They didn't get enough out of
either of those guys.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Let me see what we.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Had here for Okay, So, and I understand you guys
are narrowing the scope what I was talking I was
trying to keep it a big picture.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
But let me say this. Okay, so.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Listen, man, nobody, nobody has twenty two Pro bowlers out there.
Nobody has twenty two All pros. So we're talking about
with the Steelers are missing. Okay, fine, let's talk about
what the Bears were missing. Their top two cornerbacks. And
but those guys had been out three linebackers.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Those guys have been out most of the year.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Well, the two corners are really really good.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
Play yeah right, But it's not like all of a sudden,
the Chicago team was significantly less than an.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Okay, but they're eight and three without without a Pro
Bowl corner.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
They were expecting to have their other starting corner that
they're expecting to have, and their top three linebackers in
this game all out. So I don't I don't think.
I'm not looking at this from a personnel standpoint. I'm
looking at this as they've had moments where they've flung
the ball all over the field. They did it in
Cincinnati and a loss. They did it in New York
and a win. They've had moments where they've been able
(31:47):
to run the ball. That's what I'm talking about, Not
little not hey, number two receiver, whatever. Everybody's got issues,
everybody's got things that they've got to coach around, scheme around,
what have you. What I'm seeing is a team that's
shown capabilities. They've listened dominating defensive performances. It's at points,
and then look at the games against you know, look
(32:10):
at Cincinnati in the first meeting, right. That's what I'm
talking about, is that I just think there's enough there
for the team that is it perfect, No, but there's
nobody perfect out there. Just look around the NFL. I
just think there's enough there for the team to be
better and maybe get themselves on a roll, which just
hasn't happened yet.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
I think it's a very good point that you're making.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
But I'll just say this, I'll, like everybody else, I'll
over react a little bit.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
On Monday.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
You know, there's a guy in a practice squad named
Marquez Valdes Scantling, and he has a history with Aaron
Rodgers at catching deep balls. And as I mentioned, they
didn't hit any of the one on ones that they
took down the sideline, and by the end of the game,
they weren't even taking them. It's not all the receiver's fault.
But I haven't seen Roman Wilson take the top off
the defense. I haven't seen Calvin Austin do it any
(32:58):
long time. If nothing else, give me stick Scantling running
down the sideline. He's probably gonna get one on one.
And let's see if Aaron Rodgers and Scantling can get
the band back together, because they are lacking that element
to just put a little fear in the defense.
Speaker 4 (33:13):
And maybe four people won't cover.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Metcalf And I don't think, and I don't think you're
implying this without Scantling's the next Randy Moss and he's
just sleeping on the practice squad.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
Can he catch one or two of those a game.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
But that's what he does.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
How much worse would it look?
Speaker 3 (33:26):
And the other thing is he's not five to nine.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Well, but let me see, this is similar to Mike
Williams a year ago.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Well that worked once. What he runs better than Williams?
Help me and help get you in the playoffs? I
mean it's the same process.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
Does he win a one game?
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Yeah? He did win in one game and right, and
we're looking for one win now?
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Yeah, okay, I mean to my's point, maybe it's just
worth giving him a helmet this.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Nay, I'm gona just say try it. I can't get
any worse.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
More to get to.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
We want to remind you a Clearview Federal Credit Union,
they're always upping their game for those indeed, through Touchdowns
for Hope, Clearview will donate five hundred dollars to the
Light of Life Rescue Mission for every Black and Gold
touchdown scored this season. Visit Clearview FCU dot org slash
Touchdowns to learn more. Back of More in the Point After,
presented by our neighborhood Forward Store and the Students Pro Shop.
Get it direct from the team at shop dot Steelers
(34:17):
dot com, Here on DVE and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
Back to the Point After on DV.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Brudolph forgets to snap back those over the middle of
the field that it is complete to prior roof on
a crossing pattern left to right and he gets out
to the thirty four yard line. Yep, uh want to
see more of that, right. We want to see more completions.
We want to see more moving the ball down the field.
We want to see more, guys. Thanks very much for
being with us for the Point After, presented by our
(34:47):
neighborhood Ford Store and by the students Pro shop. Get
it direct from the team at shop dot Steelers dot com.
And you know, like it or not, the Steelers are
where the Steers are. They are six and five and
and guys in need of a victory and in need
of finding a way to just get more consistency game
to game and within games as well.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
A thousand percent. And again this is not a new problem.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
I know.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
This is not a preview show, it's a review show.
And hey, Buffalo has Superman a quarterback, but they don't
have any receivers either. Their run defense has been a
disaster all year. For three years, they've tried to trade
for a receiver Amari Cooper at the deadline, or von
or An edge rusher Von Miller, Joey Bosa. And I
(35:37):
just wanted to bring that up because the last segment
that all these teams have a lot of issues. Maybe
not the Rams after last night, but most of these
teams have a lot of issues.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Buffalo lost at Atlanta, Yeah, at Miami, right.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So Buffalo rushed at Miami.
Speaker 5 (35:51):
Buffalo could lose that. Pittsburgh not predicting that, but sure
they're far from perfect. It wouldn't take a miracle, and
they could also win this probably, Yeah, it's possible.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Is there any reason that you guys think that this
has been such a weird year that the.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Teams it's what the NFL wants.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Yeah, I get that, but it just seems even more
so this year. I agree.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
I mean the thing that Denver Giants thing, and I
mean Philly was up twenty one to nothing.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
On Dallas yesterday. Lost.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Yeah. Lost.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
Let's go back and study all the Super Bowl champions
over the years and see how many twenty one point
leads they blew in the.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Regular season, I mean, even just last week.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
But the answer is none.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
I bet the answer is none. You know Tampa looked
like a power HUGO.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
I think the team.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Rob, I don't know the answer.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
It's a great question. I wish I had something for you.
But it seems goofier to me than normal.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Yeah, it seems goofier to me than normal too. But
I also think this year, more than ever, I know
who the garbage teams are, but I don't know who
the great teams are, you know, like I can look
at the Raiders and be like, oh boy, they're not
being anybody you know, or the Tennessee year, I mean
the teams that have nothing and there's like five or
six of them. But then who's really the great teams?
That's really been a mystery for a long time. All year.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
It has, and I don't know is that mystery is
getting any clearer. I mean, normally, you know there's clarification
happening at this time of year. I'm not sure there's
any clarification happening at this time of the year.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
And speaking of clarification, can I interrupt you real quick here,
because I've been meaning to ask you this all day
because you were at the game. I was here and
I watched it on CBS, so I missed a lot
of key elements of it.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
I don't know if you heard how good that broadcasts
went yesterday.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
I heard there were some struggles. I don't know why.
I don't. I don't know what the struggles were about.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
What happened on the punt which was initially called holding
on the Bears on the Chicago punt return and the
ball was put into Chicago's six yard line. Then they
went to commercial and they came back and said, no,
the penalty was on Ben's kronic. Yeah, and the balls
at the forty.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Yeah, that was even if they had been no penalty called.
It's a thirty yard swing holding.
Speaker 4 (38:10):
On the gunner.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Yeah, I don't end the inevitable call was yeah, yeah,
I have ever heard that.
Speaker 5 (38:17):
And there was no explanation, no replace, it's just, oh,
you know what, it wasn't that it was this.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
So we knew going to break that that everything was
being marched back, and it was a very bizarre situation,
like the drum line was out there playing like wait
a minute, man, I mean they couldn't they couldn't start
playing again. You know, now they're waiting for the commercial
time out. Uh, you know, talk about you know, throwing
a team at a rhythm. Yeah, that was there was some.
(38:44):
There was some strange things. And again I am not
and never want to be a we got job by
the refs kind of guy that cost him thirty yards.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
I still don't know what that was all about.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
I wasn't going there. I just didn't know what.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Yeah, only going on that side. I still think they
got the first down on the tush push. So so
that happened again. Going to break. Okay, So I'm like,
and the red hats out of the field and he's
talking to the officials, and I'm like, Okay.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
This is going to be overturned.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
It's going to be Steelers, and the teams are, you know,
milling around a little bit. But the Steelers defense never
left the field, and I'm like, oh my gosh, man,
they're they're saying that this is not going to be overturned.
So there were some, there was some. It was a
it was a different game in those aspects. And again
I don't want to point I am not and I
know you're not either. I am not pointing to this
(39:34):
game and saying the officials blew it, because here's another
thing you never know, you know, So we're saying, okay,
the you know the Bears, and I'm sure the Bears, Well,
but we got conservative down the stretch. Well, would you've
gotten conservative down the stretch? You know, you're not going
to run the ball three times in the middle of
the line if the game's tied, when you get your
two possessions in the last you know, four minutes of
(39:56):
the game, that's not going to happen.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
So, you know, calls or calls and get that. But
they they also.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Change how teams play the game later and and and
what would have happened is not what would have necessarily
what did happen is not necessarily what would have happened
later in the game.
Speaker 5 (40:12):
I concur I just like I was really curious. Yeah,
what was the penalty? Was it a good call? Was
it a bad call? Did anybody see it?
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Never saw? It was very very strange.
Speaker 5 (40:24):
Because you know those gunners they just grab a hold
of a guy and hold them. They don't try to
run down the feeling as fast as they can.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
They're not Yeah right, yeah, yeah, that was weird. Weird
for sure.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
That's I don't know I've ever heard that.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Yeah, I had to either, But but there it was,
and now you know, guys, this this is this is
what's happened, and this is where you are at this
point of the season. You were the point in which
you know you pretty much have to beat the Bills.
I mean, there's not really I don't think much other
way to put it. Uh, you know, you're six and five. Now,
(40:58):
listen in the unpredictable NFL. Who knows what happens when
the Ravens go play Cincinnati. You know on Thursday night
what happens in that game. So don't you know Joe
Burrow is going to be back. I'm sure they're going
to get a shot in the arm from that and
all that stuff. But you know, if things remain the same,
you can't really afford to slip up at this point
(41:19):
of the game, at this point of the season.
Speaker 3 (41:20):
So two weeks ago, I was like, I thought it
was working against the Steelers that both Ravens games were
still out there. Now I think you look at it like, oh,
but we get to play the Ravens twice if you
knock them off both times the division.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
Yeah, I mean that's it, right, I mean, you you.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Have to do that.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
But I still think, you know, think about Buffalo. Right, so,
right now you're the eighth seed, and the implications of
this game are big. You know, I really felt like,
and I think Mike you and I talked about this
earlier on DV this morning, that.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
You almost had to win one of these two games.
Do you have to win it?
Speaker 2 (41:57):
No, but you almost look just for your own psyche,
just for playing good football, just to position yourself in
the best possible place.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
That you can.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
You needed to split these two games, two tough teams,
Bears and the Bills. Given my options, I'll take the Bills.
Although I think that was a tough game, you know,
I thought.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
Doesn't hurt you that bad?
Speaker 1 (42:19):
No, it doesn't hurt that much.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
Although I again I still think that the Steelers were
a better team and just didn't win the game. But
you still have everything out in front of you that
you need to have out in front of you if
you can take care of business against the Bills. So
once again for you. But believe me, they're saying the
same thing in Buffalo. Talk about about what are they
saying in the other city. They're saying, we got to
go on the road and beat the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
On Sunday one hundred percent they are. They're in a
tough situation for sure, and some of it's just the
math though, you know, you beat the Ravens twice, or
if you beat the Bills here as opposed to the Bears. Now,
I don't love that the Bills get ten days to
stew on a rough loss. But I'm also kind of
intrigued with Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Looks like with the week off interesting.
Speaker 5 (43:05):
Yeah, me too, me too, uh, you know, my chances
with that and the other the other intangible element that
if people are looking for a straw to grasp or
a silver lining. There's been a couple of occasions this
year where they the Steelers have been in this okay,
this is respond time. Yeah, yeah, you have time to
circle the wagons and step up or or step back
(43:28):
and get out of the way. And and one of
them was Indianapolis, and one of them was the second
Cincinnati game.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
Yeah, and those.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
Are two of their best games of the.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
Year and their AFC wins, and we over overlooked it.
But I think this offensive line is playing wait, I mean,
is the most improved unit on this team and is
in a really really good spot right now.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
And I think the defense, if you look at the
Colts game. They stopped Jonathan Taylor. Yeah, not easy to do.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
Then they stop chasing.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
Then they stopped Chase Higgins and Flacco. Nobody had done
that yet, yeah yeah, and then yeah, the Bears were
running through everybody.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
One of the best running and they clamped it.
Speaker 5 (44:04):
And they even kept the clamps on Williams like he
didn't He got out a couple times.
Speaker 4 (44:08):
But we didn't do anything crazy out on the wing.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
I mean, first couple of games of the year, I'm like,
why they letting their best players blow up against this defense?
But now, I mean, Josh Jay can go back to
Josh Jacobs. I mean, like they're knocking down the best
players now.
Speaker 4 (44:21):
If they can play zone, they would be a historic defense, right.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Well, you know, and here's the thing too, elements again,
just what you guys, you're talking about. The elements seem
to be there, but it's time to turn those elements
into victories. And that's what the Steelers are going to
need to do Sunday in Buffalo as they are now
six and five following your thirty one to twenty eight
defeet to the Chicago Bears. Guys, thanks very much. Has
always love to spending time with you. For Matt Williams
(44:47):
and for Mike Berzuda, I'm Rob King. We also thank
you as as well as our producer, our steam producer
at the Controls, Justin Miller. We thank you for being
with us for the Point After, presented by your neighborhood
Ford Store and the Studis Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team em at shop dot Steelers dot com,
here on d ve e and the Steelers Audio Network
Thank you very much for being with us for the
point after a percent of by your neighborhood court stour
and this to this pro.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Shop and get a direct from the team at shop
dot at talis dot com, here at DVE and this
Judi's Audio Network alongside Mike Persuda and Matt Williams, and
I'm Rob Kank, thanks.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Very much for being with us.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Disappointing loss yesterday thirty one to twenty eight to the
Chicago Bears in Chicago. Let's kind of get into sort
of overarching thoughts about the game before we dive into
some of the specifics. Matt, let's begin this week with
your impressions and thoughts of this Jus thirty one twenty
(00:43):
eight loss.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
A lot of good and a lot of bad. I
mean is often the case in close NFL games against
quality opponents. If you didn't have a horse in the race,
you'd say, boy, this was kind of a fun back
and forth game with a lot of action, And if
you did, you'd say, man, Steelers just came up a
little short on the road. I guess I'll start with
(01:05):
the good. I think the offensive line is in a
really good place right now, and the running game is
starting to emerge. The passing game wasn't the same, but
you had a backup quarterback and they did stop a
great Bears running game. But I also thought that both
I guess both run games were good for the Steelers,
(01:26):
both pass games were bad for the Steelers.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Matt you mean, Mike, Yeah, let me keep going.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
I'm gonna take Matt and you king her back to
before the first preseason game and Mike Tomlin met the
media and he said one of the goals, wash, don't
kick your own ass, and they did. The mistakes are
they're periodic, and they are fatal. And with the defense,
(01:57):
I mean, everything about it, almost everything about it I
should say, was really good, except they still can't play
zone coverage and they're they're bad at it and they've
been bad at it all year, and that bit him again.
And then offensively, they took I think four deep shots
(02:17):
against one on one and the best they got out
of it was one pass interference against Chicago, and there
was also one interception and almost another interception. You gotta
be able to hit one or two of those, and
you can't sack strip fumble when you're in scoring territory,
and it's a six man protection against the three men pressure.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Can't happen, and I'll alad, you need to align yourself properly.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Another good one.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
That's kind of you know football one on one. Let's
get lined up properly.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
That's back to not kicking your own ass, isn't it right?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And Mason Rudolph scrambles and he's got it into Bears
territory and you got a fresh set it down and
you're in pretty good shape. You're one more first down
away from getting Chris Boswell field goal.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
TEP.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Now, of course you had that, you still got that opportunity,
but boy, it would have been nice to have had
that forty five seconds earlier.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
One thousand. Maybe they had to play with a little
more urgency late in the game when these extremely long drives.
But I think Mike's right. I mean, there's two or
three too many self inflicted wounds. I mean, you mentioned,
you know they can't they're not great at playing zone coverage.
(03:36):
I think that's clear. But the DJ Moore was he
just gave a free touchdown, you know, again because of
communication issues or whatever issue it was.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
They had four guys covering the twenty yard line. Yeah, yeah,
which is where the sticks was. It was third and six,
four guys across the pick of fence across the twenty
yard line.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
The problem was Bears ran four deep route right.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
Two guys on the outside were covered and Jalen Ramsey
was left in the middle to pick one.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Of two guys.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
And there's no right choice.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
You go to one, they're gonna throw it to the other.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
How does that happen?
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yeah, and it's happened too much.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
The lining up wrong thing.
Speaker 5 (04:15):
I mean, Rogers saw it from the sideline, Calvin Austin
saw it from the slot. You can't do that there,
and that that sex strip fumble, you know. Mixon Rudolph
explained it after the game and he said, well, the
Bears did a good job. They pulled a defensive tackle
off to cover Jalen Warren, who was the checkout.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Okay, good.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
They had him covered with a six foot one, three
and forty pounds defensive tackle.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
You can't win that one on one.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Right right throw to him anyway? Yeah, let him make
a play against that guy, right?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Is that wrong?
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I mean, oh, well, I can't do that. They're covering
him with a defensive tackle.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I'm not trying to be funny, right, frustrating to me
because is that what you want?
Speaker 5 (04:57):
You know, you mentioned maybe the drives were too thoughticle.
Maybe they were, but weren't they after time of possession
and running more plays? What we complaining about that stuff?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Right?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Right? I didn't have any problem with that. I don't know.
I know. Listen, that's a funny, that's a beauty. Right.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
We can all look at the same thing and have
different reasons that we, you know, thought things went bad
or things went well.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
Thirteen plays, ninety five yards, seven fifty eight seven plays,
eighty yards two thirty seven seventeen plays, seventy three yards,
seven minutes, forty seven seconds. Those were their three touchdown drives.
That implies and suggests not just competence, but pretty good offense.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
To me, you just can't screw up.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You can't screw up, I get guess you look.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
At Interceptions are going to be thrown, Passes are going
to be dropped, balls are going.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
To be fumbled. Don't line up wrong when the.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Game's on the line.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah, a couple of times too, Like both sweat sacks.
From what I remember, they're not. Washington's a great blocking
tight end, But don't block their best pass rusher with
the tight end either you know, things.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Like that, right, that's right, and both of those were
in one of them.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
I think Rudolph sort of stepped into try to step
in step inside of that and get out wide.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
That is any.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Blockers nightmare because you can't you don't have eyes in
the back of your head.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Well, he almost got away on that one to almost Yeah,
we get you. That gets you six and five.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yes, And you know, I will say this before I
get to some of the things. One of the big
things that that makes me optimistic about the Steelers but
also has to be fixed for the Steelers to be
successful is you know these what you're talking about with
the zone coverage, and it feels like that when the
(06:41):
Steelers are running patterns on third and seven, third and eight,
there aren't a lot of guys open. There isn't a
lot of separation out there. When the other team runs
patterns on you know, third and ten, third and eleven,
as we've seen the last couple of weeks, it's like
an easy pitch and catch over the middle of the
field and a first down. Now, I don't know if
that's my perception. I don't know if I'm wrong on that,
(07:04):
it's what it looks like to me. Again, I don't
have the luxury of watching replays, and you know, I
have to get ready for the next play when I'm
up with the broadcast booth calling the game.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
That's what it looks like to me. Guys, is that
do you see that?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Or am I way oversimplifying what it appears to me
is I'm calling a game.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
I think it's a little oversimplified. But I also think
it's noteworthy that you mentioned over the middle of the
field because the Bears concentrated on attacking the middle of
the field. The Steelers were the total opposite. And I
just don't think you're operating with enough blades of grass
at your disposal that way.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Yeah, I'm not as fixated on the middle of the field.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
From what this now, the Bears had some guys open
because again, the Steelers don't play zone coverage very well.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
Yeah, but they got away with it.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
Because Caleb Williams is not an accurate passer, and I
guess they didn't want Chicago to take the lit off
and you know, get behind them, wanting to make them
earn what they got, and uh, you know, Caleb Williams.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Came into that game.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
Is he had completed fifty nine point seven percent of
his passes, which stinks by NFL standard.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
It's like third worst in the league.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Right, he completed fifty four point three percent against the Steelers.
So I'm not going to sit here and say they
got sliced and diced. But there are the occasional wide
open easy play because of their again failure to grasp
how to play zone coverage. King or I do a
show with Matt and Merril Hodge every Thursday night. The
(08:37):
previous show, Meryl is on the morning show with us Matt.
How many times would you say Meryl has brought up
they don't grasp playing zone.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
They they pretty much a weekly basis.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
They cover grass, not not guys.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Right, they can't figure out there's nobody on.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
You know, you're supposed to drop my assignment to the number.
There's nobody there. Do something else. Don't just stand there, Okay,
I got the I ain't in twenty on the.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Ground covered doing my job, coach.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
It's happening all year, and I think drop up to
your point, a couple three of those a game make
it look way worse than it is.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Huge yeah, make it look way worse difference. I mean,
you know, think about that. Uh, now you wind up
running the Bengals out of the building, but I think
it was the Bengals very first third down of the game. Man,
wouldn't it be nice to set a tone and get
it early three and out? It just it seems like
that's but it also, I mean, when it's happening this
late in the season, you wonder if it can be fixed.
(09:33):
But that's one of the things to me that I
think can be fixed. And you know, you think about
all the yardages dealers have given up, and the passing
yardages dealers have given up. I'd love to know how
many of those are in that sort of situation, and
and things that appear to be fixable, like hey, if
they're running four guys on go routes, you know, uh,
(09:57):
maybe somebody needs to figure that out and and defend it.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
So that's you know, that's one thing.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
But the bigger thing for me, you know, the Steelers
is six and five because you did not play a
good game in LA against the desperate A Chargers team
that really needed to win that game on the road
Sunday night. You didn't play well, and then you lost
the game against the Bengals on Thursday night. We know
the opponent's record in the AFC North on the road
on Thursday nights. And even in that game, remember the
(10:24):
Steelers had to lead, and they had opportunities early to
stretch the game out.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I don't want to talk about those.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
What I want to talk about is the three top
flight NFC teams that you've beaten. And I'm gonna lay
my case out as to why I still think there's
more there for the Steelers. Whether they'll get there or not,
I don't know, because it's six and five. They haven't
gotten there enough. They have beaten two of the top
teams in the AFC. They beat the Patriots, and they
(10:49):
beat the Colts. They've played three top NFC teams. They've
played the Packers, they played the Seahawks, and they just
played the Bears. In all three of those games games
the Steelers were not only leading at the half, but
they got the ball to begin the second half.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
The kind of games in which if you put a
drive together against any of those teams, it is minimum
a two.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Score lead and you are in control of the football game.
And yet yesterday they flashed up a statistic on CBS
saying at one point the Steelers were out gained one
hundred and twelve to thirteen. It was late in the
third quarter. First of all, that's way too many yards
to give up in a quarter. One hundred and twelve
yards and the quarter wasn't even done yet, and then
(11:39):
you got thirteen yards. You got the ball first and
had two possessions. Like, I don't understand how you can
start the game so fast and do so well on
your opening drives and come out and for whatever reason
not be good in the third quarter. So when I say,
see a team that beat two of the top AFC teams,
were leading three of the top NFC teams and had
(12:01):
the ball to begin the second half, it just feels
like that's something that should be fixable and should give
me optimism that the Studers can play with anybody and
beat anybody in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
It's a good way looking at it, you know, because
the Green Bay game really stands out from that perspective.
It is like I thought, they man, they got them
where they want them. At the halftime, it's a good
Packer team. They're running down their throats and then Warren
gets three carries in the second half, and that's not
the only reason that went south, but I think it
had something to do with it. But what's interesting to
me is like last year, you know how I harp
(12:37):
on the numbers, you know, I mean, first quarter they
had the worst point differential in the whole league, but
third quarter they were like near the top. So it's
not like, right.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Right, right, this is not the way this goes back, right,
right right.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
They know how to make halftime adjustments. They got years
and years of you know, being able to do that.
They've a lot of the same players. There's some new guys,
but it is a hard thing just to pin down
as to why.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Though.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
You look at yesterday's situation and it came out and
got the ball and they're winning the game, and they
went run to Warren, uh and then Rudolph bootlegged I
think that was it wasn't a design play, but he
decided to keep it and then they ran Warren again
first down. Then he got sacked and that was the
one where he tried to step up and they got
(13:24):
grabbed by the Yeah jersey, you know, you didn't get
lit up, but he get they got them on the ground.
So they run Warren again on second of fourteen. That's
third and ten. Here we go one on one deep
shot to Roman Wilson down the sideline and Rudolf threw
a duck.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
I mean, were you're right about there's one on one
deep shot, you got complete one.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
I get that.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
It's a it's a.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
Hard play to make, but this is big boy football.
They're they're daring you to throw that. Yeah, yeah, So take.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Them up on it and hit a third of them,
hit half of them.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
You gotta hit at least one or hit a cover.
Yeah yeah, you know, you leave all those on the
fields that hard, and you know, until they fix that,
I think. I think a healthy Aaron Rodgers would have
won that game yesterday.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
And now I was fully in favor of Rudolph playing
because I didn't think Rogers was healthy enough and I
thought he needed a little bit of a blow. But
if they're going to be better down to stretch, Rob,
it's they're gonna get back to hitting that they were
hitting those early in the season. I remember the New
England game, Calvin Austin critical play late in the game.
It's tied and Rogers was able to sense one on
(14:30):
one for Austin and he took it downtown and they
scored the game winning touchdown on it. I think Austin
was an option yesterday on that fourth down pass that
had no chance even if it got the metcals didn't
look like your options there were dumping down the game. Well,
and see if he beats a linebacker. I never heard
of one on one in the flat and runs to
the stick and out of bounds. Or take your deep
(14:51):
shot to Calvin Austin, hit it, kick the field goal
and go to overtime.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Notither thing happened.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
They're good, but they're not good enough to beat themselves,
and they got to be a little bit better than
they were yesterday and.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Can't leave those opportunities on the field, not all of them.
And yeah, am I wrong that?
Speaker 5 (15:10):
Like when Austin got hurt, that's when all of a sudden,
Metcalf started having problems. And since Austin, since Austin has
come back, he has not been the player for whatever
reason from an impact or effectiveness standpoint.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
So now you're just wallowing.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
You know, you're trying to go tight end and figure
out ways to throw it sideways and get something out
of that, and it was it was working pretty well
that the play they ran at the goal line the
metcalf was beautiful, the three tight ends leading the charge.
Surprised they didn't go back to that. Maybe do a
misdirection and take it the other way, or fake fake
the handoff on the jet, sweet type of thing.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
It's it's there. They're just not finishing it enough.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
And I don't expect them to do it all the time,
but they got to do it a couple three more
times than they're doing it.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Agreed, Steve has lose.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Disappointing game obviously, the outcome to the Chicago Bears, a
team I thought they were better than the Bears, and
it didn't. And I've got some stats to to further
confuse and confound and we're gonna get to that when
we continue on the Point After presented by our neighborhood
Forward Store and buy the Steelers Pro shop get it
(16:19):
direct from the team at shop dot Steelers dot com
here on DVE and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Back to the Point After on DV.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
E Warren, who is the long setback Washington in motion
left the right under center the pitch and Warren scoots
around the right end zone and it from Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown.
Excuse and thanks very much for being with us for
the point after, presented by our neighborhood Ford Store and
the Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct from the team
at shop dot Steelers dot com. So I know Mike
(16:51):
Persuda is interested in odds and lines and things of
that nature. So let me run down some numbers and
you tell me who's going to win this game?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
You ready?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Yardage three forty five to three, twenty eight total offensive plays,
Thank you for the first time this year. Yeah, sixty
nine to sixty one, time of possession thirty three to
oh nine to twenty six, fifty one yards rushing one
eighty six to ninety nine for a team that was
(17:26):
the second best rushing team in the NFL. I tell
you those numbers before the game begins. Mike, are you
interested in perhaps that enough evidence for you to be
encouraged to perhaps think about things in terms of team.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
A without question? But you left one out turnovers. Yeah,
and I counted as four to two in Chicago's favor
because I count a turnover on downs as a turnover
it is.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And then the football.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
They turned it over on the field tush push, which
I think succeeded. But yeah, sometimes you gotta work. Sometimes
you've gotta work around a bad call and then the
one at the end of the game. Those cost you points.
But yeah, and that's why Rob. You know, I get
how frustrated fans are. Then I get that because I
listened to them for two and a half hours after.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
The I'm sure they were thrilled with this, you know, so, oh.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
God, the offense is terrible, the defense is no good.
That's not the case, but it's kind of stuck in
this mode between good and good enough, you know what
I mean, Like the self inflicted wounds. That's my theme
of the week for this week. They just they got
to clean it up. And here we are through ten
(18:44):
games and eleven games and they haven't cleaned it up yet.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
So I'm starting to wonder if they ever will.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
I think it's a really good question, and it's the
one that we're gonna find out the answer to. That's
the beauty about playing football. You'll find out the answers
to these questions. Because you know, a few years ago,
the last time Mason Rudolph stepped in he started, Kenny
Pickett was hurt. Kenny Pickett was you know, they did
that the procedure on the ankle. Now he's ready to
come back. Let's ride Mason. He's the hot hand. And
(19:12):
they went up to Buffalo, and coincidentally, Buffalo is a
team coming here on Sunday, and it just felt like, Okay,
how many things have to go right for this Yearers
to win this game?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Right?
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Not not can they line up and play and beat them,
and not can they make an adjustment or two, But
a lot of things had to go You probably need
a you know, a turnover that results in a touchdown,
maybe a special team's play, you know, a lot of
They felt like they weren't in the same class as Buffalo.
That's what it felt like to me going into that game.
(19:45):
Now here they are a couple of years later. I
think the roster's better. I think it's deeper. You know,
as I mentioned, they beat New England, they beat the Colts.
To the top teams, maybe the two top teams in
the AFC, you beat them both, you have an opportunity,
obviously coming up against the Bills, another opportunity to win
a game. Then you'll have the Ravens just still have games
(20:06):
to play. And then I just mentioned, you know, the
three teams, the three elite teams in the NFC that
you were, you were leading at half and had the
ball to begin the second half. I just feel like
this isn't a matter of a talent gap, like, oh,
we just can't play with these guys, Matt. It's a
matter of Okay, we got to clean up this. We
got to clean up the zone defense, we got to
(20:26):
clean up come out of the locker room in the
third quarter and doing something on offense to put a
good team on the ropes and think about that. Not
only is it a two score game, but think how
much that helps your offense right or helps your defense.
I mean, now Sam Darnold has to throw, Jordan Love
has to throw, Caleb Williams has to throw, and now
(20:47):
you get to unleash the defense the way you want to,
or they're padding that ball for a second longer because
they're trying to make a play further down the field
and now here comes to stripsack and now you start
adding to that lead, as we've seen happen a couple time.
I'm just here, I just it's not to me a
matter of well, they're just they've just been they've been
out talented like I thought they were, you know, several
(21:08):
years ago, when they clawed and scratched to win games.
I don't know, maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way,
but that's just that's what I see.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yeah, I lean that way as well. And I like
that you brought up last year's Bills playoff example, because
that felt like a super Bowl contender. Like people ask me,
is this team a contender? Michael, what do you mean
by contender? The last year's Bills team was a super
Bowl contender. They could win the whole thing. Where I
thought the Steelers team going to Buffalo was a playoff contender.
(21:38):
You know that they can get in the playoffs, they
can maybe win a game, who knows, you know. I
mean so, And that's how it played out. And it
goes back to for me what you mentioned in the
first segment about let me make sure I get them
all Seattle, Green Bay, Indie, the Patriots, the Bears, and
you've basically split against those teams and they're all going.
(22:01):
All those teams are playoff teams. I mean, I think
every one of the teams you mentioned that in that segment,
I might even missed one are going to the playoffs,
and Seattle might even be a Super Bowl contender. I mean,
heck maybe if the Patriots are or the Colts are.
I'm not even sure. But you hung with the best
teams in the league basically split with them. To me,
that means that you have the horses, you know what
(22:22):
I mean.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
I think it's a very good point. Looking at last year.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
Yeah, when they collapsed down to stretch right, you know,
the narrative and had some truth to it was, oh well,
you started playing the real teams late in the year
and you got exposed and it showed what you are
not and to there was some truth to that, no doubt.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
This year, when you.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Squashed three of them in the eleven days, you can't
say that this year, no, But yet you found a
way to lose to Cincinnati and Rob you were talking
about winning at halftime.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
They were beating Cincinnati with two minutes left in the game.
That's right, right, it's you know, so close yet so
far away, right. I mean, how.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Closers lost in the Bengals loss are pretty close to
coin flips, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (23:05):
And you're in a different landscape. Turn both of them around,
and you're talking about competing for a buy, And.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yes, it's it's uncharacteristic of the way the Steelers have
have played recently in won games recently, which is clinging
and and to me, clinging and scrapping and clawing to
beat average or maybe slightly above average teams and just
not being in there with the big guys. And I'm
glad you mentioned went back to last year because I
(23:34):
feel like there is and I feel like I see
the evidence here. And I'm not trying to be a Pollyanna.
I'm not, but I just and and this is the
way I felt at the beginning of the season. Look,
two years ago, you go up to Buffalo, you don't
really you're not competing with the big boys. And we
saw over the stretch of a two or three year span, uh,
the Steelers getting blown out by some top competition right
(23:57):
then last year, even in that five game stretch. And again,
I'm not trying to make more of this than it is,
because you lost them all and other than the game
against Baltimore where you got worked in the playoff game,
and I just think you were down and out by then.
If you go back and look at all of those games.
Horrendous start against the Eagles, and yet late in the
(24:18):
third quarter, there you are marching down the field with
a chance to tie the game. Overcome that horrible start.
You pitch it to Nogen for some reason not you
never fumbles, just drops the pitch. You turn it over,
and the game's over. Baltimore. Whatever can go wrong will
go wrong. Kind of game still claude your way to
get back in that and then some things happen. There's
(24:38):
a holding penalty and a kickoff that goes out of bounds,
and things that happened that cost you in that game.
Even the Chiefs right a dubious holding call takes back
a Jail and Warren touchdown that gives you the lead
going into the half. Now, ultimately they weren't good enough
to beat those teams, but I felt like at least
they gave those teams a scrap, whereas in previous years
(24:59):
they just weren't good enough to do that. So to me,
this year this is the logical progression. Okay, two years ago,
playoff team but not a contender. Last year, you know better,
closer to those top teams, but certainly not good enough
this year. The evidence I'm seeing is you're good enough.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Now.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Why it's not happening is a head scratcher to me.
I'm not sure why some of these things are occurring,
but I still hold out hope that they can find
a way. Now they've they're running out of rope, right,
I mean, they're you know, they had rope, and they've
all that rope slipped through their fingers and now they're
clinging onto that knob end as they're you know, trying
not to get dragged into the water here. I understand
(25:38):
that you're out of options in you know, in able
being able to lose games, But I still think there's
I still think there's something there because I've seen it
far more than i've seen it in the previous seasons.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I just haven't seen the results.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Rob real quick to your point. In my warped mind,
often on overreaction, mondays, I like to think at least
a half hour during the day, or bring it up
on the drive. What if we were hosting this show
at the opposing cities, you know, if this was a
Chicago radio show, you know, and if this was a
(26:16):
Chicago radio show, we'd all be like, man, We've won
what is it, eight to nine or seven out of eight,
We're in first place, we have a coach, we have
a quarterback. We're unbelievable, We're unstoppable. You know, two doesn't matter.
If we're losing with two minutes left to go, we're
gonna come down and score. But this team that the
Steelers just lost to, and all those things are true,
(26:37):
are probably three bounces away from being below five hundred
and the Chicago fan base going man and frankly over
that stretch. There's still only like a plus nine point
differential for the seasons on this season, right, And if
they have two different bounces that the Steelers didn't get,
(26:59):
all of a sudden, we're saying, I don't know about
this coach Kayleb Williams, doesn't complete enough passes, worst defense
I've ever seen, can't get a break, you know, like
it's the Godfather thing. Think as those around you do.
I love to do spend a couple of minutes every
overreaction Monday and pretend like I'm broadcasting from the other city.
Speaker 5 (27:17):
You know, I mentioned this speaking to the other city
coming up. I mentioned this on the morning show today.
There's a guy working in Buffalo. Vic Carucci's doing this
for a thousand years, and he's working in TV now,
but he does some write ups for his TV station's website.
And he had this to say after the Bills went
to Houston, and.
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Just on a short week on Thursday nights, all right.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
And I think this applies to a lot of teams
in both conferences. Quote, the high hopes for this team
seem a bit lower, but the week to week nature
of the NFL keeps all the goals in play, reaching
them might be more challenging than expected. Nailed it, yep, right,
That's why he's doing it for a thousand years.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Just the perception in Pittsburgh today versus perception in Chicago
is a thousand times different, but it really shouldn't be.
Speaker 5 (28:08):
Is it inconceivable to think the Steels could beat the
Bills at home, beat the Ravens on the road, beat
the Dolphins at home all of a sudden beyond a roll?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (28:16):
No it's not.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
It's not insane nothing.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
But it's also not inconceivable to think they're gonna lose
all three of those games right where.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
I do think going to Buffalo in the postseason is
built as you know, I was mentioned here a second
ago by Rob probably was pretty inconceivable, you know, like
you were in trouble for that game.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
And even that was a seven point game in the
fourth quarter, m true, and then Buffalo just drove it
down a film score again and that was that. But yeah,
it's just it's really frustrating because you you keep seeing
the warts, but you also see some pretty good football.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Yeah, and all these teams.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Awards, yeah they do, they do any and we see
and that's a good point and we can get to
that coming up in the next segment. But again, you know,
like I use the h I use a puzzle analogy
in my mind, even though I don't know why I
do that, because I can't stand puzzles. You know, my mother,
My mother's here, she's here for the holidays, for Thanksgiving,
(29:10):
and she loves a puzzle.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
She'll sit downstairs and do a puzzle.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
And I always try to put one piece in place,
usually around the edge, because those are the easiest, and
then I can say, hey, how's that you helped me out.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
With that puzzle that I started there the other day,
you know. But anyway, the point is that I don't
know why I use the analogy.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
I don't like puzzles, but I feel like all the
puzzle pieces are there. They're all there, and you just
they just at this stage of the game at six
and five, they just don't seem to fit. And you know,
you hope that they can go on one of those runs.
But that that's kind of the way I look at
it right now, like I see the elements and then
let's forget about the elements that are making it not fit.
(29:48):
I just see enough there that that it should fit,
and it's just not fitting together.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I think they're missing a couple.
Speaker 6 (29:55):
Naming namely pieces second wide receiver, second wide receiver out. Yeah,
you know, they they emphasized in the spring the coaches.
I'm talking about Calvin Austin's a legit number two and
the skeptical and then at the start of the season I.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Was like, yeah, you're right, yeah it could be yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
And then as already as we already talked about on
this show, he went away for a while injured and
he's come back and just not impactful.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Roman Wilson.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
I can't wait to hear how great Roman Wilson practiced
again after a two targets, zero catch performance, in how
many snaps?
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Was it a lot?
Speaker 3 (30:31):
So I didnt these last two weeks tell us a
ton though. Like last week, Roman, you're gonna be the two,
here's your opportunity. This week they made Calvin the two
again because they're searching.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
And it didn't matter.
Speaker 5 (30:41):
And it didn't did They didn't get enough out of
either of those guys.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Let me see what we.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Had here for Okay, So, and I understand you guys
are narrowing the scope what I was talking I was
trying to keep it a big picture.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
But let me say this. Okay, so.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Listen, man, nobody, nobody has twenty two Pro bowlers out there.
Nobody has twenty two All pros. So we're talking about
with the Steelers are missing. Okay, fine, let's talk about
what the Bears were missing. Their top two cornerbacks. And
but those guys had been out three linebackers.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Those guys have been out most of the year.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Well, the two corners are really really good.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
Play yeah right, But it's not like all of a sudden,
the Chicago team was significantly less than an.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Okay, but they're eight and three without without a Pro
Bowl corner.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
They were expecting to have their other starting corner that
they're expecting to have, and their top three linebackers in
this game all out. So I don't I don't think.
I'm not looking at this from a personnel standpoint. I'm
looking at this as they've had moments where they've flung
the ball all over the field. They did it in
Cincinnati and a loss. They did it in New York
and a win. They've had moments where they've been able
(31:47):
to run the ball. That's what I'm talking about, Not
little not hey, number two receiver, whatever. Everybody's got issues,
everybody's got things that they've got to coach around, scheme around,
what have you. What I'm seeing is a team that's
shown capabilities. They've listened dominating defensive performances. It's at points,
and then look at the games against you know, look
(32:10):
at Cincinnati in the first meeting, right. That's what I'm
talking about, is that I just think there's enough there
for the team that is it perfect, No, but there's
nobody perfect out there. Just look around the NFL. I
just think there's enough there for the team to be
better and maybe get themselves on a roll, which just
hasn't happened yet.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
I think it's a very good point that you're making.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
But I'll just say this, I'll, like everybody else, I'll
over react a little bit.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
On Monday.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
You know, there's a guy in a practice squad named
Marquez Valdes Scantling, and he has a history with Aaron
Rodgers at catching deep balls. And as I mentioned, they
didn't hit any of the one on ones that they
took down the sideline, and by the end of the game,
they weren't even taking them. It's not all the receiver's fault.
But I haven't seen Roman Wilson take the top off
the defense. I haven't seen Calvin Austin do it any
(32:58):
long time. If nothing else, give me stick Scantling running
down the sideline. He's probably gonna get one on one.
And let's see if Aaron Rodgers and Scantling can get
the band back together, because they are lacking that element
to just put a little fear in the defense.
Speaker 4 (33:13):
And maybe four people won't cover.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Metcalf And I don't think, and I don't think you're
implying this without Scantling's the next Randy Moss and he's
just sleeping on the practice squad.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
Can he catch one or two of those a game.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
But that's what he does.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
How much worse would it look?
Speaker 3 (33:26):
And the other thing is he's not five to nine.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Well, but let me see, this is similar to Mike
Williams a year ago.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Well that worked once. What he runs better than Williams?
Help me and help get you in the playoffs? I
mean it's the same process.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
Does he win a one game?
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Yeah? He did win in one game and right, and
we're looking for one win now?
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Yeah, okay, I mean to my's point, maybe it's just
worth giving him a helmet this.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Nay, I'm gona just say try it. I can't get
any worse.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
More to get to.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
We want to remind you a Clearview Federal Credit Union,
they're always upping their game for those indeed, through Touchdowns
for Hope, Clearview will donate five hundred dollars to the
Light of Life Rescue Mission for every Black and Gold
touchdown scored this season. Visit Clearview FCU dot org slash
Touchdowns to learn more. Back of More in the Point After,
presented by our neighborhood Forward Store and the Students Pro Shop.
Get it direct from the team at shop dot Steelers
(34:17):
dot com, Here on DVE and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
Back to the Point After on DV.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Brudolph forgets to snap back those over the middle of
the field that it is complete to prior roof on
a crossing pattern left to right and he gets out
to the thirty four yard line. Yep, uh want to
see more of that, right. We want to see more completions.
We want to see more moving the ball down the field.
We want to see more, guys. Thanks very much for
being with us for the Point After, presented by our
(34:47):
neighborhood Ford Store and by the students Pro shop. Get
it direct from the team at shop dot Steelers dot com.
And you know, like it or not, the Steelers are
where the Steers are. They are six and five and
and guys in need of a victory and in need
of finding a way to just get more consistency game
to game and within games as well.
Speaker 3 (35:10):
A thousand percent. And again this is not a new problem.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
I know.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
This is not a preview show, it's a review show.
And hey, Buffalo has Superman a quarterback, but they don't
have any receivers either. Their run defense has been a
disaster all year. For three years, they've tried to trade
for a receiver Amari Cooper at the deadline, or von
or An edge rusher Von Miller, Joey Bosa. And I
(35:37):
just wanted to bring that up because the last segment
that all these teams have a lot of issues. Maybe
not the Rams after last night, but most of these
teams have a lot of issues.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Buffalo lost at Atlanta, Yeah, at Miami, right.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So Buffalo rushed at Miami.
Speaker 5 (35:51):
Buffalo could lose that. Pittsburgh not predicting that, but sure
they're far from perfect. It wouldn't take a miracle, and
they could also win this probably, Yeah, it's possible.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Is there any reason that you guys think that this
has been such a weird year that the.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Teams it's what the NFL wants.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Yeah, I get that, but it just seems even more
so this year. I agree.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
I mean the thing that Denver Giants thing, and I
mean Philly was up twenty one to nothing.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
On Dallas yesterday. Lost.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Yeah. Lost.
Speaker 5 (36:32):
Let's go back and study all the Super Bowl champions
over the years and see how many twenty one point
leads they blew in the.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Regular season, I mean, even just last week.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
But the answer is none.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
I bet the answer is none. You know Tampa looked
like a power HUGO.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
I think the team.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Rob, I don't know the answer.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
It's a great question. I wish I had something for you.
But it seems goofier to me than normal.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Yeah, it seems goofier to me than normal too. But
I also think this year, more than ever, I know
who the garbage teams are, but I don't know who
the great teams are, you know, like I can look
at the Raiders and be like, oh boy, they're not
being anybody you know, or the Tennessee year, I mean
the teams that have nothing and there's like five or
six of them. But then who's really the great teams?
That's really been a mystery for a long time. All year.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
It has, and I don't know is that mystery is
getting any clearer. I mean, normally, you know there's clarification
happening at this time of year. I'm not sure there's
any clarification happening at this time of the year.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
And speaking of clarification, can I interrupt you real quick here,
because I've been meaning to ask you this all day
because you were at the game. I was here and
I watched it on CBS, so I missed a lot
of key elements of it.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
I don't know if you heard how good that broadcasts
went yesterday.
Speaker 1 (37:44):
I heard there were some struggles. I don't know why.
I don't. I don't know what the struggles were about.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
What happened on the punt which was initially called holding
on the Bears on the Chicago punt return and the
ball was put into Chicago's six yard line. Then they
went to commercial and they came back and said, no,
the penalty was on Ben's kronic. Yeah, and the balls
at the forty.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Yeah, that was even if they had been no penalty called.
It's a thirty yard swing holding.
Speaker 4 (38:10):
On the gunner.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Yeah, I don't end the inevitable call was yeah, yeah,
I have ever heard that.
Speaker 5 (38:17):
And there was no explanation, no replace, it's just, oh,
you know what, it wasn't that it was this.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
So we knew going to break that that everything was
being marched back, and it was a very bizarre situation,
like the drum line was out there playing like wait
a minute, man, I mean they couldn't they couldn't start
playing again. You know, now they're waiting for the commercial
time out. Uh, you know, talk about you know, throwing
a team at a rhythm. Yeah, that was there was some.
(38:44):
There was some strange things. And again I am not
and never want to be a we got job by
the refs kind of guy that cost him thirty yards.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
I still don't know what that was all about.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
I wasn't going there. I just didn't know what.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Yeah, only going on that side. I still think they
got the first down on the tush push. So so
that happened again. Going to break. Okay, So I'm like,
and the red hats out of the field and he's
talking to the officials, and I'm like, Okay.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
This is going to be overturned.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
It's going to be Steelers, and the teams are, you know,
milling around a little bit. But the Steelers defense never
left the field, and I'm like, oh my gosh, man,
they're they're saying that this is not going to be overturned.
So there were some, there was some. It was a
it was a different game in those aspects. And again
I don't want to point I am not and I
know you're not either. I am not pointing to this
(39:34):
game and saying the officials blew it, because here's another
thing you never know, you know, So we're saying, okay,
the you know the Bears, and I'm sure the Bears, Well,
but we got conservative down the stretch. Well, would you've
gotten conservative down the stretch? You know, you're not going
to run the ball three times in the middle of
the line if the game's tied, when you get your
two possessions in the last you know, four minutes of
(39:56):
the game, that's not going to happen.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
So, you know, calls or calls and get that. But
they they also.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Change how teams play the game later and and and
what would have happened is not what would have necessarily
what did happen is not necessarily what would have happened
later in the game.
Speaker 5 (40:12):
I concur I just like I was really curious. Yeah,
what was the penalty? Was it a good call? Was
it a bad call? Did anybody see it?
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Never saw? It was very very strange.
Speaker 5 (40:24):
Because you know those gunners they just grab a hold
of a guy and hold them. They don't try to
run down the feeling as fast as they can.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
They're not Yeah right, yeah, yeah, that was weird. Weird
for sure.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
That's I don't know I've ever heard that.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Yeah, I had to either, But but there it was,
and now you know, guys, this this is this is
what's happened, and this is where you are at this
point of the season. You were the point in which
you know you pretty much have to beat the Bills.
I mean, there's not really I don't think much other
way to put it. Uh, you know, you're six and five. Now,
(40:58):
listen in the unpredictable NFL. Who knows what happens when
the Ravens go play Cincinnati. You know on Thursday night
what happens in that game. So don't you know Joe
Burrow is going to be back. I'm sure they're going
to get a shot in the arm from that and
all that stuff. But you know, if things remain the same,
you can't really afford to slip up at this point
(41:19):
of the game, at this point of the season.
Speaker 3 (41:20):
So two weeks ago, I was like, I thought it
was working against the Steelers that both Ravens games were
still out there. Now I think you look at it like, oh,
but we get to play the Ravens twice if you
knock them off both times the division.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
Yeah, I mean that's it, right, I mean, you you.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Have to do that.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
But I still think, you know, think about Buffalo. Right, so,
right now you're the eighth seed, and the implications of
this game are big. You know, I really felt like,
and I think Mike you and I talked about this
earlier on DV this morning, that.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
You almost had to win one of these two games.
Do you have to win it?
Speaker 2 (41:57):
No, but you almost look just for your own psyche,
just for playing good football, just to position yourself in
the best possible place.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
That you can.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
You needed to split these two games, two tough teams,
Bears and the Bills. Given my options, I'll take the Bills.
Although I think that was a tough game, you know,
I thought.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
Doesn't hurt you that bad?
Speaker 1 (42:19):
No, it doesn't hurt that much.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
Although I again I still think that the Steelers were
a better team and just didn't win the game. But
you still have everything out in front of you that
you need to have out in front of you if
you can take care of business against the Bills. So
once again for you. But believe me, they're saying the
same thing in Buffalo. Talk about about what are they
saying in the other city. They're saying, we got to
go on the road and beat the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
On Sunday one hundred percent they are. They're in a
tough situation for sure, and some of it's just the
math though, you know, you beat the Ravens twice, or
if you beat the Bills here as opposed to the Bears. Now,
I don't love that the Bills get ten days to
stew on a rough loss. But I'm also kind of
intrigued with Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Looks like with the week off interesting.
Speaker 5 (43:05):
Yeah, me too, me too, uh, you know, my chances
with that and the other the other intangible element that
if people are looking for a straw to grasp or
a silver lining. There's been a couple of occasions this
year where they the Steelers have been in this okay,
this is respond time. Yeah, yeah, you have time to
circle the wagons and step up or or step back
(43:28):
and get out of the way. And and one of
them was Indianapolis, and one of them was the second
Cincinnati game.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
Yeah, and those.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
Are two of their best games of the.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
Year and their AFC wins, and we over overlooked it.
But I think this offensive line is playing wait, I mean,
is the most improved unit on this team and is
in a really really good spot right now.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
And I think the defense, if you look at the
Colts game. They stopped Jonathan Taylor. Yeah, not easy to do.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
Then they stop chasing.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
Then they stopped Chase Higgins and Flacco. Nobody had done
that yet, yeah yeah, and then yeah, the Bears were
running through everybody.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
One of the best running and they clamped it.
Speaker 5 (44:04):
And they even kept the clamps on Williams like he
didn't He got out a couple times.
Speaker 4 (44:08):
But we didn't do anything crazy out on the wing.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
I mean, first couple of games of the year, I'm like,
why they letting their best players blow up against this defense?
But now, I mean, Josh Jay can go back to
Josh Jacobs. I mean, like they're knocking down the best
players now.
Speaker 4 (44:21):
If they can play zone, they would be a historic defense, right.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
Well, you know, and here's the thing too, elements again,
just what you guys, you're talking about. The elements seem
to be there, but it's time to turn those elements
into victories. And that's what the Steelers are going to
need to do Sunday in Buffalo as they are now
six and five following your thirty one to twenty eight
defeet to the Chicago Bears. Guys, thanks very much. Has
always love to spending time with you. For Matt Williams
(44:47):
and for Mike Berzuda, I'm Rob King. We also thank
you as as well as our producer, our steam producer
at the Controls, Justin Miller. We thank you for being
with us for the Point After, presented by your neighborhood
Ford Store and the Studis Pro Shop. Get it direct
from the team em at shop dot Steelers dot com,
here on d ve e and the Steelers Audio Network
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.