September 15, 2025 • 44 mins
Rob, Matt, and Mike breakdown and share their reactions to the Steelers' loss to the Seahawks in their home opener.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
At presented by your Neighborhood Sports Door and by the
Stuffers Pro Shop. Get his record see at shop dot
Steelers dot com. Alongside Mike Berzuda and Matt Williamson. I'm
Rob King. We're coming to you following this year's thirty
one to seventeen loss to Seattle in the home opener
for the Steers that evens this years record at one
and one. They won on the road at New York
(00:23):
against the Jets, lose against Seattle the final score thirty
one to seventeen. Thanks very much for being with us.
I'm gonna go over some of these issues that the
team faced yesterday and maybe lump in some issues that
have reared up in the first two weeks, good and bad.
There were some good, but Mike Persuda, let's start with you,
(00:44):
and let's just start with your sort of overarching thoughts
about the Steelers thirty one to seventeen loss.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
King or my view from thirty thousand feet, as Mike
Tomlin might like to say, a very similar game to
the opener against the Jets. The difference the Steelers were
able to make plays in all three phases late in
the Jets game that allowed them to win the game,
and yesterday they screwed up in all three phases late
(01:12):
and that doomed them to lose the game. I think
it's probably these two games that we've seen are going
to be like a lot of the games we're gonna
see this year. They're not necessarily or appreciably better or
worse than the majority of the teams are going to play.
These games are going to come down to the weighty moments.
Another tominism for you and the poster child. Jalen Ramsey
(01:38):
makes an unbelievable play on Garrett Wilson separating the football
to seal the Jets game, and yesterday at a critical juncture,
Seattle goes forty three yards to the post, one on
one Jackson Smith de Jigma against Jalen Ramsey. Good on
good Their guy Wono. He's on scholarship too.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Ye, great throw by Donoald. You gotta give him credit.
That was a fantastic throw, And Mike I felt the
same way you did. I really thought at it. There
was a moment in the game where I thought, Okay, well,
this years aren't playing particularly well, but I think they're
gonna win the game. And for a lot of it
I thought they were gonna win the game right up
until the moment some of the things you discussed happened
and they didn't win the game. Matt, your general take
(02:22):
after this thirty one to seventeen loss.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, I agree with a lot of what Mike said,
and my concerns are I just don't see down to
down consistency on either side of the ball, particularly with
the run game, stopping the run or running the football,
and to me, that screams losing at the line of scrimmage.
And they've become against two games, really reliant on big plays,
(02:49):
you know, splash plays, and they're good at it. I mean,
especially on defense. This goes back for years. They get sacks,
they get tips, they get forced fumbles, they get interceptions,
but it's a tough way to live, and when they
don't go your way, this happens. And unfortunately things went
to total opposite where you throw an end zone interception,
(03:09):
which is always really difficult to overcome, and clearly the
Caleb Johnson handing them seven points is really hard to overcome,
you know. I mean that's the elephant in the room.
And there's also a lot of defensive injuries piling up
but I think that's a little bit of an excuse
at this point. I mean, the defense needs to be better.
It's been really lackluster now for six seven games in
(03:31):
a row.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
So, Matt, I wanted to ask you about one thing
because I know you look at a lot of numbers,
and I don't know if this is something that you
ever come across in your studies. But you can't take
away Kenneth Walker's for longest runs, right, You're not allowed
to do that. It doesn't happen. And Kenneth Walker's good back,
capable of long runs. But if you take away a
(03:54):
thirteen yard or he had a fifteen yard or he
had a twenty yard er he had and that mystifying
nineteen yard touchdown run that he had when it just
looked like Seattle was willing to settle for three and
then he ran in I think untouched for nineteen yards out.
You know the other twenty five runs, you know that
includes Barner with a sneak on the tush, push the
(04:17):
tight end, Zach Charbenego in fifteen carries ten yards. It's
twenty five carries and fifty yards. Now, I don't know
whether I think that I'm encouraged by that. I think that,
you know, and again I'm not breaking down tape. I'm
not in the tape room, but I would have to
think if I'm looking for some sort of positive with
(04:38):
his run defense that you know, if maybe it's a
missed assignment here or there. Again, I have no idea
what happened on that nineteen yard run. I just I
can't even wrap my head around that. You know, that's
something where you're looking to gain five or six yards
of your seattle and kick a field goal and take
a ten point lead, and instead he runs it in
(05:00):
from nineteen yards out. I don't know if you come
across these these type of studies, but twenty five carries
fifty yards, that's sensational. Four runs kind of ruined it
for you. And even if you give Walker a couple
of those runs, you know, let's say you give them
the too longest, the twenty, and the nineteen for thirty
nine yards. You know, if you subtract the other two,
(05:22):
you're looking at twenty nine carries for ninety nine yards.
And that doesn't sound quite as bad as twenty three
or twenty nine f one hundred and seventeen.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah, I think it was better than Week one in
terms of down to down run defense consistency. They also
didn't have nearly the rushing threat at the quarterback position.
But I also said a bunch of this week that
Justin Fields is a top three running quarterback that's ever lived.
(05:53):
I mean, they happen to face another one of them
twice a year, sometimes three in Lamar and Vic.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I mean, like, so you don't face Justin Fields every week.
That's somewhat of a unique obstacle. But you know, just
I did just kind of check out some of the
numbers while you were talking there. Their success against charbon
Ay was really good, and you were right, there's a
high percentage, a decent percentage of just run defense downs
(06:20):
that were strong and much better than against the Jets.
But I probably shouldn't set pursuita up this well. That
Walker character's pretty good and he destroyed them.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I'll just leave that sit there. I will say that.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Matt, we do a number of shows together, and I
continue to be fascinated by the way you turn a phrase.
Justin Fields is one of the three best running quarterbacks
who ever lived, who ever lived. He could have just
left it the three best running quarterbacks. But that really
drives the point home.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
Yeah, he's a pain in the butt to play against.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
And Rob, I think you and I are on the
same page here. I get at least I think I
sense what you're trying to get at. And that's why
I was so focused on that last Seattle drive. You know,
other than the ending Missus Lincoln, how'd you like to
play if you take away forty three yards to Jackson
Smith de Jigma at the critical juncture of the game,
(07:20):
he ends up with seven catches for sixty yards and
no touchdowns.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Consider what he did in week one. You take that
long of course, right.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Walker's nineteen yard touchdown run. If he doesn't get that,
he's just over eighty.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yards and that's our two best players, and you don't
let him running into the end zone.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
I mean, but those things are occurred. They did, and
it was right.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
In the Jets game, they were really inconsistent defensively, but
they were able to rise up those last two possessions.
They got a three and out and then a four
and out this time and the play I don't want
to forget is the nineteen yard dumped to the tight
end when they blitzed on third and nine and Darnold
was able to spin away from Patrick Queen. Then I
(08:04):
think what happened on this place is Peyton Wilson is
initially engaged with the tight end as part of the blitz,
and then the tight end sheds him and just bleeds
into the flat. Wilson's got to stay with him there.
You can't just leave the guy wide open. Instead, he
goes through the quarterback. Now, you hear guys talk a
lot about, Okay, we tried to do too much or
we didn't follow our assignment.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
I think Peyton Wilson got out of his head a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I think he could be goldy of that through two games,
trying to make a play, but.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
He's not making the right play. Similar to Calvin Austin
on that end zone intercept, He's got to be at
the pylon, all right, it's not your ball, do your
thing and let everybody else do their thing. And then
he tries to get the ball anyway and deflex it
to Seattle. These are very correctible things that I think
are a part of what people I assume perceived to
(08:52):
be a cliche September football, But it's real to me.
And the Steelers aren't the only team making these kind
of mistakes, made fair share of mistakes yesterday as well.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
But when the league is kind of sloppy as a
whole right now, And that's true.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
And that's why at this time of the year, the
critical moments the end of the game, when it's close
and it's it's there to be taken, either team can
win it. Somebody makes a play and somebody does it.
Stealers are one for two.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
One week they did one week they did.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Collectively making those plays.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
It's not the worst place to be and I know
the numbers look bad and it's very disappointing to lose
the home opener, but I see the team with the
potential to get better now. Rob My big question is
are these mistakes mostly attributable to September football or is
there a disconnect between what these guys are being coached
(09:46):
to do and what they're actually doing. I don't think
they're getting the message to make the mistakes they're making,
but I don't know that they're receiving the message to
avoid making them.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Does that make any sense?
Speaker 1 (09:58):
It does, and I think it's I think one of
the other things that you know it at least needs
to be mentioned. You know, you you run the risk
of sounding like you're excusing something. There's reasons, and there's excuses, right,
and they're they're they're not necessarily the same thing. I
think that the injuries have really hurt the Steelers. Yeah,
(10:20):
you know you have. You spent your first round pick
on Derek Harmon for a reason, You gave to Sean
Elliott a contract extension in the offseason for a reason.
You drafted Joey Porter where you did for a reason,
and then you start losing guys like Alex Highsmith, another
contract extension guy. These are big losses. And it's not
(10:42):
just the personnel. It's not just hey, we're paying Elliott
for a reason. We're paying high Smith for a reason.
We drafted Harmon for a reason. It's not just that
in a drop off because of the investment that you
put into guys, there's probably naturally going to be something
of a drop off. But I think to me it's communication.
(11:05):
Early on in the year, it is, hey, what are
we doing out here? We haven't played a ton of
football together, and maybe you haven't played any snaps. If
you're one Thornhill with Chuck Clark. You know, for just
as an example, I'm not signaling out that that was
an issue. I'm just saying, you know, there's there's excuses,
and then there's reasons, and I think you know some
(11:26):
of the reasons that the Steelers defense has not been
anything close to what we expected it to be. And
let's let's be honest, it hasn't been anything close to it.
Certainly I expected it to be. Some of it's September football.
Some of it's you added a lot of new faces,
You're going to get better. But then you know, while
you're trying to get better, you you don't even have
the people that you're trying to get better with out
(11:48):
there getting the majority of the snaps.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So I want to add some things to the defense.
And some are stat related, some are just film related.
They clearly had a problem with a lead blocking fullback too,
and they better get used to it because it's wait,
are you trying to say, yeah, huh, they don't like this.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
If you want to run the ball, follow.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
A hammerhead through the whole the half is like an
actual full back, yeah, not like a converted linebacker or
a tight end or just somebody to some six skinny
guy that's the tight end. Yeah, six three seventy four
pounds running by Tim Lester.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
Dan Kreider pays off. That can help, can help. Yeah,
And the league is starting to figure it out, Mike,
because there's.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Like eight to ten teams that didn't even keep a
fullback that did this year. So it's coming back in
a big way. So the better Williamson around. Yep, this
is the kind of and these guys never did it
in college. You watch a ton of college football. They
never took on a full back. They don't know what
shoulder to take on.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
You know. Peyton Wilson's a good example. That's non excuse.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Correct me wrong. Robber Utz was a tight end at Bama.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I forget what he was, but he was kind of everything.
Verted himself to full back back at the Bowl. Just
I think you're right.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
It's hundredercent right total.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
You'll say this about Seattle, much like the Jets want
to try to establish something there in Glenn. They want
to play a physical brand of football. You know, you
see and I don't know, maybe we're looking at an
AFC North school of football. Beginning to this, Stearers and
the Ravens kind of take on that that identity, and
now the Chargers with another Harbor, they're taking on that
(13:24):
tough guy identity, and I think we're seeing it more
in the league. Seattle has not one fullback, but two
fullbacks on the rush. They have two, and like you said, Matt,
there's there's been years where teams don't have any.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yeah, fullbacks are getting employed now, but that fullbacks are
actually getting employed now, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
They're they're getting employed. And I think that we see
a team in Seattle that they kind of went away
from the run last week against San Francisco. But I
think with you know, Mike McDonald, who's got those ties
to the the Harbaugh's and both Harballs and the AFC North,
he wants to run and play physical football. He wants
(14:05):
to have a physical defense. And you just look at
I mean, look at the Steelers' bodies that we were
getting hurt yesterday and the same thing happened in San Francisco.
Brock Purty down with an injury, George Kittle down with
an injury. I'm not saying this is all about playing
hard physical football, but Seattle wants to play hard, physical
football and they kind of stuck with it and eventually
(14:25):
began to pay dividends for it.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
That's a great point, Kinger, and I will correct you
on one thing. They didn't get away from the run
against San Francisco. They just didn't do it very well.
They're bad at it yet, but they kept doing it.
They ran more than they threw.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
They had twenty two minutes of time possession that game.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
They were not good.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, it just they couldn't get anything going on the
running game. But yeah, coming in, I was anticipating that,
you know, the full back and Seattle's going to try
to beat him up. And let me also say that,
you know, all that September football stuff and mistakes and
critical moments. I'm not nobody should perceive me to be
wanting to forgive the Steelers for not being as physical
(15:04):
as they need to be. But sometimes when you're uncertain,
that takes away from your physicality.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Yeah, oh, I think so too.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
And I think you also make more mental errors late
in the game when you're beat up. You know, you're
just you're fatigued and you don't think as well. So
a couple of things I want to throw out there,
king Or for the defense, can I.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Ask you to hold those thoughts please, because we have
to take a Breakak, I'm going to ask you please
hold those, Mat, Matt, will you please hold those?
Speaker 5 (15:27):
I certainly will thank you.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
The Point After is presented by a neighborhood Ford store
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Matt Williamson's got some good stuff for you, and that
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Speaker 4 (15:43):
Back to the Point After on DVD, get.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
To snap back to pass and looking at a loft to.
Speaker 6 (15:49):
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Pittsburgh Steelers and touchdown pass number five hundred and eight
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Brett Farr.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And Welcome back to the Point After, presented by your
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Matt Williams and I know you want to talk about
the defense, but I just I have to say this.
Aaron Rodgers just made two I thought too, just great throws.
I'd have been interested to see if the pat Friarmoth
(16:26):
throw might have wind up being in a great throw
that Austin stepped in front. I didn't get a clear
look at the replay. I don't know whether Friarmuth would
have caught that ball. I don't know if he was
going down or he's laying on the ground. It was
kind of a bizarre angle that I had on it.
But the throw to pat up the right sideline in
the second half just wasn't open. Had a loft it
over a defender in front of another defender, picked up
(16:48):
big yardage, and particularly the one in the first half
rolling out to his right. He threw the ball and
it went a long way in the air and it
hit f I think it hit Friarmuth again, had a
hard time seeing the replay. Look like I hit him
right in the hands. I just absolutely. I mean you
could you could line up and Rogers is what forty
(17:11):
one years old. You could line up every quarterback in
the league, and I would say most of them would
have no chance of making that throw.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Yeah, he definitely can spin it, and he can control it.
There's a difference between throwing it hard and controlling it.
He controls it really, really.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Well and throwing it what had to be fifty five
yards in the air, had to be incredible stuff.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
So there's that.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
There's that.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I mean, he's okay throwing the football, there's no question
about that.
Speaker 5 (17:39):
In commanding the team.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Yeah, and we'll talk about the offense in a moment.
But Matt Williams, I'm.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
On the edge of my seat here. Yeah, come on.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
He had some defensive things to point out for us.
Matt point away. Please, two things. This is the point after.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
So two things. Over the last couple of years, the
Steeler defense in the passing game is attacked in the
middle of the field at the highest rate. And it
isn't even close. I mean, when teams game plan for
the Steelers the last few years, and I'm not gonna
get in all the numbers, but trust me on this one.
They attack between the numbers. So what do the Steelers do.
(18:13):
They're smart, they recognize this. They go get better coverage
players in the middle of the field. Lately in Elliott,
Queen Wilson trade for a salot corner in Ramsey and
what Seattle do they have really good? They attack the
middle of the field Smithnjigba cup tight ends. They threw
almost fifty percent of their balls in the middle of
(18:34):
the field with great success yesterday. And that doesn't bother
me a ton with Smith and Njigba because he's really good,
but I think Cup's really shot and that production bothered me.
We were kind of talking about even if Smith the
Jigba finished with his stat line, I'd be like, we'll
take it, because the rest of their guys don't do
anything well. Cup is exactly the type of guy you're
(18:55):
trying to defend by making these moves and forced teams
to not attack the middle of the field. And I
think why people don't throw the outside as much because
the Steeler pass rush, it takes too long to set
up to throw outside the numbers, so they attack the
middle of the field. And I wish that was better
in this game because clearly that's been a way you've
(19:16):
been attacked for years. Second thing is different, but it's
sort of similar in that in this is an injury issue,
but the defensive linemen that are playing snaps through two
games is a little bit alarming to me. Like I'm
a keyan U Benton fan, but I don't really think
he's a nose. But he's never been a full time player,
(19:37):
He's never been a top of the defensive line room
snap count guy. Well, he leads the team the defensive
lineman with ninety four snaps played. Cam is at ninety
one after not doing anything up until the Jets game. Like,
I didn't want Cam to be at the top of
the list of D line snaps. I didn't want Benton
(19:58):
to be number one because he never has been. And
then Black is third at sixty four, and no one
else has more than thirty seven, you know, I mean,
the D line rotation is not what I bet they
planned or what you want it to be through two games.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So a couple of things. First of all, is it
possible Cooper Cup who's had some injuries the last couple
of years, is not actually shot? Maybe?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
I mean he may be going to have an awesome season,
and I'll just be like I was wrong, you know,
But just watching him of late, I thought he was
pretty shot. So he's had an awesome career, So maybe
I'm wrong.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Matt. I mean, I'm sorry, Mike.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
You know, I get where Matt's coming from, and clearly
a lot of things have not been ideal, you know,
in terms of their perceived rotations. Let's start with running
back and Caleb Johnson being a note show and how that's.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Kicked that out of whack.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
But yeah, you know, at the start of that drive,
Sealle gets the ball back in the fourth quarter, seven
forty four left first and ten from Seattle to twenty seven.
Pittsburgh has just closed back to within seven. Your d
line at that moment was Cam Hayward, Logan Lee and
why Black, Black and Lee are.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Not the players, not the plan.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
They're perceived to be guys of potential, right, but right
now you need production and disruption.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
That's my point. With the snapcounts. I'm not saying they
this that's kind of out of their hands.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Daniel Quale rotates in.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
I've actually been pretty impressed with him, all right, So, yeah,
none of that's ideal, right with.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
Yeah, but a quality I think has been pretty good.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
None of that's ideal.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
But if Queen gets the quarterback on the ground on
the blitz, or if Peyton Wilson doesn't leave his guy
and give him a free third and nine conversion, it
doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
We're not talking about that, right.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
We can look at anything we want to look at
and say this is the problem. But there are also
solutions given the state that they're in. And I would
also add, I know they're hurt and they're banged up.
The Seahawks didn't have two defensive backs that they're really
counting in Emon Worr and Witherspoon their best cornerback, and
(22:08):
the Steelers were perceived to be a team of great
depth at the outset of the season.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
This is why he had depth.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I remember talking to Cole Holcombe before the season started
and he said, man, our depth is it's sick.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
We got guys everywhere.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
Yeah, you know, if Patrick Quinn agreed to them, if Patrick.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Queen was hurting because of the ribs, you know, I
give him full marks for trying to gut it out
and play through it.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
But Cole Holkan is a pretty good player.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
A couple of years ago he was perceived to be
part of the solution at that position. So, you know,
find a way to get it done, and there are
ways they're just not finding them.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, and I think that again. I go back to
Derek Harmon. You you drafted him with the idea that
he would be coming in and getting a lot of snaps,
and you're right. Guys like Black and a quality and
logan Lee could be played a.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Lot before, but that louder Milk played a lot before
his injury and right not particularly well in my right.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
So put those guys in when you want to, not
when you have to.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
And and it's kind of my point on the d
line Stap.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I do think that that's what's happened, and the Steelers
clearly want to be able to dictate instead of being
dictated to. In this particular game, I thought I was
more disturbed by the Seahawks drive in the second half
where they marched down and scored a touchdown than I
was in their opening drive. Opening drives happened. You know,
(23:36):
maybe there's some wrinkles the Steelers weren't expecting a team
comes out and executes fine. I hated the second drive
in the in the second half to drive down the
field and score a touchdown that hadn't been said. There
were moments, plenty of moments where the Steelers' offense could
have helped out the defense yesterday. And I do think
there's a couple of things happening here. It's September football.
(23:59):
You have injuries, our perception of the team being a
lot better it's probably more realistic by mid season than
by now, and the injuries obviously don't help that progression
for the team. And another thing I would throw in
there is that on a hot day like that, how
about putting a drive together. How About you're the team
(24:20):
that goes out and gets a six minute drive and
gets that defense off the field so they can come
back fresh and ready to go. Scause I think they
head back to back three and outs in the second half.
Boy that that is a tough way to go when
it's hot and you're banged up, and you're already down personnel,
you're already without starters coming into the game. You lose
more starters throughout the course of the game. I just
(24:42):
think that this was a game in which the offense,
when you talk about complimentary football, they needed to do
more and they did not do more.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
It's a great point. You know.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Maybe Pittsburgh's first drive is an example of what you're
talking about, Kinger. That was ten plays, forty six yards,
five minutes and forty two seconds. But third and two
at the Seattle thirty and they go empty and there's
an incompletion. This takes us back to their inability to
run the football. You know, that hurts you at the
goal line. Huge, That hurts you on third and short.
(25:17):
What if you get that first down on third and two.
Now you're maybe the twenty eight yard line and the
clock's still ticking and you're still pounding away, and maybe
that drive ends up the game seven to seven instead
of seven to three, and maybe you had the ball
for eight and a half minutes instead of five and
a half off huge, And there's a residual effect.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Right, So, yeah, it's a great point. They're just they're
not doing enough of anything right now. And in lieu
of not.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Doing enough of anything, I'll go back to my initial
point that I'm fixated on. You better come through in
the clutch. If you can't be consistent. Yeah, yeah, you've
been bounded down stuff.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
You'll love.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
You better find a way to make the play when
it's got to be made.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
And to me, it comes down to both running games. Yeah,
run defense and running games.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Now, if you're better, if you're more consistent, maybe not
as many games come down in the last five minutes,
right right, but right now, that's what they're coming down to.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
They're coming down and they're one for two and I've
said this leading up to the week, and I do
believe it, and it's not an excuse. But running games
and defending the run in the NFL nowadays take more
time than ever because nobody does anything in the preseason
and nobody plays sixty snaps or whatever game, and the
physicality just isn't there in the preseason or in training camps.
(26:28):
But they've lost those phases in two straight games, run
defense and running the football, and that's putting a lot
of pressure on Rogers and Watt and big Plays and
bas and all these guys that usually come through.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
But it's you can't always live that way.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Tough way to make a living. Yeah, yeah, yeah, And
as I said, I thought there were I thought there
were times in that game, I'm like, Okay, the Steelers
are going to win this game. You're going to be
two and zero. All these things are much you know,
they're better correct after a win. I just keep stacking
wins and the improvement will come. And look, one other
(27:06):
thing I think we should point out is that, you know,
the Steelers lost to a Seattle team was ten and
seven last year and seven and one on the road.
It's not like they it's not like a terrible team
came in here and whacked them all around the field.
They lost to a very solid football team. Although I
would also say I think that the hope this year
(27:29):
is you separate yourself from the very solid teams and
begin to join the discussion of the top teams. And
they had an opportunity to do that yesterday and it
didn't happen.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Not only was seven points. Yeah, you just can't. I
can't stress that enough. You just handed them seven points
and take.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Seven or three away from yourself by handing them the
ball that.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Too, But I mean that's a football play. One of
them is just handing them seven points.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
But brob to your point about Seattle not only seven
to one on the road last year, But I got
this from our friends at NFL research. Since twenty eighteen,
Seattle has improved to twenty and four in Sunday one
o'clock Eastern time zone road games.
Speaker 5 (28:14):
Yeah, best in the league.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
So much for that travel across the country.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
Well, I mean, it kills everybody else. But they figured
it out. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
I thought it might be a Pete Carroll thing. I
knew that going into this, But they were seven and
one on the road, last year without Carroll.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Yeah, they're good at it.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
By the way. One other thing to point out as
we are talking about injuries, right, there were guys that
were injured in the preseason, and I don't think we
should forget that early on in season. Broderick Jones was
a guy that was really slowed by injuries throughout a
lot of camp. Nick Herbig was a guy who was
really slowed by injuries throughout a lot of camp. Not
that I thought Nick Herbig struggled yesterday or anything like that.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
I'm just saying, no, it's nice to have him back,
that it was nice to have him back.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
It was nice to have him back. And you know,
I still believe that this team's got a lot more
good football left in them, and we just have not
seen the kind of football I sort of expected to
see in the first two weeks of the season.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Totally agree.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
I'd even throw Calvin Austin in there. He didn't practice
a lot down the stretch. Which brings me to another
thing that I'm I think we're gonna hear more of
a drum beat from media fans whoever you want to
listen to or not listen to about another a wide
receiver two situation because Metcalf's a really good player. I
think we all agree on that, but I thought Gardner Sauce.
(29:29):
Gardner got the better of him one on one, as
Sauce often does, and when Sauce wasn't on him, Rogers
attacked him with the football.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
You are at the game, Rob.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
I have not watched the All twenty two, but my
impression of watching TV and listening to announcers was, boy,
did day Roll coverage metcalfs way? And I didn't see
another receiver, including Austin, really step up to take advantage
of that, to make them pay for it.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
You know, it felt to me and I have to
go back and watch the game. It felt to me
calling the game, and again I will try to excuse
myself by saying that I don't get to see I
don't watch the game the same way I would if
I was sitting in the press box or annoying my
wife on TV, you know, watching it home freezing it. Hey, look,
(30:17):
this guy's gonna slide up and they might go into
a cover too, like you know, all that stuff's out.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
And obviously Seattle's pretty familiar.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
With metcap right. It just felt to me like there
weren't a lot of open guys. I thought Rogers did
a phenomenal job, much Bettermber last week he said, Yea,
I kind of had a tight back. I thought he
did a great job of evading the pressure, stepping out
of some pressure situations, and then he'd get outside and
(30:44):
there was nobody there. It just didn't feel like there
were a lot of open receivers for the Steelers, and
it felt like there were a lot of open receivers
for Seattle.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
You know, I don't think there was a lot of
time for receivers to get open, uh Matt. They did
roll cover to metcalf, and they also had their two
deep safeties started taking away over the top stuff like
they do, and Rodgers just you know, he had time
to look once and then he was moving. Yeah, And
it was it was consistent with how Seattle had played
(31:14):
against San Francisco in the opening. You know, brock Party
did not have a comfortable pocket in that game.
Speaker 4 (31:20):
Hit a lot and they didn't get a whole lot
done either.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Till very late he threw up a deep ball, they
beat Woolan down the sideline, and then on a third
down he just threw a lobbin in the end zone
and a tight end nobody tight end, no offense, no
offense to Jake Tans but he's not Kittle. But he
was able to outfight Woolan for the ball on a
fifty to fifty ball. And that's why the response after
(31:44):
that game in Seattle was, I don't know if Woolan's
going to start.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
You know, got to be better than that.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
They were able to overcome the pressure, and they got
an additional edge guy back yesterday, Nuasu, who's a very
good outside linebacker, didn't D line, did not play their
D line compressure.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
With four it goes eight D.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
They penetrate the good edge guys. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Uh, they're a good defense, a very good defense. I
expected that from Seattle's defense. The other side of the
ball bothered me more.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Agreed. Uh. Stevens Louis by the final score of thirty
one to seventeen as they dropped their record to one
to one in the season. I want to let you
know that at Clearview Federal Credit Union, they're always upping
their game for those in need through touchdowns for Hope.
Clearview will donate five hundred dollars to the Light of
Life rescue mission. For every black and goal touchdowns scored
this season, visit clearview FCU dot org slash touchdown to
(32:40):
learn more. The point After is presented by you neighborhood
forards tour and she have this pro shop. Get it
direct from the team at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Back with more right after this, back.
Speaker 4 (32:51):
To the point After on DVD.
Speaker 7 (32:55):
Pitch to Walker, Walker has all kind droman Walker gets
into the end zone. Just a simple sweep to the
left and Walker finds a gaping hole and dances into
the end zone.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Yeah, that wasn't what we expected to see there. It
felt like a play that in which they were just
kind of conceding we're gonna kick a field goal. The
point after is presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and
the Juaris Pro Shop. Get it direct from the team
at shop dot Steelers dot com. That was one of
several plays, and there were several that kind of got
to me. A couple other things that got to me, guys,
(33:32):
you know, And after the game, I think TJ. Watt said,
Seattle did a bunch of Max protect man, Sam Darnold
had time to throw the football and even with Max
protect you know, the Stears brought five and six, I
think their very first rush of the game. They brought
six on that third and six and Seattle picked up
a first down. They Seattle converted some long third downs yesterday,
which was a little disturbing. But the pass rush wasn't
(33:57):
where to me, wasn't where you expected to be. Max
Protector O max protect. They just that coupled with the
fact that guys were open, and I think guys were
open because Sam Darnld had more time to throw Mike.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
He did, but you know, a couple of near misses.
I mean, the first touchdown. One of the things we
heard throughout training camp and heading into the season was
the Steelers are gonna blitz more, and they were gonna
blitz different people from different places. You know, Patrick Queen
wasn't much of a blitzer last year. They hardly blitch
at all. That first touchdown pass Queen and Hayward got
(34:32):
there and I blink late. I mean Donald hung in
there and got popped and he got the pass off
and it was a touchdown. We've already talked about the
third nine blitz, the third nine to the tight end.
Queen again, Donald able to spin out and find a
guy who was left open.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
I mean, you know, is this September stuff?
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Did they need to just get a little crisper on
the blitz, take off a hair earlier, a little bit
better of an angle. I don't know what the you
know what prevented those guys from getting there in time
instead of just a second late. But you know, close
doesn't cut it in the NFL, but they were close
on a couple of big plays.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
I've gotten so many comments today they just keep doing
the same things on deef.
Speaker 5 (35:17):
No, they don't know.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
They really don't the standard reactions, they don't adjust.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
Everything's the same.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
No, nothing's ever changed with organizations.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
You know.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
There was a Jack Sawyer sack. They were using the
three outside linebackers thing again, and they lined him up
next to Watt and everybody went to block Watt and
Slawyer went in.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
Got a sex game, seck.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
I'm getting complaints. Why haven't they switched Watt to other side?
He has done some but in this game, the week
link was the right tackle. Don't move them away from
the weak link, you know, I mean, But I'm with you, Rob.
I wish the pass rush results were a little better,
But I think the process is okay, and I think
(36:00):
that partial sort itself out and Darnold got the ball
out quick and as Mike mentioned, just in the nick
of time a few times, you know.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Well the other thing I think, too, is that you
know when And I can't pretend I'm any expert on
the players coming out of the draft, but one of
the things I really liked that Omark Cohn said when
they drafted Derek Harmon. He went to the podium, you know,
and obviously the Steelers were looking to shore up their
run defense and they believe Harmon will help them do that.
(36:29):
But he also identified him as the best pass rusher
among the interior defensive linemen that were available. And frankly,
no quarterback wants pressure right up the middle. They don't
want it. And what happens did you get pressure up
the middle backs when you start to move out, and
that's when, you know, we saw that happen yesterday. I
think Foultan who got called for a hold because Rogers
(36:53):
was forced out of the pocket and so all of
a sudden, you know your guys going you know, your
quarterback's going around you, and you got a hold the
guy or what looked like a clean block has now
becomes a hole, whatever the case may be. So I
do think that you know that that is something and
hopefully Harmon can bring to this to this team and
(37:13):
Cam Hayward as he gets more steam underneath his legs.
Not that he didn't have a couple of moments yesterday,
but more consistent pocket push from the inside should help
those guys from the outside.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Spot on king Er.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
I don't think Derek Harmon's a guy who's gonna wind
up with ten sacks in fourteen or fifteen games, whatever
he ends up playing. But you've seen this work against
the Steelers, the pressure up the middle against Rogers. If
you get that working with edge pressure, there's nowhere for
the guy to go right. You trap them, and you
know they can expect their edge guys to win at
(37:44):
a reasonable rate, but they need they need the other
end of that equation, and hopefully, in addition to being
just hard to move in the run game, Harmon can
be a disruptor.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
So, Matt, I know you have a lot of wonderful
statistics on Jalen Warren when he was a backup for
Naji Harris, and I for one, am intrigued to see
him get you know, a bunch of carries. I don't
think he's ever gotten sixteen carries in a game in
his career. And you know, everyone you know, there's a
(38:17):
lot of talk about Kayler Johnson. I understand why he
got him, but they also signed Jalen Warren to a
contract extension. Aaron rodgersond after the game yesterday, you know,
maybe we should throw to the ball more to this guy.
Seems to make a play every time he touches it.
I would like to see the Steelers running attack be better,
be more consistent, and I would like to see Jalen
(38:37):
Warren get eighteen nineteen twenty carries in a game.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
One thousand percent agree. And I thought he was absolutely
one of the brightest spots from yesterday's game.
Speaker 5 (38:48):
And frankly has been one of.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
The brightest spots in the Steelers offense since he's been
a Pittsburgh Steeler. And what we don't know is can
he handle such a workload. I mean, I like game well,
I think he's a nice piece. Johnson apparently isn't ready,
but what if Warren truly can't handle more? But at
(39:10):
this point, I'm not sure you have a choice. And
that's not the way I wanted that to go. But
all off season I've lobbied give him as much as
he can handle because he's.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
A really good player.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
I don't think we know Matt.
Speaker 5 (39:21):
I don't think we know right, I'm with a one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
I mean, I've been in the camp of he's a
really good third down back. Keep him as a third
down back, you know what I mean. Don't ask me
on base percentage guy to be the cleanup hitter. But
if I can mix my sports mat works. But yeah,
it's not working right now, So you know, time to
find out if the people like me who were doubting
(39:46):
Warren were wrong. And there are some people who are
doubting Warren in that building.
Speaker 5 (39:51):
I'm sure you know what.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Let's find out because it's not working this way I game. Well,
can't be a volume guy. Say I like Kenny Gagwell
as a here and there line up in the slot,
line up at receiver, catch a ball out of the backfield.
That giving him the ball at the five yard line
between the tackles, I think is a wasted down.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
Well, they do think he has an opportunity to be
a really good third down back, which of course, was
Jalen Warren's you know, province to some degree because in
part because he's such a great blocker, you know you
can trust him and blitz pick up and that sort
of thing. But if you are going to sign Kenneth Gainwell,
(40:36):
and I know, you know, look, this was a rich
draft with running backs, and I'm sure this jeus thought
they were going to draft on anyway. But if you
have a Kenneth Gamewell and he's going to take that
third down back roll on, it almost seems by necessity
that Jalen Warren then should be the guy. If you
signed him to a contract extension that's going to be
getting the bulk of the carries for you. And yes,
(40:57):
he got the bulk of the carries, but I don't
think I would like to see more. And I would
like to see the Steelers get the running game going.
I know Arthur Smith said, look, we didn't bring in
you know one of it excuse me, the great Arthur
Smith quotes, and he's got a lot of them. We
didn't bring in Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf to run
the wishbone, right, And I understand that still.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
If earely didn't bring metcalf in to run the fade
more than once a game.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Either, well, it would, it would be it would I
think behoove the Steelers to get the running game going
and take a little pressure off the passing game. And
Aaron Rodgers, who I think has still shown there is
still a lot of ability in that right.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Arm one thousand percent. But I also think the ball
carrier dilemma is a bit of a dilemma right now
because I think, I mean, in Week one, Warren was
nausey gain well was Warren from last year, Like if
you look at all the situational stuff, it was cut
and paste right this this last week it was a
(41:55):
little more random. I'm not sure exactly, you know, who
does what? It was kind kind of whoever's fresher. But
really they only have two arms in the bullpen, you
know what I mean. With Johnson not being ready clearly
or trustworthy at this point, I think they're asking too much,
maybe from both guys, but I think what you have
(42:16):
to do then is give it to the better, bigger guy,
which is Warren, or get Johnson up to speed.
Speaker 1 (42:23):
Yeah, I understand exactly what you're saying. Some of their
teams like For example, New England, they'll use three running backs, right,
Gibson's gonna play and so they'll use all three of
their running backs. Seattle's got three running backs, they only
use two of them. Yeah, no, I don't.
Speaker 5 (42:38):
They're both good and accomplished.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
But they're big.
Speaker 5 (42:40):
Yeah, and they're big. That's a thing.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
There's no nausey, right, I still think that. I still think.
Excuse me, I'd like to see. I'd like to see
before I say, wow, it can't be done. I'd like
to see eighteen twenty carries for four or five games
in a row and see what happens.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Now, I'm with you, and I think then you have
a decision to make with Caleb Johnson. Hey, a lot
of guys have come in and struggled as rookies and
gone on to have great careers. I'm not judging this
kid after two games, but right now, he's not ready
to play now. So if you're gonna go warn as
the number one and game, well is the third down back.
Speaker 4 (43:18):
Now you have a decision to make.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Either trust Johnson with every fourth series and see if
you can get him going that way, or you bring
a tray serrmon up from the press or.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
He's inactive because her.
Speaker 2 (43:33):
But I mean, keep working with him, keep developing him,
do whatever you can to get this kid going light
a fire.
Speaker 4 (43:38):
Hey, maybe they will. They wear out Jalen Warren by.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Week twelve and by then Johnson's ready to go and
he's just handle hand the baton off like it's a
relay race.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
I assumed Johnson will get more and more early down
stuff every step.
Speaker 5 (43:51):
Of the way, but he hasn't earned it. No, I
how do you do that?
Speaker 1 (43:56):
Yeah, I mean I'm trying.
Speaker 4 (43:58):
You know.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
I know Rashard Mendenhall got hurt his rookie year. He
was a first round pick if I'm not mistake here
men at all, and you know, ten carries and didn't
get carries and he got nine carries and he got
hurt in that game against Baltimore. So I mean, he
wouldn't be the first guy to be brought along slowly,
and frankly, I think they can afford it with the
personnel they have. But regardless of how it happens, I
(44:20):
think we all agree the running game needs to get
going this week against New England one o'clock kickoff on
the road for Matt Williamson for Mike Presuda. For our
producer Justin Miller, I'm Rob King. The Point After is
presented by your neighborhood Ford store and by the Steelers
Pro Shop. Get it direct from the team at shop
dot Steelers dot com. We thank you for listening on
(44:40):
DVE and this Steelers Audio Network
At presented by your Neighborhood Sports Door and by the
Stuffers Pro Shop. Get his record see at shop dot
Steelers dot com. Alongside Mike Berzuda and Matt Williamson. I'm
Rob King. We're coming to you following this year's thirty
one to seventeen loss to Seattle in the home opener
for the Steers that evens this years record at one
and one. They won on the road at New York
(00:23):
against the Jets, lose against Seattle the final score thirty
one to seventeen. Thanks very much for being with us.
I'm gonna go over some of these issues that the
team faced yesterday and maybe lump in some issues that
have reared up in the first two weeks, good and bad.
There were some good, but Mike Persuda, let's start with you,
(00:44):
and let's just start with your sort of overarching thoughts
about the Steelers thirty one to seventeen loss.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
King or my view from thirty thousand feet, as Mike
Tomlin might like to say, a very similar game to
the opener against the Jets. The difference the Steelers were
able to make plays in all three phases late in
the Jets game that allowed them to win the game,
and yesterday they screwed up in all three phases late
(01:12):
and that doomed them to lose the game. I think
it's probably these two games that we've seen are going
to be like a lot of the games we're gonna
see this year. They're not necessarily or appreciably better or
worse than the majority of the teams are going to play.
These games are going to come down to the weighty moments.
Another tominism for you and the poster child. Jalen Ramsey
(01:38):
makes an unbelievable play on Garrett Wilson separating the football
to seal the Jets game, and yesterday at a critical juncture,
Seattle goes forty three yards to the post, one on
one Jackson Smith de Jigma against Jalen Ramsey. Good on
good Their guy Wono. He's on scholarship too.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Ye, great throw by Donoald. You gotta give him credit.
That was a fantastic throw, And Mike I felt the
same way you did. I really thought at it. There
was a moment in the game where I thought, Okay, well,
this years aren't playing particularly well, but I think they're
gonna win the game. And for a lot of it
I thought they were gonna win the game right up
until the moment some of the things you discussed happened
and they didn't win the game. Matt, your general take
(02:22):
after this thirty one to seventeen loss.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, I agree with a lot of what Mike said,
and my concerns are I just don't see down to
down consistency on either side of the ball, particularly with
the run game, stopping the run or running the football,
and to me, that screams losing at the line of scrimmage.
And they've become against two games, really reliant on big plays,
(02:49):
you know, splash plays, and they're good at it. I mean,
especially on defense. This goes back for years. They get sacks,
they get tips, they get forced fumbles, they get interceptions,
but it's a tough way to live, and when they
don't go your way, this happens. And unfortunately things went
to total opposite where you throw an end zone interception,
(03:09):
which is always really difficult to overcome, and clearly the
Caleb Johnson handing them seven points is really hard to overcome,
you know. I mean that's the elephant in the room.
And there's also a lot of defensive injuries piling up
but I think that's a little bit of an excuse
at this point. I mean, the defense needs to be better.
It's been really lackluster now for six seven games in
(03:31):
a row.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
So, Matt, I wanted to ask you about one thing
because I know you look at a lot of numbers,
and I don't know if this is something that you
ever come across in your studies. But you can't take
away Kenneth Walker's for longest runs, right, You're not allowed
to do that. It doesn't happen. And Kenneth Walker's good back,
capable of long runs. But if you take away a
(03:54):
thirteen yard or he had a fifteen yard or he
had a twenty yard er he had and that mystifying
nineteen yard touchdown run that he had when it just
looked like Seattle was willing to settle for three and
then he ran in I think untouched for nineteen yards out.
You know the other twenty five runs, you know that
includes Barner with a sneak on the tush, push the
(04:17):
tight end, Zach Charbenego in fifteen carries ten yards. It's
twenty five carries and fifty yards. Now, I don't know
whether I think that I'm encouraged by that. I think that,
you know, and again I'm not breaking down tape. I'm
not in the tape room, but I would have to
think if I'm looking for some sort of positive with
(04:38):
his run defense that you know, if maybe it's a
missed assignment here or there. Again, I have no idea
what happened on that nineteen yard run. I just I
can't even wrap my head around that. You know, that's
something where you're looking to gain five or six yards
of your seattle and kick a field goal and take
a ten point lead, and instead he runs it in
(05:00):
from nineteen yards out. I don't know if you come
across these these type of studies, but twenty five carries
fifty yards, that's sensational. Four runs kind of ruined it
for you. And even if you give Walker a couple
of those runs, you know, let's say you give them
the too longest, the twenty, and the nineteen for thirty
nine yards. You know, if you subtract the other two,
(05:22):
you're looking at twenty nine carries for ninety nine yards.
And that doesn't sound quite as bad as twenty three
or twenty nine f one hundred and seventeen.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah, I think it was better than Week one in
terms of down to down run defense consistency. They also
didn't have nearly the rushing threat at the quarterback position.
But I also said a bunch of this week that
Justin Fields is a top three running quarterback that's ever lived.
(05:53):
I mean, they happen to face another one of them
twice a year, sometimes three in Lamar and Vic.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I mean, like, so you don't face Justin Fields every week.
That's somewhat of a unique obstacle. But you know, just
I did just kind of check out some of the
numbers while you were talking there. Their success against charbon
Ay was really good, and you were right, there's a
high percentage, a decent percentage of just run defense downs
(06:20):
that were strong and much better than against the Jets.
But I probably shouldn't set pursuita up this well. That
Walker character's pretty good and he destroyed them.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I'll just leave that sit there. I will say that.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Matt, we do a number of shows together, and I
continue to be fascinated by the way you turn a phrase.
Justin Fields is one of the three best running quarterbacks
who ever lived, who ever lived. He could have just
left it the three best running quarterbacks. But that really
drives the point home.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
Yeah, he's a pain in the butt to play against.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
And Rob, I think you and I are on the
same page here. I get at least I think I
sense what you're trying to get at. And that's why
I was so focused on that last Seattle drive. You know,
other than the ending Missus Lincoln, how'd you like to
play if you take away forty three yards to Jackson
Smith de Jigma at the critical juncture of the game,
(07:20):
he ends up with seven catches for sixty yards and
no touchdowns.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Consider what he did in week one. You take that
long of course, right.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Walker's nineteen yard touchdown run. If he doesn't get that,
he's just over eighty.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yards and that's our two best players, and you don't
let him running into the end zone.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
I mean, but those things are occurred. They did, and
it was right.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
In the Jets game, they were really inconsistent defensively, but
they were able to rise up those last two possessions.
They got a three and out and then a four
and out this time and the play I don't want
to forget is the nineteen yard dumped to the tight
end when they blitzed on third and nine and Darnold
was able to spin away from Patrick Queen. Then I
(08:04):
think what happened on this place is Peyton Wilson is
initially engaged with the tight end as part of the blitz,
and then the tight end sheds him and just bleeds
into the flat. Wilson's got to stay with him there.
You can't just leave the guy wide open. Instead, he
goes through the quarterback. Now, you hear guys talk a
lot about, Okay, we tried to do too much or
we didn't follow our assignment.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
I think Peyton Wilson got out of his head a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I think he could be goldy of that through two games,
trying to make a play, but.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
He's not making the right play. Similar to Calvin Austin
on that end zone intercept, He's got to be at
the pylon, all right, it's not your ball, do your
thing and let everybody else do their thing. And then
he tries to get the ball anyway and deflex it
to Seattle. These are very correctible things that I think
are a part of what people I assume perceived to
(08:52):
be a cliche September football, But it's real to me.
And the Steelers aren't the only team making these kind
of mistakes, made fair share of mistakes yesterday as well.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
But when the league is kind of sloppy as a
whole right now, And that's true.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
And that's why at this time of the year, the
critical moments the end of the game, when it's close
and it's it's there to be taken, either team can
win it. Somebody makes a play and somebody does it.
Stealers are one for two.
Speaker 5 (09:20):
One week they did one week they did.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Collectively making those plays.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
It's not the worst place to be and I know
the numbers look bad and it's very disappointing to lose
the home opener, but I see the team with the
potential to get better now. Rob My big question is
are these mistakes mostly attributable to September football or is
there a disconnect between what these guys are being coached
(09:46):
to do and what they're actually doing. I don't think
they're getting the message to make the mistakes they're making,
but I don't know that they're receiving the message to
avoid making them.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Does that make any sense?
Speaker 1 (09:58):
It does, and I think it's I think one of
the other things that you know it at least needs
to be mentioned. You know, you you run the risk
of sounding like you're excusing something. There's reasons, and there's excuses, right,
and they're they're they're not necessarily the same thing. I
think that the injuries have really hurt the Steelers. Yeah,
(10:20):
you know you have. You spent your first round pick
on Derek Harmon for a reason, You gave to Sean
Elliott a contract extension in the offseason for a reason.
You drafted Joey Porter where you did for a reason,
and then you start losing guys like Alex Highsmith, another
contract extension guy. These are big losses. And it's not
(10:42):
just the personnel. It's not just hey, we're paying Elliott
for a reason. We're paying high Smith for a reason.
We drafted Harmon for a reason. It's not just that
in a drop off because of the investment that you
put into guys, there's probably naturally going to be something
of a drop off. But I think to me it's communication.
(11:05):
Early on in the year, it is, hey, what are
we doing out here? We haven't played a ton of
football together, and maybe you haven't played any snaps. If
you're one Thornhill with Chuck Clark. You know, for just
as an example, I'm not signaling out that that was
an issue. I'm just saying, you know, there's there's excuses,
and then there's reasons, and I think you know some
(11:26):
of the reasons that the Steelers defense has not been
anything close to what we expected it to be. And
let's let's be honest, it hasn't been anything close to it.
Certainly I expected it to be. Some of it's September football.
Some of it's you added a lot of new faces,
You're going to get better. But then you know, while
you're trying to get better, you you don't even have
the people that you're trying to get better with out
(11:48):
there getting the majority of the snaps.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So I want to add some things to the defense.
And some are stat related, some are just film related.
They clearly had a problem with a lead blocking fullback too,
and they better get used to it because it's wait,
are you trying to say, yeah, huh, they don't like this.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
If you want to run the ball, follow.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
A hammerhead through the whole the half is like an
actual full back, yeah, not like a converted linebacker or
a tight end or just somebody to some six skinny
guy that's the tight end. Yeah, six three seventy four
pounds running by Tim Lester.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
Dan Kreider pays off. That can help, can help. Yeah,
And the league is starting to figure it out, Mike,
because there's.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Like eight to ten teams that didn't even keep a
fullback that did this year. So it's coming back in
a big way. So the better Williamson around. Yep, this
is the kind of and these guys never did it
in college. You watch a ton of college football. They
never took on a full back. They don't know what
shoulder to take on.
Speaker 5 (12:47):
You know. Peyton Wilson's a good example. That's non excuse.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Correct me wrong. Robber Utz was a tight end at Bama.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I forget what he was, but he was kind of everything.
Verted himself to full back back at the Bowl. Just
I think you're right.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
It's hundredercent right total.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
You'll say this about Seattle, much like the Jets want
to try to establish something there in Glenn. They want
to play a physical brand of football. You know, you
see and I don't know, maybe we're looking at an
AFC North school of football. Beginning to this, Stearers and
the Ravens kind of take on that that identity, and
now the Chargers with another Harbor, they're taking on that
(13:24):
tough guy identity, and I think we're seeing it more
in the league. Seattle has not one fullback, but two
fullbacks on the rush. They have two, and like you said, Matt,
there's there's been years where teams don't have any.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yeah, fullbacks are getting employed now, but that fullbacks are
actually getting employed now, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
They're they're getting employed. And I think that we see
a team in Seattle that they kind of went away
from the run last week against San Francisco. But I
think with you know, Mike McDonald, who's got those ties
to the the Harbaugh's and both Harballs and the AFC North,
he wants to run and play physical football. He wants
(14:05):
to have a physical defense. And you just look at
I mean, look at the Steelers' bodies that we were
getting hurt yesterday and the same thing happened in San Francisco.
Brock Purty down with an injury, George Kittle down with
an injury. I'm not saying this is all about playing
hard physical football, but Seattle wants to play hard, physical
football and they kind of stuck with it and eventually
(14:25):
began to pay dividends for it.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
That's a great point, Kinger, and I will correct you
on one thing. They didn't get away from the run
against San Francisco. They just didn't do it very well.
They're bad at it yet, but they kept doing it.
They ran more than they threw.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
They had twenty two minutes of time possession that game.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
They were not good.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, it just they couldn't get anything going on the
running game. But yeah, coming in, I was anticipating that,
you know, the full back and Seattle's going to try
to beat him up. And let me also say that,
you know, all that September football stuff and mistakes and
critical moments. I'm not nobody should perceive me to be
wanting to forgive the Steelers for not being as physical
(15:04):
as they need to be. But sometimes when you're uncertain,
that takes away from your physicality.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Yeah, oh, I think so too.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
And I think you also make more mental errors late
in the game when you're beat up. You know, you're
just you're fatigued and you don't think as well. So
a couple of things I want to throw out there,
king Or for the defense, can I.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Ask you to hold those thoughts please, because we have
to take a Breakak, I'm going to ask you please
hold those, Mat, Matt, will you please hold those?
Speaker 5 (15:27):
I certainly will thank you.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
The Point After is presented by a neighborhood Ford store
and by the Steers Pro Shop. Get it direct from
the team at Shop dot Steelers dot com. You know,
Matt Williamson's got some good stuff for you, and that
good stuff for you is coming up right after this
on the Steeler's Audio Network.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
Back to the Point After on DVD, get.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
To snap back to pass and looking at a loft to.
Speaker 6 (15:49):
The right up jet fall froued by DK Metcalf, Touchdown
Pittsburgh Steelers and touchdown pass number five hundred and eight
for Aaron Rodgers, tying him for fourth all time with
Brett Farr.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
And Welcome back to the Point After, presented by your
neighborhood Ford sort and by the Steelers Pro Shop. Get
it direct from the team at Shop dot Steelers dot com.
Matt Williams and I know you want to talk about
the defense, but I just I have to say this.
Aaron Rodgers just made two I thought too, just great throws.
I'd have been interested to see if the pat Friarmoth
(16:26):
throw might have wind up being in a great throw
that Austin stepped in front. I didn't get a clear
look at the replay. I don't know whether Friarmuth would
have caught that ball. I don't know if he was
going down or he's laying on the ground. It was
kind of a bizarre angle that I had on it.
But the throw to pat up the right sideline in
the second half just wasn't open. Had a loft it
over a defender in front of another defender, picked up
(16:48):
big yardage, and particularly the one in the first half
rolling out to his right. He threw the ball and
it went a long way in the air and it
hit f I think it hit Friarmuth again, had a
hard time seeing the replay. Look like I hit him
right in the hands. I just absolutely. I mean you
could you could line up and Rogers is what forty
(17:11):
one years old. You could line up every quarterback in
the league, and I would say most of them would
have no chance of making that throw.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
Yeah, he definitely can spin it, and he can control it.
There's a difference between throwing it hard and controlling it.
He controls it really, really.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Well and throwing it what had to be fifty five
yards in the air, had to be incredible stuff.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
So there's that.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
There's that.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I mean, he's okay throwing the football, there's no question
about that.
Speaker 5 (17:39):
In commanding the team.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Yeah, and we'll talk about the offense in a moment.
But Matt Williams, I'm.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
On the edge of my seat here. Yeah, come on.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
He had some defensive things to point out for us.
Matt point away. Please, two things. This is the point after.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
So two things. Over the last couple of years, the
Steeler defense in the passing game is attacked in the
middle of the field at the highest rate. And it
isn't even close. I mean, when teams game plan for
the Steelers the last few years, and I'm not gonna
get in all the numbers, but trust me on this one.
They attack between the numbers. So what do the Steelers do.
(18:13):
They're smart, they recognize this. They go get better coverage
players in the middle of the field. Lately in Elliott,
Queen Wilson trade for a salot corner in Ramsey and
what Seattle do they have really good? They attack the
middle of the field Smithnjigba cup tight ends. They threw
almost fifty percent of their balls in the middle of
(18:34):
the field with great success yesterday. And that doesn't bother
me a ton with Smith and Njigba because he's really good,
but I think Cup's really shot and that production bothered me.
We were kind of talking about even if Smith the
Jigba finished with his stat line, I'd be like, we'll
take it, because the rest of their guys don't do
anything well. Cup is exactly the type of guy you're
(18:55):
trying to defend by making these moves and forced teams
to not attack the middle of the field. And I
think why people don't throw the outside as much because
the Steeler pass rush, it takes too long to set
up to throw outside the numbers, so they attack the
middle of the field. And I wish that was better
in this game because clearly that's been a way you've
(19:16):
been attacked for years. Second thing is different, but it's
sort of similar in that in this is an injury issue,
but the defensive linemen that are playing snaps through two
games is a little bit alarming to me. Like I'm
a keyan U Benton fan, but I don't really think
he's a nose. But he's never been a full time player,
(19:37):
He's never been a top of the defensive line room
snap count guy. Well, he leads the team the defensive
lineman with ninety four snaps played. Cam is at ninety
one after not doing anything up until the Jets game. Like,
I didn't want Cam to be at the top of
the list of D line snaps. I didn't want Benton
(19:58):
to be number one because he never has been. And
then Black is third at sixty four, and no one
else has more than thirty seven, you know, I mean,
the D line rotation is not what I bet they
planned or what you want it to be through two games.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So a couple of things. First of all, is it
possible Cooper Cup who's had some injuries the last couple
of years, is not actually shot? Maybe?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
I mean he may be going to have an awesome season,
and I'll just be like I was wrong, you know,
But just watching him of late, I thought he was
pretty shot. So he's had an awesome career, So maybe
I'm wrong.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Matt. I mean, I'm sorry, Mike.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
You know, I get where Matt's coming from, and clearly
a lot of things have not been ideal, you know,
in terms of their perceived rotations. Let's start with running
back and Caleb Johnson being a note show and how that's.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Kicked that out of whack.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
But yeah, you know, at the start of that drive,
Sealle gets the ball back in the fourth quarter, seven
forty four left first and ten from Seattle to twenty seven.
Pittsburgh has just closed back to within seven. Your d
line at that moment was Cam Hayward, Logan Lee and
why Black, Black and Lee are.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Not the players, not the plan.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
They're perceived to be guys of potential, right, but right
now you need production and disruption.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
That's my point. With the snapcounts. I'm not saying they
this that's kind of out of their hands.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Daniel Quale rotates in.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
I've actually been pretty impressed with him, all right, So, yeah,
none of that's ideal, right with.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
Yeah, but a quality I think has been pretty good.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
None of that's ideal.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
But if Queen gets the quarterback on the ground on
the blitz, or if Peyton Wilson doesn't leave his guy
and give him a free third and nine conversion, it
doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
We're not talking about that, right.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
We can look at anything we want to look at
and say this is the problem. But there are also
solutions given the state that they're in. And I would
also add, I know they're hurt and they're banged up.
The Seahawks didn't have two defensive backs that they're really
counting in Emon Worr and Witherspoon their best cornerback, and
(22:08):
the Steelers were perceived to be a team of great
depth at the outset of the season.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
This is why he had depth.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
I remember talking to Cole Holcombe before the season started
and he said, man, our depth is it's sick.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
We got guys everywhere.
Speaker 5 (22:19):
Yeah, you know, if Patrick Quinn agreed to them, if Patrick.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Queen was hurting because of the ribs, you know, I
give him full marks for trying to gut it out
and play through it.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
But Cole Holkan is a pretty good player.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
A couple of years ago he was perceived to be
part of the solution at that position. So, you know,
find a way to get it done, and there are
ways they're just not finding them.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, and I think that again. I go back to
Derek Harmon. You you drafted him with the idea that
he would be coming in and getting a lot of snaps,
and you're right. Guys like Black and a quality and
logan Lee could be played a.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Lot before, but that louder Milk played a lot before
his injury and right not particularly well in my right.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
So put those guys in when you want to, not
when you have to.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
And and it's kind of my point on the d
line Stap.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I do think that that's what's happened, and the Steelers
clearly want to be able to dictate instead of being
dictated to. In this particular game, I thought I was
more disturbed by the Seahawks drive in the second half
where they marched down and scored a touchdown than I
was in their opening drive. Opening drives happened. You know,
(23:36):
maybe there's some wrinkles the Steelers weren't expecting a team
comes out and executes fine. I hated the second drive
in the in the second half to drive down the
field and score a touchdown that hadn't been said. There
were moments, plenty of moments where the Steelers' offense could
have helped out the defense yesterday. And I do think
there's a couple of things happening here. It's September football.
(23:59):
You have injuries, our perception of the team being a
lot better it's probably more realistic by mid season than
by now, and the injuries obviously don't help that progression
for the team. And another thing I would throw in
there is that on a hot day like that, how
about putting a drive together. How About you're the team
(24:20):
that goes out and gets a six minute drive and
gets that defense off the field so they can come
back fresh and ready to go. Scause I think they
head back to back three and outs in the second half.
Boy that that is a tough way to go when
it's hot and you're banged up, and you're already down personnel,
you're already without starters coming into the game. You lose
more starters throughout the course of the game. I just
(24:42):
think that this was a game in which the offense,
when you talk about complimentary football, they needed to do
more and they did not do more.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
It's a great point. You know.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Maybe Pittsburgh's first drive is an example of what you're
talking about, Kinger. That was ten plays, forty six yards,
five minutes and forty two seconds. But third and two
at the Seattle thirty and they go empty and there's
an incompletion. This takes us back to their inability to
run the football. You know, that hurts you at the
goal line. Huge, That hurts you on third and short.
(25:17):
What if you get that first down on third and two.
Now you're maybe the twenty eight yard line and the
clock's still ticking and you're still pounding away, and maybe
that drive ends up the game seven to seven instead
of seven to three, and maybe you had the ball
for eight and a half minutes instead of five and
a half off huge, And there's a residual effect.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Right, So, yeah, it's a great point. They're just they're
not doing enough of anything right now. And in lieu
of not.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Doing enough of anything, I'll go back to my initial
point that I'm fixated on. You better come through in
the clutch. If you can't be consistent. Yeah, yeah, you've
been bounded down stuff.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
You'll love.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
You better find a way to make the play when
it's got to be made.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
And to me, it comes down to both running games. Yeah,
run defense and running games.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Now, if you're better, if you're more consistent, maybe not
as many games come down in the last five minutes,
right right, but right now, that's what they're coming down to.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
They're coming down and they're one for two and I've
said this leading up to the week, and I do
believe it, and it's not an excuse. But running games
and defending the run in the NFL nowadays take more
time than ever because nobody does anything in the preseason
and nobody plays sixty snaps or whatever game, and the
physicality just isn't there in the preseason or in training camps.
(26:28):
But they've lost those phases in two straight games, run
defense and running the football, and that's putting a lot
of pressure on Rogers and Watt and big Plays and
bas and all these guys that usually come through.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
But it's you can't always live that way.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Tough way to make a living. Yeah, yeah, yeah, And
as I said, I thought there were I thought there
were times in that game, I'm like, Okay, the Steelers
are going to win this game. You're going to be
two and zero. All these things are much you know,
they're better correct after a win. I just keep stacking
wins and the improvement will come. And look, one other
(27:06):
thing I think we should point out is that, you know,
the Steelers lost to a Seattle team was ten and
seven last year and seven and one on the road.
It's not like they it's not like a terrible team
came in here and whacked them all around the field.
They lost to a very solid football team. Although I
would also say I think that the hope this year
(27:29):
is you separate yourself from the very solid teams and
begin to join the discussion of the top teams. And
they had an opportunity to do that yesterday and it
didn't happen.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Not only was seven points. Yeah, you just can't. I
can't stress that enough. You just handed them seven points
and take.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Seven or three away from yourself by handing them the
ball that.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Too, But I mean that's a football play. One of
them is just handing them seven points.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
But brob to your point about Seattle not only seven
to one on the road last year, But I got
this from our friends at NFL research. Since twenty eighteen,
Seattle has improved to twenty and four in Sunday one
o'clock Eastern time zone road games.
Speaker 5 (28:14):
Yeah, best in the league.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
So much for that travel across the country.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
Well, I mean, it kills everybody else. But they figured
it out. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
I thought it might be a Pete Carroll thing. I
knew that going into this, But they were seven and
one on the road, last year without Carroll.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Yeah, they're good at it.
Speaker 1 (28:26):
By the way. One other thing to point out as
we are talking about injuries, right, there were guys that
were injured in the preseason, and I don't think we
should forget that early on in season. Broderick Jones was
a guy that was really slowed by injuries throughout a
lot of camp. Nick Herbig was a guy who was
really slowed by injuries throughout a lot of camp. Not
that I thought Nick Herbig struggled yesterday or anything like that.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
I'm just saying, no, it's nice to have him back,
that it was nice to have him back.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
It was nice to have him back. And you know,
I still believe that this team's got a lot more
good football left in them, and we just have not
seen the kind of football I sort of expected to
see in the first two weeks of the season.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Totally agree.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
I'd even throw Calvin Austin in there. He didn't practice
a lot down the stretch. Which brings me to another
thing that I'm I think we're gonna hear more of
a drum beat from media fans whoever you want to
listen to or not listen to about another a wide
receiver two situation because Metcalf's a really good player. I
think we all agree on that, but I thought Gardner Sauce.
(29:29):
Gardner got the better of him one on one, as
Sauce often does, and when Sauce wasn't on him, Rogers
attacked him with the football.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
You are at the game, Rob.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
I have not watched the All twenty two, but my
impression of watching TV and listening to announcers was, boy,
did day Roll coverage metcalfs way? And I didn't see
another receiver, including Austin, really step up to take advantage
of that, to make them pay for it.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
You know, it felt to me and I have to
go back and watch the game. It felt to me
calling the game, and again I will try to excuse
myself by saying that I don't get to see I
don't watch the game the same way I would if
I was sitting in the press box or annoying my
wife on TV, you know, watching it home freezing it. Hey, look,
(30:17):
this guy's gonna slide up and they might go into
a cover too, like you know, all that stuff's out.
Speaker 5 (30:22):
And obviously Seattle's pretty familiar.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
With metcap right. It just felt to me like there
weren't a lot of open guys. I thought Rogers did
a phenomenal job, much Bettermber last week he said, Yea,
I kind of had a tight back. I thought he
did a great job of evading the pressure, stepping out
of some pressure situations, and then he'd get outside and
(30:44):
there was nobody there. It just didn't feel like there
were a lot of open receivers for the Steelers, and
it felt like there were a lot of open receivers
for Seattle.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
You know, I don't think there was a lot of
time for receivers to get open, uh Matt. They did
roll cover to metcalf, and they also had their two
deep safeties started taking away over the top stuff like
they do, and Rodgers just you know, he had time
to look once and then he was moving. Yeah, And
it was it was consistent with how Seattle had played
(31:14):
against San Francisco in the opening. You know, brock Party
did not have a comfortable pocket in that game.
Speaker 4 (31:20):
Hit a lot and they didn't get a whole lot
done either.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Till very late he threw up a deep ball, they
beat Woolan down the sideline, and then on a third
down he just threw a lobbin in the end zone
and a tight end nobody tight end, no offense, no
offense to Jake Tans but he's not Kittle. But he
was able to outfight Woolan for the ball on a
fifty to fifty ball. And that's why the response after
(31:44):
that game in Seattle was, I don't know if Woolan's
going to start.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
You know, got to be better than that.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
They were able to overcome the pressure, and they got
an additional edge guy back yesterday, Nuasu, who's a very
good outside linebacker, didn't D line, did not play their
D line compressure.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
With four it goes eight D.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
They penetrate the good edge guys. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Uh, they're a good defense, a very good defense. I
expected that from Seattle's defense. The other side of the
ball bothered me more.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Agreed. Uh. Stevens Louis by the final score of thirty
one to seventeen as they dropped their record to one
to one in the season. I want to let you
know that at Clearview Federal Credit Union, they're always upping
their game for those in need through touchdowns for Hope.
Clearview will donate five hundred dollars to the Light of
Life rescue mission. For every black and goal touchdowns scored
this season, visit clearview FCU dot org slash touchdown to
(32:40):
learn more. The point After is presented by you neighborhood
forards tour and she have this pro shop. Get it
direct from the team at shop dot Steelers dot com.
Back with more right after this, back.
Speaker 4 (32:51):
To the point After on DVD.
Speaker 7 (32:55):
Pitch to Walker, Walker has all kind droman Walker gets
into the end zone. Just a simple sweep to the
left and Walker finds a gaping hole and dances into
the end zone.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Yeah, that wasn't what we expected to see there. It
felt like a play that in which they were just
kind of conceding we're gonna kick a field goal. The
point after is presented by your neighborhood Ford Store and
the Juaris Pro Shop. Get it direct from the team
at shop dot Steelers dot com. That was one of
several plays, and there were several that kind of got
to me. A couple other things that got to me, guys,
(33:32):
you know, And after the game, I think TJ. Watt said,
Seattle did a bunch of Max protect man, Sam Darnold
had time to throw the football and even with Max
protect you know, the Stears brought five and six, I
think their very first rush of the game. They brought
six on that third and six and Seattle picked up
a first down. They Seattle converted some long third downs yesterday,
which was a little disturbing. But the pass rush wasn't
(33:57):
where to me, wasn't where you expected to be. Max
Protector O max protect. They just that coupled with the
fact that guys were open, and I think guys were
open because Sam Darnld had more time to throw Mike.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
He did, but you know, a couple of near misses.
I mean, the first touchdown. One of the things we
heard throughout training camp and heading into the season was
the Steelers are gonna blitz more, and they were gonna
blitz different people from different places. You know, Patrick Queen
wasn't much of a blitzer last year. They hardly blitch
at all. That first touchdown pass Queen and Hayward got
(34:32):
there and I blink late. I mean Donald hung in
there and got popped and he got the pass off
and it was a touchdown. We've already talked about the
third nine blitz, the third nine to the tight end.
Queen again, Donald able to spin out and find a
guy who was left open.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
I mean, you know, is this September stuff?
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Did they need to just get a little crisper on
the blitz, take off a hair earlier, a little bit
better of an angle. I don't know what the you
know what prevented those guys from getting there in time
instead of just a second late. But you know, close
doesn't cut it in the NFL, but they were close
on a couple of big plays.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
I've gotten so many comments today they just keep doing
the same things on deef.
Speaker 5 (35:17):
No, they don't know.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
They really don't the standard reactions, they don't adjust.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
Everything's the same.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
No, nothing's ever changed with organizations.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
You know.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
There was a Jack Sawyer sack. They were using the
three outside linebackers thing again, and they lined him up
next to Watt and everybody went to block Watt and
Slawyer went in.
Speaker 4 (35:38):
Got a sex game, seck.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
I'm getting complaints. Why haven't they switched Watt to other side?
He has done some but in this game, the week
link was the right tackle. Don't move them away from
the weak link, you know, I mean, But I'm with you, Rob.
I wish the pass rush results were a little better,
But I think the process is okay, and I think
(36:00):
that partial sort itself out and Darnold got the ball
out quick and as Mike mentioned, just in the nick
of time a few times, you know.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Well the other thing I think, too, is that you
know when And I can't pretend I'm any expert on
the players coming out of the draft, but one of
the things I really liked that Omark Cohn said when
they drafted Derek Harmon. He went to the podium, you know,
and obviously the Steelers were looking to shore up their
run defense and they believe Harmon will help them do that.
(36:29):
But he also identified him as the best pass rusher
among the interior defensive linemen that were available. And frankly,
no quarterback wants pressure right up the middle. They don't
want it. And what happens did you get pressure up
the middle backs when you start to move out, and
that's when, you know, we saw that happen yesterday. I
think Foultan who got called for a hold because Rogers
(36:53):
was forced out of the pocket and so all of
a sudden, you know your guys going you know, your
quarterback's going around you, and you got a hold the
guy or what looked like a clean block has now
becomes a hole, whatever the case may be. So I
do think that you know that that is something and
hopefully Harmon can bring to this to this team and
(37:13):
Cam Hayward as he gets more steam underneath his legs.
Not that he didn't have a couple of moments yesterday,
but more consistent pocket push from the inside should help
those guys from the outside.
Speaker 4 (37:23):
Spot on king Er.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
I don't think Derek Harmon's a guy who's gonna wind
up with ten sacks in fourteen or fifteen games, whatever
he ends up playing. But you've seen this work against
the Steelers, the pressure up the middle against Rogers. If
you get that working with edge pressure, there's nowhere for
the guy to go right. You trap them, and you
know they can expect their edge guys to win at
(37:44):
a reasonable rate, but they need they need the other
end of that equation, and hopefully, in addition to being
just hard to move in the run game, Harmon can
be a disruptor.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
So, Matt, I know you have a lot of wonderful
statistics on Jalen Warren when he was a backup for
Naji Harris, and I for one, am intrigued to see
him get you know, a bunch of carries. I don't
think he's ever gotten sixteen carries in a game in
his career. And you know, everyone you know, there's a
(38:17):
lot of talk about Kayler Johnson. I understand why he
got him, but they also signed Jalen Warren to a
contract extension. Aaron rodgersond after the game yesterday, you know,
maybe we should throw to the ball more to this guy.
Seems to make a play every time he touches it.
I would like to see the Steelers running attack be better,
be more consistent, and I would like to see Jalen
(38:37):
Warren get eighteen nineteen twenty carries in a game.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
One thousand percent agree. And I thought he was absolutely
one of the brightest spots from yesterday's game.
Speaker 5 (38:48):
And frankly has been one of.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
The brightest spots in the Steelers offense since he's been
a Pittsburgh Steeler. And what we don't know is can
he handle such a workload. I mean, I like game well,
I think he's a nice piece. Johnson apparently isn't ready,
but what if Warren truly can't handle more? But at
(39:10):
this point, I'm not sure you have a choice. And
that's not the way I wanted that to go. But
all off season I've lobbied give him as much as
he can handle because he's.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
A really good player.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
I don't think we know Matt.
Speaker 5 (39:21):
I don't think we know right, I'm with a one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
I mean, I've been in the camp of he's a
really good third down back. Keep him as a third
down back, you know what I mean. Don't ask me
on base percentage guy to be the cleanup hitter. But
if I can mix my sports mat works. But yeah,
it's not working right now, So you know, time to
find out if the people like me who were doubting
(39:46):
Warren were wrong. And there are some people who are
doubting Warren in that building.
Speaker 5 (39:51):
I'm sure you know what.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Let's find out because it's not working this way I game. Well,
can't be a volume guy. Say I like Kenny Gagwell
as a here and there line up in the slot,
line up at receiver, catch a ball out of the backfield.
That giving him the ball at the five yard line
between the tackles, I think is a wasted down.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
Well, they do think he has an opportunity to be
a really good third down back, which of course, was
Jalen Warren's you know, province to some degree because in
part because he's such a great blocker, you know you
can trust him and blitz pick up and that sort
of thing. But if you are going to sign Kenneth Gainwell,
(40:36):
and I know, you know, look, this was a rich
draft with running backs, and I'm sure this jeus thought
they were going to draft on anyway. But if you
have a Kenneth Gamewell and he's going to take that
third down back roll on, it almost seems by necessity
that Jalen Warren then should be the guy. If you
signed him to a contract extension that's going to be
getting the bulk of the carries for you. And yes,
(40:57):
he got the bulk of the carries, but I don't
think I would like to see more. And I would
like to see the Steelers get the running game going.
I know Arthur Smith said, look, we didn't bring in
you know one of it excuse me, the great Arthur
Smith quotes, and he's got a lot of them. We
didn't bring in Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf to run
the wishbone, right, And I understand that still.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
If earely didn't bring metcalf in to run the fade
more than once a game.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Either, well, it would, it would be it would I
think behoove the Steelers to get the running game going
and take a little pressure off the passing game. And
Aaron Rodgers, who I think has still shown there is
still a lot of ability in that right.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Arm one thousand percent. But I also think the ball
carrier dilemma is a bit of a dilemma right now
because I think, I mean, in Week one, Warren was
nausey gain well was Warren from last year, Like if
you look at all the situational stuff, it was cut
and paste right this this last week it was a
(41:55):
little more random. I'm not sure exactly, you know, who
does what? It was kind kind of whoever's fresher. But
really they only have two arms in the bullpen, you
know what I mean. With Johnson not being ready clearly
or trustworthy at this point, I think they're asking too much,
maybe from both guys, but I think what you have
(42:16):
to do then is give it to the better, bigger guy,
which is Warren, or get Johnson up to speed.
Speaker 1 (42:23):
Yeah, I understand exactly what you're saying. Some of their
teams like For example, New England, they'll use three running backs, right,
Gibson's gonna play and so they'll use all three of
their running backs. Seattle's got three running backs, they only
use two of them. Yeah, no, I don't.
Speaker 5 (42:38):
They're both good and accomplished.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
But they're big.
Speaker 5 (42:40):
Yeah, and they're big. That's a thing.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
There's no nausey, right, I still think that. I still think.
Excuse me, I'd like to see. I'd like to see
before I say, wow, it can't be done. I'd like
to see eighteen twenty carries for four or five games
in a row and see what happens.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Now, I'm with you, and I think then you have
a decision to make with Caleb Johnson. Hey, a lot
of guys have come in and struggled as rookies and
gone on to have great careers. I'm not judging this
kid after two games, but right now, he's not ready
to play now. So if you're gonna go warn as
the number one and game, well is the third down back.
Speaker 4 (43:18):
Now you have a decision to make.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Either trust Johnson with every fourth series and see if
you can get him going that way, or you bring
a tray serrmon up from the press or.
Speaker 3 (43:29):
He's inactive because her.
Speaker 2 (43:33):
But I mean, keep working with him, keep developing him,
do whatever you can to get this kid going light
a fire.
Speaker 4 (43:38):
Hey, maybe they will. They wear out Jalen Warren by.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Week twelve and by then Johnson's ready to go and
he's just handle hand the baton off like it's a
relay race.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
I assumed Johnson will get more and more early down
stuff every step.
Speaker 5 (43:51):
Of the way, but he hasn't earned it. No, I
how do you do that?
Speaker 1 (43:56):
Yeah, I mean I'm trying.
Speaker 4 (43:58):
You know.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
I know Rashard Mendenhall got hurt his rookie year. He
was a first round pick if I'm not mistake here
men at all, and you know, ten carries and didn't
get carries and he got nine carries and he got
hurt in that game against Baltimore. So I mean, he
wouldn't be the first guy to be brought along slowly,
and frankly, I think they can afford it with the
personnel they have. But regardless of how it happens, I
(44:20):
think we all agree the running game needs to get
going this week against New England one o'clock kickoff on
the road for Matt Williamson for Mike Presuda. For our
producer Justin Miller, I'm Rob King. The Point After is
presented by your neighborhood Ford store and by the Steelers
Pro Shop. Get it direct from the team at shop
dot Steelers dot com. We thank you for listening on
(44:40):
DVE and this Steelers Audio Network
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