November 15, 2022 • 25 mins
Stan talks about the Steelers win over the New Orleans Saints and details what led to their win as well as what they have to improve. Then, Stan is joined by Mike Prisuta from Steelers.com and the WDVE Morning Show to talk about the win. The two discuss where this team can go if they can get all three phases correct including offense, defense, and special teams.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Football's got to get the prim johnthan pickets. That's the
point this safeing on Steelers. Hello do everyone in Steelers Nation,
and welcome to the Savereigan on Steelers podcast. I'm your host,
stand Severian, and we post up here on Steelers dot
com twice weekly. Oh we hope if you enjoy the
(00:21):
Steelers content we bring you that day, you'll tell your friends, neighbors, relatives,
your pets, anybody uh to tune in to go to
Steelers dot com and listen to our podcast. The Steelers
coming off a win, I wouldn't use the adjective impressive,
but it did represent a step in the right direction.
How far have they traveled in a positive nature? Well,
(00:45):
it's a long way back from being two and six.
It's gonna take a while to reach a level of equilibrium.
So for the time being, a win is a win
is a win, even though there were certainly flaws in
the wind. Let take a look at a couple of
different elements of the game on Sunday against the Orlands Saints,
(01:06):
and any remarks that I'm going to make our prefaced
with the understanding that the New Orleans Saints aren't a
very good football team. They are three and seven, and
as Bill Parcels said, you are what your record says
you are. But then again, I would imagine in New
Orleans are saying, how could you look so poor against
(01:27):
a team like the Steelers that were two and six?
So turn about his fair play. Two not very good
teams at this point of the season playing each other.
But I think we have to look at development for
the Steelers, where indeed are they headed. Let's start with
Kenny Pickett. I thought that early on in the game,
(01:47):
really for most of the first half, he looked very tentative.
To me. Having a chance to be at the game
and sitting high up in the press box, you're able
to see what you're not able to see on TV. Play.
He's developing who's open, who's not? Uh, And I thought
that there were plays to be made had he pulled
the trigger more decisively. I don't think that he did
(02:10):
that on Sunday. I think he got better as the
game went along. I thought he definitely got better as
the game progressed throughout the sixty minutes of play. But
that's what you expect from a young quarterback. It's what
you expect from a rookie quarterback. When you look at
the quarterbacks, even those drafted yet last year, just in
(02:33):
their second year, they're still going through growing pains. It
takes time, and this is what once the Steelers made
the commitment to Kenny Pickett, they've got to stay with
that and they've got to stuffer and suffer if you will,
the slings and arrows of what you get with a
rookie quarterback. I think, on a more positive note, the
running game was much more at a level where they
(02:54):
wanted to be, where they needed to be. The biggest
thing for me about the running game was is is
that if you take away the eight carries at Kenny Pickett,
heead they had more runs than they did passes. In
today's NFL, maybe that's unrealistic to expect that or want
that every week. I think if you had a fifty
(03:18):
five past forty five on ratio, that'd be okay. And
the biggest reason why is earlier on in the season
when Pickett played, if you pro rated over a sixty
minute program, they were passing the ball forty four times
a game. That's way too many. If you look at
(03:40):
NFL stats going back any number of years, even in
this past Happy era, if you passed the ball forty
or more times, the chances are you are the losing team.
It's just what the stats say. Generally, if you're passing
the ball forty four times, it means what you're behind
(04:04):
and you're trying to catch up, and to do that
you have to throw the ball. But in the Steelers
particular instance, in this particular season, you're asking a rookie
quarterback to take on too much of the load. You
don't want to put the ball in his hands and say, here,
(04:24):
win it for me. You'd rather put him in his
position where he passes because you want him to, not
because he has to. And that's my biggest takeaway from
the game on Sunday. Overall, forty three runs, eight of
them by picket, but only thirty passes. In today's day
(04:47):
and age, that's an acceptable number. And if they continue that,
I think they'll win more games and they lose the
rest of the way. The running game came up bigger.
I wouldn't say kind of big, but came up bigger
than it has been. Naji Harris twenty carries yards. You'll
(05:10):
take that every day of the week, whether you're playing
on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday five yards per carry
and maybe the most important element of that, they had
one pass attempted to him. Maybe they could utilize him
a bit more. You cann't be effective in the past game.
(05:33):
But they're limiting his touches. One of the items that
they wanted to achieve this year. They understood that you
cannot have Naji Harris with thirty touches per game, which
is what he was getting last year. Twenty catches a
twenty touches a game, twenty runs, maybe two three targets
(05:55):
on passes. That's an acceptable rate. And sure enough he
had twenty rushes, one target on a pass, almost came
up with it for a long game, and that brings
in Jail and Warren into the equation. Nine carries forty
(06:20):
yards four point one per carry and maybe more importantly,
two pass receptions for twenty three yards. He got a
third of the touches among running backs in the ball game.
That's exactly what I'd like to see, a two thirds
(06:41):
flip between Nagy Harris and Jalen Warren. Warren to me,
has been a revelation. Initially, I think we all thought
he was a guy who was a better version of
Benny Snell, meaning an inside guy, a strong runner who
when he saw the whole hit it and hit it
(07:02):
decisively and quickly. But what I saw from Jalen Warren
yesterday was a back who had much better speed than
I thought he had. He got outside the couple of runs,
he got outside on a couple of screen passes. This
is a welcome edition. It makes you wonder how he
(07:25):
went undrafted. Wow, I'll answer my own question. NFL scouts
looking at a kid coming out of column say well,
he's too small, he's too short. But Jalen Warren showed
he's a strong runner at whatever size he is. And
the fact that he can now catch a screen pass,
(07:45):
gets a swing pass, catch a pass out in the flat,
and has the speed to get outside as he did
on that one yard or to set up a field goal.
He adds something through his end of dual performance. But
also because they can trust him now limits the amount
of touches. And another significant factor in that regard was
(08:09):
Nazi Harris saying after the game that he understands that
a guy like Jalen Warren can make him, meaning Harris
better because he's not paying paying and taking the pounding
that he was receiving in past years. The kicking game, well,
(08:29):
they'll have to get Matthew right right if you will,
because Bobswell Chris Boswell has to miss at least the
next two games. The defense was outstanding again, taking into
account that the Saints aren't very good in their current state.
(08:50):
Andy Dalton's a backup, they were missing three starting offensive lineman,
they're missing their best wide receiver and Michael Thomas. But
still you get an idea of what this defense could
be with j. T J. Watt back. Now they play
without Miles Jack. Let's not forget that Alex Highsmith is
(09:11):
developing into a nice not a T. J. Watt, but
maybe he becomes a Lamar Woodley playing on the other
side of a James Harrison. And of course we don't
know when we'll see Minka Fitzpatrick again. But we saw
the effect that that Demante k z can have. And
I thought Levi Wallace had his best game as a Steeler.
(09:34):
The Steelers and Mike Tomlin thought this defense could be
a dominant defense. Maybe we're beginning to see the root
elements of that time of possession thirty nine minutes of one.
They allowed the Saints again limited, but they limited them
(09:56):
to a merror ten first downs. That's winning football. So
have they taken a step out of the woods. Mike
Presuda is on the DV Morning Show. He's also on
the Steelers Radio Network pregame show, and Mike joins us
now on Savroanan Steelers and Mike, do you think the
Steelers made a giant stride out of the woods that
(10:19):
they've been in? I did, and I see it that
way fully understanding that the Saints are not very good
and they are profoundly injured, and the schedule was set
up totally in the Steeler's favor with New Orleans having
the playoff Monday night and then go on the road.
But sometimes that's what happens in the NFL. You can
do his play who you're playing, And I think they
(10:40):
dominated that game. Now that it was still tied up
until early in the fourth quarter is on the Steelers
for not taking more advantage of the opportunities they had.
But the two biggest things they were looking for making
plays on the ball defensively, they were able to do
that twice the interceptions and getting some slash shout of
the offense, and I think it was six plays of
(11:03):
more than twenty one yards, which isn't all that much
for both teams stand but hey, it was bananza for
the Steelers in that offense. Right, based on what we've
seen up until this point, how would I thought? And
we discussed this a bit earlier that Kenny Pickett looked
very tentative early in the game. Um, true, bisky like
(11:24):
his first couple of games, um, and that there were
places to be made. But overall, how how would you
evaluate his play? I was encouraged that he was trying
to make more place and they have to make more.
He's got to get better. I agree with the tentative assessment,
but I think one thing he's done a really good
(11:44):
job of ever since he started playing is using his
legs when applicable, and that's got to continue. And he
talked about that afterward. He had a really productive day
running the football and you know some timely chain moving games. Uh.
The one on one that he hit with Deonte Johnson
late third quarter was critical because the game was still tied.
(12:06):
Then they want that long drive that led to the
field goal. But I did see him trying more slants
over the middle yeare deeper shots throwing the ball into
the end. So even throw one to Pat Friarmouth when
Friarmouth was in double coverage, and I almost wanted to
stand up in a plot because there's no rule against that,
and it wound up as an incompletion. But at least
(12:27):
they know now. I think, particularly this was emphasized with
the trade of Chase Clay pull. The ball has got
to get the Friarmoo, Johnson and pickings. It's that simple.
And the quicker everybody figures out out the better, particularly
Kenny Pikett. Yeah. When I saw especially the three slants
one of Deonte one two pickens and another one to
John T. Johnson, there was a p I on the play.
(12:50):
Had the guy not tackled him, that was fifty eight
yard touchdown passed, And I thought, let me check the
rule book. I thought there was a rule against throwing
slant passes where the receiver actually ken to the ball.
Um in in uh in stride um the running game
very solid yesterday. Uh. I thought one of the significant
elements came post game. Um. I don't know if you
(13:12):
were able to interview Naji Harris, but he was and
I don't want to use the word resign, but he
was accepting of the fact that using Jalen Warren could
actually make him better. One of the things they wanted
to do was to I don't want to say limit
his touches, but reduce his touches, and Warren now gives
them the opportunity to do that, and it was on
(13:34):
display yesterday. Yeah, I don't think he's been I don't
think Harris has been a post to that since the
start of the process went back in the spring. They
know that he touched the ball too many times last
year and it's just not sustainable. And Harris was talking
about that. I recall specifically reporting day out of Saint
(13:54):
fits the College where he said he would love to
have another running back takes some of the load off.
I thought lot of people got a little out of
hand a with the criticism Harris and be with the
notion that while Jalen Lawrence should be the number one guy,
Jalen Warren is one of the few things that's gone
right this season, and that he is exactly who they
were looking for, a complimentary back that they can trust
(14:17):
and put in there and still feel like place can
be made but I think Nji Harris is that guy
who should be what he was yesterday back who can
carry it, uh something approaching twenty times a game, pop
a couple of big ones, and wind up just over
or just under a hundred yards. If he can be
that guy, I think it changes the offense dramatical, at
least what it might be capable of. I mean, they
(14:38):
had the ball for almost thirty nine minutes and they
got twenty points. Uh, you know they can throw six
more in there. If you think the kicker should have
made the two field goals he missed, but uh, still
not punching it in, still not scoring for many distance
that play you mentioned. I agree with you that the
one slant that Johnson was a touchdown if he doesn't
get held. So hey, they all had a splash play
(15:01):
from distance stand but they still have that longest touchdown
of the year eight yards under next. Yeah, absolutely worse
than the NFL. Are you so I? I I I admit
I was caught by surprise. And now you were at
camp every day and you saw the training camp up
sessions and stuff. Um, I am really surprised by warren
(15:24):
speed to the outside. You know, initially we thought all right,
he's a guy who takes the handoff, hits the whole
very quickly, a better version of Benny Snell. But he
showed some speed yesterday. I had no idea that he had. Yeah,
he's a pretty good player and he's been he has
been showing that. Uh. I can remember since we brought
(15:44):
up camp, Mike Thomas had he first noticed him in
backs on backers when he wouldn't back down in that
drill and he was very aggressive and attacking, and that
Joe he wanted to contact. And uh, Thomas said, that's
how you get noticed if you're you know, and nobody
from nowhere does. My words, not um let's, but that's
how an undrafted rookie can start taking steps towards being
(16:05):
more than that. And I have no problems with Jalen Warren.
I just when you've got a number one pick with
Nagy Harris pedigree, that's the guy I want playing more Now.
The more they convert, the more they possess the ball,
the more place they run, then there's more to divide
up and everybody gets fed. But I still think, yes,
(16:26):
they was, you know, a definite step in the right
direction for Nagy Harris but there's a lot more meat
on that bone, and they have to to use a
favorite tominism, look under every rock for the answer to
why he hasn't been a really effective running back this season.
We understand that the Saints were injured a lot of
that on the offensive line, but on defense, and they've
(16:48):
had their issues in the secondary with Marshaw and Lottomar
are not there, but their front seven is usually you know,
pretty active and uh and very deep. Um. The offensive
line is to continue to get better even after the
Eagles game. I mean, nobody got better and everybody got worse.
But big of a fact was the offensive line in
(17:08):
your view yesterday, despite the fact that Ticket was sacked
six times a while, I put a lot of that
on him. Yeah, I would agree with you know, some
of that tended to play that you were referenced in
a moment ago. I think the offensive line was better,
I don't. I don't think they're the hogs just yet.
I know a lot of guys were going out of
their way to credit them yesterday. New Orleans was also
(17:30):
without a starting backer, Pete Warner, who's a really good
player and one of the starting defensive events. So the
injury problems were throughout the defense. But again back to
that you can only play who you can play things.
They really controlled that game. Standing offensive line had a
lot to do with that. We had the ball for
thirty nine minutes and fifty six seconds or thirty eight
(17:51):
fifty six whatever it was. That should be a blowout game,
and that it was, you know, still tied early in
the fourth quarters on the Steelers, but hey, they found
a way to get it done. They put it away.
The fourth quarter couldn't have worked out any better. Uh, turnover,
stoppling downs, turnover ten points and then the offense able
(18:11):
to grind out the last four twenty three the game
or whatever it was. Uh they checked a lot of boxes. Uh,
you know if they didn't do it against the Buffalo Bills.
But small steps in the right direction, I think, speaking
of which maybe a big step. Um is this a
view of what this defense could be? I mean T J.
(18:32):
Watt came back. He had an impact. But when you
stop and think about getting Minca back, and you stop
and think about and by the way, I thought Levi Wallace,
aside from the interception, had itself a hell of a
game yesterday when they get William Jackson. William Jackson the
third back with Minca back at some point, if not
this week, then the week after. Um. Is this an
(18:54):
idea of what Tomlin thought dominant defenses could be? Yeah,
I mean it's hard to ignore the obvious, right we
We've seen t J. Watt out there twice and they've
been dominant, and when he hasn't played, they haven't been
very good. And it continues to amaze me the impact
what has when he's not there and when he's there yesterday, Uh,
(19:18):
he was more just a kind of a presence out there,
and he didn't blow up the statute or wrecked the
game or anything like that. But boy, the attention the
Saints paid to him was profound. Stand I mean they
were throwing tight ends out him and running backs and
guard tackle double teams, and it freed up the other guys.
One of my favorite revelations after the game was Cam, Hey,
(19:40):
we're talking about what ended up to be a fourteen
yard run by Alvin Camera? What came in off to
yet John blocked and he blasted into Taysom Hill, who,
unfortunately for what had just handed the ball off the camera.
But as Cam explained, it afterwards Taysom Hill. Taysom Hill
has that gadget play capability. Wat's assignment on the play
(20:01):
was to take him out and he did. And you know,
you go back to that defensive cliche of everybody do
their one eleventh and it should work, and uh, don't
don't try to do too much, don't get out of
your gap, all that stuff. They played it pretty much
by the numbers yesterday. Again the one of his offensive
line is injury ravaged, don't have their best receiver. Oh well, uh,
(20:24):
that was a really sound defensive performance yesterday, and I
think that had a lot to do with how effective
it was. Kelly Camarata forty forty yards and you mentioned
Taysom Hill three carries for one yard and that's all
they got. And you mentioned time and possessions. They only
had ten first down the entire game. Um. And also
(20:45):
we should mention they play without Miles Jack. I mean,
that's not an insignificant loss when a guy like that
it's not playing. And in addition to that, Mike Um.
Maybe too often we look at just sack totals, that
kind of thing. Quarterback kid, but as Alex Highsmith quietly
developed into a really good NFL linebacker. Yeah, I think
(21:08):
certainly above average at this point of his young career.
He's not a star that Watt is, and I mean
nobody's as good as what right now, but certainly a
very capable guy. I thought he was playing pretty well.
It wants absence, but t J wants out there and
everybody's looking for number nine. The opportunities come around for
a bunch of other guys and Alexis it's really learning
(21:30):
how to finish and I take advantage of them. When
you look at the remaining schedule, Um, I think he
only a cock Eyede optimist would think that, oh, they're
gonna make a run and make the playoffs. But you know,
where are they? Um? This was a you know, that's
a win. It's against a bad team. Um. Maybe we'll
have a better way to look at this after the
(21:53):
Cincinnati game. But I mean, do you see, as Tom
would say, the arrow pointing up? And you know, how
far can they go? And is that necessarily beneficial in
the long term in the overview for this team, meaning
the future, I think they could win a lot of games.
I mean, let's just look at Thursday night. I don't
know if you caught any of Carolina and Atlanta very little, thankfully. Yeah,
(22:19):
if you did, nothing you saw from by the one
of those teams was especially concerning. I watched the tail
end of the part of the last quarter and a
half of the Raiders and the Colts yesterday while you
guys were doing the post games show. I didn't see
anything there that doesn't look beautiful. That's four opponents that, uh,
you're gonna play, and then you've got four division games,
(22:41):
which you know those usually are battles in the a
f C North. The records are are less significant than
the familiarity and the rivalry nature of it. I mean,
I could see him going five and three, uh in
the last eight games. I don't think that will get
him any when you set to eight and nine. But uh,
you know, I'm more concerned with the development of the
(23:02):
team at this point than I would be draft positioning,
and I think there's no better way to identify development
than things that happened that lead to victory. So, uh,
you know, my advice will be trying to win as
many as you can. I know a lot of people
want to see him get as high as pick as
they possibly can, but uh, it is possible to find
(23:23):
really good players when you're not drafted at a top ten.
You just have to be pretty good at drafting and
route against the Bears and make sure that second Bears.
That's just kind of fun to do anyway. Well, the
good news here is it's highly unlikely that that the
last game of the year against the Browns will be
um put into a nighttime slot with both teams sitting
(23:44):
there a three and six. That's what I'm looking at. Stan.
I think they'd flex them out of Monday United India
if they could. I guess that comes in next year, uh,
that they'll have that option. I'm not how for sure
about that, but uh yeah, I think the Cleveland Pittsburgh
game will be played in the relative anonymity, uh in
the early Chaine where that should be just a wonderful
(24:07):
atmosphere environments. January eighth or whatever it is. I'll probably
be played in front of you know, thirty thousand are
so loyalists and a couple of teams whose level of
interest might be uh iffy. Thanks to Mike Pursuit of
the DV Morning Show and the Steelers Radio Network for
joining us giving us his insights again, the Steelers podcast
(24:29):
Sabrann Steelers available to you twice weekly, two new episodes
each week. Glad you found us a reminder that you
can listen to me each day on Savrant on Sports
on ESPN Pittsburgh. That's nine seventy a m. But if
you're out of the market, you can easily get that
by downloading the I Heart Media app. It's free and
(24:49):
you can get all kinds of Steelers programming on their
Thanks for joining us today on Savrant Steelers podcast on
the Steelers dot com. That's where you can get that.
We appreciate your listener ship and we'll talk to again
next time. Savant and Steelers. Thanks for listening. M hm.
Football's got to get the prim johnthan pickets. That's the
point this safeing on Steelers. Hello do everyone in Steelers Nation,
and welcome to the Savereigan on Steelers podcast. I'm your host,
stand Severian, and we post up here on Steelers dot
com twice weekly. Oh we hope if you enjoy the
(00:21):
Steelers content we bring you that day, you'll tell your friends, neighbors, relatives,
your pets, anybody uh to tune in to go to
Steelers dot com and listen to our podcast. The Steelers
coming off a win, I wouldn't use the adjective impressive,
but it did represent a step in the right direction.
How far have they traveled in a positive nature? Well,
(00:45):
it's a long way back from being two and six.
It's gonna take a while to reach a level of equilibrium.
So for the time being, a win is a win
is a win, even though there were certainly flaws in
the wind. Let take a look at a couple of
different elements of the game on Sunday against the Orlands Saints,
(01:06):
and any remarks that I'm going to make our prefaced
with the understanding that the New Orleans Saints aren't a
very good football team. They are three and seven, and
as Bill Parcels said, you are what your record says
you are. But then again, I would imagine in New
Orleans are saying, how could you look so poor against
(01:27):
a team like the Steelers that were two and six?
So turn about his fair play. Two not very good
teams at this point of the season playing each other.
But I think we have to look at development for
the Steelers, where indeed are they headed. Let's start with
Kenny Pickett. I thought that early on in the game,
(01:47):
really for most of the first half, he looked very tentative.
To me. Having a chance to be at the game
and sitting high up in the press box, you're able
to see what you're not able to see on TV. Play.
He's developing who's open, who's not? Uh, And I thought
that there were plays to be made had he pulled
the trigger more decisively. I don't think that he did
(02:10):
that on Sunday. I think he got better as the
game went along. I thought he definitely got better as
the game progressed throughout the sixty minutes of play. But
that's what you expect from a young quarterback. It's what
you expect from a rookie quarterback. When you look at
the quarterbacks, even those drafted yet last year, just in
(02:33):
their second year, they're still going through growing pains. It
takes time, and this is what once the Steelers made
the commitment to Kenny Pickett, they've got to stay with
that and they've got to stuffer and suffer if you will,
the slings and arrows of what you get with a
rookie quarterback. I think, on a more positive note, the
running game was much more at a level where they
(02:54):
wanted to be, where they needed to be. The biggest
thing for me about the running game was is is
that if you take away the eight carries at Kenny Pickett,
heead they had more runs than they did passes. In
today's NFL, maybe that's unrealistic to expect that or want
that every week. I think if you had a fifty
(03:18):
five past forty five on ratio, that'd be okay. And
the biggest reason why is earlier on in the season
when Pickett played, if you pro rated over a sixty
minute program, they were passing the ball forty four times
a game. That's way too many. If you look at
(03:40):
NFL stats going back any number of years, even in
this past Happy era, if you passed the ball forty
or more times, the chances are you are the losing team.
It's just what the stats say. Generally, if you're passing
the ball forty four times, it means what you're behind
(04:04):
and you're trying to catch up, and to do that
you have to throw the ball. But in the Steelers
particular instance, in this particular season, you're asking a rookie
quarterback to take on too much of the load. You
don't want to put the ball in his hands and say, here,
(04:24):
win it for me. You'd rather put him in his
position where he passes because you want him to, not
because he has to. And that's my biggest takeaway from
the game on Sunday. Overall, forty three runs, eight of
them by picket, but only thirty passes. In today's day
(04:47):
and age, that's an acceptable number. And if they continue that,
I think they'll win more games and they lose the
rest of the way. The running game came up bigger.
I wouldn't say kind of big, but came up bigger
than it has been. Naji Harris twenty carries yards. You'll
(05:10):
take that every day of the week, whether you're playing
on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday five yards per carry
and maybe the most important element of that, they had
one pass attempted to him. Maybe they could utilize him
a bit more. You cann't be effective in the past game.
(05:33):
But they're limiting his touches. One of the items that
they wanted to achieve this year. They understood that you
cannot have Naji Harris with thirty touches per game, which
is what he was getting last year. Twenty catches a
twenty touches a game, twenty runs, maybe two three targets
(05:55):
on passes. That's an acceptable rate. And sure enough he
had twenty rushes, one target on a pass, almost came
up with it for a long game, and that brings
in Jail and Warren into the equation. Nine carries forty
(06:20):
yards four point one per carry and maybe more importantly,
two pass receptions for twenty three yards. He got a
third of the touches among running backs in the ball game.
That's exactly what I'd like to see, a two thirds
(06:41):
flip between Nagy Harris and Jalen Warren. Warren to me,
has been a revelation. Initially, I think we all thought
he was a guy who was a better version of
Benny Snell, meaning an inside guy, a strong runner who
when he saw the whole hit it and hit it
(07:02):
decisively and quickly. But what I saw from Jalen Warren
yesterday was a back who had much better speed than
I thought he had. He got outside the couple of runs,
he got outside on a couple of screen passes. This
is a welcome edition. It makes you wonder how he
(07:25):
went undrafted. Wow, I'll answer my own question. NFL scouts
looking at a kid coming out of column say well,
he's too small, he's too short. But Jalen Warren showed
he's a strong runner at whatever size he is. And
the fact that he can now catch a screen pass,
(07:45):
gets a swing pass, catch a pass out in the flat,
and has the speed to get outside as he did
on that one yard or to set up a field goal.
He adds something through his end of dual performance. But
also because they can trust him now limits the amount
of touches. And another significant factor in that regard was
(08:09):
Nazi Harris saying after the game that he understands that
a guy like Jalen Warren can make him, meaning Harris
better because he's not paying paying and taking the pounding
that he was receiving in past years. The kicking game, well,
(08:29):
they'll have to get Matthew right right if you will,
because Bobswell Chris Boswell has to miss at least the
next two games. The defense was outstanding again, taking into
account that the Saints aren't very good in their current state.
(08:50):
Andy Dalton's a backup, they were missing three starting offensive lineman,
they're missing their best wide receiver and Michael Thomas. But
still you get an idea of what this defense could
be with j. T J. Watt back. Now they play
without Miles Jack. Let's not forget that Alex Highsmith is
(09:11):
developing into a nice not a T. J. Watt, but
maybe he becomes a Lamar Woodley playing on the other
side of a James Harrison. And of course we don't
know when we'll see Minka Fitzpatrick again. But we saw
the effect that that Demante k z can have. And
I thought Levi Wallace had his best game as a Steeler.
(09:34):
The Steelers and Mike Tomlin thought this defense could be
a dominant defense. Maybe we're beginning to see the root
elements of that time of possession thirty nine minutes of one.
They allowed the Saints again limited, but they limited them
(09:56):
to a merror ten first downs. That's winning football. So
have they taken a step out of the woods. Mike
Presuda is on the DV Morning Show. He's also on
the Steelers Radio Network pregame show, and Mike joins us
now on Savroanan Steelers and Mike, do you think the
Steelers made a giant stride out of the woods that
(10:19):
they've been in? I did, and I see it that
way fully understanding that the Saints are not very good
and they are profoundly injured, and the schedule was set
up totally in the Steeler's favor with New Orleans having
the playoff Monday night and then go on the road.
But sometimes that's what happens in the NFL. You can
do his play who you're playing, And I think they
(10:40):
dominated that game. Now that it was still tied up
until early in the fourth quarter is on the Steelers
for not taking more advantage of the opportunities they had.
But the two biggest things they were looking for making
plays on the ball defensively, they were able to do
that twice the interceptions and getting some slash shout of
the offense, and I think it was six plays of
(11:03):
more than twenty one yards, which isn't all that much
for both teams stand but hey, it was bananza for
the Steelers in that offense. Right, based on what we've
seen up until this point, how would I thought? And
we discussed this a bit earlier that Kenny Pickett looked
very tentative early in the game. Um, true, bisky like
(11:24):
his first couple of games, um, and that there were
places to be made. But overall, how how would you
evaluate his play? I was encouraged that he was trying
to make more place and they have to make more.
He's got to get better. I agree with the tentative assessment,
but I think one thing he's done a really good
(11:44):
job of ever since he started playing is using his
legs when applicable, and that's got to continue. And he
talked about that afterward. He had a really productive day
running the football and you know some timely chain moving games. Uh.
The one on one that he hit with Deonte Johnson
late third quarter was critical because the game was still tied.
(12:06):
Then they want that long drive that led to the
field goal. But I did see him trying more slants
over the middle yeare deeper shots throwing the ball into
the end. So even throw one to Pat Friarmouth when
Friarmouth was in double coverage, and I almost wanted to
stand up in a plot because there's no rule against that,
and it wound up as an incompletion. But at least
(12:27):
they know now. I think, particularly this was emphasized with
the trade of Chase Clay pull. The ball has got
to get the Friarmoo, Johnson and pickings. It's that simple.
And the quicker everybody figures out out the better, particularly
Kenny Pikett. Yeah. When I saw especially the three slants
one of Deonte one two pickens and another one to
John T. Johnson, there was a p I on the play.
(12:50):
Had the guy not tackled him, that was fifty eight
yard touchdown passed, And I thought, let me check the
rule book. I thought there was a rule against throwing
slant passes where the receiver actually ken to the ball.
Um in in uh in stride um the running game
very solid yesterday. Uh. I thought one of the significant
elements came post game. Um. I don't know if you
(13:12):
were able to interview Naji Harris, but he was and
I don't want to use the word resign, but he
was accepting of the fact that using Jalen Warren could
actually make him better. One of the things they wanted
to do was to I don't want to say limit
his touches, but reduce his touches, and Warren now gives
them the opportunity to do that, and it was on
(13:34):
display yesterday. Yeah, I don't think he's been I don't
think Harris has been a post to that since the
start of the process went back in the spring. They
know that he touched the ball too many times last
year and it's just not sustainable. And Harris was talking
about that. I recall specifically reporting day out of Saint
(13:54):
fits the College where he said he would love to
have another running back takes some of the load off.
I thought lot of people got a little out of
hand a with the criticism Harris and be with the
notion that while Jalen Lawrence should be the number one guy,
Jalen Warren is one of the few things that's gone
right this season, and that he is exactly who they
were looking for, a complimentary back that they can trust
(14:17):
and put in there and still feel like place can
be made but I think Nji Harris is that guy
who should be what he was yesterday back who can
carry it, uh something approaching twenty times a game, pop
a couple of big ones, and wind up just over
or just under a hundred yards. If he can be
that guy, I think it changes the offense dramatical, at
least what it might be capable of. I mean, they
(14:38):
had the ball for almost thirty nine minutes and they
got twenty points. Uh, you know they can throw six
more in there. If you think the kicker should have
made the two field goals he missed, but uh, still
not punching it in, still not scoring for many distance
that play you mentioned. I agree with you that the
one slant that Johnson was a touchdown if he doesn't
get held. So hey, they all had a splash play
(15:01):
from distance stand but they still have that longest touchdown
of the year eight yards under next. Yeah, absolutely worse
than the NFL. Are you so I? I I I admit
I was caught by surprise. And now you were at
camp every day and you saw the training camp up
sessions and stuff. Um, I am really surprised by warren
(15:24):
speed to the outside. You know, initially we thought all right,
he's a guy who takes the handoff, hits the whole
very quickly, a better version of Benny Snell. But he
showed some speed yesterday. I had no idea that he had. Yeah,
he's a pretty good player and he's been he has
been showing that. Uh. I can remember since we brought
(15:44):
up camp, Mike Thomas had he first noticed him in
backs on backers when he wouldn't back down in that
drill and he was very aggressive and attacking, and that
Joe he wanted to contact. And uh, Thomas said, that's
how you get noticed if you're you know, and nobody
from nowhere does. My words, not um let's, but that's
how an undrafted rookie can start taking steps towards being
(16:05):
more than that. And I have no problems with Jalen Warren.
I just when you've got a number one pick with
Nagy Harris pedigree, that's the guy I want playing more Now.
The more they convert, the more they possess the ball,
the more place they run, then there's more to divide
up and everybody gets fed. But I still think, yes,
(16:26):
they was, you know, a definite step in the right
direction for Nagy Harris but there's a lot more meat
on that bone, and they have to to use a
favorite tominism, look under every rock for the answer to
why he hasn't been a really effective running back this season.
We understand that the Saints were injured a lot of
that on the offensive line, but on defense, and they've
(16:48):
had their issues in the secondary with Marshaw and Lottomar
are not there, but their front seven is usually you know,
pretty active and uh and very deep. Um. The offensive
line is to continue to get better even after the
Eagles game. I mean, nobody got better and everybody got worse.
But big of a fact was the offensive line in
(17:08):
your view yesterday, despite the fact that Ticket was sacked
six times a while, I put a lot of that
on him. Yeah, I would agree with you know, some
of that tended to play that you were referenced in
a moment ago. I think the offensive line was better,
I don't. I don't think they're the hogs just yet.
I know a lot of guys were going out of
their way to credit them yesterday. New Orleans was also
(17:30):
without a starting backer, Pete Warner, who's a really good
player and one of the starting defensive events. So the
injury problems were throughout the defense. But again back to
that you can only play who you can play things.
They really controlled that game. Standing offensive line had a
lot to do with that. We had the ball for
thirty nine minutes and fifty six seconds or thirty eight
(17:51):
fifty six whatever it was. That should be a blowout game,
and that it was, you know, still tied early in
the fourth quarters on the Steelers, but hey, they found
a way to get it done. They put it away.
The fourth quarter couldn't have worked out any better. Uh, turnover,
stoppling downs, turnover ten points and then the offense able
(18:11):
to grind out the last four twenty three the game
or whatever it was. Uh they checked a lot of boxes. Uh,
you know if they didn't do it against the Buffalo Bills.
But small steps in the right direction, I think, speaking
of which maybe a big step. Um is this a
view of what this defense could be? I mean T J.
(18:32):
Watt came back. He had an impact. But when you
stop and think about getting Minca back, and you stop
and think about and by the way, I thought Levi Wallace,
aside from the interception, had itself a hell of a
game yesterday when they get William Jackson. William Jackson the
third back with Minca back at some point, if not
this week, then the week after. Um. Is this an
(18:54):
idea of what Tomlin thought dominant defenses could be? Yeah,
I mean it's hard to ignore the obvious, right we
We've seen t J. Watt out there twice and they've
been dominant, and when he hasn't played, they haven't been
very good. And it continues to amaze me the impact
what has when he's not there and when he's there yesterday, Uh,
(19:18):
he was more just a kind of a presence out there,
and he didn't blow up the statute or wrecked the
game or anything like that. But boy, the attention the
Saints paid to him was profound. Stand I mean they
were throwing tight ends out him and running backs and
guard tackle double teams, and it freed up the other guys.
One of my favorite revelations after the game was Cam, Hey,
(19:40):
we're talking about what ended up to be a fourteen
yard run by Alvin Camera? What came in off to
yet John blocked and he blasted into Taysom Hill, who,
unfortunately for what had just handed the ball off the camera.
But as Cam explained, it afterwards Taysom Hill. Taysom Hill
has that gadget play capability. Wat's assignment on the play
(20:01):
was to take him out and he did. And you know,
you go back to that defensive cliche of everybody do
their one eleventh and it should work, and uh, don't
don't try to do too much, don't get out of
your gap, all that stuff. They played it pretty much
by the numbers yesterday. Again the one of his offensive
line is injury ravaged, don't have their best receiver. Oh well, uh,
(20:24):
that was a really sound defensive performance yesterday, and I
think that had a lot to do with how effective
it was. Kelly Camarata forty forty yards and you mentioned
Taysom Hill three carries for one yard and that's all
they got. And you mentioned time and possessions. They only
had ten first down the entire game. Um. And also
(20:45):
we should mention they play without Miles Jack. I mean,
that's not an insignificant loss when a guy like that
it's not playing. And in addition to that, Mike Um.
Maybe too often we look at just sack totals, that
kind of thing. Quarterback kid, but as Alex Highsmith quietly
developed into a really good NFL linebacker. Yeah, I think
(21:08):
certainly above average at this point of his young career.
He's not a star that Watt is, and I mean
nobody's as good as what right now, but certainly a
very capable guy. I thought he was playing pretty well.
It wants absence, but t J wants out there and
everybody's looking for number nine. The opportunities come around for
a bunch of other guys and Alexis it's really learning
(21:30):
how to finish and I take advantage of them. When
you look at the remaining schedule, Um, I think he
only a cock Eyede optimist would think that, oh, they're
gonna make a run and make the playoffs. But you know,
where are they? Um? This was a you know, that's
a win. It's against a bad team. Um. Maybe we'll
have a better way to look at this after the
(21:53):
Cincinnati game. But I mean, do you see, as Tom
would say, the arrow pointing up? And you know, how
far can they go? And is that necessarily beneficial in
the long term in the overview for this team, meaning
the future, I think they could win a lot of games.
I mean, let's just look at Thursday night. I don't
know if you caught any of Carolina and Atlanta very little, thankfully. Yeah,
(22:19):
if you did, nothing you saw from by the one
of those teams was especially concerning. I watched the tail
end of the part of the last quarter and a
half of the Raiders and the Colts yesterday while you
guys were doing the post games show. I didn't see
anything there that doesn't look beautiful. That's four opponents that, uh,
you're gonna play, and then you've got four division games,
(22:41):
which you know those usually are battles in the a
f C North. The records are are less significant than
the familiarity and the rivalry nature of it. I mean,
I could see him going five and three, uh in
the last eight games. I don't think that will get
him any when you set to eight and nine. But uh,
you know, I'm more concerned with the development of the
(23:02):
team at this point than I would be draft positioning,
and I think there's no better way to identify development
than things that happened that lead to victory. So, uh,
you know, my advice will be trying to win as
many as you can. I know a lot of people
want to see him get as high as pick as
they possibly can, but uh, it is possible to find
(23:23):
really good players when you're not drafted at a top ten.
You just have to be pretty good at drafting and
route against the Bears and make sure that second Bears.
That's just kind of fun to do anyway. Well, the
good news here is it's highly unlikely that that the
last game of the year against the Browns will be
um put into a nighttime slot with both teams sitting
(23:44):
there a three and six. That's what I'm looking at. Stan.
I think they'd flex them out of Monday United India
if they could. I guess that comes in next year, uh,
that they'll have that option. I'm not how for sure
about that, but uh yeah, I think the Cleveland Pittsburgh
game will be played in the relative anonymity, uh in
the early Chaine where that should be just a wonderful
(24:07):
atmosphere environments. January eighth or whatever it is. I'll probably
be played in front of you know, thirty thousand are
so loyalists and a couple of teams whose level of
interest might be uh iffy. Thanks to Mike Pursuit of
the DV Morning Show and the Steelers Radio Network for
joining us giving us his insights again, the Steelers podcast
(24:29):
Sabrann Steelers available to you twice weekly, two new episodes
each week. Glad you found us a reminder that you
can listen to me each day on Savrant on Sports
on ESPN Pittsburgh. That's nine seventy a m. But if
you're out of the market, you can easily get that
by downloading the I Heart Media app. It's free and
(24:49):
you can get all kinds of Steelers programming on their
Thanks for joining us today on Savrant Steelers podcast on
the Steelers dot com. That's where you can get that.
We appreciate your listener ship and we'll talk to again
next time. Savant and Steelers. Thanks for listening. M hm.
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