December 5, 2022 • 23 mins
Stan discusses how the Steelers once again utilized the run game with multiple running backs to win the time of possession battle and effectively beat the Falcons. Stan is joined by Gerry Dulac to hear his thoughts on Kenny Pickett's performance and some of the antics coming from the wide receivers.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Knowledge. Harris is now running with the confidence knowing that
the holders are there with his offensive wine. This is
Safering on Steelers. Hello to everyone in Steeler Nation. Welcome
to the Savereign on Steelers podcast. I'm your host Stan Savereign.
We post up here twice weekly. I hope you find
(00:21):
the post enjoyable Steeler content from the inside with several
outstanding guests. If you do, please continue to do so.
You can go to Steelers dot com and download the podcast.
It's free for you there on Steelers dot com. You
can tell your friends, family, neighbors, whomever about the podcast.
We begin to spread the word getting some positive reviews,
(00:42):
so that's always a good thing. So I appreciate you
being with us at this moment. The Steelers do just
enough to beat the Atlanta Falcons, and uh, I think
that the keynote in the victory over the Falcons this
past Sunday was that they are getting better. They're improving
not by a to Z but a to L or
(01:05):
M or however you want to phrase it. They're getting
better in a lot of different areas. I think when
you look at the victory over the Falcons, one could
say that if they had played like they did let's
say a month ago, five weeks ago. They don't win
that game, But the things that helped them win that
game against the Falcons are things that I have improved
(01:27):
steadily upon. First and foremost, the run game. The running
game has really come not just to be a change
of pace. It has gone from being an actual liability
two just a change of pace because you have to
run the ball some to an absolute weapon. They rushed
(01:49):
for a hundred and fifty four yards on Sunday, four
point two yards per carry, breaking it down individually. Nase
Harris overall his best day, not in terms of totally artis,
but in terms of effectiveness. Eight six yards seventeen carries,
five point one yards per carry. That is winning football.
(02:10):
You add in twenty four yards on six carries by
Benny Snell as the backup to give Naji a bit
of a break. Jalen Warnery only one carry because they
were kind of nursing him back to health, but he
did see more playing time than that. The running game
was able to control the game for big portions of
that game. Maybe the most important numbers to me were
(02:32):
not the individual numbers or even the collective numbers, but
two numbers in particular. They ran the ball thirty seven
times they passed it. Now, normally, when coaches say, well,
we want to balanced offense, they're talking a fifty fifty
split down the middle. But given the fact that you're
dealing with a rookie quarterback who's learning the game as
(02:55):
he goes, at least at the pro level, who's learning
to read defense, is being in game situations, the more
support that you can give him at the early stages
of his career, the better off you as a team
are going to be. And so it's not fifty fifty.
It's an overbalance, maybe about sixty at this point. I
(03:17):
think run over passed would be the best way to go. Now,
if you have been in his prime, you'd want it
the other way. But this has not been in his prime.
This is a rookie learning his way. No matter how
talented he wasn't pit. No matter how much he seems
to be improving and Morten seems to he is, you
(03:37):
still want to protect him. And one of the ways
you're able to do that is by running the ball
more frequently and more successfully. There's no doubt in my
mind that that running game is the biggest reason for
them having won two in a row and three of
the last four. And what leads also the second set
of numbers that were so impressive to me is that
(03:58):
for the second week in a row, the Steelers dominated
in time and possession. They certainly did. They had the
ball two thirds of the time against Indie and against
Atlanta they had a thirty three minutes in Atlanta had
a rounding some numbers off. That's a good disparity. You
(04:18):
want the football in your hands because not only does
it aid you in offense, does it enable your quarterback
to make safer throws. You know you're not being second
and nine all the time or third and seven, But
it also protects your defense to a degree because they're
not on the field. I think it's fair to say
(04:39):
that if the Steeler offense had not ground out about
four of the remaining five and a half minutes of
that game, they might very well have lost it, because
you saw how Atlanta was running the football on a
tired Steeler defense. And who's to say if Atlanta had
been given ample opportunity with that much time when the clock,
(05:01):
it wouldn't have happened. Again. The Steelers certainly we're gonna
get any fresher. And indeed, the biggest stand they made
was limiting Atlanta to a field goal instead of a
touchdown that made it nine. They're going for a touchdown
all of a sudden, you're down the point. So the
offense's ability to move the ball primarily on the ground
(05:24):
was a huge issue. Kenny Pickett is getting better, that's
absolutely evident. He's still a bit cautious in his approach,
but little by little you can see him being more assertive.
I see less timidity. I think he's more confident and
he will continue to be that way. Given the structure
of the offense. It comes and fits and starts. It's
(05:48):
like a turtle poking his head out of the shell,
takes a look around, and the more he deals with
a positive result, the more willing he's going to be
to expand and spread his wings. I think that's what
he's seeing right now. He's definitely being more assertive. I
think he's recognizing things more quickly, getting the ball out
(06:10):
and having a definite idea of where he wants to
go with the ball. Now, there are some receivers who
apparently disagree with his thought process. George Pickens, I think unacceptable.
He displayed his emotions Sunday in the Georgiadome. I understand.
I think where he was coming from. It was homecoming
(06:32):
for him. He had you know, he's an hour away
from his campus at Athens, Georgia. He had some of
great moments in that Georgia Dome against Atlanta, excuse me,
against um in the super Bowl performance against Alabama, well,
not as super Bowl performance, but as National championship performance.
(06:55):
I'll get it here. And I think with family and
friends there, he expect to have a big game to
show what he can do, and I empathize with that.
I think Hua Mongas would say, well, that's unreasonable. No,
it's it's not unreasonable at all. And when things weren't
working out his way, he reacted in the manner that
(07:20):
I thought was unbecoming. It doesn't do him any good,
doesn't do the team any good. Hopefully this will be
a learning process. His assistant coach had talked to him
on the bench. Cam Heyward, the undisputed leader of this team,
came over and talked to him on the bench. And
since sure, we're all frustrated from time to time, but
(07:41):
how about taking the attitude. This is me speaking like
Cam Heyward. How about being happy about the fact we're wing.
How about being happy about the fact that you can
make a contribution by being a decoy. Sometimes we understand
you want the ball. Wide receivers generally do. That's what
they're there for, but putting out a temper tantrum is
(08:06):
not the way to go about it. What does Steelers
do with Deante Johnson? That's a different story. He continues
to under perform and thus underachieve eleven targets five catches,
(08:26):
just not good enough to drops. He did pick up
a first down, didn't do that reverse Dancity sometimes does
the reverse moonwalk short of the first down marker, but
the drops are concerning. He had another pre snap penalty
(08:47):
last year. He led the NFL wide receivers and penalties
with nine. He's still a good receiver. He gets open,
that is true, but getting targets and not having them
turn into catches is meaningless whether you're open or not.
(09:11):
He's got to be better because given the money they
paid him, they're not getting their money's worth. And if
he is beginning to benefit from teams being aware of
George Pickens he's gotta start taking advantage of that and
vice versa. He's got to understand that, because of the
different nature of picking skills, that maybe Deonte Johnson is
(09:32):
not going to get the ball as often as he's
accustomed to getting it. That needs to change. If the Steelers,
as some hope may charge, to the playoffs, to me,
it's the long way off bare minimum. They'd have win
four of the last five. The schedule is favorable, no question,
(09:55):
and they may have gotten a break if Lamar Jackson
is not able to play Sunday against Baltimore, but they're
still behind teams, a lot of teams to climb over,
and then there will be the question to ask, well
they make the playoffs. Let's say at nine and eight,
playing this way, eking out wins against sub five hundred
(10:15):
teams like Indie or Atlanta, how will they match up
against the top teams Kansas City, Buffalo, maybe even Cincinnati.
Is there value in that? I think there's some, But
I can think I can understand why people don't want
(10:36):
that to happen. Game by game, as Mike Tomlins always says,
the arrows pointed up. They are getting better. We're joined
out by Jerry doo lack of the Pittsfurgh Post Gazette
and the Steelers Radio network and Jerry Um, there's no
doubt that this football team, looking back at the last month,
they are getting better. Well, Stan, I think their entire
(10:58):
offense is getting better. Uh. And I know we're we're
uh coming from a low ball because they still only
have scored nineteen points. Um. But I think the biggest
problem um, and while we're seeing progress the passing game,
converting third downs, no interceptions, the running game has been
(11:21):
very very good um these last four or five games,
but they're not converting field position into touchdowns and it's
keeping the game close. That's why matthew Wright had to
kick four field goals. So I don't think there's any
question from a movement standpoint passing and running. I think
(11:42):
the play calling has been very smooth. Um. I haven't
had an issue with it at all. But what the
next step is for this offense is to convert field
position into touchdowns because let's face it, they only have
eight touchdown passes on the season and and no explosive
plays I mean explosive touchdowns offensively. That's gonna be the
(12:04):
next step for this offense, but I don't think there's
any question that they're making progress. What's the biggest drawback
in not getting into the end zone? Is it Pickett?
Is that, um, sort of the structure of the offense
and not wanting to put in positions where he has
to make a risky play. Um? Is it wide receivers
not getting open um where there's limited space down there. Yeah,
(12:26):
it's hard. It's hard to say exactly what it is,
and it's probably a little bit of all that. UM.
I would say most of it probably has to do
with the passing game. I think what we're seeing with
Kenny Pickett is, you know, no interceptions in the last
four games. I think he's playing very smart. Now that
(12:47):
may be another word for cautious. Um, you know, not
wanting to turn the ball over in the red zone.
So maybe just being you know, maybe being a little
cautious there and not wanting to take a chance. UM.
I think that's probably part of it as well. UM So,
I think it's a number of things Stan, but that
(13:08):
that could be the biggest one. Well, when we talk
about the running game, they obviously improved a great deal
as you look at it. Jerry One of the things
that stuck out to me was the balanced thirty seven
runs versus twenty eight passes. Normally, when coaches talk about balance,
we'd like to keep it fifty fifty. But given the
fact that you've got a young quarterback who's just learning
(13:29):
his way and and finding his way, that kind of
mix of thirty seven runs versus twenty eight passes seems
to me to be ideal, even if it tilts towards
the run more than maybe you'd like to structure it. Uh. Stand,
I couldn't agree more. And I think that's the way
it should be. You know, it's the last couple of
games we haven't seen THET four attempts that Kenny Pickett
(13:53):
was averaging. Uh you know, in games where he started
and finished and and the reason and is because of
the success they've been having with the running game. And
you know, when you see each of those guys having success,
there is no question, Stan. We hear the people talk
about crediting the offensive line. You cannot give them enough
(14:15):
credit for the way they performed. That's why all those
guys are having success running the ball. It's not that
they're just magically coming around. It's because there are holes
there and nausey. Harris is now running with the confidence
knowing that the holes are there with his offensive line,
and that was as that was as well as he
(14:36):
has run in any game this year, hitting the whole quick,
hitting it with power, hitting it with confidence and determination.
You know, there was he had a fourteen yard run yet,
but he had eighty six yards I think was the number.
And and you know, all that was without an explosive run,
you know, a twenty yards plus run that was five six,
seven yards at a time. He called it a hard
(14:58):
eighty six yards after the game, and that's exactly what
it was. And um, he ran very very well. But
to me, you cannot give that offensive line enough credit
for how they've progressed and how they're playing. Agreed, without question,
I think that was the hope all along that this
would occur. They're a different team now. Is it safe
(15:18):
to say that, Um, if they had played like they
didn't like any Week four, Week five, that they might
not have won this game. But the fact that they
have progressed in that regard enable them to win this game,
albeit against a lesser light opponent. Well, I think I
think part of of kind of what you're getting at
(15:41):
is the exact reason why they are is because you
don't stand it's been continuity and when you look at it,
I mean they've been they've been um, they stayed injury
free for the most part, and this line has played
together just about every snap. I know Mason Cole went
on for a little bit, uh having dots and had
a little issue for a little while, but they've been
(16:03):
intact for the most part five of the time and
that's been a big, big difference because they're all playing together,
they're staying healthy, and the continuity uh shows uh in
a way they're playing And I think that's a really
big key that you know, there's not a lot of
different line combinations of people trying to work together. It's
(16:24):
been the same five guys for the most part, every game,
every snap. That's a major fact With our question. Jerry
Dulac of The Post Gazette is our guest. Jerry, was
there any locker room reaction that you could ascertain about
George Pickens wraps um emoting improperly on the field, or
is frustration and not being more involved in the offense.
(16:48):
You understand I have no use for George Pickens behavior.
He has a rookie, he has no rights. He has
done nothing to merit that type of behavior, and when
you're a rookie, you don't act like that. I don't
see half friar Muth acting that way. Half friar Muth
is getting. Uh, he is getting what targets he gets,
he's making the catches and he's not complaining. I didn't
(17:08):
see Heath Miller complaining about that. Uh. You know, Deante
Johnson has complained too, but he seems to have handled
it a little better lately, and he should. He's a
three year veteran, a four year vetter or whatever he is.
George Pickens has no right to act like that because
I don't see him getting into the end zone repeatedly,
or being the guy who's you know, leading the league
(17:30):
in receptions and they're ignoring him. Um, I just as
I don't have a Like I said, I don't have
much use for that kind of behavior from a rookie
because he has not earned the right to act that way.
Not that acting that way is acceptable, but for a
rookie to act that way, it is highly unacceptable. Um yeah,
it's uh, without a question. I couldn't agree more. Was
(17:51):
there any intel uh coming from either Pickens or Heyward
anybody else? What Cam Heyward said to him on the bench?
It was camera. Everybody saw it. Yeah, Now, Stan, I
didn't because I I didn't get a chance to talk
to Cam about that. Um And you know, stand, there's
a there's a part of me that doesn't want to
(18:14):
even recognize that behavior and and lend any significance to
it by asking about it. Now that's me personally as
a as a or professionally as a as a reporter too.
If if I start asking about it, I'm acknowledging and
that behavior. And I refused to do that because I
just think it's unacceptable to begin with. It has no
(18:36):
impact on anybody other than him making him look immature
and childish, which of course he is. So in terms
of impacting the team or anything like that. No, you
know what most of those guys do. They either roll
their eyes or tell them to shut up. My favorite
story from Antonio Brown ever about Heath Miller was the
time Antonio Brown admitted he was complaining so much in
(18:59):
the huddle that Heath Miller said to him, Heath Miller,
Antonio shut the bleep up. That's about the extent of
what that of what all that means. And the guys
get accustomed to that, and again they basically just roll
their eyes and and and are dismiss about it. By
the way, I'm sure Camp, I'm sure Cam uh you know,
(19:20):
just said something to him, maybe to settle him down.
But it doesn't impact or affect any of those guys.
You would not have been aware of this. But I
thought that the TV broadcasters made a much bigger issue
out of this. They I'm sure they did their their producer, uh,
since the storyline there and he persisted, it reminded me
(19:41):
of on draft day when there's usually one guy whose
stock is dropped dropping. He's either there in the green
room or he's at home, and they keep going. They
make it a storyline. They make it a story um
going as far back as when Dan Marino lasted that
long before the Dolphins took it took him. That's what
I thought. The Katie Gay are the CBS announcers did yesterday.
(20:04):
They're not Katie Gay. There's CBS announcers right. The other
side of that coin is Deante Johnson. Um eleven targets
only five receptions. Um, two drops. Um, he always seems
to be open, but he seldom seems to make a play. Um,
they committed to him financially. Um, are they getting their
(20:25):
money's worth out of this guy? And does that mean
that maybe Pickens is right, maybe they ought to be
paying more attention to him than Deonte Johnson. Well? Stand, Um,
they're not getting a production out of him in terms
of thirty nine billion dollars. And I'm sorry for the noise,
dand I'm standing outside the airport. Um. The funny thing
(20:45):
about Deante Johnson or the curious thing about him, because
no receiver works harder than Deonta Johnson, or pays more
attention to pass catching drills for a veteran than Deonta Johnson.
No receiver gets open more or like Deante Johnson. And
yet his failure to make plays and drop passes is
(21:05):
really astonishing. Um. And and you know he's a natural
catcher of the ball, and yet he doesn't look at anymore.
He looks like a guy who fights the ball. His
one drop actually turned out to be a fortuitous drop,
Otherwise it was a fumble and at the s card line,
which ends up being a drop for him. Um, but
(21:26):
it's it's yeah, it's just I mean, I don't think
there's any question Kenny Pikett as a rookie is probably
more comfortable with the other guys. But we had this
discussion on the pregame show, who's the guy in a
pinch that, Um, Kenny Pickett is going to rely on
George Pickens or Deonte Johnson, And I said neither. He
relies on Pat friar Mouth. And he proved it again
yesterday to third down conversion catches on that opening drive
(21:49):
and then that fifty seven yard or and he missed him.
He missed him on on the touchdown on the throw
that would have been a twenty eight yard touchdown down
the scene. Um, So that's the guy he looks to
and relies on, because that's the guy who finds a
way to get open and more importantly catches the ball.
And that's the guy Kenny Pickett is going to look
(22:10):
to in tough situations, much the way and and much
the way Patrick Mahomes looks to Travis Kelsey. I'm not
calling him Travis Kelsey. I'm just saying that is the
guy that Kenny Pickett relies on in a similar manner.
I would agree. Jerry, thanks for hanging with us on
your travel day. I appreciate it. I look forward to
seeing you marrowt to Mike Tomlin press conference. You gotta stand.
(22:32):
Always good chatting with you, my friend. Our thanks to
Jerry du Lack of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and a
member of the pregame show on the Steelers Radio Network, which,
by the way, this coming Sunday eleven o'clock pregame one
o'clock kick off against the Baltimore Ravens. Once again, I
want to thank you for listening to Savran on Steelers Podcast.
You can get it at Steelers dot com. Please tell
your friends, neighbors, family that you found the site that
(22:54):
you enjoy listening to. Hopefully that's the case. You can
also listen to me daily on my daily Ray Yeo
Show on ESPN Pittsburgh a m. Noon until to Eastern time.
If you can't listen to it live, you can get
it at the I Heart Media app. It's download that
it's free. It's there for you every day from noon
until too until next time. Thanks for being here today.
(23:18):
We'll talk to you next time. On the Savereigant on
Steelers Podcast
Knowledge. Harris is now running with the confidence knowing that
the holders are there with his offensive wine. This is
Safering on Steelers. Hello to everyone in Steeler Nation. Welcome
to the Savereign on Steelers podcast. I'm your host Stan Savereign.
We post up here twice weekly. I hope you find
(00:21):
the post enjoyable Steeler content from the inside with several
outstanding guests. If you do, please continue to do so.
You can go to Steelers dot com and download the podcast.
It's free for you there on Steelers dot com. You
can tell your friends, family, neighbors, whomever about the podcast.
We begin to spread the word getting some positive reviews,
(00:42):
so that's always a good thing. So I appreciate you
being with us at this moment. The Steelers do just
enough to beat the Atlanta Falcons, and uh, I think
that the keynote in the victory over the Falcons this
past Sunday was that they are getting better. They're improving
not by a to Z but a to L or
(01:05):
M or however you want to phrase it. They're getting
better in a lot of different areas. I think when
you look at the victory over the Falcons, one could
say that if they had played like they did let's
say a month ago, five weeks ago. They don't win
that game, But the things that helped them win that
game against the Falcons are things that I have improved
(01:27):
steadily upon. First and foremost, the run game. The running
game has really come not just to be a change
of pace. It has gone from being an actual liability
two just a change of pace because you have to
run the ball some to an absolute weapon. They rushed
(01:49):
for a hundred and fifty four yards on Sunday, four
point two yards per carry, breaking it down individually. Nase
Harris overall his best day, not in terms of totally artis,
but in terms of effectiveness. Eight six yards seventeen carries,
five point one yards per carry. That is winning football.
(02:10):
You add in twenty four yards on six carries by
Benny Snell as the backup to give Naji a bit
of a break. Jalen Warnery only one carry because they
were kind of nursing him back to health, but he
did see more playing time than that. The running game
was able to control the game for big portions of
that game. Maybe the most important numbers to me were
(02:32):
not the individual numbers or even the collective numbers, but
two numbers in particular. They ran the ball thirty seven
times they passed it. Now, normally, when coaches say, well,
we want to balanced offense, they're talking a fifty fifty
split down the middle. But given the fact that you're
dealing with a rookie quarterback who's learning the game as
(02:55):
he goes, at least at the pro level, who's learning
to read defense, is being in game situations, the more
support that you can give him at the early stages
of his career, the better off you as a team
are going to be. And so it's not fifty fifty.
It's an overbalance, maybe about sixty at this point. I
(03:17):
think run over passed would be the best way to go. Now,
if you have been in his prime, you'd want it
the other way. But this has not been in his prime.
This is a rookie learning his way. No matter how
talented he wasn't pit. No matter how much he seems
to be improving and Morten seems to he is, you
(03:37):
still want to protect him. And one of the ways
you're able to do that is by running the ball
more frequently and more successfully. There's no doubt in my
mind that that running game is the biggest reason for
them having won two in a row and three of
the last four. And what leads also the second set
of numbers that were so impressive to me is that
(03:58):
for the second week in a row, the Steelers dominated
in time and possession. They certainly did. They had the
ball two thirds of the time against Indie and against
Atlanta they had a thirty three minutes in Atlanta had
a rounding some numbers off. That's a good disparity. You
(04:18):
want the football in your hands because not only does
it aid you in offense, does it enable your quarterback
to make safer throws. You know you're not being second
and nine all the time or third and seven, But
it also protects your defense to a degree because they're
not on the field. I think it's fair to say
(04:39):
that if the Steeler offense had not ground out about
four of the remaining five and a half minutes of
that game, they might very well have lost it, because
you saw how Atlanta was running the football on a
tired Steeler defense. And who's to say if Atlanta had
been given ample opportunity with that much time when the clock,
(05:01):
it wouldn't have happened. Again. The Steelers certainly we're gonna
get any fresher. And indeed, the biggest stand they made
was limiting Atlanta to a field goal instead of a
touchdown that made it nine. They're going for a touchdown
all of a sudden, you're down the point. So the
offense's ability to move the ball primarily on the ground
(05:24):
was a huge issue. Kenny Pickett is getting better, that's
absolutely evident. He's still a bit cautious in his approach,
but little by little you can see him being more assertive.
I see less timidity. I think he's more confident and
he will continue to be that way. Given the structure
of the offense. It comes and fits and starts. It's
(05:48):
like a turtle poking his head out of the shell,
takes a look around, and the more he deals with
a positive result, the more willing he's going to be
to expand and spread his wings. I think that's what
he's seeing right now. He's definitely being more assertive. I
think he's recognizing things more quickly, getting the ball out
(06:10):
and having a definite idea of where he wants to
go with the ball. Now, there are some receivers who
apparently disagree with his thought process. George Pickens, I think unacceptable.
He displayed his emotions Sunday in the Georgiadome. I understand.
I think where he was coming from. It was homecoming
(06:32):
for him. He had you know, he's an hour away
from his campus at Athens, Georgia. He had some of
great moments in that Georgia Dome against Atlanta, excuse me,
against um in the super Bowl performance against Alabama, well,
not as super Bowl performance, but as National championship performance.
(06:55):
I'll get it here. And I think with family and
friends there, he expect to have a big game to
show what he can do, and I empathize with that.
I think Hua Mongas would say, well, that's unreasonable. No,
it's it's not unreasonable at all. And when things weren't
working out his way, he reacted in the manner that
(07:20):
I thought was unbecoming. It doesn't do him any good,
doesn't do the team any good. Hopefully this will be
a learning process. His assistant coach had talked to him
on the bench. Cam Heyward, the undisputed leader of this team,
came over and talked to him on the bench. And
since sure, we're all frustrated from time to time, but
(07:41):
how about taking the attitude. This is me speaking like
Cam Heyward. How about being happy about the fact we're wing.
How about being happy about the fact that you can
make a contribution by being a decoy. Sometimes we understand
you want the ball. Wide receivers generally do. That's what
they're there for, but putting out a temper tantrum is
(08:06):
not the way to go about it. What does Steelers
do with Deante Johnson? That's a different story. He continues
to under perform and thus underachieve eleven targets five catches,
(08:26):
just not good enough to drops. He did pick up
a first down, didn't do that reverse Dancity sometimes does
the reverse moonwalk short of the first down marker, but
the drops are concerning. He had another pre snap penalty
(08:47):
last year. He led the NFL wide receivers and penalties
with nine. He's still a good receiver. He gets open,
that is true, but getting targets and not having them
turn into catches is meaningless whether you're open or not.
(09:11):
He's got to be better because given the money they
paid him, they're not getting their money's worth. And if
he is beginning to benefit from teams being aware of
George Pickens he's gotta start taking advantage of that and
vice versa. He's got to understand that, because of the
different nature of picking skills, that maybe Deonte Johnson is
(09:32):
not going to get the ball as often as he's
accustomed to getting it. That needs to change. If the Steelers,
as some hope may charge, to the playoffs, to me,
it's the long way off bare minimum. They'd have win
four of the last five. The schedule is favorable, no question,
(09:55):
and they may have gotten a break if Lamar Jackson
is not able to play Sunday against Baltimore, but they're
still behind teams, a lot of teams to climb over,
and then there will be the question to ask, well
they make the playoffs. Let's say at nine and eight,
playing this way, eking out wins against sub five hundred
(10:15):
teams like Indie or Atlanta, how will they match up
against the top teams Kansas City, Buffalo, maybe even Cincinnati.
Is there value in that? I think there's some, But
I can think I can understand why people don't want
(10:36):
that to happen. Game by game, as Mike Tomlins always says,
the arrows pointed up. They are getting better. We're joined
out by Jerry doo lack of the Pittsfurgh Post Gazette
and the Steelers Radio network and Jerry Um, there's no
doubt that this football team, looking back at the last month,
they are getting better. Well, Stan, I think their entire
(10:58):
offense is getting better. Uh. And I know we're we're
uh coming from a low ball because they still only
have scored nineteen points. Um. But I think the biggest
problem um, and while we're seeing progress the passing game,
converting third downs, no interceptions, the running game has been
(11:21):
very very good um these last four or five games,
but they're not converting field position into touchdowns and it's
keeping the game close. That's why matthew Wright had to
kick four field goals. So I don't think there's any
question from a movement standpoint passing and running. I think
(11:42):
the play calling has been very smooth. Um. I haven't
had an issue with it at all. But what the
next step is for this offense is to convert field
position into touchdowns because let's face it, they only have
eight touchdown passes on the season and and no explosive
plays I mean explosive touchdowns offensively. That's gonna be the
(12:04):
next step for this offense, but I don't think there's
any question that they're making progress. What's the biggest drawback
in not getting into the end zone? Is it Pickett?
Is that, um, sort of the structure of the offense
and not wanting to put in positions where he has
to make a risky play. Um? Is it wide receivers
not getting open um where there's limited space down there. Yeah,
(12:26):
it's hard. It's hard to say exactly what it is,
and it's probably a little bit of all that. UM.
I would say most of it probably has to do
with the passing game. I think what we're seeing with
Kenny Pickett is, you know, no interceptions in the last
four games. I think he's playing very smart. Now that
(12:47):
may be another word for cautious. Um, you know, not
wanting to turn the ball over in the red zone.
So maybe just being you know, maybe being a little
cautious there and not wanting to take a chance. UM.
I think that's probably part of it as well. UM So,
I think it's a number of things Stan, but that
(13:08):
that could be the biggest one. Well, when we talk
about the running game, they obviously improved a great deal
as you look at it. Jerry One of the things
that stuck out to me was the balanced thirty seven
runs versus twenty eight passes. Normally, when coaches talk about balance,
we'd like to keep it fifty fifty. But given the
fact that you've got a young quarterback who's just learning
(13:29):
his way and and finding his way, that kind of
mix of thirty seven runs versus twenty eight passes seems
to me to be ideal, even if it tilts towards
the run more than maybe you'd like to structure it. Uh. Stand,
I couldn't agree more. And I think that's the way
it should be. You know, it's the last couple of
games we haven't seen THET four attempts that Kenny Pickett
(13:53):
was averaging. Uh you know, in games where he started
and finished and and the reason and is because of
the success they've been having with the running game. And
you know, when you see each of those guys having success,
there is no question, Stan. We hear the people talk
about crediting the offensive line. You cannot give them enough
(14:15):
credit for the way they performed. That's why all those
guys are having success running the ball. It's not that
they're just magically coming around. It's because there are holes
there and nausey. Harris is now running with the confidence
knowing that the holes are there with his offensive line,
and that was as that was as well as he
(14:36):
has run in any game this year, hitting the whole quick,
hitting it with power, hitting it with confidence and determination.
You know, there was he had a fourteen yard run yet,
but he had eighty six yards I think was the number.
And and you know, all that was without an explosive run,
you know, a twenty yards plus run that was five six,
seven yards at a time. He called it a hard
(14:58):
eighty six yards after the game, and that's exactly what
it was. And um, he ran very very well. But
to me, you cannot give that offensive line enough credit
for how they've progressed and how they're playing. Agreed, without question,
I think that was the hope all along that this
would occur. They're a different team now. Is it safe
(15:18):
to say that, Um, if they had played like they
didn't like any Week four, Week five, that they might
not have won this game. But the fact that they
have progressed in that regard enable them to win this game,
albeit against a lesser light opponent. Well, I think I
think part of of kind of what you're getting at
(15:41):
is the exact reason why they are is because you
don't stand it's been continuity and when you look at it,
I mean they've been they've been um, they stayed injury
free for the most part, and this line has played
together just about every snap. I know Mason Cole went
on for a little bit, uh having dots and had
a little issue for a little while, but they've been
(16:03):
intact for the most part five of the time and
that's been a big, big difference because they're all playing together,
they're staying healthy, and the continuity uh shows uh in
a way they're playing And I think that's a really
big key that you know, there's not a lot of
different line combinations of people trying to work together. It's
(16:24):
been the same five guys for the most part, every game,
every snap. That's a major fact With our question. Jerry
Dulac of The Post Gazette is our guest. Jerry, was
there any locker room reaction that you could ascertain about
George Pickens wraps um emoting improperly on the field, or
is frustration and not being more involved in the offense.
(16:48):
You understand I have no use for George Pickens behavior.
He has a rookie, he has no rights. He has
done nothing to merit that type of behavior, and when
you're a rookie, you don't act like that. I don't
see half friar Muth acting that way. Half friar Muth
is getting. Uh, he is getting what targets he gets,
he's making the catches and he's not complaining. I didn't
(17:08):
see Heath Miller complaining about that. Uh. You know, Deante
Johnson has complained too, but he seems to have handled
it a little better lately, and he should. He's a
three year veteran, a four year vetter or whatever he is.
George Pickens has no right to act like that because
I don't see him getting into the end zone repeatedly,
or being the guy who's you know, leading the league
(17:30):
in receptions and they're ignoring him. Um, I just as
I don't have a Like I said, I don't have
much use for that kind of behavior from a rookie
because he has not earned the right to act that way.
Not that acting that way is acceptable, but for a
rookie to act that way, it is highly unacceptable. Um yeah,
it's uh, without a question. I couldn't agree more. Was
(17:51):
there any intel uh coming from either Pickens or Heyward
anybody else? What Cam Heyward said to him on the bench?
It was camera. Everybody saw it. Yeah, Now, Stan, I
didn't because I I didn't get a chance to talk
to Cam about that. Um And you know, stand, there's
a there's a part of me that doesn't want to
(18:14):
even recognize that behavior and and lend any significance to
it by asking about it. Now that's me personally as
a as a or professionally as a as a reporter too.
If if I start asking about it, I'm acknowledging and
that behavior. And I refused to do that because I
just think it's unacceptable to begin with. It has no
(18:36):
impact on anybody other than him making him look immature
and childish, which of course he is. So in terms
of impacting the team or anything like that. No, you
know what most of those guys do. They either roll
their eyes or tell them to shut up. My favorite
story from Antonio Brown ever about Heath Miller was the
time Antonio Brown admitted he was complaining so much in
(18:59):
the huddle that Heath Miller said to him, Heath Miller,
Antonio shut the bleep up. That's about the extent of
what that of what all that means. And the guys
get accustomed to that, and again they basically just roll
their eyes and and and are dismiss about it. By
the way, I'm sure Camp, I'm sure Cam uh you know,
(19:20):
just said something to him, maybe to settle him down.
But it doesn't impact or affect any of those guys.
You would not have been aware of this. But I
thought that the TV broadcasters made a much bigger issue
out of this. They I'm sure they did their their producer, uh,
since the storyline there and he persisted, it reminded me
(19:41):
of on draft day when there's usually one guy whose
stock is dropped dropping. He's either there in the green
room or he's at home, and they keep going. They
make it a storyline. They make it a story um
going as far back as when Dan Marino lasted that
long before the Dolphins took it took him. That's what
I thought. The Katie Gay are the CBS announcers did yesterday.
(20:04):
They're not Katie Gay. There's CBS announcers right. The other
side of that coin is Deante Johnson. Um eleven targets
only five receptions. Um, two drops. Um, he always seems
to be open, but he seldom seems to make a play. Um,
they committed to him financially. Um, are they getting their
(20:25):
money's worth out of this guy? And does that mean
that maybe Pickens is right, maybe they ought to be
paying more attention to him than Deonte Johnson. Well? Stand, Um,
they're not getting a production out of him in terms
of thirty nine billion dollars. And I'm sorry for the noise,
dand I'm standing outside the airport. Um. The funny thing
(20:45):
about Deante Johnson or the curious thing about him, because
no receiver works harder than Deonta Johnson, or pays more
attention to pass catching drills for a veteran than Deonta Johnson.
No receiver gets open more or like Deante Johnson. And
yet his failure to make plays and drop passes is
(21:05):
really astonishing. Um. And and you know he's a natural
catcher of the ball, and yet he doesn't look at anymore.
He looks like a guy who fights the ball. His
one drop actually turned out to be a fortuitous drop,
Otherwise it was a fumble and at the s card line,
which ends up being a drop for him. Um, but
(21:26):
it's it's yeah, it's just I mean, I don't think
there's any question Kenny Pikett as a rookie is probably
more comfortable with the other guys. But we had this
discussion on the pregame show, who's the guy in a
pinch that, Um, Kenny Pickett is going to rely on
George Pickens or Deonte Johnson, And I said neither. He
relies on Pat friar Mouth. And he proved it again
yesterday to third down conversion catches on that opening drive
(21:49):
and then that fifty seven yard or and he missed him.
He missed him on on the touchdown on the throw
that would have been a twenty eight yard touchdown down
the scene. Um, So that's the guy he looks to
and relies on, because that's the guy who finds a
way to get open and more importantly catches the ball.
And that's the guy Kenny Pickett is going to look
(22:10):
to in tough situations, much the way and and much
the way Patrick Mahomes looks to Travis Kelsey. I'm not
calling him Travis Kelsey. I'm just saying that is the
guy that Kenny Pickett relies on in a similar manner.
I would agree. Jerry, thanks for hanging with us on
your travel day. I appreciate it. I look forward to
seeing you marrowt to Mike Tomlin press conference. You gotta stand.
(22:32):
Always good chatting with you, my friend. Our thanks to
Jerry du Lack of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and a
member of the pregame show on the Steelers Radio Network, which,
by the way, this coming Sunday eleven o'clock pregame one
o'clock kick off against the Baltimore Ravens. Once again, I
want to thank you for listening to Savran on Steelers Podcast.
You can get it at Steelers dot com. Please tell
your friends, neighbors, family that you found the site that
(22:54):
you enjoy listening to. Hopefully that's the case. You can
also listen to me daily on my daily Ray Yeo
Show on ESPN Pittsburgh a m. Noon until to Eastern time.
If you can't listen to it live, you can get
it at the I Heart Media app. It's download that
it's free. It's there for you every day from noon
until too until next time. Thanks for being here today.
(23:18):
We'll talk to you next time. On the Savereigant on
Steelers Podcast
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