November 22, 2022 • 23 mins
Mike Prisuta and Bob Labriola talk some Thanksgiving and some Steelers on this edition of the Agree to Disagree podcast, the show with the motto, I’m right, he’s wrong!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Agreed to Disagree with Mike Pursuita and Bob Labriola.
Hello everyone, and welcome to another should be award winning
edition of Agree to Disagree, the podcast, the podcast with
the motto I'm right, he's wrong, he's Bob Labriola, I'm
Mike pursued It. It It is Thanksgiving week and we are
(00:21):
anticipating celebrating on Thursday. I'll be doing that the traditional way,
with turkey and all the fixings. Lab You're probably having
lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs and that kind of stuff,
but you know, to eat your own. It's America, right,
happy are you going turkey? No? No, let me let
(00:42):
me just say this. Um, there are only two holidays
on the Italian calendar that do not contain any pasta.
Thanksgiving is one, and um the other one. I just
(01:04):
lost my train of thought. Wow what the other one is? Oh?
New Year's Day? New Year's Day? New Year's Day is
you know, portnsara, kraut and all that and Thanksgiving us
turkey and all the fixings. So yes, there will be
no nothing, no red sauce, because I don't count cranberry sauces.
(01:26):
Red sauce. No, no, no, I'm with you. I'll agree
with you on that. I've actually got a big cranberry guy.
Truth be told, I used to leave that alone. There's
plenty of other good stuff. We've got some good stuff
for you this week, as per usual, before we go there,
since it is Thanksgiving, I gotta unload a little bit
vent a little bit that I can't get past every
year at this time of year, thinking about the worst
(01:49):
Thanksgiving ever ever, which was of course nineteen three, and
the reason it was a little background. I was still
in college, but I had been an intern that summer
at the Beaver County Town Times. I'd worked some days
at Steelers camp that summer. I was on my way
to being a big time sportswriter. And because the Steelers
were playing the Lions in Detroit, actually more specifically in Pontiac, Michigan,
(02:12):
for the thanks to Thanksgiving Day game, I actually got
to be one of the sidebar guys for the Times.
They brought me aboard, got me a press pass and
the hotel room the night before the game. Here i am,
I'm still in college and I'm getting ready to cover
an NFL game, and it's my team, the Steelers, and uh,
you know, I'm still a pretty big Steelers fan at
that point, but prepared to go in and be a
(02:34):
professional and watch the game like a pro and not
cheer and do the job and all that. Well. As
most people probably remember, the game ended up Lions forty five,
Steelers three, and I did not enjoy a second of it.
And I enjoyed even less my assignment, which was to
go into the Detroit locker room and listen to Billy
(02:55):
Sims and those guys crow about how they had just
pounded the Steelers forty five to three, and then I
got to write about it. Then I got to drive
back to East Lansing, Michigan, which was, you know, a
little less than an hour away. And this is the
part of the part of the equation I did not
factor in initially when I got so excited about going
to this game. By going to this game, that meant
(03:17):
I didn't go home for the holiday. So I got
to go back to East Lansing and find a restaurant
and eat a Thanksgiving dinner by myself, still stewing over
Lions Steelers story. Now, remember, labs, this is a Steelers team.
Frank o' harris was still on this team, Mike Webster,
Larry Brown, Jack Lambert mel Blunt, Donnie Shell. How did
(03:40):
this happen? They lost to Eric Hippele. It got so bad.
Your buddy Gary Danielson, that guy you love to watch
broadcast SEC games on Saturdays. He even got in the
mop up at the end and he threw a touchdown
pass Labs. This is awful. I still have nightmares. Disagree.
The worst Thanksgiving ever November twenties x now UM. For
(04:04):
all the listeners out there, the Grinch has gone down
in folklore as having stolen Christmas. But in my mind,
Phil Luckett is the zebra who stole Thanksgiving November. Eddie
Murphy doing the voice over, No, no, you didn't call
that Maget the ball um. You know, the Steelers seven
(04:30):
and four going to Detroit UM to play the Lions.
And you know, I wasn't in college or anything. I
was still somewhat immature, apparently, because we got to UM.
We got to Detroit the previous day and Wednesday the
(04:51):
day before on the team charter, and there was a
Steeler fan who lived very close to the in the area,
who was, you know, in touch with me fairly regularly,
and he came up with a brilliant idea, let's cross
the bridge and go to Windsor. So we crossed the
(05:12):
bridge and go to Windsor a car full of people,
one of them, luckily, was a friend, a relative of
his who was a non drinker. So we crossed the bridge,
we go into Canada. Um, it was easy to do then.
You know, it was before nine eleven and everything, so
you just drove right over. I don't even believe that
(05:32):
they looked at driver's licenses crossing the the border. And uh.
I also remember that the exchange rate at the time
was spectacular. I think you got like a hundred and
thirty five dollars of that red and green funny money
that they have red and blue funny money that they
had up there with pictures of Queen Elizabeth on it. Um. Yeah,
(05:59):
and so um it was a very festive, festive evening
the night before Thanksgiving. Now, what like you've forgot to
um take into account of fact that you did not
go home for Thanksgiving that when you covered that stealer game. Well,
what I failed to um take into consideration was that,
(06:22):
uh steeler games. Me and Jerry Doolack, we're on the
air four hours before kickoff. Okay, four hours before kickoff,
which was twelve thirty Eastern time eleven thirty Central time,
was seven thirty where we actually were, so it was
(06:47):
quite an early morning. Um. I think it was like
a six Adville morning maybe, And did the radio and
then the game started. Oh the game. Each team scored
one touchdown seven combined field goals. Neither team managed even
(07:07):
three hundred yards of offense. Um. The Steelers had a
first intent at the Detroit six team with one oh
six left in the fourth quarter, but Bill Coward played
for the field goal, so um um. Norm Johnson kicks
the yard field goal to send a game into overtime.
(07:31):
I looked this up today in advance of this the
worst Thanksgiving ever. The NFL play by play from that
game that is on Pro Football Reference dot com has
this line in it. At the start of overtime, Steelers
won the coin toss Lions to receive the overtime kickoff.
(07:55):
Thank you, Phil Luckett. So it's overtime. Try Earley Batch,
who was uh not nearly as much my friend then
as he is now. Started um the line he was
lines quarterback that day. Twenty eight yard passed to Herman Moore,
but third and eleven from the Steeler's thirty eight yard line,
Batch gets sacked by Chris Oldham and Darren Perry. Ten
(08:19):
yard loss. Somebody called Chris hold him for a face
mask penalty for fifteen yards. Can you tell me who
that is? Uh? Phil Luckett? Jason Hanson kicks a forty
two yard field goal and my headache was back. So
that is, in fact the worst Thanksgiving ever. So I
(08:40):
guess we can both be thankful. These Steelers are not
playing on Thanksgiving this week, and Phil Lackett is no
Phil Luckett. Excuse me, it's no longer an NFL referee.
Thanks for Thankful for both of them for both of
those things. Thankful for that as well. Let's see if
we agree on what's on the menu today? Kicking it
off the pre Thanksgiving edition of Agree to Disagree. After
(09:03):
further review and after waffling about this topic on you
know whether the defense is dominant of waffled on that
more than the manager of a waffle house, But I
have finally reached a final and absolute conclusion. It is not.
I'm gonna have to agree. And as a famous ex
(09:24):
Steelers coach always used to say that as an accurate
statement certainly based on what the Steelers defense is now. Um,
you know, thirty seven points on Sunday to an offense
without Jamaar Chase for the whole game. Uh that offense
was without Joe Mixon for at least a whole half
h to nine plus yard touchdown drives. Um, the defense
(09:49):
is is not creating enough havoc to deserve to be
called dominant. Now. I do believe when the season started.
In the opener, the Steelers defense was dominant. What's the
difference in that went against the Bengals Seven sacks, five takeaways,
one defensive touchdown. But it hasn't been dominant since. Uh
(10:10):
d J Watt's injury, UM, mental Minkal Fitzpatrick's injury are factors.
But UM, you know, I kind of think that the
whole concept of the Steelers having a dominant defense and
Mike Tomlin bringing that up uh during the summer, um,
it was kind of constructed on a house of cards.
(10:32):
You know, you really there were too many people players
that had to be significant players throughout a whole season
without a lot of depth behind them, UM for it
to you know, whether the kind of attrition that usually
accompanies a team throughout an NFL season, So you know,
the Steelers haven't had that injury. Luck um, And let
(10:54):
me just say this, Joe Burrow, I'm a vig Joe
Burrow fan, me too, And this this could be a
subsequent topic for an asked and answered, But if you
tell me to rank the A f C quarterbacks, I'll
give you Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and then Joe Burrow
(11:16):
because he has changed the culture in Cincinnati, justin Herbert
has not changed the Chargers culture. So combination of the
Steelers ran into a really good quarterback last Sunday and
the fact that their defense I don't believe it can
be called dominant. Yeah, I'm gonna agree with you on
all of that. And really we saw the dominance for
(11:38):
openers in Cincinnati, but I think in retrospect you got
a factor in at the Bengals hadn't played their offensive
line all preseason, Burrow hadn't played all preseason. Then we
saw what we saw throughout the year, the ups and
downs of the unit. Uh t J. Watt comes back
and they dominate the Saints something. Okay, it was just
the health of the reigning nf all defensive player of
(12:00):
the Year that was holding them back. When that guy plays,
they are dominant. But last Sunday really revealing to me,
and it portrayed the flaws of the unit. You had
Minke of Fitzpatrick back, you had what uh for the
first time in the season, you had what Fitzpatrick and
demonte Kzy. I'm thinking, Okay, they got their pieces in place.
I don't know if they're gonna score a whole lot
(12:22):
of points, but they're gonna keep these guys, the Bengals
offense under control. They did not, and Uh, I think
what was revealed was a lack of an inside linebacker
that can cover a flat pass to a running back
and the corner problem which has been there all along.
The Steelers showed us what they think of their corners
when they traded for William Jackson the third Apparently I
(12:44):
wasn't paying enough attention to that, but uh, they got
some work to do to be the dominant defense that
they aspire to be. A long way from that right
about now, topic number two at three and seven. It's
time to take another look at Kendrick Green and James
Pierre and longer look at Isaiah Louder. Milk labs. Um, Yeah,
(13:04):
I'm gonna I'm gonna agree with that, but I'm gonna
approach it from you know, as I like to do
with a lot of these, I'm gonna approach it from
the other direction. Um, I want to see uh more
of Isaiah louder Milk because I can do with less
playing time for Chris Wormley, who had twenty six snaps
on Sunday, Tyson Alualu fourteen snaps. I don't I just
(13:26):
don't think Alualu is. Um you know what he was
even before last year's injury. He's getting on in age.
The interior the defensive line is you know, as usually
a place for young, healthy people, and UM, I just
I just don't know what he has left. And UM,
(13:47):
you know I thought louder Milk, you know, you and
I talked about this, uh even at the towards the
end of the last season, that I thought that he
would turn it into a guy who went from UM
project hopeful maybe this guy can turn into something when
they drafted him to a kind of a key guy
in their defensive line rotation. So yeah, I'm I'm interested
(14:11):
in seeing more of Isaiah louder Milk. Or you know,
look at it the other way. Less of Chris Wormley
and Tyson alualu Um. You know, the James Pierre cornerback situation.
I don't know, it's so much. I want to see
more of James Pierre, but Levi Wallace and Arthur Molett
are just so inconsistent. I mean, you mentioned how uh
(14:32):
watching the Bengals game. Uh, the Steelers need an inside
linebacker who can cover. I think they needed more consistent
Nickel corner because it seemed to me that Burrow was
targeting whoever Molette was covering, or maybe that's just the
way the plays were designed or whatever, but it seemed
(14:54):
to me that Wallace and milette I thought, we're both
big parts of the win against the Saints. UM, but
I don't think either one of them played particularly well
last Sunday against the Bengals. So maybe it's more Cam
Sutton at nicol if you want to go with Pierre. UM.
But that's that's where I would be going. Yeah, and
(15:14):
I'm with you on that. I mean, against the really
good passing attacks, they haven't held up right and there's
a lot of there's not there's nuance to that, but
part of that nuances covering people who can cover. So yeah,
I want to see you know, James Pierre Starr was
on the rise and then Jamaar Chase blew that up
a couple of seasons ago. But he's played some decent
(15:35):
ball this year. Uh, let's see what he can do
the rest of the way, because we've seen what can
be done doing it the way they're doing it. Louderman,
I think should get snaps at Alaula's expense. I'm not
down on warmly, but you know, the younger, healthier guys
populating the D line is a spot on point and
I gotta see some more Kendrick Green. I would do
(15:56):
that at the expense of Kevin Dotson, just because this
guy was a third round pick last year and he
started a bunch of games at center, and then there
was a lot of talk that, oh, he would be
better suited to play guard, which was his predominant position
in college. Ben Roethlisberger among those who said last year
that he thought Green could be a great guard if
they move him there. Um, you know, it's not as
(16:18):
if this offensive this offensive line is playing. Okay, it's
better than it was given credit for. Being at the
start of the year and it hasn't been a huge problem.
But what do you do with Kendrick Green. Is this
guy just already given up upon or can they find
a spot for a third round pick and make him
a viable part of the team. I'd like to see
him get some playing time. Um, you know, ahead, I
(16:42):
was gonna say the three and seven. Um, what they've
done to this point has not worked. You know, at
a lot of positions. You know, back in the seventies,
the Steelers alternated offensive lineman by quarters. You know, Mike
Webster was alternate with Ray Mansfield until I don't know,
(17:03):
I think it was seventies seven before he became a
full time starter. So you know, maybe you alternate Kendrick Green.
You can alternate guards, you know, every the Steelers, the
Steelers the data both center and guard. You know, in
the seventies and through maybe you know a Super Bowl
season or two, they were doing that. Um, maybe that's
(17:25):
how you work Kendrick Green in a little bit. I
don't know that. Um, you know, Kevin Dotson has played
poorly enough that you yank him, But you know, again,
I don't think he's played well enough that he's an
untouchable either. So I mean, I would, you know, maybe
think about that a little bit as a way to
seeing a little bit more Kendrick Green. And I'm not
(17:46):
suggesting any of this stuff that Okay, just do this
and they'll go on a seven game winning streak the
rest of the way. Uh but again three and seven
through ten. Uh something is a miss. Last, but not least.
I saved the best for last. Lab like that turkey
sandwich at about the ten thirty at night on Thanksgiving.
There should be one NFL game played on Thanksgiving. And
(18:09):
despite the horrors of nineteen eighty three and uh whatever
year that Phil luck at here was, it should be
one game on Thanksgiving. It should be played in Detroit. Well,
I'm gonna chane a little bean no cook here. Haven't
we suffered enough? I disagreed. Now I will give the
(18:30):
lines this. I'm not I'm not m in favor of
taking this the slot away from them because you know,
the whole thanks Thanksgiving Day NFL tradition started in nineteen
thirty four, and it started with the Lions. The Lions
hosted the Bears at the University of Detroit Stadium in
(18:50):
nineteen thirty four because their owner, George Richards at the time,
was a local radio guy, and you know about radio guys,
I mean, they're always looking for ways to make money,
and so they uh um did this as a way
to maybe think that they can improve some ticket sales,
help the Lines get more attention. They were the only
(19:12):
game on uh the only NFL game played. Excuse me,
they weren't on UM and the the first one in
four actually sold out twenty six thousand fans at University
of Detroit Stadium. So you know, the Lines were willing
to take a chance. Uh it was. It turned out
to be a great tradition, and they did it at
(19:35):
a time when it really wasn't that popular, through some
tough times for the league and all that stuff. So um,
the Lines, to me, I'm a big favorite, big proponent
of you know, paying homage to history and tradition, and
that's the Lines. Now. The Cowboys, on the other hand,
you know their carpetbaggers they jumped in. They jumped in
(19:57):
in ninety six because it was an advantage because they
got to play at home. So that's a tough thing
for a team to have to travel on a short week.
You know we've seen this in Thursday Night Football. The
road teams often have problems UM playing on a short week,
and then the Cowboys would get a ten day break
(20:20):
going into December, which is often a critical month UH
in the NFL. So I would I would do away
with Dallas being the lock home team for that second
slot on Thanksgiving Day, and I would have UM, you know,
I tell the NFL, like they do, you know, schedule
(20:40):
a good game UM for that time slot, the afternoon
time slot on Thanksgiving Day, and rotated around. I don't
think that any team should have a lock on that
because again, I think it's an advantageous situation. You have
an advantage in the Thanksgiving Day game because you're forcing
the other team to travel, and then you get the
(21:02):
ten day break going into December. Now, I also i'd
kill the night matchup. Okay, I gotta work on Friday
and this is a selfish thing, so I can't stay up.
So I don't want you know, I don't want to
miss anything. I got some fomo and I don't want
to miss anything. So you kill the third game. You
have two games on Thanksgiving, the second game you rotate around.
(21:25):
You you build it as a matchup. For example, you're
looking at the schedule for this coming weekend, New England
Minnesota to me would be a good second game on
Thanksgiving Day. So you have the Lions um opening as
they always do. The second game is something that you know, Uh,
(21:47):
Roger goodone the networks cancoct, concoct when um the schedule
comes out. No night game because I'm tired and Chris
Collinsworth wants to put me to sleep anyway, So that's
the new TV schedule. Yeah. I'm not a big fan
of Thursday night football in general, but I realized, uh,
you know, the money making an element of it is
(22:09):
going to rule the day and they're not gonna get
rid of Thursday football. But I could do with one,
and I could do with those Lions. Uh. You know,
I've spent a little time in the great state of
Michigan over the years, and I think the game does
mean a lot to a lot of people. Uh there,
But I'm glad we're not playing it, labs, Glad we're
(22:30):
not there. Okay, one one quick thing, This is a
just a one liner. You have to take one traditional
Thanksgiving dish off the table forever. Cranberry sauce that counters.
That's just a condiment. No, no, that's agree. I agree
(22:52):
with you. How about that if you want to make
me go more hardcore ham? Oh there is no ham,
No ham. We tend to have ham creeping in now
the turkey is enough? More than enough? From one turkey
to another, or should I say, from one turkey and another,
(23:14):
Happy Thanksgiving everybody out there. Thanks for finding us, so
wherever and however you found us. We'll be doing this
again next week, and we'll be a little bleary eyed
because we'll be uh hopping off the plane from the
Monday night game in Indianapolis. Until then, for Bab Labriola
on Mike pursuit of this has been agreed to disagree
(23:35):
the podcast with the motto I'm right, He's wrong. Happy
Thanksgiving everybody,
This is Agreed to Disagree with Mike Pursuita and Bob Labriola.
Hello everyone, and welcome to another should be award winning
edition of Agree to Disagree, the podcast, the podcast with
the motto I'm right, he's wrong, he's Bob Labriola, I'm
Mike pursued It. It It is Thanksgiving week and we are
(00:21):
anticipating celebrating on Thursday. I'll be doing that the traditional way,
with turkey and all the fixings. Lab You're probably having
lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs and that kind of stuff,
but you know, to eat your own. It's America, right,
happy are you going turkey? No? No, let me let
(00:42):
me just say this. Um, there are only two holidays
on the Italian calendar that do not contain any pasta.
Thanksgiving is one, and um the other one. I just
(01:04):
lost my train of thought. Wow what the other one is? Oh?
New Year's Day? New Year's Day? New Year's Day is
you know, portnsara, kraut and all that and Thanksgiving us
turkey and all the fixings. So yes, there will be
no nothing, no red sauce, because I don't count cranberry sauces.
(01:26):
Red sauce. No, no, no, I'm with you. I'll agree
with you on that. I've actually got a big cranberry guy.
Truth be told, I used to leave that alone. There's
plenty of other good stuff. We've got some good stuff
for you this week, as per usual, before we go there,
since it is Thanksgiving, I gotta unload a little bit
vent a little bit that I can't get past every
year at this time of year, thinking about the worst
(01:49):
Thanksgiving ever ever, which was of course nineteen three, and
the reason it was a little background. I was still
in college, but I had been an intern that summer
at the Beaver County Town Times. I'd worked some days
at Steelers camp that summer. I was on my way
to being a big time sportswriter. And because the Steelers
were playing the Lions in Detroit, actually more specifically in Pontiac, Michigan,
(02:12):
for the thanks to Thanksgiving Day game, I actually got
to be one of the sidebar guys for the Times.
They brought me aboard, got me a press pass and
the hotel room the night before the game. Here i am,
I'm still in college and I'm getting ready to cover
an NFL game, and it's my team, the Steelers, and uh,
you know, I'm still a pretty big Steelers fan at
that point, but prepared to go in and be a
(02:34):
professional and watch the game like a pro and not
cheer and do the job and all that. Well. As
most people probably remember, the game ended up Lions forty five,
Steelers three, and I did not enjoy a second of it.
And I enjoyed even less my assignment, which was to
go into the Detroit locker room and listen to Billy
(02:55):
Sims and those guys crow about how they had just
pounded the Steelers forty five to three, and then I
got to write about it. Then I got to drive
back to East Lansing, Michigan, which was, you know, a
little less than an hour away. And this is the
part of the part of the equation I did not
factor in initially when I got so excited about going
to this game. By going to this game, that meant
(03:17):
I didn't go home for the holiday. So I got
to go back to East Lansing and find a restaurant
and eat a Thanksgiving dinner by myself, still stewing over
Lions Steelers story. Now, remember, labs, this is a Steelers team.
Frank o' harris was still on this team, Mike Webster,
Larry Brown, Jack Lambert mel Blunt, Donnie Shell. How did
(03:40):
this happen? They lost to Eric Hippele. It got so bad.
Your buddy Gary Danielson, that guy you love to watch
broadcast SEC games on Saturdays. He even got in the
mop up at the end and he threw a touchdown
pass Labs. This is awful. I still have nightmares. Disagree.
The worst Thanksgiving ever November twenties x now UM. For
(04:04):
all the listeners out there, the Grinch has gone down
in folklore as having stolen Christmas. But in my mind,
Phil Luckett is the zebra who stole Thanksgiving November. Eddie
Murphy doing the voice over, No, no, you didn't call
that Maget the ball um. You know, the Steelers seven
(04:30):
and four going to Detroit UM to play the Lions.
And you know, I wasn't in college or anything. I
was still somewhat immature, apparently, because we got to UM.
We got to Detroit the previous day and Wednesday the
(04:51):
day before on the team charter, and there was a
Steeler fan who lived very close to the in the area,
who was, you know, in touch with me fairly regularly,
and he came up with a brilliant idea, let's cross
the bridge and go to Windsor. So we crossed the
(05:12):
bridge and go to Windsor a car full of people,
one of them, luckily, was a friend, a relative of
his who was a non drinker. So we crossed the bridge,
we go into Canada. Um, it was easy to do then.
You know, it was before nine eleven and everything, so
you just drove right over. I don't even believe that
(05:32):
they looked at driver's licenses crossing the the border. And uh.
I also remember that the exchange rate at the time
was spectacular. I think you got like a hundred and
thirty five dollars of that red and green funny money
that they have red and blue funny money that they
had up there with pictures of Queen Elizabeth on it. Um. Yeah,
(05:59):
and so um it was a very festive, festive evening
the night before Thanksgiving. Now, what like you've forgot to
um take into account of fact that you did not
go home for Thanksgiving that when you covered that stealer game. Well,
what I failed to um take into consideration was that,
(06:22):
uh steeler games. Me and Jerry Doolack, we're on the
air four hours before kickoff. Okay, four hours before kickoff,
which was twelve thirty Eastern time eleven thirty Central time,
was seven thirty where we actually were, so it was
(06:47):
quite an early morning. Um. I think it was like
a six Adville morning maybe, And did the radio and
then the game started. Oh the game. Each team scored
one touchdown seven combined field goals. Neither team managed even
(07:07):
three hundred yards of offense. Um. The Steelers had a
first intent at the Detroit six team with one oh
six left in the fourth quarter, but Bill Coward played
for the field goal, so um um. Norm Johnson kicks
the yard field goal to send a game into overtime.
(07:31):
I looked this up today in advance of this the
worst Thanksgiving ever. The NFL play by play from that
game that is on Pro Football Reference dot com has
this line in it. At the start of overtime, Steelers
won the coin toss Lions to receive the overtime kickoff.
(07:55):
Thank you, Phil Luckett. So it's overtime. Try Earley Batch,
who was uh not nearly as much my friend then
as he is now. Started um the line he was
lines quarterback that day. Twenty eight yard passed to Herman Moore,
but third and eleven from the Steeler's thirty eight yard line,
Batch gets sacked by Chris Oldham and Darren Perry. Ten
(08:19):
yard loss. Somebody called Chris hold him for a face
mask penalty for fifteen yards. Can you tell me who
that is? Uh? Phil Luckett? Jason Hanson kicks a forty
two yard field goal and my headache was back. So
that is, in fact the worst Thanksgiving ever. So I
(08:40):
guess we can both be thankful. These Steelers are not
playing on Thanksgiving this week, and Phil Lackett is no
Phil Luckett. Excuse me, it's no longer an NFL referee.
Thanks for Thankful for both of them for both of
those things. Thankful for that as well. Let's see if
we agree on what's on the menu today? Kicking it
off the pre Thanksgiving edition of Agree to Disagree. After
(09:03):
further review and after waffling about this topic on you
know whether the defense is dominant of waffled on that
more than the manager of a waffle house, But I
have finally reached a final and absolute conclusion. It is not.
I'm gonna have to agree. And as a famous ex
(09:24):
Steelers coach always used to say that as an accurate
statement certainly based on what the Steelers defense is now. Um,
you know, thirty seven points on Sunday to an offense
without Jamaar Chase for the whole game. Uh that offense
was without Joe Mixon for at least a whole half
h to nine plus yard touchdown drives. Um, the defense
(09:49):
is is not creating enough havoc to deserve to be
called dominant. Now. I do believe when the season started.
In the opener, the Steelers defense was dominant. What's the
difference in that went against the Bengals Seven sacks, five takeaways,
one defensive touchdown. But it hasn't been dominant since. Uh
(10:10):
d J Watt's injury, UM, mental Minkal Fitzpatrick's injury are factors.
But UM, you know, I kind of think that the
whole concept of the Steelers having a dominant defense and
Mike Tomlin bringing that up uh during the summer, um,
it was kind of constructed on a house of cards.
(10:32):
You know, you really there were too many people players
that had to be significant players throughout a whole season
without a lot of depth behind them, UM for it
to you know, whether the kind of attrition that usually
accompanies a team throughout an NFL season, So you know,
the Steelers haven't had that injury. Luck um, And let
(10:54):
me just say this, Joe Burrow, I'm a vig Joe
Burrow fan, me too, And this this could be a
subsequent topic for an asked and answered, But if you
tell me to rank the A f C quarterbacks, I'll
give you Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and then Joe Burrow
(11:16):
because he has changed the culture in Cincinnati, justin Herbert
has not changed the Chargers culture. So combination of the
Steelers ran into a really good quarterback last Sunday and
the fact that their defense I don't believe it can
be called dominant. Yeah, I'm gonna agree with you on
all of that. And really we saw the dominance for
(11:38):
openers in Cincinnati, but I think in retrospect you got
a factor in at the Bengals hadn't played their offensive
line all preseason, Burrow hadn't played all preseason. Then we
saw what we saw throughout the year, the ups and
downs of the unit. Uh t J. Watt comes back
and they dominate the Saints something. Okay, it was just
the health of the reigning nf all defensive player of
(12:00):
the Year that was holding them back. When that guy plays,
they are dominant. But last Sunday really revealing to me,
and it portrayed the flaws of the unit. You had
Minke of Fitzpatrick back, you had what uh for the
first time in the season, you had what Fitzpatrick and
demonte Kzy. I'm thinking, Okay, they got their pieces in place.
I don't know if they're gonna score a whole lot
(12:22):
of points, but they're gonna keep these guys, the Bengals
offense under control. They did not, and Uh, I think
what was revealed was a lack of an inside linebacker
that can cover a flat pass to a running back
and the corner problem which has been there all along.
The Steelers showed us what they think of their corners
when they traded for William Jackson the third Apparently I
(12:44):
wasn't paying enough attention to that, but uh, they got
some work to do to be the dominant defense that
they aspire to be. A long way from that right
about now, topic number two at three and seven. It's
time to take another look at Kendrick Green and James
Pierre and longer look at Isaiah Louder. Milk labs. Um, Yeah,
(13:04):
I'm gonna I'm gonna agree with that, but I'm gonna
approach it from you know, as I like to do
with a lot of these, I'm gonna approach it from
the other direction. Um, I want to see uh more
of Isaiah louder Milk because I can do with less
playing time for Chris Wormley, who had twenty six snaps
on Sunday, Tyson Alualu fourteen snaps. I don't I just
(13:26):
don't think Alualu is. Um you know what he was
even before last year's injury. He's getting on in age.
The interior the defensive line is you know, as usually
a place for young, healthy people, and UM, I just
I just don't know what he has left. And UM,
(13:47):
you know I thought louder Milk, you know, you and
I talked about this, uh even at the towards the
end of the last season, that I thought that he
would turn it into a guy who went from UM
project hopeful maybe this guy can turn into something when
they drafted him to a kind of a key guy
in their defensive line rotation. So yeah, I'm I'm interested
(14:11):
in seeing more of Isaiah louder Milk. Or you know,
look at it the other way. Less of Chris Wormley
and Tyson alualu Um. You know, the James Pierre cornerback situation.
I don't know, it's so much. I want to see
more of James Pierre, but Levi Wallace and Arthur Molett
are just so inconsistent. I mean, you mentioned how uh
(14:32):
watching the Bengals game. Uh, the Steelers need an inside
linebacker who can cover. I think they needed more consistent
Nickel corner because it seemed to me that Burrow was
targeting whoever Molette was covering, or maybe that's just the
way the plays were designed or whatever, but it seemed
(14:54):
to me that Wallace and milette I thought, we're both
big parts of the win against the Saints. UM, but
I don't think either one of them played particularly well
last Sunday against the Bengals. So maybe it's more Cam
Sutton at nicol if you want to go with Pierre. UM.
But that's that's where I would be going. Yeah, and
(15:14):
I'm with you on that. I mean, against the really
good passing attacks, they haven't held up right and there's
a lot of there's not there's nuance to that, but
part of that nuances covering people who can cover. So yeah,
I want to see you know, James Pierre Starr was
on the rise and then Jamaar Chase blew that up
a couple of seasons ago. But he's played some decent
(15:35):
ball this year. Uh, let's see what he can do
the rest of the way, because we've seen what can
be done doing it the way they're doing it. Louderman,
I think should get snaps at Alaula's expense. I'm not
down on warmly, but you know, the younger, healthier guys
populating the D line is a spot on point and
I gotta see some more Kendrick Green. I would do
(15:56):
that at the expense of Kevin Dotson, just because this
guy was a third round pick last year and he
started a bunch of games at center, and then there
was a lot of talk that, oh, he would be
better suited to play guard, which was his predominant position
in college. Ben Roethlisberger among those who said last year
that he thought Green could be a great guard if
they move him there. Um, you know, it's not as
(16:18):
if this offensive this offensive line is playing. Okay, it's
better than it was given credit for. Being at the
start of the year and it hasn't been a huge problem.
But what do you do with Kendrick Green. Is this
guy just already given up upon or can they find
a spot for a third round pick and make him
a viable part of the team. I'd like to see
him get some playing time. Um, you know, ahead, I
(16:42):
was gonna say the three and seven. Um, what they've
done to this point has not worked. You know, at
a lot of positions. You know, back in the seventies,
the Steelers alternated offensive lineman by quarters. You know, Mike
Webster was alternate with Ray Mansfield until I don't know,
(17:03):
I think it was seventies seven before he became a
full time starter. So you know, maybe you alternate Kendrick Green.
You can alternate guards, you know, every the Steelers, the
Steelers the data both center and guard. You know, in
the seventies and through maybe you know a Super Bowl
season or two, they were doing that. Um, maybe that's
(17:25):
how you work Kendrick Green in a little bit. I
don't know that. Um, you know, Kevin Dotson has played
poorly enough that you yank him, But you know, again,
I don't think he's played well enough that he's an
untouchable either. So I mean, I would, you know, maybe
think about that a little bit as a way to
seeing a little bit more Kendrick Green. And I'm not
(17:46):
suggesting any of this stuff that Okay, just do this
and they'll go on a seven game winning streak the
rest of the way. Uh but again three and seven
through ten. Uh something is a miss. Last, but not least.
I saved the best for last. Lab like that turkey
sandwich at about the ten thirty at night on Thanksgiving.
There should be one NFL game played on Thanksgiving. And
(18:09):
despite the horrors of nineteen eighty three and uh whatever
year that Phil luck at here was, it should be
one game on Thanksgiving. It should be played in Detroit. Well,
I'm gonna chane a little bean no cook here. Haven't
we suffered enough? I disagreed. Now I will give the
(18:30):
lines this. I'm not I'm not m in favor of
taking this the slot away from them because you know,
the whole thanks Thanksgiving Day NFL tradition started in nineteen
thirty four, and it started with the Lions. The Lions
hosted the Bears at the University of Detroit Stadium in
(18:50):
nineteen thirty four because their owner, George Richards at the time,
was a local radio guy, and you know about radio guys,
I mean, they're always looking for ways to make money,
and so they uh um did this as a way
to maybe think that they can improve some ticket sales,
help the Lines get more attention. They were the only
(19:12):
game on uh the only NFL game played. Excuse me,
they weren't on UM and the the first one in
four actually sold out twenty six thousand fans at University
of Detroit Stadium. So you know, the Lines were willing
to take a chance. Uh it was. It turned out
to be a great tradition, and they did it at
(19:35):
a time when it really wasn't that popular, through some
tough times for the league and all that stuff. So um,
the Lines, to me, I'm a big favorite, big proponent
of you know, paying homage to history and tradition, and
that's the Lines. Now. The Cowboys, on the other hand,
you know their carpetbaggers they jumped in. They jumped in
(19:57):
in ninety six because it was an advantage because they
got to play at home. So that's a tough thing
for a team to have to travel on a short week.
You know we've seen this in Thursday Night Football. The
road teams often have problems UM playing on a short week,
and then the Cowboys would get a ten day break
(20:20):
going into December, which is often a critical month UH
in the NFL. So I would I would do away
with Dallas being the lock home team for that second
slot on Thanksgiving Day, and I would have UM, you know,
I tell the NFL, like they do, you know, schedule
(20:40):
a good game UM for that time slot, the afternoon
time slot on Thanksgiving Day, and rotated around. I don't
think that any team should have a lock on that
because again, I think it's an advantageous situation. You have
an advantage in the Thanksgiving Day game because you're forcing
the other team to travel, and then you get the
(21:02):
ten day break going into December. Now, I also i'd
kill the night matchup. Okay, I gotta work on Friday
and this is a selfish thing, so I can't stay up.
So I don't want you know, I don't want to
miss anything. I got some fomo and I don't want
to miss anything. So you kill the third game. You
have two games on Thanksgiving, the second game you rotate around.
(21:25):
You you build it as a matchup. For example, you're
looking at the schedule for this coming weekend, New England
Minnesota to me would be a good second game on
Thanksgiving Day. So you have the Lions um opening as
they always do. The second game is something that you know, Uh,
(21:47):
Roger goodone the networks cancoct, concoct when um the schedule
comes out. No night game because I'm tired and Chris
Collinsworth wants to put me to sleep anyway, So that's
the new TV schedule. Yeah. I'm not a big fan
of Thursday night football in general, but I realized, uh,
you know, the money making an element of it is
(22:09):
going to rule the day and they're not gonna get
rid of Thursday football. But I could do with one,
and I could do with those Lions. Uh. You know,
I've spent a little time in the great state of
Michigan over the years, and I think the game does
mean a lot to a lot of people. Uh there,
But I'm glad we're not playing it, labs, Glad we're
(22:30):
not there. Okay, one one quick thing, This is a
just a one liner. You have to take one traditional
Thanksgiving dish off the table forever. Cranberry sauce that counters.
That's just a condiment. No, no, that's agree. I agree
(22:52):
with you. How about that if you want to make
me go more hardcore ham? Oh there is no ham,
No ham. We tend to have ham creeping in now
the turkey is enough? More than enough? From one turkey
to another, or should I say, from one turkey and another,
(23:14):
Happy Thanksgiving everybody out there. Thanks for finding us, so
wherever and however you found us. We'll be doing this
again next week, and we'll be a little bleary eyed
because we'll be uh hopping off the plane from the
Monday night game in Indianapolis. Until then, for Bab Labriola
on Mike pursuit of this has been agreed to disagree
(23:35):
the podcast with the motto I'm right, He's wrong. Happy
Thanksgiving everybody,
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