June 12, 2025 • 38 mins
The Blitz gets into more Mini Camp observations as the Steelers approach their final practice.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Stueler and Motes are on the air. This is the
Steelers Blitz on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Gold sn R Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
What's going on Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
It is high noon on a Thursday afternoon, and that
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It is time to.
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Go inside the electric factory. Here on your twenty four
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It is the Steelers Blitz.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
On Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network. And
most of you are familiar with the operation by now,
but if you need up to speed on our standard
operating procedures, He's Arthur Motes. I'm Wesley Euler. This is
the Stealer's Blizz And there is one and only way
to get involved with us this time of year, ladies
(01:09):
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(01:30):
and Arthur Motes. We are rolling towards the end of
the week here as we rock and we roll through
another week in what is kind of a very significant
week for a lot of different reasons. As you and
I discussed earlier in this week, it's very significant because
it's mandatory Mini camp, right, that's capital M mandatory Mini
(01:54):
camp this week, and we do need to obviously, listen,
I'm going to address the elephant in the room right
off the top here. Okay, we will talk about TJ
Watt at some point in this show today, Okay, because
we we need to.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
That is a that is a you know, a legitimate
talking point.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
But Mozi, it is pretty funny to me that in
most years it feels like the absences at mini camp
would be at the top of the list, or the
significant absence of the most impactful defensive player in the
National Football League. But we have one of the greatest
(02:37):
quarterbacks of all time, as we've discussed, Aaron Rodgers in camp,
which has certainly been been grabbing the headlines. And like
I said, well, I do obviously want to get to
some TJ stuff here today because I don't think we'd
be doing our job if we didn't.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
I'm gonna tell her, he said, TJ A and m
Poor and TJ A and m poor.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
You could tell man's true.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Colors when a quarterback topic is available.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
And a defense able.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
You could just tell the makeup of a man when
he wants to lead off with the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
We just talked about the quarterback the other day. We
gotta talk about the quarterback again.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
We just literally talked about the quarterback and we can't
talk about the live That's crazy. I get it, though,
I get it.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
It's a quarterback. It's a quarterback for all it is.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
It's a quarterback for hell especsial name TJ.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
What come on, man, It is a quarterbacks world, but
it's also TJ wats world.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I mean he has been. I mean I think him
and I think him and Cam Hayward have very clearly
carried carried the flag of the Pittsburgh Sailors organization.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Hurt right now?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
That need the.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Extra massages with about Deebo used to get thirty thousand.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
Needles in for the game.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
TJ need forty thousand all the way he being carrying.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
He need fou audio.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Okay, So I do want to talk to you obviously
about TJ. Watt in his absence. I do want to
talk to you about everything that I saw today.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
With Aaron Rodgers and day number two of Mini Camp.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
But I first, Arthur Motes, and you know this every
every day, every week that you and I do a
show together, I am fortunate to lean on your decade
of NFL experience, and not only with the Pittsburgh Steelers obviously,
but across the National Football League as well. I think
you can do a great job of painting the picture
(04:46):
of the behind the scenes some of the stuff that.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Whether you're a.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Fan, whether you're a media member, whether you're a a
somewhere in between, what this time of year is all about.
So before before we get into some particulars of Mini
Camp observations and some news and noteworthy stuff, right, you
have been very clear over these three weeks of these
Steelers having the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday practices during this offseason program,
(05:16):
that there is a difference, even though it's all stacked
together in three consecutive weeks, that there is a very
clear difference between OTA's and Mini Camp. And I just
alluded to one very clear difference, and that's the capital
M mandatory portion of it. But we get into this week,
this is the final week of this phase of offseason.
(05:38):
This is the final week until these guys will go
away for six or seven weeks before things really get real.
So I just want to lean on your decade of
NFL experience here to get us started. What's the this
week compared to the two weeks of OTAs that we
just had now into mini camp, what's the format? What's
(06:01):
the difference? What really changes?
Speaker 4 (06:05):
So in terms of the big difference, we obviously say
the mandatory portion that brings a financial component, right, that
financial component being I can be fined if I am late.
I can be fined if I don't show up. I
can be fined if I'm wearing the wrong attire to
practice and coach has an issue with that, I can
(06:27):
be fined. The NFL or the team would be one
hundred percent within their right to do so. And I've
witnessed it happen to people that I've worked with before.
Whereas in OTA's they can't do anything. They can say
what they want, but you can literally walk off that
field and they can't do anything. See if they find you,
(06:48):
they'll be in trouble. If they get upset that you
don't want to go in on that snap, they'll be
in trouble. We got a pa for that. We have
you know, lawyers that are ready and willing to go
to war behind that. So so we feel, you know,
a sense of power so to speak during the OTA portion,
whereas many camp, Yeah, you do understand that when that
(07:08):
meet it starts at day twenty. Do not show up
at a twenty one. You are late and they will
find you. OTAs you can get away with it. Now,
I don't recommend it, And I was a guy that
tried to set the example of being one time because
to me, I think if it's important to you, you're
gonna be respectful of not just your time, the other
people that is their time as well, and I think
(07:29):
the best way to show that is by being all
time or even in that case early. So that was
kind of the mindset. But the next part of the
big change from many camp to OTA's is this you
operate with more urgency. Number one, because you're now having
mock regular season days, they're typically a little bit longer.
During OTA's you're there for I think two to three
(07:52):
hours total, two hours of practice, one hour film, and
that's pre and post, so you're.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
Not really there a long time. Whereas Mini camp, those
three days.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
You'll be there from eight am to about three four
pm in the afternoon.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
And that doesn't include what you do on your own to.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Stay at the top of your gay, meaning taking care
of your body right iceed to cold to seeing the trainers. Right.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
That doesn't include you get your workouts in.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
As well, right, your own lists, your own If you're
a wide receiver, how many footballs are you catching?
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Right? I used to watch Antonio Brown catch one hundred footballs.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Per post practice like it was nothing, while dudes are
racing to get to their cars to drive home, and
you wonder why he was getting paid everything he was
getting paid. Those are the things that you see dor
Mani camp. The next thing is the meeting formats. Because
of the extended portion, you're having a lot more in
depth meetings. And that's the other cool part. I mean
(08:49):
for veterans, it gets a little bit redundant, and that's
why we always that's why I would say, like, hey,
for a vet, I'm not tripping if they're not their
per se because you're hearing the exact scene stuff that
you've already heard from OTA one, two, three, four, and five,
and under the old format when you had three weeks
of OTAs, you're getting that same message for three weeks,
(09:11):
and then you get to mini camp and it's like, oh,
we're gonna start over, and like, I didn't just say
this for the last three weeks, So imagine you've been
in essay deepest for four years. Like I always say
at Pittsburgh. Yeah, you get to OTZ, like, coach, what
we talk about?
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Baby? I got it?
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Yeah, Like you know, I know this, man, all right,
I could teach this if you want me to teach this,
but I'm teaching it the DEVO in bud and yeah,
these dudes already know what they do it.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
And then TJ.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Watt comes in and it's like, yeah, are we really
Like what do we talk about?
Speaker 5 (09:37):
Just sit over there, coach. We're gonna make you look
real good. All right.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
That's you know, mini camp. But those are the things
that to me, I like about Mini camp. Those are
the things that makes it different. Also, media availability is
a lot more prevalent during that time, and that is
the mandatory portion where you do have to speak to
the media or make yourself available, whereas in.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
OTAs you don't have to talk to the media.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Any person that's talk to the media, and OTA's does
it voluntarily, you do not have to make yourself available.
Then because it's voluntary, you're not even you don't have
to be there. Your contract states you have to talk
to the media in season or when it's mandatory. Portion
is what you're required to be available. OTAs is not that.
So that's the other part. In some of the media,
(10:21):
they will know that and they do take advantage of that.
They'll make sure that hey, I'm there, so hey if
this guy does it, he didn't want to talk to
me at OTA, well, I'm gonna talk to him every
single day right now. I'm gonna ask him this all
the time. Like that's just the game, the name of
the game at times. But those are the big differences
in terms of the practices. If you're doing it the
right way, practice shouldn't feel any different. You're gonna still
(10:44):
be out there the same.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
Amount of time.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
If your mindset is what it's supposed to be. It
doesn't matter if it's training camp, OTA one, Rookie Mini Camp,
mandatory VETMNI camp, or week seventeen and it's Thursday. Right
when you touch that grass, you respect the field, you
respect your craft.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
You get out there and you always have your best
foot forward.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
You're giving it one hundred percent mentally and physically, because
when you have tail football, you get hurt.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
You don't get to have tell football. You don't get
to Oh, I'm gonna jokingly play football. Nobody. These are
grown men. And at the NFL level, these are grown killers.
And when you're.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Talking about even in the practice setting, the dudes that
don't get the opportunity to play on Sundays, where do
you think they're showing their.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
Game skills at this?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Is it Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or in this case Tuesday,
Wednesday Thursday. The dudes that they're not they don't care
who's not at OTA's in mini care. They like, yeah,
these are opportunities. And these are some dudes out here, man.
There's some dudes that can really play ball, man, that
people have never even heard of, would never even know
(11:55):
because they'll sit behind all pro They're sitting behind a
Pro Bowl, they sit behind a dude it's a first
round draft pick, man. Like that's where it gets. And
you'll see that a lot during the mini camp timeframe.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Man.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
And like I said, for me, I always just say, like,
if your mindset is what it's supposed to be. You know,
you're gonna go out there and have the same level
of intensity.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
And it doesn't matter what year you're in.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
And I think that that's the other part why, I mean,
we get excited when you're watching Aaron Rodgers sleek past.
You was looking at Dk Metcalf coming out of his breaks.
It's like, man, Dk looks like a freaking avatar over there.
Speaker 5 (12:27):
Man, But watching run his routes.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
He's not jogging his rouse, He's not half tail running
his routes. No, he's running it no different than if
it was week twelve, game on the line and he's
going out there to get it for the game winner.
That's what greatness requires. It's not what we requires, what
the game demands. And if you're willing to sacrifice and
do that over and over and over, you got a
chance to, you know, make a lot of money, change
(12:51):
your life, and ultimately do some special things man that
people will always remember. So that's kind of like the
mindset that I had with it, And I mean I
think it helped me. Yeah, you know, you know, I
know everybody's probably gonna have that mindset, But to me,
I always thought that that was the way that it
needed to be, and a lot of my peers that
had similar careers or even better careers, they approached the
(13:12):
game in a very similar manner.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
No, I think that's spot on.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And there's a reason why you had the decade of
the National Football League. Listen, you and I have many
times the two point five average year the NFL not
for long. There's a reason why you defied the not
for long odds. And I think a lot of things
that you just touched on there are very important. And
I think a lot of the things that you just
(13:37):
touched on there relate to some of what we've seen
so far here through not only obviously the six ota practices,
but now into the two mandatory practices. So let's get
into a little bit of that when we return on
the other side.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
I got some Aaron.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Rodgers' observations for you, a Ron. I got some DK
met for stuff for you as well too, Miss miss
the sign language. And Mike Tomlin has spoken, Aaron Rodgers
has spoken, Arthur submit has spoken, Motzie. We got some
real tangible content to get to here on this just
(14:17):
for a.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
Change, doesn't it feels good for a change?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
It absolutely does, And in and what is kind of
also to like the you and I have discussed this.
It's a weird kind of like sprint to get through this,
and then we can go quiet for a couple of
weeks as long as everybody behaves and keeps them hand
keeps their hands to themselves.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
So, so a lot of different a lot of different
things here that kind of you just touched on, that
have moved and shaken over the last day or two
uh here that that mini camp has been going. We'll
get to some of those as we roll along here
on the other side, Arthur Motes, Wesley Yuler, you already
know it.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Is the Steelers Blitz here as we roll.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Along on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Is the Steelers Blitz with Wesley Huler and Arthur Mose
on your twenty four seven home of the Black and Gold.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
A skin r.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Back on the Blitz here as we roll along in
what has been I mean, obviously a pretty quiet.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Minting camp week for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not much going on.
Oh wait, yes, sorry, no, there is.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Plenty of it was going.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
It might have been a quarterback, Yeah, it might have
been a quarterback. That's just signed, all.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Right, So should we jump right into it?
Speaker 4 (15:47):
I mean, you were there, and our fearless leader, mister
Brian law Martinez once told us, be bro, don't bury to.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Me when you got the Listen when you when when
someone lays a fancy dinner in front of you, with
steak and all the fixings and everything, you're going for
the stake right away.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Let's say you don't start messing with the coin and
the p's verse. Hey, is it all right if I
just want to try to salad for no? What you see,
what's in front of you, man get after it.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
So let's let's let's talk a little uh mini camp
and and and and what I what I've seen here,
Arthur Motes and what I've seen. We'll start with Aaron Rodgers.
There's no need to bury the lead. Everybody knows that
he has only done individual stuff so far. He's he's
he's kind of observing during the team periods right as
(16:42):
he gets up to speed with He's not wasting time.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
I mean, I'm not, I'm not. I'm not breaking news here.
To Arthur Motes, he know he knows how this works.
He's he's he's.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Spending a lot of time talking to Tom Arth the
quarterback coach, a lot of time talking to Arthur Smith,
the offensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
And obviously.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
That's understandable when he's had two decades of experience in.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
The National Football League.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
But we have seen I have seen Arthur Motes, Aaron
Rodgers do some individual drills. Right, and Buddy, let me
tell you some of the stuff that we talked about
earlier in the week, right with some of the like,
oh my goodness, it's really happening.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
He's really here. This is one of the.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Greatest to ever do it quarterbacks. It's just been forced.
As I've seen him, you know, go about his business
during practice the last couple of days.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
It's so it's just differently.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Yeah, I don't know how to explain it, but like
it's it's like when it's like when you go to
see a high level artist, when you go to see
a high level musician, Like there's just something differ different.
It's just different, and you can see it.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
You can, you know, kid, you know that the kids
are calling it. They call it aura. There's an aura,
Aura Aura.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
And again I normally laugh at this stuff. I normally
scoff at this stuff. But he has telling you.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
He's a Highlander. Bro, he's a Highlander. Come on, man, there.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Can only be one and and and he is absolutely
just it's a different breed. It's like you and I discussed,
like we've discussed this plenty of times, the people who
make it to this level, like they they are a
different breed. If you are, like I don't care if
you're going to be in many in OTA's and mini
camp and training camp and then you end up getting cut,
(18:42):
like you're still a different breed to make it to
this point. But there's a different breed of the different breed,
the four time MVP.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
The it's some savages and must some savages that the
savages looking at it like, oh my god, what is that?
Speaker 5 (18:59):
Yeah? Yeah, it's like you.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
It's like you might think you're pretty good at guitar, right,
but but then you go and you watch Jimmy Page,
or you watch Stevie ray Ban, or you watch bb
King and it's just different.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
You like, yeah, I'm putting my look atit over here.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Man again, Like he hasn't done a ton through these
first few days, but even for a guy who is
now forty one pushing forty two years old, it is
still just different.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
He looked beautiful running his play action past practice drills
at warm ups all right.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
I was looking at everybody. I'm like, oh my god,
just look at how he comes out of this. Look
at just the guy catches the foot when they toss
it back to me. He throws it at the just
the guy. They did the slow moffum throwing it.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
It was literally a five yard just I was like,
it's so beautiful though, just.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
Like flex this rice. Oh my god. He even has
the indide is Clease.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
You know how many times I've seen them Adidas CLEAs
and Packers colors. He got the Adidas Cleanse. I'm like, oh,
I know those ones.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
I know those.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
And he did it.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
He did also as well on Tuesday, kind of talked
about his you know, hey, I was drafted by a
historical franchise in this league. I know what it's like
to play for an organization like this, and I think
a lot of that stuff rightfully so endeared him to
even some of the skeptical amongst the fan base. But
motes like, I need to get your opinion on this,
(20:27):
and I am I want to describe this with hashtag
all due respect Okay, I you, You and I do
sports talk radio. Okay, but there's there's people like Dan Patrick,
(20:48):
like Steven A. Smith that do sports talk right, there's
there are there are levels to this game.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
You and I.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
You and I are compensated for what we do here
behind microphones, but there's a there's a hierarchy.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
I mean, oh oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
There there are people like Dan Patrick and Stephen A.
Smith and Colin Cowherd and I mean people that have
been doing this at a insanely high level for a
long time. And it's just at times it looks effortless
when you're watching them. That was like watching Aaron Rodgers
compared to the other quarterbacks and drills today and again.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
And it's with all due respect. And that's the other part.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
You don't speak of these things with malicious intent. You
don't speak of beings trying to put one player down
to praise another. No, that is not what this is.
This is literally just when you see what greatness looks like,
even the shadow of what it was in its prime
(21:54):
is still that. That's what it's like when you watch
Lebron or not forties like, oh, it's it's not the
same as what it was in his early thir It's like, yeah,
but have you watched it?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
That looks like have you still seen what that looks like?
That doesn't look normal? Still? And that's how I feel about Rodgers.
And I notice how you feel. Man, I already know it.
I already know it. Ain't never wrong with that, baby,
ain't never wrong with that at all.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
You'd be lying to yourself if you if you didn't
feel that, you will be lying to yourself.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
So again, like you and I belong doing a radio show.
I like to think we do a pretty solid job here.
We've built up a limit.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
Yeah, right, terrible, We definitely got the worst.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
We've got that.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
We've got the numbers and the analytics and the downloads
and all that stuff to support it.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Right, Like we we belong doing what we're doing.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Listen, our show has survived for too long for us
to ever not feel like we were qualified for this,
all right, that's all I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
We should feel good about that at least.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
But but but there's also like you know, the Stephen A.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Smith, the Dan Patrick level, and then some of these
guys that are doing the same thing as us, but
not really doing the same thing as us different.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
That's different.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
And again this is this is not an indictment on
Mason Rudolph and Will Howard and Skyler Thompson. It's a
it's a credit to Aaron Rodgers at.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
Forty one excellence man sustained at.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Forty at forty one years old, it still looks different.
Like watching him go through the drills, and then you
watch the other quarterbacks. You know, you know how this works.
It's the succession of guys.
Speaker 5 (23:30):
One of the drills.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Dude, Motes it different, It's it's it's it's effort like
it is.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I know that.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I'm like, I'm I'm I'm preaching. I'm not even preaching
of a choir, like I'm preaching the disaster right now.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Him.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
You know what that is?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
You played against him, you played.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
Against against Yeah, I know what that is. You played
played against.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Big It's Big Baes, Philip Rivers. I haven seen all
of them, Matt Ryan, I haven't seen all of them, man.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
Yeah, you you.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
The gold quarterbacks, Mike vic I have seen all of
Heck Kirk Cousins, all of that, man, all of that,
just Russell Wilson, all.
Speaker 5 (24:18):
Of that, man.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Yeah, Motes just going going through simple basics, practice routine drills.
He looks different than the other three quarterbacks, who again
clearly belong at this level, and they are not Putts's.
It's it's not like there are a bunch of Jabbronis
out there, dude, It's it's effortless. That ball, just still
(24:42):
pushing forty two years old, just spins off his hand differently.
I've been I've been totally impressed because, like again, I
know how great this guy is, but I also know
at what point he is in his career. But it's
it is, you know, just just just watching him.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Throw the football.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
It's it sounds so funny, but it's it's it's been
a surprise. It's been a treat over the last couple
of days because he he makes it look like poetry. Man,
he makes it look effortless.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Love it, man, I love it. I'm glad that you're
able to witness it in person. Man, you deserve that opportunity. Man.
You do bush your tail, man, y'all, you don't bush
your tail for a long time to be in this
this year right now, baby, all right, appreciate it, and I.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
Can tell you do. Man.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I'm happy for that, dude. Because, like I said, I
know what that is, already know what that is. That's
that's when when the game is all said and done,
he will forever be in the argument of who was
the greatest player to ever have played? Not the most decorated,
we know Brady's the most decorated, but in terms of
the most.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Like, yo, that's the guy.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
Mahomes is heavily a part of that because of obviously
what he's been doing out.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
The gate, no doubt. I mean he's undenied.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Oh my god, Rogers is still going to be a
part of the home Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Mahomes passes the eye test, and he passes the resume test.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, And I mean he talked about just
how much time it took him to complete what he's completed.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
That's the other part. So we know that. But Rogers,
that list is very short, That listen is very short.
Short does that do?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
What did?
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Steven is a bad man. Look, I got some teammates,
former dudes I've talked to, like bro, best quarter you
play again in Green Bay. Let the boy look this
way and through it that way, And it went like
it was party, Like how you do that? Yeah, I
didn't even see the release. I know, Yeah, don't play
(26:57):
with that man. It's with that man, the fastest gun
in the West. Stay away from that man over there.
I haven't different, man.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
I haven't.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I haven't seen somebody throw a football like this since
pre pre elbow injury. Ben, And dude, it's like it's.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
You understand why, like you just said, he's on that.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
When he when he does finally inevitably, like we all do,
hang him up.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
Whatever, whenever he wants to do that.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
He will be talked about for a long time.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
And I think our buddy Matt Williamson put it so
well today, Modes and I know you'll appreciate this. He said,
when you put on Aaron Rodgers highlight tape, it's one
of the best that you can see.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
It's insane, he said.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
He said, But when you put on his low light tape,
it's one of the best that you can see.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Like, there's not there's not a ton of loans.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
These are these are bad plays. This is not good.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
It's like, Yo, this dude is special, man, like real
life special.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Real life.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Yes, And there's been a real energy about that that
there will continue to be and I think it's been
fun for us, Aura, no doubt, no doubt. And let's
let's continue with that a little bit more in the
sense of what that means for the offense, what that
means for Arthur Smith, because he spoke today, Let's do
(28:31):
that to to round out the first hour of the
program here when we return on the other side.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Hey, he's Arthur Motes. I'm Wes Uler.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
You are listening to the Steelers Blitz on Steelers Nation Radio,
on the Steelers Audio Network's.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Steelers Blitz with Wesley Euler and Arthur Motes on your
four seven home of the Black and Gold.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
Skin r.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Back on the Blitz here as we roll along, never
a doll moment in Steeler's Nation Land, but of course
definitely not this week. As we have seen Aaron Rodgers.
We got our first look at dk metcast as well too.
We got to talk a little bit about that obviously
before we get out of here, Arthur Nathan Mote.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
But Arthur Smith spoke today, and.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Listen, this is another one of those kind of transparency,
peel behind the curtain things they tend to do alternating
defensive and offensive media availabilities.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Around this time.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Okay, so today we heard from a lot of guys
on the offensive side of the football. Arthur Smith spoke,
Pat Meyer spoke, Tom Arth spoke Arthur Smith. I said
that already a lot of guys on the offensive side
of the football spoke okay, and makes sense, as we
(30:03):
all know, with this time of year and with a
lot of I think intrigue around the offense. And we've
broken down a lot of that here certainly throughout the
off season. But one big line that I heard today
that stuck with me, Arthur motes that I want to
discuss with you, and it came from a fellow Arthur
that is, of course, the Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith,
(30:27):
where he said, and I'm paraphrasing slash quoting here right
a couple words off, but Arthur Smith today basically said that,
you know, in this line of business, it's our job
that every year we have to improve as an offense,
like you have to see marked improvement every single year.
(30:49):
And so I know this is a little bit of
a big picture conversation for you, and there's probably a
million days like we could probably make a whole show
out of this if we wanted to, but with adding
a guy like Aaron Rodgers and some of the other
things that we've discussed on on this offense. A proven
number one wide receiver in offensive line that we all
(31:11):
think should take a step forward, all these different things
that we've discussed, like where where is the where is
the biggest area? If you had to pick to see
clear cut marked improvement from the Steelers offense this year,
is it? Is it third down or red zone efficiency?
Is it?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Is it run game efficiency?
Speaker 3 (31:31):
With now if you have a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers,
you better be able to average much more than four
yards per carry like we saw this past season. Like
in your mind, what's the What's what? What sticks out
is a is an area of this offense now with
Aaron Rodgers in in in tow and under contract and
all the things we know where we should be looking
(31:53):
to see marked improvement.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
I will start with the red zone.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
Aaron Rodgers to me, definitely help you score touchdowns in
the red zone instead of kicking field goals.
Speaker 5 (32:04):
His above the net.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
Game is going to make sure you're in the right play,
regardless of what Arthur Smith calls. Aaron Rodgers is going
to be able to make sure you're in the right play.
That's going to give you the highest percentage to be
able to score a touchdown. He also is a consistent
thrower of the football, So when you're talking about some
of these touch passes, some of.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
These areas where you need high level.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Execution or just the cache to say, you know what,
I'm willing to put the ball there because I believe
that my arm and my wisdom from my experiences are
better than your call. Mason Rudolph, Will Howard Scarlett Thompson,
with all due respect to them, they don't have the
cachede to do that just yet, nor would they be
(32:47):
allotted the ability to do that, the lniency to do
that just yet.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
Aaron Rodgers has that.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
And that's why you see him in the red zone
operate the way that he does. I think that the
things that we've struggled with specific in the red zone,
he should with all the things that he's done up
until this stage of his career, I think that that's
the first area of improvement. Obviously, DK Metcalf I think
is going to be a huge benefactor of that as well,
(33:14):
and a huge reason why we have the success that
we have. But to me, I think that that's the
first area that you see marked improvement is the red zone.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
I was hoping that you were going to discuss or mention.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
The red zone there.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
And I love it when a plan comes together because
that's a that's a huge thing for me.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
When you like again, I am, I'm not breaking any
news here. I'm not landing on the moon right like
you and I have.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Discussed a lot of these things that separate the good
from the great. And when you look at the teams
that have the best red zone efficiency in the National
Football League, modes okay.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
So last year, let's go through.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
This, right, and and and and and when we tok
red zone efficiency, that means percentage of times that you're
in the red zone that you score a touchdown, right,
that you are, that you are touching paint, that you
are that you are scoring a touchdown. Number one in
the league last year, Baltimore, number two, Buffalo, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Washington,
(34:19):
all teams that were in the postseason winning postseason games.
Denver was in the top ten a playoff team. Green
Bay was in the top ten a playoff team. The
Philadelphia Eagles, the Super Bowl champion, were in the top
ten a playoff team.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
That's a.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
One of those areas where I think, again the good
separates from great is in the red zone, and.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
You gotta put points on the board.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Man.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
We can't settle for three. You got to get seven.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
It's great that you have Chris Boswell and he has
gotten you out of stadium so many times, but if
you want to get to that next level, this is
one of the areas where you separate. And the last time,
if you look back at the last handful of years,
the Steelers have not been good in the red zone
(35:10):
in terms of red zone efficiency. They have been twenty ninth,
twenty fifth, you know, bottom bottom tier of the National
Football League. The last time that the Steelers were really
succeeding in that regard was pre elbow surgery Ben Roethlisberger,
when Ben was still, without a doubt, one of the
(35:30):
best three or one of the best five quarterbacks in
the league. Motes you know this better than I do.
But like when you get into those condensed areas, having
a quarterback who not only has the arm talent, but
also has that above the neck ability to diagnose see
what the defense is doing. The field is shrinking here,
(35:51):
the windows are shrinking with it. I think that's one
of those big opportunities. The Steelers were twenty ninth out
of thirty two teams in red zone efficiency last year.
I'm not saying that they that they need to be
top five or top ten, but if they can even
get to just the average standpoint, if they can get
to sixteen ish range, right right in the middle of
(36:13):
the pack over the course of seventeen games, that will
make a massive difference.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
No, one thousand percent.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
Man, that's the mark of like you said, those great teams, Man,
you gotta be able to punch it in. And Aaron
Rodgers historically has shown that he does that at a
very high level, where it's with his legs, with his arm,
or the threat of his arm and legs. Now it
opens up the running game in a traditional sense. These
(36:39):
are all the things that Aaron Rodgers being here should
have a positive impact on. And that has been the
case when he's been healthy. When he's been healthy, man,
he's looked like that every time. And we have to
bank on, you know, and being further moved from this Achilles' injury,
getting more of that and based on the little cliffs
(37:00):
like I said that we have been seeing, it does
at least look.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
Like he feels good to go.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
But we'll see man, because there's still, like I said,
a lot of variabels Man him, Arthur Smith, him, these
wide receivers, this old line. I mean, because I know,
like I said, many people will listen to us right now.
I hear the excitement. It'll be like, man, hey boys,
it's about to say championship. And it's like, no, this
is still a lot of other things that have to
you know, fall in place.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
But as we stand.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
Here right now, yeah, this piece we feel really good about,
like really really good about him being here because that
is a significant check in the right box.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Completely agree, and uh, it's a lot of fun having
these conversations right now, certainly as there is a lot
of unknown, but we've got some we've got some more parameters.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Around that unknown.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Now with with a guy like Aaron Rodgers in the fold,
let's get to our final break here of the first
our second hour of the show. We have some more
of this type of conversation. We also obviously have to
discuss everything going on with TJ. Watt as well too.
We'll do all of that. Morganto, some of your tweets
you know where to get at US. If you want
to get involved, Well Schuler, Arthur Motes, Steelers Blitz, Steelers
(38:17):
Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network
Stueler and Motes are on the air. This is the
Steelers Blitz on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Gold sn R Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
What's going on Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
It is high noon on a Thursday afternoon, and that
can only mean one thing.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
It is time to.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Go inside the electric factory. Here on your twenty four
to seven phone of the Black and the Gold.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
It is the Steelers Blitz.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
On Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network. And
most of you are familiar with the operation by now,
but if you need up to speed on our standard
operating procedures, He's Arthur Motes. I'm Wesley Euler. This is
the Stealer's Blizz And there is one and only way
to get involved with us this time of year, ladies
(01:09):
and gentlemen, and it is of course on Twitter on X.
We'll take your questions, your comments, your concerns, your criticisms,
your reactions, anything and everything but between that you got
for us, you can always get at us on Twitter
on X at Wesley Euler at the Body fifty two
(01:30):
and Arthur Motes. We are rolling towards the end of
the week here as we rock and we roll through
another week in what is kind of a very significant
week for a lot of different reasons. As you and
I discussed earlier in this week, it's very significant because
it's mandatory Mini camp, right, that's capital M mandatory Mini
(01:54):
camp this week, and we do need to obviously, listen,
I'm going to address the elephant in the room right
off the top here. Okay, we will talk about TJ
Watt at some point in this show today, Okay, because
we we need to.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
That is a that is a you know, a legitimate
talking point.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
But Mozi, it is pretty funny to me that in
most years it feels like the absences at mini camp
would be at the top of the list, or the
significant absence of the most impactful defensive player in the
National Football League. But we have one of the greatest
(02:37):
quarterbacks of all time, as we've discussed, Aaron Rodgers in camp,
which has certainly been been grabbing the headlines. And like
I said, well, I do obviously want to get to
some TJ stuff here today because I don't think we'd
be doing our job if we didn't.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
I'm gonna tell her, he said, TJ A and m
Poor and TJ A and m poor.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
You could tell man's true.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Colors when a quarterback topic is available.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
And a defense able.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
You could just tell the makeup of a man when
he wants to lead off with the quarterback.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
We just talked about the quarterback the other day. We
gotta talk about the quarterback again.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
We just literally talked about the quarterback and we can't
talk about the live That's crazy. I get it, though,
I get it.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
It's a quarterback. It's a quarterback for all it is.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
It's a quarterback for hell especsial name TJ.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
What come on, man, It is a quarterbacks world, but
it's also TJ wats world.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
I mean he has been. I mean I think him
and I think him and Cam Hayward have very clearly
carried carried the flag of the Pittsburgh Sailors organization.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Hurt right now?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
That need the.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Extra massages with about Deebo used to get thirty thousand.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
Needles in for the game.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
TJ need forty thousand all the way he being carrying.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
He need fou audio.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Okay, So I do want to talk to you obviously
about TJ. Watt in his absence. I do want to
talk to you about everything that I saw today.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
With Aaron Rodgers and day number two of Mini Camp.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
But I first, Arthur Motes, and you know this every
every day, every week that you and I do a
show together, I am fortunate to lean on your decade
of NFL experience, and not only with the Pittsburgh Steelers obviously,
but across the National Football League as well. I think
you can do a great job of painting the picture
(04:46):
of the behind the scenes some of the stuff that.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Whether you're a.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Fan, whether you're a media member, whether you're a a
somewhere in between, what this time of year is all about.
So before before we get into some particulars of Mini
Camp observations and some news and noteworthy stuff, right, you
have been very clear over these three weeks of these
Steelers having the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday practices during this offseason program,
(05:16):
that there is a difference, even though it's all stacked
together in three consecutive weeks, that there is a very
clear difference between OTA's and Mini Camp. And I just
alluded to one very clear difference, and that's the capital
M mandatory portion of it. But we get into this week,
this is the final week of this phase of offseason.
(05:38):
This is the final week until these guys will go
away for six or seven weeks before things really get real.
So I just want to lean on your decade of
NFL experience here to get us started. What's the this
week compared to the two weeks of OTAs that we
just had now into mini camp, what's the format? What's
(06:01):
the difference? What really changes?
Speaker 4 (06:05):
So in terms of the big difference, we obviously say
the mandatory portion that brings a financial component, right, that
financial component being I can be fined if I am late.
I can be fined if I don't show up. I
can be fined if I'm wearing the wrong attire to
practice and coach has an issue with that, I can
(06:27):
be fined. The NFL or the team would be one
hundred percent within their right to do so. And I've
witnessed it happen to people that I've worked with before.
Whereas in OTA's they can't do anything. They can say
what they want, but you can literally walk off that
field and they can't do anything. See if they find you,
(06:48):
they'll be in trouble. If they get upset that you
don't want to go in on that snap, they'll be
in trouble. We got a pa for that. We have
you know, lawyers that are ready and willing to go
to war behind that. So so we feel, you know,
a sense of power so to speak during the OTA portion,
whereas many camp, Yeah, you do understand that when that
(07:08):
meet it starts at day twenty. Do not show up
at a twenty one. You are late and they will
find you. OTAs you can get away with it. Now,
I don't recommend it, And I was a guy that
tried to set the example of being one time because
to me, I think if it's important to you, you're
gonna be respectful of not just your time, the other
people that is their time as well, and I think
(07:29):
the best way to show that is by being all
time or even in that case early. So that was
kind of the mindset. But the next part of the
big change from many camp to OTA's is this you
operate with more urgency. Number one, because you're now having
mock regular season days, they're typically a little bit longer.
During OTA's you're there for I think two to three
(07:52):
hours total, two hours of practice, one hour film, and
that's pre and post, so you're.
Speaker 5 (07:59):
Not really there a long time. Whereas Mini camp, those
three days.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
You'll be there from eight am to about three four
pm in the afternoon.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
And that doesn't include what you do on your own to.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Stay at the top of your gay, meaning taking care
of your body right iceed to cold to seeing the trainers. Right.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
That doesn't include you get your workouts in.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
As well, right, your own lists, your own If you're
a wide receiver, how many footballs are you catching?
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Right? I used to watch Antonio Brown catch one hundred footballs.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Per post practice like it was nothing, while dudes are
racing to get to their cars to drive home, and
you wonder why he was getting paid everything he was
getting paid. Those are the things that you see dor
Mani camp. The next thing is the meeting formats. Because
of the extended portion, you're having a lot more in
depth meetings. And that's the other cool part. I mean
(08:49):
for veterans, it gets a little bit redundant, and that's
why we always that's why I would say, like, hey,
for a vet, I'm not tripping if they're not their
per se because you're hearing the exact scene stuff that
you've already heard from OTA one, two, three, four, and five,
and under the old format when you had three weeks
of OTAs, you're getting that same message for three weeks,
(09:11):
and then you get to mini camp and it's like, oh,
we're gonna start over, and like, I didn't just say
this for the last three weeks, So imagine you've been
in essay deepest for four years. Like I always say
at Pittsburgh. Yeah, you get to OTZ, like, coach, what
we talk about?
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Baby? I got it?
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Yeah, Like you know, I know this, man, all right,
I could teach this if you want me to teach this,
but I'm teaching it the DEVO in bud and yeah,
these dudes already know what they do it.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
And then TJ.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Watt comes in and it's like, yeah, are we really
Like what do we talk about?
Speaker 5 (09:37):
Just sit over there, coach. We're gonna make you look
real good. All right.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
That's you know, mini camp. But those are the things
that to me, I like about Mini camp. Those are
the things that makes it different. Also, media availability is
a lot more prevalent during that time, and that is
the mandatory portion where you do have to speak to
the media or make yourself available, whereas in.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
OTAs you don't have to talk to the media.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Any person that's talk to the media, and OTA's does
it voluntarily, you do not have to make yourself available.
Then because it's voluntary, you're not even you don't have
to be there. Your contract states you have to talk
to the media in season or when it's mandatory. Portion
is what you're required to be available. OTAs is not that.
So that's the other part. In some of the media,
(10:21):
they will know that and they do take advantage of that.
They'll make sure that hey, I'm there, so hey if
this guy does it, he didn't want to talk to
me at OTA, well, I'm gonna talk to him every
single day right now. I'm gonna ask him this all
the time. Like that's just the game, the name of
the game at times. But those are the big differences
in terms of the practices. If you're doing it the
right way, practice shouldn't feel any different. You're gonna still
(10:44):
be out there the same.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
Amount of time.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
If your mindset is what it's supposed to be. It
doesn't matter if it's training camp, OTA one, Rookie Mini Camp,
mandatory VETMNI camp, or week seventeen and it's Thursday. Right
when you touch that grass, you respect the field, you
respect your craft.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
You get out there and you always have your best
foot forward.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
You're giving it one hundred percent mentally and physically, because
when you have tail football, you get hurt.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
You don't get to have tell football. You don't get
to Oh, I'm gonna jokingly play football. Nobody. These are
grown men. And at the NFL level, these are grown killers.
And when you're.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Talking about even in the practice setting, the dudes that
don't get the opportunity to play on Sundays, where do
you think they're showing their.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
Game skills at this?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Is it Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or in this case Tuesday,
Wednesday Thursday. The dudes that they're not they don't care
who's not at OTA's in mini care. They like, yeah,
these are opportunities. And these are some dudes out here, man.
There's some dudes that can really play ball, man, that
people have never even heard of, would never even know
(11:55):
because they'll sit behind all pro They're sitting behind a
Pro Bowl, they sit behind a dude it's a first
round draft pick, man. Like that's where it gets. And
you'll see that a lot during the mini camp timeframe.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Man.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
And like I said, for me, I always just say, like,
if your mindset is what it's supposed to be. You know,
you're gonna go out there and have the same level
of intensity.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
And it doesn't matter what year you're in.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
And I think that that's the other part why, I mean,
we get excited when you're watching Aaron Rodgers sleek past.
You was looking at Dk Metcalf coming out of his breaks.
It's like, man, Dk looks like a freaking avatar over there.
Speaker 5 (12:27):
Man, But watching run his routes.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
He's not jogging his rouse, He's not half tail running
his routes. No, he's running it no different than if
it was week twelve, game on the line and he's
going out there to get it for the game winner.
That's what greatness requires. It's not what we requires, what
the game demands. And if you're willing to sacrifice and
do that over and over and over, you got a
chance to, you know, make a lot of money, change
(12:51):
your life, and ultimately do some special things man that
people will always remember. So that's kind of like the
mindset that I had with it, And I mean I
think it helped me. Yeah, you know, you know, I
know everybody's probably gonna have that mindset, But to me,
I always thought that that was the way that it
needed to be, and a lot of my peers that
had similar careers or even better careers, they approached the
(13:12):
game in a very similar manner.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
No, I think that's spot on.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And there's a reason why you had the decade of
the National Football League. Listen, you and I have many
times the two point five average year the NFL not
for long. There's a reason why you defied the not
for long odds. And I think a lot of things
that you just touched on there are very important. And
I think a lot of the things that you just
(13:37):
touched on there relate to some of what we've seen
so far here through not only obviously the six ota practices,
but now into the two mandatory practices. So let's get
into a little bit of that when we return on
the other side.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
I got some Aaron.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Rodgers' observations for you, a Ron. I got some DK
met for stuff for you as well too, Miss miss
the sign language. And Mike Tomlin has spoken, Aaron Rodgers
has spoken, Arthur submit has spoken, Motzie. We got some
real tangible content to get to here on this just
(14:17):
for a.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
Change, doesn't it feels good for a change?
Speaker 3 (14:19):
It absolutely does, And in and what is kind of
also to like the you and I have discussed this.
It's a weird kind of like sprint to get through this,
and then we can go quiet for a couple of
weeks as long as everybody behaves and keeps them hand
keeps their hands to themselves.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
So, so a lot of different a lot of different
things here that kind of you just touched on, that
have moved and shaken over the last day or two
uh here that that mini camp has been going. We'll
get to some of those as we roll along here
on the other side, Arthur Motes, Wesley Yuler, you already
know it.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Is the Steelers Blitz here as we roll.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Along on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Is the Steelers Blitz with Wesley Huler and Arthur Mose
on your twenty four seven home of the Black and Gold.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
A skin r.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Back on the Blitz here as we roll along in
what has been I mean, obviously a pretty quiet.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Minting camp week for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not much going on.
Oh wait, yes, sorry, no, there is.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Plenty of it was going.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
It might have been a quarterback, Yeah, it might have
been a quarterback. That's just signed, all.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Right, So should we jump right into it?
Speaker 4 (15:47):
I mean, you were there, and our fearless leader, mister
Brian law Martinez once told us, be bro, don't bury to.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Me when you got the Listen when you when when
someone lays a fancy dinner in front of you, with
steak and all the fixings and everything, you're going for
the stake right away.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Let's say you don't start messing with the coin and
the p's verse. Hey, is it all right if I
just want to try to salad for no? What you see,
what's in front of you, man get after it.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
So let's let's let's talk a little uh mini camp
and and and and what I what I've seen here,
Arthur Motes and what I've seen. We'll start with Aaron Rodgers.
There's no need to bury the lead. Everybody knows that
he has only done individual stuff so far. He's he's
he's kind of observing during the team periods right as
(16:42):
he gets up to speed with He's not wasting time.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
I mean, I'm not, I'm not. I'm not breaking news here.
To Arthur Motes, he know he knows how this works.
He's he's he's.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Spending a lot of time talking to Tom Arth the
quarterback coach, a lot of time talking to Arthur Smith,
the offensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
And obviously.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
That's understandable when he's had two decades of experience in.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
The National Football League.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
But we have seen I have seen Arthur Motes, Aaron
Rodgers do some individual drills. Right, and Buddy, let me
tell you some of the stuff that we talked about
earlier in the week, right with some of the like,
oh my goodness, it's really happening.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
He's really here. This is one of the.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Greatest to ever do it quarterbacks. It's just been forced.
As I've seen him, you know, go about his business
during practice the last couple of days.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
It's so it's just differently.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Yeah, I don't know how to explain it, but like
it's it's like when it's like when you go to
see a high level artist, when you go to see
a high level musician, Like there's just something differ different.
It's just different, and you can see it.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
You can, you know, kid, you know that the kids
are calling it. They call it aura. There's an aura,
Aura Aura.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
And again I normally laugh at this stuff. I normally
scoff at this stuff. But he has telling you.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
He's a Highlander. Bro, he's a Highlander. Come on, man, there.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Can only be one and and and he is absolutely
just it's a different breed. It's like you and I discussed,
like we've discussed this plenty of times, the people who
make it to this level, like they they are a
different breed. If you are, like I don't care if
you're going to be in many in OTA's and mini
camp and training camp and then you end up getting cut,
(18:42):
like you're still a different breed to make it to
this point. But there's a different breed of the different breed,
the four time MVP.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
The it's some savages and must some savages that the
savages looking at it like, oh my god, what is that?
Speaker 5 (18:59):
Yeah? Yeah, it's like you.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
It's like you might think you're pretty good at guitar, right,
but but then you go and you watch Jimmy Page,
or you watch Stevie ray Ban, or you watch bb
King and it's just different.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
You like, yeah, I'm putting my look atit over here.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Man again, Like he hasn't done a ton through these
first few days, but even for a guy who is
now forty one pushing forty two years old, it is
still just different.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
He looked beautiful running his play action past practice drills
at warm ups all right.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
I was looking at everybody. I'm like, oh my god,
just look at how he comes out of this. Look
at just the guy catches the foot when they toss
it back to me. He throws it at the just
the guy. They did the slow moffum throwing it.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
It was literally a five yard just I was like,
it's so beautiful though, just.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
Like flex this rice. Oh my god. He even has
the indide is Clease.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
You know how many times I've seen them Adidas CLEAs
and Packers colors. He got the Adidas Cleanse. I'm like, oh,
I know those ones.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
I know those.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
And he did it.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
He did also as well on Tuesday, kind of talked
about his you know, hey, I was drafted by a
historical franchise in this league. I know what it's like
to play for an organization like this, and I think
a lot of that stuff rightfully so endeared him to
even some of the skeptical amongst the fan base. But
motes like, I need to get your opinion on this,
(20:27):
and I am I want to describe this with hashtag
all due respect Okay, I you, You and I do
sports talk radio. Okay, but there's there's people like Dan Patrick,
(20:48):
like Steven A. Smith that do sports talk right, there's
there are there are levels to this game.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
You and I.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
You and I are compensated for what we do here
behind microphones, but there's a there's a hierarchy.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
I mean, oh oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
There there are people like Dan Patrick and Stephen A.
Smith and Colin Cowherd and I mean people that have
been doing this at a insanely high level for a
long time. And it's just at times it looks effortless
when you're watching them. That was like watching Aaron Rodgers
compared to the other quarterbacks and drills today and again.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
And it's with all due respect. And that's the other part.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
You don't speak of these things with malicious intent. You
don't speak of beings trying to put one player down
to praise another. No, that is not what this is.
This is literally just when you see what greatness looks like,
even the shadow of what it was in its prime
(21:54):
is still that. That's what it's like when you watch
Lebron or not forties like, oh, it's it's not the
same as what it was in his early thir It's like, yeah,
but have you watched it?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
That looks like have you still seen what that looks like?
That doesn't look normal? Still? And that's how I feel about Rodgers.
And I notice how you feel. Man, I already know it.
I already know it. Ain't never wrong with that, baby,
ain't never wrong with that at all.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
You'd be lying to yourself if you if you didn't
feel that, you will be lying to yourself.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
So again, like you and I belong doing a radio show.
I like to think we do a pretty solid job here.
We've built up a limit.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
Yeah, right, terrible, We definitely got the worst.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
We've got that.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
We've got the numbers and the analytics and the downloads
and all that stuff to support it.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Right, Like we we belong doing what we're doing.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Listen, our show has survived for too long for us
to ever not feel like we were qualified for this,
all right, that's all I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
We should feel good about that at least.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
But but but there's also like you know, the Stephen A.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Smith, the Dan Patrick level, and then some of these
guys that are doing the same thing as us, but
not really doing the same thing as us different.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
That's different.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
And again this is this is not an indictment on
Mason Rudolph and Will Howard and Skyler Thompson. It's a
it's a credit to Aaron Rodgers at.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
Forty one excellence man sustained at.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Forty at forty one years old, it still looks different.
Like watching him go through the drills, and then you
watch the other quarterbacks. You know, you know how this works.
It's the succession of guys.
Speaker 5 (23:30):
One of the drills.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Dude, Motes it different, It's it's it's it's effort like
it is.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I know that.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
I'm like, I'm I'm I'm preaching. I'm not even preaching
of a choir, like I'm preaching the disaster right now.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
Him.
Speaker 5 (23:46):
You know what that is?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
You played against him, you played.
Speaker 5 (23:48):
Against against Yeah, I know what that is. You played
played against.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Big It's Big Baes, Philip Rivers. I haven seen all
of them, Matt Ryan, I haven't seen all of them, man.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
Yeah, you you.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
The gold quarterbacks, Mike vic I have seen all of
Heck Kirk Cousins, all of that, man, all of that,
just Russell Wilson, all.
Speaker 5 (24:18):
Of that, man.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
Yeah, Motes just going going through simple basics, practice routine drills.
He looks different than the other three quarterbacks, who again
clearly belong at this level, and they are not Putts's.
It's it's not like there are a bunch of Jabbronis
out there, dude, It's it's effortless. That ball, just still
(24:42):
pushing forty two years old, just spins off his hand differently.
I've been I've been totally impressed because, like again, I
know how great this guy is, but I also know
at what point he is in his career. But it's
it is, you know, just just just watching him.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Throw the football.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
It's it sounds so funny, but it's it's it's been
a surprise. It's been a treat over the last couple
of days because he he makes it look like poetry. Man,
he makes it look effortless.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Love it, man, I love it. I'm glad that you're
able to witness it in person. Man, you deserve that opportunity. Man.
You do bush your tail, man, y'all, you don't bush
your tail for a long time to be in this
this year right now, baby, all right, appreciate it, and I.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
Can tell you do. Man.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I'm happy for that, dude. Because, like I said, I
know what that is, already know what that is. That's
that's when when the game is all said and done,
he will forever be in the argument of who was
the greatest player to ever have played? Not the most decorated,
we know Brady's the most decorated, but in terms of
the most.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Like, yo, that's the guy.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
Mahomes is heavily a part of that because of obviously
what he's been doing out.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
The gate, no doubt. I mean he's undenied.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Oh my god, Rogers is still going to be a
part of the home Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Mahomes passes the eye test, and he passes the resume test.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, And I mean he talked about just
how much time it took him to complete what he's completed.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
That's the other part. So we know that. But Rogers,
that list is very short, That listen is very short.
Short does that do?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
What did?
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Steven is a bad man. Look, I got some teammates,
former dudes I've talked to, like bro, best quarter you
play again in Green Bay. Let the boy look this
way and through it that way, And it went like
it was party, Like how you do that? Yeah, I
didn't even see the release. I know, Yeah, don't play
(26:57):
with that man. It's with that man, the fastest gun
in the West. Stay away from that man over there.
I haven't different, man.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
I haven't.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
I haven't seen somebody throw a football like this since
pre pre elbow injury. Ben, And dude, it's like it's.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
You understand why, like you just said, he's on that.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
When he when he does finally inevitably, like we all do,
hang him up.
Speaker 5 (27:32):
Whatever, whenever he wants to do that.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
He will be talked about for a long time.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
And I think our buddy Matt Williamson put it so
well today, Modes and I know you'll appreciate this. He said,
when you put on Aaron Rodgers highlight tape, it's one
of the best that you can see.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
It's insane, he said.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
He said, But when you put on his low light tape,
it's one of the best that you can see.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Like, there's not there's not a ton of loans.
Speaker 5 (28:01):
These are these are bad plays. This is not good.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
It's like, Yo, this dude is special, man, like real
life special.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Real life.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Yes, And there's been a real energy about that that
there will continue to be and I think it's been
fun for us, Aura, no doubt, no doubt. And let's
let's continue with that a little bit more in the
sense of what that means for the offense, what that
means for Arthur Smith, because he spoke today, Let's do
(28:31):
that to to round out the first hour of the
program here when we return on the other side.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
Hey, he's Arthur Motes. I'm Wes Uler.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
You are listening to the Steelers Blitz on Steelers Nation Radio,
on the Steelers Audio Network's.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Steelers Blitz with Wesley Euler and Arthur Motes on your
four seven home of the Black and Gold.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
Skin r.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Back on the Blitz here as we roll along, never
a doll moment in Steeler's Nation Land, but of course
definitely not this week. As we have seen Aaron Rodgers.
We got our first look at dk metcast as well too.
We got to talk a little bit about that obviously
before we get out of here, Arthur Nathan Mote.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
But Arthur Smith spoke today, and.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Listen, this is another one of those kind of transparency,
peel behind the curtain things they tend to do alternating
defensive and offensive media availabilities.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Around this time.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Okay, so today we heard from a lot of guys
on the offensive side of the football. Arthur Smith spoke,
Pat Meyer spoke, Tom Arth spoke Arthur Smith. I said
that already a lot of guys on the offensive side
of the football spoke okay, and makes sense, as we
(30:03):
all know, with this time of year and with a
lot of I think intrigue around the offense. And we've
broken down a lot of that here certainly throughout the
off season. But one big line that I heard today
that stuck with me, Arthur motes that I want to
discuss with you, and it came from a fellow Arthur
that is, of course, the Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith,
(30:27):
where he said, and I'm paraphrasing slash quoting here right
a couple words off, but Arthur Smith today basically said that,
you know, in this line of business, it's our job
that every year we have to improve as an offense,
like you have to see marked improvement every single year.
(30:49):
And so I know this is a little bit of
a big picture conversation for you, and there's probably a
million days like we could probably make a whole show
out of this if we wanted to, but with adding
a guy like Aaron Rodgers and some of the other
things that we've discussed on on this offense. A proven
number one wide receiver in offensive line that we all
(31:11):
think should take a step forward, all these different things
that we've discussed, like where where is the where is
the biggest area? If you had to pick to see
clear cut marked improvement from the Steelers offense this year,
is it? Is it third down or red zone efficiency?
Is it?
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Is it run game efficiency?
Speaker 3 (31:31):
With now if you have a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers,
you better be able to average much more than four
yards per carry like we saw this past season. Like
in your mind, what's the What's what? What sticks out
is a is an area of this offense now with
Aaron Rodgers in in in tow and under contract and
all the things we know where we should be looking
(31:53):
to see marked improvement.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
I will start with the red zone.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
Aaron Rodgers to me, definitely help you score touchdowns in
the red zone instead of kicking field goals.
Speaker 5 (32:04):
His above the net.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
Game is going to make sure you're in the right play,
regardless of what Arthur Smith calls. Aaron Rodgers is going
to be able to make sure you're in the right play.
That's going to give you the highest percentage to be
able to score a touchdown. He also is a consistent
thrower of the football, So when you're talking about some
of these touch passes, some of.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
These areas where you need high level.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
Execution or just the cache to say, you know what,
I'm willing to put the ball there because I believe
that my arm and my wisdom from my experiences are
better than your call. Mason Rudolph, Will Howard Scarlett Thompson,
with all due respect to them, they don't have the
cachede to do that just yet, nor would they be
(32:47):
allotted the ability to do that, the lniency to do
that just yet.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
Aaron Rodgers has that.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
And that's why you see him in the red zone
operate the way that he does. I think that the
things that we've struggled with specific in the red zone,
he should with all the things that he's done up
until this stage of his career, I think that that's
the first area of improvement. Obviously, DK Metcalf I think
is going to be a huge benefactor of that as well,
(33:14):
and a huge reason why we have the success that
we have. But to me, I think that that's the
first area that you see marked improvement is the red zone.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
I was hoping that you were going to discuss or mention.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
The red zone there.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
And I love it when a plan comes together because
that's a that's a huge thing for me.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
When you like again, I am, I'm not breaking any
news here. I'm not landing on the moon right like
you and I have.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Discussed a lot of these things that separate the good
from the great. And when you look at the teams
that have the best red zone efficiency in the National
Football League, modes okay.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
So last year, let's go through.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
This, right, and and and and and when we tok
red zone efficiency, that means percentage of times that you're
in the red zone that you score a touchdown, right,
that you are, that you are touching paint, that you
are that you are scoring a touchdown. Number one in
the league last year, Baltimore, number two, Buffalo, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Washington,
(34:19):
all teams that were in the postseason winning postseason games.
Denver was in the top ten a playoff team. Green
Bay was in the top ten a playoff team. The
Philadelphia Eagles, the Super Bowl champion, were in the top
ten a playoff team.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
That's a.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
One of those areas where I think, again the good
separates from great is in the red zone, and.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
You gotta put points on the board.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Man.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
We can't settle for three. You got to get seven.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
It's great that you have Chris Boswell and he has
gotten you out of stadium so many times, but if
you want to get to that next level, this is
one of the areas where you separate. And the last time,
if you look back at the last handful of years,
the Steelers have not been good in the red zone
(35:10):
in terms of red zone efficiency. They have been twenty ninth,
twenty fifth, you know, bottom bottom tier of the National
Football League. The last time that the Steelers were really
succeeding in that regard was pre elbow surgery Ben Roethlisberger,
when Ben was still, without a doubt, one of the
(35:30):
best three or one of the best five quarterbacks in
the league. Motes you know this better than I do.
But like when you get into those condensed areas, having
a quarterback who not only has the arm talent, but
also has that above the neck ability to diagnose see
what the defense is doing. The field is shrinking here,
(35:51):
the windows are shrinking with it. I think that's one
of those big opportunities. The Steelers were twenty ninth out
of thirty two teams in red zone efficiency last year.
I'm not saying that they that they need to be
top five or top ten, but if they can even
get to just the average standpoint, if they can get
to sixteen ish range, right right in the middle of
(36:13):
the pack over the course of seventeen games, that will
make a massive difference.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
No, one thousand percent.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
Man, that's the mark of like you said, those great teams, Man,
you gotta be able to punch it in. And Aaron
Rodgers historically has shown that he does that at a
very high level, where it's with his legs, with his arm,
or the threat of his arm and legs. Now it
opens up the running game in a traditional sense. These
(36:39):
are all the things that Aaron Rodgers being here should
have a positive impact on. And that has been the
case when he's been healthy. When he's been healthy, man,
he's looked like that every time. And we have to
bank on, you know, and being further moved from this Achilles' injury,
getting more of that and based on the little cliffs
(37:00):
like I said that we have been seeing, it does
at least look.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
Like he feels good to go.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
But we'll see man, because there's still, like I said,
a lot of variabels Man him, Arthur Smith, him, these
wide receivers, this old line. I mean, because I know,
like I said, many people will listen to us right now.
I hear the excitement. It'll be like, man, hey boys,
it's about to say championship. And it's like, no, this
is still a lot of other things that have to
you know, fall in place.
Speaker 5 (37:23):
But as we stand.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
Here right now, yeah, this piece we feel really good about,
like really really good about him being here because that
is a significant check in the right box.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Completely agree, and uh, it's a lot of fun having
these conversations right now, certainly as there is a lot
of unknown, but we've got some we've got some more parameters.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Around that unknown.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Now with with a guy like Aaron Rodgers in the fold,
let's get to our final break here of the first
our second hour of the show. We have some more
of this type of conversation. We also obviously have to
discuss everything going on with TJ. Watt as well too.
We'll do all of that. Morganto, some of your tweets
you know where to get at US. If you want
to get involved, Well Schuler, Arthur Motes, Steelers Blitz, Steelers
(38:17):
Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network
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