September 9, 2025 • 20 mins
Matt Williamson and Tom Opferman break down the Steelers upcoming opponent, the Seattle Seahawks.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got some work to do. This is the Advanced
Scout with Tom Opferman and Matt Williamson.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Steelers got the season started with a win in their
opener against the New York Jets. Now they welcome the
Seattle Seahawks to Akroscher Stadium for the home opener. Seahawks
falling to the San Francisco forty nine Ers in their
home opener in week one, So one of those Steelers
versus zero to one Seattle. I'm Tom Aframan. This is
the advanced scout. Joining me as always is Matt Williamson.
(00:29):
That's really the man you're here to listen to. He's
the one that's going to clue you. And it's his stats,
it's all of his insights. I'm just gonna guide him
along for these next twenty minutes or so, Matt, before
we get to Seattle. I mean, let's just talk about
Aaron Rodgers for a second. What a remarkable display in
that game. And really I grew up watching him play
in Green Bay, and I was always marveling at him.
(00:53):
He was just such a spectacle, such a unique player
at that position. And now I got to see that
in a Steelers uniform. For my favorite team. It was
really quite a vintage performance.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Yeah, and it's cool that unless you were doing what
we do for a living or on the hillside in Latrobe,
you've never seen Rogers in a Steeler helmet or doing
anything right. He got to see that as his opening
debut performance. And I will say even the day he
signed and was at mini camp, all eyes were on him.
(01:25):
I mean, all eyes are on him at camp if
he's walking around the launch room. I mean, he just can't
help yourself. And some of that was very true with
Russell Wilson, but this was up another level and it's
great that he delivered. And I thought we saw a
really good blend of Aaron Rodgers principles from over the
years mixed with Arthur Smith principles. Because, to be honest,
(01:45):
his teammates didn't help him very much.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
No, that's very true, and he's going to need some
more help from the rest of his team if the
Steelers are going to have a lot of success this season.
But hey, you'll take a ride on the back of
the end four time MVP Shoulders whenever he's offering it,
and that's what he did in that game. We turn
our attention to Seattle now and Matt, this is a
franchise that since two thousand in a lot of ways
(02:08):
like the Pittsburgh Steelers as far as sustained success and consistency.
Since that mark two thousand, the Steelers are tied with
New England with twenty seasons with a record above five hundred. Well,
Seattle's tied for third, and they have had eighteen such
seasons above five hundred since the year two thousand. So
this is a very consistent, very winning franchise since the
turn of the century.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah, I mean, they haven't had a ton of playoffs
and postseason success, nor has the Steelers to their degree,
but these fan bases have had it pretty good, you know.
I mean, you win a lot of games over a
two and a half decade stretch. It's really saying something.
And a lot of it, obviously is Pete Carroll. Now
they have right a head coach with his second season,
(02:51):
he's rookie years under his belt, he comes over from Baltimore,
the Steelers had a lot of familiarity with him. So
I think the thing is it's a strong organization without question.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Now, the weird thing last year with Seattle, Matt you
pointed this out in your stat pack. They were seven
and one last season in Mike McDonald's first year as
a head coach on the road, but they finished ten
and seven, and this is one of the most you know,
legendary home field advantages that you have in the NFL.
You got to go out to loom And Field and
play Seattle. They were three and six there last year.
(03:22):
That's a bit of a head scratcher being that good
on the road and then having such a fortress of
solitude traditionally and not having much success there. And then
Matt to me they lost the opener last week there.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Good point, and I think it even goes back to
the end of the Carrol era where it's a little
bit of a misnomer over the last couple years how
strong they are at home. I need to double check that. Frankly,
that doesn't matter because they're coming here. Does McDonald have
some secret sauce to winning on the road in the NFL?
Seven and one is pretty impressive as a rookie head coach.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It seems like there is a secret sauce there, unless
that's just one of those statistical and nominalies it's about
to correct itself here in its second season, and hey,
if you're the Steelers, you hope that's the case, and
it starts that way on Sunday. Let's take a look
at some of the series history before these between these
two teams, before we dig into the offense and the
defensive side of the ball. With the Seahawks, they've only
met twenty one times. It's pretty much even. Steelers are
(04:18):
up eleven to ten. So this is a big one, Matt.
We got to hold the Seahawks off from tyme the
all time series right here.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Took the league last year.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Took the lead last year, and of course the headliner
is Super Bowl forty the Steelers beating the Seahawks in
Ben Roethlisberger's second season with the team, Jerome Bettis's final
season with the team. Seattle was an AFC team once
upon a time. Some of you might not know that
out there. I remember they never met in the playoffs
since when they were in the AFC together, so that
(04:45):
Super Bowl meeting was their first meeting in the postseason.
Nineteen seventy six was when Seattle entered the league. So
these two teams first played in nineteen seventy seven with
the Steelers welcoming to the league by winning against them.
Most recently was twenty twenty three, a game in Seattle,
which May and Rudolph in the Steelers one. And as
we've noted, it's been a very back and forth series.
Neither team, excluding the Super Bowl meeting, have won more
(05:08):
than two in a row at any point. But Matt,
that can change on Sunday because the Steelers are on
a two game winning streak, so they're going for three
against Seattle for the first time ever.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Yeah, let's keep that streak rolling. As you were citing that,
I'm sitting here thinking imagine being a second year NFL
franchise having to play the nineteen seventy seven Steelers. Yeah,
that didn't go.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I'm sure they didn't say this in the meetings, but
I'm sure the coaches looked at each other and said, yeah,
we're probably gonna win this game when they were.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Heading all to the field.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yeah all right, let's let's start with the Seattle defense, Matt,
because you know, you and I we talked to each
other out throughout the week, and you're you're high on
the Seattle defense. It's it's definitely the best part of
this team. Last year, Seattle allowed a touchdown on nineteen
point one percent of opponents possessions. That's fifth in the league.
And they forced the three and out last year on
(06:00):
thirty eight point seven percent of teams possessions, that's second best.
So they were getting off the field real fast.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, and I think they're extremely well coached. They might
not have as many name brand stars as even the
Jets did on defense, Okay, but I don't see any weaknesses.
And there's guys like Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, boy A Mafey,
Witherspoon that are really really good players that just don't
(06:30):
get the pub that they probably deserve. You know. For example,
boy Mafey really beat the crap out of Trent Williams
last week. I mean, I didn't see that coming. I mean,
this is a really well coached, coordinated defense that does
a lot of different stuff. They drafted a safety in
the second round and then m noware to try to
(06:50):
be there Hamilton from the Ravens that they're gonna use
Tim a wide variety of manners and he's a super
athlete with great size their defense. To me, Tom Debile,
this might sound funny because the Steelers defense was pretty
poor last week, which I'm sure we'll get that side
of the ball. But before the season I thought there
were five or six defenses that had a legit shot
to be the best in the league, and frankly, these
(07:13):
were two of them.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
You know, when you were describing that and saying, you know,
you might not know a lot of the names on
this defense, but you can't find a weakness. I thought
of Denver, and I'm sure Denver was on that list
of five defenses too. Right, It's a case where it's
like you won't know these guys until after you play
them for sixty minutes.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Then you might know every single name on the defense.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
And yeah, Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence who came over
in Dallas, like those are name recognized, recognizable names for sure.
But man, it is a very impressive defense from front
to back, and they get a lot of pressure on
the quarterbacks. They actually return each of their top four
pressure leaders from last year and Derek Hall who had fifty,
Leonard Williams who had fifty, Boy Mafe who had forty one,
(07:55):
and Jaren Reid who had forty. They are just one
of three teams along with the Rams and Broncos to
return four players that generated forty plus pass pressures, and
Seattle finished Week one with the NFL's highest pressure rate,
pressuring brock Purty on sixty percent of his dropback. So
it's it's a trend that's starting to play itself out
again this year as far as their pass pressure dominance
(08:17):
and Matt they added to Marcus Lawrence too, who's got
a knack to do that as well.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, and he's a really good run stuffer. You mentioned
the letter Williams, his career really rejuvenated. He kind of
had a Cam Hayward like season after being a really
good player, but at his age you kind of thought
that that book was written. He took it up a level.
And they do get after the passer, like you mentioned
Derek Hall. Like people. I don't know much about Derek.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Hall exactly, they might by the end of the game exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I mean, he is a handful and we saw the
Steelers struggle to keep Rogers clean despite the ball coming
out pretty quick. I mean, this part of it really
worries me.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
That's exactly where I was going next.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
I mean, you're looking at we thought, you know, will McDonald,
Jermaine Johnson last week, even Quinn Williams from up the middle.
That's a pretty good pass rush from the New York Jets.
But I think it takes a level up a little
bit this week, maybe even a lot of it this week,
And it was a tough performance from Broderick Jones. And
that tape is available for every team in the NFL,
including the Seattle Seahawks. There they're having a field day.
(09:19):
I'm sure in that you know pass rush meeting room
this week.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
One hundred percent. I mean the other four were okay,
not great. Jones was really four. Are we're going to
see more Washington on his outside hip?
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Were you surprised that they didn't do that as the
game went on.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
A little bit a little bit, Yeah, I thought his
snapcount would have been higher when I when I double checked,
and they didn't help Jones as much as I would
have liked. I think their logic was, you know, Rogers
is not going to hold the ball. They're going to
throw a lot of quick hitters, not drive the ball
down the field. That we're not going to have a
lot of extra protectors. But looking back at on a Monday,
(09:57):
I bet they regret that a little bit now.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
One thing that the Steelers did a lot on offense
against the Jets was play action pass. Rodgers attempted to
ten play action passes, he completed eight of them for
seventy one yards, and he threw three of his four
touchdowns off the play action. After not using play action
no more than twenty seven percent of his dropbacks over
the last four seasons, he used at thirty three point
three percent of his dropbacks on Sunday, And as I mentioned,
(10:21):
his three touchdowns off play action were his most in
a game over a decade. So they were really using
the play action. Is that what you were kind of
talking about, how there was a nice blend between how
Arthur Smith likes to run things in Rogers like, you
gotta do play action, Aaron more than you have.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
In recent years.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
If you're going to run this offense and Aaron acquiesced,
then hey, I'm sure he's happy to do it again
this week. But where I'm going with this, Matt, is
that takes time running play action, and they might not
have time this week.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
So Rogers has probably said it's not really for him.
He doesn't love play action. Over his many years in
the league, and obviously he's been just fine without it,
I mean the MVPs et cetera. But his logic was,
I don't want to take my eyes off the defense.
He's such a good reader of defense. If I got
to flip my hips around fake this hand off, especially
from under center, I don't want to have to readjust
(11:10):
my eyes and you know people don't stand still while
you do that. And I think it probably total hunch,
but I bet when he visited here that month before
he signed or whatever, when he came for the night
or the weekend or whatever, I'm sure him Smith, Tomlin
whoever sat down and said, let's talk about our two
schemes and if they marry up and I'll concede a little.
(11:33):
You can see the little And I know I'm not
the same player I was ten years ago. I mean,
I might need some help with the play action to
freeze people. So after one week highly successful.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Seattle only allowed seven point four yards per target to
wide receivers last season. That was fourth best in the NFL.
Is there a plan against DK Metcalf against the Steelers
passing game? Gonna be trying to just we line up,
we take a side of the field. There's not anybody
that would really follow him, is there?
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I doubt it. I mean, Witherspoon's their best defensive back,
although they don't have a weakness in the defensive backfield.
He's mostly slot. He'll play outside, but then they have
four defensive backs on the field a lot. He's a physical,
nasty dude, I mean, early draft pick. So what the
Steelers did when when you review the Jets tape was basically,
(12:26):
let's throw at anybody but Sauce. So Sauce followed Metcalf
a very high percentage of the plays and the handful
of times that they didn't, Rogers went to Metcalf, but
he didn't really attack Sauce at all. Because the Jets
secondary really has one guy and he's going to need
to do some offseason work at CFT and other corner spots.
(12:50):
This one's the opposite. They don't have a Sauce, but
they also don't have a bullseye either. You know.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, like you got Drek Wohlan, You've got job, You've
got Devin Witherspoon. Even some of the backups can come
in and be serviceable.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
It's deep safeties are good Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
There's no weakness really on this defense. So funny enough,
now things are gonna have to maybe be on the
back of that Steelers defense. Whereas the first week we
didn't expect the offense to carry the team to a victory.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Now it might be a little.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Bit more of the norm, or at least what we
were expecting the norm to be in twenty twenty five,
because Matt As we now look at the Seattle offense
that was a struggle in Week one against San Francisco.
San Francisco a very good defense in their own right,
of course, but Sam Donald was playing at home, his
new home stadium, and boy, he did not look like
the Sam Donald we saw under Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota
(13:42):
last year.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
No, this side of the ball is much much different
conversation than Seattle defense. I mean, it's to be kind
is a work in progress. Their offensive line was a
disaster last year. They drafted Zabel in the first round.
Who is really the only offensive line that looked good
in Week one. He's gonna be the left guard. And
I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but it's
(14:05):
kind of crazy. The Steelers' first four opponents all drafted
an offensive lineman in the first round, New England, Minnesota,
you know, coming up. So it just just so happens.
But Darnold, even with that time in Minnesota, which was
clearly light years beyond his best year in the pros,
(14:25):
does not handle pressure particularly well. And this team doesn't
protect particularly well. Their run game was very lackluster. It's
a new coordinator. I do think the running game will improve,
and obviously the Steelers run defense needs to firm up
a great deal. You know, that was obviously really bad.
But what's crazy, and I'm sure you'll get to it,
(14:46):
is the entire passing game went through Smith Nijigba, you know,
I mean, it's an obscene amount of their yardage through
the air went to one guy.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Wow, It's like I'm gonna choose my own adventure book
story right now, because it's like, do I want to
talk about Smith and jigboar? Do you want to get
to that running game? Let's go with Smith and Jigba
right now. He had a target share of fifty nine
point one percent percent last week. He accounted his nine
catches for one hundred and twenty four yards, accounted for
(15:21):
ninety one percent of the Seattle Seahawks air yardage. That's
the sixth highest share in an NFL game since at
least twenty sixteen.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I mean, Sam Darnold was pretty focused on one guy.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
They've been charting since they've only been charting it since
twenty sixteen. That's why I had, Okay, there you go.
This might go back for fifty years.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I don't know, it's insane that he was just targeting
one guy. And you know, we'll get to the running
game in a little bit.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
But that works. It's the only thing that worked for.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
That was less than yeah, exactly, the running game was
less than ideal for them. So if the Steelers we
can bring it all together here, can just stop the
run this week and force them to throw. It's seems
like there's only one guy you really got to worry
about when he's they're throwing the football, and maybe Jalen
Ramsey can just eliminate him.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Maybe Yeah, and Smith, the JIGBA people are probably familiar with,
played has done a lot of his work over the
years out of the slot and that's where he's best.
But that at this point of Cooper Cupp's career, that's
really all cup can do so Smith the Jigma has
to line up outside more. At least based off Week one,
he's fine at it. He's still by far their best weapon.
(16:28):
I don't know if the Steelers will follow him with Ramsey.
I'm sure whoever the slot is will see tons of Ramsey.
But it's kind of like last week. I don't know
exactly how the Steelers will combat him, but I think
you got to look at it like, don't let JSN
destroy us, because if everyone else does, I can live
with it. You know, they don't have tight ends to
do anything.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I don't even really expect anybody else to destroy them
in the passing game.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Like Tory Horton's a rookie.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Cooper Cup I like him, but he's way away rookie.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I think Cooper Cup is washed up to be quite
frank trying to be rude. He's a phenomenal career, but
it's just I think it's time for him to hang
it up. And what you just said there about you know,
he's kind of taken away from what Smith and Jigma does. Well,
that's a bad move by the Seahawks. Then to not
recognize that and kind of block him like that.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Yeah, I would have got some I would got somebody
more like a Dk Metcalf field stretcher, fast guy.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Oh if only they could have found somebody like that
Matt right exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
I wonder whether you get one of those.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Little revenge game again this week. Dk Metcalf trying to
get one back on his old team. Kenneth Walker and
Zach Charbonay are really the one two punch that they
have at running back. Sharboney actually got more carries and
out snapped Kenneth Walker in Week one. Despite Walker having
a very very good twenty twenty four season. Matt He
averaged five point three yards per touch over his first
(17:46):
five games. He did drop off a little bit towards
the end, he only average three point seven afterwards, but
I thought he was a really solid back last year
and a little surprised to see the delineation of services
going in Sharboney's favor.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
I don't quite understand. I haven't seen a good explanation.
Charbona is one of the best number two backs in
the league in my opinion. He reminds me a lot
of James Connor. To be honest with you, but I
think Walker is a phenomenal player and one of the
best ball carriers in the league. His receptions and usage
(18:19):
in the passing game spiked last year. You know, so
I thought he was due to be clear bell cow
that maybe there was injury we don't know about or something,
because he has had a long history that way. But
I would much rather play against scharbon Ay, who's quite good,
than I would against Walker.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
That's highlight some key matchups before we get out of here,
the first being Jackson Smith and Jigba versus Steelers cornerback
Jalen Ramsey.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
We just discussed this.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
We don't know if Ramsey will indeed follow JSN, but
he will line up in the slot of fair amount,
and hey, if he's cooking the Steelers pretty good, maybe
you do start following him a little bit more with Ramsey.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Maybe I don't know what exact factly that answer is,
other than he better get a ton of attention.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I guess we should say this too, Matt. We're recording
this on Tuesday. We don't know, of course, how Joey
Porter Junior is going to trend throughout this week, and
if he'll be able to play or not.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
That's a big factor.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Good point, good point, And.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Then the other matchup is another wide receiver matchup versus
the Seahawks secondary Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf. What you said,
You know, there's not going to be that moment where
DK is not on or excuse me, Sauce is an
opposite of DK.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
In this game.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
There's always going to be a comparable defensive back opposite
of DK Metcalf. So you got to be a number
one and get open on those guys, right.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah, and again, I'm sure they're looking at the same
way that they have one major threat to take away.
Rike Wolan is the guy that fits physically, you know,
the Metcalf because Reek Wollan's like six'. THREE i, mean
he's kind of a rare breed in terms of. SIZE
i don't know if they'll follow him or what they'll,
do But i'm sure priority number one in the past
(20:00):
the game for them Is, metcalf just like it is FOR.
Jsn kind of Like Gara.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Wilson last, Week steelers At seahawks one o'clock At Akroshuer,
Stadium matt AND i kickoff all the local coverage ON
dve at nine. Am can't wait to do. That thanks
for giving us a. Listen today or whenever you listen to.
It we're recording this On. Tuesday he Is Matt. WILLIAMSON
i Am Tom opferman and this has been The Advanced
scout
We got some work to do. This is the Advanced
Scout with Tom Opferman and Matt Williamson.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Steelers got the season started with a win in their
opener against the New York Jets. Now they welcome the
Seattle Seahawks to Akroscher Stadium for the home opener. Seahawks
falling to the San Francisco forty nine Ers in their
home opener in week one, So one of those Steelers
versus zero to one Seattle. I'm Tom Aframan. This is
the advanced scout. Joining me as always is Matt Williamson.
(00:29):
That's really the man you're here to listen to. He's
the one that's going to clue you. And it's his stats,
it's all of his insights. I'm just gonna guide him
along for these next twenty minutes or so, Matt, before
we get to Seattle. I mean, let's just talk about
Aaron Rodgers for a second. What a remarkable display in
that game. And really I grew up watching him play
in Green Bay, and I was always marveling at him.
(00:53):
He was just such a spectacle, such a unique player
at that position. And now I got to see that
in a Steelers uniform. For my favorite team. It was
really quite a vintage performance.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Yeah, and it's cool that unless you were doing what
we do for a living or on the hillside in Latrobe,
you've never seen Rogers in a Steeler helmet or doing
anything right. He got to see that as his opening
debut performance. And I will say even the day he
signed and was at mini camp, all eyes were on him.
(01:25):
I mean, all eyes are on him at camp if
he's walking around the launch room. I mean, he just can't
help yourself. And some of that was very true with
Russell Wilson, but this was up another level and it's
great that he delivered. And I thought we saw a
really good blend of Aaron Rodgers principles from over the
years mixed with Arthur Smith principles. Because, to be honest,
(01:45):
his teammates didn't help him very much.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
No, that's very true, and he's going to need some
more help from the rest of his team if the
Steelers are going to have a lot of success this season.
But hey, you'll take a ride on the back of
the end four time MVP Shoulders whenever he's offering it,
and that's what he did in that game. We turn
our attention to Seattle now and Matt, this is a
franchise that since two thousand in a lot of ways
(02:08):
like the Pittsburgh Steelers as far as sustained success and consistency.
Since that mark two thousand, the Steelers are tied with
New England with twenty seasons with a record above five hundred. Well,
Seattle's tied for third, and they have had eighteen such
seasons above five hundred since the year two thousand. So
this is a very consistent, very winning franchise since the
turn of the century.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah, I mean, they haven't had a ton of playoffs
and postseason success, nor has the Steelers to their degree,
but these fan bases have had it pretty good, you know.
I mean, you win a lot of games over a
two and a half decade stretch. It's really saying something.
And a lot of it, obviously is Pete Carroll. Now
they have right a head coach with his second season,
(02:51):
he's rookie years under his belt, he comes over from Baltimore,
the Steelers had a lot of familiarity with him. So
I think the thing is it's a strong organization without question.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Now, the weird thing last year with Seattle, Matt you
pointed this out in your stat pack. They were seven
and one last season in Mike McDonald's first year as
a head coach on the road, but they finished ten
and seven, and this is one of the most you know,
legendary home field advantages that you have in the NFL.
You got to go out to loom And Field and
play Seattle. They were three and six there last year.
(03:22):
That's a bit of a head scratcher being that good
on the road and then having such a fortress of
solitude traditionally and not having much success there. And then
Matt to me they lost the opener last week there.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Good point, and I think it even goes back to
the end of the Carrol era where it's a little
bit of a misnomer over the last couple years how
strong they are at home. I need to double check that. Frankly,
that doesn't matter because they're coming here. Does McDonald have
some secret sauce to winning on the road in the NFL?
Seven and one is pretty impressive as a rookie head coach.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It seems like there is a secret sauce there, unless
that's just one of those statistical and nominalies it's about
to correct itself here in its second season, and hey,
if you're the Steelers, you hope that's the case, and
it starts that way on Sunday. Let's take a look
at some of the series history before these between these
two teams, before we dig into the offense and the
defensive side of the ball. With the Seahawks, they've only
met twenty one times. It's pretty much even. Steelers are
(04:18):
up eleven to ten. So this is a big one, Matt.
We got to hold the Seahawks off from tyme the
all time series right here.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Took the league last year.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Took the lead last year, and of course the headliner
is Super Bowl forty the Steelers beating the Seahawks in
Ben Roethlisberger's second season with the team, Jerome Bettis's final
season with the team. Seattle was an AFC team once
upon a time. Some of you might not know that
out there. I remember they never met in the playoffs
since when they were in the AFC together, so that
(04:45):
Super Bowl meeting was their first meeting in the postseason.
Nineteen seventy six was when Seattle entered the league. So
these two teams first played in nineteen seventy seven with
the Steelers welcoming to the league by winning against them.
Most recently was twenty twenty three, a game in Seattle,
which May and Rudolph in the Steelers one. And as
we've noted, it's been a very back and forth series.
Neither team, excluding the Super Bowl meeting, have won more
(05:08):
than two in a row at any point. But Matt,
that can change on Sunday because the Steelers are on
a two game winning streak, so they're going for three
against Seattle for the first time ever.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Yeah, let's keep that streak rolling. As you were citing that,
I'm sitting here thinking imagine being a second year NFL
franchise having to play the nineteen seventy seven Steelers. Yeah,
that didn't go.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I'm sure they didn't say this in the meetings, but
I'm sure the coaches looked at each other and said, yeah,
we're probably gonna win this game when they were.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Heading all to the field.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yeah all right, let's let's start with the Seattle defense, Matt,
because you know, you and I we talked to each
other out throughout the week, and you're you're high on
the Seattle defense. It's it's definitely the best part of
this team. Last year, Seattle allowed a touchdown on nineteen
point one percent of opponents possessions. That's fifth in the league.
And they forced the three and out last year on
(06:00):
thirty eight point seven percent of teams possessions, that's second best.
So they were getting off the field real fast.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, and I think they're extremely well coached. They might
not have as many name brand stars as even the
Jets did on defense, Okay, but I don't see any weaknesses.
And there's guys like Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, boy A Mafey,
Witherspoon that are really really good players that just don't
(06:30):
get the pub that they probably deserve. You know. For example,
boy Mafey really beat the crap out of Trent Williams
last week. I mean, I didn't see that coming. I mean,
this is a really well coached, coordinated defense that does
a lot of different stuff. They drafted a safety in
the second round and then m noware to try to
(06:50):
be there Hamilton from the Ravens that they're gonna use
Tim a wide variety of manners and he's a super
athlete with great size their defense. To me, Tom Debile,
this might sound funny because the Steelers defense was pretty
poor last week, which I'm sure we'll get that side
of the ball. But before the season I thought there
were five or six defenses that had a legit shot
to be the best in the league, and frankly, these
(07:13):
were two of them.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
You know, when you were describing that and saying, you know,
you might not know a lot of the names on
this defense, but you can't find a weakness. I thought
of Denver, and I'm sure Denver was on that list
of five defenses too. Right, It's a case where it's
like you won't know these guys until after you play
them for sixty minutes.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Then you might know every single name on the defense.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
And yeah, Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence who came over
in Dallas, like those are name recognized, recognizable names for sure.
But man, it is a very impressive defense from front
to back, and they get a lot of pressure on
the quarterbacks. They actually return each of their top four
pressure leaders from last year and Derek Hall who had fifty,
Leonard Williams who had fifty, Boy Mafe who had forty one,
(07:55):
and Jaren Reid who had forty. They are just one
of three teams along with the Rams and Broncos to
return four players that generated forty plus pass pressures, and
Seattle finished Week one with the NFL's highest pressure rate,
pressuring brock Purty on sixty percent of his dropback. So
it's it's a trend that's starting to play itself out
again this year as far as their pass pressure dominance
(08:17):
and Matt they added to Marcus Lawrence too, who's got
a knack to do that as well.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, and he's a really good run stuffer. You mentioned
the letter Williams, his career really rejuvenated. He kind of
had a Cam Hayward like season after being a really
good player, but at his age you kind of thought
that that book was written. He took it up a level.
And they do get after the passer, like you mentioned
Derek Hall. Like people. I don't know much about Derek.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Hall exactly, they might by the end of the game exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I mean, he is a handful and we saw the
Steelers struggle to keep Rogers clean despite the ball coming
out pretty quick. I mean, this part of it really
worries me.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
That's exactly where I was going next.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
I mean, you're looking at we thought, you know, will McDonald,
Jermaine Johnson last week, even Quinn Williams from up the middle.
That's a pretty good pass rush from the New York Jets.
But I think it takes a level up a little
bit this week, maybe even a lot of it this week,
And it was a tough performance from Broderick Jones. And
that tape is available for every team in the NFL,
including the Seattle Seahawks. There they're having a field day.
(09:19):
I'm sure in that you know pass rush meeting room
this week.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
One hundred percent. I mean the other four were okay,
not great. Jones was really four. Are we're going to
see more Washington on his outside hip?
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Were you surprised that they didn't do that as the
game went on.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
A little bit a little bit, Yeah, I thought his
snapcount would have been higher when I when I double checked,
and they didn't help Jones as much as I would
have liked. I think their logic was, you know, Rogers
is not going to hold the ball. They're going to
throw a lot of quick hitters, not drive the ball
down the field. That we're not going to have a
lot of extra protectors. But looking back at on a Monday,
(09:57):
I bet they regret that a little bit now.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
One thing that the Steelers did a lot on offense
against the Jets was play action pass. Rodgers attempted to
ten play action passes, he completed eight of them for
seventy one yards, and he threw three of his four
touchdowns off the play action. After not using play action
no more than twenty seven percent of his dropbacks over
the last four seasons, he used at thirty three point
three percent of his dropbacks on Sunday, And as I mentioned,
(10:21):
his three touchdowns off play action were his most in
a game over a decade. So they were really using
the play action. Is that what you were kind of
talking about, how there was a nice blend between how
Arthur Smith likes to run things in Rogers like, you
gotta do play action, Aaron more than you have.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
In recent years.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
If you're going to run this offense and Aaron acquiesced,
then hey, I'm sure he's happy to do it again
this week. But where I'm going with this, Matt, is
that takes time running play action, and they might not
have time this week.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
So Rogers has probably said it's not really for him.
He doesn't love play action. Over his many years in
the league, and obviously he's been just fine without it,
I mean the MVPs et cetera. But his logic was,
I don't want to take my eyes off the defense.
He's such a good reader of defense. If I got
to flip my hips around fake this hand off, especially
from under center, I don't want to have to readjust
(11:10):
my eyes and you know people don't stand still while
you do that. And I think it probably total hunch,
but I bet when he visited here that month before
he signed or whatever, when he came for the night
or the weekend or whatever, I'm sure him Smith, Tomlin
whoever sat down and said, let's talk about our two
schemes and if they marry up and I'll concede a little.
(11:33):
You can see the little And I know I'm not
the same player I was ten years ago. I mean,
I might need some help with the play action to
freeze people. So after one week highly successful.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Seattle only allowed seven point four yards per target to
wide receivers last season. That was fourth best in the NFL.
Is there a plan against DK Metcalf against the Steelers
passing game? Gonna be trying to just we line up,
we take a side of the field. There's not anybody
that would really follow him, is there?
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I doubt it. I mean, Witherspoon's their best defensive back,
although they don't have a weakness in the defensive backfield.
He's mostly slot. He'll play outside, but then they have
four defensive backs on the field a lot. He's a physical,
nasty dude, I mean, early draft pick. So what the
Steelers did when when you review the Jets tape was basically,
(12:26):
let's throw at anybody but Sauce. So Sauce followed Metcalf
a very high percentage of the plays and the handful
of times that they didn't, Rogers went to Metcalf, but
he didn't really attack Sauce at all. Because the Jets
secondary really has one guy and he's going to need
to do some offseason work at CFT and other corner spots.
(12:50):
This one's the opposite. They don't have a Sauce, but
they also don't have a bullseye either. You know.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, like you got Drek Wohlan, You've got job, You've
got Devin Witherspoon. Even some of the backups can come
in and be serviceable.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
It's deep safeties are good Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
There's no weakness really on this defense. So funny enough,
now things are gonna have to maybe be on the
back of that Steelers defense. Whereas the first week we
didn't expect the offense to carry the team to a victory.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Now it might be a little.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Bit more of the norm, or at least what we
were expecting the norm to be in twenty twenty five,
because Matt As we now look at the Seattle offense
that was a struggle in Week one against San Francisco.
San Francisco a very good defense in their own right,
of course, but Sam Donald was playing at home, his
new home stadium, and boy, he did not look like
the Sam Donald we saw under Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota
(13:42):
last year.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
No, this side of the ball is much much different
conversation than Seattle defense. I mean, it's to be kind
is a work in progress. Their offensive line was a
disaster last year. They drafted Zabel in the first round.
Who is really the only offensive line that looked good
in Week one. He's gonna be the left guard. And
I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but it's
(14:05):
kind of crazy. The Steelers' first four opponents all drafted
an offensive lineman in the first round, New England, Minnesota,
you know, coming up. So it just just so happens.
But Darnold, even with that time in Minnesota, which was
clearly light years beyond his best year in the pros,
(14:25):
does not handle pressure particularly well. And this team doesn't
protect particularly well. Their run game was very lackluster. It's
a new coordinator. I do think the running game will improve,
and obviously the Steelers run defense needs to firm up
a great deal. You know, that was obviously really bad.
But what's crazy, and I'm sure you'll get to it,
(14:46):
is the entire passing game went through Smith Nijigba, you know,
I mean, it's an obscene amount of their yardage through
the air went to one guy.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Wow, It's like I'm gonna choose my own adventure book
story right now, because it's like, do I want to
talk about Smith and jigboar? Do you want to get
to that running game? Let's go with Smith and Jigba
right now. He had a target share of fifty nine
point one percent percent last week. He accounted his nine
catches for one hundred and twenty four yards, accounted for
(15:21):
ninety one percent of the Seattle Seahawks air yardage. That's
the sixth highest share in an NFL game since at
least twenty sixteen.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
I mean, Sam Darnold was pretty focused on one guy.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
They've been charting since they've only been charting it since
twenty sixteen. That's why I had, Okay, there you go.
This might go back for fifty years.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I don't know, it's insane that he was just targeting
one guy. And you know, we'll get to the running
game in a little bit.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
But that works. It's the only thing that worked for.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
That was less than yeah, exactly, the running game was
less than ideal for them. So if the Steelers we
can bring it all together here, can just stop the
run this week and force them to throw. It's seems
like there's only one guy you really got to worry
about when he's they're throwing the football, and maybe Jalen
Ramsey can just eliminate him.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Maybe Yeah, and Smith, the JIGBA people are probably familiar with,
played has done a lot of his work over the
years out of the slot and that's where he's best.
But that at this point of Cooper Cupp's career, that's
really all cup can do so Smith the Jigma has
to line up outside more. At least based off Week one,
he's fine at it. He's still by far their best weapon.
(16:28):
I don't know if the Steelers will follow him with Ramsey.
I'm sure whoever the slot is will see tons of Ramsey.
But it's kind of like last week. I don't know
exactly how the Steelers will combat him, but I think
you got to look at it like, don't let JSN
destroy us, because if everyone else does, I can live
with it. You know, they don't have tight ends to
do anything.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I don't even really expect anybody else to destroy them
in the passing game.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Like Tory Horton's a rookie.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Cooper Cup I like him, but he's way away rookie.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
I think Cooper Cup is washed up to be quite
frank trying to be rude. He's a phenomenal career, but
it's just I think it's time for him to hang
it up. And what you just said there about you know,
he's kind of taken away from what Smith and Jigma does. Well,
that's a bad move by the Seahawks. Then to not
recognize that and kind of block him like that.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Yeah, I would have got some I would got somebody
more like a Dk Metcalf field stretcher, fast guy.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Oh if only they could have found somebody like that
Matt right exactly.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
I wonder whether you get one of those.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Little revenge game again this week. Dk Metcalf trying to
get one back on his old team. Kenneth Walker and
Zach Charbonay are really the one two punch that they
have at running back. Sharboney actually got more carries and
out snapped Kenneth Walker in Week one. Despite Walker having
a very very good twenty twenty four season. Matt He
averaged five point three yards per touch over his first
(17:46):
five games. He did drop off a little bit towards
the end, he only average three point seven afterwards, but
I thought he was a really solid back last year
and a little surprised to see the delineation of services
going in Sharboney's favor.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
I don't quite understand. I haven't seen a good explanation.
Charbona is one of the best number two backs in
the league in my opinion. He reminds me a lot
of James Connor. To be honest with you, but I
think Walker is a phenomenal player and one of the
best ball carriers in the league. His receptions and usage
(18:19):
in the passing game spiked last year. You know, so
I thought he was due to be clear bell cow
that maybe there was injury we don't know about or something,
because he has had a long history that way. But
I would much rather play against scharbon Ay, who's quite good,
than I would against Walker.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
That's highlight some key matchups before we get out of here,
the first being Jackson Smith and Jigba versus Steelers cornerback
Jalen Ramsey.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
We just discussed this.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
We don't know if Ramsey will indeed follow JSN, but
he will line up in the slot of fair amount,
and hey, if he's cooking the Steelers pretty good, maybe
you do start following him a little bit more with Ramsey.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Maybe I don't know what exact factly that answer is,
other than he better get a ton of attention.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I guess we should say this too, Matt. We're recording
this on Tuesday. We don't know, of course, how Joey
Porter Junior is going to trend throughout this week, and
if he'll be able to play or not.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
That's a big factor.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Good point, good point, And.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Then the other matchup is another wide receiver matchup versus
the Seahawks secondary Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf. What you said,
You know, there's not going to be that moment where
DK is not on or excuse me, Sauce is an
opposite of DK.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
In this game.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
There's always going to be a comparable defensive back opposite
of DK Metcalf. So you got to be a number
one and get open on those guys, right.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah, and again, I'm sure they're looking at the same
way that they have one major threat to take away.
Rike Wolan is the guy that fits physically, you know,
the Metcalf because Reek Wollan's like six'. THREE i, mean
he's kind of a rare breed in terms of. SIZE
i don't know if they'll follow him or what they'll,
do But i'm sure priority number one in the past
(20:00):
the game for them Is, metcalf just like it is FOR.
Jsn kind of Like Gara.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Wilson last, Week steelers At seahawks one o'clock At Akroshuer,
Stadium matt AND i kickoff all the local coverage ON
dve at nine. Am can't wait to do. That thanks
for giving us a. Listen today or whenever you listen to.
It we're recording this On. Tuesday he Is Matt. WILLIAMSON
i Am Tom opferman and this has been The Advanced
scout
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